Some Serious Considerations for Getting into Business

Lately, entrepreneurship is a word that's being touted around. With the amount of business schools that are available, not to mention the online courses and articles, there are many who want to do business that are unprepared.

I hope that this would be a sort of guidance for some of them since as I interact with the various supporters of SMEs from investors and financiers, through professionals - accountants, attorneys, operations, marketing, statutory bodies, and general business advisory services; there's a growing intolerance that can be detrimental to those with sound businesses. There's a need for entrepreneurs to understand that business goes past the point of - A Great Idea.

• Governments are looking towards it for job creation
• Universities and tertiary level institutions are offering it as courses 
• Those who are upset with their jobs decide they will embark upon it so that they won't have to work for the man
• Young people leaving school have decided that they will embrace it so that they won't be treated like their parents 
• Agencies are set up to encourage it and to sometimes teach aspects of it
• Training programs are developed, Investors are predatory, yet with all these interest groups it is a sad day when the true realization is as follows

Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship are by and large unprepared for Entrepreneurship 

Beyond all the industry knowledge about your product / service idea some other real things are needed. Fortunately . Unfortunately, depending on where within the system you fit / have to function within you will find that you need some if not all of what will be listed below shortly. 

Business can be done internationally, regionally, and locally. However at the end of the day, it must be done well. 

Entrepreneurs why should any of the aforementioned groups wish to invest more in your business than you wish to invest yourselves. I may offend some of you with what's going to be suggested shortly, if you are thin skinned - STOP NOW and leave this article alone. If you're serious, you'll know what to do. 

• You need to know where to find information that will ensure the success of your business. You need to know your business inside-out. You need to surround yourselves with professionals. They are:
• accountants to calculate the feasibility of your idea in a numerical format - it's been my experience they don't do great business plans but can offer fantastic insights into the planning process 
• attorneys-at-law [yes a few of them - law is a vast area, you can't be all things to all people] 
• business advisory services [someone who knows a little bit about a lot of the different aspects of business, and who can find the specialist - those who know a lot about a little bit] 
• bankers, financiers, investors, friends and family - you will need money to begin a business is about as gentle as I can say it. the aforementioned support is not always free
• Marketing and Operations are key and vital functions for any business. Again these areas receive too little respect and are so critical to a business 
• Human resources will be offered separately since this area is evolving with the rise of so many small businesses, yet it is so vital with labour laws and employee rights being a major cause for concern in business 
• Your friends in government are a great source of information and are readily available to assist you. Do not believe the hype about civil servants. They are wonderful if you're respectful. 
• You need to bring the following to the table
• Commitment, Trust, Loyalty where necessary, Competence, Willingness to Work
• You need to show that you're organized
• You need skills in negotiation - however don't be ridiculous thinking that everything comes for free because you have a great idea that will be profitable. Expect that you will not get everyone willing to work and wait until the back end to receive their payment. Often they will not know you unless they are a part of your develop team. 
• Money - there's no gentle way of saying it so I won't try, but money needs to be present at the event of your business. 
• You'll need a working knowledge of how to utilize the skills and abilities of your professional "team". 

 There you have a place to start, and be assured that this information though is on the surface will help you to be a bit more prepared on embarking on your next business venture. 

Richie B. is responsible for Business Development with Blades & Blades Consultancy Services LP. He has experienced many successes for his clients over time and enables them to realize their business dreams. The above information will help you fast track your business to success; saving you time and earning you money. 

Getting your marketing in gear

So you've moved from idea, through concept, and now you have a business running. When you started your ideas were the best thing that everyone needed. Your friends, family and supporters certainly told you so. So where are they now?

If you were in business for some time and are aware of your statistics, you'll find that your friends and family are seldom within that cluster of numbers. To truly succeed you have to engage people you don't know to do business with you. They need to find out about your business, what is being offered and how.

In short form - You have to Market!

