Sri Lanka@100 shares post-COVID growth strategies with Hambantota SMEs

Sri Lanka@100, a private sector-led business development platform supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), recently hosted a capacity building workshop in Hambantota in partnership with the Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce (HDCC) and NDB Bank. Representatives from 60 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) attended the workshop on December 6 to learn strategies on understanding the customer to revive their businesses post-COVID, the organisers said in a media release.

“SMEs are the engine of economic growth, so it is critical to support them to remain competitive and resilient during the pandemic,” said Reed Aeschliman, USAID Mission Director for Sri Lanka and Maldives. “We hope this workshop will help the businesses revive and thrive.”

Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce President, Tilar Nadugala, highlighted its ongoing member support, noting that, “This event is a continuation of the chamber’s efforts to offer dynamic knowledge-sharing opportunities for our member SMEs. Today’s interactive workshop will help firms to be more consumer-centric by focusing on strategies to understand the consumer journey, upselling and cross-selling, and branding and marketing.”

Stax Senior Manager Thivanka Bandara led the workshop and stated that, “Our training today is based on curated content to share knowledge and industry best practices that can enable these firms to become consumer-centric organisations. This reflects our commitment towards uplifting the growth of the broader SME ecosystem in our country as we embark on the post-COVID road to recovery.”

The core session on “Understanding the Customer” conducted by Thivanka Bandara focused on changes in customer perceptions and strategies that companies need to adopt to retain customers in a more competitive, challenging environment. NDB Bank, Sri Lanka@100’s banking partner, also conducted a session on financial literacy and practical aspects SMEs need to focus on to become more resilient.

Sri Lanka@100 was launched in 2020 with support from USAID. This initiative works with high potential mid-market firms to optimise internal operations, access new markets, and attract capital to help Sri Lanka become a high-income country within 100 years of independence.