Creative Ways of Funding Your Business

Saint Lucia is characterized by a youthful population. This means that thousands of young persons are entering the labour force yearly. As such, job opportunities for young persons are very limited and this has resulted in a youth unemployment rate of 38.4% in 2016. The answer to this crisis lies within entrepreneurship. Young persons are usually creative in their ways of thinking and solving problems. As such, this creativity can be used to create business opportunities for themselves as well as creating jobs for other young persons.

In order to start and operate a business, funding is essential. Securing financing, however, in this tough economic climate can be challenging due to the high risk levels involved in starting and operating a business. More importantly, entrepreneurs are required to have collateral in order to borrow. This, while proving to be problematic for potential young entrepreneurs should not be a deterrent.

Many successful business owners have started their business from scratch with little funding. For example, British business man- Chris Dawson has shown that selling goods from a suitcase can lead to big things, founding The Range (homeware) in 1988. His chain of discount stores made £88 million profit in 2014. Entrepreneurs are usually creative in nature and can come up with innovative ways of funding their ventures.

Young entrepreneurs will have great business ideas but because of lack of capital are discouraged to execute the plan. It is important to note that if the business idea is not comprehensive and well thought out, no amount of money will turn it into a success. Therefore, if an entrepreneur has a business idea but may have little money, that should not be a constraint to starting the business. This may require long days with little sleep. However, those who want it bad enough will make it happen.

The following are some tips on how to start your business with little funds:

Tell everyone about the business. Inform everyone that you know about your business including friends, family, business contacts and past colleagues. Call, send emails, attend free networking sessions also make the business known on social media. Friends and family can help you spread the word, and past colleagues can introduce your company to their professional contacts as well. This type of grass roots marketing can introduce your business to a much larger audience.

Get ready to work hard. When you are starting a business with little to no capital, you must be prepared to dedicate everything that you have into making the business a success. This involves cold calling, handling customer support, dealing with billing and accounting and other parts of the business. You may have to wear many hearts in order to start off the business.

Look for strategic investors. Strategic investors are the best type of investors you could find for your business because their interests align with your start up.  In assisting your business, there is some benefit to their business. For example, a hair dresser with a huge salon may give a nail technician some space to set up, either at a concessionary rate or free of charge. This is a way of marketing the hair salon to the clients of the nail technician and thus helping to expand the business.

Start at home.  Bill Gates successfully started his business in his garage. Depending on the line of business, a great way to save money is to run your business in a location that will not require you to pay extra rent. It will not look glamorous but will help you to get the job done without spending extra money.  In recent years, the Taiwanese government has been encouraging entrepreneurs to start businesses at home. This is a way of helping them decrease on their overheard costs which ensures the survival of the start-up business.

Start part- time. If you will need a steady income to meet your financial obligations, it is therefore advisable to start the business as a part time venture. Do not quit the job until the part time business has a steady flow of customers and profits.

Although it is true that generous funding, a team of investors, or family with deep pockets can make starting a business venture easier, not having money should not be a deterrent. If you are confident that you have a product or service people want, don’t allow the lack of money to dissuade you from your business goals. By pivoting, grinding it out, getting creative, and differentiating yourself, you can bootstrap your way to a successful business.

Make Yours a Productive Online Meeting

Business meetings are an important part of any organisations daily schedule. Whether liked or loathed, research shows that senior decision makers spend an estimated 65 percent of their time in mandatory meetings with different departmental heads. Such meetings are usually vital as they update attendees on work schedules and progress. However, as many of us know, even if not intentional, business meetings can eat away at crucial work hours.

With the advent of the online meeting, many believed that unnecessary hours spent around a conference room table would be a thing of the past. Although some of the negatives related to ‘conventional’ meetings have been eradicated by way of the new technology, online meetings harbour other complications.   For example, with participants of online meetings being in various locations, telecommunication and technological problems often arise. Connectivity issues and communication delays are two of the most common problems that occur. Also, it is sometimes hard to keep a meeting structured with multiple participants speaking at the same time. Thankfully however there are some practices that can help make online meetings more productive.

Online Meetings Need a Clear Agenda

Even ‘traditional’ meetings should have a clear agenda. A meeting with a vague purpose often leads to confusion and a lot of wasted time. So never hold an online meeting without one. Make things easier for everyone by preparing a formal agenda which details all of the key issues to be discussed in the meeting.  Also clearly state the expected roles of each participant in the meeting.  Send the agenda out at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting start time, and seek acknowledgement of the agenda from each participant.

Appoint a Moderator

A meeting without a moderator is likely to go off-track. By appointing a moderator, you have given somebody the authority to control proceedings. No one can speak without the moderator’s permission. It will also be the moderator’s job to keep everyone focused on the topic. This is particularly important during an online meeting since the chance of miscommunication is greater due to Internet connectivity and audio/video quality.

Prepare Your System In Advance

Ask all the participants to restart their computers at least 20 minutes before the meeting gets underway. Also, make sure your camera and microphone are working fine, and your meeting software supports multiple participants. For one-on-one meetings, you can go for a standard video calling service like Skype. But if there are multiple participants, a specialized application like ClickMeeting, which gives you the ability to conduct online meetings much more professionally is recommended.

