YES Magazine 2019

3 YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMEeditor’S NOTEcontentsDESIGN & LAYOUT: G & A Communications Inc.1st Floor, Suite 201, The Atrium, Sky Mall Road,Haggatt Hall, St. Michael, BB11059Barbados, WI.T: (246) 437-2214 F: (246) 228-5204E: [email protected] BY: COT Holdings Ltd. #16 Newton Industrial Estate, Christ ChurchT: (246) 420-8550 F: (246) 420-8555 E: [email protected]: Some of the views expressed in this publication are the views of the writers and not necessarily those of YES. © 2019 YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMEPublisher/Selma GreenCoordinator/Cherryann JordanEditor/Selma GreenPhotography/Blue Iron Media – Director Rahmat Jean-PierrePhotographer – Charles McCleanEditor – George Cox Distribution/ Youth Entrepreneurship SchemeContributing Writers:Ms. Selma GreenMr. Johnson JohnRoseMs. Cherryann JordanMr. Keith MillerMs. Claire InnissMs. J. Natasha KingMr. Michael Bowen, Trust Loan Fund UnitMr. Chris Burnett and Ms. Maclyne Warner – BittMinistry of International Business and IndustryMinistry of Innovation, Science and Smart TechnologyYES! Is a publication of the Youth Entrepreneurship SchemeWrite to us or give us a call at: Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES)Ministry of Youth and Community EmpowermentSky Mall, Haggatt Hall, St. Michael246-535-3835Divyouth246Div Youth-BarbadosDISCLAIMER - Reproduction of any materials contained herein without written approval constitutes a violation of copyright. YES reserves the right to determine the content of the publication.Entrepreneurs are uniqueandtheyare making a difference… they create economic value by generating jobs and earning valuable foreign exchange; they are innovative which is reflected in the new products and services they develop; they are self-determined, which leads to the establishment of viable businesses that build personal wealth; and most importantly, they drive social and economic change since their successful businesses transform communities and make our Barbadian economy strong.However, to increase the chance of entrepreneurs succeeding, they must operate in an ecosystem that is conducive to promoting their prosperity. That evolving ecosystem must offer the right mix of approaches, policies, practices and programmes that allow entrepreneurs to thrive and support the effective and efficient functioning of their businesses. The ecosystem must be integrated, linking both internal and external factors that reinforce each other and of necessity must include: good governance i.e. a strong and vibrant regulatory and legislative framework, ready access to information via education and training and the use of cutting-edge technologies, good fiscal policy to ensure access to adequate public and private sector investment funding for startups and expansions and a culture of collaboration and sharing. Entrepreneurs are central within the ecosystem and so must take responsibility to participate in the process and to use and shape the system to develop their businesses to the point where they are making a significant contribution to the development of our country. In this, the first issue of the YES! Magazine for 2019, we will present some thought-provoking articles by industry experts that explore the enabling environment and emerging technologies that are vital to support the development of entrepreneurs. It will also feature youth-led businesses in diverse sectors that are reaping the benefits of an evolving ecosystem that provides the right inputs for them to create innovative business solutions that generate income and excite public interest.Through this edition, we aim to influence you to play your part in the evolving ecosystem - whether as a policymaker, support organisation, mentor, funder, educator, family member or consumer - to assist with empowering young entrepreneurs to be productive, efficient, growth-oriented, competitive and well-rounded citizens. Enjoy and Blessings!Selma J. GreenEditorYES! MagazineEditorial$4 YES! Minister5 Managing Our Nation’s Youth 6 Trusting in Entrepreneurs7 Say Yes!8 Businesses to look out for10 Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network – Agents of Change12 The Digital Dollar – Evolution of the Financial Ecosystem14 Enterprising Ernest – Mmoney Technology 16 Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation – From Classroom to Boardroom18 Say YES! – Entrepreneurial Development Training Programme19 Meet A Change Maker20 Influencing the Entrepreneurial Mind-set through STEAM22 Businesses to look out for24 Activities & Events26 Word Search

4YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMEAs Minister with responsibility for youth, I am pleased to support the publication of this edition of the YES! Magazine which is being produced under the theme “The Evolving Entrepreneurship Ecosystem”. Effective entrepreneurship ecosystems must be buttressed by strong and vibrant private and public sector partnerships which nurture and sustain entrepreneurs by making it easier for them to get into and do business, thereby increasing their chances for success.The Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment plays a pivotal role in shaping our entrepreneurship ecosystem and developing youth entrepreneurship in Barbados. The Ministry stands at the forefront of providing the right stimuli to promote success among young people 18 to 30 years old, who are seeking to chart their entrepreneurial and life journeys.In its “Future Forward” Youth Manifesto, the Government of Barbados has committed to transforming Barbados into the best place in the world for young people to live, learn, create, do business, play, work, raise children and dream. It has identified the empowering of young people as one of its mission critical policies, and has embarked on a number of youth-focused initiatives such as the introduction of the “Trust Loans” Programme and the creation of special economic zones in areas such as Six Roads, Bridgetown, Speightstown and Holetown to expand entrepreneurial activity.In the pursuit of the achievement of this pledge to young Barbadians, my Ministry is committed to creating transformative and innovative programming to address the challenges that are currently confronting youth. I refer to issues such as youth unemployment, gang violence, deviancy and substance abuse. Global studies suggest that in the absence of positive influences, young people will find ways, often negative ones, to meet their needs. By contrast, youth development research conducted by Connell Gambone indicates that at-risk youth can become successful in spite of the odds they face. It is therefore critical that an enabling environment is created to empower our youth by equipping them with the emotional, educational, financial and other tools, including technologies, to build relevant skills and competencies to capitalise on entrepreneurial opportunities and increase their chances of success.Given our youth-centric agenda, the Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment, and more particularly the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES), will be tasked with bringing government’s vision to fruition. In the last eight months we have gone into communities across the length and breadth of Barbados talking to young men and women to ascertain first-hand the issues they face, and to work with them to develop fit-for-purpose programmes. As we look to the future, my Ministry intends to tackle the issue of youth unemployment by providing bold youth empowerment programming geared towards unleashing the full potential of our young people.To this end, officers from the Youth Development Programme, the Community Development Department and the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme have been working hand in hand with young people, within their own locales, to develop comprehensive community-based social intervention strategies to improve youth employment and promote greater participation and engagement.Onesuchinterventionisthe“Blockpreneurship”programmewhichwill see blocks being transformed into legitimate economic centres. Potential young‘blockpreneurs’willbenefitfrom entrepreneurship and personal development training, as well as the provision of technical assistance to support their business activities. A major outcome from this initiative will be a positive economic and social impact on community life.As I close, I commend YES for playing an important role, not only in the development of an appropriate entrepreneurial ecosystem, but also in influencing an entrepreneurial culture among Barbadian youth through its innovative and relevant programming, targeted promotional efforts and sound partnership-building endeavours.The Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment will continue to create opportunities for all youth in Barbados to realise their untapped potential as we take up the mantle of transforming youth development in Barbados.God Bless!Hon. Adrian Forde, M. P.Minister of Youth and Community EmpowermentForewordYES! Minister“this is a time for bold measures. This is the country, and you are the generation”. BonoYES! Minister

