President of the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Sonji Pierre-Chase, delivered the feature address at the graduation ceremony of the Bankers Association of Trinidad and Tobago’s (BATT) Start Up Programme on Sunday 17 August, 2025. Pierre-Chase encouraged the 161 aspiring Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) entrepreneurs to actively pursue and monetise their dreams.

It is truly an honour and a privilege to stand before you today, representing the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Commerce, at this significant event. I bring greetings not only from the Chamber and our membership, comprising a broad cross-section of business leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs, but also from all those in the private sector who are deeply invested in the future of Trinidad and Tobago.

Let me take this opportunity to congratulate the board and Executive Management team of the BATT on conceptualising and executing this important project that contributes to the growth of this country’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) sector at a time when the private sector is being called upon to lead innovative and diversification efforts.

Certainly, the growth of this programme from 65 participants when it first started to 160 graduates three years later is a commendable accomplishment.

Your achievement is a living testimonial of this year’s graduation theme “Dream it, Plan it, Build it”.

The theme is also a blueprint for turning your visions into reality. It speaks to imagination, strategy, and execution. I congratulate you on embarking on this journey towards entrepreneurship.

Let’s take a few moments to dissect what this theme represents, not just in theory, but in the real world of business that you’re about to enter.

1. Dream It …and I must add, believe it

Dreams are the biggest motivator that you, as an entrepreneur, can cultivate. Every SME starts with a dream: a dream to own your own business, to excel in a field you love, to provide jobs in your community, to do or make or build something better.

And as a graduate, I am sure you can identify with several of those I just mentioned. The very decision to enter this programme began with a dream to gain the skills and resources necessary to launch a successful business.

In the past, and still today to some extent, having big dreams was equated with idleness. Can you imagine me telling my parents I want to be an “influencer” when I grow up? Or that I plan to make a living playing video games on YouTube?

During this phase, you will meet many people who will tell you what’s realistic or what’s profitable and, while it is important to accept advice, do not let negativity daunt your creativity.

In the business world, we often say that “innovation begins with imagination.” The Chamber has seen time and time again that the most impactful entrepreneurs and business leaders in this country are those who dared to dream differently.

Right here in Trinidad and Tobago, many successful companies, like ANSA McAL, Victor E Moutett Ltd (VEML) and Langston Roach Industries Ltd were started by people who simply refused to accept the limitations others placed on them.

Always remember this, the world is a canvas that belongs to everyone. Do not be afraid to imprint your dreams on its landscape.

But dreaming is only the beginning of the process!

This brings us to the second point of the theme.

2. Plan It:

Without a proper plan, the best dreams die. What will differentiate you as a successful business owner is your ability to dream big and then execute that dream.

At the Chamber, we have seen many like yourselves with wonderful ideas but no structured or strategic planning to realise the most promising and ambitious visions.

This phase of your journey, as I’m sure you have learnt, requires you to further assess the viability of your ideas, survey the competition, observe current market trends and outline your target audience, sales and marketing strategies, income projections, and more.

The plan should encompass both short-term and long-term objectives, strategies to attain them, and measurable milestones to track progress.

This is where you ask yourself what we term as some “More Beautiful Questions”

What is the industry currently using that we’ve not yet adopted?

Where do I want to be in 5 years?

What steps must I take today, tomorrow, next year to achieve my goals?

I am very pleased that the “START-UP Programme—Trinidad Edition” equips participants with the ability to:

Conduct Market research,

Craft business plans,

Craft a Marketing/Social Media Strategy/plans.

Create sales funnel/strategy

Register businesses and properly Open business bank Accounts

At the TT Chamber, we encourage strategic thinking at every level. Whether you are preparing to pursue opportunities in the global trade environment or the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME), or entering the local business market, have a sound plan.

We have recognised that a good plan doesn’t guarantee success, but a lack of proper strategic planning can almost certainly guarantee failure. Accept that no plan is perfect and over time it will change. and it will change. But you must be intentional about success.

Which leads us to the final and most important part of today’s theme.

3. Build It

You’ve dreamed. You’ve determined how to turn your visions into workable strategies. Now it’s time for action.

There are many who’ve never moved past the idea phase. Even fewer get to the plan. And fewer still do the work consistently to build something meaningful.

Sadly, they failed to acknowledge that success is not an overnight process.

As American statesman and retired United States Army General, Colin Powell said, “a dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.”

This is where you put in the hard work. I often think of this stage as target practice where you focus on your marks and, even if you miss some, you re-strategise, change your mindsets and pursue excellence.

There will be setbacks, there will be times when progress seems distant, or when your goals seem unattainable. In these moments, remember why you started, look back at the dream that ignited your journey, and persist. There’s no greater feeling than when you see your vision come to fruition.

I want to give you an example. Stefan Grosberg – owner Del Mano Food Limited – one of our Chamber members and Champions of Business awardees – was inspired by his time spent working with organic farmers in Europe. He fleshed out his idea, mapped out his market and began using the ingredients from his kitchen garden to make pesto, which he sold to customers at local craft markets. He built his brand slowly, one satisfied customer at a time. He then moved to producing “healthier” sausage options which began to dominate his company’s sales. He did face supply and other challenges along the way, but he innovated and persevered. Today, Del Mano Food products are on supermarket shelves and in regional markets. He didn’t get lucky – he built it.

And now, through this programme, you can Build your legacy. Build the SME sector. Build Trinidad and Tobago.

Graduates, believe me, the world you are about to enter has its challenges. Especially now when this country – the world – is navigating economic, environmental, technological and social uncertainty.

But at the TT Chamber, we are here to support and help you cross these hurdles.

We fundamentally believe in the potential of SMEs as key to economic diversification and social transformation.

Last year’s theme of our annual business meeting was Pathways to Prosperity and this year it was Creating Shared Prosperity, Turning Talk into Action.

Built on a robust 146-year history, the Chamber is not just about talk, but about action!

We continue to advance the interests of our members with the aim of building a stronger and more resilient Trinidad and Tobago.

When over the many decades we have been saying to the government, we need to diversify our economy, to foster the non-energy sector and wean our dependency off oil and gas, we did not just stop at lobbying. We aggressively focused on our SME sector, that today, more than 66 per cent of our members are SMEs.

Through our Nova (SME Development) Committee and the contributions of our board members, we have ardently worked towards building this sector, as we see it as the backbone of a strong economy.

With this fervour, we saw success in our VAT refund lobby with the Ministry of Finance, with SMEs receiving their VAT refunds earlier this year.

We also signed an MoU with the TT Stock Exchange to support the listing of SMEs and we collaborated with CAF and Eximbank to host our inaugural SME Conference, Catalyst – Propelling SMEs for Success and through our numerous trade mission trips to Belize, Curacao and Las Vegas where attendees gained valuable insights on expanding market access and promoting exports.

This is just a snapshot of what the Chamber does to develop our SMEs and what you, as potential members, will have access to soon.

So let me extend an open invitation to you: engage with us. Stay connected. Attend our forums. Bring your ideas. Your voice matters.

As I conclude, I want to return to the graduation theme: Dream it. Plan it. Build it.

I implore you to

-Dream boldly, even when others doubt you.

-Plan wisely, even if it means constantly re-strategising…and most of all

-Build persistently, even when your goals seem unattainable.

We at the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Commerce believe in your potential to succeed. We look forward to working with you and being your Voice.

Congratulations, and thank you.