The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) in collaboration with other partners have brought an international expo for business people to network and learn practices that will grow their trade.
Aimed at business matchmaking between corporates and SMEs to grow their business, the April meeting will give small and medium enterprises (SMEs) a platform to acquires skills and knowledge on how to handle challenges that hinder their growth.
Kepsa Director Patricia Ithua noted that SMEs provide 45% of the country’s employment, 50% of work force, contributing up to sh1.4 trillion to the gross domestic product (GDP). She said that for there to be an expansion in economic growth, SMEs have to be prioritized.
She noted that there is need to minimize the gaps to allow SMEs to prosper, adding that scaling them up to corporates and multinationals will play a major role in growing the country’s economy.
Dubbed ‘SME Fest 2016’, the expo will take place from April 7-9 in Nairobi.
Dorcas Muthoni, the organizer of the SME Fest 2016’ said that this event will be different due to the fact that it will incorporate business-to-business trade contrary to others that were focused on product promotion.
She acknowledged that although monetary constraints seem to be the major challenge, there are many ways to finance business like partnering with corporates, borrowing or selling part of the business.
