tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284503172012-02-16T07:47:36.744-05:00The aim of this blog is to keep a running journal of my efforts to produce a Caribbean business magazine aimed at Caribbean Americans starting in the South Florida area.Marionoreply@blogger.comBlogger911100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-14993132775061209772007-10-08T21:51:00.000-05:002007-10-08T21:55:12.004-05:00

In the middle of finalizing the articles for this next issue I came across an item in the news that South Florida is enticing for start up magazines. Click here to view.Well that should bode well for me then. I don’t think the fact that I have switched from print to online makes a difference but I will try to contact some of the folks interviewed for the article and see what they can share about

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-37329945490867725112007-09-06T07:51:00.000-05:002007-09-06T14:41:20.976-05:00

Apparently Gillian Smart in her feature article in the CBD was right: we do need our own facilities as Caribbean Americans here in the South Florida community. View article here.The city of Miramar voted to reject the plan to host the Broward Caribbean carnival in the city that was hoped for on October 7. The amount of people expected to attend the event and parking issues were among the reasons

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-6779437516327661952007-09-02T22:31:00.000-05:002007-09-02T22:32:55.853-05:00

A few recent developments are worth mentioning in regards to the CBD. First, I received a call from the producers of a television show aimed at local Caribbean culture in the South Florida area. Somehow, the CBD came up in discussion due to my involvement with the community. An offer was extended for me to appear on the show and I am currently working on getting the time sorted out. The show I

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-73079609384574169892007-08-27T23:07:00.000-05:002007-08-27T23:11:34.028-05:00

T&T Diaspora members,I am sure Trinibagonians are no doubt looking forward to August 31 in anticipation of T&T Independence anniversary. And if my guess is right, the celebrations are probably already underway, not only on the twin island nation, but within its Diaspora as well.Having had the opportunity to meet and get to know members of the T&T Diaspora personally in the past few months, I know

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-86574193226149117182007-08-22T21:08:00.000-05:002007-08-22T21:15:30.864-05:00

This issue is special because it marks the migration to the new online format. View new format here. Though there are print copies of this issue that has been distributed, it will be the last print copy for the foreseeable future. I am looking forward to the feedback as to the new mode of distribution.This issue itself featured dialogue with four women each contributing something different to the

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-64074782515610066322007-08-19T07:30:00.000-05:002007-08-19T07:36:27.701-05:00

Here is the letter from the Diaspora representative Marlon Hill, Esq about Hurricane aid for Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Thanks to the Diaspora and Consulate General for taking the initiative.Jamaican Diaspora Southern US Organizes Hurricane Aid (for Jamaica/Cayman Islands)The Jamaica Consulate General and the Jamaican Diaspora Southern United States Advisory Board are coordinating emergency

Marionoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-59858293760104815042007-08-19T07:14:00.000-05:002007-08-19T07:35:22.912-05:00

On the Weather Channel right now, I am watching highlights and updates of people getting ready for Hurricane Dean in Jamaica. It is nice to see that for the most part people are taking this seriously. Somehow I am getting a bad feeling here but will continue to pray for my fellow Jamaicans of my island home. I can't help but to think that with this major catastrophe seemingly hours away from the

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-63753065953585896452007-08-09T10:32:00.000-05:002007-08-09T10:46:13.608-05:00

So the 45th anniversary of Jamaica's independence is gone and the celebrations that follow have tapered off. But, there are still some issues that will remain for a while for the Diaspora. This is evidenced by the comments and reaction stemming from a Sun Sentinel article written by Alva James Johnson. View article here.After reading view comments here.I will choose not to comment much except to

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-60515124234676565682007-08-05T16:17:00.000-05:002007-08-05T18:07:25.101-05:00

August is a special month for two of the largest Caribbean diaspora groups. On August 6th Jamaica celebrates its 45th year of Independence (T&T celebrates later this month). Already, Emancipation Day is behind us and much has already been written about the significance of this date. (See the Jamaican Prime Minister's Emancipation Day message here).Jamaica and Jamaicans worldwide should now put

Marionoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-19581778099325337932007-07-28T22:44:00.000-05:002007-08-01T20:08:19.445-05:00

The new issue is now available online. Visit Caribbean Business Digest and follow the link to the current issue.This issue features artist entrepreneur Nerissa Street as she talks about her firm The Artist Initiative, how she got started and the influence that led her to help fellow artist-entrepreneurs.Attorney Jasmine Calder, Esq talks about being a wife and mother and what drove her to start

Marionoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-38442651947378171932007-07-28T22:10:00.000-05:002007-07-28T22:43:12.069-05:00

