ISLEPRENEUR

Grenada Soul Adventurer | Small Business Feature Friday

Small Business Feature Friday #SmallBizFeature

December 23, 2017 in Events / Lifestyle

Recently I started a series on Islepreneur’s Facebook Page doing Live videos promoting locally made products and services to help small business owners quickly spread the word about their products. The aim of the videos was to encourage locals to support Grenadian artisans and use those items to gift friends and loved ones for Christmas. Additionally, it was a way to help small business owners to gain some reach and new customers.

One of my plans for 2018 is to continue providing the service of the Live videos to help get the word out that there are many awesome products and services, Grenadian-made, and definitely worthy your pennies. If you did not get a chance to view the videos, you can do so right here:

1. Renee Thomas, Co-owner of Karibites.com – Order Food Online – sharing more on KariBites and the process of ordering food online through KariBites.

2. Terrieann Charles of TailoredbyTerrieann.com sharing on her headwraps.

3. Allisa McBurnie from Sapphires shares on her new stock for Christmas.

4. Dawne Mark of E-Dawn Coaching & Consulting sharing on the services she provides as a Personal & Business Development Coach.

I also had Sheba Augustine of Grenada Soul Adventurer sharing on her Whipped Cocoa Butter. Unfortunately we had some tech issues, so I took the video down. However, you contact her via her Facebook Page to learn more about her butters. Photo credit: Grenada Soul Adventurer.

If you have a product or service you will like to promote through these Live Videos, send an email to info@islepreneur.com and let’s have a chat or learn more about my SERVICES.

How to Use Social Media to Widen Your Reach

December 8, 2017 in Business / Social Media

If you have a business and you’re not using social media, then sad to say, you’re most likely not reaching as far as you can with your business. Grenada is a small island and yes, due to our size, word of mouth can work in some cases, but think about how much more reach and how much more business you can get if you were able to connect with the rest of the region and the world. Regardless of the size of your business, utilizing social media strategically can do a lot for you. Here are a list of ways you can use social media to boost your business:

1. Find the right platform.

There are many social media platforms available. The most common used in the Caribbean are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest. I use all of them, except YouTube, but you don’t have to have all those accounts. You can test all of them, find out which one(s) suit your business best and go from there.

2. Link to other accounts.

Most social media accounts include ‘About’ sections or allow you to give a description of your business. Try to include links to your other social media accounts and to your website in the description. If you have a Facebook page, make sure you add a link to your business page from your personal profile. For example, include in job description: Owner/Blogger at Islepreneur. By doing that, your friends can easily see that you started a page and they most likely will navigate to it.

3. Sponsored Ads.

Facebook and Instagram have had lots of changes since they started. It’s much harder for posts on your pages to show up in news feed of even those who follow your page. So, investing in sponsored ads is one way to widen your reach and to sell your products to those you specifically want to reach.

4. Post weekly.

This goes without saying. In my experience, you can definitely grow your audience really quickly by consistently posting relevant content. Ensure to share on your products and/or services at least once per week, but also share other related content your audience most likely will be interested in. That leads me to my next point.

5. Share from other pages.

Sometimes it is difficult coming up with relevant content for social media and even as a blogger, it is tough keeping up, but one way to keep your pages/accounts active is by sharing content from other pages. It is also a good way for your products and services to be seen by those other pages.

6. Video

“I see video as a mega trend, same order as mobile,” said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. I am not a lover of video, I prefer to write a long post and not see and listen to myself speak, but video is what reaches the masses. It somehow your audience’s attention faster than anything on social media. There is now ‘Live’ feature available on most platforms which means that you don’t really need expensive equipment to start. Just have your phone, script if you need any and roll. You’ll be amazed at the reach you can gain from being consistent with video.

7. Hashtags

Never underestimate the power of a hashtag. Unfortunately, even today, not much people understand how to use hashtags the right way. Hashtags are way to find a bunch of similar content with one click. For example, I recently started doing LIVE videos on Facebook to promote small businesses leading up to Christmas. I use the hashtag #SmallBizFeature on any post related to the feature so that when a viewer clicks on the hashtag, everything I posted will show up. They will also see content shared from other users using that same hashtag. Another example, if you are posting on social media tips, you may want to use hashtags other users are using such as #socialmedia #socialmediamarketing #digitalmarketing. Your content will show up with other content related.

If you are still not sure how to navigate through social media, I provide services which can assist and save you the trouble. Feel free to contact me so we can chat.

Savor the Spice – One of Grenada’s Newest Soft Tours

November 20, 2017 in Entrepreneurship / The Start Up

You’ve heard of hiking tours, sailing tours and buggy tours, but just a few months ago, a new kind of tour had been introduced to the island of Grenada. If you’re a foodie, you’ll love this one. It’s called Savor The Spice which is a 3 – 6 hour culinary adventure tour to local restaurants and stops where you get to taste and learn about authentic Grenadian cuisine while also being taught bits of the history of the island.

