Monday, September 28, 2009

In this Issue:

• Calendar of Events
• “Get Fit Lapathon” Part of Red Cross Fundraising Effort to Raise $3 million
• Jamaica World Cinema Showcase "International Indie Films & Grassroots Documentary"
• "Freedom Sounds" (From Mento, Ska, Reggae and Beyond)
• IMF Could Consider Jamaica’s Application in November... says Finance Minister
• Government Secured US$700M in Low Interest Loans from Multilateral agencies
• Submissions

Calendar of Events 

• I Am The Change "Run-A-Boat” discussion continues Monday, September 28 at 6:20 p.m. to 28 at 7:20pm at New Kingston Shopping Food Court.
• Freedom Sounds (From Mento, Ska, Reggae and Beyond) on Sunday, October 4 at 8:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Temple Hall Estate.
• JBDC Business Development Training 1 & 2 “Supporting Small Businesses in Jamaica” on Tuesday, October 6 at 9:30 a.m. to Thursday, October 8 at 4:00 p.m. at the JBDC Incubator & Resource Centre, 76 Marcus Garvey Drive, Kingston 13. Training includes: Entrepreneurship, Identifying Business Ideas, Strategic Planning for Business Success, and Introduction to Marketing/Marketing Analysis. Time: 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. DAILY! Registration closes September 30, 2009. Cost: BDT1 - $1,700 and BDT 2 - $2,700.
• Fundraising Lapathon on Saturday, October 31 at 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Emancipation Park, Kingston.
• JAYP Business Mixer "The "Our Show" Edition on RJR 94 FM, Thursday, October 8 at 6:00 p.m. - 8 at 10:00pm, Fiction Lounge, Market Place, Constant Spring Road. The Business Mixer: Where professionals get great prizes, enjoy great company and are entertained. Admission: Free (Take your business cards). Sponsors: Johnnie Walker, LIME, Arcor, Air Jamaica, Tetley and HD Hopwood & Co.

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“Get Fit Lapathon” Part of Red Cross Fundraising Effort to Raise $3 million

October is Red Cross Month and the Lapathon is one of the organization’s key fundraising activities on our calendar which helps in mobilizing much needed resources to effectively respond to the needs of the most vulnerable Jamaicans who are underserved by our traditional social services. The Red Cross hopes to raise $3million to continue our humanitarian work island wide.

The Lapathon Programme is executed in two phases. Prior to and leading up to the event, Lapathon Cards are circulated to Jamaicans across the island through our network of branches in each parish and over 300 School Links (clubs). Holders of these cards will solicit donations from friends, family members and well wishers. Corporate Jamaica has also been propositioned to support the Lapathon by becoming a sponsor for the event and/or collecting donations from their staff on a Lapathon card.

The second phase of the Lapathon Programme is the event. After a brief opening ceremony, everyone will participate in the ‘get fit’ warm up activity led by Karell Ashley Jones of Jamfit. Later, individual and corporate sponsored laps and races will be executed along with a series of novel fun activities with the opportunity for all participants to win incredible prizes. 

A mini variety concert will be held during the last hour of the event and will provide wholesome entertainment by way of a talent show, dancing competition, spot competitions and performances by surprise guests.

Throughout the entirety of the event, participants will benefit from a mini health and wellness expo, comprised of exhibition booths from a range of partner agencies, providing information and demonstrations on approaches to leading a healthy lifestyle. 

The Lapathon will be broadcast live during which our partners, exhibitors, participants and branch representatives and well wishers will share their products, services and experiences participating in the event. A text line will be set up and promoted for persons who are interested and willing to contribute to the Lapathon using their cellular phone.

Several Jamaican celebrities and notaries have been enrolled participate in the event and to inspire and motivate other well thinking Jamaicans across the island who will be contributing and participating in the Lapathon. 

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Jamaica World Cinema Showcase "International Indie Films & Grassroots Documentary"

The Reggae News Agency (RiddimJamaica) in association with SkyFire International presents the first Jamaica World Cinema Showcase. The event will be held at the Finnigans Winery at 5 Cranbourne Avenue, Kingston 8, from October 7 – 10, 2009, and will feature 15 films from The International Film Circuit.

