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Courts helping to boost entrepreneurship

Michelle Thompson, right, regional manager, Courts, Unicomer; gives some feedback to Andrea Graham-Hosein, who manufactures ice cream and cakes through her company It’s Ummm....Scrump-ti-ta-tious, as Devon Romero, director, consumer finance, Unicomer listens in. -
Michelle Thompson, right, regional manager, Courts, Unicomer; gives some feedback to Andrea Graham-Hosein, who manufactures ice cream and cakes through her company It’s Ummm....Scrump-ti-ta-tious, as Devon Romero, director, consumer finance, Unicomer listens in. -

THE drive to encourage entrepreneurial dynamism has received a big boost from Unicomer (Trinidad) Ltd through the Courts Broadening Horizons Entrepreneurship programme. The 2019 edition, designed and facilitated by Business Clinic Ltd, was recently concluded at the Unicomer’s Freeport Campus.

According to Unicomer’s corporate social responsibility regional officer, Nicole Loney-Mills, programme has had 60 successful participants.

These entrepreneurs collaborate during a training session facilitated by Business Clinic Ltd during the Courts Broadening Horizons Entrepreneurship Programme. -

She said in a media release, “We started this programme in 2017 as yet another mechanism to give back to our loyal customer base. We carefully evaluated customers who are also entrepreneurs and after careful selection, we facilitated in-depth training through Business Clinic Ltd in order to prepare them to establish sustainable businesses."

The programme has been expanded to Belize and Guyana with Jamaica and St Lucia coming on board soon, she said.

“This developmental programme is focused on changing the lives of enterprising persons by empowering them to achieve their personal visions for operating a successful business. In fact, as a testament to the success of this programme, one of our past participants, A&J Homemade Ice Cream, was awarded the TTMA’s Manufacturer of the Year Award 2018 in the small business category.”

Owner of Harvest 2 Home Premium Produce, Akeel Thomas, centre, shows off the quality of the produce he delivers to clients' homes to Devon Romero, left, director, consumer finance, Unicomer; Michelle Thompson, regional manager, Courts, Unicomer; Carol Pitt-Brathwaite, senior lecturer, COSTAATT; and Nicole Loney-Mills, regional officer, corporate social responsibility, Unicomer.
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Delivered over a 12-week period starting in September, this year’s Broadening Horizons programme was a transformational experience for 13 budding entrepreneurs from all corners of TT

Participants were provided with comprehensive training delivered by Business Clinic Ltd, with focus placed on aspects of business such as creating a customer-centric framework, product-market fit, making financial sense, business model innovation and business pitch design. Participants were also provided with additional insights into tax compliance, legal obligations and retirement planning.

Following the comprehensive training, each participating business presented a business pitch, which was evaluated by a highly-qualified panel of executives featuring Devon Romero, director, consumer finance, Unicomer; Michelle Thompson, regional manager, Courts; Sharon Maharaj, general manager, operations, Venture Credit Union; and Carol Pitt-Brathwaite, senior lecturer, College of Science Technology and Applied Arts of TT (COSTAATT).

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