I was fortunate to be able to join the Savor the City tour in the historic town of St. George’s but I also had a chance to talk to founder and chief epicurean officer, Tasha La Touche, to find out more about one of Grenada’s newest and exciting soft tours. See our interview below:

1.What is your name and tell me a bit about yourself.

My name is Tasha La Touche. I grew up in the United States of America with Grenadian parentage. From childhood, I had an immediate connection and love for the country of my heritage. I have always had a passion to share Grenada with the world and so I consider myself a self-proclaimed ambassador for the Island of Spice; my little paradise on earth.

2. What is the nature or your business and when did it get started?

My business is called “Savor The Spice”, Grenada’s first and only Culinary/Food Tour. I launched Savor The Spice early 2017 which has been a dream of mine for over two years.

3. What inspired you to start Savor The Spice?

I have always loved Grenada and Caribbean cuisine and since it has always been my dream to promote Grenada to the world, I decided to mesh my gift for hosting and event planning with my love for Grenada and authentic Caribbean food. This is how I came up with Savor The Spice.

4. Can you list the different types of tours offered by Savor The Spice?

We currently provide four products:

Savor the City/Town: A 3-hour walking and tasting tour throughout the town of St. George’s.
Savor the Country: A 6-hour tasting tour throughout the lush countryside of Grenada and its interior.
Sip and Savor: A unique bar hopping experience.
Savor Cooking Classes: A 3-hour, Chef-led cooking experience.

5. Any challenges when you first started?

The major obstacle has been getting our partners to understand and buy into the concept. Also, learning how to navigate in the Caribbean business culture was another challenge.

6. What are you looking forward to? Any new projects, events or plans for expansion?

We are rapidly growing, adding new products and new staff. We are definitely looking into other markets for 2018 and getting into other forms of media, but we will keep that under wraps for now. Definitely bigger and better things coming in 2018 for Savor The Spice, so keep your eye out for us. Our hearts will always be in Grenada and we will continue to share Grenada to the world.

7. Any words of advise to anyone looking to become an entrepreneur?

My parting words of advice to future entrepreneurs would be this: Do not limit yourself. Don’t let naysayers or negative people derail you from your goal. Also, be creative and put in the work. Anytime you set out to be an entrepreneur, be prepared to work twice as hard and twice as long as your competitors.

[ctt title=”Explore #PureGrenada with this new tour, Savor The City Food Tour by Savor The Spice” tweet=”Explore #PureGrenada with this new tour, Savor The City Food Tour by Savor The Spice https://ctt.ec/3O5v9+ via @islepreneur” coverup=”3O5v9″]

Savor the City Food Tour

This tour took us to several restaurants and vendor stops (on foot) in Grenada’s capital, St. Georges. It was a hot day. The sun came out with all its splendor and with no apology, but it was a great tour. Addie, our amazing and knowledgeable tour guide did a great job with sharing the history on the food items and the various stops in town.

Our first stop was at Two Cultures Restaurant in the heart of St. George’s.

There we had a true Grenadian breakfast: coconut bakes with saltfish souse (saltfish mixed with local seasoning, tomatoes and carrots if you wish) smoked herring and local cocoa tea. The cocoa is made from locally grown cocoa which I appreciate. This is by far one of my favourite dishes and I can have this any time of day.

I’ve always passed by this little restaurant, but never stopped to check out the menu. It was my first time there and I loved it. I’ll definitely be back to at least have a drink and relax.

We then headed into the Spice Market where we met with ‘Sister’ and got to sample some locally made jam and jelly. We also got a lesson on Grenada’s nutmeg.

Of course you can’t leave the market without having coconut water and the jelly inside the nut. Your life will not be the same. 🙂

Our next stop was at Native Food & Fruits at the foot of Market Hill. There we sampled two smoothies, soursop and mango-passion, made from real fruit also grown in Grenada.

I must admit, though soursop has a long list of healing properties, it is not my favourite fruit, but everyone loved it, including those who tasted the fruit for the first time.

These icey, fruit treats satisfied some sweet tooth cravings and were a great way to cool down while we hiked uphill to the next stop at Paradise Glass Gallery & Cafe.

Owned by Maria McClafferty, the shop is located at the top of Young Street and the end of Church Street. We were all most happy when we walked into the shop. Besides the unique, artistic glass pieces you can find in there, the appreciation for air condition was on another level.

Maria makes glass wares, jewelry and ornaments. Matter of fact, she makes just about anything from glass. The food, which she also made, was served on beautifully crafted glass plates/platters. Make sure to check out her shop.

Maria served a tasty smoked sail fish on french baguette with cinnamon cake and rum coffee. Yes, that’s right, rum coffee. Not at all for the faint at heart.

The combination of the smoked sailfish on cream cheese, which I had for the first time, was absolutely delicious. I was a bit skeptical at first since it looked like sushi (not that I haven’t had sushi). One of the tour attendees who is a chef, confirmed that smoked fish is well done and actually very good. He was right!