Limit Distractions

Distractions can easily cause miscommunication in online meetings. To avoid them, make sure all your participants are sitting in a closed and well-illuminated room with a clear background. Also, it’s better to use headphones and a collar mic instead of your laptop’s mic to ensure clear communication.

 And In Conclusion…

Once your online meeting concludes, make sure a summary of all the meeting notes are sent to the participants. List the action points identified for each agenda item along with the name of the person responsible for its delivery. Ask all the participants to acknowledge the meeting notes and confirm their understanding.

Conducting online meetings with people in different locations can be difficult to manage, but advance preparation, good structure, and tight moderation can bring about a productive success.  If done right, well-communicated, online meetings can become an extremely effective platform for connecting your company stakeholders and employees, whilst saving you telephone and other conventional communication costs.

Compete Caribbean Phase Two: Gender Focus

In February 2017, Compete Caribbean will launch Phase Two of its program in direct response to the region’s inability to harness private sector as an engine of growth, as it is facing declining productivity and limits to growth of firms.

The first phase of Compete Caribbean addressed the objective of fostering private sector development and increasing competitiveness through different activities, which included institutional strengthening, legal and regulatory reform, technical assistance to innovative firms and groups of firms, and knowledge production and dissemination.

Phase One also produced previously unavailable data about the private sector. The rationale for a second phase comes from the opportunity to build on the results and lessons learned from the first phase by: (i) focusing on specific issues that affect firm’s productivity, growth and employment diagnosed under the first phase; and (ii) building the capacity of indigenous institutions to replicate in a sustainable manner the methodologies developed under the first phase.

Private sector development still represents a major developmental challenge for the region and it is against this background that Compete Caribbean will embark on a follow up program which will focus on closing the gender gap among other fundamental solutions to the region’s challenges.

Click the below links to find out more:

gender-innovation-and-productivity-in-the-caribbean

exploring-firm-level-innovation-and-productivity-in-developing-countries-the-perspective-of-caribbean-small-states

nascent-entrepreneurs-in-caribbean-small-island-developing-states-opportunity-versus-necessity

leave-no-one-behind

gender-equality-innovation-and-productivity

Government Officially Launches the Commercial Division of the High Court

The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, in collaboration with the Government of Saint Lucia through the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council hosted the Inauguration of the Commercial Division of the High Court at the Queen Elizabeth Port, La Place Carenage on Tuesday, January , 2016.

The establishment of the Commercial Division of the High Court was facilitated and coordinated by the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) on behalf of the Government of Saint Lucia.  The NCPC together with the Ministry of Legal Affairs partnered with the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court for the successful establishment of the Commercial Division.

(Please see full text of the feature address from Hon Kenny D Anthony, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance)

“DEALING WITH THE BUSINESS OF THE COURTS”

INTRODUCTION

Today marks an important occasion in our history as we all gather here for the official inauguration of the Commercial Division of the High Court. This has been a much anticipated event for this Government since the announcement for the establishment of a Commercial Division was made approximately three years ago. The dedication and commitment that was exhibited in order to bring this initiative about is commendable. This division would not have existed without key partnerships and stakeholders working together. I would therefore like to take a moment to acknowledge two of these key partnerships.

PARTNERSHIP WITH THE E.C.S.C.

First of all, I must thank the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) for working with the Government of Saint Lucia to establish this Court. The ECSC was instrumental in providing the oversight, advice and direction for this initiative to ensure that the Commercial Division was established according to the standards that are expected across the region.

PARTNERSHIP WITH COMPETE CARIBBEAN

Secondly, I single out the partnership with Compete Caribbean. The Government has benefitted tremendously from its partnership with Compete Caribbean. Since 2012, after the signing of the grant agreement, Compete Caribbean has assisted the Government in the establishment of the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) with the mandate to enhance productivity and competitiveness. As part of that same technical assistance grant, it was agreed that the establishment of the Commercial Division would be coordinated through the newly formed NCPC on behalf of the Government of Saint Lucia.

Let me take the opportunity to thank Compete Caribbean for the continued support provided to Saint Lucia. I would also like to thank the hard working staff of the NCPC Secretariat.

From the partnership with Compete Caribbean, we had the support of a team of consultants led by Retired Justice Michael Gordon who lent invaluable assistance to the NCPC during the coordination of this project. Justice Gordon was instrumental in advising on the legal requirements to operationalize the Commercial Division of the High Court.

BENEFITS OF HAVING A COMMERCIAL DIVISION

Some have doubted the potential benefits of the commercial Division of the High Court. I wish to emphasize that every part of the legal system is important and the Government is committed to providing resources to the various components of the legal system within the context of its resource constraints. Having said this, there are several reasons and benefits of having a Commercial Division of the High Court.

It is expected that a specialised Commercial Division will ease the burden on the Civil Division of the High Court and will result in quicker resolutions to commercial disputes. Hopefully, this will improve the efficiency of the judicial system.

There are certainly other benefits of a specialised commercial division.

INCREASING COMPETITIVENESS

One is increasing competitiveness of Saint Lucia. I define competitiveness as the key set of factors, institutions and activities that enable a country to offer services and products to sustain itself among its competitors and to earn a high level of income. Therefore, to increase competitiveness it is essential to establish critical institutions to provide support services to businesses and other sectors of the economy. It is expected that the Commercial Division will provide an important service to the private sector by facilitating quick and effective resolutions of business disputes.

