Spring street market tomorrow

MORE than 40 small businesses will take part in the street market to be held at the Leather Connection Craft Centre in Windhoek tomorrow, staged to coincide with the start of spring.

Led by prominent leather products manufacturer Gerhard Baufeldt, the group of SMEs will have an opportunity to market themselves and secure new business. Baufeldt said the initiative was born out of a desire to enhance marketing among SMEs and he had worked with SMEs Compete to make this day happen.He added that it is a known fact that small enterprises grow economies and collectively are the largest employers in an economy.For example in neighbouring South Africa, eight out of every ten new jobs are created by the SME sector.All indications are that a similar trend exists right here in Namibia.Danny Meyer, the General Manager of SMEs Compete, said organisations like his that deal with small firms had discovered that one of the main challenges faced by SMEs was marketing exposure.He said the first-of-its-kind Spring Street Market would help Namibian small enterprises market their businesses and their wares.”They don’t have resources to rent prime retail space in Windhoek’s central business district, or for that matter in any of the main urban areas of Namibia.Additionally, they find advertising too costly.”This results in few opportunities to let clients know of their existence or to promote the goods they make or services they provide,” said Meyer.The Spring Street Market, which is expected to have a carnival atmosphere with games for the youngsters and snacks and refreshments for sale, will take place from 09h00 to 16h00.Baufeldt said the initiative was born out of a desire to enhance marketing among SMEs and he had worked with SMEs Compete to make this day happen.He added that it is a known fact that small enterprises grow economies and collectively are the largest employers in an economy.For example in neighbouring South Africa, eight out of every ten new jobs are created by the SME sector.All indications are that a similar trend exists right here in Namibia.Danny Meyer, the General Manager of SMEs Compete, said organisations like his that deal with small firms had discovered that one of the main challenges faced by SMEs was marketing exposure.He said the first-of-its-kind Spring Street Market would help Namibian small enterprises market their businesses and their wares.”They don’t have resources to rent prime retail space in Windhoek’s central business district, or for that matter in any of the main urban areas of Namibia.Additionally, they find advertising too costly.”This results in few opportunities to let clients know of their existence or to promote the goods they make or services they provide,” said Meyer.The Spring Street Market, which is expected to have a carnival atmosphere with games for the youngsters and snacks and refreshments for sale, will take place from 09h00 to 16h00.