The Roadmap For Businesses

The roadmap below attempts to identify the journey of a business from ideation/seed to maturity and highlights services provided by business support organizations along developmental journey.



Business support organizations (BSO) continue to provide needed support to local MSMEs towards improvements in their service delivery, business growth, development and enhanced competitiveness.

The Protool seeks to provide additional guidance by identifying available resource agencies and support systems who may assist business organizations on their developmental and growth journey.

A list of business support organizations (BSOs) and their respective service offerings are presented below. These highlighted support services have been listed according to three stage (s) of the business life cycle:


Business Support Organisation (BSO) Key Services Offered Stage of Business Life Cycle
    Start-up Growth Maturity
Export St. Lucia Export assistance including:
  • Market intelligence
  • Capacity building
  • Promote goods and services in overseas market
  • Product development
  • Sourcing markets
  • Sourcing export financial assistance
     
Invest Saint Lucia Services offered to both local and foreign investors:
  • Providing general and sector specific information
  • Facilitating client visits and providing customized information packages
  • Investor Matchmaking
  • Introducing investors to local industry
  • Familiarization tours and meetings
  • Advice on the local business climate
  • Business Start-up facilitation
  • Identification of suitable sites for business development
  • Facilitation of applications and permits e.g. trade license, incentives, physical planning
  • Navigating the business approvals process
  • Liaising with the public and private sector on behalf of investors
  • Access to ISL assets for business development
  • Property and location assistance
  • Legislative and regulatory guidance
  • Property and location assistance
  • Post – establishment facilitation
James Belgrave Micro Enterprise Development Fund Inc. (BELfund)
  • Finance
  • Training in the areas of:
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Marketing and selling techniques
    • Managing people
    • Cost & pricing
    • Accounting & recordkeeping
    • Financial education
National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) Information and capacity building related to Productivity and competitiveness
National Research and Development Foundation (NRDF)
  • Small loans
  • Training
Registry of Companies & Intellectual Property (ROCIP) Intellectual property protection
Saint Lucia Manufacturers’ Association
  • Advocacy
  • Networking
  • Capacity building
  • Promotion of standards via a Quality Awards Scheme
  • Consolidation of shipments for exports
Small Enterprise Development Unit (SEDU) / Small Business Development Center (SBDC) of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Enterprise Development and Consumer Affairs (MCIEDCA)
  • Business Name Registration
  • Incorporation of Companies
  • Duty Free Concessions
  • Networking Opportunities
  • Entrepreneurial Training
  • Management Advisory Services
  • Exhibitions
  • Marketing Plans and Market Research
  • Standards Promotion
  • Product Development
  • Business Plan Development assistance
  • Financial Record Keeping Systems
St. Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS)
  • Standards
  • Standards information
  • Assessments against standards
  • Product certification
  • Verification & calibration of measuring equipment
St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (SLCIA)
  • Advocacy
  • Capacity Building
St. Lucia Coalition of Service Industries
  • Advocacy
  • Services Export assistance (service export training, coaching, services export plans)
  • Services sector development (research)
  • Capacity building
St. Lucia Development Bank (SLDB)
  • Finance
  • Business planning
St. Lucia Industrial and Small Business Association (SLISBA)
  • Advocacy
  • Training
  • Facilitate bulk buying
  • Negotiating discounts
University of the West Indies Open Campus Saint Lucia (UWI OC SLU) Training courses in:
  • Project Management
  • Quality Management Systems
  • Supervisory Management
  • Occupational Health & Safety