St. Lucia Simply Beautiful

March 9, 2011 

Harris At Large!  

SLISBA RECOGNISES OUTSTANDING ENTREPRENEURS! 

I can’t believe what’s happening, it never ends. So many exciting things are happening in my life. Since my return, there hasn’t been a dull moment. I am being kept busy with meetings and functions. 

My Editor has placed my article in a brand new section – Discourse. I like the stand alone position but it puts me under pressure to take my writing to another level. I thank my readers for their support and look forward to a greater level of interaction. This is my thirteenth year as a contributor to the print medium in St. Lucia. My archive at www.stluciasimplybeautiful.com is growing with an increase of 50 % in unique hits in the past three months. 

Over the years, I always wished that my readers will not only meet me in the streets and let me know they are reading my articles, and tell me I am sharing important business and general information with them but also share their ideas with me. I want to receive information that I can share with my reading audience. The experience would be so much richer if you will share your ideas. The more, the merrier. 

I am getting really excited about the guests I have been blessed to have on my Show – Let’s Talk Business on HWTV. It gets better with each passing Show. I am very encouraged by the response to date. Two shows to go before the end of the first seasons and I plan something really special for my viewers and the wider audience. Something really exciting! 

I cannot over emphasise the need for our business persons to get together and share ideas. I am challenged to ensure that a change takes place in my lifetime. Up to this point, I have one regret during my years of serving the MSME sector, it is that our business persons have failed to grasp the importance of getting  together to share experiences and find solutions to the challenges that confront them. With every passing year there seems to be a falling off of members’ participation in associations. Everyone is busy, a fact I find difficult to reconcile. If it is difficult to meet during normal working hours, it should be OK to meet in the evening. 

St. Lucia is blessed to have more active private sector associations within the OECS than any other State. Let us make full use of these associations. Unity is strength. If you were active in your association in the past, don’t stop now. Your association needs you. If you have never joined a private sector association, there is no better time than now to join a group of your choice. 

I am very pleased to note that the St. Lucia Industrial and Small Business Association (SLISBA) in collaboration with Discovery at Marigot Bay will host a ceremony to honour local Entrepreneurs within the MSME sector on the evening of Friday, 11^th March, 2011. The Awards are not limited to members of SLISBA; it is open to all business persons in MSME sector. The National Awards for Entrepreneurial and Private Sector Excellence will honour Entrepreneurs in the following categories:

-Entrepreneur of the Year- MSME 

-Most outstanding Small Scale Manufacturer  

-Best Retailer

-Best Wholesaler

-Most Outstanding Rural Woman Producer of the Year

-Most Outstanding Service Provider of the Year                                                                                    

-Most Outstanding Beautician 2010

-Most Innovative Small Business

– Most Outstanding Roadside Vendor of the Year

-Most Outstanding Food and Beverage Establishment

-SLISBA Lifetime Achievement Award (for someone who by their entrepreneurship has assisted the most persons in branching off on their own and starting their own businesses)   

By the time you get a copy of this newspaper, the Awardees would have been announced. President Flavia Cherry and her team should be congratulated for hosting what is a first for   MSMEs. It is my sincere wish that Entrepreneurs attach the importance to this very necessary initiative that it deserves. 

I have two very informative websites to introduce to you. Please check them out; you will be glad you did. www.smartbriefs.com and www.startupsmart.com.au They are free but offer real value. There is a lot to be shared, please let me know about your discoveries online and let us share. Timely information can save a lot of grief. There is absolutely no place for trial and error in business.  

Remember always to Keep the Faith, God is in Charge, Dream Big and expect Daily Miracles! 

Edward Harris

Biblicist, Freelance Journalist, Author, Realtor, Business & PR Consultant

Email: eaharrisdestiny@gmail.com

Websites: www.stluciapropertydeals.com www.stluciasimplybeautiful.com www.brainstorminggroup.webs.com  www.cariblist.com  St. Lucia – Agent ECREDMC

 

 

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