Dr Kadamawe K’nife, director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship Thinking and Practice, Mona School of Business and Management, says Jamaica’s strengthening of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) must be inclusive in order to achieve its long-term development goals.
Speaking at the launch of the Jamaica Business Development Corporation’s (JBDC) online learning platform Biz Wiz on March 5, held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, he argued that MSMEs are central to generating sustainable economic growth.
K’nife further mused that the country’s development framework, including Vision 2030 Jamaica and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), depend heavily on the success of Jamaica’s MSMEs.
Goal 3 of Vision 2030 Jamaica seeks to achieve a prosperous Jamaican economy with outcomes including ‘an enabling business environment’.
“It is impossible to attain the SDGs and Vision 2030 without a robust MSME,” said K’nife, “The small enterprise is the one that endogenises growth.”
He noted that while large firms play an important role in the economy, small businesses have directly stimulated economic activity.
According to the entrepreneurship expert, Jamaica’s MSME & Entrepreneurship Policy framework already recognises the importance of entrepreneurship and human capital development in strengthening the sector.
However, what is most important is translating those policy objectives into practical programmes that reach entrepreneurs on the ground.
The launch of ‘JBDC Biz Wiz’ is a primary outcome of the agency’s implementation of the Accelerating MSMEs Growth through Innovation & Technology project funded by the Ministry of Investment & Commerce, Organization of American States (OAS) and the European Union (EU).
“Policy doesn’t implement itself, it’s the actions of the partners that actually implements the policy,” K’nife said.
Inclusive development programme
He emphasised that strengthening entrepreneurship must also be approached through a lens of inclusivity, ensuring that economic opportunities reach a wide cross-section of society.
“Every development programme speaks about inclusivity. How do we maintain the most vulnerable across gender, youth, persons with special needs and inclusive of climate change?” he said.
He added that entrepreneurship initiatives must therefore be designed to support diverse groups and sectors, noting that small businesses often generate significant social impact, particularly when led by women.
“When a woman owns a business, it’s her family business. When a man owns a business, it’s his business,” K’nife said, pointing to the broader economic and social ripple effects of women-led enterprises.
The professor also stressed that while entrepreneurship is widely encouraged, many business owners still lack access to the practical knowledge needed to sustain and scale. He points out that while formal training for entrepreneurship already exists through secondary and tertiary education, the non-formal education framework is critical.
Harold Davis, acting chief executive of the JBDC, said many individuals enter business with strong ideas but a limited understanding of the systems required to manage and grow a company.
“In fact, one of the greatest contributors to early business failure is not a lack of talent or creativity. It’s a lack of entrepreneurial education, particularly in areas such as digital literacy, digital management, costing, your marketing, your operation systems,” Davis said in corroborating K’nife’s arguments.
To address these gaps, the JBDC has expanded its training programmes for entrepreneurs, with the launch of the online learning platform, JBDC Biz Wiz, designed to provide structured entrepreneurship education to business owners at various stages of development on their own time.
K’nife said initiatives that expand access to practical training represent an important step toward strengthening Jamaica’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Commenting on the agency’s efforts, he said, “JBDC is miles ahead in actually implementing the recommendations of the policy. ”
Towards increased productivity and export
Portfolio industry and commerce minister, Senator Aubyn Hill, said strengthening productivity within the MSME sector is essential as Jamaica seeks to compete in expanding global markets.
“If global markets expand but our companies are not prepared with increasing productivity results, opportunities will pass us by,” Hill said.
