ENTRECON 2018: Knowledge Transfer and Innovation: Drivers of Competitiveness

Small and micro business owners converged today in Belize City at the annual entrepreneurship convention. The event provides the sector with information on how to tap into opportunities and grow their businesses. News Five’s Duane Moody reports. 

Duane Moody, Reporting

The fourth annual national entrepreneurship convention 2018 was held at the Biltmore Plaza in Belize City. Hosted under the theme, “Knowledge Transfer and Innovation: Drivers of Competitiveness,” the convention brings together key stakeholders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem to share ideas, to know about new and existing businesses as well as investment opportunities that foster an entrepreneurship culture in the Jewel.

Leroy Almendarez

Dr. Leroy Almendarez, Executive Director, BELTRAIDE

“It brings speakers and those with innovative ideas and so what the biggest takeaway we want from here is that in the not too long distance future, we want to see more independent businesses, we want to see more innovative ideas, we want to see more entrepreneurial development. People not afraid of taking risks; the ideas that they may have had that they think were not possible, they can bring these to fruition because BELTRAIDE is there. But there is a whole ecosystem; you have international speakers who will tell you about challenges. But it means that if you are determined, those challenges can be overcome. So that is our end goal and BELTRAIDE will play a very big part in that process.”

Minister of State for Economic Development, Tracy Taegar-Panton says that micro and small/medium enterprises contribute significantly to the development of Belize’s economy.

Tracy Taegar-Panton

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Minister of State, Economic Development

“We need to have more Belizean goods and services readily available to us and I will be the first to say we import too much into the country and so we have to find the solutions here at home. And the group of young people and not so young people, who bring their ideas to fruition really helps to expand and grow our national economy.”

Duane Moody

“How does the ministry support these persons in the growth of their business?”

Tracy Taegar-Panton

“Well certainly in terms of the policy direction of the ministry, the incentives we provide, the guidance and support and the financial resources from institutions like BELTRAIDE Small Business Development Centre is all funded by government resources. And so they do the direct implementation of government’s policy and they are the face in terms of the clients.”

Tattoo artist and entrepreneur, Patrick Peyrefitte has been attending the convention since it started. He shares what he believes is the key to having a successful business.

Patrick Peyrefitte

Patrick Peyrefitte, Entrepreneur

“The key to success is relentlessness, I believe so. A lot of people have ideas and say I want to do this and I want to do that. But at the end of the day, you have to pull the trigger pan it and you need to work on it. So you have to have that relentlessness to get that done. I need fi get this done, put in the work and see your results cause a lot of people say they want to do stuff but they don’t do it. So you gotta put yourself to do it.”

Duane Moody for News Five.