Highlights of the inaugural showcase include: 

• Sneak Preview - The Heart Of Summer (Jamaica)( Directed By Arian Allen, Starring Paul Campbell 
• What the %$#@ Do We Know, (USA) (The most successful indie documentary ever!!) 
• The End Of Poverty ?, (USA)( Caribbean Premier) 
• Before The Music Dies, (USA) - The Caribbean Premier( Featuring Erykah Badu) 
• The Film That Dares Not Speak Its Name, F**K, (USA) (Awarding Winning Documentary) 
• H.I.M - Man of The Millennium, (Ethiopia)( The first in-depth Docufilm on Haile Selassie)

Head of inaugural organising committee, Lloyd Laing, noted that the idea for the Showcase was a part of The Reggae News Agency's mandate to stimulate and expand Jamaica's alternative cultural scene. "We reached out to independent film directors and indie distributors worldwide, and the response was overwhelming. We got 104 submissions, and we have selected 15 films for this year’s first showcase."

Laing also noted that the JWCS was also a prelude event to Reggae Film Festival 2010, and the best of JWCS 09 will be featured at RFF10.

This year's sponsors include Nexcite Energy Drink, TalkTV, Telstar Cable, Finnigans Winery, The Reggae News Agency (RiddimJamaica). It is endorsed by Jamaica Film Academy.

Tickets are on sale October 1st. $450 single | 1500 per couple + a bottle of wine. 

View our website for schedule for more information and tickets visit http://jwcs09.ning.com or call (876) 469.4760 for ticket delivery or visit 5 Cranbourne Avenue, Kingston 8, Jamaica. 

About The Reggae News Agency (Riddimjamaica):
The Reggae News Agency is the first and only Independent News Agency dedicated to the Global Reggae Industry. The company operates The ReggaeWire, the industry's number one press wire and RiddimJamaica magazine, the industry's premier e-magazine supported by over 200 correspondents in 80 cities, covering 5 continents. The company also has various interests in television production, music production, and event promotion. www.RiddimJamaica.net, www.riddimja.com, www.rhythmjamaica.com.

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"Freedom Sounds" (From Mento, Ska, Reggae and Beyond)

Against the magical setting of the Temple Hall Great House, a live music concert of all genre featuring The World Renown Nambo Robinson on the Trombone, the founding member of The 809 Band and today, still a sought after musician for touring Reggae Acts. Joining him on this exquisite setting are:

• Shawn Anderson on the Drums
• Steven Maxwell playing the Keyboards
• Maurice Gordon – Guitars
• Recording Artiste and Guitarist for Jimmy Cliff,
• Nhamdi, Guitars,
• Plus Special Surprise Guests.

“Come and relax in the cool environs of the Great House as your mind soul and body be soothed by Nambo and friends,” said Howard, adding that the cost is $600.00, and refreshments will be on sale. Gate will be opened at 7:00 p.m. and Show Time is set for 8:30 p.m.

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IMF Could Consider Jamaica’s Application in November... says Finance Minister

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is likely to consider Jamaica’s application in November due to the delay of the technical team going to Washington and the IMF’s participation in the annual World Bank Meeting in Europe.

Minister of Finance and Public Service, Audley Shaw told journalists attending the Post Cabinet Press Briefing at Jamaica House today (September 23), that the delay of the technical team’s visit to Washington is due to government’s efforts to  fine tune the medium term programme in line with its  plans, targets and projections.

“We are the ones that said to them (IMF) we couldn’t come last week and we’re going to come this week because Cabinet is going to sign off on what we are coming with to you” Mr. Shaw explained.

The Minister noted that the delay will involve a return trip from the IMF, but that this cannot happen next week or the following week because most of the IMF’s principal people will be going to the annual IMF World Bank meeting in Istanbul, Turkey. He also will be in attendance.”

