I was very pleased to accept BIBA’s invitation to make a presentation on: “Entrepreneurship – A Way Forward for Sustainable Development”. CBET focuses on start-up businesses which are part of the emerging private sector. I pointed out that I developed a passion for enterprise development over the last 14 years but first thought that I should address the definitions of Sustainable Development and Entrepreneurship.
When I was working on the “Compelling Case” document to do with re-organising the Barbados development agencies, I produced a proposal for the establishment in Barbados of The International Centre for Research, Development and Distribution of Digital Solutions for Island Communities. Underpinning this Institution would be a strong university faculty of software engineering, the absolutely vital skill required for the digital age industries. I scoped it out, put a cost on it and approached a philanthropist for the funds to get it going. He said ‘yes. No problem’. And that is where it all ended.
The resolution of this high failure rate is very important as we take stock of the future. Therefore, special attention must be given to innovative business management solutions as well as innovative financial solutions preferably, in my opinion, with a venture capital focus.
We need Harmony in mind, body and spirit and we need a business management systems approach if we are to achieve the objective of sustainable success. There are five business systems that must be well managed:
Toon Boom believes that the success which they have had in developing the animation industry in India will be repeated in the Caribbean. Using the skills developed in these and other Caribbean studios, this highly networked industry will enable the Caribbean animation industry to leverage the global footprint provided by major animation studios who wish to outsource their work to skilled and talented production houses.
Similarly, it is clear to me that the CSF has now launched its “Children Seed the Future” campaign by engaging students in SPISE in this inaugural 2012 program. CSF is teaching our children that they too can make a difference! CSFs comprehensive mission to convert these innovative ideas into entrepreneurial activity will mean that in time there will be a steady advance in enterprise development which will then convert into sustainable economic growth in the Caribbean and beyond.
Your vision must be “optimal well-being”. You must be well in body, mind and spirit – that is the combination about which I speak. It is important at the beginning of every decade that you are privileged to reach, to renew this vision for at least the decade ahead. Your doctors monitor your health and recommend a holistic maintenance programme to keep you in the pink of health but it is up to you to act on their advice.
He drew my attention to his recent article in the New York Amsterdam News where the following extracts are relevant: “…and, the wonderful thing about tourism is you are not forcing things down peoples’ unwilling throats. Tourism, in fact, is the greatest voluntary transfer of wealth from the rich to the not-so-rich in the history of humankind” … and “in the context of the Caribbean, the region’s political directorate needs to lead us into some of these hitherto remote regions to bring home the business, and to use the robust aerial highways between places like Dubai and New York, for example, to tap into the oil-rich Middle East, and upscale Asian travel markets”.
Even though Buffet has been at the head of Berkshire Hathaway for nearly a half-century and Romney 15 years as the day-to-day boss at Bain Capital from 1984 until 1999, when he went off to save the Salt Lake City Olympics; Mr. Romney appears to have the clear edge.
Ed Harris has a new Facebook Page – Ed Harris Business Club bringing to the fore all the business information you can use. We are currently talking about the Labour Code, Construction Stimulus Package, already implemented and still to come VAT on October 1, 2012.