Barclays helps boost small business start-ups |26 October 2017

Barclays Bank Seychelles recently hosted a Saturday entrepreneurship development workshop aimed at empowering aspiring, start-up and existing entrepreneurs to grow their business and network with each other to share their experiences.

The outreach was part of Barclays’ annual MADD (Make A Difference Day) activities, centred around employees donating their time and skills to deliver a positive impact on their local community.

“The result of events like this is that the communities in which we operate benefit and so does our organisation,” said Egbert Laurence, head of business banking for Barclays Bank Seychelles.

“Enterprise Development is one of the three main pillars of our Shared Growth approach – that is, leaving a positive impact on society while delivering value for our shareholders.

“Furthermore, with such initiatives, communities we work with end up with access to skills, knowledge and resources that they otherwise wouldn’t have – in this case – local entrepreneurs got the chance to ask as many questions as they wanted in regards to business banking and, in return, were given advice and were offered innovative financial solutions and business development support by our relationship managers,” Mr Laurence elaborated.

Mr Laurence said sessions like these “signify Barclays Seychelles’ long-term obligation and commitment to helping our local communities achieve their ambitions in the right way”.

Highlights of the workshop included presentations on relevant products and services related to the banks and small to medium enterprise (SME) segment. This was followed by a session on the Barclays lending process and what SME clients should do to access loan facilities.

The Barclays Compliance unit also gave a presentation on important regulatory requirements which was followed by presentations on ReadytoWork – a Barclays initiative aimed at equipping school leavers as well as youth interested in becoming entrepreneurs with essential skills to navigate the work place or business, such as money and people skills, financial know-how and business planning to name a few.

The sessions were concluded by a testimonial presentation by Derrick Sauzier, a local business owner, who shared his experiences and advised the new entrepreneurs on how to make their businesses a success.