He said that he will use the opportunity to have discussions at the appropriate level after which members of the IMF team will come to Jamaica in the middle of October to complete discussions and put together the letter of intent that will go back to Washington for consideration by the IMF board.

Mr. Shaw explained that Prime Minister Bruce Golding has been going out of his way to promulgate the IMF discussions so as to ensure its success. He also added that the government of Jamaica is pleased with the relationship that has been re-established with the multi-lateral institutions in Washington.

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Government Secured US$700M in Low Interest Loans from Multilateral agencies

Government has secured US$700 Million of low interest funding for budgetary support over the past two years. This was revealed today (September 23) by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Audley Shaw, during the Post Cabinet Press Conference at Jamaica House.

The Minister said, “We are exceedingly pleased and proud of the relationship we have re-established with the multilateral institutions….Up to now we have accessed almost US$700 M in raw cash from the World Bank, the International Development Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank. These are a combination of policy based loans or project specific loans that we have been able to access.” 

Minister Shaw noted that an agreement with the IMF would make more low interest loans available to Jamaica. Securing these loans, he noted, would reduce the interest rates from 16% of GDP to about 10% of GDP over a few years.

“In terms of public sector investment, I am getting cheap money; and this fiscal and project support from multilaterals is going to begin to permeate and show an overall trajectory of lower interest rates on the budget over the medium term.”

This, Minister Shaw said, would make Jamaica less reliant on costly borrowing on the international and domestic markets. He gave the example of the recent loan for US$121M at 2.25% to construct a cruise ship pier at Falmouth and current negotiations for a 3% loan with the Chinese EX-IM Bank to undertake an Islandwide road repair programme.

  

He said that the Government’s fiscal policy led to success in securing cheap loans.

“We were willing to  commit to critical reforms in the economy… prudent fiscally responsible approaches to governance, including legislation to guide us….The IMF has said to us we are impressed with what you are achieving with our sister multilaterals. What remains now is a fine tuning of the medium term programme going over the next four to five years,” Minister Shaw said.

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SUBMISSIONS:

Need to get the word out about your business and non-profit to your target audiences? Send your submissions (notices, media advisories, news releases, profiles, or any other MSME-related information for publication to: enterpriseblog@gmail.com.

The Jamaican Copyright Licensing Agency (JAMCOPY) marks its 10^th Anniversary with a series of activities this week, commencing with a service at the Bethel Baptist Church in Half Way Tree, St Andrew today. 

Starting Monday, an exhibition titled, “JAMCOPY: 10 years of fostering respect and facilitating access” will be launched at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Library at 4:00 p.m.

This will be followed by the staging of a distinguished lecture on the topic: “Copyright and its contribution to the economic and cultural development of a nation” on Tuesday at the Western Jamaica Campus of the University of the West Indies, Mona –commencing at 6:00 p.m. The presenter will be Miss Dianne Daley, Intellectual Property Partner at the law firm, Foga Daley.

JAMCOPY is the national Reproduction Rights Organisation (RRO) that manages the reprographic reproduction rights of publishers and creators including writers, poets, journalists, playwright, photographers, illustrators and visual artists. Reprographic reproduction includes photocopying, facsimile, xerography, copying onto microfilm and duplicating.

According to Carol Newman, general manager of JAMCOPY, under Jamaica’s Copyright Act, “creators and publishers have the exclusive right to decide when and how their work is reproduced, whether it’s being photocopied, scanned or downloaded.”

Miss Newman discloses that in the past it was difficult for individuals or organisations to locate copyright owners to gain permission to copy their material, and it was difficult too for copyright owners protect their rights when copying was done illegally. She notes this has changed with the advent JAMCOPY in 1998.

“Individuals, institutions and businesses can now conveniently and easily obtain legal permission to copy, and copyright owners have a convenient mechanism through which they can receive compensation for the copying of their works,” states Miss Newman.

She discloses that JAMCOPY represents the works or repertoire of creators and publishers from many countries, through bilateral agreements with other national reproduction rights organisations (RROs) across the world. Miss Newman adds that JAMCOPY is a member of the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO), with member organisations in 34 countries.

