Business done the PNG way

THE question needs asking again: Is there a Papua New Guinean way of doing businesses?
Or can there even be one that stands up to conventional or standard models used globally?
In theory and practice, the term business model is used for a broad range of informal and formal descriptions to represent core aspects of an organisation or business, including purpose, business process, target customers, offerings, strategies, infrastructure, sourcing, trading practices, and operational processes and policies including culture.
A model is an outline of how a company plans to make money with its product and customer base in a specific market.
At its core, a business model explains four things: What product of service is to be sold; how the business intends to market that product or service; what kind of costs are there; and, how a profit is to be made.
A general perception in Papua New Guinea is that only few people or even those from certain provinces are a better at running profitable businesses whereas others are less successful.
Experts or those that have been in business of have been around long enough to witness the success or failure of businesses have figured out the main impediments to success in business.
Some have pointed out that the traditional wantok system or inter-dependence does contribute to business failure due to the unreasonable demands placed on business owners to contribute cash or material goods.
But rather than dwelling on this negative aspect of the wantok system, there are a lot of positives from it that can contribute to success in business done the PNG way. The spirit of inter-dependence from traditional communal living could be used in a business environment where rather than ruthless competition, there would be cooperation instead.
An important point there is that such cooperation should never undermine the quality of goods and services provided.
This is what’s driving a group of Papua New Guineans who have gained entrepreneurial training from the Human Development Institute based in Port Moresby.
The group has attempted to turn the business incubation centre at 5-Mile in Port Moresby into a place where individuals and groups would have the opportunity to buy or sell products and services and even trade among themselves.
It is nothing entirely new but an extension of the traditional PNG “tumbuna pasin” where every individual is encouraged to progress in life or helped in the time of need.
Rather than encouraging competition within the incubation centre, vendors are to sell their products and services under a selected number of “industries”.
The incubation centre has already created spaces for agricultural produce, clothing, fresh fish, transport services, information technology services and accounting services.
A leader of the group reckons the ingrained trait that is every Papua New Guinean, especially those that have grown up in traditional village settings can be used in the modern concept of operating businesses profitably.
On Mother’s Day next month, the 5-Mile business incubation is inviting especially mothers from the National Capital District and Central villagers to learn about how they can be assisted, either through vending or getting valuable business training that would be offered there as well.
Among those who are already part of the incubation centre, there is an air of optimism that this would turn into something big for grassroots entrepreneurs.
Doing business using PNG’s “tumbuna pasin” is something worth trying.
Time is the best test for any novel concept.