Now marketing has many aspects involved. In today's world, someone who's not well versed in marketing can become overwhelmed with all the terms that jargon associated with the field. What do I mean?

• Public Relations / PR
• Sales
• Strategic Marketing 
• and so many other areas 

The oversimplified marketing approach is to turn a suspect into a prospect into a paying client into repeat business. 

What are you doing to move towards your fourth sale with a client. Too many in business experience the musket syndrome - only one shot at a client, then leaving the client in limbo. Move towards the provision of a complete service, and you'll be surprised at the difference it makes in your business. 

The Attraction of a City - The creation of jobs

Those who know me well have often heard me say that I go to Bridgetown for two reasons only:

1. To apply for a passport
2. To pick up the passport when its ready. 

Recently I had reason to just pass through Bridgetown for the night and just seek the ice-cream lady for a family treat of old fashioned ice-cream. Nostalgia for my wife and I, while it was a new experience for our youngster. While waiting I was able to look around and noticed that they were a number of buildings that seemed to be closed. There was nothing appealing about the town and this was supposedly a time of celebration when it's supposed to be lit. 

My heavy dislike for traffic does not in the least entice me to wish to come into the city by day, but as I stood on the sidewalk by the ice-cream lady, there was a brief glimpse of opportunity where my mind ran wild with an idea that I had since the mid 90s. In my minds eye, Bridgetown became transformed into The City of Lights.  I will not put any markings of intellectual property there since I believe that it's for the people to develop. Though I have the idea, and have shared it with a group of designers - The Janus Group of Associates. I don't have the resources to develop it in full, therefore I'll share it with you to see if there's anyone out there who can pull together the teams needed for such a reality. 

The time is now ripe, since it would provide a new activity that would be of benefit to Barbados in the following areas:

• Employment creation and economic development 
• Commerce
• Duty Free 
• Retail 
• Tourism
• On island and Cruise ship traffic
• May encourage longer stay of cruise ship traffic on island 
• Locals 
• Food and beverage 
• Themed foods [regional and international] 
• Entertainment 
• Photo blogging and social media 
• Manufacturing
• Foods and condiments 
• Beauty and skin care 
• Confectionery and preserves 
• Craft and memorabilia 
• Renewable energy displays which add light and attractions to the event
• Designing
• Clothing 
• Accessories 
• Education 
• Talent showcases
• Poetry reading 
• Drama and dance 
• Science and technology 
• Innovation displays 
• Services 
• Concierge and information 
• Food and beverage 
• Sanitation 
• Transportation 
• 
  
• Cultural development and diversity
• With art in all ifs forms being showcased and displayed from various segments around the city in an organized yet confused way that allows artistic expression that cannot / should not be contained in to cubicles of space
• Stages at strategic locations, where talent is shown / expressed in a manner that would encourage foot traffic of spectators, who are well dressed for an evenings' entertainment 
• No vehicular traffic since the park and shuttle concept is well accepted in Barbados now
• Boutique-like sidewalk food stalls adorning the sidewalks, with tables and chairs in the streets where people can sit an chat, grab a bite, or just relax for a little from their shopping and shows. 
• Fancy dressing is encouraged, where people wear clothes that are well tailored and the underwear no longer has a place in public domain other than to be discreetly worn under the clothing. 
• Education alive, where students of various institutions exhibit their creations and share their information with others who many not have had the opportunity to have the more formal education.
• Games zone filled with bright lights and promotions for regional board games existing and prototypes 
• Wari, dominoes, card games of various types, backgammon, etc. 
• Festival and attraction tie ins
• Cricket at Kensington Oval
• Crop Over Festival 
• Showcases of excellence in the aforementioned 
• Island Nights in tandem with UWI, BCC and SJPP highlighting the best features of our Caribbean neighbours
• World themes with the introduction of key celebration points through their embassies e.g. US Independence / Canada Day 

Once we use our imaginations and creativity, the list of things we can do to ensure our economic survival is seemingly endless.