IMPORTANT TO ENTREPRENEURS

Secondly, the legal system is important to entrepreneurs. A Commercial Court is necessary to interpret the rules of the business environment and protecting the rights of businessmen and women. An efficient and transparent court system encourages new business relationships and expansion because businesses know that they can rely on the court for redress, should legal proceedings become unavoidable.

GREATER RESPECT FOR CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS

Curiously, an unintended benefit of establishing this court may well be greater respect for contractual obligations among the citizens.

Thousands of contracts are entered into every day. Yet, there seems to be little understanding that contractual obligations are sacred. Ask any house owner about individual experiences with building contractors. A price is agreed upon to undertake a contract. When the time comes for payment, a the contractor may claim that he or she forgot to make allowances for all kinds of things and therefore requires compensation for thee unintended costs. Contractors invoke “fairness” as the original agreement is repudiated and disowned.

These experiences can be repeated in a whole range of transactions. This is not just a legal problem; it is also a cultural problem.

ENHANCING THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Overall, however, the establishment of this Court will enhance the business environment. The efficient operation of the Commercial Division of the Court speaks directly to the efficiency of the business environment and the enforcement of contractual obligations. As we all know, the efficient resolution of contractual and other commercial disputes is measured annually by the World Bank for incorporation in its Ease of Doing Business Report for 189 countries. For a number of years, this was one the worst performing indicators for Saint Lucia. Since the commissioning of the Commercial Division, we have seen improvement in this area.

INVESTOR CONFIDENCE

The operations of a Commercial Division can increase investor confidence and attract foreign direct investment and business opportunities into the country to stimulate economic growth and development.

While it may seem that the business and legal sectors are separate, a weak commercial judicial system undermines the confidence of investors. The establishment of Commercial Courts encourages investors to make greater use of domestic courts to resolve disputes. Investors are attracted to Courts that are fair, transparent, efficient, and timely in resolving disputes.

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS WILL GAIN CONFIDENCE

The recent global economic downturn, accompanied by high financial uncertainty, has reinforced the need to establish efficient processes for commercial dispute resolution and the recovery of losses. Additionally, financial institutions are less willing to lend to the private sector in the absence of an efficient legal system to settle commercial matters. This has the potential to limit the funding available for business expansion and their participation in international trade. It is hoped that the financial institutions will gain confidence in the system, and thus result in greater access to credit, leading to the establishment of new business ventures and new markets.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THE COMMERCIAL DIVISION?

In summary, I believe that this Court is expected to deliver the following:

1. Building Expertise: Courts that consistently deal with business and commercial disputes develop expertise, experience and knowledge over time;
2. Becoming more efficient: with time and experience, the Division will be able to perform judicial functions more rapidly and efficiently;
3. Improve cost-effectiveness of the courts: the operations of the Division frees judicial resources for the civil courts;
4. Provide stability and consistency in settling disputes regarding commercial cases; and
5. Economic Development: as it provides the impetus for new business or investments in Saint Lucia as investors can be assured that the Commercial Division exists to resolve disputes.

CONSTANT EVALUTION

Finally, it is critical that we constantly evaluate what we have established or created. We may think that we have identified a solution to our problem, but it may not mean that the intended solution brings the results that we expect. All kinds of reasons can explain this. The design may have been flawed. Unanticipated consequences occur. Enough resources may not have been provided. Leadership may have been weak. Those who manage the system exploit loopholes in the design and operation of the initiative. All of these are possible reasons.

It is crucial that we constantly evaluate what we create to determine whether the intended benefits are being realized. For example, several years ago, we took the bold step to establish a Criminal Division of the High Court. We established new procedures for trials in criminal cases. But has this initiative really worked? Are we delivering verdicts in criminal matters efficiently and in full accordance with our laws and Constitution? What explains the high number of remand cases for which some of our partners criticise us? Are we allowing defence counsel in criminal cases to exploit loopholes or weaknesses in design to frustrate the efficiency of the court?

My point is that we must constantly evaluate our initiatives, to determine whether we get the promised benefits and value for money.

THE NEW PREMISES

Let me now conclude.

I am very happy to report and join the others by saying that this initiative has resulted in tremendous benefit not only for the Commercial Division but for the Civil Division as well. The Civil Division has a new home, alongside the Commercial Division. This is a good use of space, until such time as we construct a new Halls of Justice.

The fact that the two divisions are in the same location will bring about very important synergies and sharing of resources that can only lead to better efficiency in the courts.

ARRANGEMENT WITH SLASPA

I want also to take a moment to recognize SLASPA for making the space available and for agreeing to pay the costs of the retrofitting upfront on behalf of the Government, a cost that we must reimburse. However, this arrangement with SLASPA ensured that the project was done in an efficient and timely manner. We know that the Ministry of the Public Service’s engagement with SLASPA ensured that the new premises were up to the standards required.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, I say hats off and congratulations to all the stakeholders involved (The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, all the Government Ministries and agencies, the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council and the team of consultants led by Retired Justice Michael Gordon).

To the new Judge of the Commercial Division, Justice St Rose-Albertini, your work has just began and we look forward to hearing great things in time to come.