Jamaica elections 2007 made its stop in South Florida with the two parties being represented for a debate/question and answer from the Jamaican Diaspora living in the area. I will not comment on the debate itself but I will make a few observations.Jamaica is right up there with the technologically advanced what with the proceedings being made available on Youtube and viewers having the ability to

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-38469884499354130942007-07-26T15:27:00.000-05:002007-07-26T15:39:51.337-05:00

As has been made clear numerous times on this blog and at the various meetings by the Diaspora of Trinidad and Tobago (DOTT) that I have attended, I think this group is capable of wonderful things that will serve to be of immense benefit to the Caribbean American climate. If the activities of the Jamaican Diaspora can serve as a model, the DOTT seems to be emulating this with what I believe to be

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-81699555319776541322007-07-24T13:29:00.000-05:002007-07-24T13:42:42.210-05:00

Below is the reminder about the Town Hall meeting before the elections in Jamaica. It looks like both parties are taking it seriously. I think it is interesting who are being sent as representatives. Mr. Paulwell is the Minister of Industry, Commerce, Science and Technology and Mr. Bartlett is the Opposition Spokesperson on Diaspora Affairs and Tourism. I am not advocating either party but am

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-22264485844146345962007-07-20T19:17:00.000-05:002007-07-20T20:05:10.462-05:00

The more I think about it, the more I believe this issue will be the last print issue. I am going to transform the CBD into an online magazine. The form of the online magazine is yet to be determined such as whether it would be a web newsletter, html newsletter or plain text newsletter. Some more specifics still need to be worked out such as how to get ads on the newsletter. But I believe that

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-82392908753028580662007-07-19T22:20:00.000-05:002007-07-19T22:26:51.587-05:00

Here is the second instance where I found the Caribbean Business Digest referenced. It was in a paper much like the one I blogged on before in regards to the Diaspora conference back in June.Click here for the article. The CBD is referenced on page 7.My only clarification here is the the T&T forum that the writer refers to was not on "Crime and Investment" but on broad issues that were of concern

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-25503964413977521072007-07-18T20:48:00.000-05:002007-07-18T21:22:06.621-05:00

I was supposed to be at the Greater Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce today but had to cancel last minute. Second month in a row I had to for ego this event but this August is a must attend on my calendar. The Let's Talk forum is in August and this is where the Caribbean community in South Florida come together and have a discussion about the progress we are making as a community. All the

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-4705091981978298362007-07-18T20:32:00.000-05:002007-07-18T20:37:37.551-05:00

Found the following story online. Apparently this book written by a Jamaican, Claudette Beckford Brady is getting some rave reviews. I hope to get the book and have a read. Here is the article. The review itself makes me want to get this book asap...............Nice to see this addition to the Caribbean Diaspora literature creating a buzz.

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-53117690243158973732007-07-13T21:57:00.000-05:002007-07-13T22:07:15.282-05:00

I recieved this earlier this week about the Jamaican Diaspora meeting in South Floida. Might turn out to be very interesting with elections is JA on the horizon...................JAMAICAN DIASPORA SOUTHERN U.S. TO HOST FORUM ON NATIONAL ELECTIONS IN JAMAICAThe Jamaican Diaspora Southern United States will host a Community Conversation and Town Hall Meeting, titled “Elections 2007: Our Vision for

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-41954588429157198822007-07-13T21:39:00.000-05:002007-07-13T21:56:02.182-05:00

The latest issue of the CBD is in its review stage and will go to print early next week. And as I look back, I remember a couple of situation where I was promised fervently promised advertising by at least two business owners but both fell through. At the time speaking with both men, it was all great and seemed like a slam dunk. It was like "yes yes, this is great I am in call me next week though

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-64664283064568097752007-06-30T22:38:00.000-05:002007-06-30T22:46:38.796-05:00

This is a paper that was written for the Diaspora conference by Dennis Jones referenced the Caribbean Business Digest. This is the first instance of the CBD being in the news that I can think of. The CBD was referenced on page 11 of the document. I need to read this in more detail and offer my reaction to Mr Jones...............In the link in the last post, I listened to Dennis speak and he

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-54743799231623502382007-06-30T22:25:00.000-05:002007-06-30T22:32:04.527-05:00

This is a link to the wrap up session of the Diaspora conference earlier this month. The clip is about one and a half hours long but the first 15 or so minutes is a good summary of some of the main points.I like the fact that there is talk about creating political action committee to lobby Washington. And of course there is more talk about a common database of skilled Caribbean nationals here in

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-89512167093476484382007-06-21T20:46:00.000-05:002007-06-21T21:38:52.395-05:00