Richard Blades is a Business Development Specialist. He is also the Founding Partner of Blades & Blades Consultancy LP. Contacting him is easy - richieb@caribsurf.com 

Making life memorable

I am convinced that I was born at the best time in history. When having witnessed the things that I have and the development that have taken place in the short years of my life one can only be wowed at the developments of the era.

In my time, people have traveled faster than the speed of sound, created previously unimagined devices, can now communicate faster than the speed of light, we now look into the palm of our hands to speak with people across the globe or just to find out where we are via the gps implanted in our mobile devices.

Our technology has changed, our wealthy are getting younger, people are just doing everything faster with greater ease!

• Events can now make 6 figures in one afternoon. 
• Some small businesses can make 7 figures in a year

My puzzle consist of what was missing to help individuals do the same. All the high income earners I know have something in common - their willingness to serve others. The type of business they're in didn't matter. - good or bad; they always made their offerings convenient for their markets to have access to them. They give "service" above and beyond their competition, and they used a system for doing so. 

Do you have a system for living? Are your earnings exceeding expenditure? When your customer [internal / external] leave your presence do you know the level of satisfaction they had from interacting with you? Do you know if or when they will be back? Would you have done business with you?

Don't be numb to the experiences you create or participate in. Keep your senses keen and sharp always in observation and learning mode. Be prepare to execute on available opportunities that present themselves. 

Create lasting good memories both for those you interact with and yourselves. When you take a positive approach to making life memorable, those with whom you interacted will want to repeat that experience. 

Where did the time go?

Wow! This has been a fast year. Lots happened and lots didn't happen. It seemed like throughout the entire world everything went topsy-turvy.

Can you relate?

Like everyone, I have heard the doom and gloom about how bad everything is going to be currently and within the unforeseeable future. Then I got to thinking, that all of this news is coming from other people. Many of these people didn't know my skills nor abilities. They didn't know my circumstances. Yet they are looking at whatever was in their line of sight and making broad sweeping comments about my future.

The resulting thoughts from their predictions were uncertainty, fear, over caution, and many other negative thoughts and emotions. We were careening for edge of many precipices of ideologies - fiscal cliffs, moral chasms, and seemingly many other challenges.

What are you saying about your future? What is your God-given entitlement?

Remember, "In the beginning was the word" John 1:1, How easy it is for us to forget about the power of the spoken word.

Daily:

• Speak positive, affirmative, faith grounded words in to all of your situations. 
• Think about possibilities for success rather than reality of failure. 
• Keep your mind searching for solutions rather than dwelling on the problem longer than necessary .
• Feed your mind positive books, tapes, CDs. 
• Keep grounded in your creator, remembering all things are possible if you only believe.
• Plan your outcomes 

Do this for 30 days and tell me what the outcomes are for your situations. Take control of the time you have available to you so that you don't have to be asking "where did the time go". 

Difficulty with one's own advice

Have you ever been in a position where you often offer others advice about the situations you face? To tell the truth it always seems easier to do so, but when faced with the same dilemma personally, the situation can take on a different complexion.

Quite recently, I was ill. Not because of any viruses or bugs going around. I literally was disobedient to advice that I have given most about balance. I didn't follow it myself, almost believing that I could be all things to all people until I realized the following:

• I was over worked and under rested 
• My family's suffering from my being, broke busted and disgusted 
• My focus was no longer laser sharp
• My mind wandered often and I was easily distracted 
• Exercise was something I now only knew via spelling 
• The list goes on and on

It is times like this, when you no longer look human, due to the wires and needles that are hooked up, and the poking / prodding that takes place that brings one into contact with their mortality in a hurry. SUPERMAN'S MADE OF PAPER / PLASTIC, depending on his rendering and only exists fictionally. My day consisted of meetings and conference calls, planning projects and their operational elements, dealing with for commercial entities and not for profits / charities. The list goes one. Fortunately / unfortunately, depending on one's perspective I was not as elastic and the time frames in any given period day / night. 

