A video about the collaborative effort between myself and Cherrisse Foster.
It can also be viewed on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw6ZhOeW7S8
Friday, 29 April 2016
Thursday, 28 April 2016
Collaboration with Cherrisse Foster
Collaboration with Cherrisse Foster
As
I said in my previous blog post, as per our Social Media Communication course I
was required to collaborate with at least two other classmates whose project
would mesh nicely with mines. My second collaboration was with classmate Cherrisse
Foster, whose project involved ‘Embracing the Beauty and Body of Women. Cherrisse’s
project meshed nicely with my project because she encouraged women to love
themselves and in my small business I had to interact with women of all walks
of life. I also had to learn to embrace my beauty and be comfortable with my
body and Cherisse was there to help me. Thank you Cherrisse!
To
read some more about Cherrisse and her journey, visit her page at
Here
are one images of me back in the days and one of me now. I never thought all those years ago that I
would put on weight, but with the birth of my third child, I did just that!
Cherrisse convinced me that was not such a bad thing. The other three images are of beautiful Cherrisse.
This is me back in the days.
This is me now.
Beautiful Cherrisse!!!
Collaboration with Ariel Hunt
As part of our Social Media Communication
course I was required to collaborate with at least two other classmates whose
project would mesh nicely with mines. My first collaboration was with classmate
Ariel Hunt, whose project involved DIY (Do It Yourself). Ariel and I were able
to work together to successfully create a few items for my desktop work-space
and it was fun learning to create beautiful pieces that I could actually use to
help organize my working area. Ariel was excellent at using items most people
would throw out as garbage and produce work of art. I needed to organize the
clutter on my desk, and Ariel came to my rescue. She used discarded boxes from
supermarkets to craft a book-stand and supply holder for me as well as toilet
paper rolls to and cardboard to craft a stationery holder for me. I was amazed
at how beautiful it looked when completed, but most of all how functional it
was in my work-space. No more clutter – YAY! Thank you Ariel! To view more of Ariel's work, visit her page at http://arielhuntdiy.blogspot.com/?m=1
Here are a few photos of Ariel's creations that I am now using on my desk.
Here are a few photos of Ariel's creations that I am now using on my desk.
My favourite mentor
Growing up I always knew I
could go to my mother with any issue that bothered me. She was always willing
to listen to me and even when we would sit and just talk, she would always tell
me there were so much good things in store for me. She shielded me from danger,
however I am thankful that unlike most parents growing up children in the 1980’s
she did not shield me from certain topics that were considered taboo at that
time. My mother was a great mentor and even though she never went to school and
did not know how to write nor read, she encouraged me to do so, to the point of
staying up every night with me under the lamplight as I completed my home-work.
She would buy a book for me every week and beautiful stationery to write
letters to my aunt in Texas, and thus began my love for books and stationery.
Every once in a while I think
about her and smile. She died with cancer the year I was scheduled to write my
CXC examinations. She had been suffering for three years prior. This post is
dedicated to my mother,, my mentor, who taught me to love books. It is my hope
that the readers of this blog post have wonderful mentors as I did my mom.
Realize your dreams and make your mentors proud as I have made my mom proud.
Tuesday, 26 April 2016
Teamwork
Teamwork involves groups of people working
together for a common good and there would be times when you would need to work
along with others. It is very difficult working with some people and there can
be a lot of friction, however if the members of the team keep in mind that they
are working for a common good , they can make progress. With advances in technology and the world becoming a global village, it is important to learn how to work along with others. In order to work successfully with teams,
keep in mind the following pointers:
1. Every team member opinion matters.
2. Team members have feelings whether they
show their emotions or not. Try not to wilfully offend anyone.
3. Do not judge team members.
3. Do not judge team members.
4. Leave lines of communication open with team
members.
5. Do not be selfish. Share your ideas.6. Do not be offended if your ideas are not chosen. Remember teamwork involves a democracy and what the majority chooses is what the team will go with.