I have come across a few articles talking about the Diaspora Forum for the Caribbean in Washington DC. This article quotes various Diaspora members talking about the Conference. My favorite quote comes from Grenadian Roy Hastick who stated that the talks should yield "something tangible". I echo these sentiments as I fear this annual conference will become just an annual rhetoric. Glenn Joseph in

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-20854901554591511212007-06-19T17:41:00.000-05:002007-06-19T18:14:49.809-05:00

Well Caribbean Heritage month is half way completed and the activities are in full swing. Today is especially important as this is the first day of the conference in Washington. I am anxiously awaiting what the results and action plan of these talks will be as Caribbean Americans talk with this country's leaders.In the meantime on the local scene here in the South Florida area there is a

Marionoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-65501603375505435192007-06-09T22:31:00.000-05:002007-06-09T23:37:33.419-05:00

This article contains links about raising capital for small business owners. Maybe one day I will need the info contained here. Click here to view article.

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-5758082750111608832007-06-09T22:26:00.000-05:002007-06-09T23:38:01.358-05:00

The attached article talks about new ways of marketing your company especially for small business owners. Some of these ideas are low cost but important enough for all business owners and professionals to consider. Click here to view article.

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-39352862005111703652007-06-08T22:07:00.000-05:002007-06-08T22:43:47.143-05:00

After speaking with the owner of a restaurant (Mama's Kitchen) down in the Sunrise area in Broward, I was left feeling a little bit reflective. It became clear that it is time to take the CBD to the next level. By this I mean expanding to other areas outside of South Florida, improve on the product and increase production and distribution so that the magazine becomes a viable alternative for

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1065726937173894412007-06-08T21:22:00.000-05:002007-06-08T22:07:20.552-05:00

We are right in the middle of Caribbean Heritage month. June is chock full of activities here in the South Florida area and across the US. Recently there was Unifest which is basically a festival of Caribbean nations designed to celebrate our heritage. This is one of the sweet moments when people from different Caribbean nations come together.Later this month, there will be a Caribbean forum in

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-85310388221320019512007-06-02T23:02:00.000-05:002007-06-02T23:13:23.862-05:00

As is well documented it is the start of the hurricane season. And everyone here in South Florida is looking toward the season with bated breath. With the past hurricane seasons causing homeowner losses and insurance rates what they are here, everyone is hoping that there is no hurricane activity this year. Some small business owners flat out told me that their businesses will not survive an

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-46247618669089136542007-06-02T22:29:00.000-05:002007-06-04T19:36:22.552-05:00

It has been a while since I made a blog post but that was due to a weekend getaway in Jamaica where I stayed at the Grand Bahia Principe hotel in Runaway Bay in St. Ann. I had a wonderful time and it was a beautiful hotel. I encourage everyone to consider it as an option when staying in Jamaica. And even though it rained, there was enough to do.My last post I said I would talk about the Jamaica

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-23572083796063936532007-05-25T07:42:00.000-05:002007-05-25T07:48:22.112-05:00

Last night I attended the Jamaica USA Chamber of Commerce Business Expo. Usually I post my thoughts on these events which I will do again here but not now. My wife and I are headed off for a weekend gettaway to JA for Memorial Day weekend. But when I return I will talk about my brief chat with Rovan Locke of the Caribbean Commentary, a discusion with Irvine Headley of Bilmor Advertising, a long

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-47303349529270051262007-05-20T19:16:00.001-05:002007-05-20T19:23:58.466-05:00

Well today represents my one year anniversary of blogging. Yup, one year ago today I made my first post. Since that first post, I realize that now my approach to posting my writings have changed. I am a little more organized in my thoughts and patient in my posts. I am also selective about the blogs I post comments to.At first, my blog was intended to talk about my launch of the Caribbean

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-20036223780226904062007-05-20T18:43:00.000-05:002007-05-20T19:14:49.953-05:00

The following post was on the FSB Blog this past week and it had to do with starting a business while keeping your full time job. For most entrepreneurs that is a classic dilemma since they may have an idea that they would like to explore but find it difficult to give up the fulltime job. This situation arises from the lack of places to obtain capital. A lot of Caribbean Americans (among other

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-63754469742403864142007-05-19T21:30:00.000-05:002007-05-19T22:09:03.989-05:00

In the upcoming week the Jamaica USA Chamber of Commerce will be having a business expo in conjunction with the Jamaica Manufacturers Association. The event will be held at the Signature Grand in Davie, Florida. Here, businesses will get a chance to exhibit their products and services and establish relationship with companies here in the US. Representatives should include the trade, manufacturing

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-65601217461788972022007-05-15T22:22:00.000-05:002007-05-15T22:32:16.149-05:00

