JBDC Strengthens Partnership with JEF and YEA to Provide Greater Support for Businesses

The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) is strengthening its partnership with the Jamaica Employers’ Federation (JEF) and the Young Entrepreneurs Association (YEA), to provide greater support for businesses seeking to transition from start-up to sustainable growth.

Speaking at the recent launch of the JEF-YEA Business Development Centre at the JEF headquarters in Kingston, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the JBDC, Daenia Ashpole, said more attention is needed to help entrepreneurs navigate the challenges that arise after the start-up phase.

She noted that while considerable support exists for new businesses and established enterprises, additional assistance is needed during the critical growth stage.

“We have really become great at helping people begin. We are also good at representing enterprise once it has matured. Where we must do more is in the in-between, the ‘messy middle’. This is where entrepreneurs need the most practical support, and where the right assistance can determine whether a growing firm survives, scales or fails,” Ms. Ashpole pointed out.

She said the partnership among the JBDC, JEF and YEA is intended to provide businesses with the practical tools and guidance needed to successfully expand their operations.

“That is why the collaboration with YEA and JEF matters; it helps more businesses scale, earn, export and see a fair return on the effort they have invested in starting and operating their businesses,” the CEO shared.

The newly launched Centre will offer a range of business development services, including capacity-building, mentorship, coaching, professional expertise and access to business opportunities.

According to Ms. Ashpole, the Centre’s unique structure will make it easier for entrepreneurs to access support as they grow, as “start-up support and employer support are placed in the same building, so that a growing business does not have to leave one system in order to enter another”.

She also underscored the importance of technology in helping micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) improve productivity, strengthen competitiveness and access international markets.

“Technology can help an MSME move from selling locally to thinking globally, from managing reactively to making data-driven decisions, and from simply surviving to building a more productive and profitable business,” Ms. Ashpole said.

The JBDC currently operates 14 Small Business Development Centres, nine of which are delivered through external partnerships.

Through its collaboration with JEF and YEA, the Corporation is seeking to expand access to business development support and equip more entrepreneurs with the resources needed to achieve long-term growth.

The launch of the JEF-YEA Business Development Centre also formed part of activities marking the 20th anniversary of the Young Entrepreneurs Association, highlighting the organisation’s continued commitment to supporting entrepreneurship and business development in Jamaica.