SMART Community Review (SCR) 2017 SMART PROGRAM | Page 13

Measurable, Affordable, Resilient, Technology) Trade and Investment program, is hosting 5th more information, or contact SCE global by email: [email protected] S.M.A.R.T World Tour 2017-20 Trade Missions - Business Roundtables - Summits www.SMARTCommunityExchange.com Access to Finance In most cases, capital is a critical issue for participants. Therefore, we must address this issue by providing access to sources of finance. Some banks and financial institutions are risk averse and unwilling to provide venture capital or loans. SCE, therefore, need to serve as the link between participants and potential sources of capital. Given the difficulty that participants may face in trying to secure funding, SCE may reach out to our sources to locate and secure appropriate funding for participants. SCE may facilitate access to finance for participants. Business Support SCE Preferred Service Providers (PSP) provide key business support services to participants, which help the participants to focus their efforts on developing a competitive advantage within the market. The support services we offer may go beyond generic business support services towards specialty services and access to industry specific networks. Efficient and effective delivery of business support services enhances the chances of participants’ success. This is the rationale for our existence. Therefore, we will tailor our services to fit the participants’ needs, offering the services at below market rates to reduce the cost of the soft-landing program for participants. If we cannot offer all the services participants may require at a given time, then we will develop relationships and partnerships with regional and local service providers that are able to meet these needs. SCE regional management teams in Your Region and USA continuously assess and meet the individual needs of participants, as this is crucial to the success of the SMART soft-landing process. An Enabling Environment SMART Community Exchange (SCE) serves as a business enabling environment within the international business community by helping participants overcome obstacles and become successful, as well as by positively influencing stakeholder groups and policy makers who can bring about appropriate changes to the business environment. The following are some of the ways the SCE can establish an enabling environment that assists participants as well as relevant stakeholder groups and policy makers: Helping to change the local culture, increasing entrepreneurial and economic growth by promoting local business growth and producing successful role models. We can bring a new SMART way of thinking to communities by providing role models for entrepreneurial success in the form of successful businesses and entrepreneurs. The SCE also offers businesses/entrepreneurs the tools they need to succeed. Improving social capital, trust and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, by creating cross sector linkages and Public-Private Partnership arrangements. The SCE brings companies and individuals together through networking. Connecting professionals from different sectors and regions can establish trust between different firms and create innovative thinking by exploring fresh perspectives. The SCE also facilitates cooperation between participants www.SMARTCommunityExchange.com SMART Soft-Landing Program Brief and public entities, with the aim of securing public funds as well as support for the participants. Participants whose work is closely aligned with the government’s priorities, such as those in Positive Development (PD) and S.M.A.R.T (Sustainable, Measurable, Achievable, Resilient, Technology) based companies, are usually in a better position to receive support. Providing a dynamic learning environment to foster innovation, entrepreneurship and technology transfer. The SCE has the flexibility and opportunities to position participants at the forefront of innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology transfer. From our experience and that of our participants, we can apply the lessons learned to become even better enabling environments. Reducing costs by joint procurement. We are able to aggregate orders and hence procure goods and services at a lower cost for participants. Discounts will help companies who have limited financial resources to support their early phases of product or service development. Assisting our clients to navigate through regulatory environments, thereby reducing their compliance costs and the lengthy time requirement. The SCE can provide information to participants on achieving regulatory compliance. In this regard, we can help participants develop good relationships with government officials, ensuring that all administrative and bureaucratic requirements are met and hence freeing up time for participants to concentrate on developing their SMART businesses, communities, projects, and initiatives. Stakeholder Groups Serving as a test bed for stakeholders and policymakers interested in new ways of growing, regulating and/or supporting businesses. In this capacity, we provide policymakers with the chance to experiment with new ideas and incentives. Successfully tested programs can later be du