JBDC Holds Business Workshop in Trelawny for Cricket World Cup 2007

The Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC) has embarked on a series of ‘Bowling for Business’ workshops across the island, to enlighten entrepreneurs in the craft, fashion and food sectors about how they can benefit from the various business opportunities that will arise as a result of Cricket World Cup 2007.
To this end, a two-day workshop was held recently in Trelawny at the Falmouth Baptist Church Hall, with several persons turning out to access valuable information.
Small business owner, Joy Laesch, told JIS News that she learnt a lot from the workshop and that she was being equipped with new ideas for her business.
“I have been empowered to go ahead and do what I want to do towards Cricket World Cup. The team members from the JBDC were great and I got some ideas that I will be working on. I am excited about Cricket World Cup coming to Trelawny and I know that the parish is going to benefit, because the event will boost our economy and as a resident of Trelawny this makes me feel proud,” she said.
Artist, Victor Foster said he was happy for the opportunity that the workshop afforded, in that he was now able to chart his course towards creating high quality products for the market.
“What I got from this workshop is more than words can tell and this is a call for persons in Trelawny who are creative to come out and be a part of what is going on, because it will be great for the development of the parish,” he told JIS News.
Meanwhile, Communications Officer for the JBDC, Racquel Jones, said that the two-day workshop saw representatives from the organization presenting various topics of interest, such as Business Management Practices, Product Development and Branding, Visual Merchandising, Packaging and Labeling, among others. “The JBDC has been going from parish to parish to speak to entrepreneurs about Cricket World Cup 2007 and the many business opportunities it offers. At first it was a core sensitization programme and our partners included the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), the Social Development Commission (SDC) and the different Chambers of Commerce. We are on the second leg of the workshops, which speaks more to the technical aspect, which is product development, so persons are made aware of how to get their products ‘market ready’,” she told JIS News.
Miss Jones added that persons would be able to benefit from this, not only for Cricket World Cup, but also in years to come.
She informed that members of staff at the JBDC were ready to work with persons who had an interest and required assistance in getting their businesses started, noting that these persons would be guided from the concept stage straight through to the market stage.
“We are located at 14 Camp Road in Kingston and our telephone number is 928-5161-5 and we are always going around Jamaica and sensitizing people to good business practices,” she said.
The next ‘Bowling for Business’ workshop will be held in Ocho Rios, St. Ann at a date to be set.