Pauline Likiliki can’t state strongly enough how much the grant from Business Link Pacific has assisted the business she and her husband Tali established in 2015 in Tonga. Vake I Valeta Services provides maintenance services across a broad range of trades – building, plumbing, electrical, electronics, bricklaying, fence installation, concrete laying, driveway removal and repairs, tile installation and landscaping!
It’s a good business model. Pauline keeps the boys in line and carries out all administrative functions, while Tali works with the three permanent staff members, all handy across the trades, engaging specialist services when necessary.
In 2021, Pauline heard about Business Link Pacific through regular interaction with the Tonga Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Nuku’alofa. The business was ticking along, but Pauline and Tali knew it could do better if only they had the funds to purchase the additional equipment they needed.
Pauline worked with the Chamber to submit an application to BLP for a grant, and the $8,000 they received was put to excellent use purchasing equipment such as a water blaster, sprayer and a generator. The new generator means they can extend their services to rural and remote communities on the outer islands of Tonga which don’t have a reliable power supply. The generator has proven so popular that Vake I Valeta even hires it to others.
When she received a text from the Chamber in 2023 to say that further BLP Business Support Grants were available, Pauline knew she had to apply. The business had grown, but it could still do better. The family car is just not suitable for carting equipment around but purchasing a van is out of reach.
Working with the Chamber of Commerce, Pauline’s application has passed the first stage, and she has her fingers crossed that she will be successful. Businesses applying must satisfy at least one of five criteria – these are innovation, growth, inclusion, climate and finance (https://about.businesslinkpacific.com/project-eligibility/). Pauline believes Vake I Valeta satisfies the ‘inclusion’ category where remote, rural and indigenous populations benefit from access to their services.
“Business Link Pacific’s help has really developed our business. We were not very well known before, but the new equipment has helped to change that, and we have even started to advertise on social media. By spreading our business to the outer islands, we feel more confident in our business and its ability to continue to grow.”
Is your business working to its potential? You may qualify for subsidised business advice or a Business Support Grant. Find out about BLP’s financial services at www.businesslinkpacific.com.
From there you can assess BLP’s free online tools such as Business Health Check (https://businesslinkpacific.com/sme/business-health-check) and Business Continuity Planner (https://businesslinkpacific.com/sme/business-continuity-planner). These tools will help to identify areas in your business that could benefit from business advice. From there you can connect with a local business advisor.
Search our database of BLP approved business advisors (https://businesslinkpacific.com/search) to choose one that suits your needs. BLP approved advisors can guide you to access subsidised services (https://about.businesslinkpacific.com/what-are-blps-finance-services-support/).