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SUBMISSIONS:
Need to get the word out about your business and non-profit to your target audiences? Send your submissions (notices, media advisories, news releases, profiles, or any other MSME-related information for publication to: enterpriseblog@gmail.com.

September 25, 2009


By Delroy A. Whyte-Hall
Freelance Writer & Blogger

Agriculture – not tourism, not mining, not telecommunication, not financial services, not manufacturing, not distribution – is the cornerstone Jamaica’s lagging economy. For those who are so minded to invest a viable farming business, one would be well advised to get into Contract Farming, an area of opportunity pointed by Dr. David Lowe in his analysis of the World Investment Report, launched recently at Jamaica Trade & Invest (JTI) head office in Kingston.

Dr. David Lowe

Even though Contract Farming is not a new concept to Jamaica and, Dr. Lowe said that it was a viable option with “less capital intensive, less risky, and more flexible than land lease or ownership. And from the farmers’ perspective, Contract Farming can provide predictable incomes, access to markets and transnational corporations support in areas such as credit and expertise, and research through to knowledge transfer.”

What is Contract Farming?

“Contract farming,” according to Dr. Lowe, “can be defined as agricultural production carried out according to an agreement between a buyer and farmers, which establishes conditions for the production and marketing of a farm product or products.”

Speaking to The Blog Enterprise, in an exclusive post-presentation interview, Dr. Lowe explained that Contract Farming was typically a situation where the farmer agrees to provide established quantities of a specific agricultural product, meeting the quality standards and delivery schedule set by the purchaser.

In turn, the buyer commits to purchase the product, often at a pre-determined price.

In some instances of Contract Farming, the buyer also commits to support production through, for example, supplying farm inputs, land preparation, providing technical advice and arranging transport of produce to the buyer’s premises.

Another term often used to refer to Contract Farming operations is out-grower schemes, whereby farmers are linked with a large farm or processing plant which supports production planning, input supply, extension advice and transport.

Contract farming is used for a wide variety of agricultural products. Several years ago, Sandals Resorts International introduced this concept to several small farmers in Western Jamaica. In an effort to reduce its foreign exchange expenditure for certain exotic fruits and vegetable that weren’t readily available locally, the hotel chain forged a contractual agreement with several farmers in Western Jamaica.

The agreement called for Sandals to provide all the fruits and vegetable seeds to the farmers, who, with the expert assistance from RADA, grow the crops. However, on maturity, the produce be sold in the desired quantity and quality, to Sandals, and whatever quantity was left, the farmers were free to sell it to whomever they want.

Other key benefits of Contract Farming for farmers can be summarized as follows:

• improved access to local markets;
• assured markets and prices (lower risks) especially for non-traditional crops;
• assured and often higher returns;
• enhanced farmer access to production inputs, mechanization and transport services, and extension services

Additional key benefits for contract partners and rural development often include:

• assured quality and timeliness in delivery of farmers’ products;
• improved local infrastructure, such as roads and irrigation facilities, dairy coolers/collection centres, etc.
• lower transport costs, as coordinated and larger loads are planned, an especially important feature in the case of more dispersed producers.

Another attractive area in which small business investors might want venture is in agro-processing, which is basically turning primary agricultural products into other commodities for market.

Its primary aim is to increase income and access to food for many. All it calls for is the establishing of small-scale, appropriate and sustainable processing businesses, which are by nature flexible, require little capital investment and can be carried out in the home without the need for sophisticated or expensive equipment.

So, there you have it! Contract Farming and Agro-procession are two viable farming business choices you have before you. You can pick one or the other – money is there to be had in both, but the choice is now yours.

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SUBMISSIONS

The Blog Enterprise!  Promoting You, Promoting Your Business!

The Blog Enterprise (http://theblogenterprise.blogspot.com/) is an online publication that publishes the latest Jamaican small business and non-profit organisation news, information, profiles, and industry trends. It is published every Monday by multi-award-winning Caribbean journalist, copywriter and blogger, Delroy A. Whyte-Hall, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief.

