An initiative aimed at showcasing and empowering young entrepreneurs has been hailed as a “resounding success” by participants and government officials alike.
The Emerging Entrepreneurs Broad Street Mall Marketplace, being held every Saturday this month in Bridgetown, was visited last Saturday by Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith.
Praising the initiative, which provides exposure and opportunities for young business owners, many of whom operate online or from home, Mr. Griffith said: “This is a fantastic initiative. I’ve visited about 10 of the entrepreneurs so far, and every single one of them, without fail, indicated that this is a really, really great initiative for them.”
Noting that being situated in the heart of Bridgetown offers visibility that these young entrepreneurs could not otherwise afford, he said: “Several of them said that this is something they could not pay for and have been waiting for but couldn’t figure out on their own.”
One of the entrepreneurs, Latoya Beckles of Labecks Kreations, when asked what she thought of the marketplace place, shared: “I think it’s really good for entrepreneurs because we don’t get this much exposure on a day-to-day basis, but having people coming to town shopping, passing through Broad Street is good exposure. My business is online, and I do pop-ups. So, this is very good that we can have a nine to six, the whole day, for our products to be showcased.”
Mr. Griffith pointed out that the initiative is part of government’s broader strategy to promote self-employment among young people and noted that the “quality of the products is outstanding”.
He said similar events should be held quarterly, allowing young entrepreneurs to showcase their talents and help expand their businesses.
The Youth Minister added that he hopes the success of the initiative would inspire more young people to pursue entrepreneurship so that “next year when we start new courses, participation will multiply even further”.
Mr. Griffith also urged the young entrepreneurs to consider the Caribbean and extra-regional markets as potential avenues for business expansion, noting that it could lead to them becoming employers.