When one's sick, it's when you learn of other who have ailments. Some similar and others much worse. Nonetheless, they have a common thread. We as a society are under way too much stress. We are accommodating everyone and doing precious little for ourselves. 

ENTER ME TIME...

This is when we need to take the opportunity to recharge. No meetings, no commitments to others, no church activities, no children to swimming or any other events. It's when we take time to recreate; and it doesn't involve having to catch a plane. 

I have a friend who take a one day vacation weekly, thanks for that lesson Lorna. Other's go to the gym. Still others just vanish for the sake of their sanity. Is there a lesson to be learnt in all this? I think so. What about you? Recreation is a mustcessity to borrow my friend Dave's word. 

Understand that the work has to be done and will be done, but live in the present. While at work - WORK. While at rest - REST. Schedule appointments with yourselves, so you have time to really get away; time that's important. Time for yourselves. 

I'm done for now, as I'm going to exercise. From now on, I'll have no difficulty with my own advice. 

Celebrity Service

Have you ever been somewhere and received service that had you totally delighted? I mean you totally did not expect it, yet the service was such that it created a memorable experience for you rather than just mingle well camouflaged among the thoughts that you would have had for a lifetime. When you talk with your friends and colleagues afterwards you totally rave about how the service made you feel important - you were made to feel like a celebrity.

Would some of these statements describe your service experience?

• I didn't have to ask for anything really, they brought it before I thought it. 
• When they described what the experience would be and then exceeded it, I thought I found my piece of heaven.
• I felt like family there! 
• Have you ever been pampered; having your every need catered to? ....just when you thought that was all, then they catered to your wants? Wow!

You begin to get the picture. The experience that you received made you feel so great, that as you think about it, you realized that you received Celebrity Service.  Sure you can use the term, my only caveat is that you don't try to own it, but to share it thereby raising all the service standards one at a time with everyone that you come into contact with regardless of where in the world you are.

What's celebrity service? You get the opportunity to decide it, since there's no cookie cutter approach. It can be a standard that has application across cultures, races, classes, and creeds. It doesn't matter who you interact with, it matters that you made an extremely positive difference to their lives that they not only feel the gratitude of being on the receiving end of the service, but goes a step further in their wanting to serve whoever they come in contact with in a way that makes the experience most memorable.

• It goes beyond good customer service, since the emphasis is not on whether or not the other person is a customer.  
• It's not about differentiating between the internal / external customer. 
• Class demarcations like first, club, executive cannot define it. 
• It's personal; in that the experience of one person's celebrity service does not define that of another.
• Those with whom you interact must feel special, almost as if they are the only one that mattered at that time. Yet the feeling of celebrity service must extend beyond the interaction that they have had with you.
• Celebrity service is the journey, not a destination to be reached. 
• It is tangible, yet vague and wispy; neither governed by stars nor ratings.
• Celebrity service is when your people skills become you most important marketing asset. Not being governed by if the environment is highly classy or rustic. 
• It is reached by training in standards, where the key elements being developed are better people, not better looking environments. 

Here's the clincher. It's something that the Old Caribbean offered that enabled people to speak about going back to their holiday domiciles before they even left to go back home. Celebrity service is enchanting and enhancing. I love it when I experience it, but I love it more when I give it. 

The secret is that it isn't just something that takes place at work, but goes into the household. It's:

• spousal 
• family oriented 
• colleagues cooperating 
• church related 
• just good hospitality 

Are you ready for celebrity service; willing to experience it and to demonstrate it? I would love to hear / read your stories. Be the celebrity hosting other celebrities. Changing you mindset and behaviors can result in better life experiences! We all owe it to ourselves to have a quality of life that's exemplary. Here's another secret. It's service offered in an environment of love and care.