The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) is encouraging gift and craft entrepreneurs to make use of case studies as a part of their business development strategy.
“Case studies provide insight into what has worked and what has not, and provide key lessons. So if you are doing something that has already been done, you want to avoid the pitfalls which have been highlighted in these case studies,” said Marketing Service Manager at the JBDC, Janine Taylor.
She was addressing the recent staging of the ‘JBDC’s Virtual Gift & Craft Biz Zone’.
Taylor said case studies are beneficial for entrepreneurs who are looking to enter the overseas market.
The export of products and services generated from the craft industry is one of the key objectives of the National Craft Policy.
FIND WHAT’S UNIQUE AND ADAPT
“When you are going into a global space, you are going to encounter several persons doing the same thing, but we don’t need to reinvent the wheel; we need to learn what is unique about their situation and adapt ‘learnings’ from their experiences,” she noted.
Taylor said further that reviewing case studies can serve as a source of inspiration and encourages and motivates risk-taking.
“If you are in the developmental stage of your business and you have some ideas that you think you want to explore, then we would encourage you to look at the Internet sources that can help you to see how you can structure that idea, if it is a similar idea to what you are thinking,” she pointed out.
She is encouraging the gift and craft entrepreneurs to dedicate at least two days of business every month to conduct research.
“Experiment with at least one idea that is inspired by your research and test it on the market,” she urged.
The National Craft Policy provides a framework for the craft industry to grow by facilitating improvements in quality, variety, value, sales, customer satisfaction and profits.
It will promote greater local identity of finished craft and souvenirs, and further amplify Brand Jamaica in the international space.
The JBDC Virtual Gift & Craft Biz Zone is a series that addresses issues that have been identified in the craft sector.