You are invited to send your submissions (notices, news releases, profiles (send email for list of questions), or any other small business related information) to: enterpriseblog@aol.com.

Kingston (JIS): Charitable groups are being encouraged to take advantage of the special three-month amnesty now being offered by the Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ).

“We are asking charitable organisations to take advantage of this amnesty,” said Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Karl Samuda, at a press briefing held September 8 at the COJ’s head office in New Kingston to launch the programme.

“It’s just our expression of support, recognising the difficulties that these organisations have and giving them as much support as possible by enabling this period of time to experience a reduction in costs,” he stated.

The amnesty, which will be offered for the period September 1 to November 30, applies to Companies Limited by Guarantee such as churches, charities, service clubs, non-profit organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and professional associations.

It will allow these organisations to file outstanding documents with the COJ at reduced fees of between 50 and 75 per cent.

Minister Samuda lamented that too many companies are delinquent in filing their documents and that not enough respond to these amnesty periods despite the fact that the reductions provide a fair amount of cost savings.

He informed that as at April 2009, a total of 3,395 charitable organisations were registered with the COJ “and the delinquency rate (in filing annual returns) is in the vicinity of 70-odd per cent, and what we are seeking to do, is to give this amnesty in the expectation that these organisations will take advantage of this particular facility that we are extending.”

He pointed out that persons will enjoy savings of $2,500 if annual returns are filed during the stipulated period, as the current fee of $4,000 has been reduced to $1,500. The filing of income and expenditure statements, which is another important requirement, has been reduced from $2,000 to $1,000.

Additionally, the fee for Change of Directors will be $1,000 down from $2,000, so too the cost for the Change of Address. The charge for the Appointment of Secretary has also been reduced from $2,000 to $1,500; Statutory Declaration is $500, down from $2,000; while Late Submissions, which usually attracts a fee of $1,000, will be free of cost for the amnesty period.

Amnesty transactions will be conducted Mondays to Thursdays between 8:30 a.m. and 12 noon at the COJ head office at 1 Grenada Way in New Kingston. A drop-off box is available for deposits outside of these hours. Special arrangements have been put in place such as a designated waiting area for customers with amnesty transactions.

The COJ, an executive agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, has responsibility to maintain accurate and up-to-date records on commercial entities. It also registers local and overseas companies, industrial and provident societies and individuals carrying on business in Jamaica.

It actively encourages voluntary compliance of companies and businesses with the Companies Act of 2004, the Registration of Business Names Act of 1934 and the Industrial and Provident Societies Act of 1903.

For further details on the amnesty for charities, call the COJ at 908-4419-24 or email: amnesty2009@orcjamaica.com.

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SUBMISSIONS

The Blog Enterprise!  Promoting You, Promoting Your Business!

The Blog Enterprise (http://whytehallcommunications.wordpress.com) is an online publication that publishes the latest Jamaican small business and non-profit organisation news, information, profiles, and industry trends. It is published every Monday by multi-award-winning Caribbean journalist, copywriter and blogger, Delroy A. Whyte-Hall, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief.

You are invited to send your submissions (notices, news releases, profiles (send email for list of questions), or any other small business related information) to: enterpriseblog@aol.com.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009 Issue

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Can A Record-Breaking Athlete Teaches Small Business Owners His Secrets of Success?


• Music Through The Ages… Charity Concert for Children Charities


• Business Quote


• JAMCOPY Celebrates 10th Anniversary


• Are You Interested In Global Trade and Agriculture?


• Learn To Invest In 10 Steps

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CAN A RECORD-BREAKING ATHLETE TEACHES SMALL BUSINESSES OPERATORS HIS SECRET TO SUCCESS?

Athletes who are the best in the world give us tremendous joy. We get incredible satisfaction when our favorite teams or athletes excel and prevail.

The question is: “Can entrepreneurs, small-to-medium-sized enterprises and professionals learn anything from such stellar accomplishment?” Judging from a recent event at IMD, the global business school based in Switzerland, the answer is a resounding yes.

