After a 2020 and the beginning of 2021 with a shutdown of the economy and loss of employment, in the last quarter of this year the reactivation in terms of GDP was achieved, since it has surpassed what was observed prior to the pandemic. In terms of production, the country achieved a growth of 13.2% in the third quarter of 2021 compared to 2020 and 3.7% more compared to the same period of 2019.

The unemployment rate is at 11.8%, this means that we have 695,000 less unemployed versus October 2020. However, it is important that 467,000 people find work and we can recover pre-pandemic levels.

Although we have already achieved business activity 6% higher than in 2020, we are still 7% below what we saw in 2019. Recovering this dynamic is the strongest challenge that will allow us to recover employment in the city and the country.

CCB Services

During 2021, the CCB provided more than 379,504 services and assisted more than 205,314 businessmen and entrepreneurs.

• More than 137,000 online and virtual training services were provided, 13% more than in 2020.

• More than 194,000 business management consulting services (marketing, financial, among others), 7% more than in 2020.

• Nearly 1,700 companies are linked to Bazzarbog, 66% more than the previous year.

• Negocia has 4,969 active companies, a growth of 61% compared to 2020.

• We launched the first CREAR credit line, and so far this year more than 1,000 companies have been impacted with 1,721 credit operations for more than $113,000 million pesos.

• In Dispute Resolution, 12,280 services were rendered, with a 10% growth (6,596 people attended). Businessmen and businesswomen were able to meet more than 9100 business objectives set at the beginning of the CCB's support.

In terms of registration services, entrepreneurs have carried out 3,837,000 transactions in the commercial registry to update their information (in terms of registration, renewals, changes of legal representatives, among others) and to know the information of other entrepreneurs and thus, be able to materialize their businesses.

Through the commercial platforms this year, 17,755 entrepreneurs and businessmen benefited from GoFest, the ARTBO program, Bogotá Audiovisual Market-BAM, Bogotá Music Market-BOmm; Bogotá Fashion Week and Bogotá Madrid Fusión.

Thanks to sectorial programs such as Más ferretero que nunca, Zona Ksera, Turistea Bogotá & Cundinamarca, Bogotá Región Más Moda Digital and the Bogotá Región Distrito Digital program, with which we worked closely with more than 5,900 entrepreneurs from different sectors, achieving considerable increases in their sales.

Recognized companies

One of the recognized entrepreneurs was Ángela María Valderrama, co-founder of Pixie Minds S.A.S., an initiative that inspires girls, boys and young people to create technology through the development of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills. With the support of the CCB Ángela improved the tactics of her digital strategy managing to increase B2B AND B2C sales in the last 3 months and increased sales of after-school courses.

Another of the entrepreneurs who received recognition was Gustavo Gómez, manager of Gurimecol LTDA, a company dedicated to the structuring, design and manufacture of precision machining and metalworking elements. As a result of the pandemic, Gustavo and his team developed a new line of business: manufacturing furniture for the home and adaptability to work at home. Gustavo participated in the Fabricas de Productividad program in business management, took consultancies in digital marketing, his products are available in the virtual showcase of the CCB, BazzarBog and participated in the Entrepreneurs Fair promoted by the Chamber in the Home Fair of 2021 and 2021. In addition, through the CCB's virtual business rounds, its products are now sold at Price Smart and Tugó.

Book launch

At this event, the president of the CCB also presented the book "The business community of Bogota and the region: strength and resilience in times of crisis", which exposes the social and economic context that Colombia and Bogota experienced during the strongest months of the pandemic, as well as the lessons learned from the business sector to deal with such adverse scenarios as the one unveiled by the coronavirus.

The text also highlights the role played by the Chamber of Commerce in mitigating the negative effects of the economy on companies in the city and the region, and how the Chamber itself had to transform its offer and portfolio to adapt to the new reality. Among the lessons learned from the book is the flexibility that production systems must have to prevent future pandemics or crises from interrupting industrial, commercial and service activities. This text is available on the website of the Bogota Chamber of Commerce (ccb.org.co).