The Center for Entrepreneurial Development (CED), along with the two Chambers of Commerce and the European Union’s COSME program, has been working to develop a “virtual business incubator” that can be used to provide mentors for local entrepreneurs and to assist them to access capital from venture capitalists and angel financiers.
CED and Chamber officials travelled to St. Maarten from May 17 – 20th, to work with the EU-COSME consultants to finalize and then launch the first step in the process, a web portal.
The new Carib Connect web portal provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs, investors and academics to register on the site to share information, search for possible investor partners and to engage in peer to peer mentoring amongst small business owners. Carib Connect also provides various self-help tools for local entrepreneurs and links to other support services.
Sophia Thomas, who represented the CED at the meeting commented “The new Carib Connect web portal gives small business owners in the Overseas Territory a new opportunity to network with investors and mentors and to access a range of tools and techniques to assist them to launch a new business, sustain their current business or to expand.
I encourage all entrepreneurs in TCI and anyone with business expertise to sign up to Carib Connect at http://www.caribconnect.bidx.net and log in to the web portal to experience the opportunities”.
The launch of the web portal is just one of several initiatives where the Chamber, CED and COSME are cooperating to support small business. Other projects include:
• A business survey that will allow the TCI to compare its business environment with more than 185 countries in the World Bank’s annual Doing Business report.
• An OCT wide certified Management Consulting Association to allow TCI consultants access to more consulting opportunities globally.
• An OCT College web portal to provide opportunities for Colleges and Universities to assist small businesses with training and advice.
The CED is a not for profit organization dedicated to assisting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) and is currently funded in part by the TCI Government, Chambers of Commerce and the Bankers Association. The CED is seeking private sector sponsors to help fund their ongoing work and is encouraging individuals with business expertise to volunteer their time with the CED, both in person at the CED offices in Graceway House and through the Carib Connect web portal.
