with ‘Backing Winners Programme’ participants
The Anguilla Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ACOCI) launched its ‘Backing Winners Programme’ on the Government House grounds on Thursday, March 3. Funded through a Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) grant, this first-of-its-kind programme, in the Caribbean, will provide twelve months of training and mentoring in key business areas to twenty diverse businesses on the island.
President of ACOCI, Vida Lloyd Richardson, welcomed all attending the event which included Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, Deputy Governor Perin Bradley, Premier Dr Ellis Lorenzo Webster, Minister Kyle Hodge, the ACOCI Board of Directors, and many of the participating trainers and businesses.
Mrs. Lloyd Richardson said, “The goal of this programme is to prepare businessowners to manage and lead successful, effective enterprises. ACOCI promotes and supports local businesses. We are intentional about making a difference for our members and the community at large.” She encouraged the participating businesses to use the opportunity to move their businesses forward with clarity.
Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam said she was delighted to be at the Backing Winners Programme launch, noting that a programme like this, which seeks to fulfil the full potential of all those present, who take the financial risk to start a business, is truly heartening.
She said, “To have this infrastructure of support is pretty phenomenal, and I want to give a round of applause to ACOCI in their belief in doing this. They have championed the development of local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The Backing Winners Programme closely aligns with the longstanding aim to help businesses proper – which in turn creates employment, bolsters the local community and improves the quality of life for everyone who lives in Anguilla.”
Minister of Economic Development, Kyle Hodge, who is also a businessman and former chairman of the Get Set Programme and the Anguilla Youth Business Foundation, spoke of the challenges of being a businessowner. He said, “Being a businessowner is not choosing the easy way out – and is not for everyone. In these uncertain times, we have to know what we are getting into. In a business climate, where competitive advantage determines the life or death of a business, where resources may be thinning and costs escalating, this Backing Winners Programme is very timely.”
The programme was introduced by ACOCI team member, Susan Longster and her husband, who work remotely from the United Kingdom and where The Backing Winners Programme has worked successfully with over seven hundred businesses. Project coordinator, Karen Pina, said, “The Longsters were instrumental in getting the proposal written, accepted and funded by the CDB. There has been a lot of effort by many within the ACOCI to get this going.”
During the months of March and April the focus will be on the areas of customer service, marketing, human resources, record keeping and business planning.
Following the training period, five local business advisors, plus two local specialists advising in the areas of finance and marketing, will liaise monthly with the businesses to monitor their progression towards achieving their goals.
