St. Lucia Simply Beautiful

March 29, 2007

EDWARD HARRIS AT LARGE!

THE CHALLENGES & JOYS OF BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR!!!
It is another Wednesday and the Editor reminds me of my deadline, and I am so overwhelmed with ideas, only if I could have put all together in one story but here I am restricted by the word count policy.

I feel compelled to share with you a quotation that came across my desk during the past week and here it is.
“I do not choose to be a common man, it is my right to be uncommon … if I can, I seek opportunity … not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the State look after me. I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed. I refuse to barter incentive for a dole; I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of Utopia. I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout. I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat. It is my heritage to stand erect; proud and unafraid; to think and act for myself, to enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say: This, with God’s help, I have done. All this is what it means to be an Entrepreneur”. (Common Sense, written in 1776 by Thomas Paine)

Last week I promised to give you a feed back on the benefits from our hosting of CWC 2007 to small businesspersons and real estate agents in St. Lucia. Well, as you are aware, I prefer to be a bearer of good news but on this occasion I cannot. However, I am still optimistic that the small business people will get their share of the pie during the 2 – 3 days leading up to the Semi Final scheduled for April 25, 2007 and a few days after, a total of about one week. They will have to wait almost a month but this period does give them an opportunity to garner faith to make a serious effort and not sit on the fence and hope for the worst, based on the sales performance of the group matches. Regarding the trading/retail sector, especially small business operators, the results have to be gained during the period suggested.

On the other hand the Realtors have not experienced any increase in demand for properties but are prepared to wait and see what new trends will emerge after the matches are over, and the visitors are given an opportunity to reflect on their visit to our beautiful island. I continue to be optimistic about the real estate sector and like other members of the Association, I am prepared to wait it out.

There is no end to the challenges to Entrepreneurs in the new world business order but it takes me back to a statement which was applied in the manufacturing sector a few years ago, “If you can’t succeed in your home market, you can forget it”. Today the buzz is that our manufacturers and service providers must be competitive to match global demand. Everyone is trying to export and when they fail they become disappointed and suffer from a lack of achievement. But I still believe to be successful abroad you must succeed at home first. I read a story which alluded to the success of an Entrepreneur who said “if you are born in Chicago, don’t go to New York to succeed, you must first succeed in Chicago” Caribbean people seem to feel the opposite as many of them have made their fortunes overseas. However, when you put together the sacrifices they made in many instances – have they really succeeded? It would be so much easier if our people inculcate the habits of good work ethic, be punctual and be prepared to work harder, sleep less, instead of one job, get two and begin to be successful at home in the preparation process to launch out in the developed countries. As a result you win at home and win abroad. It becomes a Win, Win situation.

The Caribbean Entrepreneur has the best environment to succeed in and to enjoy the good life. Everyday in the Caribbean is a holiday whether official or unofficial.

Entrepreneurs have choices. However, too many Entrepreneurs are too busy making what could be a simple life, a hassle. Some Entrepreneurs become slaves to our businesses, sometimes being chained to their desks without recognizing it. Always, too busy even for family matters. Some Entrepreneurs enjoy working up their stress levels. Don’t only see the challenges and the disappointments of your businesses, you always have the solutions. Know when to quit. There are some things and circumstances you cannot change, don’t go with the flow but rather turn around and make a decision on your next move. A real Entrepreneur is always seeking out new ideas, expanding relationships. Yes – Networking! Networking is a fun way of doing business. There can be a lot of Fun in the life of an Entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs enjoy financial and time freedom. They take risks, (many of them think out of the box) and it is for that reason, they are sometimes rewarded beyond measure.

There is always something to celebrate! If you are in the crying (thing bad) group, you need new friends. Just check out the luxury cars on our roads. I am heading down to one of the dealers very soon and I hope you are thinking the same way. Check out my Money Magic Yahoo Group at: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/edalharris and request my weekly newsletter.

As always, Keep the Faith, God is in Charge and Expect Miracles in 2007!!!
Edward Harris, Email: eaharrisdestiny@gmail.com

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