I read this article on the Fortune Small Business blog. Essentially, the question about hiring illegal immigrants by companies here in the US is asked and there were a slew of responses of varying types. It is worth reading. I guess I should not be surprised at the tone of some of the responses.I find it difficult to come out at either end in this debate. Being an immigrant (a legal one, I repeat

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-87691332375466746332007-05-10T18:27:00.000-05:002007-05-10T18:44:02.751-05:00

Two events to report on that happened yesterday. First my cell phone rings and I glanced quickly at the screen and saw a number that looked like my wife calling me from work. So I picked up the phone and said "Hi sweetheart". Well turns out the number was not my wife's but someone inquiring about ad rates. What an embarrassment! So I tried to apologize and salvage the situation. The lady, Grace

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-87121143738153920732007-05-10T18:09:00.000-05:002007-05-10T18:27:05.630-05:00

This article came to my attention some time ago. One thing I can say about Spirit Airlines is that they definitely know what product they are offering and are clear about how they plan on competing.I can't argue with their plan though. Right now it seems to be cheaper to go to Jamaica than it is to go to Disney world. At the end of the day most travellers are looking for the cheapest way to

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-56476395055085797982007-05-08T20:11:00.000-05:002007-05-08T20:35:48.002-05:00

Well this past weekend I went to the mini conference of the Jamaican Diaspora. Though I could not stay for the entire meeting I enjoyed the event and it left me feeling very positive for the future. My interest level was along the business aspect of things so I sat with the group that addressed business issues. A couple points that came up was the creation of a database of businesses and

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-64171879933858753912007-05-08T19:52:00.000-05:002007-05-08T20:10:01.757-05:00

It has been over a week since my last post which is like an eternity in the online world. So this post is overdue. This past week has seen me attend a mini conference for the Jamaican diaspora here in Florida but more on that in a separate post. Let me take time out to thank Abeni for the shout out given to me on her blog. Kinda surprised but loved it. So thank you very much for that. Actually

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-74710226327419976612007-05-01T22:21:00.000-05:002007-05-01T22:39:01.600-05:00

This article came to my attention today. Medical costs are through the roof and I believe will continue to be that way for the foreseeable future. Small business owners find it tough to offer health insurance to employees and even large companies find that a huge portion of the bottom line is eaten up with health care costs. Enter Medical Tourism which the article is pointing out is taking off in

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-52580924701669488462007-05-01T20:58:00.000-05:002007-05-01T21:18:35.535-05:00

In the past couple days I typed my name into Google to see the results and came up with quite a few hits. I also typed in Caribbean Business Digest to see the results. Funny thing is that a couple months ago when I type in Caribbean Business Digest there were no hits at all (not on the first fifty pages anyway) Now both came up which made me feel good.Putting my name in (Mushtaq Maxwell) resulted

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-60856301096341344732007-04-28T08:50:00.000-05:002007-04-28T09:03:11.882-05:00

Recently I added Google Ads to my my blog and website. The way it works is that you copy in a set of codes into the website or blog and based on the content Google plants ads on your web page. In my case, the Google ads have a Caribbean theme and a business theme as well. I guess I can understand the business ads, but if most of my readers are from the Caribbean, then there is pointless to have

Marionoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-29433731841680793332007-04-26T22:39:00.000-05:002007-04-26T22:53:38.897-05:00

Two prominent members of the Caribbean community here in South Florida asked me within the last two weeks how they can help me in the progress of the Caribbean Business Digest. Both times it caught me off guard. On a third occasion I came across a chamber president that wanted to have the magazine distributed to the chamber members. But a simple as the request was I did not quite know how to

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-72544309918234037732007-04-21T23:02:00.000-05:002007-04-21T23:17:38.363-05:00

The Greater Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce (GCACC) had back to back events this week but I could only attend one. I had to skip the annual job fair due to a very important meeting that was arranged prior to learning of the job fair. But I made the monthly business meeting where the Florida Memorial University Mobile Economic Unit was visiting. The FMU Unit is a mobile office that caters

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-26675309514636497652007-04-21T22:43:00.000-05:002007-04-21T23:02:14.416-05:00

This past week has seen a flurry of activity. It started with an announcement at a local event that was totally off script even after I took the time to painstakingly write the copy of the announcement. The speaker in his infinite wisdom decided to improvise and left out some rather important information. Well, the old adage that no publicity is bad publicity may be true.......... I did get a few

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-79956996624634183522007-04-21T18:20:00.000-05:002007-04-24T19:58:41.460-05:00

I found this article on another interesting Caribbean blog concerning Muna (pictured with her father) on The Apprentice. This is an interview done by the Gleaner with her concerning her experience and offers some insight into this fabulous contestant. Though she didn't win I totally enjoyed her on this show. Click here to view the article.