Mrs. Yolande HowardPermanent SecretaryMinistry of Youth and Community Empowerment Nation’s Youth Managing OurManaging Our Nation’s Youth 5 YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMEMeet Mrs. Yolande Howard the Permanent Secretary and Chief Accounting Officer within the Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment (MYCE). Mrs. Howard last served for two and a half years as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Partnership Relations and has a notable career as a Public Officer having worked in several Ministries, including the Ministry of Tourism, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Office of the Attorney General and the Ministry of Industry and International Business, during 30 years of continuous service.To onlookers, her transition from the Ministry of Labour and Social Partnership Relations to the Ministry of Youth & Community Empowerment appeared smooth and seamless. The Permanent Secretary noted that “ My first thought after receiving the news that I would be reassigned to the Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment was the need to look at the possibilities and opportunities which would be presented. Additionally, in almost every situation, one can find synergies between agencies and in this case I recognised that there were significant synergies between the portfolios of labour and youth and community empowerment.” Armed with this knowledge, she set about using her knowledge in the areas of employment, self-employment and entrepreneurship to boost her ability to lead and enhance existing programmes, and create new initiatives to resolve issues of youth unemployment and youth disengagement. She attributes this thinking, coupled with her past experience as acting Deputy Permanent Secretary in the former Family and Youth Division, to the smooth transition to her new Ministry.Mrs. Howard has overall responsibility for the management of the Community Development Department as well as the Division of Youth Affairs which comprises the Barbados Youth Service (BYS), the Youth Development Programme (YDP) and the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES) and what are her thoughts on Entrepreneurship and the work of YES generally? The Permanent Secretary is of the view that “Entrepreneurship is an important medium for the creation of employment, the facilitation and development of innovation, the expansion of goods and services, and the creation of new avenues to support economic development. YES is a critical programme which provides an opportunity for persons to realise their potential, while at the same time creating an avenue for self-employment.” She firmly believes that “we are in an era where the Future of Work mandates the need to recognise that work is changing, that new jobs are emerging, that new skills sets are required, and that work cannot be limited to our domestic context, entrepreneurship provides an opportunity for persons to reassess themselves and the local and global labour market and to identify areas which can be developed to earn an income, whilst contributing to the development of the country.” The Permanent Secretary shares that “it is my hope that we can continue to promote entrepreneurship and employment opportunities, but further, to promote innovation and innovative thinking as a key element of entrepreneurship.”Mrs Howard is very driven, determined and people-oriented “I am inspired by other people and I strongly believe in the development of people. Everything we do is through people, and every person possesses natural abilities, strengths and talents which may be used to achieve all the objectives we have set for the development of our country. Indeed, people are our main resource and we must treat to them in a very earnest manner.” She notes that one of her personal philosophies is that “all people matter and that together, and with God’s guidance, we can realise our potential as individuals, and as a country.”Being at the helm of management in such a critical and cross-cutting ministry is a serious and demanding undertaking. Finding ways to achieve work life balance is therefore important. Amidst the work, what does the Permanent Secretary do to relax? She responds with a smile “I do not relax enough. I am still learning that it is important to be selfish sometimes and look after myself!”PS Howard, here’s hoping that you keep smiling and that you not only achieve that balance but you are also able to realise all your dreams and goals for the ministry as you seek to empower our youth and build strong communities. Welcome to the Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment!

Trusting in EntrepreneursThe euphoric win of the Barbados Labour Party in the general election last May saw a new administration under the leadership of our first female Prime Minister – a Prime Minister who promised a message of empowerment and hope for all Barbadians, and especially the would-be entrepreneur. One of the most enterprisingandfuturisticinitiatives that was enunciated on the political platform was the idea of “trust loans” and many were doubtful given the difficult economic circumstances facing the country.The incredulity and disbelief were removed when the Trust Loan Fund was officially launched on October 29, 2018 and became operational on November 5, 2018.The Trust Loan Fund facility provides inter alia $10 million per year for each of the next five years to seed a Trust Loan Fund in order to give to all small businesses or business owners, security-free loans of up to $5,000 each. When this loan sum is paid off in full, and the borrower has built a good credit profile, the business/owner will become entitled to a loan of up to $10,000.These loans are available to all legitimate small business owners in every category of business - from nail technicians and hairdressers to well diggers; from painters to graphic artists; from tattoo artists to mechanics; from musicians to air conditioning technicians’ from tradesmen and shopkeepers to caterers, creative sector, florists and others.The management of the BTLF has resolved that we cannot just make funds available to boost and bolster enterprises without providing a framework for those business to maintain viability and relevance to our economic landscape. One pillar of viability is the provision of relevant training which the Trust Fund Unit, in collaboration with the Small Business Association made available to 280 participants so far, with a plan to execute additional training in relevant areas.The feedback and response from the Barbadian public suggests that this initiative will go down as one of the major catalysts for allowing our citizens to become entrepreneurial in nature, share in the economic wealth of the country and strengthen the development of our human capital.Written by Michael BowenTrust Loan Fund UnitThis initiative will go down as one of the major catalysts for allowing our citizens to become entrepreneurial in nature, share in the economic wealth of the country and strengthen the development of our human capital.Trusting in Entrepreneurs6YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMETIPS FOR ENTREPRENEURSUtilise your network - make quality connections that can help you stand out against the competition.

The Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES), a department of the Division of Youth, Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment is an important part of the engine that drives the evolving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Barbados. The YES! Magazine, will showcase aspects of the work of partners within the ecosystem as well as highlight aspect of their work and impact on youth entrepreneurship.In this issue we start with YES and its Entrepreneurial Development Training Programme. YES is creating a new generation of entrepreneurs by providing a network of technical, educational and financial support as well as fostering policy and a supportive culture to influence an entrepreneurial class.Who Are WEYES is a dynamic organisation that provides creative and timely business solutions to meet the critical needs of committed young people who are determined to succeed in business.What is the Impact of YESYES contributes to Barbados’ sustainable development by helping to increase the numbers of young entrepreneurs who grow businesses, create jobs, change lives and ensure future economic prosperity. As a small business development centre of excellence for youth entrepreneurship, YES creates sustainable employment opportunities for young people. It enables them to establish profitable and sustainable enterprises that stimulate the productive sectors by generating income and creating jobs. Why is YES ImportantYES is a haven where young people can be empowered to realise their entrepreneurial dreams and maximise their fullest potential. It provides critical emotional support and access to resources for young entrepreneurs to enable them to be formidable drivers of economic development, job creation, innovation and social change.Why We Support Young EntrepreneursEntrepreneurship is critical to our economic development and as such, YES and its global partners cultivate and showcase the emergent entrepreneurial talent of young entrepreneurs who are well poised to lead the charge to revolutionise our economy.YES supports young entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 30 who have a viable business idea and have either started or are considering starting a business, to grow, manage and expand their operations. The outreach and awareness-building aspect of YES is focused on young people aged 9 to 17 years old. Its programming also targets persons out of school through community-based and other training opportunities.What We DOYES’ entrepreneurial development system is comprehensive, flexible and collaborative. It integrates a wide range of programmes and tailored products and services to meet the diverse needs of young entrepreneurs. YES delivers a package of strategic business offerings which includes:• General business counselling and mentoring• Entrepreneurial development training and education• Direct and specialised technical assistance• Access to markets and networks; and• Referral to financial assistanceYES prepares small and micro enterprises (SMEs) to integrate into the formal business sector, to build their capacity for growth within the global marketplace and to facilitate the exploration of potentials for export and earning foreign exchange.YES is making a difference…YES Creates! Innovates! and Makes it Happen from Idea to Enterprise.Virtues Pick | DETERMINATIONDetermination is the power of intent that drives our dreams. It is the strength of will to act with resolve. We focus our energy on a purpose and persevere until we meet our goal. Determination is the commitment to follow through, until we accomplish our purpose. We care about something so much that even when difficulties arise, and things don’t come easy, we keep on keeping on. If one path doesn’t work, we try another way. We don’t allow ourselves to get distracted or to go off track. We complete the tasks we choose to do. With determination we will succeed.“The difference between determination and stubbornness is that one comes from a strong will and the other from a strong won’t.”UnknownThe Practice of Determination • I am clear about what I want to accomplish.• I am committed to meeting my goals.• I focus my full attention on what is important.• I do what it takes to follow through.• I am flexible and persevering.• I finish what I start.I am thankful for the gift of Determination. It is the wind in my sails.Say Yes!7 YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMESay YES!

8YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMEThe story of Red Diamond Compost, the biotechnology company that creates organic and biologic soil treatment and crop protection solutions, is a story of how one man shredded adversity to bits and grabbed opportunity from its remains.It’s a clear demonstration of how the sole proprietor, Joshua Forte’s doggedness, determination and dedication helped him beat some incredible odds.Struck by mononucleosis soon after beginning a course of study in physics at the University of the West Indies in 2011, Joshua was forced to quit because the chronic fatigue caused by his illness made life unbearable for him.“I could sleep for ten hours and I would still be tired and I wasn’t able to function well,” he says. “Even thinking was so difficult to do, so it was really aggravating me.”The young man decided that a solution had to be found because he didn’t want to become dependent on expensive drugs simply to get by. And for two years his mettle was tested.Joshua is a big thinker with grand ideas and is happy to tackle what many believe is impossible – something that featured in his quest for better health. He changed his diet to vegetarian and began researching human nutrition and the impact of soil on nutrient-rich foods.Having researched the subjectextensively,Joshua realised there was the need for high qualitytoxin-freesolutions in Barbados and the region. So he went on a mission tomakenutrient-rich foods accessible to everyone and in 2014 he launched the company in pursuance of this vision.“Obtaining all the knowledge I did, wanting to grow these quality foods for myself it was basically impossible to find the required quality inputs. I couldn’t find them in Barbados or other Caribbean islands. So being in this situation I decided that I would make them myself and supply the organic biologic alternative to synthetic products on the market,” the young man explains.But Joshua had one major problem: he had no money and raising seed funding was proving to be difficult. Undaunted, he explored every possible avenue at home and abroad. Eventually, with some support from his mum and sister, $5,000 from the credit union and US$10,000 from the Caribbean Climate Innovation Centre, Red Diamond Compost was finally on its way to becoming a reality.Currently, the company produces Super Seaweed Biostimulant using sargassum seaweed, and its branded Liquid Sunshine Bio-fertilizer. It also offers services such as farm design and consultation and soil food web analysis. Joshua plans to introduce new products this year and to launch developmental projects which promote regenerative agriculture across the region in the long term, with the goal of increasing resilience to climate change, support entrepreneurship and create jobs.The purposeful Joshua says the company’s ability to transform any organic materials - especially those regarded as waste- into valuable solutions to grow the highest quality foods makes it unique.He advises those planning to start a business to plan properly, read, research, and never be afraid to seek advice. It’s a set of principles that have served him well and helped him snatch opportunity directly from the jaws of adversity. Name of Business: Red Diamond CompostName of Owner: Joshua ForteAddress: Taylor Rd, Weston, ST. James246-267-1492 / [email protected]@reddiamondcompost@reddcompostJosiah Maximilien has always had a passion for working with wood and an abiding love for dogs. He also wanted to own a business by the age of twenty-five. Therefore, during his final year as a civil and environmental engineering student at the University of the West Indies in Cave Hill, Josiah began to think seriously about how to combine his passion and skill set to create something sustainable of which he could be proud. Thus, the idea of SUSkennels began to take root.Josiah was determined not to be just another producer of ordinary “box cage” dog kennels. He wanted to design something innovative and aesthetically pleasing.“Thinking of sustainability and how it affects Barbados and other small island developing states the most, we should really be leading the way in innovation and produce the most innovative kennel designs in the world,” he says. “The kennel doesn’t have to look like a box cage. It could be innovative, it could have a nice design, it could be something nice to look at.”By September 2017 Josiah was ready to register the business and to present to the nation a company whose aim is to raise the standard of living accommodation for pets by producing quality engineered designs while maintaining sustainable practices. He insists that SUSkennels, of which he is the sole owner, builds homes - living accommodations – for dogs, the majority of which are large breeds. He builds bread and breakfast, bed and run and tread mills, with the three main designs being chattel-inspired, the premier and the cabin, all built to specification based on the size of the dog.“SUSkennels has pioneered innovative and sustainable living accommodation for dogs in Barbados and aims to raise the standard of dog kennels being placed on the market by leading from the front,” he says.While the core of his customer base remains dog owners, he also works closely with dog care facilities such as veterinarians and boarding kennels. In the approximately eighteen months since he has been in business, Josiah has graduated from using the common pallet wood, preferring instead to work with treated pine. “I want the kennels to look good because it’s the brand,” he says. “I like the wow factor that I get when the client sees the kennel. I like looking at them for sure. Quality control is part of it, and I have to ensure that every kennel is better than the last.”Working with dogs and wood energises the young designer, whose short-term goal is to be the best manufacturing dog kennel business in Barbados, while his long-term vision is to be a household name and to export regionally. He advises young entrepreneurs to seek technical advice and support from the Youth Entrepreneurial Scheme, to spend time alone with their thoughts, do as much research as possible and build partnerships with good people. His advice is based on experience, which has already led to some rather memorable moments. “When I registered the business I felt great, when I got my first client I felt great as well - I took lots of pictures. My first BMEX was a great feeling. Even though we didn’t sell anything, it was promotion and the business followed after. Generally, I feel great about it. Just talking about it, I feel good,” a passionate Josiah says. Name of Business: SUSkennels Name of Owner: Josiah MaximilienAddress: My Lord’s Hill St. Michael 246-261-6003 suskennels@outlook.comSuskennelsSuskennelssuskennels.comSUSkennelsRed Diamond CompostEntrepreneursto look out for