Maria’s iced, cinnamon cake was also a delight. It was moist and bursting with the right amount of cinnamon flavour. I am now thinking about trading in black cake for a cinnamon cake this Christmas.

Being a lover of things curry and almost anything chicken, I totally appreciated our next stop at The Nutmeg Bar & Restaurant. We were served chicken roti with soursop juice. Roti is a popular Caribbean dish made with potatoes, chicken and local seasoning, curried in one pot then wrapped in a dough. You can find it in almost any restaurant on any day around lunch time.

The juice, to my surprise, was very good considering I’m not a soursop lover.

Our final stop was to my favourite place in town, House of Chocolate. We had my favourite chocolate treat, chocolate cheesecake which was all I needed to top off my day. As per usual, it was so, so good and made from local chocolate. I could never have enough of this.

I am sold by this tour mainly because it gives the option of exploring our island and the savory delicacies made by locals. Also, you can check out Kizzy Rennie’s account of the tour on IsleofBites.com.

Dine & Define – OMNoire Glow Up Wellness Retreat

November 11, 2017 in Events / Lifestyle

Early October, actually, the day before my birthday, I had another wonderful opportunity to attend a networking event. You know how I am about taking opportunities and connecting with new people. This time, I attended Dine & Define, which was a dinner held during OMNoire Glow Up Retreat 4-day weekend of wellness activities. If you have not heard about OMNoire, it is..

A wellness social community for multi-cultural women focused on living well from the inside out. Our mission is to connect like-minded women through our events, retreats and online platform to cultivate strength, growth and positive manifestation in all areas of our lives – OMNoire.com

OMNoire was founded by Amber Lee Forrester (founder Kane & Couture and Crowned & Brown) and Christina M. Rice (founder of LuxeLife Media & LuxeLife Adventures). It was their first wellness retreat and they decided to have in Grenada. There were up to 50 other women in attendance from across world and from various walks of life who were all here for the same reasons – to get away from regular schedules to be rejuvenated, connect with other like-minded women and be empowered.

Amber Lee Forrester

The dinner was held at the Aquarium Restaurant on Magazine Beach which is one restaurant I love. The food, ambiance and beach side setting with good company is enough for me to have a great time.

The speakers for the evening were Necole Kane (CEO, xoNecole.com), Christina Rice, Amber Lee Forrester, Michelle Davenport (founder of Mosaic Coaching), Mental Health Therapist, LaShell Wooten and Kered Clement (British Grenadian, travel journalist, digital strategist and content creator). It was interesting listening to each of the women share on captivating, thought-provoking topics like ‘The Power of our Words and Thoughts’ (Michelle Davenport), the importance of ‘Letting Go of Limiting Beliefs’ (Kered Clement) and ‘Don’t Be Afraid to Press Reset’ (Necole Kane).

(L-R: Necole Kane, Christina Rice, Kered Clement, LaShell Wooten. Photo credit: Hexive Creative Agency)

I believe I needed to be at that event that night because sometimes we go through experiences in life and depends on what comes our way, it makes us wonder how things will work out. It’s easy for me to think that I’m the only one in this, not knowing that someone else had gone through similar or worse than what I am facing. Necole Kane was really transparent and shared how at one point in her life she had to start building her life and her career again from scratch. Though it took a lot, she was determined to get back up again. Michelle Davenport (pictured below) shared a lot of healthy nuggets on the power of our thoughts and how it can shape our lives and our future – You are what you think. It is important to allow our thoughts to remain positive and focused on where we want to be. If we continue to think negative thoughts about ourselves, we literally put ourselves in a trap and we can’t get to where we need to be.

Photo credit: Hexive Creative Agency

Kered (pictured below) also shared on her journey. She mentioned some unpleasant past experiences which she used to propel her to where she is today. Coming to the end of her speech, she asked these questions: “What if I had listened to…What if I decided not to…What if I let their words…?” If she had allowed those moments to shape her thinking and the decisions she made, she would not be where she is today.

[ctt title=”It is not where you are now. It is what you do next will determine where you will go.” tweet=”It is not where you are now. It is what you do next will determine where you will go – @OMNoire. https://ctt.ec/d145q+ via @islepreneur” coverup=”d145q”]

Those were some powerful moments which also made me ask myself, “If I stay here…if I don’t do…if I continue to think..?” Sometimes all you need is to hear someone else’s story to give you a push, refocus and to keep going.

Photo credit: Hexive Creative Agency

The dinner was a wonderful experience and I am so happy I got to be there and listen to these women share their experiences. It is not where you’ve been or what you’re facing now. It is what you do next will determine where you go tomorrow and the day after that.

Spice Bloggers

Why More Local Businesses Should Support Blogging

November 8, 2017 in Blogging / Business

When I just started blogging, I often got this question, “What is a blog and what really do you do?” I used to laugh. People was always interested in the content I shared, but they did not understand why. At that time, I was blogging as a hobby. Attending events, sharing recaps and searching for unique items from entrepreneurs without being asked to do so. I still do that today, with a new strategy, but that’s how I started gathering content for the site. So, I thoroughly explained what I do, and the purpose for this site an and then their response will be “Oohhh, okay” with a grin. “I didn’t know people do that here” is what they would continue to say.