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-17710775781042249792007-04-13T20:57:00.000-05:002007-04-13T21:17:21.890-05:00

Well, with the good feedback come the bad. I should not say bad, not in this case anyway. I communicated with a manager of the Wright Muir PA law firm down in the Broward area today and came in for some harsh criticisms. Though harsh, it was constructive. But on some level it was a bitter pill. I have to learn to keep an even steady attitude and not rise and fall with the positive and negative

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-67601605138764354212007-04-07T19:51:00.000-05:002007-04-07T20:30:14.878-05:00

From time to time, I speak with someone about the magazine and they say something that makes me feel good, makes me feel like I am doing something valuable and makes me feel as if I am doing something worthwile. The accountant/realtor I referred to in the prior blog entry told me that he was impressed with the magazine and the layout, color and content. And numerous other people expressed similar

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-69767243080352832302007-04-07T19:08:00.000-05:002007-04-07T20:26:22.036-05:00

Lately, I have heard the R word being tossed around - Recession. With the housing market the way it is and the prices of houses being driven down by the excess supply of houses in the market that puts a lot of pressure on numerous sections of the economy. Now, I am bringing this up because a few weeks ago an accountant and realtor who runs his own business told me that times are tight right now -

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-69590834806427202972007-04-03T20:05:00.000-05:002007-04-07T18:49:32.003-05:00

It has been a year since the Caribbean Business Digest was born. Actually, if my memory serves me right, the idea was borne in February but the first time I went public with it was in April 2006. That was at the banquest that honored Jamaican entreprenuers at the Sheraton in Ft Lauderdale. That day, I brought media kits that I had printed up at Kinko's due to the fact I had heard about the

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-7690090044018485512007-03-31T10:56:00.000-05:002007-03-31T10:59:22.841-05:00

I found this article online while catching up on some reading. Basically it just gives a few tips for creating a start up company. Follow the link here.

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-70389801773372428042007-03-30T21:42:00.000-05:002007-03-30T22:28:19.656-05:00

As I drove home today, I pondered about my young magazine and the sacrifices being made into making this dream a reality. There has been some recent developments that bode well for the upcoming issues and development of the magazine over all. But the sacrifices go well beyond financial. And it is that aspect that I would like to address here in this post.A start up venture of any sort takes time

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-18560405166545466202007-03-24T22:55:00.000-05:002007-03-24T22:56:52.348-05:00

I have often heard that the key to any small business is marketing. At every convenient (or inconvenient) opportunity, you should market yourself, your product, you business. Basically, it comes down to constant marketing. I recently went to the barber shop and overheard a conversation where one barber was talking about opening his own shop. I told him about the magazine that I am producing and

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-85555693445039095972007-03-18T10:38:00.000-05:002007-03-18T10:48:05.576-05:00

This past week I attended a Trinidad and Tobago Town Hall meeting in Boynton Beach. I was invited by Gillian Smart of The Smart Group who was one of the event’s organizers. She is high on my list of people to have a sit down with in the near future. The aim of the meeting was to bring the T&T Consul General and other representatives face to face with members of the T&T Diaspora. The discussion

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-31136846685760947032007-03-17T19:23:00.000-05:002007-03-17T19:35:46.137-05:00

A couple items came to me recently about sucessful Caribbean entrepeneurs in the news. The first is in the Palm Beach Post concerning Ricky Wade the owner of several McDonalds franchises. Click here for story. I met him once and hope that he will feature in a future issue.Second, is a story in the Jamaica Observer about Lowell Hawthorne of Golden Krust, the sucessful Caribbean bakery and grill

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-69771141790920555662007-03-17T17:01:00.000-05:002007-03-17T19:23:39.801-05:00

Well, the World Cup is under way in the Caribbean and the Windies have won their opening match. My Dad would no doubt be happy. Hopefully he gets to see one of the games.From all indications the host countries are doing a fine job. Sure, there have been reports of some minor hitches so far but overall the reports have been good. There are reports in Jamaica about journalists having to pay high

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-47663520271496933352007-03-01T18:47:00.000-05:002007-03-01T20:13:17.429-05:00

The Jamaica USA chamber of commerce did it again! Many thanks must go out the chamber president Marie Gill and the hostess Catherine Malcolm of Jerk Machine for the organization of this event as black history month drew to a close. In fact it was a fitting conclusion to Black History month. And that was some good food! Nuff respect every time…………This is the second event I can remember going to

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-85250486172290150712007-03-01T18:41:00.000-05:002007-03-01T18:42:31.993-05:00

I remember talking with Hugh Sinclair from Irie Spice where he mentioned that he keeps up with online forums pertinent to his line of work. I am attempting to emulate his example and found this website that deals with people launching a magazine call magazinelaunch.com. I remember reading a while back a post where the expert advised not to put too much emphasis in getting a whole bunch of printed

