By NLR Johnson, Contributor
Graham
PRESIDENT OF the Small Business Association of Jamaica (SBAJ), Mrs. Andrea Graham, said that one of the ways in which the small business sector in Jamaica can strengthen itself and become more efficient and profitable, is by fusion marketing. This is where small business persons come together to conduct their activities
collectively.
According to Mrs. Graham, fusion marketing can help in reducing operation costs, inefficiencies and increase productivity and net earnings. She added that fusion marketing allows two or more small business persons to use the factory space and machinery to do their respective business. She said that if it is in the case of distribution, as in the case of the Informal Commercial Importers (ICIs), who generally buy goods individually from abroad and ship them to Jamaica. Mrs. Graham believes that shipping goods individually in this way cost each person far more than if they come together, get the same shipping company, and send their goodscollectively to Jamaica.
In an interview, Mrs. Graham said: "Small business people can no longer afford to do everything by themselves fusion marketing is the way to go if we are going to take the pressure off ourselves. "We as small business entrepreneurs need to understand that working in partnership is one of the ways through which the sector can grow and develop. It makes no sense doing the things that are not bringing in the money, we need to look at the bigger picture uniting for the interest of the sector and for our survival." The small and micro business sector is the largest employer of labour in the economy, employing between 200,000 and 600,000 workers and significantly contributes to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Workers employed in this sector earn $1,500 and $5,000 weekly.
The SBAJ president believes that if small business people don't work in partnership (fusion marketing), many will find it impossible to compete in the wider market place, where competition is fierce and so many operators are likely to go bust.
In regards to the support that the micro and small business entrepreneur is given to larger businesses in Jamaica, Mrs. Graham believes that big businesses need to invest with their micro and small business clients who have being supporting them over the years. She noted that the big business owners or managers should put on seminars or workshops aimed at helping their clients to be better managers of their businesses.
Mrs. Graham said that micro and small business people spend millions of dollars daily with big companies, and believes that it is in the interest of these big operators to see to it that these small clients keep supporting them. "What are the big businesses doing to assist the small business client
keeping proper records? The bigger players should have to understand what a small business is all about and how it operates." "Would it not be in their best interest to ensure that those small business people who come to their businesses and buy 30 or 40 or 15 cases of mackerel or milk every week to remain in business?" It is these small business people who allow the big boys to grow and develop," said Mrs. Graham.
The SBAJ president is called on the credit unions, commercial banks, unit trust companies, distributors and wholesalers to contact the SBAJ so that together they can develop a plan that will provide the necessary assistance to the micro and small businessman or woman in making his or her business become more efficient and profitable.
