“Whilst the economy is making small but steady progress, increased diversity and innovation within the city’s small business sector would definitely add value for residents and to the local economic landscape,” stated Ian Rolle, President of The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA), referring to the Port’s recent introduction of a Business Diversity Waiver (BDW) for the Downtown Business Area.
“As with the upcoming “Business Innovation & e-Commerce” workshop, all initiatives by our Invest Grand Bahama Small Business Bureau (IGBSBB), in 2017, will focus on encouraging increased business diversity and innovation, which at present is lacking within our small business sector. That said, one important measure that we are taking is to incentivize entrepreneurs who are thinking outside the box, with a one year GBPA Licence Fee Waiver, when they launch their creative business ideas within the Downtown area,” he added.
The president also noted that while the Downtown area will serve as the launch pad for this pilot initiative, GBPA is hopeful that the results would translate into more variety and options for locals as well as visitors, with regard to customer experiences in shopping, dining, entertainment, etc
GBPA’s Business Innovation & e-Commerce workshop is slated for June 8th at the Grand Lucayan Resort, and will feature international headliners such as SHOPIFY. According to Derek Newbold, Sr. Manager of Business Development and Invest Grand Bahama, all elements of the upcoming workshop will support the new BDW. “We all know the traditional business concepts; in fact they currently hold the majority share of the local economy, for example retail clothing stores, liquor stores, salons, beauty supplies stores, and the like,” cited Newbold. “While these business types continue to be necessary within the community, we want to encourage entrepreneurs to be creative and think innovatively. By this, I am referring to adding value in a new way; perhaps within some of the traditional business concepts by way of enhanced customer experiences, technology integration, etc. It’s time to break the traditional mold,” he continued.
Port executives say they are excited about the BDW initiative and upcoming training. “Creating a rich and diverse SME sector is a key component in moving the local economy forward. The BDW initiative, supported by the upcoming Business Innovation & e-Commerce workshop, will provide attendees with valuable information, as well as deliver the relevant, practical and engaging content, participants of previous events have come to expect,” Rolle concluded.