Two years later, blogging, which plays a huge role in most brands making it to the top, is just starting to be embraced in Grenada and there is a growing Blogging Community with more bloggers emerging, sharing on a range of niches.

Bloggers are now being asked to attend events and post about the event on their social media handles or write a blog post describing their experience. This form of marketing is slowly being implemented in marketing strategies by some businesses and event organizers, but unfortunately, many businesses today still see blogging as just someone’s hobby and not a revolutionary marketing tool. Take a look at some of the reasons why local businesses should support blogging:

Publicity

This is possibly the most obvious reason why any business should include blogging in their marketing campaign. Blogging harnesses brand awareness. The more a business share about their products, the more people will become aware of what they are offering.

2. Reaching Audiences

Businesses who hire or use bloggers with growing audiences to market their products or services, tend to reach a much wider audience. When a business taps into the bloggers’ audiences, the products are services being marketed will reach potential customers the business may not be able to reach on its own.

3. Trust

Consistent blogging coupled with strategic social media usage helps to build trust from your audience. When people see that you are consistent with sharing relevant content, especially to support your brand, they tend to look to you for what is next and start trusting that what you put out will be worth their pennies.

4. It sets you apart from the competition.

Providing consistent relevant content (clean pictures and story telling) to support your brand will no doubt set you above the rest.

5. Tell your story.

Blogging allows you to share all the content you may not want to include on a Facebook or Instagram post. Also, it is much easier to read a long post from a website than from a social media page.

[ctt title=”5 reasons Caribbean businesses should include blogging in their marketing strategy” tweet=”5 reasons Caribbean businesses should include blogging in their marketing strategy https://ctt.ec/8U0MU+ via @islepreneur” coverup=”8U0MU”]

There are so many more benefits for local businesses when they include blogging as part of their marketing strategy. For those who are looking to start, I get it. Blogging takes time and frankly, not many people understand how to do it well, but there are ways to work around it. For example, if you cannot find the skills within your organization for social media and blogging, you can definitely look into contracting experienced freelance bloggers who can meet the needs of your company.

Rest and Relaxation – Wellness Weekend at True Blue Bay Boutique Resort + Day Pass Giveaway (Closed)

November 1, 2017 in Events / Lifestyle

Birthday Weekend At True Blue Bay Boutique Resort

Life can be overwhelming with busy schedules, overly demanding customers and tight deadlines. Having a full-time job and working long tedious hours can mentally and physically wear you out. For most, vacation comes around once a year and I am almost sure you can agree that those few weeks off are never enough to smooth out those achy knots and kinks in your body and have you skipping to work on Monday morning.

I am an advocate for taking ‘alone and rejuvenation time’ when it is needed and I got the opportunity to do just that! If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen my stories flooded a couple of weeks ago with vids and pics of my staycation at True Blue Bay Boutique Resort which also happened to be my birthday weekend. This mini-vacay couldn’t come at a better time!

If you’re looking to have fun with water sports, great food and relax in a serene, garden-like laid back environment, then this resort is for you. Located only a 10 minute drive from Maurice Bishop International Airport and 20 mins from the town of St. George, True Blue Bay Boutique Resort welcomes you to forget about the bustles of life and bask in uninterrupted serenity.

Accommodation:

My room was one of the Tower Suites which, I must admit, I did not get enough time to truly enjoy. The highlight of this suite is the tower situated just above the room which is a perfect setting to view the sunset and have a romantic evening dinner.

I love that my room was spacious. Lots of room to move around and brightly coloured with wooden and bamboo furniture. If you like a more home style type of accommodation, this room is a winner.

This suite also has a very charming bathroom with a vanity area, bathtub and awesome shower. Can I tell you how well-lit it is? The pic below is unedited and was taken at night just before I went to dinner.

Learn more about accommodation HERE.

Dining:

All my meals were absolutely delicious. I had the option of staying in and having room service or dining at the resort’s brightly coloured, Caribbean themed restaurant on the dock, Dodgy Dock.

If you choose to have breakfast down at the restaurant, you can help yourself at the buffet and watch the chef whip up a tasty omelet with ingredients of your choice or you can settle down, take in the cool sea breeze and enjoy a la carte service.

Make sure to leave room for dessert because they are the best. I usually don’t eat banana bread, but I was encouraged by one of the waitresses to try it, especially since it has chocolate in it. My goodness, I was pleasantly surprised. Each bite went down with all the love that was put into it. It was soft and very moist, not too sweet and had the right amount of chocolate to distract me from the taste of the banana. Make sure to try it when you get there.

Learn more about Dodgy Dock and themed nights HERE.

Activities:

The first thing I did when I got to the resort after checking in and before comfortably settling into my room, was to head over to the resort’s Blue Haven Spa to receive some much needed self-care.