Usain Bolt is the fastest sprinter in human history. He set three world records at the Beijing Olympics last year, and he followed up this year by breaking world records in the 100-meter and 200-meter races while winning his first gold medals at a world championship.

Please click the following link to read Ian Week's article, Lessons From Usain Bolt, published by Forbes.com:  http://www.forbes.com/2009/09/10/usain-bolt-training-leadership-managing-discipline.html?partner=email

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‘MUSIC THROUGH THE AGES 2’ –CHARITY CONCERT FOR CHILDREN CHARITIES-SUNDAY, SEPT 27:

‘Music Through the Ages-2’, an annual  fund raising concert  for various children charities, will take place this Sunday, (September 27) at the University of the West Indies, Mona Chapel, starting at 6:00pm.

Presented by the Jamaica American Friendship Association, the concert will feature a star-studded cast of classical artistes.

Giving of their talent to the cause for children’s charities will be Carole Reid, Jon Williams, Commander John McFarlane, Rory Baugh, Marilyn McDonald, Christine McDonald-Nevers, the J.C. Chapel Choir, Elinor D’Melon, Aaron Lawrence, Albert Shaun-Hird, Donald Hossack, Livingston Burnett and Steel Pan artistes Gayne Magnus and Kelly-Ann Hamil.

“Music Through the Ages 2”, will be presented under the patronage of Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, Lady Allen and the Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Embassy, Mrs. Patricia Attkinsson. Cocktails, preceding the show will begin at 5:30 p.m. MC will be Norma Brown- Bell.

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BUSINESS QUOTE:

“Many firms seem to have the potential for success, yet because of poor financial management, they fail. An accountant is the one member of your professional team who can best help keep your finances in order. In fact, many consider finding a good accountant the most vital ingredient for success.”
~ Peter J. Patsula

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JAMCOPY CELEBRATES 10^TH ANNVERSARY

JAMCOPY, the Jamaican Copyright Licensing Agency, will be celebrating its 10^th year of operation during the week of September 27, 2009 and is organising three (3) events to mark this significant milestone.

“We take pleasure in inviting you to share in the celebration by sharing with us in these events,” said Carol A. Newman, General Manager, JAMCOPY.

In celebration of this milestone, a Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Sunday September 27, 2009 at the Bethel Baptist Church, 6 Hope Road, Kingston 10 starting at 10:00 a.m.

In collaboration with the Jamaica Library Service, an exhibition - “JAMCOPY: 10 years of fostering respect and facilitating access” - will be presented. Its aim will be to showcase JAMCOPY’s growth and development since it began operation in 1999. The exhibition will be hosted by the Jamaica Library Service in the Reading Room at the Kingston & St. Andrew Parish Library, Tom Redcam Drive, Kingston 5.

The exhibition will be launched on Monday September 28, 2009 at 4:00 p.m., and will be aired on Power 106 FM’s “Both Sides of the Story”.

Also, JAMCOPY in association with The University of the West Indies (Mona) Western Jamaica Campus will present the first of a series of “Distinguished Lectures on Copyright” as a contribution to the economic and cultural development of a nation, on Tuesday 29^th September 2009 at 6:00 p.m.  Presenter will be Attorney and Intellectual Property Partner in the Law Firm Foga Daley, Miss Dianne Daley. The lecture is being hosted by the UWI (Mona) Western Jamaica Campus, 10 Queen’s Drive, Montego Bay and will be in Seminar Room 21.

“We believe that this lecture will be beneficial to creators and users of intellectual property, as well as the general public, as it will offer knowledge about intellectual property rights and copyright in particular, energize talent and creativity through insight and awareness raising and help to solidify the connection between copyright and our economic and cultural development as a nation,” said Ms. Newman, who asked that interested persons confirm their attendance by telephoning Nordia Young at 754 8910 or sending an email to admin.jamcopy@cwjamaica.com.

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ARE YOU INTERESTED IN GLOBAL TRADE & AGRICULTURE?