NCPC Launch New Television Series- Productivity Matters

 

The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) are pleased to announce the broadcast dates for their new television series ‘Productivity Matters’. The series, (which is funded by Compete Caribbean) gives insight into organisations and agencies within the private and public sectors, whose programs and initiatives focus on productivity and/or competitiveness.

The series which comprises of six episodes, made its debut in January 2016.

Marketing Analyst at the NCPC, Mrs Geraldine Bicette Joseph states, ‘There are many organisations out there that are doing great things in regards to helping develop the nation through productivity initiatives and we believe that it is only right for their efforts to be highlighted. Each episode within the series varies significantly from the other as we have looked at a range of individuals and subject matters including the construction industry, solid waste management, the public service, the Commercial Division of the High Court and young entrepreneurs’.

‘At the NCPC we also recognise that it is sometimes hard to grasp the concepts of productivity and competitiveness and so we hope that the series will illustrate how these concepts, when applied practically, bring about a positive outcome for the nation’.

Productivity Matters will be aired at the following times on the stations listed.

Ep 1- Productivity Awareness Week 2015 (Calabash- 7.50pm, DBS – 8pm, 11/1/16) (HTS 8pm 14/1/16)

Ep 2 – Employee Assistance Program (Calabash- 7.50pm, DBS – 8pm, 25/1/16) (HTS 8pm 28/1/16)

Ep 3 – Commercial Court (Calabash- 7.50pm, DBS – 8pm, 8/2/16) (HTS 8pm 11/2/16)

Ep 4 – Greening the Caribbean (Calabash- 7.50pm, DBS – 8pm, 22/2/16) (HTS 8pm 25/2/16)

Ep 5 – The Construction Industry (Calabash- 7.50pm, DBS – 8pm, 7/3/16) (HTS 8pm 10/3/16)

Ep 6 – Young Entrepreneurs (Calabash- 7.50pm, DBS – 8pm, 21/3/16) (HTS 8pm 24/3/16)

 

Ways in which Countries Improve their Level of Competitiveness

A key driver for sustaining national prosperity and improving the well-being of a country’s citizens lies within competitiveness. In order for a country’s exports to compete internationally, it must have the best infrastructure, human resources, health care, high quality goods and services etc. Competitiveness is an important principle in assessing the success of companies, industries and countries. Hence, increasing levels of competitiveness is essential to any economy as a country must perform well both in the domestic and international arena in order to survive.

The need for increasing competitiveness is even more critical as the Saint Lucian economy recovers from low growth rates. Thus, focusing on competitiveness will provide possible solutions to the record high level of unemployment, finding a path toward fiscal balance and rebuilding the crumbled social and economic pillars of the economy. The following are examples of countries that have implemented successful programs which have helped boost their levels of competitiveness:

Sweden: The Agency for Higher Vocational Education was formed in 2009 after it was observed that there were a few vocational programs in Sweden. Additionally, employers were in high demand for skilled workers which created a major barrier to economic growth. Both public and private organizations apply to this agency for funding vocational education.  Grants are given to those programs for which there is a high demand for professional qualifications.  A recent survey indicated that nine out of ten graduates of this program were employed or self-employed one year after completing their studies.

Chile: In an effort to remove the heavy reliance on traditional industries such as mining, Start-Up Chile was founded in 2010. The aim of this project is to transform the country into an innovation and entrepreneurship hub of Latin America. This project seeks to attract the best and brightest entrepreneurs and boost the number and quality of start-ups in the country. This program offers 100 spots in the program each year. Selected start-ups each receive one-year work visas, $40,000 and access to a community of more than 800 start-ups ready to work collaboratively. To date, more than 750 businesses and 1,500 entrepreneurs have come to the country under this program.

Finland: In 2009, VIGO- a venture accelerator program was launched. It was established in response to “the Finnish paradox”- that despite the fact that there was strong innovation and institutional capacity, the country had few start-ups.

The program brings together innovative but inexperienced start -ups with seasoned entrepreneurs. They form accelerator teams of three or four experts to coach up to ten companies in which they have invested their own money. Each start-up has access to government grants to pay the accelerator team for its services. Since the launch of this program, the accelerator teams have attracted a total of $200M in funding for 60 companies.

India: The Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services was established to address the national skills gap by training young persons from rural areas in 16 strategic sectors. This program uses a public- private partnership model to work closely with a thousand partner companies and the state funded National Skills Development Corporation. It operates in different schools in 24 of India’s 28 states.

These schools follow an industry- recognized curriculum to ensure that students are ready for employment. Currently, 100,000 students have been trained, with 85 percent successfully employed.

Country competitiveness has become a central theme for both developed and developing nations. We are in the midst of an increasingly open and integrated world economy where countries compete for investment and human capital that are critical to their economic growth. Additionally, the development stage of a country depends on competitiveness. In order for Saint Lucia to graduate from the current low growth rates, specific strategies that focus on labour force, management, infrastructure, the business environment etc. need to be implemented to boost country competitiveness.

TWELVE DAYS OF (A PRODUCTIVE) CHRISTMAS

I have never received two turtle doves or a partridge in a pear tree as holiday gifts, but I’ve always liked the idea of the 12 Days of Christmas. With this in mind here is a rundown of twelve ways to give yourself the gift of a happier, more productive you.