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-25046544324717861042007-03-01T18:35:00.000-05:002007-03-01T18:41:14.050-05:00

For a couple days last week I could not get online. There was some congestion in the wireless network where I could not get online from my laptop or my desktop. In the end, all I needed to do was to unplug the modem from the electrical outlet and wait 60 to 90 seconds and then reconnect and turn the computer back on. It worked! (If that is all it takes, I could be a network technician!)But all

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-72672557000758465822007-02-23T20:37:00.000-05:002007-02-25T21:37:23.417-05:00

This blog post gives the uncut reaction of 4 prominent members of the Caribbean community to the region’s hosting of the ICC World Cup as contributed by Teshie Jones of Well-Written Words.From March 5 to April 28, 2007, the Caribbean is set to host the ninth ICC Cricket World Cup. The nine Caribbean countries selected to host this international sporting event are Antigua/Barbuda, Barbados,

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-23052828944256581322007-02-23T20:31:00.000-05:002007-02-25T21:38:52.374-05:00

Monikah Ogando’s contribution comes in handy at this time of year, particularly as New Year’s resolutions start being in danger of being broken. In this the final of my 4 part review of this latest issue, I am in a reflective mood as I ponder about the article. My wife Nicole Ann, who read the article, commented that this was the best article in this issue. Since she is usually right about

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-2965273983962178202007-02-23T20:27:00.000-05:002007-02-25T21:39:23.975-05:00

A previous post gave the reactions of 4 members of the Caribbean community to the hosting of the ICC World Cup in the Caribbean this year. The idea to get some community reaction to this event came about late and initially the plan was to get the reaction of the consul generals of the host countries but the short time frame did not allow. So I had to resort to a Plan B and in the end got four

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-38149545226016495922007-02-23T20:11:00.000-05:002007-02-25T21:39:56.214-05:00

Breaking the glass ceiling and glass walls. In hindsight that should have been the name of the NAWIC article. The profile on the National Association of Women in Construction came to me while attending the Business Monday Construction forum at the Island Mecca late last year. Sharon Reid of the McKenzie Training Group, one of the event’s organizers, mentioned that NAWIC has been around for a long

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-70217706959816152142007-02-23T19:49:00.000-05:002007-02-25T21:40:31.083-05:00

Volume I 2007! This issue is certainly a notch above the rest. There is so much to say that I have a 4-part reaction.There is a wider range of articles and a couple contributions as well. A notable difference here is that unlike the previous two, I did not personally write any of the pieces in this issue. I had contractors that did the work and Teshie Jones from Well-Written Words and George

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-37180347890482268082007-02-15T21:07:00.000-05:002007-02-15T21:10:14.798-05:00

Late last year I spoke with Sharon Reid of the McKenzie Traning Group, who at the time was organizing a construction forum in Lauderdale, about the launch of my magazine among other things. She offered some tips and valuable insight but also admitted that she does not know the effort that goes into producing a magazine even at a smaller circulation such as mine.Well, even at a smaller scale I am

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-13063254864144724052007-02-15T21:04:00.000-05:002007-02-15T21:06:53.861-05:00

A few weeks ago I spoke to a business owner in the Lauderdale area and pitched to him the Caribbean Business Digest. I ended up giving him my last copy of the most recent issue. I was holding it for personal reasons but needed to give it away to promote the magazine. He was highly impressed and asked if he could submit an article and an ad. Of course he was welcomed on both counts. So he gave me

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1170116294850339022007-01-29T19:14:00.000-05:002007-01-29T19:21:06.310-05:00

It has certainly been a while since I have submitted an entry to this blog. Exactly two months I think. I feel the blog is important to chronicle the development of the Caribbean Business Digest magazine so I will have to be more disciplined in getting an entry in at least once a week. During the 2 month layoff we rang in the New Year so I will use this entry to outline what I aim to accomplish

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1164864646032492162006-11-30T00:25:00.000-05:002007-03-18T10:40:35.433-05:00

The last few weeks have been quite hectic putting the December issue together as well as doing the rounds promoting the magazine. I also attended a Jamaican Diaspora meeting in Palm Beach. During the meeting I asked the question about the crime situation in Jamaica. I also asked about the view that the Jamaican government takes of the Diaspora movement.To clarify, it is not my intent to say

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1164861236770214832006-11-29T23:31:00.000-05:002006-11-29T23:33:56.780-05:00

As with anything there are always criticisms. Now, most times you hope that they are of the constructive variety or at least you should try to view them in that light. Well some of the criticisms that I have had (or feedback for a less negative word) include:1. There needs to be a section that contains jokes2. There needs to be a more even spread across the tri-county area (a lot of the content