9 YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMEThe establishment of her business, Unlock The Door by La Shawna, in 2016 was a dream come true for La Shawna Griffith. As a child La Shawna had a flair for writing and it would not be long before she developed a love affair with books that all but charted her career path.It’s no surprise, therefore, that in 2015 she published her first book, La Shawna - Unlock the Door. Her first foray into writing triggered a greater thirst for greater literary conquests and prompted her to establish a business which focuses on creative writing.“I wanted to publish and distribute my books and also write books for persons who may have an idea but not sure how to execute. After some thought I decided to register the business as well as to post information about the services I offer on Facebook and so far it has been a rewarding experience,” she says.She has since published a second book, La Shawna - Release the Energy Within, and both of her books have five-star reviews on Amazon, with readers stating that they have touched them immensely.La Shawna, who describes herself as an author, poet and journalist whose mission in life is to write pieces that inspire and motivate change, has a deep, abiding love for poetry, which she believes demands that the poet removes all masks and be raw and open with the reader. She also feels a natural connection to the arts, which she describes as the window to the soul. Therefore, whether it be creative art, visual art or performance art La Shawna is never shy to express herself.It’s for this reason that she engages in spoken word performances at public and private events, her most memorable performance to date being at the 80th anniversary celebrations of Barbados Labour Party conference where Prime Minister Mia Mottley congratulated her for her performance of the piece, We Salute You.While the main focus of the business is to publish books, the young entrepreneur has also introduced the Unlock the Door jewellery line with help from fellow Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme client Stevenson Ifill, and is working on creating a Release the Energy Within jewellery line.The business is unique, she says, in that it is ever evolving and is flexible. Her goal is to publish bestsellers and to expand the brand to include t-shirts, cups and poem frames.The 25-year-old believes she’s well on the way to success, which she attributes to her mother, Sharon Gibson, who acts as friend, motivator and confidant, markets her daughter’s books to all of her friends and colleagues, and encourages La Shawna to unapologetically chase her dreams. So far she has fulfilled one dream, but there aremanymore,including becoming a poet laureate like her idol and role model, Maya Angelou. The expectation is that her business will unlock the doors to making this dream a reality.Ijust have a need to create that lights a fire inside me.” This is how 21-year-old Alanna Grant describes her innate determination and ambition to excel at what is a passion for her: fashion design. And it’s this fire that burns brightly inside that has driven Alanna to form Anna Rose Designs (formal name Anna Rose Fashion and Design Consulting Services), a partnership with her sister Simone Grant.The business has been in operation since May 2016, and through it Alanna expresses herself delightfully by designing and producing ready-to-wear women’s and men’s clothing, including custom-made designs for both sexes.“My design aesthetic is urban/resort wear - that is big city fashion for the Caribbean climate,” she explains.The boundaries are limitless for this young entrepreneur, who finds inspiration from everything around her, be it nature, fashion, art, people or simple words. “My inspiration is drawn from my environment,” she says.As a young business person Alanna is not daunted by disappointments, preferring instead to seek opportunities from each setback and learn from each experience. “I simply keep going,” she says of the times she faces hurdles. It’s because she’s determined that nothing will put out the fire within, or quench the insatiable urge to keep creating and growing the business. Her plans are well thought-out as well. In the near term she intends to open a store – online or otherwise – to display and sell her ready-to-wear designs, and two years from now she hopes to hire full-time employees to take over some of her current duties so she can focus on expanding Anna Rose Designs. Of course, her expansion plans include exporting to regional and international markets.It’s fuel for her fire, which is sparked further by the smiles on the faces of satisfied customers. She describes such smiles as signs of success, which she attributes to the support of friends and family.To those wishing to follow in her footsteps Alanna says it pays to network because the relationships built this way come in handy, and to be helpful to others. It’s how she keeps the creative juices flowing and the fire burning.Entrepreneurs to look out forAnna Rose Fashion and DesignName of Business: Unlock The Door by La Shawna Name of Owner: La Shawna GriffithAddress: Hilton Road Maxwell Christ [email protected] Shawna-Unlock The DoorLshawna25La Shawna GriffithName of Business: Anna Rose Fashion and Design Consulting Services Name of Owner: Alanna GrantAddress: Sargeant’s Village, Christ [email protected]_rose_designsEntrepreneurs to look out forUnlock The Door by La Shawna

10YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMEIt was this quest for meaningful change to improve efficiencies in the operations of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), along with the need for the sector to make a greater contribution to national development, that prompted the Government of Barbados to adopt the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) model. Investing in the SBDC methodology positons Barbados to effect genuine transformation of the local MSME sector and the wider Barbadian economy by promoting entrepreneurship as a catalyst for economic growth and development.The SBDC model sets out a framework for business assistance to organisations or a service delivery system to deliver a collection of services to start-up and existing businesses aimed at promoting growth, innovation, productivity and revenue-generation through improvements to the MSMEs management and business administration. It applies the resources of government, higher education and the private sector to solve business problems and foster entrepreneurship.Barbados, along with Belize, Jamaica, Dominica and St. Lucia, was given access to the SBDC model as part of a pilot programme within the Caribbean initiated by the Organisations of American States in collaboration with Caribbean Export and the University of Texas at San Antonio in the United States. Subsequently, St. Kitts and Nevis, the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda joined the programme. Efforts are now in train to formulate a Caribbean SBDCnetworkwherebyvalue-added activities can be shared by entrepreneurs and business support organisations throughout the region.In implementing the SDBC model in Barbados, a collaborative approach to MSME development was taken and the model was adapted to Barbados’ reality resulting in the establishment of a tripartite business relationship among government, the private sector and academia. This arrangement was formalised with the formation of the Barbados SBDC Network which was launched in April 2015.“A corporation is a living organism; it has to continue to shed its skin. Methods have to change. Focus has to change. Values have to change. The sum total of those changes is transformation”. Andrew Grove-businessman, engineer, author and pioneer.Small Business Development Unit | Ministry of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and CommerceSmall Business Development Centres (SBDC)Network – An Agent of ChangeSmall Business Development Centres NetworkInvesting in the SBDC methodology positons Barbados to effect genuine transformation of the local MSME sector and the wider Barbadian economy by promoting entrepreneurship as a catalyst for economic growth and development.