7. Be an active part of the team. Do not just sit on the side-lines listening to what is said.
8. Get to know your team mates. You might be surprised. You may become good friends with the one you thought was unapproachable.
9. Ensure that you do what you are required to do while working in the team. No one likes it when others sponge off them and do not contribute to the success of the team.
Three Reasons for Business Washout and How to Avoid It
There are a number of reasons why some
entrepreneurs suffer washout early in their business and having knowledge of
those reasons can help budding entrepreneurs avoid the pitfalls. Therefore,
instead of having a flopping business you can instead have a thriving business.
I am giving three (3) reasons why business flops and what can be done to avoid
it. I hope this post is helpful to those reading it.
1. Failure to account for your monies – Do not
borrow more money than you need and always keep track of how you spend your
business funds. Remember, it is always easier to borrow than to pay back, and
keeping proper financial records will help you to track your spending and
profits made. If you do not have knowledge of bookkeeping or accounting, for a
small fee you can hire a recent secondary school accounting graduate student to
help you.
2. Poor Organization
and Running of your business – It is always good to try and educate yourself as
an entrepreneur in how to successfully run a business. In Trinidad and Tobago
there are many evening classes offered for adults in areas such as accounting,
principles of business and office administration at no cost. There are also
short courses offered at a few educational institutions for a minimal cost.
3. Not
having enough capital – some entrepreneurs fail to realise that in operating a
business they would have overhead expenses that will have to be paid every
month. For example, light bill, telephone bills, rent etc. In not properly
planning for this, they can quickly use up their finances and expect to get
money from sales to cover these expenses. In the event that sales are slow,
they then suffer.
Monday, 25 April 2016
Three Male Celebrity Entrepreneurs
This short blog post highlights three young male celebrity entrepreneurs and their accomplishments. Be inspired!
1. Jay-Z
Most youths
know him as a successful rap artist but did you know he owned several
successful businesses? One such business is his “Roc Nation” business which
sells tickets to many large music events.
2. Ashton
Kutcher
This actor not
only makes money acting but he has proven that his business sense can be
rewarding as well. He is the proud owner “Capital Firm A-Grade Investments”, a
company dedicated to providing funds for start-up Tech companies.
3. Justin
Timberlake
This singer
has invested some of his money in entities such as MySpace and the NBAs Memphis
Grizzlies, the latter of which has been successful.
Read more of
their stories at the link below:
A Thank You Letter
This
blog is in the form of a thank you letter to four of my good friends that are
themselves young entrepreneurs. I have had the privilege of working with three of
them at a large financial institution a few years ago and know that their
business ethics are top notch and the other whom I met six years ago also
proved to be one of the most ethical business personnel I am honoured to have
met. I have stayed in close contact with all three of them and the invaluable
advice they have given me throughout the years is very much appreciated. I will
refer to them in my letter by their first names, Sandra, Anya, Sterling and
Gilbert.
Dear Friends,
I
would like to thank you first of all for being my friend. I know I can be a
handful at times, yet you three seem to know just how to relate to me in such a
way as to get me to relax and think before I act. In my journey to become an entrepreneur,
each one of you in your own unique way have helped me to realise my dream with
encouragement, valuable advice, examples from your years of experience dealing
with clients and your perseverance in insisting I can make it.
Sandra
as I worked with you, assisting you in planning events for the bank, you never
treated me as an assistant, but rather you treated me as a friend. I am so very
thankful for the many occasions you took time out to explain proper protocols
to me as well as explaining why certain things were done the way they were.
Thank you for always including me in whatever decisions that had to be made
before you gave your final answer to our line manager and most of all thank you
for staying in touch with me through the years while encouraging me to be the
best I can be.
Anya,
my darling Anya! Your creative ability and sunny disposition was always
welcomed at the start of my work day. I was and still am in awe of the creative
skill which you possess. I remember the first time you came to me and said you
were going to open your own graphic arts business and I rooted for you because
I knew you could do it. Thank you for always asking my advice concerning your
creations when you worked on large projects. You did not have to include me in
the process, but you did and for that I was most appreciative. Thank you for
continuing to support me and be an example to me.