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1162511723270987112006-11-02T18:47:00.000-05:002006-11-02T21:43:52.553-05:00

In talking with various people in connection with the magazine whether for a story, advertising or just plain networking I have learned some lessons along the way. Two of those lessons came from the September issue with Marlon Hill and Chef Hugh Sinclair. Hill stated that you should always market your business as if it the largest in the world and to position yourself for any expansion and

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1161821694418251852006-10-25T18:56:00.000-05:002006-10-28T21:52:54.796-05:00

Entrepreneurs I have spoken to have all demonstrated both passion and enthusiasm for their businesses. It is a fact that most people do dream about owning their own businesses. However, starting a business is never easy as most business owners will attest to. I found this article online that gives tips about avoiding the business start up grave. There is also a little survey included (look

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1160011234390993192006-10-04T20:07:00.000-05:002006-10-04T20:30:30.423-05:00

A few comments and updates on the September issue takes a look back at some of the items from my discussion with Hill that did not make the article.- Attorney Marlon Hill intimated that the line between a path to success and failure can be a fine one. He stated “you could have been interviewing me from a jail cell." Who knows what life would have brought him if his mother moved back to Jamaica

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1160010453890090072006-10-04T20:03:00.000-05:002006-10-04T20:07:33.900-05:00

The September issue was well received judging from all the feedback. The most common comment has been “this is so needed in the community." That is refreshing to hear and encouraging as well. The areas that came in for compliments were the cover and the layout. So the tone for future issues has been set.A few items to note that did not make it into the articles:- GCACC Chamber president Tanya

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1160007635626428692006-10-04T19:19:00.000-05:002006-10-04T19:20:35.636-05:00

I am certainly busy keeping up with the different events targeted at promoting the Caribbean Business Digest. On Thursday, the GCACC sponsored an event in collaboration with the Memorial Hospital in Miramar that involved a business social meet and greet followed by a presentation by Hospital staff on breast cancer and provisions for the uninsured in the Broward area. This was an ideal opportunity

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1159757856901622502006-10-01T21:46:00.000-05:002006-10-01T21:57:36.913-05:00

I had the privilege of attending the September meeting of the Jamaicans of the Palm Beaches this past Friday and left very optimistic of future interactions with this group. The president Damian Bodden and immediate past president Marcia Bodden were very warm and receptive to my attendance.I pitched the magazine to the members and all seemed interested in the idea of the magazine. Each member

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1159044350700650572006-09-23T15:28:00.000-05:002007-04-15T20:15:00.980-05:00

In the September issue I raised the question about Angel Investing. In my reading I came across an article on CNNMoney that talks about peer to peer lending. View the article here. The idea is that individuals join a network either as a lender or borrower. Borrowers are grouped by creditworthiness and the administrators of this system take funds that the lenders provide and allocate to borrowers

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1158287383843448462006-09-14T21:26:00.000-05:002006-09-14T21:29:43.856-05:00

The September issue promises to be interesting and insightful. The feature article highlights Marlon Hill, Esq. who is now the Jamaican Diaspora representative for the Southern United States. He talks about his plans for the Diaspora and his radio show Caribbean Crossroads. Hill is the co-founder of the Miami law firm delancyhill, PA. See excerpt below.Also in this issue:- An interview with the

Marionoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1157947442533948152006-09-10T22:44:00.000-05:002006-09-10T23:04:02.570-05:00

This post is why I started the Caribbean Business Digest in the first place. Quick flashback: When I had the initial idea of the magazine, a friend told me that if the magazine helped one person then the magazine would be a success.Well, I had a conversation today with a budding entrepreneur who is well on his way to starting his own small business. While I won't comment on the nature of the

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1157946076307116462006-09-10T21:59:00.000-05:002006-09-10T22:42:41.380-05:00

As part of the Caribbean Business Digest's strategy, I am seeking to form alliances with various business and social organizations that play a pivotal role in furthering the Caribbean culture and interests. My research has lead me to realize that there is no business group in the Palm Beach area that catered to the Caribbean business community. So I am looking to organize a business networking

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1156876653233459612006-08-29T13:28:00.000-05:002006-08-29T13:56:10.350-05:00

Well as South Florida braces for Hurricane Ernesto, everyone (small, medium and large businesses as well as individuals) is doing what is deemed necessary to prepare for it. Business owners have twice the headache given that they will have to take precautions for their residences as well as their businesses. Not only are the physical, tangible assets in need of protection but also the intangibles

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1156124657736132582006-08-20T20:40:00.000-05:002006-08-20T20:44:17.750-05:00

