Introducing Ramesh Chand: BLP Business Services Manager in Fiji
“Some may be good at marketing but then their financials are not up to date. Some might be good at their financials but their organisational structure is not up to date. There are a lot of gaps and the role that Business Link Pacific plays is important in diagnosing these small and medium enterprises and identifying the areas that need improvement.”
-Ramesh Chand, Business Services Manager, Fiji
Our in-country Business Services Manager’s are our eyes and ears on the ground, advocating for the role of quality business advice in accelerating business growth, meeting small-medium business owners from all walks of life and supporting them in their business journey.
Less than a month ago, Ramesh Chand joined the Business Link Pacific team, as the Business Services Manager for Fiji. This week we spoke with Ramesh, to learn more about what led him to join the BLP team and his views on assisting growing businesses in Fiji.
Ramesh Chand’s career has been greatly defined by his role as Cooperative Officer and Acting Director for the Department of Cooperative Business, part of the Ministry of Industry, Trade & Tourism in Fiji. In these roles he assisted cooperatives with registration, provided advice on business planning and accounting, organisational structuring and marketing, and contributed to policy work.
After 25 years working in the public sector, Ramesh identified a prime opportunity to support the private sector through Business Link Pacific.
Based at the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF), BLP’s in-country partner in Fiji, Ramesh is now the main contact for growing businesses in Fiji who are interested in gaining access to cost-effective, quality business advice from the pool of BLP approved service providers.
“There are a number of business service providers [in Fiji], but the link between the SME’s and the service providers hasn’t always been there. BLP is providing that link now by diagnosing these businesses and linking them to the service providers.”
While Ramesh has conducted only a few consultations for BLP so far, in his experience he believes the main barriers for small-medium sized business owners are gaining access to financial assistance, a lack of upskilling when it comes to digital technologies, little or no business planning or forecasting and lacking an overall strategy and vision for the enterprise.
When asked what constitutes a ‘growing’ business, Ramesh shared that it’s not just about making a profit, it’s also about fulfilling commitments to creditors, employing more staff, and diversifying the business.
“Even if you are making a profit, but that profit margin hasn’t changed for a few years or you haven’t expanded or diversified or made the most of opportunities to expand or reach new clients/increase client base, create more jobs or contribute fully to the economy, you’re not growing.”
“If you want to grow, if you want to expand and improve on your profitability, then you also need to invest in the business itself, in terms of doing strategic planning, keeping the organisational structure up to date, getting financials in order, including forecasting and future proofing. These are all areas which can be addressed by business advisors in the BLP network.”
Since the BLP Portal launched in Fiji in August 2019, Ramesh says the number of businesses using BLP’s services is growing gradually, but more awareness is needed of the benefits of investing in quality business advice.
“I think it is important for businesses to know where they are and where they want to be in the next 5 years or longer. Once they are able to focus themselves, then they are able to streamline other areas of their business. They need to assess themselves, see where they are now, where are the gaps, what are the areas of improvement and create a structured plan for the future.”
“I want to let businesses in Fiji know that this is imperative, it’s a great opportunity that BLP is providing. It doesn’t cost anything to get your business diagnosed, all the information you share with us is confidential. Once you have the reports and recommendations, then you can connect with the right business advisory service provider and access the Subsidy scheme (which can lower the cost of business services up to 50%). I encourage all growing businesses in Fiji to make the most of this opportunity.”
If you are interested in setting up a free Diagnostic consultation with Ramesh at the Fiji Commerce & Employers Federation, you can contact him on:
+9986577
You can also request his assistance through the BLP Portal, by taking the free online Business Health Check, a quick and easy way to identify where there may be gaps in your business that could benefit from quality business advice.