Thirty-two participants for Montserrat Business Plan Workshop
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| Published on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 |
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BRADES, Montserrat (GIS) -- The large number of registrants for the first Business Plan workshop is a sign Montserratians still have confidence in the island, says Philip Pierre, facilitator for the Montserrat Development Corporation’s (MDC) first Business Opener which began on Monday.
The consultant was speaking during the short opening ceremony for the MDC and Caribbean Development Bank-sponsored programme. For the next five days, participants will learn the basics of developing and writing a business plan. Pierre said he was quite impressed with Montserrat and what he has seen in terms of its development and infrastructure. “From the outside the impression you hear of Montserrat is that it is run down and no one lives here. I am very glad that I was able to come and see for myself and to see that the island is progressing.”
Head of the MDC, Colin Heartwell in his opening remarks said they were quite surprised at the number of people who registered for the workshop. “We were expecting about 15 people to register but we have 32 attending now and had to turn others away because we could not accommodate them.” He added that similar programmes will be held in the future to continue to enhance the business sector and help aspiring entrepreneurs launch their own enterprise.
An additional goal for the workshop is that participants will be able to apply for and win grants from the Tourism Challenge Fund. Merle Galloway, Manager of Tropical Mansion Suites said she is taking the course to enhance the business plan for the hotel as it is their intention to provide additional services in the near future. Cordella Yearwood, who specializes in crochet work, said she wants to open a gift and souvenir shop with items made exclusively on Montserrat and learning to write a business plan will improve her chances to start on the right foot and hopefully acquire funding to move the business forward. Other participants at the training said they were looking to diversify their present enterprises to increase the revenue potential.
The workshop is being held in two groups. After completing this segment of the training, Pierre will return to the island for one-on-one sessions, with each participant during the month of October.
Pierre is a former tourism minister for St Lucia, who now heads Philip J Pierre Business Services Ltd in St.Lucia.
The Montserrat Development Corporation (MDC) is a limited liability company owned by the government that establishes local and international business partnerships with the public and private sector for improvement of the economic status of the island. | | | | Reads : 548 | | | |
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