There are a range of spa treatments to choose from: facials, massages, body treatments and more. I chose two treatments. The first was the Signature Facial which is done using organic herbs and oils. Massage therapist, Kisha, did an amazing job. Her hands are gifted and she is very easy to talk to. She also gave me a mini neck massage which relieved me of a knot she found from working so hard for the last few weeks. She made sure to keep me relaxed and worry free as she explained every step of the process.

My second treatment was a Ginger Detox Soak. Listen, if you want to get your skin glowing and silky smooth, then I recommend this treatment and plus you get a view of the ocean and resort grounds while you soak. I could have done this twice a day for the duration of the weekend. It was heavenly and definitely rejuvenated my skin.

Learn more about Blue Haven Spa and treatments they offer.

Water sports:

Another highlight of the weekend was my few hours out at sea. I most definitely would not have been able to live with myself if I did not get to kayak and sail for at least 10 mins. Noah, who was an experienced sailor and also very kind and helpful, aided me to make sure I came back in one piece. I am definitely doing this again!

There are lots of other activities you can do at the resort. See HERE for a list of things to do.

Lounge and relax:

If you’re into sea adventures much, then you can enjoy lounging by the pools.

A very interesting attribute of this resort is its beach pool which I fell in love with. I am such a beach lover and since there isn’t much of a beach at my doorstep, I thought this was perfect. Sand, ~~sea~~ water and lounge chairs.

Don’t ask me why I’m in the pool with my coverup. It just happened. 🙂 Also, if you’re in model mode and want a great vibrant colourful pic, the bright hues on these huts nested behind the palm trees will made a great background.

Birthday night:

The night would not have been special if I did not have my sister with me. The best company! The food was nothing short of excellent. It was BBQ night, so we had chicken breast and BBQ ribs.

Since it was my birthday, along with three other persons that night, live singer for the night Jenny J, sung ‘Happy Birthday’ to each of us. That was followed by a rich dark chocolate cake on the house (Yum!) and a glass of champagne.

My weekend was full. Birthday celebration with water sports and the warmth and friendliness of the staff, especially Kaylee, contributed to a spectacular weekend. Kaylee was super helpful. She made sure I was comfortable and had everything I needed. I did not get a pic with her, but thank you much Kaylee and to the rest of the staff at True Blue Bay Boutique Resort!

I’d also like for you to enjoy some of the fun over at True Blue Bay Boutique resort. Head over to my Instagram account for a chance to win a Day Pass to enjoy some of the fun activities I did. Enter by following Islepreneur and True Blue Bay Resort on Instagram and comment by tagging three friends. Easy and simple.

Have you been to True Blue Bay Boutique Resort? Share your experience below:

Yogo.gd – Shop Smart

November 1, 2017 in Entrepreneurship / The Start Up

If you’ve ever heard about Amazon.com, then I am definitely sure, you will like this. Grenada’s very own online market place where you can find just about anything you need, including a kitchen sink! Stay at home, log onto Yogo.gd, place an order and have the items delivered to you to any part of the island.

Also, if you have not yet signed up to my mailing list, do so before November 15th, 2017 to receive FREE Yogo Plus Membership and FREE DELIVERY from Yogo.gd.

1.What is the name and nature of your business and when did it get started?

The name of our company is Yogo.gd, an online marketplace which was started in March 2017. Similar to Amazon.com, we list and sell products from local retailers and deliver the purchased items to customers.

2. What services do you offer?

Yogo.gd is a platform which links Grenadian stores (allowing them to sell their products online) with Grenadian customers, allowing them to purchase products online with either a credit card or debit card. We also provide delivery services so customers will not have to leave where they are.

3. What was the inspiration behind Yogo.gd?

We believe that Grenada should have the same conveniences as the more developed countries. The time an energy it took to find and buy things we wanted is sometimes time consuming, so we decided to do something about it.

4. What are your goals for Yogo.gd?

When Yogo.gd was started, our goals were to:

– To enhance the average consumer’s shopping experience in Grenada.

– To get local stores to sign up and list their items on the site.

– Have as many registered users as possible.

5. What were some of the start-up challenges you faced?

We had a few challenges:

– People often mistake us for Ezone or they think that we purchase our items overseas and bring them into the country.

– Convincing store owners to sign up and list their products on the site.

– Finding ways to get Grenadians to understand that they can stay at home and purchase from their favorite local stores and have it delivered to them for only $10.

6. What helped you to overcome those challenges?

We have experience with launching new platforms such as Greenz Elite (2015) and Jobbot.gd (2016). Therefore, we understand and appreciate the patience it takes for platforms to grow. In addition, We are somewhat hard-headed, we don’t quit. No matter how great the challenge.

7. What would you say is unique about Yogo.gd?

– Grenada’s very own Amazon.

– Customers can sign up for an account free and get delivery for $10 island wide.

– Customers can sign up for Yogo Plus Subscription and pay $100/year for Free Delivery.

