9/24/2008 12:50:00 PM Duo taking message to small businesses Roxanne Christopher, Erica Smith working to level the playing field for North Hamilton retailers
‘What Can We do for You’: EEZ project manager Erica Smith, left, and business development manager Roxanne Christopher listen to the concerns of Abdul Hakeem at his shop yesterday. The pair visit North Hamilton merchants each week as part of the Economic Empowerment Zone initiative — the Arabian Fried Chicken owner said rising costs and rent are hitting his business hard.
Photo by Mark Kennedy
Officials with the Economic Empowerment Zone initiative want to know what the biggest challenges facing area residents and retailers are - and they're not waiting around for people to come to them.
Roxanne Christopher, the business development manager with the Bermuda Small Business Development Corporation (BSBDC) and EEZ project manager Erica Smith are pounding the pavement every week to hear first-hand what concerns business owners in the area have.
"We're out there to build relationships, so people feel comfortable with us to talk about issues," Ms Smith said. "We can be a resource to help."
Ms Christopher, who is a local business owner herself (she owns Bliss Nail Salon on Court Street) said she speaks with fellow business owners almost daily and knows well what concerns owners most.
"Businesses are trying to survive the rise in the cost of doing business," she said. "Increasing costs, increasing rent, many people are struggling."
The pair pound the pavement not only to hear people's concerns, but also to let them know what services are available to them.
They include grants to businesses of up to $10,000, preferential loans from the Bank of Bermuda, payroll tax deferment for five business quarters, duty exemptions for retailers on materials related to store refurbishing, and duty deferment on materials for refurbishing homes in the area.
While most of these initiatives have been in place for some time, many retailers don't know about them; that's why Ms Christopher and Ms Smith are out on the streets as much as they can, spreading the word.
"We met with Howard at Howard's Cycles [yesterday]," Ms Christopher said. "He said he's finding it harder to charge a modest service cost with the cost of doing business rising so much, and we told him about some of the resources we offer," she said.
Part of the problem is getting shoppers to the area, and they acknowledge that the negative perception many people have about Court Street and surrounding area is a challenge.
"The battle is changing the perception about what this area has to offer," Ms Christopher said. "There is an element of crime, but that's true for the entire island."
She continued: "There's a miss-perception that the area is more prone to crime. But people who live here take pride in their community and if they see crime, they take steps to stop it."
While on a walk-about with Ms Christopher and Ms Smith, the Bermuda Sun heard first-hand why many shopkeepers felt they were teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
"Rent has almost tripled, they raise the rent every year," Abdul Hakeem, owner of Arabian Fried Chicken said of the rent he has to pay for his business. "At this rate they'll force us out, it's not right ... I can't raise my prices any more, I'll put myself out of business."
Mr. Hakeem said that the cost of supplies for his eatery used to be something like 35 per cent of his expenses. Now it's more like 75 per cent.
Ms Smith asked him what they could do for him, and Mr. Hakeem said some form of rent control is needed. As well, if it was possible for restaurants in the area to collectively import their supplies to the island in order to cut costs.
Ms Christopher and Ms Smith then highlighted some of the services and loans available to merchants like himself and Mr. Hakeem said "it's such a blessing."
He was particularly interested in the duty exemption for refurbishments.
"This place is falling apart. This is years of battle scars right here," he said, running his hand over his counter top.
Meanwhile, Government is set to make an announcement today regarding a new partnership between the Economic Empowerment Zone and Butterfield Bank, a statement released yesterday said.
For more information about what the EEZ has to offer, contact Roxanne Christopher at 292-5570, or email her at rvchristopher@gov.bm.
