A Journey to Success

Success is not an event, it is a process of working through each step which in turn will motivate and inspire you to attain the desired outcome for your business. As soon as they made their first move, entrepreneurs once again joined the Entrepreneurial Business Unit of Lex Caribbean and main sponsor Barbados Public Workers Cooperative Credit Union Limited (BPWCCUL) on January 13, 2017 as they hosted the second installment of their entrepreneurial seminar series. Featured speakers were Melanie Jones, Tara Frater and Christina Maycock of Lex Caribbean, Attorneys-at-law, as well as Dominique Pepin, Managing Director of Tailored Tax Solutions who presented on the topics of corporate governance, funding, tax structuring and related issues.

With a 12pm start time, the attendees arrived at the Radisson Aquatica Hotel for what proved to be an intimate but lively event. By all accounts the information was well received and the attendees found both new knowledge and inspiration in the presentations.

The highlight of the seminar, without a doubt was the entrepreneur panelist session which was moderated by Melanie Jones of Lex Caribbean and featured Ron Johnson (BluePrint Creative), Toni Thorne (The Toni Thorne Show), and Khalil Bryan (BeepCab). At this juncture, attendees had a chance to interact with these entrepreneurs while listening to their stories of success and failure. Toni Thorne noted that she was pleased to have been a part of the event, given her passion for entrepreneurship and her conviction that it is a collective social responsibility to create an effective incubator for entrepreneurs. She stated that “There is much need for informative tools geared towards entrepreneurs and persons entering into the field.”

The breakout session powered by the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation and led by one of its directors, Sade Jemmott, was also a resounding success. Attendees participated in dynamic group exercises requiring them to use random household items to develop a business idea and plan within a limited time frame. Their ability to work as a collective “forming, storming, norming and performing” under pressure was then assessed by judges who reviewed the business plans developed around the various items.

To close out the afternoon attendees heard from Harriette Franklin of BPWCCUL, about the exciting opportunity inherent in their microbusiness loan scheme. Then, by way of spectacular surprise, one lucky attendee was furnished with a brand new J7 Samsung phone after the presentation as a result of a business card draw. Other prizes provided were free consultations with Lex Caribbean and Tailored Tax Solutions.

The attendance and interest of these entrepreneurs demonstrated their commitment to taking their respective businesses or prospective businesses to the next level.

by: Latoya Miller