Sterling
I want to especially thank you for inviting me to assist you from time to time
in your business. Even though it is not the same time of business I am involved
in, it was good to get the exposure of meeting some of your clients as well as
your workers. The foods you prepare for your clients and the bar service you
offer to them is an excellent example in how service should be rendered. Thank
you for your many insights and for being my friend.
Gilbert,
I so appreciate you and the many times you have encouraged me to be the best I
can possibly be. Your expert advice in terms of information technology issues I
have come to you with on numerous occasions were much appreciated. As I have
said to you on a few occasions, “what would I do without you?” Thank you so
very much my friend for being a part of my life and sharing your expertise with
me.
Each
one of you my friends are so very valuable to me, not for the advice you have
given me, nor the helping hands you may have lent. You are all valuable to me
because I love you all and appreciate each one of you for your own unique
ability to make me a better person for having known you. Thank you.
Love
Jeniffer.
Keeping the Dream Alive
This blog post will highlight five ways in which
I have kept the dream alive of owning and operating my own business. It is my
hope that they help you too in your journey as an entrepreneur.
1. I am constantly upgrading myself. I read a
lot of entrepreneurial materials on the internet and even subscribe to some business
magazines. Additionally I still attend University after having completed a
first degree to ensure I have an edge in terms of education.
2. I attend small business seminars to see which
direction the industry is moving. These seminars are also good for networking
and meeting new people whom I can share ideas with.
3. I keep in touch with other entrepreneur
friends and we share information on how our businesses are progressing. It does
not matter whether your friends are in other types of business, because the
moral support goes a long way. For example I have a friend that owns a food
catering company while another owns an event management business and when we
meet to talk, I learn a lot from them.
4. In upgrading myself, I wanted to be as
business-like as possible and decided to have business call cards printed to
hand out to my clients. These are inexpensive and is handy to give out to
people you may meet while travelling that may become potential clients for your
business.
5. In order to keep the dream alive, it is
important to give back to the community and ensure my business succeeds so I
can pass it along to my children. Giving out stationeries to school children in
preschools and primary schools just before the new school year begins is a good
way of maintaining community relationships. I one day hope to train groups of
community secondary school students in how to start up their own business.
Advantages of being a Sole Trader
For this blog post I want to highlight the
positives in becoming an entrepreneur, and as such I am going to discuss a few
advantages a sole trader has in owning and operating his/her own business. As I
tell my Business Studies students, “keep in mind the many benefits a sole
trader enjoys because one day you may become a sole trader yourself.” That,
dear blog readers is my advice to you and remember when you tend to get
discouraged, that the shop owner in your community, the barber, the plumber and
even the ice cream vendor all started off somewhere and made it with
persistence and hard work and they can call themselves ‘Sole Traders’. Here are
seven advantages that sole traders enjoy:
1. They have the ease of making all decisions for
the business without having to consult any partner or anyone for that matter.
2. Sole traders have the assurance that
confidentiality of information is maintained in their business as they are
their own bosses and keep their own records. They do not have to share
confidential information with anyone they do not wish to.
3. Sole traders can be assured that whatever
profits they make for their business enterprise that it will not be shared with
anyone. All profits are retained by the sole traders and they do not have to
split profit sharing as entrepreneurs in a partnership do.
4. Sole Traders can choose to vacation at any time
during the year. They do not have to wait for anyone to tell them they can take
a vacation leave.
5. Sole traders have the option of setting their
own work hours and even set the pace at which they work as well.
6. Sole traders can work on their own and not have
any workers to pay or have the responsibility of being in charge of employees.
(Note however that some sole traders based on the type of business may employ
one or two workers for assistance from time to time).
7. To initially operate a sole trader business
less capital is required for start up as opposed to a partnership.
