Quality service key for business growth - Louis Potter
The Buy BVI Trade Expo is an annual event that has been promoted by the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association (BVICCHA) for in excess of 30 years to promote and showcase local businesses and products of the territory.
Mr Louis Potter, who heads the association, was at the time addressing the opening ceremony of the expo on April, 29, 2017. "We want to also emphasise not only to brand yourselves but brand the BVI Hotel Association and continue to give and give the best of your service always. Consider every customer to be an honoured guest in your store and when they walk away they can always continue to recommend you to others and they will return again and again to your store."
Grow beyond VI borders; Up the game
Stressing the importance of more businesses coming into the fold, Mr Potter encouraged more business to join forces with the Chamber as he also stressed the need to see local businesses grow beyond the borders of the Virgin Islands.
"We want to see you continue to grow year after year. We want to see you grow not only locally but we want to see you grow to the point where you move overseas," Mr Potter said.
The opening ceremony was not one of long speeches but did also hear from Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Honourable D Orlando Smith (AL), who noted the need for local businesses to up the game to become a competitive player in the international market.
"BVI entrepreneurs need to up their game locally in order to compete in the global scale," commented Premier Smith.
‘Buy local’ a global call
However, Troy Christopher, BVICCHA President and Chairman of the Buy BVI Trade Show, addressed in brief the issue of buying local as he noted that many countries have now joined the call to buy local to allow for the survival of their respective economies.
"Buy local! How long have we been saying that in the BVI? Now it's catching on globally, (President Donald) Trump, Brexit; obviously we are going through a transition phase now where there is a big demand globally for citizens to support their own territories and businesses," emphasised Christopher.
"To buy local within their own jurisdictions and it's something that as much as we continue to trade internationally, globally, it has to work for everyone."
On the other hand Green technology BVI's Ms Abigale O'Neal, who spoke as the representative of all the participating businesses, challenged government to not only focus on giving incentives to local business but to encourage people to buy local. "Would just like to ask and trust that the government and government agencies would continue to provide the incentives, not just for businesses but for the members of the public to buy local."
The expo enters its final day today April 30, 2017 and a number of businesses will be named for a series of awards having participated in the event.
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21 Responses to “Quality service key for business growth - Louis Potter”
Yes, we have an 1) upholsterer on island, but why not a couple more around the territory for cushions and curtains? Have a store of material specifically for these projects?
With all the villas being decorated, why can't someone make 2) CUSTOM LAMP SHADES? Years ago one woman did but couldn't keep up with the demand. It just requires paper or textile materials, tracing patterns and sizes.
3) Pottery and China- mending for cracks and chips, 4) rent-able patio furniture with option to buy, or return after season (usually a couple of weeks but with criteria), 5) district bookstores which will take back used books for a nominal payment? Used book payments add up to pocket money while people not wanting to pay full price get a bargain?. It will also hopefully make people aware of keeping books in good shape.
Service businesses have a better chance of catching on than untried products which cost a lot for the gamble.
imported T-shirts are not local. Remember "Sloop Jones" brand of painted clothing and linen shirts from St John?
they were internationally known because they were artistic and identifiable. Just a thought.
The BVI transitioned from a subsistence agricultural economy to a service-based economy (tourism, financial services), starting in the 60s. Further, the VI is small (entails many challenges) and lacks the natural resources to establish either a competitive Primary Economy (oil, precious metals, mining, fishing, forestry, agricultural ...etc ) or a Secondary Economy (manufacturing). The BVI's economy is tertiary------services. Thus, going forward, the VI may need to identify new territory and craft strategies and tactics to getting to the destination.
Moreover, in identifying that new territory, the VI must decide what goods to produce, how to produce them and for whom to produce them, given limited resources(land, labour, capital). It must look closely at its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the quest to produce more goods. It must look at producing goods in which it has either a comparative or an absolute advantage in. Further, a production challenge, in addition to labour and markets, is cheap energy and transportation. Nevertheless, the first challenge is to produce goods for the domestic market that attracts consumers to buy local. Buying local has a definite multiplier effect on the economy.