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BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, November 21, 2022 (MMS-SKN) — The Federal Ministry of Small Business and Entrepreneurship is fully geared to grow the country’s economy by among others offering support to the over 1,200 persons in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis who are part of the Small Business Development Centre family.

“We have a number of incentives that we have to offer to the businesses, whether it is duty free concessions, training, or providing them with the necessary information, and areas that they could improve in their marketing,” said Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Ms Delrine Taylor. “Whatever assistance they need in order to give their businesses that push that will take it to the next level – we offer all that at the Ministry’s Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship.”

Permanent Secretary Ms Delrine Taylor made the remarks on Friday November 18 at West Independence Square in Basseterre where the ministry was hosting the Business Expo aimed at showcasing young businesses, which was the last event held in the observance of Global Entrepreneurship Week. The Expo was attended by about 27 local small businesses from St. Kitts and also from Nevis.

“As we celebrate Global Entrepreneur Week we are having a Business Expo here in the Square where a number of small businesses that are a part of our SBDC family would have come to the Ministry seeking assistance and whatever help we can offer to them,” explained the Permanent Secretary. “So we felt it was important to provide them this avenue where they could showcase all their products and services to the public.”

Accompanied by officers from the Entrepreneurship and Small Businesses Development Centre, among them Senior Business Advisor Mr Delwayne Delaney, Senior Business Advisor Mrs Kyla Gibson-Dore, and Trade & Business Development Coordinator Mr Irvine Daniel, Permanent Secretary Ms Delrine Taylor toured a number booths where they were introduced to the products on display.

“Throughout the day we have been getting a number of persons coming in from all over interested in what the businesses have to offer, and we are here from since 12 o’clock and it has been a constant flow of people here and we shall be here until about seven o’clock and as you see persons are here patronising the businesses,” observed Ms Taylor.

Also present at the Business Expo was the Director of Entrepreneurship and Small Businesses Development Centre, Mr Phillip Browne, who also echoed the sentiments made by the Permanent Secretary. He stated that they were not only there to support and celebrate the younger entrepreneurs for Global Entrepreneurship Week, but also to have a look at the level of exposure, and to see how the SBDC can improve on it, and how they can make it make economic sense for the small businesses, noting that it was indeed a marketing affair as well.

“So we can safely say that over the next few months our focus would be engaging entrepreneurs in an intimate way, one-on-one, or in groups if we have to so that we can attempt to build out what they are doing, help them to build out what they are doing in a successful fashion and get to the real issues and so make their operations profitable – that is the bottom line,” assured Mr Phillip Browne.    

A group of students from the Immaculate Conception Catholic School led by Master Cairo Isaac and Master Daniel Owen visited one of the booths at the Business Expo, Native Radiance where the CEO of the company Mrs Shobaina Prince from Nevis showed them some of her products.

Speaking through their leaders Master Cairo Isaac and Master Daniel Owen, the students said: “We think it (a hair product) is wonderful, we think it is very natural and great for health and it is organic. A lot of people should come to the Square and spend their monies on the different products that are being sold, as they will benefit their health greatly.”

Mrs Prince who operates her business from the Artisan Village in Pinney’s Estate Nevis said that the company Native Radiance was formed in 2020 after she would had a problem with alopecia as she had a bacteria that was resistant to antibiotics which caused an inflammation on her body that caused her hair to fall out.

“I made a herbal hair oil which worked for me, and I did it for my family and friends, and it worked for them, and then people started coming to me to ask me to solve their problems and from that the Native Radiance brand began,” said Mrs Prince. “I did a lot of research and after I started to make stuff for myself and people started asking I decided to get more knowledge so I did a diploma in Organic Skin Care and a diploma in Holistic Herbal Product Making and so I was able to get that certification needed to show that the products would actually work.”

Native Radiance products are available through the main pharmacies both on Nevis and on St. Kitts.

One of the booths that Permanent Secretary Ms Delrine Taylor visited was that of Wax Memories, a local fragrance based company that provides wax melts, room and linen sprays, and car reed diffusers coupled with wax warmers. The company is based in New Road, St. Peters. At the booth, the PS and her entourage were welcomed by Ms Thelma Merchant and Ms Angela Mills.

“Our aim is to provide holistic memories for all through aromatherapy,” commented the company’s Founder and CEO Mrs Dannielle Mills-Jeffers. “All of our products are handcrafted and hand poured in St. Kitts using 100% organic coconut soy waxes and essential oils. We have business relationships with local companies such as West Side Gas Station and Park Hyatt, just to name a few.”

ENDS

Pix captions:

1: PS Ms Delrine Taylor (2^nd left) at the Wax Memories booth talking to Ms Thelma Merchant and Ms Angela Mills. With her are SBDC officials, from right, Mr Delwayne Delaney, Mrs Kyla Gibson-Dore, and Mr Irvine Daniel.

2: From Nevis was Mrs Shobaina Prince, Founder and CEO of Native Radiance, seen here, (left) talking to students from the Immaculate Conception Catholic School.

3: One of the many small business exhibition booths, Esthetics Beauty Parlour at the Business Expo held at the West Independence Square on Friday November 18.

4: A general view of the booths at the Business Expo held at the West Independence Square on Friday November 18 as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Week.