I hope these seven advantages inspire someone to
start a business. It can be as easy as baking cookies and selling every weekend
to the children in the neighbourhood to offering your service of helping the neighbourhood
kids with their homework for a small fee. Success!
Sunday, 24 April 2016
Female Celebrity Entrepreneurs
As
entrepreneurs we sometimes think we have to do a lot of hard work with little
success. However, hard works do bring success as will be seen in the examples
of these entrepreneurs. In my previous posts I highlighted the success of three
local entrepreneurs. However, in today’s post, I want to highlight three international
female celebrities that have become successful entrepreneurs. May their stories
bring some hope to the budding entrepreneurs reading this blog post as I give a
brief synopsis of their business enterprise and provide two links with their
stories at the end of this blog post.
1. Female Celebrity 1 – Tyra Banks
Model,
actress, talk show host, Emmy Award winner and entrepreneur, has shown herself
to be a powerful businesswoman who is capable of owning and running her
business “Bankable Productions”.
2. Female Celebrity 2 – Beyonce
In 2015 at
age 34 Beyonce made the Forbes “World’s Highest Paid Celebrity” with $54.5
million at #29 and that is for her singing career. Her company “Parkwood
Entertainment” have made over $100 million.
3. Female Celebrity 3 – Sandra Bullock
We know her
as an actress in movies such as “Miss Congeniality”, “The Net” and “Speed”.
However we seldom hear of her as being the successful owner of a film
production company “Fortis Films”. In addition to this business enterprise,
Bullock also owns a restaurant “Bess Bistro” and floral shop/bakery called “Walton’s
Fancy and Staple”.
Be
inspired!
Links:
Thursday, 21 April 2016
Three Guidelines for Entrepreneurs
In today’s
blog I am going to offer three guidelines for budding entrepreneurs that have
helped me in my journey.
1. Dress
for Success
Every
entrepreneur should dress for success. Even if you are operating your business
out of your home, waking up, showering and dressing in career apparels puts you
in a frame of mind to approach your work as a professional. For entrepreneurs
who are mechanics or plumbers, I do not expect you to dress in business suits
however it would be advisable to wear proper coveralls rather than a t-shirt
and jeans. Most of the clients who will visit you will be impressed that you
took the time to dress properly for your chosen career path.
2.
Plot your goal
As an
entrepreneur you should have clearly defined goals as to what you want to
achieve in your business venture. Every entrepreneur wants to make a profit
from their business venture, however do not let the desire for profit making encourage
you to lose focus of your goals. Remember that you want your business to become
successful and in doing so you will need to get it established as a promising
business that will cater to your clients’ needs. Therefore, build your business
before you look at building your profits.
3.
Do not borrow in excess
In
your quest to start up your business you may need to borrow from a lending
institution. However, be mindful in your borrowing that you do not borrow more
than you really need to start up your business. At the end of the day you will
have to repay the loan and you do not want to be stuck with the hassle of
having to repay a loan for a longer period of time than is necessary.
I
hope these three tips help you.
Wednesday, 20 April 2016
Another Success Story
In today’s blog, I am going to highlight
another success story of two entrepreneurs that formed their business enterprise
from a desire to own and operate their own business when the company they
worked for in Trinidad was liquidated. The entrepreneurs
interviewed were Managing Partners of Baseline Technology Consulting Limited
Mr. Gilbert O’Connor and Mr. Shawn Dopwell. Both men had years of working
experience in the IT field in their area of expertise and as this was their
passion they made it their ‘dream come through’. The business was registered in
January 2013 offering technology services, with Mr. O’Connor responsible for IT
Service Delivery and Mr. Dopwell responsible for Security and Access Control. The
market opportunity for the business was ripe and the partners offered services
such as Surveillance Camera Installation and Maintenance; Monitoring Systems;
Physical Access Control; IT Support; IT Consultancy and IT Managed Services.
