The goal of the Fiji Bloom Business Accelerator program is to develop a culturally tailored and gender-focused accelerator to provide ambitious entrepreneurs in Fiji’s rural villages with the support needed to take their businesses to a SME-ready level and bloom into their fullest potential.
Preliminary work has been undertaken on the design of the business acceleration framework identifying the various essential elements required to serve the unique needs of this entrepreneurial sub-set.
SPBD worked with the Financial Management Counsellors Association of Fiji to design and implement the accelerator program.
The program was launched in November 2019 with 11 accelerators of which 9 have successfully completed course including 6 sessions of monthly individual one-to-one coaching and 8 business topics training (incl. SME Preparation) which focused on the following areas:
1. Marketing Strategy and Product Market Mix
2. Cash Flow and Liquidity/ Capital Management
3. Quality Control (Operation Management and Production Process)
4. Harnessing New Technology
5. Strategic Management
6. Compliance- Business Structure & regulations
7. Business Recovery & Business Continuity Plan (bonus session)
8. SME Preparation Workshop
The coaches and trainers engaged in the program are expert in their respective fields with extensive hand-on experience in business management, marketing, product development, food safety, quality control, business development and compliance.
The nurturing environment of the accelerator program enables businesses to focus on growing their business, developing business skills and internal processes, so they can work towards a sustainable and scalable business model that improves their chances of success.