The year 2020 will mark the fifteenth (15th) anniversary of the Centre for Enterprise Development (CED) and offers an opportunity to reflect on its past performance and the impact of its work on the Vincentian business community.
After all, the old adage that “hindsight is 20/20 vision” should have greater resonance in the year 2020 as the organization looks to the future guided by the experiences of the past.
In charting the way forward, the organization will require tremendous foresight in executing its mandate in the context of a global economy that is becoming increasingly unstable and unpredictable as a result of the Brexit fallout, trade wars and geopolitical conflicts.
The CED will have to become more responsive to meeting its clients’ needs and to ensure faster turnaround time in service delivery if the organization is to remain relevant in today’s fast-paced technologically advanced environment.
The quality of its services has met with good reviews in the past, whether this is in the area of preparing business plans, youth entrepreneurship training, market research and development, organizing training workshops and trade shows, etc. It means therefore that the organization will be held to higher quality standards in the future.
The management and staff of the organization must also be commended for its work and commitment over the past year. The Board of Directors, comprised of talented and seasoned professionals, have been equal to the task in ensuring that the organization effectively executes its mandate in accordance with the principles of good governance.
The year 2020, though pregnant with challenges, promises to be an exciting one for the CED. There are several business initiatives emerging from the Government policies and economic programmes that will fully engage the organization in the upcoming period.
The ECCB’s sponsored Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme should become operational in 2020 and this will have a direct impact in creating greater financing options for small businesses operating in the OECS space.
The development of the Medicinal Cannabis Industry will also create opportunities for small business operators, particularly traditional cultivators, most of whom will require business development assistance services already provided by the CED. It is also expected that the initiatives of establishing business clusters organized by the CED will receive greater impetus in the upcoming period.
In celebrating another successful year, the Board of Directors and Management and Staff of the Centre for Enterprise Development join with every Vincentian family and the rest of the small business community in wishing everyone – and especially our esteemed stakeholders – a warm and joyous Christmas season and a happy and productive New Year!
