Financial institutions and markets are integral in enabling transactions, intermediating savings for businesses in need of financing, allocating scarce financial resources and facilitating risk diversification. Modern economies rely on these financial institutions and markets to finance private sector development. For economies like The Bahamas, the post-pandemic recovery will … [Read more...] about Financial Challenges for Bahamian Firms
Caribbean Conversations
Digital Maturity, Omnichannels and the SME Grocery
The digital grocery ecosystem represents the future of retail, and a successful digital transformation presents significant opportunities for all businesses, especially SMEs. It’s an opportunity to broaden markets, offer customers better experiences, ensure continuity, accelerate growth, and become more resilient. In this blog series we have been exploring the digital grocery … [Read more...] about Digital Maturity, Omnichannels and the SME Grocery
Barbados taking its Blue commitments ahead with innovative deal
A recent New York Times article declared, “Caribbean nations are trapped between the global financial system and a looming climate disaster. One country’s leader has been fighting to find a way out.” That country is Barbados, and the leader is Mia Motley, Prime Minister and climate innovator extraordinaire. As a small island developing state (SIDS), Barbados faces … [Read more...] about Barbados taking its Blue commitments ahead with innovative deal
Financial Access for Firms: Jamaica’s Challenges and Opportunities
Jamaica’s successful and sustained reform efforts over the past decade have laid the foundation for more rapid financial development, but findings suggest that access to finance remains a major obstacle to investment, innovation, and development for firms across the region—particularly smaller enterprises and those led by women. Download A new joint … [Read more...] about Financial Access for Firms: Jamaica’s Challenges and Opportunities
Can soft-skills training improve business outcomes of microentrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurship is the heartbeat of small business growth and innovation. Therefore, many initiatives attempt to improve entrepreneurs’ skill sets as a way of improving productivity in micro-, small- and medium-sized businesses, which would lead to faster growth. The IDB’s strategy is focused on increasing the relatively low productivity of Latin America and the Caribbean, … [Read more...] about Can soft-skills training improve business outcomes of microentrepreneurs?