With the recent opening of their new Incubation and Resource Centre and a suite of business and technical services offering spanning seven years, the Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC) is on course to continue the creation and development of sustainable Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in Jamaica.

According to Chief Executive Officer of the JBDC, Valerie Veira, the JBDC is perfectly poised to lead the development of Jamaica’s MSMEs.  “The thrust is now on for Jamaicans to be more productive and small business owners are eager to improve their businesses through business and technical training for themselves and customer service and skills training for their staff, and the JBDC is ready to move forward with Jamaica.”

Over the years, the JBDC has assisted thousands of persons to bring what in some cases were only ideas, to fruition.   The JBDC operates as a national network broker and facilitates clients, especially ‘start-up’ businesses to make efficient links with both government and private sector agencies.

Among the services offered by the Centre are; Business Advisory Services which include; training, consultation, mentoring and business plan guidance.  Business advice is also offered through the Jamaica Business Information Centre (JAMBIC) which is another programme of the JBDC.  JAMBIC offers business-oriented solutions to MSMEs through Information Technology related services.

The JBDC also boasts a Fashion Resource Centre which offers assistance to existing and upcoming Fashion Designers.  These services range from Fashion & Design services to Pattern Development, Garment Engineering, CAD for Fashion, Business and Marketing Plans and Training.

The company’s mandate also extends to technical areas where it is implemented by experts in design, product development and engineering.  Among the technical services provided are; labeling and packaging, processed foods assessment and improvement and product engineering which facilitates design and layout, technical audits and productivity improvements.

To support its income-generating business opportunities and services, the JBDC also hosts and participates annual marketing events.  This year, the Centre hosted its first ever Small Business Exposition which brought together all the stakeholders involved in the process of business start-up.  Over thirty companies including financial institutions, standards and regulatory organizations and training facilities came together to provide updated information for existing and prospective business owners.

The JBDC also hosts the annual Kumba Mi Yabba Christmas fair which provides marketing opportunities for members of the gift and craft industry.    Support is also provided through the retail arm of the JBDC, Things Jamaican.

With six outlets throughout the island, the chain of Things Jamaican Shops provide a retail opportunity for over 300 producers, many of whom would not normally have access to the market.  The focus of Things Jamaican is the development and marketing of authentic Jamaican products.  Shops are located at Devon House, Port Antonio Marina, Norman Manley International Airport, Sangsters International Airport, Super Plus – New Kingston and the Corporate store located at 14 Camp Road, Kingston 4.