Business Link Pacific Portal launched across Pacific region in successful
multi-country event.
Auckland, New Zealand - Business Link Pacific (BLP) officially launched the Business Link Pacific Portal today in Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa and Papua New Guinea.
The Business Link Pacific Portal is an innovative online platform designed to connect quality business advisors with
small and medium-sized growing businesses in the Pacific.
To mark the launch of the Portal, Business Link Pacific co-hosted four launch events, one in each country, which were
open to small and medium sized businesses and free to attend.
Since the launch events were announced by Business Link Pacific on July 15, registrations have exceeded expectations and
garnered local media coverage across all countries.
Over 800 small and medium sized businesses and business advisory service providers attended the four events and
networking sessions, a clear indication of the level of interest in business advice in the Pacific region.
“We designed the BLP Portal to promote the high quality business services available in Pacific Island Countries, and to
make the process of accessing expert business advice as streamlined as possible for growing Pacific businesses and the
network of regional business advisors,” says Steve Knapp, Director of Business Link Pacific.
The multi-country launch event was a joint effort of Business Link Pacific and its In-country partners; Samoa Chamber of
Commerce, the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation.
Each launch event was officially opened by the respective New Zealand High Commissioner; in Vanuatu, His Excellency, Mr.
Jonathan Schwass; in Fiji, His Excellency Mr. Jonathan Curr; in Samoa, His Excellency Dr. Trevor Matheson and in Papua
New Guinea, His Excellency Mr. Philip Taula.
“The task of starting and developing a business is even harder in the Pacific, which has unique challenges around
distance, isolation, problematic supply chains and small markets – and there isn’t necessarily a massive pool of support
available,” says His Excellency, Mr. Jonathan Schwass, who officially opened the event in Vanuatu.
“The New Zealand Government considers that the Portal is an important addition to the valuable business support work
that is carried out under the Business Link Pacific banner.”
A team of twenty plus Pacific Island-based marketing professionals took over the challenging task of organising the four
events. As part of BLP’s Communication and Marketing team, they brought together twelve expert speakers from New
Zealand, Australia and each hosting country, to talk about the challenges and opportunities for business development in
the region, including connectivity, resilience, inclusion, technology, business compliance and the future of business in
the Pacific Islands.
The main takeaways from the four events include the acknowledgment that connectivity and technology are bringing
unprecedented opportunities to the region, alleviating some of its isolation issues.
These opportunities come with challenges that need the attention of both the private and governmental sectors.
The market for business services in the Pacific Islands is served by a high number of talented and experienced advisors
that cater for small but growing businesses.
Business Link Pacific is a conveyor of the business advice market, facilitating the connection between service providers
and new clients.
For small and medium sized businesses, the Portal offers a free Business Health Check that identifies business gaps and connects them to a wide range of service providers that are quality approved by BLP, services that can be accessed at a subsidised rate.
For Business Advisors, the Portal offers a marketing tool to engage and provide financial benefits to eligible clients, as well as
organisational and business development support from regional consultants.
The Business Link Pacific Portal can be accessed via www.businesslinkpacific.com
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