Fijian businesses who are interested in improving their businesses performance can now take advantage of the free Pacific Islands Business Mentoring Programme from Business Mentors New Zealand (BMNZ) which kicks off this month with an introductory briefing in Suva on 5th March.
Fiji is the latest of 11 Pacific island countries to be included in the BMNZ managed project with funding provided by New Zealand’s Aid Programme. The ten strong team of mentors is twice as large as the usual contingent because Fiji is a much larger economy than most of the other Pacific Islands.
There will be two one hour presentations for Fijian business owners at the Holiday Inn Hotel, Suva starting at noon and 5 pm on 5th March and all business owners are invited to attend.
The Pacific Business Mentoring programme aims to assist small and medium sized businesses in the Pacific to manage and grow their businesses in a way that supports sustained increases in production and employment over time. It is hoped the programme will be a catalyst for identifying other business needs such as training, and create opportunities for partnerships and joint ventures, and increased Pacific exports.
Suka Salusalu, Training and Research Coordinator at the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation who is the Business Mentors’ Agent in Fiji says: `The Mentoring programme will encourage upskilling of our business people and undoubtably will lead to a boost to profits for our smaller and medium sized enterprises. I am so excited to be part of the coordinating team and am sure its going to make a tremendous difference.’
Ian Furlong, General Manager of the Business Mentors Pacific Programme adds: ‘Experienced Independent NZ business mentors bring a fresh perspective and approach to analysing existing business performance and opportunities in smaller business communities. Often the range of expertise provided by the NZ mentors is simply not available in many pacific island countries.
Ian has a wealth of corporate experience with General Foods, Watties and Coca Cola Amatil where he was a member of the leadership team for many years and the CEO of Coca Cola Amatil in Fiji for three years returning to NZ in 2008.
He explains: ‘The situation in the Pacific over recent times has seen many business owners under pressure and having to cope in a very challenging business environment. Many lack the experience to get through and this is where a business mentor can help.
Countries benefiting from the BMNZ Pacific Mentoring Programme include the Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Niue, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Tokelau.
For more information on Business Mentors in the Pacific visit
http://www.businessmentorspacific.org.nz/
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