The Barbados SBDC Network consists of four (4) leading business support organisations or specialist small business development centres (SBDCs). These are, the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC), the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES), Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment, the Barbados Small Business Association (SBA) and the Student Entrepreneurial Empowerment Development (SEED) Programme, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. The Barbados Agency for Micro Enterprise Development Ltd (Fund Access) is the sole designated funding partner within the network.The activities of the Barbados SBDC Network are coordinated by the Ministry of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce (MSBEC) and it is anticipated that two additional centres will join the network soon.Being a part of the SBDC Network has resulted in significant benefits accruing to MSMEs and organisations that support their growth and development to facilitate a cohesive and improved MSME sector. Among these are:• Standardization and streamlining of business support services to effect improved operational efficiencies.• Increased trade and exports which redound to enhanced contribution of the MSMEs to gross domestic product (GDP).• Effective coordination and integration of resources, including human, financial and technical resources to minimise duplication of services.• Promotion of a culture of business and entrepreneurial excellence.• Compilation, measurement and sharing of economic impact.• Risk-mitigation to inspire greater confidence in SBDC clients by financial institutions and to produce better bankable MSMEs for the consideration of investors. • Better communication, collaboration, networking and greater camaraderie among business support organisations.• Greater advocacy with regard to issues that are pertinent to the MSME sector.• Access to global markets and networks.The Barbados SBDC Network is perfectly positioned to be an agent for change within the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Barbados and across the region. Though not the panacea for all of the challenges which MSMEs face, the network has the potential to be transformative at all levels of society through the enhancement of an appropriate legislative, regulatory and business support framework. This is intended to foster and strengthen private/public sector partnerships, greater inter-agency collaboration and operational efficiencies, all with a view to making the Barbados economy more competitive, diverse and robust.Small Business Development Centres Network11 YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMESmall BusinessASSOCIATIONBE A PART OF THEMEMBERSHIP246-228-0162Contact us:theo[email protected] 101, Building #4, Harbour Industrial Estate, Bridgetownwww.sba.bbAbout the SBASkills DevelopmentMarketing SupportLet Your Voice Be HeardEntrepreneurship TrainingBe SME SMART ProgrammeAdvocacy & LobbyingStay InformedMembership Information SessionsMake the Right ConnectionsNetworking SessionsThe Small Business Association of Barbados (SBA) is Barbados’ non-profit representative body for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME). The SBA facilitates the sustainability of MSMEs through the provision of educational and business development solutions, networking opportunities and the strengthening of the policy environment of the MSME sector through effective lobbying.Building Networks;Creating Wealth

12YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMEWritten by Chris Burnett, Marketing Strategist at Bitt, with editing assistance by Maclyne Warner, PR Officer at BittA new way to receive and payLet’s start with four important facts about mMoney:1. mMoney stands for Mobile Money.2. mMoney is not Bitcoin (nor will it ever be).3. mMoney is the leading consumer product of Bitt Digital Inc.4. mMoney is a digital version of the Barbados dollar (BDS$1 = Digital BDS$1) that’s accessible via your smartphone or computer.Digital versions of existing currencies are increasing the security, speed and efficiency of financial transactions for both consumers and businesses around the world. The mMoney digital wallet is free for Barbadian consumers and local business operators, including entrepreneurs, who pay drastically lower costs with digital transactions. The development of this sector, in Barbados and around the world, makes it easier, and more attractive, to start a business.Digital currencies?Digital wallet holders in China, the United Kingdom and Barbados enjoy the convenience of having access to their cash from their smartphone. However, it doesn’t escape those close to this global trend that the concept of “digital currencies” can be a steep learning curve. This challenge varies in difficulty depending on the age, geography and socialisation of an individual. Despite those demographics, anyone who has ever made a transaction using digital currency, marvels at the speed, security and cost-efficiency of the entire process.The Barbadian Entrepreneurial EcosystemFor most Barbadian entrepreneurs, regular business operations involve transactions with various agencies and individuals - from incorporating and registering a business, establishing and maintaining relationships with external suppliers, down to the business’s sales and reconciliation. With the current status of how business is done in Barbados, all of these financial transactions are done in person, and even if they are cashless, the accumulated intrinsic costs (such as time and transportation) and hidden costs (like debit and credit card fees) make it an expensive exercise. Considering that this is the long-established process for starting a business, the thought of maximising efficiency, while reducing or completely eliminating these costs, may seem like a long-term goal. However, mMoney has proven its ability to simplify this process in creating a seamless navigation around the Barbadian entrepreneurial financial ecosystem.What is a financial ecosystem?According to Investopedia, “a business ecosystem is the network of organisations — including suppliers, distributors, customers, competitors, government agencies, and so on — involved in the delivery of a specific product or service through both competition and cooperation. The idea is that each entity in the ecosystem affects and is affected by the others, creating a constantly evolving relationship in which each entity must be flexible and adaptable in order to survive, as in a biological ecosystem”.This ecosystem is especially relevant for entrepreneurs, although it would typically include a bank, a credit union or another financial institution. The Digital DollarThe Digital Dollar-Evolution of the Financial Ecosystem

13 YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMEA case for mobile moneyFor the Barbadian entrepreneur, the case for mMoney provides evidence of increased profitability, efficiency, security and the development of improved marketing strategies.Exhibit A: Request paymentsImagine the efficiency and convenience of electronically submitting the necessary documents to incorporate and register your business. With mMoney, businesses can email their invoice with a unique QR code to request payment. Wherever your location, you simply scan, pay and go on with your day. This feature of mMoney is also available for transactions with suppliers.Exhibit B: Reduce the risk and cost of cashAll physical cash received into a business incurs a cost.Cash must be securely handled, reconciled and eventually transported to a financial institution. Digital transactions will transfer digital dollars from your customers’ digital wallets directly and instantly into your business’s mMoney account. Every mMoney transaction is instantaneously tracked within the app and a receipt is sent to your registered email account. This cashless and paperless process also ensures that your business does its part for the environment.Exhibit C: Increase profitability and improve marketing strategymMoney transactions can be concluded (and email receipts are received) before your customers even reach for their debit or credit card. Time saved in lines and waiting on card approval means more time for engaging other customers. mMoney Merchants can review their transaction history to analyse and design the right product and promotional mix to boost their sales and profitability.Have you ever tallied all your transaction fees? Even if all your transactions are done with debit or credit cards, the transaction and hidden costs reduce your business’s profitability.mMoney Wallet was created for consumer use and is free to download, sign up and use. No transaction or hidden fees are incurred.The mMoney Merchant app is intended for small, medium and large businesses. It is free to download and set up an account. Fees range from BDS$0.05 to BDS$0.20 per transaction. By comparison, on a single BDS$100 debit or credit card swipe, you’d pay up to BDS$3.Regional and International possibilitiesThe recent signing of the contract with the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) to conduct a pilot test of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), presents the possibility for entrepreneurs to more cost-effectively get paid for exporting their products and services to our Caribbean neighbours. Essentially acting as an Amazon or Ebay vendor right here in the Caribbean; someone in Trinidad buys your product, pays you digitally and you ship their purchase to them.The arrival of mMoney makes the evolution of the financial ecosystem very exciting. “This is for the development of our region. Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” said Governor Timothy Antoine of the ECCB.If you haven’t already, visit www.mmoney.bb to download and sign up!The Digital Dollar

14YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMEEnterprising Ernest– Ernest incorporates M-money Technology | Jeremy MarshallEnterprising Ernest

15 YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMEEnterprising Ernest

Training a New Generation of EntrepreneursThe Government of Barbados mainly finances national development by collecting corporate income tax, personal income tax, and national insurance payments. This being the case, it is obvious that the success of the country is largely dependent upon the success of the business community. If businesses are thriving, the country can prosper. Conversely, if business is declining, the country cannot sustain itself.That is why, when the domino effect of the global financial crisis of 2008 started to impact negatively on businesses in Barbados, a group of like-minded volunteers established the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation (BEF) in 2010. It was apparent to the BEF that the best way to secure a successful future for Barbados was by inspiring, training and facilitating a new generation of young entrepreneurs.Recognising that there already existed a number of predominantly theory-based, youth business training programmes, and wanting to avoid duplication, the BEF set out to provide teenage students with an experiential education in ‘what it really feels like to be an entrepreneur’. We adopted the approach that in the same way you can only learn to drive by sitting in a car, you can only learn how to be an entrepreneur by starting and running your own business.The BEF’s first youth programme, the $20 Challenge, was launched in 2011 to actively demonstrate the potential benefits of adopting an enterprise-based approach to education. Aimed at students between the ages of 14 and 16, and open to all secondary schools, the $20 Challenge was conceptualised to create an environment where participants were obliged to challenge themselves to be creative, resourceful, adaptable, resilient and bold.By lending the students a mere $20, that must be repaid, we intentionally force them to find clever ways to use a small sum of money to come up with a good idea and start a business. By compressing the duration of the competition into a matter of weeks, they must react quickly and ‘get on with it’. By putting them under that kind of positive pressure, we are intentionally forcing them to step outside their comfort zone and start taking calculated risks. In essence, we are making them think and behave like entrepreneurs.At the end of the cycle, which includes a $20 Challenge Marketplace where participants trade their products in the competitive real-world of the public domain, the businesses are judged on Profit, Creativity and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The reason for including CSR in the judging criteria is to help our young entrepreneurs learn the tremendous value of ‘giving back’, by allocating a portion of their profits to a worthy cause.Now in its 8th annual cycle, the BEF $20 Challenge has grown from strength to strength, experiencing steady improvement in the quality of the entries, particularly with regard to the variety, innovation and sustainability of the businesses created.Following the success of the original $20 Challenge, the BEF also introduced the Agriculture Entrepreneurship Challenge, to help develop the entrepreneurial skills of young people already involved in agriculture. Based on the fact that there is often a disconnect between farmers and business, the fundamental aim of this programme is to teach young agriculturists not just how to grow crops or rear livestock, but also how to monetise them efficiently.16YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMETraining a New Generation of EntrepreneursWritten by Keith Miller, Director, Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation

Similar to the $20 Challenge, each student is loaned $20 seed capital to get their business up and running. Due to the required growth cycles involved, the agricultural competition runs for 18 months, during which time the participants showcase their businesses at the Agrofest exhibition under a branded Agri-Business Challenge tent, as well as to participate in a number of sponsored farmers markets. In a quest to add impetus to the agricultural sector by encouraging qualified young people to take up farming as a viable career, the BEF has made it possible for participants in the Agriculture Entrepreneurship Challenge to earn National Vocational Qualifications(NVQ)AgriculturalEntrepreneurship Level 1 Certification, thereby adding further real-world value to the programme.Since 2011, the BEF has also collaborated with the Rotary Club South of Barbados and Entrepreneurs in Action (EiA) of the UK, to facilitate the Classroom to Boardroom (C2B) programme, which offers students an opportunity to further develop their entrepreneurial acumen by physically experiencing the world of business at the corporate level.Targeted at the 16 to 25 age group and held over a 5-day period, C2B begins with a leading executive settingareal-lifebusinesschallenge. Supported by intensive coaching, the participants organise themselves into a structured ‘company’ and then work together to come up with a viable business solution, which they present to executives of the sponsor company, in their boardroom, at the end of the week. Just like the $20 Challenge and the Agricultural Entrepreneurship Challenge, Classroom to Boardroom provides students with an invaluable first-hand experience of being involved in an authentic business assignment.The BEF is committed to filling a void in the existing, traditional education system by proactively providing students with multiple opportunities to experience the real world of business that could never be replicated inside a classroom. Moving forward, the BEF aspires that programmes such as these will one day be integrated into the national school curriculum, so that every single student in Barbados has the chance to benefit from the many positive lessons to be learned. Meanwhile, we will continue to work hand in hand with fellow stakeholders in entrepreneurial development, such as the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme, striving together to give our young people a solid foundation for them to build their own successful Barbados of the future.The BEF is committed to filling a void in the existing, traditional education system17 YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMETIPS FOR ENTREPRENEURSTry not to do everything on your own. It’s good to be ambitious, but it’s wise to know your limits.Training a New Generation of Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship has been seen as the catalyst for strengthening fragile economies and has been touted as ‘a method of escaping Barbados’ economic challenges’ (Pounder, 2014).In the current environment of uncertainty and in some quarters, economic recession, at no other time in our recent past has retooling and retraining been more important.For many of you, owning and managing your own business has been a dream which you have had from as long as you can remember. For others, entrepreneurship is a new concept which they have recently begun to explore. Whether you are a ‘newbie’ to entrepreneurship or an ‘old hand’ at it, you will find our Entrepreneurial Development Training Programme insightful, educational and greatly rewarding.YES’ Entrepreneurial Development Training continues to be a critical component of the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme’s programming. It caters for its target audience of young persons between the ages of 18 – 35 years old and is focussed on the development of young persons with interests across a variety of sectors. YES’ EDTP aims to equip and empower young entrepreneurs to start, grow and manage their businesses. Participants are exposed to personal development and business management workshops and modules.I applaud you on overcoming the obvious fears and embracing the possibility of creatively fashioning your future through entrepreneurship. As we reflect on recent media reports and commentaries, we have all been advised that the economic turnaround will be mainly engineered by the small business sector. You are, therefore, part of a revolution!YES is an exceptional organisation which is committed to the continued development of our youth through its wide range of services which include: Business Counselling, Technical Assistance, Accounting Service, Marketing Service & Entrepreneurial Development Training.From inception YES has seen the importance of equipping our youth with the necessary skills to take their dreams, hopes and ideas and turn them into thriving business enterprises. YES will provide you with many networking opportunities through training, and offers various resources to assist you in your quest from ‘idea to enterprise’, in the strengthening of your fledgling business or in expanding your operations. We have selected facilitators who are well renowned in their respective field and are more than competent in delivering the requisite information.As we continue to enhance our modules and workshops with new direction emerging from the global marketplace, we welcome your feedback on training.We wish to thank you for contributing to our legacy of entrepreneurial development, as you are most important to this legacy.Say YES! –Entrepreneurial Development TrainingProgrammeClaire InnissYouth Enterprise OfficerCoordinator – Entrepreneurial Development Training ProgrammeEntrepreneurial Development Training Programme18YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEME

