The Barbados Trust Fund Limited (BTFL) will soon be hosting a six-week Manufacturing Incubator Programme (MANUFEST) for 105 entrepreneurs.
During the training, the business people are expected to gain insight into the trends in their respective markets, as well as enhance their public speaking and presentation skills. They will also build their competencies in costing and pricing; selling and distribution; networking, and social media management, among other areas.
The training will be held from Saturday, October 22 to Saturday, November 19.
The BTFL is offering 10 micro businesses an opportunity to take part in this programme, and the first 10 persons to submit their applications will be selected.
Entrepreneurs involved in Health and Beauty; Condiments and Consumables, and Wines, Spirits and Beverages who are interested in participating in the programme should email admin@trustloansbb.com. In the email, they must provide their name, telephone number and business email address; registered business name and address, and a brief biography on the business.
The participants of MANUFEST will interact with a number of industry professionals from organisations such as the National Cultural Foundation, the Barbados National Standards Institution, the Barbados Manufacturers Association, and Export Barbados, where they will work on several projects aimed at enhancing their products, brands, storefronts and internal capacities.
At the end of the training, the entrepreneurs will be awarded with E-commerce storefronts in partnership with Omniverce.com. The programme will culminate with a two-day marketplace on November 18 and 19. On Saturday, November 19, the public will have an opportunity to interact with the entrepreneurs who will be displaying their products, as they speak about their enhanced goods and services to a judging panel, in an effort to access advanced export opportunities.