Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) Chief Executive Officer, Valerie Veria (left), shares a good laugh with entrepreneurs, Treacha Reid-McCalla and Almando Cox, at the JBDC Accelerator Programme’s closing ceremony, held at The Jamaica Pegasus in Kingston, on Thursday, November 21.
Local entrepreneur, Almando Cox, is lauding the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) Accelerator Programme, following his six-month participation.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Resolve IT Limited, Mr. Cox was one of 16 entrepreneurs who enrolled in the programme, which saw them receiving mentorship support, information on business model testing and validation, and assistance with creating a viable product.
Mr. Cox tells JIS News that he was a bit sceptical about the programme on learning about it, but his involvement has been life-changing.
“My expectations weren’t high initially, but I took the risk and it was one of the best decisions I made recently. The experience was really good, as they provided us with the tools, the knowledge and understanding to know the customer’s pain points,” he explains.
The CEO says that by understanding the customer’s pain points, he is able to provide solutions that more adequately reflect their needs.
“I thought I understood exactly what my customers’ problems were before going through the workshops and training in the programme. I realised that while I was on to something, there was more that needed to be done,” he adds.
In addition, Mr. Cox says he and fellow entrepreneurs were taught the necessary tools to grow their businesses.
“They left us knowledgeable about how to go to market, and what kind of business model we would be able to scale to and be financially viable,” he tells JIS News.
Mr. Cox also shares the plans for his company, which was recognised as ‘Most Investment Ready’, at a closing ceremony for the programme on November 21 at The Jamaica Pegasus in New Kingston.
“We have been looking at the governance structure of our organisation, so we are actually developing our Board and recruiting Board members that fill the gaps that we have. We are also now moving towards scaling, as we are aiming to grow our client base by providing more solutions to more customers in Jamaica,” he explains.
The CEO is encouraging his peers to become a part of the next cohort.
“It is something that I would recommend to any business or entrepreneur serious about their business. I have told friends and associates who are business owners to leverage the Accelerator Programme for structure and growth,” he says.
Mr. Cox praises the JBDC for its work with micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
“The JBDC is very professional. They have a good structure and this is a big plus for entrepreneurship in Jamaica. I would encourage persons who are entrepreneurs or interested in starting their own business to connect with them,” he says.
Activities in the JBDC Accelerator Programme included start-up weekends, boot camp training, networking events, and preparation for pitching.
The closing ceremony for the six-month programme formed part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, which was celebrated from November 18 to 23.
Source: JIS
