Business Workshop ends on high note

By Melissa Bryant
Reporter~SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Chamber of Industry and Commerce’s (CIC) Workshop, held in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, concluded earlier today (Oct. 17) with a closing ceremony at Manhattan Gardens to cap the five-day (Oct. 13 to 17) event.

The Workshop, entitled “Small and Medium Business Enterprise Basics: Business Start-up and Survival Skills Workshop”, was aimed at advising and assisting existing or budding entrepreneurs on the avoidance of bankruptcy or economic failure of their businesses.

The Workshop was sponsored by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the facilitators were Marcella Lanns-Monish, an Accounts Executive at Lanns-Monish & Associates, and Wendy Phipps, Executive Director of the CIC. Nineteen persons from organisations including the Amina Craft Market, TDC and the St. Kitts Teachers’ Union were among the attendees.

Short lectures, handouts, interactive sessions, guest speakers and evaluations are some of the teaching methods utilised.

In a brief address, Mark Wilkin, President of the CIC, wished the participants the best and encouraged them to use the knowledge they gained in their future endeavours.

Minister with Responsibility for Tourism, the Hon. Ricky Skerritt congratulated those assembled for investing their time in the Workshop.

“Tourism is something that affects us all and we must recognise its importance. One of the things we must do is invest in standards, and by coming here today I can see that you all want to set standards and you want to improve the quality of your service...That is the attitude we must adopt if we want to sustain the creation of wealth through tourism.”

On completion of distribution of certificates to the participants, Phipps expressed her pleasure with the Workshop and spoke of the need to have more of these types of projects, as the learning and exposure that is given facilitates the provision of high-quality service.

Wilkin had expressed similar views, stating that “it was important that entrepreneurs improve their skills so that they can experience greater success”.

The Workshop was one of the many activities conducted as part of Tourism Awareness Month 2008. Other activities include the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Small Hotels Retreat and the Third Annual Students Work Experience Programme. ~~Adz:Right~~