A
brief profile of each partner obtained during our interview told of both
partners being in their early 30’s, having attained tertiary level education to
Masters Level in the IT field. They both had previous working experience in
their IT area working at a major financial institution. Both partners were
married, however only one partner had children at the time of this interview. They
both attested to being extremely responsible individuals, ensuring their
Business endeavors were properly managed and executed. They were also both
confident in using the skills acquired in their specialized IT area when
performing work for clients and were extremely confident in their ability to
keep clients. Additionally they were both willing to take moderate risk in that
they invested their life’s savings into the business venture.
During
the interview it was revealed that both partners were motivated to excel at
expanding their business venture. They believe that in the next 5 years their
business would be a household name and they have set the goal of employing at
least 30 full time employees within the next 10 years. Being in their prime
years, both partners possessed high level of energy which they directed mainly
to the carrying out of their duty in the
business and their urge to achieve made them determined to win at all cost.
They both had a win-win personality and believed that agreements made with
clients must be mutually beneficial and satisfying. The partners said they were
flexible in that they were willing to work for long hours, even into the night
to get the job done on time. They thought about future orientation for the
business by familiarizing themselves with potential clients’ needs and catered
to it even when the client thought he would not have been able to afford their
service.
Mr. O’Connor
and Mr. Dopwell business venture was registered legally and they have
been guided by a set of operational procedures and policies they created for
the business. They also had a business strategy where they allocated resources
in advance to complete jobs in a timely manner so as to be paid on time. In
terms of management, the equipment supplied from providers were regularly
checked to ensure they were of the highest quality as well as seasonal employees
are supervised to ensure they conform to the policy of the business enterprise.
Both partners keep their own books for now, and they do not owe any lending
institutions. Their overheads were covered and they recorded a profit every
quarter since their inception. These partners believed it was important to give
back to the community and as such planned to train youths in the area about
information Technology (IT).
The following is a
synopsis of Baseline Technology Consulting nature of business and a link to
their webpage:
·
SMB (Small to Medium Business)
·
SOHO (Small Office, Home Office)
·
Residential
At Baseline
our philosophy begin with “Analysis”, more than just bits and bytes we begin
the journey of understanding why you do what you do and how Baseline can assist
by right sizing and recommending the correct blend of solutions that will best
“Align” your business to industry standards and best practice.Solutions:
·
Technology Solutions
o
Software/Hardware sales
o
Core Infrastructure
o
Network & System Security
o
Web Development and Design
o
Web and Email Hosting
o
Audio Visual Solutions
o
Physical Access and Electronic Security
·
IT Management Service and Solutions
o
Asset Management
o
Change Management
o
Managed Helpdesk (Remote and Onsite Support)
o
IT Project Services
o
IT Auditing
Tuesday, 19 April 2016
A Success Story
I worked at a bank for a
number of years and while working there, I met a man who told me his success
story as an entrepreneur. He would come to the bank, dressed in his cleanly
pressed shirt, his tie and dress pants and the staff would eagerly rush to
their handbags to get money to ensure they got at least one of the product he
offered. Everyone knew when he came into the bank, because as soon as he
ascended the escalator and arrived on the mezzanine floor, some of the staff would
rush to the telephone to buzz their friends on the intercom to announce his
arrival. He would travel the eight floors in the elevator to get to as many
clients as possible and usually when he came down again, his bags (or should I
say briefcases) of goodies would be all gone. I remember the first time I
experienced his arrival to my unit as if it was yesterday. The loan officers
that were with clients excused themselves, quickly handed me some money and
told me how many of his product to purchase for them while they quickly
returned to their clients. Even the manager and supervisor of the unit got in
on the action, telling me to discretely ask the front-line staff if they needed
any before he departed our unit.
