The Small Business Association

Small Business Association / MSME Support Servicessba.bb

Company typePrivate
Founded1982
HeadquartersBridgetown, Barbados
Headcount1–10
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

The Small Business Association firmographics

Firmographics

Name: The Small Business Association
Legal name: The Small Business Association of Barbados
Website: https://sba.bb
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1982
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1–10 employees
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

The Small Business Association industry classification

Industry

Product category: Small Business Association / MSME Support Services
NAICS: Business Associations (813910)
SIC: Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
akta.pro primary industry: Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)

Keywords

Small business association
MSME advocacy services
Small business training
Business membership directory
Industry partner discounts

Where The Small Business Association is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Bridgetown
HQ country: Barbados

Offices1 record

Markets served

The Small Business Association business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Membership Fees: The SBA generates revenue through membership fees from micro, small, and medium enterprises. Membership provides access to advocacy services, training programs, networking opportunities, and exclusive discounts from industry partners.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Annual	Standard MSME Membership

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

The Small Business Association product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The Small Business Association of Barbados is a non-profit membership-based representative body for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across Barbados. It provides advocacy and lobbying on behalf of small businesses to Government, delivers education and training programmes including National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) certification and access to Coursera online learning, runs the SOS Marketplace and SOS Card discount programme, maintains an online Membership Directory of over 3,000 businesses, and produces video content through SBA TV.

Product overview

The Small Business Association of Barbados offers a portfolio of interconnected programmes serving as a non-profit representative body for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The core offerings include the Membership Directory for business visibility, Education & Training with NVQ certification and Coursera access, the SOS Marketplace with SOS Card discounts, the E-toolkit for digital resources, SBA TV for video content, Information Sessions on business topics, and a Discounts Programme with industry partners. These services collectively provide advocacy, capacity building, and business development support to the MSME sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Membership Directory An online directory of SBA member businesses across 17+ sectors in Barbados, used by members to gain visibility and by visitors to find products or services from local MSMEs.
Education and Training Training programmes in management, leadership, and computer-related disciplines for SBA members and small business owners, including NVQ certification and Coursera online course access.
National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Certification Vocational qualification certification administered by the SBA through the TVET Council, covering five occupational standards for small business owners and managers.
Coursera Online Learning Access Access for SBA members to Coursera's online learning platform offering on-demand courses from global academic institutions for skill development.
SOS Marketplace A marketplace initiative consisting of an SOS Facebook Group and an SOS Card that provides exclusive discounts and special offers for participating small businesses in Barbados.
E-toolkit A digital toolkit resource available to SBA members to support business operations and development.
Discounts Programme A members' benefits programme providing access to exclusive discounts with industry partner businesses across Barbados in sectors such as hospitality, automotive, media, insurance, manufacturing, and telecommunications.
SBA TV A YouTube video content platform featuring webinars, lectures, conference recordings and educational content for the MSME sector, including the annual Leo Leacock Memorial Lecture series.
Information Sessions Monthly educational sessions covering current affairs, changes in the business environment, and policies impacting the MSME sector, such as BiMPay, artificial intelligence, digital transactions, hurricane preparedness, and export readiness.
SBA Membership Annual membership open to legally established Barbados MSMEs with annual sales under BDS $10 million or fewer than 100 employees, providing access to advocacy, training, exclusive discounts, monthly information sessions, and networking opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

10.5% economic growth recorded in post-COVID recovery period, demonstrating sector resilience
+1 more outcomes

Companies that use The Small Business Association

Customer profile

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

The Small Business Association technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

The Small Business Association partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

TVET CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SBA is a certified center through the TVET Council, administering National/Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) for small business owners and managers. The partnership provides certified training in five occupational areas.
CourseracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SBA facilitates access to Coursera's online learning platform offering courses from global academic institutions. The partnership provides members with access to on-demand training in the latest skills.
T-orderflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with T-order (South Korea's domestic table order market leader) to accelerate AI transformation (AX) of alley commercial districts. The collaboration aims to build an AI ecosystem for small businesses beyond restaurant table ordering services.
Accra Beach HotelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.
Automotive ArtminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.
Barbados Lumber CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.
Barbados TodayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.
Berger Paints CaribbeanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.
CBC (Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.
Caribbean LED Lighting IncminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.
Flow BusinessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTelecommunications partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.
ICBL (Insurance Corporation of Barbados Ltd)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.
Inchcape BarbadosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAutomotive partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.
Nation NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.
LESC BarbadosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.
LapkanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.
Lyndhurst Funeral HomeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.
Safety Supply Co.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSafety equipment partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.
Starcom NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.
Trowel PlasticsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerManufacturing partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.
Nassco BarbadosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner providing exclusive discounts to SBA members.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

The Small Business Association competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB): CFIB is Canada's largest SMB advocacy and member-services organization. Its mandate to represent small and medium enterprises through lobbying, training, and benefits parallels the SBA's MSME-focused value proposition.
Federation of Small Businesses (FSB): The FSB is the UK's leading SMB membership organization, offering advocacy, training, and member benefits to a similar MSME constituency. It is structurally and mission-comparable to the SBA at significantly larger scale.
National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB): NFIB is the US's largest SMB membership association, providing advocacy and member services to hundreds of thousands of independent businesses. Its scale and member-driven model are the closest international analog to the SBA's MSME mission.

Regional players

Jamaica Chamber of Commerce: The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce is a regional peer that serves as the leading business association in another CARICOM market, with a comparable mandate of advocacy, networking, and member services for SMBs across sectors.
Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce: The Trinidad and Tobago Chamber is a Caribbean peer providing business advocacy, training, and member services to a similarly structured SMB constituency in another CARICOM economy, making it directly comparable in mission and operating model.

Others

TVET Council Barbados: TVET Council Barbados is a strategic partner of the SBA that administers NVQ certifications. As an enabling institution in the SBA's training stack, it is an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) - MSME programmes: CDB runs MSME-focused development and capacity-building initiatives across the Caribbean. It is an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, but its regional programmes shape the operating context for the SBA and comparable associations.
Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) network: The SBDC network, administered alongside the US SBA, provides training, advisory, and capacity-building services to SMBs. While not a direct competitor (it is government-funded), its service portfolio closely overlaps with SBA Barbados' training and business development programmes.

Direct peers

Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry: The Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry is the island's other leading business membership body, offering overlapping advocacy, networking, and member services to a comparable Barbadian business audience. It competes directly with the SBA for SMB membership and policy influence.
Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce (CAIC): CAIC is a regional industry and commerce association serving the broader Caribbean, comparable to the SBA in advocacy and capacity-building remit but operating at a multi-country scale — a logical benchmark for SBA's regional ambitions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

The Small Business Association financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

The Small Business Association leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

The Small Business Association funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

The Small Business Association M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Small Business Association

What does The Small Business Association do?

Is The Small Business Association a public or private company?

The Small Business Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was The Small Business Association founded?

The Small Business Association was founded in 1982. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is The Small Business Association based?

The Small Business Association is headquartered in Bridgetown, Barbados.

How does The Small Business Association make money?

One revenue line is on record: membership Fees.

Who are The Small Business Association's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). Regional players are Jamaica Chamber of Commerce and Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Others are TVET Council Barbados, Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) - MSME programmes and Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) network. Direct peers are Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce (CAIC).

Does The Small Business Association have an API?

No public API is recorded for The Small Business Association.

What industry is The Small Business Association in?

The Small Business Association's product category is Small Business Association / MSME Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAFAK, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education. Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 8600.