Hope in the midst of a pandemic, thanks to BLP
During the pandemic, many businesses exhausted their savings and put expansion projects on hold.
One such businesswoman was Arieta Tunivoka the owner of Betta Beauty a mobile beautician who was immensely affected as her business was classified a high-risk business causing it to temporarily shut down until the ministry eased the restrictions.
In order to survive and cover the day-to-day expenses, Ms Tunivoka had no option but to use her savings which she had put aside to purchase a car for her mobile beautician business.
Expenses as a sole trader increased for her as she was using taxi services to deliver the services to her customers which had become costly and worrisome in the midst of the 1st and 2nd wave of COVID-19.
After hearing about Business Link Pacific from a friend who showed her our Facebook page, Ms Tunivoka read about the Adaptation Grant that was being offered and she applied for it.
Spending time on her applications and providing thorough detail about what was needed for her business paid off. The Businesswoman was awarded the Adaptation Grant and used the funds as a deposit to purchase a vehicle for her business which she now uses to deliver her beautician services.
The grant was a life saver because beauty products and equipment are very expensive and they get expired or wear out because of the heat and through use. In order for my business to continue in 2021 some of the equipment had to be replaced.
The BLP Adaptation Grant has allowed my business to adapt to a COVID world, and when Fiji reached an 80% vaccination rate, I was able to get back to work safely which is incredible for me as without the grant my business would no longer exist.
Now I am a fully mobile business, providing a safe service for my clients and myself,” said Ms Tunivoka.
Ms Tunivoka shares that this was her first time liaising with BLP and she found the process of filling the forms very organised and simple. She acknowledged the business advisor allocated to her for assisting her in making an adaptation plan.
She encourages other SMEs to look up the services offered by BLP on www.businesslinkpacific.com and get in touch with the team in Suva on [email protected] to access the services offered by BLP.
You don’t need a ton of money to start your business, start small then build it from there. If you’re motivated and organised there are wonderful organisations like BLP who provide a helping hand during difficult times to help grow your business into the future,” adds Ms Tunivoka.
In partnership with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), and the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Business Link Pacific launched the second round of Adaptation Grants for small and medium-sized businesses throughout the Pacific in 2021.
The investment of 3.3M NZD by both New Zealand and Australian Governments to the Business Adaptation Grants is another example of how these two nations are working together with the Pacific Islands to contribute to a stable and prosperous region for the future.