On the rural island of Savai’i, SME business owner Jessie Televave John Pulaa is strengthened her business with the support of BLP, local private sectors organisations and business associations.
Jessohn’s Fashion n Design started in 2012 and now has a team of five employees who manufacture and retail traditional elei dresses as well as local handicrafts, jewellery, and souvenirs, based at the Savai’i flea market. Elei dresses are the beautiful dresses with intricate designs that reflect elements of Samoan culture, including flora, fauna, and symbols with significant meanings.
The business is a recipient of two BLP grants, funds which allowed Jessie to upgrade sewing machines and purchase stocks of material for the business. She says the investment has led to improved efficiencies in production and output, allowed more female staff to be employed and increased her financial turnover and profitability.
Since then, Jessie has also successfully applied for a business loan with the Samoan Commercial Bank with the support of BLP who helped her through the loan process. With this loan Jessie was able to further invest in upgrades such as instore fixtures, display shelves and full aircon units – improvements she says have enhanced the customer shopping experience.
Aware of the importance of networking, Jessie is a member of three local business associations which are helping her learn about how she can improve her business.
“It’s one of the biggest challenges I face – learning how to improve business outcomes. Through training, I’m learning how to record important things in my business, income, results – whether I make a profit. I really need to learn from others to improve more my business.”
BLP facilitates access to business advisory services and financial support. To start your journey with BLP, you can self-assess your needs by using the free online tools available to help small and medium-sized businesses diagnose areas in their businesses that an advisor could improve.
The first step can be the online Business Health Check. You can also check your business’s resilience to respond to crises or climate change challenges on the Business Continuity Planner and the Climate Action Sensor. If you prefer to meet a local BLP representative in person to discuss your business, get in touch with our local partners to arrange a face-to-face Diagnostic.