How to sign up (Maximize vid for clearer view):

8. What are you looking forward to? Any new projects, events or plans for expansion?

Yes, we are looking forward to offering more services in the near future:

– Yogo Foods: This will allow customers to purchase from their favorite restaurant using the Yogo.gd website and app.

– Yogo Drive: A network of independent drivers which will deliver food purchased using Yogo Foods, for just $10.

9. If you had the power to turn back the hands of time and return to where it all started, considering all the challenges you faced, what would you do differently?

Honestly, nothing. We got lucky when SP’s International decided to trust us and become our first partner. That boosted our confidence and made it easier for others to say yes.

10. Share an important piece of advice you have gotten from a fellow entrepreneur or mentor which impacted your life?

Don’t ever give up – Elon Musk

Whatever the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve – Napoleon Hill

11. What advice can you give to persons looking to start their own business on the island?

Don’t wait, put your plans in action now. Allow yourself to fail a lot. Just remember to pick yourself up and try again.

Want to partner with Yogo.gd? Become a Yogo.gd Driver. Click pic below to sign up.

Remember to join my mailing list NOW or before November 15th, 2017 to receive FREE Yogo Plus Membership and FREE DELIVERY for a limited time. Sign up HERE.

10 Highlights of State of the Tourism Industry 2017

October 21, 2017 in Events / Lifestyle

State of the Tourism Industry (SOTIC), an annual event organised by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, is a week of tourism activities where people who play key roles in tourism throughout the region meet to discuss issues affecting tourism in the Caribbean and to formulate solutions and courses of action to better the tourism brand.

This year’s week of activities ran from October 9th – 14th under the theme:

Super-Charging the Caribbean Brand: Meeting the Needs of the New Explorers

It was an enlightening experience and I was happy to hear tourism officials from some of the islands devastated by hurricanes Irma and Maria report that the islands are on their way to recovery and that hotels and other tourist attractions will soon be reopening. READ MORE from Ed Welscher, Caribbean Editor of Recommend Magazine.

My decision to attend the conference was last-minute and was unable to be at all the sessions, but I did manage to get three days and did not regret it. There was lots of information shared. Some not directly linked to tourism, but which can definitely help us all to super-charge our tourism brand. There were some key moments for me throughout the activities and I thought I should share with you:

The first three points are from the event’s keynote speaker, Dorsey Levens, retired Green Bay Packer Running Back Super Bowl winner who now wears many hats as Executive TV Producer, Writer, Actor, Sports Consultant and motivational speaker. He is also the founder and President of Levens Communications.

Dorsey’s keynote speech was a different kind of keynote, but it was very motivational and these points are two of the many I took away:

1.One of the fist things Dorsey spoke about was this one word WIN which stands for ‘What’s Important Now’. In everything we face, what ever the situation is, we should always think about what is important now and what are the best actions we should take for the best outcome.

2. You are incapable of changing any one but yourself. Isn’t that the truth!

3. During a panel discussion on ‘Key Recommendations for Moving Forward’, it was mentioned that reservations were being cancelled in islands that were not affected by the storms because people believe that when one island is affected, the entire Caribbean is gone down in ruins? Sounds strange that many people still do not know that there are hundreds of islands stretched across the Caribbean Sea and if one is affected, the other most likely may be open for business. Fernando Fernandez (seated in the middle) – Vice President of Development for the Caribbean, Apple Leisure Group – mentioned that we need to do more to educate people outside of the Caribbean and include it in our marketing campaigns. I couldn’t agree more.

4. Shadel Nyack-Compton, Managing Director of the Belmont Estate, moderates ‘Business Models That Rock’ and gave a colourful description of our island to open her segment.

Before attending SOTIC, I made sure to browse the events on the site to get a heads up of what to expect. I was really excited to see that Mrs. Nyack-Compton was the moderator for this segment. She is a hard worker and has done well with building a business that rocks today – The Belmont Estate. Also from the this segment, Jason Nichols, Lead Brand Partner of Linqia spoke on Influencer Marketing.

Moderating a panel on “Business Models That Rock” at the #CTO State of the Industry Conference – Grenada! #TheCaribbeanRocks #SOTIC2017 pic.twitter.com/GyDPvYbEL9

— Shadel Nyack Compton (@ShadelNyack) October 11, 2017

5. Networking

If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know that I am an advocate for small business owners attending events like these. It is a way to meet people, make connections and share your business to the world. A few of the people I spoke to were amazed to know about our growing blog community.

ALSO READ: Five Reasons To Attend Business Seminars & Workshops

Ed Wetschler, Caribbean Editor for Recommend Magazine and Annette Moore Public Relations Officer, Grenada Information Services.

Tasha La Touche, Founder & Chief Epicurean Officer of Savor the Spice.

Abegail Sandy, Founder and Owner of She Naturals.

Staff and management of Caribbean Horizons.

Standing with Hon. Alexandra Otway-Noel, Government Minister & Parliamentary Reprentative and Jazelle Sylvester, Communications Officer for Ministry of Sports.

