With Corporate Jamaica budgeting millions of dollars to purchase gifts during the Christmas season, the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) is urging companies to direct more of that spending towards Jamaican-made products as part of the country’s ongoing development.
Through its Things Jamaican retail network, the Corporation has launched B2B Buy to Build – A Made in Jamaica Christmas corporate gifting campaign aimed at connecting companies with local producers while creating sales opportunities for micro and small businesses, particularly those recovering from the effects of Hurricane Melissa.
The campaign comes at a critical time for local producers. While some have restarted production, JBDC says getting businesses operational again is only one part of recovery. Restoring demand and getting products back into the hands of paying customers are equally important.
“In order for the economy to thrive, we have to be buying, we have to be trading,” said Janine Fletcher-Taylor.
She explained that the impact of the hurricane has extended beyond businesses that suffered physical damage.
Some producers have been affected because their traditional buyers, particularly within the tourism industry, were also impacted and forced to redirect resources towards their own recovery.
The JBDC’s push for sales comes at a time when the agency’s parent – Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce (MIIC) is leading its agencies in business recovery efforts under a J$500 Million MSME Restoration Grant Programme to assist micro, small, and self-employed businesses affected by Hurricane Melissa.
“There are grants and so on available to re-establish infrastructure and production, but if you are not getting the orders, if you are not getting the sales, then it will be for nought,” Fletcher-Taylor said. “The most important thing is to get persons back in a mindset of trading and buying and selling so that they can earn. That is the lifeblood of any business.”
“Easy. Buy Jamaican for your corporate gifting. This is something that Corporate Jamaica does every year.”
Ashpole said, “Things Jamaican provides companies with a trusted route to local producers and products that meet the requirements of corporate buyers.
“JBDC Things Jamaican becomes that plug, becomes that conduit through which you can get pre-assessed products that we can attest to their quality. We can attest to their supply capabilities. We can attest to their standards,” she added.
Thin Line between Business and Household Income
Ashpole explained that Jamaica’s business landscape is largely made up of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and, at the smaller end of the spectrum, the line between business income and household income is often thin.
“The truth is that the way the business architecture is structured is mainly micro, small and medium. But more so for the micro and small, business is closely linked to daily sustenance, daily living and family life,” she said.
Following Hurricane Melissa, she noted, some entrepreneurs had to redirect resources that would otherwise have been available to their businesses towards getting their households and families back on their feet.
Ashpole said this makes interventions that help businesses restock, regain market access and begin earning again particularly important to recovery.
The Things Jamaican Gateway
Things Jamaican is the market access channel for these businesses, connecting producers with buyers while helping to overcome some of the practical challenges that can make business-to-business transactions difficult for smaller operators.
Many producers, Fletcher-Taylor explained, spend most of their time producing and may not yet have the administrative systems required to manage corporate transactions, including purchase orders, payables and supply fulfilment.
Things Jamaican can work with corporate clients to determine their budget, specifications, quantities and timelines before identifying suitable producers.
The campaign features 25 Jamaican artisans across craft and woodwork, fine art and small crafts, ceramics and pottery, aromatherapy, food and beverage.
Corporate clients will be able to access pre-curated Jamaican artisan gift collections, tokens, engravings and personalised offerings. Things Jamaican houses products for more than 400 local producers.
Source: Our Today
