Cameroon: Foretia Foundation SBEC Drills Small Business Operators on Growth Skills

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

BUEA, November 7, 2023 – The Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation, through its flagship Small Business and Entrepreneurship Centre, SBEC, has equipped some thirty-three small business operators in Buea, South West Region with skills to grow their businesses.

The training took place from October 25 to 26, bringing together small business owners from across the region. The two-day training was part of the organisation’s drive to accompany small and medium-sized enterprises and businesses through a very delicate period marked by digitalisation.

Digitalisation presents an opportunity for small businesses with the needed skills and a challenge for those without digital skills. In this light, Foretia Foundation, through SBEC, aims at enabling small business owner to embrace digitalisation to grow in their business endeavours like poultry, agriculture or any other domain.

Sende Sheryl, SBEC Assistant and Finance Assistant at the Foretia Foundation said: “The goal was to accompany SMEs throughout this various dangerous android world and the business world. We are here to fortify them for the business world, to make them able to stand out in their various businesses.”

Addressing participants during the training, Sende Sheryl urged them to remain focused and get the necessary skills to develop their businesses. “We expect the trainees to have a certain level of understanding and mastery of their businesses, to be able to make profits, use the digital world and minimise cost. It gives us satisfaction that we have helped to impact lives positively,” Sende added.

“We call on them to join our SBEC Network, because we have more opportunities for them on the platform to take their businesses to the next level.”

Laye Mbunkur, the trainer, highlighted the importance of business formalisation and registration. Legalising businesses, he said, helps the entrepreneur know how to deal with taxes. Registering their businesses, no matter the size, Laye said, will enable them to understand the best tax regime for their businesses when they analyse its advantages and disadvantages.

“We gave them tips on how to handle taxes and file complaints on tax issues and we think they have the necessary skills and knowledge as businesspersons to operate freely in Cameroon,” Laye added.

On her part, Ngongbi Ruphine, a trainee, said the training had offered her knowledge on a wide variety of issues that she hopes to implement to improve her business. She said: “I came here because I want to grow my business and I hope to apply the knowledge on how to manage my business will enable me to grow my business. I will be able to plan better and strategise on how to grow my business.”

For Amunuh Edith, another participant, the training helped her understand the importance of legalising her business. “I have come to learn how to develop and run my business, given I am part of a cooperative. I have learnt that registering my business, will guide my decisions on taxes and other issues,” Amunuh said.

The training is in line with the PEF Project funded by the Rising Tide Foundation and John Templeton Foundation. The project targets five regions of Cameroon and teams from the SBEC network have been engaging SMEs in the assigned regions with training on business creation amongst others.

About SBEC

The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Centre (SBEC) was founded by the Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation to support SMEs across the country and to promote business-friendly policies that stimulate innovation and job creation. Through the SBEC Network, member SMEs receive training and administrative support to increase productivity and efficiency.