Celebrate Micro, Small, Medium-Sized Enterprises
The Bermuda Economic Development Corporation [BEDC] will be celebrating International Micro, Small & Medium Sized Enterprise Day, and is urging people to “shop and support Bermuda’s micro, small and medium sized businesses.”
A spokesperson said, “International Micro, Small & Medium Sized Enterprise Day is on Sunday, June 27th, 2021. As micro, small, and medium sized enterprises begin to emerge stronger from the aftermath of Covid-19, the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation [BEDC] celebrates the pivotal role that these resilient entrepreneurs play in strengthening the local and global economy. The BEDC invites the public to join them in celebrating Bermuda’s Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises [MSME’s] Island wide.
“The Objective of the day is to recognize the importance of MSME’s in achieving sustainable development goals and in promoting innovation, creativity, and sustainable work for all. MSME’s play a vital role in stimulating economic growth and providing employment for vulnerable groups in all communities.”
“The Pandemic has created an impossible situation for many of these businesses, however we have also watched many pivot, and use innovation to their advantage,” says Jamillah Lodge, Director of Communication & Development at BEDC.
“Support and community engagement is what these businesses need right now, and we hope that the public will continue to shop and support Bermuda’s micro, small and medium sized businesses.”
The BEDC added, “You can support our local MSME’s in a few different ways:
- “Shop locally online and in person. Bermuda saw a lot of small businesses launch ecommerce stores where their customers can purchase their goods and services. We encourage everyone to continue shopping locally online. Watch for shops that are now re- opening their brick and mortar spaces as well. Make sure to pop in when you are out and about.
- “Commit to doing one small thing for a favored small business each week, whether it’s a purchase or a shout-out. Supporting small businesses each week will not only give you peace of mind, but will be helping the owners and the economy.
- “Buy gift cards. You may not use the gift cards right away, but the revenue from these sales is a huge help to the small business at this critical time. And, it’s a promise that you’ll continue to be a customer later.
- “Eat out or order take-out. Many restaurants are open for curbside pick-up, delivery and many more are now opening up for in-person dining as well.
- “Tip generously. Tips are even more important right now to support small business workers who might have lost hours as in-house service shut down.
- “Buy merch. Businesses that have lost traditional foot traffic often have tees, caps or other branded items for sale online. Support small businesses by purchasing and wearing their items and even tagging them in a pic.
- “Shop now for later. You can support small businesses by improving their cash flow now. Think about gifts, birthdays, or other purchases that you can buy now and give later.
“MSME Day was created to shine a light on and bring awareness to small businesses that together make a huge impact on the economy,” says Ray Lambert, Direct of the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises at BEDC.
He continued, “These businesses are sometimes overlooked because of their size but they are the businesses at the heart of the community. They are the businesses that are enriched with the culture of Bermuda, the smiling faces of local employees and the hard work or dedicated owners. It is because of this that they should be celebrated; not just on MSME Day but every day.”
“We are all facing challenging times right now, especially small business owners. We hope that this initiative will encourage the public to shop local, learn about businesses that they may have never visited, and spread awareness on the importance of supporting our MSME’s,” says Dennis Carter, Junior MSME Officer at BEDC. For more information about the BEDC please visit www.bedc.bm.”
