– to help small businesses thrive

THE Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, in collaboration with the United Nations’ Development Programme (UNDP), on Thursday, hosted a “Digital in Motion” programme, targeting small business owners.

The training was held at the office of the Region Three Regional Democratic Council, Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara.

According to the ministry’s Special Projects Officer Joel Parris, the “Digital in Motion” programme is specifically geared at helping small businesses adapt to the changing needs of the business environment through the adaptation and use of digital technology tools, which will serve to help them grow their businesses.

He noted that while the programme is targeted at small business owners, they have also included prospective small business owners.

The programme was developed during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic when it was noticed that several businesses had to be closed because they would mainly have to depend on in-person interactions to progress with their various business operations.

Additionally, he said that with the way the economy is, people would have to adapt in terms of utilising more technology and new business solutions and not solely depend on the traditional modes of operations, such as face-to-face interactions or more conventional forms of media for advertising and marketing (radio, newspapers, and television).

The Digital in Motion programme provides a general step-by-step guide to assist businesses in re-tooling and discovering new ways to reach their customers, available on the Ministry’s website.

The training session consisted of eight guides. Guide One focused on customer and market expansion; Guide Two handled orders and deliveries efficiently; Guide Three, organising business finances; Guide Four, ensuring business safety and security; Guide Five, implementing various payment methods; Guide Six, generating appealing products and promotions for clients; Guide Seven, good environmental practices in business; and Guide Eight, contribute to gender equality in industry.

Each guide has a maximum of seven to 10 tools, which will further help business owners enhance their businesses.

The programme began in 2022, and so far, they have done training in Regions Two, Seven, Six, and 10, with this year’s targets being regions Three, Four, and Five.