Daniel Nibarger, representative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Jamaica, will address this topic at the Institute of Jamaica, 10-16 East Street, Kingston, on Tuesday, October 1, 12:00 noon.

Daniel Nibarger, who is currently stationed in Kingston, Jamaica, is an Economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service.

Daniel is from Gardner, Kansas and attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas.  At Kansas State, Daniel earned a B.S. degree in Economics with an International Economics Overlay, and an M.S. in Economics with an emphasis in International Trade. During his graduate coursework, Daniel spent a summer in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China teaching English language courses at Huazhong University.  After completing his M.S., Daniel earned a Legislative Fellowship with the State of Kansas Legislature.  He has also served as a Labor Economist with the Kansas Department of Labor researching ways to project employment and unemployment.

The discussion is free and open to the public.  Please share with anyone you know who may be interested.

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Department at the Institute of Jamaica: Tel: 922-0620-6.

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LEARN TO INVEST IN 10 STEPS

Investing is actually pretty simple; you're basically putting your money to work for you so that you don't have to take a second job, or work overtime hours to increase your earning potential. There are many different ways to make an investment, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds. or real estate, and they don't always require a large sum of money to start. Please click the following link to see the Slide Show: Learn To Invest In 10 Steps.

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SUBMISSIONS

The Blog Enterprise!  Promoting You, Promoting Your Business!

The Blog Enterprise (http://whytehallcommunications.wordpress.com) is an online publication that publishes the latest Jamaican small business news, information, profiles, and industry trends. It is published every Monday by multi-award-winning Caribbean journalist, copywriter and blogger, Delroy A. Whyte-Hall, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief.

You are invited to send your submissions (notices, news releases, profiles (send email for list of questions), or any other small business related information) to: enterpriseblog@aol.com.

The Edward Seaga Foundation invites you to the launch of ‘Revelations: Beyond Political Boundaries’ and ‘The Grenada Intervention: The Inside Story’ - two books from the former Prime Minister, tomorrow (Wednesday, September 23, 2009) at 5:30 PM, at the Hilton Hotel, Kingston.

[caption id="attachment_588" align="alignright" width="72" caption="Edward Seaga, Former Prime Minister of Jamaica."][/caption]

Both books represent a significant part of the work that Mr Seaga has been doing since he retired from politics in January 2005.

Indeed, ‘Revelations: Beyond Political Boundaries’ is a compilation of the 27 major speeches Mr Seaga has given since that time.

Mr Seaga speaks on the topics that matter to him - from child development to cultural identity, economic development, planning, race, religion, sports and the constitution.

These are topics that Mr Seaga has addressed before in his previous roles of Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and Member of Parliament.

However, he has never before addressed the subjects in this voice. A major restriction which modified his public statements over the past four and a half decades is gone.

“I no longer have the problems of earlier days when I had to speak within the boundaries of party policies. These thoughts are freely expressed,” said Mr Seaga.

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A REMINDER: The U.S. Embassy’s Film Festival continues tomorrow night at the Tom Redcam Library with the showing of ‘Lilies of the Field’ (1963): Director Ralph Nelson. Starring Sidney Poitier, Lilia Skala. One Oscar (Sidney Poitier, Best Actor); four nominations. Based on the novel by William Edmund Barrett.

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SUBMISSIONS

The Blog Enterprise!  Promoting You, Promoting Your Business!

The Blog Enterprise (http://whytehallcommunications.wordpress.com) is an online publication that publishes the latest Jamaican small business news, information, profiles, and industry trends. It is published every Monday by multi-award-winning Caribbean journalist, copywriter and blogger, Delroy A. Whyte-Hall, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief.

You are invited to send your submissions (notices, news releases, profiles (send email for list of questions), or any other small business related information) to: enterpriseblog@aol.com.

By Delroy A. Whyte-Hall
Freelance Writer/Blogger

Within the past year-and-a-half, thousands of Jamaicans have lost their jobs – conveniently blamed on the worldwide economic downturn.

This kind of job loss is unprecedented in Jamaica, and of course, the country’s leaders seem impotent in charting a way out of this crisis.

