On Wednesday, October 21, 2020, the Seychelles Business Studies Academy (SBSA) launched Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) in the island nation with a special entrepreneurship lecture series. Led by the Department of Industry & Entrepreneurship Development (DOIED), GEW is Seychelles largest and most visible annual entrepreneurship campaign.
Ms. Angelique Antat, the Principle Secretary of DOIED, kicked off the series with an interactive session for Year 3 SBSA Business Management & Administration students on the economic importance of entrepreneurship. She discussed why students, whether employed or running their own business, should anchor entrepreneurial values within themselves, which will guarantee progress in their lives. “Entrepreneurship is a set of values that humans foster while growing up." Ms. Antat said. Each and every one of you has the option to be entrepreneurial and once you are there’s nothing stopping you from becoming a champ."
Ms. Antat was followed on the stage by four SBSA lecturers who are currently enrolled in an International Labor Organization (ILO) Start & Improve Your Business (SIYB) train-the-trainer program. They each gave a 15-minute mini-lecture: "Are you ready to be an entrepreneur?"; "What makes a business idea?"; "How to create a business idea list?"; and "Choosing which business idea is best to pursue." The lectures were filmed and will be submitted to the ILO as part of their course work.
Four Seychellois entrepreneurs then took the stage. Mr. Keshra V. Bhudia and Mrs. Gopi Dubasia, the Founder & CEO and the Director of the Shreeji Group, Mr. James Payet, co-owner of the Heritage & Cultural Education Services (HCES), Mr. Ronny Julius, owner of SeyLingo, and Ms. Omegan Jean-Marie Ciseau, a young florist and event organizer. Mr. Julius and Ms. Ciseau are SBSA alumni.
Mr. Bhudia told the audience how from his earliest days he had always had a huge thirst for knowledge. He started his career working without pay and gradually climbed his way up. He emphasized that without the love and support of his family he would not have gotten far in life. Mrs. Dubasia, who is Mr. Bhudia's daughter, recalled the times when her father encouraged her to join the family business at a time when she was unsure of her ambition. If it were not for her family, she said she would not have developed the drive she has now. She told the audience that Seychelles has countless opportunities and that SBSA is an invaluable program for start-up development.
Mr. Payet recounted how his and his wife’s humble lifestyle, now turned into a business, have left its mark in the tourism arena. He remarked that although the tourism sector has been heavily impacted by the pandemic, he and his wife have used this quiet time to reflect on various opportunities brought about by COVID-19 and prepare themselves to exploit them.
After he graduated from SBSA, Mr. Julius told the audience that he was faced with a life changing decision: whether to leave his stable job or start his own business. A firm believer in specialization, he explained that the key to the success of his business comes down to having the right people with the right skills. This creates opportunities for other businesses, he said, allowing him to tap into those skills and talents that he does not possess himself.
Ms. Ciseau told the audience that she outsources locally instead of importing products, which is undoubtedly much more beneficial for our economy. She also addressed the importance of customer service and dealing with competition. In order to accommodate to different target markets and to differentiate her business, she highlighted the importance of innovation to her business and described how she is introducing new products such as biodegradable flowers.
Mrs. Josianne Bristol, the Director of SBSA, closed the event by thanking DOIED, the guest speakers, the lecturers as well as her students. Having participated in the Department’s entrepreneurship related competition twice since last year, Mrs. Bristol said she was honored that her school was participating in an impactful worldwide event that is Global Entrepreneurship Week. “Although it was not the actual entrepreneurship week and since, the students will be in their exam period during the said week, SBSA could not miss out on the opportunity of being part of GEW, and we look forward to more entrepreneurship related events and activities in the future.”
DOIED is leading Seychelles' GEW 2020 celebration with the participation of many local partners. Activities begin on November 16th. GEW is celebrated in more than 180 countries worldwide by approximately 10 million people. This year, Seychelles' campaign is focused on spotlighting the innovators and job creators who launch their startups in order to bring new ideas to life and, as a result, drive economic growth and increase human welfare. In addition to GEW, this year Seychelles successfully launched Startup Huddle, a peer-to-peer entrepreneur support program, and its entrepreneurs participated in the Entrepreneurship World Cup, the world's largest business competition empowering entrepreneurs at all levels – from idea to scale-up.