The next issue will contain some discussion about the GCACC Let’s Talk forum. Pick up a copy to read more about the issues that arose.But I will mention one thing that came up at the meeting. Apparently, there is a lack of support from the business community for the Caribbean owned newspapers. This means that the businesses are choosing to spend their advertising dollars in other areas. Members

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1156122365898832712006-08-20T20:02:00.000-05:002006-08-20T20:06:05.923-05:00

As I continue to make the rounds to establish the magazine, I attended the annual event put on by the Greater Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce Let’s Talk forum. This is an event where the chamber invites members of the media to speak to various issues that face the Caribbean community. This is done in a panel format. The media was well represented as there were representatives of The

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1155694263601725142006-08-15T21:08:00.000-05:002006-08-15T21:11:03.616-05:00

I received a phone call yesterday from someone who wanted to place a classified ad in the upcoming issue. The individual inquired about the nature of the magazine, the cost and deadline for submitting the ad information. Though I was little bit taken aback by the phone call I provided the required information. I did not think that there would be much business from classifieds (the person

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1155515733793815372006-08-13T19:31:00.000-05:002006-08-13T19:35:34.783-05:00

The design for the cover of the August issue has been settled on.Initially I had contacted two free lance designers that I had met at the last monthly meeting of the Greater Caribbean Chamber of Commerce. I got a quote from the first one which was a little bit out of my range. The second submitted a couple samples of what the cover could look like. I liked what he submitted and submitted a few

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1154734142859072262006-08-04T18:23:00.000-05:002006-08-08T21:00:59.806-05:00

Before posting today's blog, I thought it necessary to put my picture up and add the photo to my profile....The second issue is in production and already some exciting changes are taking place. Among the delightful articles will be a piece on Marlon Hill Esq. as he talks about the development of delancyhill, PA, the law firm he founded with his partner and high school friend Michele Delancy. Hill

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1153880132948170202006-07-25T21:12:00.000-05:002006-07-31T20:47:13.226-05:00

The responses are in for the first issue. Most agree on two things: first, there was a noticeable absence of pictures and graphics. Second, the idea behind the magazine is great. The majority loved the idea behind the magazine and thought that this is needed within our community. I had the opportunity to present the magazine to a small group of small business owners at a recent meeting of the

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1152672552300339792006-07-11T21:03:00.000-05:002006-07-13T21:50:41.550-05:00

Well I am happy to say that the first issue has been published and distributed. I will offer my thoughts on the first issue in a later post. But today I am inclined to write about the distribution of the magazine.The magazine is being distributed for free and is available at selected locations throughout the tri-county area. These carefully chosen locations include restaurants, a bank and other

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1151289176742973152006-06-25T21:31:00.000-05:002006-06-25T21:36:26.140-05:00

In looking back to the time when I pondered over my approach to starting the Caribbean Business Digest, I recall two important decisions that had to be made. Those decisions were concerning getting the magazine printed and the frequency of the magazine (weekly, monthly etc). Well, the printing decision had two options really: self- printing or outsourcing. Interestingly this is no different from

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1150888279468053582006-06-21T06:09:00.000-05:002006-08-08T20:47:17.910-05:00

The first issue of the Caribbean Business Digest has been completed, edited and sent to print. While I wait for the printing process to be completed, I can look back with satisfaction at having gotten to this point. True, the inaugural issue is a little bit later than I had planned but the lessons along the way have been duly noted. However, in this post I want to address a different issue and

Marionoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1148845766863232032006-05-28T14:32:00.000-05:002006-05-28T14:49:26.870-05:00

I am writing this from the wonderful city of Toronto where my wife and I are visiting friends. Here the discussions focus around babies (our friends just had a baby boy) and soccer (Manchester United vs Arsenal and the World Cup). I am an avid United fan while my friend is an Arsenal fan. Even though I am away for the Memorial Day weekend, my thoughts inevitably turn time and again to my

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1148259841448486262006-05-21T19:45:00.000-05:002006-05-23T17:29:51.573-05:00

Well, in starting up my magazine one thing I knew I must do is to network: get in front of various individuals out there that are known in the community and see what they think about the idea and if they would support it. This is probably much more important than securing any advertising commitment. Once you make the right connections and gain credibility then your idea will be supported and then

Marionoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28450317.post-1148151731765102512006-05-20T13:46:00.000-05:002006-05-23T17:32:33.556-05:00

My experience thus far in trying to start this publication has been trying. Since I am not one who considers myself to be a salesperson, it is most awkward to call people up on the telephone and ask them to advertise in my magazine. Even much more difficult is the fact that I am asking them to advertise in a magazine that 1. they have never seen and 2. has not yet been published. Talk about a

Marionoreply@blogger.com0