On the first day of Christmas: Track your time. Lots of people tell me they’d like to keep a time log, but find the prospect daunting. So instead of a week, try it for just one day. Chances are this won’t be a typical day — especially if you start this project on December 25! — but it doesn’t matter. There are no typical days. Embrace the activity and see where the time goes. See if your log matches up with how you’d like to be spending your time. See what you like best about your life, and what you might want to do differently.

On the second day of Christmas: Work on your List of 100 Dreams. Make a good long list of anything you’d like to do or have more of in your life. If you’ve already created such a list in the past, great, but your priorities and interests may have changed. Do some editing. See what you might want to attempt in the New Year.

On the third day of Christmas: Cancel things you don’t want to do. Wouldn’t it be nice to start the year with only a little of your time spoken for? See if you can keep recurring meetings from following you into January. Wipe Outlook clean and decide what you want to add back into your life.

On the fourth day of Christmas: Build in a fun “obligation.” Human nature dictates that we’re more likely to do things that happen at certain times and involve commitments to other people. That’s why recurring meetings rise on our priority lists beyond their actual importance. The good news is that you can tweak this phenomenon in your favour. Schedule in something you want to do for early 2016.

On the fifth day of Christmas: Finish one project.  Crossing a nagging task off of your to-do list will make you feel like you can conquer the world.

On the sixth day of Christmas: Change your food environment. Put fruit in a bowl on the counter, and move chips and candy to a hidden high shelf. Choose one simple habit to implement, such as “I always eat vegetables with lunch.” Over time, these choices add up.

On the seventh day of Christmas: Get a step counter. Most New Year’s resolutions to exercise have faded by February. But what gets measured gets done. A step counter can nudge you to walk the office halls during a break or walk the dog a little farther than you otherwise might. Given that most people won’t spend an hour a day at the gym, this is the next best thing.

On the eighth day of Christmas: Find a reason to get out of bed. Anticipation makes us into morning people. What would make your morning so exciting that you’d be happy to ditch the covers? Design a morning routine that gives yourself the gift of 30 minutes a day focused on something you want to do, rather than your obligations to the rest of the world. Just be sure to give yourself a bedtime that makes this routine feasible.

On the ninth day of Christmas: Lighten your load. Choose one household chore you really dislike and figure out how to get it off of your plate.

On the tenth day of Christmas: Back it up. Don’t let anything that matters to you exist in only one precarious place. Take digital photos of old, printed photos that could be wiped from existence in a flood. Then back up your favourite photos from your phone before you accidentally leave your phone somewhere. Hopefully you’ll never need these back-ups, but if you do, you’ll be glad you have them.

On the eleventh day of Christmas: Boost your wealth. If you just got a raise, use this day to think about ways of increasing your savings.  Find any recurring expenses for things that no longer matter to you and use the day to cancel them and redirect the cash toward your growing pile.

On the twelfth day of Christmas: Say what you feel. It’s easy to be mindless, but expressing gratitude to those around you can remind you that life is a gift.

 

 

Feedback on the NCPC Young Entrepreneurs’ Mixer

The National Competitiveness & Productivity Council continues its efforts in creating a mind-set change that promotes a more productive and competitive Saint Lucia. As such, as part of Productivity Awareness Week 2015 a Young Entrepreneurs’ Mixer was organised to present young and prospective entrepreneurs with an opportunity to network. The focus of this activity was for these young persons to make connections and obtain useful information to guide and advance their business efforts.

This event took place on Friday, October 16, 2015 where there were various short speeches on financial management tips, marketing for small businesses and developing business plans. The featured speech was entitled: “How to grow your money- the non-conventional approach”. In attendance were over fifty young and aspiring entrepreneurs. There was also a mingling session, where entrepreneurs got an opportunity to meet with mentors and other possible business partners.

One of the entrepreneurs in attendance was Mr. Johanan Dujon, who provided his feedback on the activity:

The NCPC Business Mixer gave me the chance to rub shoulders with the “big boys” of the private sector in Saint Lucia, as well as to listen to gems of wisdom by bankers and marketing advisors. Events such as these provide a unique opportunity for young entrepreneurs like myself, to network and build lasting relationships. Unlike other mixers I’ve attended, this one allowed entrepreneurs to pick the brains of successful businessmen at length in a casual and open environment. This type of mentorship and dialogue with the local business magnates is one of the key factors in developing entrepreneurship.

Another key factor in driving entrepreneurship is access to finance from a government policy standpoint. Commercial banks do not cater for venture capital (start-up capital) understandably due to the high risk. The micro finance institutions charge more exorbitant rates of interest than the banks themselves, which can be discouraging to aspiring entrepreneurs and put micro/small business owners in a real conundrum.

In spite of these pressing issues,  listening to Mr. Rayneau Gajadhar address us on how to “grow money the unconventional way”, has provided valuable insight to what it takes to succeed in business. One of the many things I took from this lecture is that if you can survive here, you can survive anywhere.

I believe the turnout of this event shows that young entrepreneurs have a serious interest in business and understand their pivotal role of being the drivers of employment and investment in the future.

However, to grow money the unconventional way, we must first have access to the money in the first place. The question therefore should be; what can be done to aid micro/small enterprises with access to finance at an affordable rate?