19 YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMEMaria Boyce-Taylor, Marketing ConsultantMaria coaches young entrepreneurDamian Reid of Baobab Kitchen Meet A Change MakerWhat do you call someone who literally does it all? Someone who, takes care of and invests time in her family and friends, is a at the top of her game career-wise, has an active social life and still makes time to give back to her community and the development of young people? You call her Maria Boyce-Taylor, a true change maker.Maria’s passion for life and the development of young people has made her one of the most sought-after mentors at the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme, where she has given her time and efforts in the areas of training in the Youth Entrepreneurial Development Training Programme and YES Mentorship Programme, for the last 10 years.This University of the West Indies Cave Hill and University of Leicester graduate is a senior executive at a multi-national company, with business development and marketing responsibilities for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. Maria first recognised she had the ability to motivate and mentor others while working at EBSCO in Boston, when she was sent on a Five-Star Management Training Programme, a high level management training programme. After just two months in, the facilitators recognised Maria had a strong capacity to lead and motivate others and as such created a new stream for her specifically which included making her a trainer in the same programme she was enrolled in.Maria first really sank her teeth into training and mentoring while at the Cave Hill School of Business as a facilitator of their post graduate management programmes. Seeing and assisting her students reach their fullest potential was the catalyst that sparked Maria’s passion in this area. And it was that passion that led Maria to say yes to YES.“I wanted an outlet where I could give back and marry my love for mentorship and my business development experience and skills. I was also learning new methodologies and new information and I wanted to share it. It was also at that point that there was a paradigm shift in the way we do business, customers were now becoming very empowered and I wanted to be able to support and assist our young entrepreneurs in navigating how they can harness this change to their advantage.”The X factor which enables Maria to impact young people who have such different business interests is that her career path has exposed her to a wide spectrum of sectors. She has worked in such areas of heritage tourism, finance, and risk mitigation for both nonprofit and for profit organisations in her field of marketing and business development. “My approach is to ensure that our young entrepreneurs have theoretical and practical experiences exposing them to business principles, as well as networking and real life business opportunities and sectors. We also work to mold them to be their own brand ambassadors. Ultimately that is where it starts and ends, especially when you’re now creating a business. Social media is so very important and I work to help them understand it’s importance in today’s world of business. Showing them how to ensure that their content is viable, interactive and can call persons to action is important. It’s a process of changing them from being a young person with an idea to young person with a business.”YES has made it possible for Maria to touch the lives of more than 200 young entrepreneurs in the last 10 years. From ice cream to silkscreen, fashion designers, and visual artists, the people with whom Maria has shared her knowledge, time and energy have run the gamut in terms of entrepreneurship. “I have seen my young people move on to exporting their products, developing local brands that are well positioned, receiving awards for their businesses and pitching to investors etc. Their personal and professional growth is what makes this journey with them so very rewarding. My mentees are an extension of my family and I am invested in their achievements and overall success, so when I look around and see so many of them achieving their dreams my heart is truly full.” The years of her working as a mentor with young entrepreneurs have taught Maria that there is so much more to her calling than just teaching the bare bones of business. “I think it’s important as well to recognise that mentorship is much more than just business acumen, strategies and attaining objectives from a business perspective. A lot of the work comes with empowering and fortifying our young people. There is a lot done in terms of life coaching, motivating and building self-confidence which is so critical to this entire process. Personal development feeds into that business development element, and it’s really important to engage our young people to help them realise their full potential and to set them on a path of personal and professional success. I truly believe the further development of Barbados is dependent on us investing in our young entrepreneurs [and] supporting their innovation. And just how does this successful professional, who is devoted to family and friends, fit in giving back and really making an impact on her nation?“It’s finding a good balance and I have a strong support system. Innately, I love to see people succeed and to assist people in reaching their fullest potential and that comes from my own family values and believing in community and the importance of paying it forward. Of course, a strong work-life balance is critical for me and as long as I have that balance and can obtain some relaxation and rejuvenation, I am able to achieve a great deal.” There are people who talk about change and making the world a better place. Maria Boyce-Taylor is no talker, she is a definite doer, changing the lives of others one entrepreneur at a time.Written by J. Natasha King “My approach is to ensure that our young entrepreneurs have theoretical and practical experiences ”. Meet A Change Maker

Knowledge, human capital accumulation and innovation have become the driving forces of economic and social development around the world. In a knowledge economy, knowledge is created, acquired, and diffused by various segments of the society; including individuals, firms, and organisations to promote economic and social development. These developments, therefore, have significant implications for education and training.Innovation is the tool of the entrepreneur. Innovators propose new solutions to existing challenges, in the form of new products and services. They also put into practice new marketing and managerial methods. Innovation does not exist without entrepreneurs.The rise of rapidly expanding knowledge-based industries, in particular Information and Communication Technology (ICT) related industries and the service industry, has increased the demand for a more highly skilled labour force. Growth of highly skilled occupations has been significantly faster than growth of less skilled ones, a trend reinforced by imports of equipment and technology, which can raise demand for skills. Innovation surveys from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries such as the United Kingdom show that sectors and firms with more highly educated workers are likely to be more innovative.What these trends indicate is the fact that education, skills development and training are key elements of a knowledge-based, Influencing the Entrepreneurial Mind-set through STEAM EducationSubmitted by the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Smart Technology20YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEME

