St. Lucia Simply Beautiful

In a wide-ranging address about the agricultural sector, the minister said that unless somebody is prepared to do what has to be done, he is afraid that the agriculture sector would not move forward. He went on to say that he was fed up that such development was not being taken seriously and he contended, “It is either that my administration is going to take it seriously or I will resign – simple as that. I don’t waste my time, I don’t butt my head against a wall – I either move the wall or I am gone.”

Whenever I am asked “How are you?” my spontaneous response is “Superb, thank you”. I find it helps me to tune into the person who is making the enquiry whether the motivation is polite exchange or genuine interest in my welfare.

Looking at developments in the South, I am baffled at the numerous entertainment offerings. Last Sunday there was Woulelaba Cricket, Indian Fiesta, Launching of a Southern Carnival Band and a Country and Western Dance. Families and young people are now lining up on the beaches on Sundays. Vieux is the fun place to be on weekends. The promoter of the dance is based in Castries and has found the Coastline Entertainment Centre at Pointe Sables to be the place she will be hosting many more promotions. The trend has begun to surface. Entrepreneurs with a vision for the South are encouraged to make the move fast.

His reflections on his career have been captured in his 2010 book: “A Life in Public Service” which chronicles the variegated life and career of H.E. Charles Maynard. It highlights his significant contribution to Dominica’s political, economic and social development for more than five decades. He shall be missed by many, may he rest in peace.

Are you thinking about getting into business? Do your research now. Read my book “You can be a successful business person”. Get your free copy by sending an email to me at eaharrisdestiny@gmail.com with BOOK in the subject line. This is the perfect timing to cash in on an idea I referred to over the years in my column. Visit my archive at www.stluciasimplybeautiful.com and catch up on some of the opportunities I discussed.

In the context of a country, prosperity may be measured in terms of the success with which that country has been able to convert the many types of capital (human, physical, natural, intellectual, social, financial, cultural and spiritual) with which it has been blessed, into wealth. Countries with high GDP per capita, high levels of foreign reserves, low unemployment, a high human development index (high standard of living), high practical technological knowledge and shrewdness, widespread infrastructure, optimal land use practices and high spiritual awareness may be described as prosperous countries.

There is a lot to be done. A lot has been said. Many of us are old enough to remember many times before how our enthusiasm was severely dampened and dreams shattered. If we truly believe that the Private Sector is the Engine of Growth, the Entrepreneurial class needs to be embraced. What can be done to make life easier for local business persons who have persevered through the years, regardless if things are good or bad?

I noted a bit of interesting news in Caribbean 360 In The Press, 8/5/12 “State Department launches $100,000 business competition to spur jobs in the Caribbean through partnerships with members of the Caribbean diaspora living the U.S., Canada and the U.K.” This programme will encourage joint venture relationship. In past articles I drew my readers’ attention to such programmes. I am firmly convinced that this is one sure way of injecting new business ideas, especially in the services sector. Let us open the door to making St. Lucia an outstanding destination for business and pleasure.

The Shepherding Model has its genesis in dialogue with the stakeholders; it is focused on hand holding, dynamic interactive dialogue, experiential training and anecdotal exchanges; it is enterprise specific; it promises to mitigate the risk of business failure on an enterprise by enterprise basis by adopting the 25 cell Management of Business Matrixâ„¢ approach.

This week, we will look at the VAT readiness checklist which can assist businesses in determining their level of readiness for VAT implementation. The list is not at all exhaustive but provides some guidelines of some of the issues which businesses should be looking at.