Businesses Urged To Create Synergies

Chakalisa Dube | Monday May 30, 2016 15:02

This was said by the Botswwana Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) chief executive officer (CEO), Paul Taylor when officiating at 22nd Business Botswana Northern Trade Fair on Friday. Along with the Business Botswana National Business Conference, the northern trade fair is probably one of the biggest annual events staged in Francistown.  

The fair, which was themed, ‘connecting ideas; creating opportunities’, had attracted 130 exhibitors according to official records. Last year the fair attracted 115 exhibitors. 

“Entrepreneurs with resources and time can leverage and discover ways to grow by connecting with the right people to the fair to grow their ventures. We leave in an economy, where it is increasingly important to make connections and explore new things,” said Taylor.

In addition the CEO advised the business community to embrace innovation and add value to their products in order to meet demands of the 21st century.  “You should also use the fair to identify areas you have a competitive edge on to develop and grow your business,” he added.

Taylor also urged the business community to explore other critical industries such as manufacturing, information, communications and technology, renewable energy and agriculture. According to him such areas are very viable and have ample growth opportunities.

He further opined that such industries also offer opportunities for economic diversification. In another revelation, Taylor said Small and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) are one of the biggest source of untapped growth potential that can help generate new jobs and wealth in Francistown and nationally.  “It is therefore vital for SMMEs to use initiatives such as the Business Botswana trade fair to help unlock their productivity, marketability, competitiveness and job-creating potential to grow their operations,” he said.  The CEO of Business Botswana, Racious Moatshe also urged exhibitors to use the fair as a platform not only to market their products but share innovations and business initiatives to promote creative content and services.

“If networking opportunities provided by this exhibition are fully exploited they can lead to significant growth of the country’s economy. I believe that at the end of the fair, exhibitors will have fully exploited all opportunities availed by the exhibition,” he said.