Business Development Consultant with the Barbados Trust Fund Limited (BTFL), Nicole Forde, has lauded its partnership with Omniverce.com, saying e-commerce presents a new wave of endless opportunities.
Ms. Forde noted that in this age of digitisation, the boundaries, which once existed, were a thing of the past, with small businesses and young entrepreneurs now fighting alongside corporate giants, to gain rewards on a levelled playing field, facilitated by the internet and e-commerce.
“Over the last few years, e-commerce and e-commerce opportunities have grown by leaps and bounds with COVID-19 acting as a real accelerator across the world…. E-commerce presents a new wave of endless opportunities creating shorter business to business sales cycles, lowering barriers to entry, and providing easier expansion into foreign markets,” she stated.
The consultant made the comments on Monday as she addressed the media launch, to announce BTFL’s partnerships with the online shopping portal Omniverce.com and Omniverce Holdings Limited, as well as All Greens, Power of Choice Inc. and others, on the “I Am a Community Farmer and Entrepreneur Agri-business Programme”.
Ms. Forde said with this new initiative, the BTFL would make it “as simple as possible” for businesses to grow and succeed online.
She explained that Omniverce.com is a customer-centric platform, which offers local consumers easy access to Barbadian products.
Ms. Forde noted that the attractive offerings of the platform would include entrepreneurs receiving data, so they could better understand their customers.
“They will have access to see what time consumers shop, or what activities specifically compelled them to make a purchase. They can drill down into the types of products customers preferred, which items they typically bought together and much more.
“With this level of detail, savvy young Barbadian e-commerce retailers will be able to build strategies for product offerings and content to help customers feel connected, stay engaged and …purchase more,” Ms. Forde proffered.
General Manager of All Greens, Rowmell Grosvenor, said the “I Am a Community Farmer and Entrepreneur Agri-business Programme” was designed to get more young people involved in farming.
He explained that two Instant Kitchen Gardens (IKGs) would be installed in the backyards of those participating, and a training component was included in the project.
Mr. Grosvenor continued: “They will be taught the principles of agriculture and business development as this is very important for them to be successful.” He added that participants would also be visited by agri-technical officers, who would render valuable assistance.
He noted that young people under the age of 20 were being targeted “as we try to get them involved in the wealth creation that the Trust Loan is embarking upon in Barbados”.
Those receiving loans to purchase the IKGs will also be taught the agricultural principles of financing, planting, harvesting, post-harvesting, marketing and sales. It will allow young people to have the experience of starting their own sustainable agri-business; be successful entrepreneurs, and have a favourable credit rating.