The NCPC is indeed pleased that the event was quite beneficial to the attendees. The mentors who were present have reported that they have made connections with the entrepreneurs and plan to work with them in the future. We look forward to hosting other activities for young entrepreneurs in the future. More importantly, to host activities that meets the needs of young entrepreneurs.

Declining Caribbean Productivity; cause, effect and solution

For years, productivity was a term reserved for the esoteric conversations of academics, of little interest to anyone else, but no longer. Within recent years productivity has been at the forefront of the discussions of policy-makers, politicians and even the lay-man. The latest (2008) financial crisis and the period of hardship which ensued have exposed the vulnerabilities of Caribbean economies of which low growth and high debt top the list. This has prompted policy-makers to take a closer look at productivity and evaluate its relevance to the region. It is the belief that the Caribbean’s comatose growth is a symptom of the region’s low productivity. Barbados’ Prime Minister the Hon. Freundel Stuart previously admitted that Caribbean economies have been lagging behind in initiatives intended to boost productivity levels and drive the region’s trade competitiveness and economic development.

There is an urgent need for the Caribbean to undergo a period of introspection with the intention to identify the root of our low productivity and putting forward ideas and policies to remedy this deficiency. This article is one such attempt at self-examination, but is by no means a complete diagnosis of the regions deficiency. Rather, the article is a mere snapshot into the Caribbean’s low productivity which will hopefully inspire further discussion. The article will look briefly at the cause, effect and solutions to low productivity within the Caribbean; not necessarily in that order.

A good starting point for this review is perhaps to define productivity. The simplest definitions is that productivity is the rate within which inputs can be converted into output. The higher the conversion rate of inputs to output the more productive an individual, organisation or economy.

As was established above, low growth is one of the side-effects of low productivity. In order to appreciate the seriousness of low growth we shall consider the following. In the 1960s income per capita in Latin America and the Caribbean was almost one quarter that of the United States; compared to present day  income per capita which is a mere one-sixth of the United States of America’s income per capita. This can be juxtaposed against East Asian countries which in the 1960s had income levels well below those of Latin America and the Caribbean; now, these very same countries are fast approaching the income levels of developed countries. Had productivity in the region grown at-least at the same rate as the United States of America, the income per capita of the region relative to the United States would have remained roughly at one-quarter after 50 years. Instead, our income per capita has worsened considerably in relation to the United States of America and many other economies and regions globally.

Within the Caribbean we have paid dearly for our lack lustre economic growth which has resulted from low productivity. One side effect which comes to the fore is rising public debt. Since, our growth within the region has been constrained, occasionally we are forced to borrow to survive; not only to cover capital projects but at times we borrow to meet recurrent expenditure.

One response taken by most Caribbean nations at one time or another to combat low growth was the provision of tax incentives to attract foreign direct investment, with the intention of increasing activity within the respective country and thereby propelling growth. These measures although well-intentioned can be harmful in the long run. For example from the 1970s and 1980s Jamaica’s industrial policy was based on two pillars: granting tax incentives to attract foreign direct investment and export promotion. This has resulted in a complex system of tax incentives which has distorted the country’s structure of taxation. Jamaica’s tax system consists of over 200,000 different incentives all in the name of attracting foregn direct investment; unfortunately, these incentives on average result in the government forgoing approximately 20% of its annual revenue. This lost revenue again leads to state borrowing, but also robs citizens of revenues which could have otherwise gone into infrastructural development, healthcare, education and any other number of causes.

The effects of low productivity are felt not only by the state and policy-makes, but also by the common man. Low productivity countries will normally have a lower standard of living and a more diminished quality of life in comparison to similar countries which enjoy higher levels of productivity. This is evident from the differences which would arise in income per capita from the above example; if using this as a proxy for standard of living. Eventually the population will realise the inability of the state to provide the quality or extent of services that more productive countries are delivering, which then results in a diminished sense of wellbeing and quite possibly migration in search of more lucrative opportunities. Once again this scenario is representative of the Caribbean, where in previous decades entirely families uprooted in droves en-route to the developed world in search of a better life.

Of-course there are a number of other side effects from low productivity, apart from the few mentioned above, but brevity must take precedence. The root causes of low productivity are just as sobering as the effects. If the question of “What causes low productivity within the Caribbean” is posed to the average Caribbean citizen he or she may not hesitate to finger the government or the laziness of Caribbean people. However, the causes of the deficiency are far broader and extend well beyond the bad habits which we have adopted as a society.

Poor allocative efficiency can be credited as the overarching causes of low productivity within the region. What this means is that the allocation of resources within the region has been or is being done in such a way that the maximum benefit from resources is not being obtained, resulting in Caribbean individuals, firms and governments paying a premium for lost output as a result of input resources not being assigned to where they would provide the highest value and return.

One infamous example of allocative inefficiencies across the region is through government social policies; either through government spending or regulation. ‘Blanket policies’ which are not properly implemented or monitored can have unintended consequences to the detriment of the economy. For example short term government employment programmes in Trinidad & Tobago have paid wages above the market rate for unskilled workers. This has resulted in an influx of applications for those programmes, resulting in a large number of unfilled vacancies for unskilled positions such as cashiers, cleaners and store assistants. This may seem innocent, but the impact is that salaries for these positions must then be raised to compete with government short term employment programmes and attract suitable labour, thereby unnecessarily increasing the cost of operations and making output less competitive regionally and or internationally. Social policies if left unchecked (as has been done in the region) result in a far greater cost, than just the funds allocated for these programmes. This is just one example of a well-intentioned social programme having adverse side-effects.

