Special Announcement: Business Link Pacific extends services to Cook Islands and Solomon Islands
Business Link Pacific (BLP) is pleased to announce that its services will be established in the Cook Islands and the Solomon Islands this year, following on from its successful implementation in Samoa, Vanuatu, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
Business Link Pacific connects growing businesses in the Pacific Islands to local, quality advisory service experts in key business areas including, business and strategic planning, financial services, accounting and financial management, loans and investment facilitation, information technology, market research, advertising, recruitment and HR, standards and certification, e-commerce and export promotion.
Reliable advice and support can have a significant positive impact on businesses, especially those in a growth phase. Growing businesses are often in need of extra resources and capabilities to support ongoing operations or special projects. An external business advisor can provide that extra support and make all the difference in times of stress.
The over 60 business advisor members of the Business Link Pacific (BLP) Advisor Network have helped to create incredible business transformations, increasing economic growth across Samoa, Vanuatu, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
Both the Cook Islands and Solomon Islands are ripe with business talent and opportunities and the private sector in both countries recognise that BLP’s services will be an effective catalyst for economic growth.
“We are incredibly proud of how well BLP is performing,” says Steve Knapp, Director of BLP, “Implementing the services in the Cook Islands and Solomon Islands is another positive step forward in terms of actively growing the business advisory network in the Pacific region, as well as further strengthening the SME sector.”
“We already have 6 business advisory service providers signed up in the Solomon Islands, and we know from the number of enquiries we get from the Solomons and Cook Islands, that there is a real demand for BLP services there.”
In August 2019, the Business Link Pacific Portal was launched, an innovative online platform designed to connect quality business advisors with growing businesses. The Portal offers a free online Business Health Check that identifies business gaps and provides a list of service providers that are quality approved and can address the identified gaps. Services from approved advisors can be accessed at a subsidised rate.
“We strongly encourage small business owners to take the Business Health Check, especially if they are not sure what type of business advice their enterprise could benefit from. It’s quick and easy and it gets you on the path to strengthening your business,” says Mr Knapp.
As of January this year, 430 businesses have used the Business Health Check to determine what business advisor is right for them.
Since Business Link Pacific was established in 2017 it has assisted over 300 small-medium sized businesses, facilitated 282 business advisory service subsidies and supported the creation of 177 new jobs; 49% which are filled by women.
For more information about the programme or to arrange an interview, contact Sandra Mendez, Head of Communications and Impact for Business Link Pacific on [email protected]