Gillian Hyde (left) General Manager of JN Small Business Loans (JNSBL) listens as Yaneek Page, Executive Producer of the Innovators Series and Managing Director of Future Services International makes a point at The Innovators Season Five Awards ceremony held at the Four Seasons Hotel last year.
The impact of the contestants’ business operations in their respective communities will be the main focus of the reality television series, The Innovators, when the show begins airing its sixth season in September.
The season, duly tagged: “Community Innovators,” will focus on the challenges faced by 10 upcoming entrepreneurs as they work to make their operations beneficial for them and other persons in their respective communities.
The Innovators is a 30-minute reality TV series, first aired in 2011; which focuses on the challenges of upcoming entrepreneurs, dubbed “assignments,” Since the last season, the show is now being aired in 18 countries.
The “assignments” will glean strategies from their mentors to manage, enhance their operations and achieve financial success. And, the winner of the series will receive a cash award from JN Small Business Loans (JNSBL).
“What we desire for our country is economic growth, which the average man and woman can feel,” explained Yaneek Page, executive producer of The Innovators series, and Managing Director of Future Services International.
“And, more people would feel the impact of economic growth across Jamaica, if we had a large cadre of entrepreneurs who were purposefully building their businesses to increase the economic activity in their respective communities. That would definitely result in a major transformation.” she emphasized.
She maintained that community growth would be the vision and driving force behind the series this year.
“We want to encourage participants to make a deliberate effort to build their communities through entrepreneurship and business growth. The journey begins with season six of our pioneering entrepreneurial show; and we know that the possibilities will be mind-blowing,” she explained.
Mrs Page outlined that in selecting the winner, the contestants will be judged on: the number of persons they employed; the influence their business had in the communities in which they are located; and its overall potential to be successful.
Mrs Gillian Hyde, general manager of JN Small Business Loans, sponsors of The Innovators for a third consecutive year, pointed out that the theme for this year’s series was in keeping with JNSBL’s outlook of building the economic base of communities through entrepreneurship
“Community development through entrepreneurship has always been one of the main areas of focus for JNSBL. Since our inception in 2000, our clients have created and maintained some 100,000 jobs in the Jamaican economy; and many of these businesses are community-based operations,” noted Mrs. Hyde.
“We welcome the theme and focus of 2016 The Community Innovators, which has been an avenue to expose micro entrepreneurs to the wider society. We firmly believe that by focusing on businesses that impact the community, the spin off in the respective areas will be positive,” she added.
Mrs Page concurred, noting that the potential spin offs for community-based operations were vast, as the skills, products and services provided by other businesses and individual persons can be negotiated to benefit everyone.
“The communities gain from small businesses in areas, such as job creation. In addition, support is generated for other enterprises, such as–contracting or sub-contracting work to other persons. Hence, our decision to engage with businesses, which are prepared to influence community growth, will definitely be beneficial,” she stated.
