Maseru Business Club (MBC) will later this month present the second edition of the National Small Business Awards.
The event recognises and celebrates the best of small, and mid-sized businesses and entrepreneurship visionaries.
To awards ceremony, to be held on November 23 at Victory Hall (Mojalefa Lephole), will include various categories.
The aim of these awards is to recognise and celebrate the impact and effort that entrepreneurs and small and medium businesses are doing to the country, economy and society.
In an interview with theReporter, the project manager of MBC, Litlama Limema, said they started the awards last year with the aim of recognising and celebrating achievements made by small businesses through their contributions to the economic growth of the country.
Apart from that, small businesses have a lot of job creation opportunities although they are still obscure from people and the market at large.
“These awards seek to celebrate entrepreneurs or founders of small businesses in a vibrant manner for the work that they are doing and their achievements.
“The ultimate goal is that whenever we have these kind of events, people should know about existing businesses within their communities and find ways to support them,” Limema highlighted.
He noted that the selection criteria for the nominees are in the hands of the public through the given websites and WhatsApp platform. They indicate the name of the business and reasons for their nominations.
“We then evaluate their reasons and contact the nominees to hear from them if accept the nomination/recognition made by the public or not. Then the voting will follow, like it has already started.
“All those who accepted the nominations should be present at the event, even if they did not win. Even though we do not have that financial muscle, we will try to award certificates to those who won. Those who won will receive trophies and hampers that will be determined by our financial capabilities and the sponsorships,” he pointed out.
Limema said one of the challenges have they encountered since the awards started is that they are dealing with small businesses, some of which do not understand what a small business is and even decline nomination.
Apart from that, it becomes difficult to secure sponsorships from bigger businesses because they are sceptical about the impact of the awards and sustainability of the small enterprises.
MBC is a non-profit organisation committed to fostering enterprise development and supporting local organisations and beyond. Established with a passion for empowering entrepreneurs and strengthening the local business ecosystem, the organisation strives to be a catalyst for positive change and sustainable growth. It is dedicated to making a meaningful difference in the lives of entrepreneurs and the community at large.
The organisation’s mission is to empower entrepreneurs, drive economic development, and create a thriving business community in Lesotho.
It is also dedicated to providing comprehensive support, resources, and opportunities that enable local businesses to flourish, thereby contributing to the overall prosperity of the country.