Resilient as though they might be, not everybody is taking it lying down. In fact, there been a marked increase in sellers of products and services than buyers – meaning that most people have decided to employers of themselves rather than being employees to the whims and fancy of others.

And one of the areas that people are turning to for their salvation is agriculture.

Subsequent to presenting his recent analysis of the key findings from the World Investment Report 2009 and the

[caption id="attachment_551" align="alignleft" width="199" caption="Dr. David Lowe, Outgoing Chair, Agricultural Development Corporation, Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries."][/caption]

relevance to Jamaica’s agriculture sector, I spoke to Dr. David Lowe (the outgoing Chairman, Agricultural Development Corporation, Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries), and asked whether there were any real opportunities for Jamaican entrepreneurs, particular for those who see agriculture as a viable business option.

Without hesitation, he answered: “Yes, there are… because going into your own farm business offers rewards that range from being your own boss, to working at something you enjoy, to earning income for yourself.”

However, Dr. Lowe noted that one of the first considerations in going into your own agricultural business is that it has got to be seen as any other business that comes with its own unique risks. “If you’re interested in agriculture, from either the prospective of production or local sales, then success of a farming operation requires careful planning and decision-making, and most importantly, a sound business plan to guide him or her through the initial start-up years. And as it relates to having a business plan, the AIC (Agro-Investment Corporation) is there to guide you through the process.”

In terms of opportunities that are available to potential small-to-medium-sized business farmers, Dr. Lowe said you don’t necessarily have to be knowledgeable or show competent in any the various farming disciplines. What you can do is to look to hiring someone with the required expertise in agriculture. “There are a lot of CASE (College of Agriculture, Science & Education) students out there who would gladly welcome the opportunity to be paid a stipend to help you develop the farm as it relates to best practices. Later on, you probably could hire him or her as a business person after graduation to fully manage the operation,” says Dr. Lowe.

Other areas in which you could get involved in agriculture, noted Dr. Lowe, include your focusing on agro-processing. “You might not have an interest in going out there in the hot sun and toiling away, but what you can do is to purchase raw materials from local farmers and create a value-added product, such as a paste or chutney, or something that can add value to an agro-processor or some other entrepreneur,” explains Dr. Lowe, adding that that was going to be critical in going forward!

He continues: “Now everything has to be methodological, and I warn and encourage small investors in agriculture that it is not the typical kind of business that carries the typical business risk. It is much more than one can imagine.

“The issue is to start small, look for high-premium products, don’t just look to producing fruits and vegetables unless you have a particular interest there, look at other things like lemon grass (fever grass), or look at the areas like spices – spices, like Jamaica red, or scotch bonnet; look at livestock, where there might be an opportunity for productive capacity to hotels or smaller supermarkets.

“Whatever happens with a small business, the person has to be one of focus, measured investment. Start small, build knowledge, grow, and develop.”

Another area of opportunity, according to Dr. Lowe, includes “contract farming.” His advice to small investors is that you have got to find someone who needs productive capacity, and sell to them.

“So if you have a supermarket, for example, Empire or Hi Lo, who needs a number of kilograms per year of certain agricultural produce, and should that number of kilograms equates to 100% of your capacity, then you have a relationship right there,” Dr. Lowe explains. “Start from a market-driven approach and work backwards. Don’t first produce and then expect to find sales.”

There you have it. Agriculture is definitely a choice avenue of enterprise, and I believe this is an area that small-to-medium-sized business investors should investigate. The potential to going into your own farm business is awesome - from being your own boss, to working at something you enjoy, to earning income for yourself!

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The Blog Enterprise (http://whytehallcommunications.wordpress.com) is an online publication that publishes the latest Jamaican small business news, information, profiles, and industry trends. It is published every Monday by multi-award-winning Caribbean journalist, copywriter and blogger, Delroy A. Whyte-Hall, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief.

You are invited to send your submissions (notices, news releases, profiles (send email for list of questions), or any other small business related information) to: enterpriseblog@aol.com.