MICRO-ENTREPRENEURS IN May Pen West are stepping into a new phase of business growth, thanks to a series of targeted interventions led by Project STAR. <\/p>\n
Following a needs assessment conducted in April, which revealed significant gaps in marketing, recordbreaking, and supplier access, the Project STAR Entrepreneurship Team hosted a transformative Business Model Canvas workshop in June.<\/p>\n
The session, which attracted 20 participants from the local cottage industry, was tailored to help small business owners map out the key components of their ventures, from value propositions to customer segments, revenue streams, and core activities. Through interactive learning and business modelling exercises, participants were encouraged to critically assess their operations and identify areas in need of improvement.<\/p>\n
Among those in attendance was 54-year-old Olive Bryce, a long-time resident of Treadlight district in Clarendon and the creative force behind \u2018Mother and Daughter Company\u2019, a crochet business she started at the tender age of 14.<\/p>\n
\u201cI learnt so much. I learnt how to market my business. I learnt how to properly price my products and the value of budgeting,\u201d Bryce shared enthusiastically. \u201cMy next step is to build a stall, travel to tourist areas to sell my products, and attend major events like Denbigh.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fellow participant, 40-year-old, Lafay Ann Powell, who has been crocheting since age 13 and produces intricately designed throw pillows, echoed Bryce\u2019s sentiments.<\/p>\n
\u201cI learnt a lot about how to market my business and how to formally register it,\u201d she said. \u201cI appreciate everything that Project STAR is doing. I feel respected, loved, and appreciated.\u201d<\/p>\n
The workshop uncovered key gaps, particularly in marketing strategies and access to reliable sales channels, challenges that Project STAR is actively working to address.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur goal is to ensure that these entrepreneurs are not only inspired but equipped to run sustainable businesses,\u201d said Saffrey Brown, project director at Project STAR. \u201cBy identifying and addressing the specific challenges they face, whether it\u2019s pricing, marketing, or finding reliable outlets to sell, we\u2019re helping them take actionable steps toward growth and long-term success.\u201d<\/p>\n
In response to the findings, she said the next phase of intervention will include a dedicated marketing workshop focused on product presentation, branding, and digital promotion. Project STAR also plans to link participants with potential sales outlets, including craft fairs, retail networks, and online marketplaces.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese initiatives are expected to significantly increase the visibility and sustainability of businesses in the May Pen West cottage industry,\u201d said Brown.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy equipping entrepreneurs with the necessary tools, knowledge, and networks, Project STAR is not only helping to bolster livelihoods but is also nurturing a new wave of confident, market-savvy micro-entrepreneurs eager to share their craft with wider audiences,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MICRO-ENTREPRENEURS IN May Pen West are stepping into a new phase of business growth, thanks to a series…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":30677,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[64,607,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-30676","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entrepreneurship","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-entrepreneurship","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30676"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30676\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}