A $10,000 business adaptation grant has enabled local businesswoman Ena Schwalger to build a new digital presence with a website for her Togafu’afu’a-based elei and handicraft shop.

The adaptation grants are offered by Business Link Pacific and supported by the New Zealand and Australian governments.

Mrs. Schwalger, the owner of Ena's Elei & Handicrafts, is grateful for the timely assistance and encourages other business owners to apply for the funding which is also available via Samoa's Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The grant has helped support the building of a website to increase her products' visibility, the installation of security cameras for customer service and safety, and for making improvement to products.

The website is currently under construction.

“We are really happy with what we’ve got. I have got two security cameras installed and a third has been ordered from overseas. I work in the back cutting and sewing so with the security cameras I can see customers and cars arriving while I am working,” she said.

“With the website, I can present my things online because Makeki Online is still not enough to let other people see what we have. I am hoping it will help. It’s expensive to build a website, about $4,000.”

Business was booming for Ena’s before the COVID-19 pandemic struck and Samoa closed borders to tourists.

Mrs. Schwalger applied for the grant in desperate need for financial help.

“There were no tourists. No sales,” she said.

“There is so much competition out there. We are improving the quality of our things and the presentation is really important. The help we got from overseas is just so fantastic.

“My advice to new [grant[ applicants is to apply with an idea that will transform your business and help you to be more resilient in the future.”

Ena’s Elei & Handicrafts has been in operation for 12 years and employs six people.

Mrs. Schwalger is offering her help free of charge to other business owners on Upolu and Savai’i who wish to learn more about the business adaptation grants.

“Like many other business owners, we have applied for help before but we never got anything. With this I tell people first of all they need their business license, they need their financial records ready,” she said.

“Applicants need to gather these things together before they fill out the application forms. I am helping three other applicants get their documents together to make sure they have all they need to apply.”

Applicants have two weeks to apply for assistance in the second round of Business Adaptation Grants for small and medium enterprises employing up to 50 people.

Business owners must demonstrate how their business has been affected by COVID-19 and how the grant will help the business to adapt.

Business Link Pacific began accepting applications for a second stage of the grants on 27 June. Applications close a month later on 27 July.

Sarah deZoeten, Australia's High Commissioner to Vanuatu, encourages applicants from across all industries.

“We welcome applications from small and medium sized businesses across all industries and for businesses that employ up to 50 people. We strongly encourage applications from women, youth and disadvantaged groups as well as businesses looking to expand their market reach or exporting products or providing offshore services,” Ms. deZoeten said. 

Ben MacKenzie, the Divisional Manager of Development Economy and Prosperity Division in New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (M.F.A.T.) says Samoan businesses should participate.

“Businesses in participating countries are invited to present proposals that protect and expand their current revenue, safeguard and create new jobs, keep their businesses open and build better businesses for the future. We look forward to proposals from businesses seeking to adopt new technology, to modernise their business as well as projects that support climate change resilience and adaptation,” he said.