Interventions in the labour market by trade unions and other stakeholders can also hamper productivity, by preventing the efficient allocation of resources. Sometimes, these interventions may seem like a necessity, but this may be far from actuality. One prominent example is the upwards negotiations of wages solely on the basis of the increasing costs of living. Employees who are deserving of wage increases certainly should not be denied of such, by no means is this being suggested; however, rising costs of living may not be the most suitable benchmark to determine whether increases are necessary. Increased profitability of private companies and noteworthy performances are more appropriate criteria for determining wage increases. When wages and salaries increase solely in response to the cost of living, this increases a company’s cost of operations, without any increase in revenue or returns, therefore making operations less profitable, competitive and more expensive. The ultimate result will be a reduction in the demand for the goods and services of this company, possibly, with the eventual shutdown of the company, a fate which could have otherwise been avoided. Perhaps, this is why the Caribbean is one of the most expensive tourist destinations globally, and not because of the loss of economies of scale due to our smallness.

Our ‘smallness’ in terms of landmass, population size and the size and proximity to major trade partners results in diseconomies of scale, which also plays a part in reducing efficiency and lowering productivity. Diseconomies of scale contribute to some extent to the elevated costs which we face in the Caribbean. Free trade has often been touted as a boon to productivity by the developed world, because it exposes producers to greater competition, forcing them to cut costs and increase efficiency while providing greater access to more and better inputs. However, high trade and travel costs, particularly those associated with transportation, have prevented the Caribbean from reaping the benefits from international trade. Economic resources must be diverted to an inefficient transportation system to facilitate trade; thus hampering the overall level of productivity in the economy. Most Latin American and Caribbean countries have higher freight rates when exporting to the United States of America than countries in the Far East and in Europe. This is alarming, particularly when considering the proximity of the Caribbean to the United States of America compared to countries in the east.

Additionally, ports and airports within the Caribbean are grossly inefficient. Inadequate physical infrastructure, archaic processes and inflated costs of operations are usually to blame for these inefficiencies. The 2014 ‘Ease of Doing Business Report’ revealed that the average costs of exporting and importing a container for Latin America and the Caribbean stood at US $1,299.10 and $1,691.10 respectively; this is in comparison to East Asia and the Pacific which held the lowest costs for exports and imports in the amounts of US $864 and US $895 respectively.

The role of technology is perhaps the most significant variable in the productivity equation. Technology determines how efficiently inputs are converted into outputs. It should be noted that technology does not refer only to information and communication technology but is far broader incorporating most sectors. The role of technology in relation to productivity is just as significant for the Caribbean as it is for other regions. Unfortunately, the Caribbean trails the rest of the world in innovation and technological developments. Whilst the Caribbean may be up to par (although this too is arguable) with the technologies which are used most of these technologies have been adopted from other regions and may not be optimally suited for the Caribbean therefore we have not maximised the benefits from technology. For example most techniques and technologies relating to agriculture have been adopted from abroad and used within the region. The region has done very little to introduce indigenous technologies which are responsive specifically to the needs of the region. One indicator of this deficiency is the fact that the highest ranked Caribbean country with the number of researchers per 1 million people ranks at 65 (Trinidad & Tobago) with 589 researchers for every 1 million people, in comparison to the leader Iceland with over 13 thousands researchers per million people. The lack of technology which meets the specific needs of the region means that what is adopted is often times not ideal for the region but rather is a compromised version of what otherwise could exist.

Now that the cause and effect of low productivity have been explored some time can be spent considering the options for overcoming the phenomena. Lifting productivity takes time, requires thoughtful choices, patience and perseverance; and is underpinned by concerted analysis of the data, research and other evidence. Increasing the productivity for the Caribbean will depend on the coordinated efforts of individuals, firms and institutions in both the private and public sectors. A one-time solution cannot be put forward to remedy the deficiency but rather a holistic push is needed to reverse the fate of regional economies. Innovation and the introduction of indigenous technology are two must-haves for improving productivity. Deliberate efforts should be made by regional governments to push the creation of new technologies and fostering of an atmosphere where innovation can thrive. Investments are needed in research and development, which will allow for technologies tailor made to respond to the unique challenges faced by the Caribbean. Also, knowledge-intensive business services, such as telecommunications, software, and engineering, can strengthen the innovative capacity of the whole economy, improving a country’s long-run growth potential.

Countries must pay closer attention to traditional services, such as transport, logistics, and wholesale trade, and the creation of links between and among the different production blocks of the economy. Increases in productivity from the creation of linkages will improve productivity in creating final goods; which will have the added effect of increasing competitiveness.

Implementing policies which correct allocative inefficiencies within the region may be challenging, perhaps this may be the most challenging task. This is because policies may go against measures that give immediate relief to society as well as immediate political benefits, such as tax exemptions for sometimes non-performing sectors. Caribbean governments must first recognize the error in pursuing short term gains at the expense of long term objectives.

