An agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce, the JBDC is Jamaica’s premier business development organisation working collaboratively with government, private sector, as well as, academic, research and international communities.

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14 Camp Road, Kingston

The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) has taken another step towards digital transformation with the launch of its new website, today (August 17).

Entrepreneurs who wish to register as clients online will have the chance to create a profile that includes outlining their unique needs through the online interface.

Following the completion of their registrations, they will be contacted by a member of the JBDC, who will route them through the agency’s incubation system. Clients will also be able to update their demographics as this becomes necessary.

Corporate Communications Manager at the JBDC, Suzette Campbell, explained that the new website takes a client-centric approach in a variety of ways.

“The first thing visitors will notice is the bold imagery of 10 of our clients who were selected to share their experiences and successes with the JBDC. They include five men and five women from various sectors, including services and manufacturing. The clients are also featured in the JBDC’s new corporate advertisement, titled ‘Business is Good’ and we are excited about the fact the people we serve get to tell the JBDC story of how we help entrepreneurs ‘from concept to market’,” she said.

Ms. Campbell noted that the new website is also informative and promotes continuous learning.

“Our in-house news centre is ever active, and so visitors to the website can stay abreast of the latest happenings by reading articles, publications and our ‘Entrepreneur Weekly Blog’, which is published every Monday. The knowledge bank page will be consistently updated with relevant information garnered from local, regional and international sources. There is also a link to our YouTube page which features several recordings of online events, dubbed ‘Business Binge’,” she added.

She said that the launch of the new website follows on the heels of the JBDC’s recent Business Beyond ‘Town’ campaign, which targeted entrepreneurs outside of the island’s capital.

“The availability of business development services islandwide is a key tenet of the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce’s MSME & Entrepreneurship Policy.

Business Beyond ‘Town’ was designed to highlight the JBDC’s Business Centres which are strategically located islandwide, so that entrepreneurs can access our services without journeying to our Head Office in Kingston,” Ms. Campbell noted.

“The JBDC’s services are now detailed in a much clearer manner on this new website, so they can familiarise themselves with the interventions available before they even make contact, whether virtually or face-to-face,” she added.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the JBDC, Harold Davis, shared that the agency has optimised its efficiency in client management, through the implementation of new software to assist with the onboarding process.

Prior to the launch, “the staff members were trained and have been using it for a while with clients. Now we are broadening access to the wider micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) ecosystem, so they can engage with us in a more convenient and efficient manner, as opposed to calling, emailing, walking in, and so on,” he said.

He added that the agency is operating under the reality of a dynamic environment and as things change, organisations must be able to adapt quickly.

“Therefore, it is important for us to have a mindset of agility and adaptability. Though COVID-19 has disrupted the way we do business, disruption has the capacity to lead to innovation.

‘Business is good’ but it is not business as usual, it is time for us to reimagine the way we support our entrepreneurs and the way we do in Jamaica,” Mr. Davis said.

The JBDC is encouraging website visitors to join its mailing list so they can receive real-time updates, by visiting www.jbdc.net.

The Corporation provides guidance for business start-ups and expansion, offering business advice and consultation, research services, business monitoring, training and capacity-building, project management services, financial advice, design and product development as well as market penetration support and access.

Source: JIS

Author

Corporate Communications