When this entrepreneur
became accustomed with me after I repeatedly purchased from him and chatted
with him every time he came by, I finally asked him how he got into the
business he was in. He relayed his story and pulled out newspaper articles
which he carried around with him. He was featured in both the Trinidad Guardian
newspaper and the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. Leaving a budding career in the
insurance industry, this entrepreneur helped his wife to bake and sell pone,
for which he says, they have made a thriving career out of. His story was such
a fascinating one that I want to share it with my readers today. He is commonly
known as the “Pone Emperor” and can usually be seen walking the streets of Port
of Spain, stopping by most business places in the city. If you are travelling to
Port of Spain in a maxi taxi on the bus route from east to west after 3 in the
afternoon, you may get a glimpse of him. Always very friendly and with a smile
on his face he would greet you. To read his story and be inspired, click on the
links below.
A Few Business Ideas
In this blog I want to focus on
suggesting a few ideas for those who may be thinking about becoming
entrepreneurs. My advice would be to invest in a business which you would love
and one that will bring you the type of rewarding satisfaction that every
entrepreneur should feel. For example, I invested in a book and stationery
store because I love reading, writing and I am fascinated with most genre of
literature. You can decide which type of business is suitable for your taste by
first looking at the different types of business entities operated in your
country and doing some research about what have made some of the business
owners successful. Most business owners are happy to talk about how they began
trading as well as give advice to budding entrepreneurs. Remember all new business
will have teething problems, however with dedication, hard work and persistence
you can successfully establish and run a business.
The following business ideas can be
started from home and should not take much in start-up cost:
1. Babysitting service – parents in most
communities is always looking for reliable, responsible babysitters. This
business requires no start-up cost, and you can set your working hours.
2. A Gift Basket Creation Initiative –
for this type of business you will definitely need some start-up capital. You
can create different types of gift baskets with items such as fruits, cookies
(which you can bake at home), chocolates, candies/snacks, toiletries, wines,
different type of nuts, soap etc.
3. Thrift Shop – you can designate a
room in your home as your thrift shop and invest in some career apparel that
have some minor stitching defects which can be obtained from Janouras Custom
Design Limited or other design shops. If you can sew you can sew your own
career apparel as well as designer curtains, throw pillows etc. and sell them
in your thrift shop. Additionally you can invest in dinner ware, costume
jewellery, and other items to have a variety of stuff for selling in your very
own thrift shop.
4. Food Service Caterer – you can prepare
food from your home and sell to office workers. The challenge with this
business is to get your first set of clients. However, as soon as you do and
the word spreads you will be well on your way to a successful business,
especially if you love cooking and have a ‘sweet hand’. You will need a good
working vehicle to deliver the lunches to the offices.
5. A lessons teacher or homework centre
– you can either choose to give lessons students or to assist them in doing
their homework for a cost. Many working parents will pay well to have their
children get help with their lessons.
I hope these ideas inspire a budding
entrepreneur to take the challenge and be well on your way to owning your own
successful business.
Thursday, 7 April 2016
The Client
Attracting
clients and keeping them interested in your products or services determines the
success of any business. Even if that client is a friend or family member, if
you, the entrepreneur do not endeavor to be professional and treat your business as a profession, then your clients won't take you seriously.
The old
adage "the customer is always right" should be the mantra of every
entrepreneur. If this is always kept at the forefront of an entrepreneur's mind
he/she will see positive results for his/her business. The fact that, if a
client is pleased, he will return should also be considered. Additionally, the
entrepreneur should remember that a please client will do some free advertising
for him. I believe ever entrepreneur have experienced instances when one of his
friends or family members have bought and endorsed a product that he was
pleased with or received good services and boasted about it. Client
endorsements have a ripple effect and clients can either ‘make’ or ‘break’ an
entrepreneur’s business.
Helpful
tips to keep clients attracted to your business are:
1. Even
after the sale has been made, keep in contact with your clients. This includes clients
that have experienced any problem with your business. Resolve the issue quickly
and maintain cordial relationships.
2. Always
pay attention to your clients’ needs. Show them you care about them.
3. Always
speak to your clients politely, take a genuine interest them and always keep
them satisfied with your service.
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