The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) on Tuesday launched the fifth edition of National Small Business Week. The programme is intended to strengthen the capacity and market reach of Guyana's micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. It runs under the theme "Small Businesses, Big Opportunities" and ends with an expo of about 100 exhibitors at the Railway Courtyard in Georgetown. The expo is open on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October.

GCCI President Kathy Smith said the week has been an important Chamber initiative since it began in 2022. She said small businesses generate employment, support households and supply essential goods and services, and that as the economy expands they need to be equipped to take part in the opportunities it creates. Many entrepreneurs have sound products and ideas, she said, but struggle with financing, business management, pricing standards and access to markets. The programme connects them with institutions that offer practical guidance.

The timetable reflects those problems. On Wednesday the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry ran a workshop on access to finance and financial management, while the Guyana Marketing Corporation led sessions on business planning and strategy and on costing and product pricing. On Thursday the Centre for Local Business Development covers procurement, business growth and leadership, including tendering and government contracts. The Guyana National Bureau of Standards addresses quality, standards and certification, and the Small Business Bureau leads a session on marketing fundamentals, digital readiness and customer engagement. Those sessions take place at the Chamber's building at 156 Waterloo Street. A Founders' Talk on Friday, held with the University of Guyana at its Turkeyen campus, will bring students together with entrepreneurs who describe how they started and expanded businesses.

The choice of topics came from the Chamber's own members. Christpen Bobb-Semple, chair of the GCCI’s Entrepreneurship and Small Business Committee, said the Chamber surveyed its members to find where they most needed support, and used the results to set the workshop topics and to select the organisations delivering them. He said this year's programme places greater emphasis on one-on-one training, in response to requests from businesses for more direct assistance. The Chamber also wants to help prospective entrepreneurs move from an idea to a viable enterprise.

Corporate support comes from several companies. Brava is the principal partner, and seven other firms, including Republic Bank Guyana and Massy Stores, are sponsors. Organisers have also promoted digital selling at the expo. Exhibitors can explore digital storefronts as a way to sell without the expense of a physical shop.

Two first-time participants gave an idea of who is taking part. Emanuel Macey, 21, runs Flowee Essentials with his partner, Kathlyn Simpson. The business sells feminine care kits and wellness products, and it launched in August. It operates online with no physical location, and he said the owners hope to find new customers and suppliers for a storefront. Their main difficulty is that few people know the business exists. Davina Persaud is chief executive and owner of DCL Transportation and Rentals, based at Sixth Field, Cummings Lodge, which reached its first anniversary in February. It offers personal drivers and car and bus rentals, and she will run an information booth at the expo to introduce the business. 

Both owners described exposure as what they want from the week. The Chamber's wider hope is that exhibitors will find buyers and suppliers as well as publicity. Smith urged the public to support the participating entrepreneurs, saying that more consumer engagement and visibility are essential to the continued development of local enterprises.

The launch coverage did not give results from earlier editions, such as sales made at past expos or the number of firms that later expanded. Without such figures, the success of this year's week will rest on what exhibitors report after the weekend. Visitors to the Railway Courtyard on Saturday and Sunday will be the first test of whether the training and the exposure produce customers.

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