6. The next two ‘take aways’ came from a panel discussion on ‘Spice Up the Caribbean Brand’, moderated by Hon. Alexandra Otway-Noel, MP.

Mr. Sheldon Keens-Douglas, Regional Communications Manager of Cable & Wireless Communications, shared a few ways in which we can spice up our tourism brand. One of his points which can be applied within any niche was “Creating new content can help you differentiate your brand in the market place”. I am a firm believer in this.

7. Omar Kennedy, Executive Director of Animekon, also sat on the panel and introduced a whole new different form of tourism which targets creatives from across the world. AnimeKon is a comic-con held in Barbados which brings creatives from across the world to enjoy a few days of learning and fun at an annual event called ‘Geekcation’. Learn more HERE.

8. Caribbean Youth Congress

One integral part of CTO’s week of tourism activities is the Caribbean Tourism Youth Congress where Junior Ministers of Tourism comprising students between the ages of 14-17 research various facets of the tourism sector and share their vision for the future direction of regional tourism, in a competitive environment. – CTO.

Photo Credit: Arthur Daniel

There were 10 islands represented, including Grenada (Jovani John, pic above), who all did very well. They brought really great ideas to enhance each island’s tourism product, but in the end, it was Francis Alexander of St. Lucia who dominated the competition and is now Junior Minister of Tourism for the Caribbean.

9. Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon aka @J etSetSarah presented on a few things which makes the Caribbean stand out from other destinations. She mentioned that its not just about sun, sea and sand. There is more to us as a destination which we should celebrate such as our character. Caribbean people are warm and welcoming people. We should also celebrate our differences. Though we are one Caribbean, there are many islands within the region, each having a different personality and unique character, which makes each island different from the next.

10. Sampling Belmont Estate chocolate. Yes, I love chocolate and I truly believe Grenada has some of the best chocolate in the world.

There were many more highlights of the week of activities such as Stephanie Oswald (Editor in Chief and Founder of Travel Girl Magazine and award-winning journalist, CNN) sharing on what women want when they travel and Chris Spring on how the Caribbean can welcome Chinese culture, but the post will be too long.

To learn more about Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s State of the Tourism Industry, visit their website HERE.

Order Your Next Meal Online With KariBites

October 15, 2017 in Entrepreneurship / The Start Up

Most of us are used to making calls to restaurants to order ahead of time and then we’d go to the restaurant to pick up our meals. Some restaurants have actually started offering delivery services within parishes, but how about a service where you stay at home, order meals online and have it delivered to you?

I’d like to introduce you to KariBites.com where you can go online, select a local restaurant and place a custom order with special instructions from a detailed menu. You can pay online for your food and have it delivered to your door. All this can be done ONLINE. Keep reading to learn more.

1. What are your names and tell me about your business?

We are Renee Thomas and Stephen Walwyn and we are co-founders of our company KaribFusion. Recently, in April 2017, we created our first product under KaribFusion, KariBites which allows users to order online from local restaurants. We were participants in an online incubator programme called CTEP (Caribbean Tech Entrepreneurship Program) where we were successful as validation stage winners for our online ordering platform, KariBites. Learn more about CTEP at www.ctep.tech.

2. What services do you offer?

We offer online ordering for local restaurants so their customers can conveniently order food online and make arrangements for pickup or delivery. A customer can browse restaurants, select restaurant of their choice, browse their menu, select items to order, specify instructions and checkout. Once orders are placed, restaurants receive notifications immediately through their dashboard. Restaurants keep their customers engaged from start to finish by sending status updates of the order which customers receive via email notifications and live updates on an order status page.

3. What inspired you to start KariBites?

We conducted market research in the town of St. George and Grand Anse area and spoke to people about the challenges they experienced when ordering food for pickup or delivery. We learned that some of the challenges were busy phone lines, late orders, cold meals and more. We continued our research and spoke to restaurants who also had their end of issues. Afterwards, we realized that online ordering will be a solution that will benefit both restaurants and customers and that was how KariBites was born.

4. What are your goals for KariBites?

Some of our goals include getting people into the habit of ordering food online since it is completely new to our culture. We’re also working assiduously to get as many restaurants on the platform in St. George so that we can offer a wide variety of cuisines for users in the area before expanding to other parishes. During the early stages of the platform we’re hoping to get feedback from both restaurants and users as we strive to continuously improve the software.

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5. What are some of the challenges that you are currently facing?

A challenge that we are currently facing is that people think we’re just another delivery service but we’re more of an online platform for restaurants where people can order food for pickup or delivery. Online ordering is still relatively new to Grenada and we hope that we can offer this convenience to people who are always on the go and are looking to save time when ordering food with a few clicks on their phone.

Another challenge that we’re currently facing is integrating online payments onto KariBites. We’ve made tremendous progress and we’re confident online payments will soon be available for customers who would prefer the option.