There is no one policy, or direction which will correct the allocative inefficiencies which exist. Policy-makers will then need to evaluate policies from a national and regional perspective; and address those policies which may distort market forces and not inadvertently adversely tip the natural balance of the market. A balance must be struck between short run outcomes of providing relief to those who have been disadvantaged and long term objectives necessary for development and productivity improvement. A number of considerations must be made by policy-makers; each unique to the particular Caribbean country its national circumstances, resource allocations, institutional history and cultural preferences.

Ultimately, it is difficult to drill down to a one size fits all approach for lifting the productivity within the Caribbean. The above suggestions are merely a start, and after further consultation many more causes, effects and solutions to chronic low productivity within the Caribbean will be identified. There are certainly many more which have not been mentioned within this article but this does not make them any less important. Throughout the introspection, one would expect the recurring theme to be that tough decisions need to be taken to reverse the misfortunes which have plagued the Caribbean for the past few decades. It is my hope, as I am sure it is the hope of every reader of this article that we will soon get it right and begin to reverse the fortunes of the Caribbean.

An Organised Space – An Organised Mind

Do you ever wish you could peek inside the offices of productivity and organization experts to see how they set up their own workspaces for maximum efficiency?

Imagine the wealth of knowledge that such insight could give you. On realising the value of such information, the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council have researched the workspaces of some of the most well-known productivity experts in the world. This is what we found.

PETER WALSH

Organizing Guru Peter Walsh, author of ‘It’s All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff’, says he imagines his desk like a car. Everything you need most immediately—the steering wheel, radio, ignition, indicators, door handle—is at arm’s length. Things that are needed but not used regularly are two-arms’ lengths away, such as in the glove compartment, and the things used infrequently are in the trunk.

Your desk should be exactly the same,” he says. “When you’re sitting at your desk, the only things you should be able to touch are the things you use all the time.”

Walsh’s desk holds his computer and keyboard, a charging station for his phone, and vertical files that hold active projects. “That’s all I have on my desktop,” he says. “Your desk is a workstation, not a storage facility.”

DAVID ALLEN

Productivity king David Allen, author of ‘Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity’, needs just a small desk in his Amsterdam office. He says a desk should hold four things: supplies, reference materials, decorations, and equipment. Anything else should go somewhere else.

A tour of his desk includes a box of facial tissue; a container that holds a letter opener, fountain pen, three felt pens, a ballpoint pen and scissors; and a standing file rack he personally designed that holds about 20 labelled file folders with current projects and client work. He also has a MacBook Pro on a vertical stand that connects to a large screen, a blue-tooth keyboard, and a mouse pad.

Allen also keeps two paper notepads in different sizes, and a pen at the ready. The in-basket is one of the most important tools on Allen’s desk, and it keeps his workspace clean. “It’s the funnel for miscellaneous things you haven’t decided about yet, such as mail or meeting notes,” he says. “Throw them in there. It’s the one place that gives you freedom and discipline to capture unprocessed stuff so it’s not thrown all over the desk”.

JULIE MORGENSTERN

Julie Morgenstern, author of ‘Organizing from the Inside Out’, keeps her desk neat by being selective about what’s on it. Hers includes a computer monitor, keyboard, telephone, and a small clock with an important function: “It’s easy for me to get absorbed in what I’m doing, and it keeps me conscious of the time,” she says. “It’s an old-fashioned clock with a second hand and very clear numbers. I don’t like looking at my iPhone for the time; it’s a device that sucks your energy.”

The most important tool on her desk, however, is her Balanced Life Planner, a product she designed herself, she says.

“It’s always out, and if an idea comes to me about something else I want to do, I immediately put it in my planner,” she says. “Then I can stay focused on what I’m doing. It helps me capture to-dos and guides me through my day, telling me what I’m doing when.”

Morgenstern also keeps a glass of water on a felt coaster and a quote-of-the-day affirmation calendar by Louise Hay. “It’s not an essential,” she says. “It’s something new I’m trying.”

Nicknamed “the queen of putting people’s lives in order” by USA Today, Morgenstern says she prefers her desk to be a clear surface except for what she’s working on at that moment. “I might have a client file or media interview folder, but if I’m not working on it, I don’t keep it out,” she says. “Once you start leaving things out, it becomes distracting. I store everything else within a spin of my chair.”

KIP TINDELL

As CEO and founder of The Container Store, Kip Tindell has access to multiple organizing tools to keep his desk tidy, but he’s very selective about what he uses. “I like to keep my work surface as open and clutter-free as possible since I prefer to be out, interacting with others instead of cooped up in my office,” he says.

Tindell uses stackable desktop organizers from his company’s Like-It Collection to hold office essentials. His desktop also holds a selection of books written by colleagues and friends. And decorating the surface is a collection of seven colored blocks that represent his company’s seven Foundation Principles, which guide everyone on how to treat employees, customers, vendors, shareholders, and the community with respect and dignity.

Since his desk is streamlined, Tindell says it typically doesn’t get too unruly: “As you can imagine, we like to keep things well organized at The Container Store,” he says.

There are many systems that you can use to organise your desk. You may even choose to incorporate different organizational styles to create one of your own. Either way your objective should be to implement an approach which will allow you to carry out your daily tasks productively.