Kingston Creative has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce, formally joining Jamaica’s national Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) network.
The partnership marks a significant milestone in Kingston Creative’s mission to support creative entrepreneurs, giving micro, small and medium enterprises in Jamaica’s cultural and creative industries access to free and low cost business coaching, training, and a nationwide ecosystem of support through Kingston Creative’s programming.
The JBDC has operated Jamaica’s SBDC network since its launch in January 2015, using the American Small Business Development Centre model to improve SME competitiveness, generate trade opportunities, and drive economic integration across the region.
JBDC’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Harold Davis, says the partnership with Kingston Creative brings to nine (9) the total number of external entities which have partnered with the JBDC. “With an estimated 425,000 MSMEs in Jamaica, expanding the SBDC Network is pivotal to making business development services accessible across the island. The agency has taken a keen interest in the development of the Cultural and Creative Industries, having conducted research over the years to guide our intervention. Our CCIs are not exempt from the challenges faced by other businesses, such as access to capital, market access, revenue generation, intellectual property, global competitiveness, and digital transformation – all of which impact their sustainability. A lack of business skills was identified in our research as a barrier to growth and sustainability by CCI entrepreneurs in Jamaica. The programmes and facilities at the JBDC are designed to empower creatives to grow viable businesses, and so we are excited about this partnership,” he added.
As a newly accredited SBDC, Kingston Creative now sits within that network, extending its reach to creative entrepreneurs who may not have previously accessed formal business development support. Through this partnership, small business owners in the creative sector can come to Kingston Creative for one-on-one business coaching covering business planning, accessing capital, and technology development, as well as training on subjects relevant to growing a small business. Creatives will also gain access to the full range of JBDC services, including technical services, production incubators, marketing support, project management, research, and a registry of business consultants.
“We have collaborated with JBDC on many programmes since our inception in 2017 and as we approach our tenth year, we are excited to be formalising our strategic partnership with JBDC to bring business support directly to the creative sector. Being a part of the SBDC network will enhance our entrepreneur services, ensuring we can support creative entrepreneurs at all stages of the business life cycle, and help them to gain access to the resources and support they need to grow their businesses,” said Andrea Dempster-Chung, Executive Director of Kingston Creative.
The partnership is designed to serve the full spectrum of Jamaica’s creative sector, from established micro and small enterprises to early stage entrepreneurs and freelancers, and anyone with an idea for a business in the creative and cultural industries. Unlike time-limited programmes, the MOU establishes an ongoing support structure with no fixed end date, ensuring that creative entrepreneurs can access business development resources when they need them.
The Kingston Creative SBDC will begin operations in July with a pilot cohort of 40 entrepreneurs selected from their current programmes. Rolling invitations will be sent to the wider network of creatives as the support structure develops, and creatives who participate in future Kingston Creative initiatives will gain access to the SBDC resources as an added benefit.
Source: Our Today
