CED Business programme graduates to receive support getting their businesses started

Twelve entrepreneurs have completed a six-week business development programme aimed at equipping them with the knowledge, skills and resources needed to establish and operate sustainable businesses. The Members’ Business Development Project, implemented by the Centre for Enterprise Development Inc. (CED) and funded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, concluded with a ceremony on Wednesday, August 19,2026 at the conference room of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers Co-operative Credit Union. The programme, which ran from July 1 to August 7, provided participants with training in entrepreneurship, financial management, business planning and other practical areas of business development.

Participants also received business counselling and will continue to receive coaching and technical assistance from the CED during the first six months of their business operations.

As part of the initiative, graduates will receive assistance with registration of their businesses as well as a US$2,000 grant to purchase initial supplies for their. Officer in charge at CED, Keisha Phillips, said the organisation was pleased to implement the project and commended the church for investing in the development of its members. “True empowerment is about equipping people with knowledge, skills, confidence, resources, and the support they need to become more self-reliant, and to create opportunities for themselves and others,” Phillips said. She explained that participants were taught how to identify viable business opportunities, understand their customers and market needs, develop business models and ensure their businesses remain financially sustainable. Financial management was also a major component of the training, with participants learning about record keeping, monitoring income and expenses, cash flow and costing and pricing. They were also introduced to the Lean Canvas Business Model, which allowed them to examine their target customers, the problems they intend to solve, their proposed solutions, costs, revenue streams and what could make their businesses unique.

“Entrepreneurship is about much more than having a good idea. It is about developing the idea into a business model that can work in the real world,” Phillips said. She also stressed the importance of integrity and professionalism, noting that entrepreneurs must build strong relationships with customers, suppliers, and business partners.

“A business is built not only on products and services, but also on relationships and trust.”

She noted too, that the success of the businesses could benefit not only the graduates and their families, but also the wider community through employment and increased economic activity.

Head of the Private Sector Development Department in the Ministry of Finance Christo Primus, said the graduates represent part of the country’s entrepreneurial potential. He noted that economic development is not only reflected in national statistics and policies, but also in individuals who turn ideas into businesses that benefit their families and communities.

“It is found in individuals who decide to take an idea, back it with discipline, and build something that serves their family and their communities.”

He commended the church and CED for combining training with business counselling, registration assistance and financial support, and urged the graduates to view their certificates and business plans as the beginning of their responsibilities as entrepreneurs.