SDC Promotes Local Entrepreneurship, Economic Growth in St. Thomas

The Social Development Commission (SDC), through its St. Thomas Parish Office, is continuing efforts to promote local economic development through its Economic Village initiative.

The third staging of the initiative was held at the Rudolph Elder Park in Morant Bay on Friday (September 25), providing local entrepreneurs with an opportunity to showcase and market their products, while accessing information and training to strengthen their businesses.

Parish Manager for SDC St. Thomas, Lorian Peart-Roberts, told JIS News that the initiative forms part of the Government’s efforts to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Vision 2030 Jamaica, particularly through economic development at the community level.

She said the programme is particularly important for St. Thomas, where there are relatively few large businesses, noting that support is being provided to help small entrepreneurs expand and improve the quality and presentation of their products.

“We know that we don’t have big businesses in St. Thomas… and so part of [our] goal is to allow small entrepreneurs to become bigger, standardise their products, test it, label it [and] make sure they go to the Bureau of Standards [and] JBDC (Jamaica Business Development Corporation),” she said.

She said the SDC is also providing training to help entrepreneurs move beyond the local market and position their products for international opportunities.

“We hope that people get into supermarkets on the international scene. A lot of people in the diaspora yearn for things naturally made in Jamaica [including items such as] herbs, oils, and lotions,” Mrs. Peart-Roberts stated.

The Manager also informed that the initiative is open to persons with business ideas who need guidance to develop and formalise their ventures.

“The aim is to support all persons in communities who have a business idea to have them form that out and to just get them on the right track and so it ties in with the Government’s policy as part of the Sustainable Development Goals and Vision 2030,” she said.

She noted that interest in the programme continues to grow, with prospective entrepreneurs expressing interest at each staging.

“Each time we have an event, people come wanting to start. We have at least six awaiting to go through the process with us,” she stated.

One entrepreneur who has embraced the opportunity is owner and operator of Country Walk Serve and Orders, Nolia Davidson-Thompson.

Mrs. Davidson-Thompson told JIS News that she learned about the Economic Village through social media and subsequently contacted the SDC to express her interest in participating.

She said her participation is aimed primarily at increasing public awareness of her business and the services it offers.

“Well, my main thing [is] for persons to know me in the public and the service that I offer. I actually want to get the exposure so this can enhance my business, and others can know about me,” Mrs. Davidson-Thompson said.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Peart-Roberts explained that participation in the Economic Village provides tangible benefits beyond the opportunity to display products, as registered Local Economic Initiatives (LEIs) gain access to capacity-building opportunities.

She said the SDC has partnered with the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) to provide training in areas such as digitisation, enabling entrepreneurs to market their products online and take advantage of emerging technologies.

Mrs. Peart-Roberts also highlighted the importance of entrepreneurs embracing technology, including artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, as well as modern payment solutions.

“We’re now going cashless to encourage them to get pay machines,” she said.

She encouraged entrepreneurs to formalise their businesses and present their products in a professional manner to improve their competitiveness.

“We’re encouraging them to get formal because a lot of people are doing a lot of things and so you have to come out the best you. You have to show the best side of you and the products that you represent,” Mrs. Peart-Roberts said.