6. How are you overcoming those challenges?

Persistence. This is the main factor that allows us to overcome these challenges. We’re determined to achieve our goals and we’re working persistently to achieve them. We’re also networking with other entrepreneurs and professionals who are invaluable resources for helping startups with their everyday problems. Lastly, validation from users who continuously confirm that this is something that is definitely needed as well as validation from restaurants who use the software and are impressed with how it works. Hearing those positive responses from people provides motivation for us to continue pushing forward.

7. What would you say is unique about KariBites?

While there are a lot of delivery services available in Grenada, no one else offers an online ordering solution which bridges the communication gaps between restaurants and their customers. KariBites empowers restaurants to offer the convenience of online ordering to their customers. KariBites also saves restaurants time by freeing them from answering their phone to accept orders for pickup or delivery. This allows restaurants to spend more time preparing delicious meals.

8. What are you looking forward to? Any new projects, events or plans for expansion?

Since we’re new, our focus is on educating people, getting the word out and showing people that the solution is REAL, you can order your next meal online now with KariBites. Our efforts are focused on mass promotions while ensuring restaurants are achieving their desired goals as a KariBites partner. We’re constantly looking for feedback from our users so we can continuously tailor the product to the needs of the people. Our future goals also include expanding to other Caribbean islands to become a regional online ordering solution for people in the Caribbean.

How to use KariBites:

Connect on Facebook and Instagram or visit our website KariBites.com to satisfy your cravings and order your next meal online.

Island Trendz

October 9, 2017 in Entrepreneurship / The Start Up

Islepreneur was started to market Grenadian entrepreneurs providing products and services mainly using resources which can be found on island. It is our hope to widen our reach and promote island entrepreneurs from across the region. I’d like to introduce you to Read more…

GCSI Services Go Global – The Road Map to Exporting Services

October 6, 2017 in Events / Lifestyle

Every time I attend a workshop, training, exhibition or ‘show’ where vendors and/or small business owners are most likely to congregate, I get all hyped with excitement. It’s like a child who just discovered the awesomeness of chip-chip and sugar cake made in mom’s kitchen. Mind you, unlike most Grenadian children, I never really liked those confectionaries growing up, but I saw how these sweets can interrupt a serious game of marble and ‘who for it’. For other children, these tasty treats were another source of income to help with lunch for the next day.

Entrepreneurship has long been a way of life for many in Grenada. From the men and women on the side of the road with colourfully packed provision stalls to those who go a bit further to use some of what we grow to produce properly packaged products. While all of this is well and good and shows that our people are creative and can find ways to support themselves, my only concern is the number of the same products being produced and competing for the same target group. For example, jams and jellies. There are several different small businesses producing jams and jellies and I am almost sure that there are more in the pipeline. Though it is good for consumers to have options, but instead of us all vying for the same spot in the same industry, why not start looking for ways we can sell our products and services outside of our island.

Last week, September 25th – 29th, I was invited to attend a training and workshop by Grenada Coalition Services Industries with the theme Services Go Global The Road Map for Exporting Services. The training was designed business owners who are looking to take the next step with their business and start offering their products and services on international markets.

The lecturer for the week was Kelli-Dawn Hamilton, certified Services Go Global trainer of Jamaica, who shared on the following topics:

Preparing your Business- to successfully analyze the external market and exporting opportunities.

Effective Market Research- aimed at helping to build market intelligence and to effectively identify and take advantage of local and regional market opportunities.

Efficient Marketing- designed to help increase your market share through the development of market strategies and entry methods.

Export Strategy- participants will be guided through the development of an export strategy that will facilitate the export of their services.

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It was an intense week of training, but the participants came out each day, eager to learn and encourage each other by sharing their experiences. They all endured to the end and were able to complete their export plans which is a requirement to become certified export-ready businesses. With this certification, these entrepreneurs are now more visible to a wider audience and have the opportunity to connect with other businesses on international markets through the Coalition Services.

‘The Services Go Global’ training programme is designed to prepare businesses with the tools necessary to expand into overseas markets. The participants in the recently concluded training programme revealed a crop of Grenadian entrepreneurs who not only have the skill to grow their businesses, but who displayed a passion and drive that will form the foundation upon which their organisations will be built and a tenacity that will secure their place in the global business landscape. It was a pleasure working with the group and I have every confidence that they will excel as global entrepreneurs. – Kelli-Dawn Hamilton, Lecturer – Services Go Global

Kelli-Dawn often reminded the participants:

The one-week training was rewarding for the entrepreneurs, not only for the new networking opportunities, but because they now have a new perspective on areas like outsourcing, extensive research and selecting target markets. Their feedback spoke volumes.

It was truly a vivacious week – Kendell

I feel very fulfilled. It was a week well spent – Kelly

I appreciate and love the connections. My life has changed…paradigm shift. – Donally

Grenada is definitely in need of more opportunities like this. My only concern is that usually when opportunities like this come our way, we don’t maximize on it and we wait till they’re gone to try to make a move. There were only seven attendees at the training, but I’m hoping that more entrepreneurs will see the need to invest in workshops like this to learn, grow and network with other like-minded entrepreneurs.

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