Celebrating the spirit of the Jamaican entrepreneur
Photo credit – Rasbert Turner, The Jamaica Gleaner I recently read a story in the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper about an enterprising man who turned an unused garden equipment into a business opportunity. Kevin Spence, a trained auto mechanic, converted a 15-horsepower riding lawn mower into a amusement ride for kids. […]
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A friend recently lamented to me about the collapse of his first entrepreneurial venture which left him down in debt instead of plush in profit. He was definitely taken aback when I cheerfully responded “Congratulations, welcome to the club!” I explained that having experienced this initial setback, he had successfully […]
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I enjoy watching several sports, and I especially appreciate basketball for its fast-paced action. It’s quite entertaining to observe the highly competitive players battle with drive and determination for over 48 minutes, until one team achieves its ultimate objective of winning the game. Recently, Game 6 of the 2013 NBA […]
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Photo courtesy of youthlinkjamaica.com I usually encourage Jamaicans who are trying to earn extra money to look to the World Wide Web for a source of income. The global marketplace can be a mere mouse click away! I recently came across a story about Kelroy Brown, a young Jamaican who for […]
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Effective marketing is the lifeblood of an entrepreneur’s operations. There are two main challenges for most business start-ups – how to get people to know they exist and how to convince them that they should buy their product or service. How can an entrepreneur be successful at marketing with a […]
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In my first job at a public relations firm, I was required to attend clients’ events and write press releases for the newspapers. I had no particular knowledge about, nor interest in PR; I had only applied for this job because my best friend had worked there in the summer […]
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(Photo courtesy of the Jamaica Observer, March 4, 2013) I love to hear stories of community groups who work together to earn income. Recently I was encouraged to read of the folks in the Old Folly community in Discovery Bay, St. Ann who have been engaged in income-generating activities such […]
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If you have been thinking about starting your own business, you might be nervous about the current economic climate. Is is really advisable to begin a business is the middle of a recession? Are there any industries that might actually be viable at this time? It’s understandable if you disbelieve […]
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(Photo courtesy of ABC News) Once again, Jamaica is all over the news. At least this time, its for a good reason! VW pre-released its SuperBowl 2013 advertisements: a teaser with Jimmy Cliff singing background vocals, and a commercial featuring a white American speaking with a Jamaican accent, trying to brighten […]
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(Joseph Wellington photo of Jordan Bennett courtesy of the Jamaica Observer, December 24, 2012) I came across a heartwarming Christmas story in a local newspaper of an 18 year-old young man who not only had a head for business, but had a heart for doing what he could to make social […]
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Despite the heavy commercialization of Christmas, many businesses use this holiday to help the less fortunate in the society, ensuring that at least one day of their lives is filled with food and fellowship. But after the Christmas excitement has faded, what part does charity play in the other eleven […]
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Unless you have been living as a hermit for the past three months (or just been really, really busy), you would have seen or at least heard of the music video Gangnam Style by South Korean artiste PSY. In a short time, this Internet phenomenon has captivated the hearts, minds and dance […]
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