21 YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMEinnovation-driven economy and affect the supply of, and demand for, innovation. On the supply side, human capital and skilled labour are necessary components for technological advancement, since new technologies cannot be adopted without the appropriate workforce training and education. On the demand side, innovation may not occur if demanding customers and consumers are lacking.Skills and competencies for Innovation/Entrepreneurial activitiesA number of innovation experts have identified problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration and communication as essential skills in the innovation process. In this regard, a focus on STEAM education provides several opportunities for nurturing these essential skills.STEAM education which promotes, project-based learning, enquiry approaches and experiential learning; coupled with a learning environment that discourages rote learning, promotes the skills that are a prerequisite for innovation and entrepreneurship.These STEAM-based education methodologies also encourage students to build their problem-solving skills through trial and error and testing of hypothesis, thus promoting the fact that success is usually an iterative process. Problem-solving and risk-taking are essential characteristics of an entrepreneurial mindset, hence the value of STEAM-based education in the promotion of the entrepreneurial mindset.STEAM education can also serve as a catalyst in fostering a research and development culture, since research skills can be developed in most STEAM programmes. This is another area which can influence the entrepreneurial mind-set; where knowledge gained from R&D can lead to entrepreneurial activities involving products or services introduction into the market place.In order to satisfy the needs of the country in producing STEAM students with the skills, knowledge and STEAM methodologies required for effective functioning in the 21st century, capacity building efforts must start in the early years - that is, kindergarten - and be maintained throughout school.This educational approach has been adopted by the leading developed countries across the globe, including Europe, North America and Asia. And in more recent times this approach has also been adopted by a number of leading developing countries such as Malaysia and China.The learning approaches incorporated in STEAM-based education encourage students to: ask questions, develop critical thinking skills, learn from hands-on experimentation, identify connections between different disciplines, work in teams, learn to communicate, and strengthen research skills. All of these skills and competencies are essential for entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial mindset.STEAM-based education will not only equip students with the skills and competencies required for nurturing the entrepreneurial mindset. It will also provide them with the knowledge required to function effectively in this knowledge-based society, driven by scientific and technological innovations.The Government of Barbados’ agenda includes areas such as digitization, telecommunications, SMART Barbados, energy and the blue economy which all require STEAM-based knowledge. These areas all offer significant opportunities for entrepreneurs. A look at one example will highlight the need for STEAM education in the promotion of that sector.The Government of Barbados has set an ambitious agenda of year 2030 for one hundred per cent renewable energy uses for Barbados, that is, de-carbonisation of the economy. What this means, is that many opportunities will become available for citizens to be involved in the transition from a focus on fossil fuel use as a source of energy to the use of renewables. Solar, wind and biomass will become the energy sources of choice. This will create the need for installers and other technicians of solar panels and assemblers for wind turbines. In addition, scientists, designers and engineers will be required to design and develop all non- fossils fuel energy systems.An examination of the other growth sectors for Barbados will also provide compelling reasons for promotion of STEAM-based education. An education which will equip students with the requisite skills and knowledge for active participation in the various sectors as entrepreneurs.Building knowledge and the requisite skills and competencies are essential ingredients for the development of the entrepreneurial mindset. In this knowledge-based society where scientific and technological knowledge is at the heart of development and growth a STEAM-based education provides the country with the best opportunity for the promotion of the entrepreneurial mindset.Influencing the Entrepreneurial Mind-set through STEAM EducationSTEAM-based education will not only equip students with the skills and competencies required for nurturing the entrepreneurial mindset.TIPS FOR ENTREPRENEURSKeep your vision clear. An entrepreneur has a vision for something and a desire to create it.

22YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMESpend some time with Amleya Clarke and it won’t be long before you discover someone with an engaging personality, an eye for perfection and a passion for photography.“I’m a photographer,” she begins when introducing herself. “My passion is telling stories in an artistic way.”Yet she insists photography did not come to her naturally, and she simply stumbled upon the profession.“Getting into photography was kind of by accident. I never intended to have a career in photography. I can’t really say it comes naturally, I wouldn’t say I was born with the talent.”In fact, Amleya, who launched her business, Amleya Clarke Photography in 2014 after completing the Youth Entrepreneurship Programme, could easily have been a lawyer. It was in law that she earned her degree at the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, but it never was her passion, therefore, after completing her degree she decided not to attend law school. Instead, Amleya chose a field that had been beckoning her since her childhood days.Upon reflection, it should have come as no surprise that the young entrepreneur, who describes herself as an artist, would have travelled the photography road. She was attracted to the arts as a child, doing ballet at three, getting involved in productions at church and liked portraying herself artistically. She also loved images, was drawn to fashion magazines “and the different ways of creating images and portraying images and portraying feelings and emotions and personality in art”, and would engross in National Geographic, not for the content, but for everything that went into capturing the perfect image.She whetted her appetite for the profession by spending a week at one of the studios here shortly before going to university, where she joined the photography association, later becoming its president. And to hone her skill in the art of taking picture, she enrolled in several courses and internships.“Even when I was in law class I used to think of when will the class end because I want to watch a photography workshop that’s streaming. Doing law was never a passion for me. Photography is a passion. I chose to go into photography because it’s a passion,” she says.Today, Amleya’s passion has become her profession – she specialises in portrait and commercial photography, describing the style of her imagery as contemporary in aesthetic, timeless and distinctive in style and highly refined in quality.“I consider myself a visual storyteller,” she explains, driven by the desire to create art that inspires, motivates and empowers people to look and feel their best. It’s what she does best with all of her clients – both top brands and small entrepreneurs.As a young female photographer working in a male dominated field, Amleya believes she brings a unique perspective to the table, as well as a different relationship with the client, particularly female clients, because she understands their needs.“There are times when people do not want to have a male in the room, especially with wedding photography, they want someone who can be in the room who can tell them when the bride is ready, fix this and fix that.”After years of hard work, sleepless nights, collaboration and building a network she looks forward to attracting internationalclientsandgetting involved in many more high-end campaigns.In the meantime, Amleya, the sole owner of her company, is revelling in the impact she is making with well crafted images. Not bad for someone who simply stumbled upon her passion.At 23 Shaye Waldron knows what it’s like to be deeply in love - with the art of making women look beautiful. It’s a love affair that began when she was just a little girl hanging around her mother’s salon watching her mum joyfully bring smiles to the faces of the many women who went there to get their hair done.“I would have watched her doing what she loved, and I fell in love as well,” Shaye recalls. “Hair would have been one of my first loves in beauty. I fell in love with the customers, helping them to feel beautiful and seeing them smile when the styles were completed.”With this upbringing, along with her passion for beauty and people, Shaye knew from a very young age what career she wanted to pursue, and nothing would stop her. She attended cosmetology school where she fell in love once more, this time with doing treatments. Today, the young woman is living her dream, having started her own business, Artistry by Shaye, two to three year ago. She provides makeup services, pedicures, manicures, waxing, Novalash eyelash extensions and microblading. She also has a mink eyelash line.To Shaye, providing beauty services is like therapy – something she looks forward to. Her love for it and her natural talent and training mean she approaches her profession not as a job, but as a means to lift the morale of women with little self-worth. And she hopes that by her efforts, she can change the belief of those who hold that a visit to the beauty salon is nothing but vanity.“I thoroughly enjoy helping people. Many people see beauty treatments as unnecessary or vain, but I beg to differ. Beauty services such as makeup services can give an instant boost of confidence to a person, especially persons who may have low self-esteem,” she says. “Unlike many service providers my services are not just about financial gain, I care about my customers’ needs and I try my best to make sure the customer leaves contented.”Shaye’s instinct is to touch lives, and she wants to grow her business so she can do a lot more of this by employing young people and helping them become independent. In the long term she wants to reach heights in the beauty spa business previously thought to be unreachable, and to inspire young people, particularly young women, to become self-sufficient by pursuing careers in fields that they love.“I believe in women empowerment so being independent is also a big thing for me and being self-sufficient. I grew up in a family of female entrepreneurs who went after their dreams and are fully independent and successful today.”The young business owner and sole proprietor defines success as an abundance of satisfied customers, and she attributes whatever success she has enjoyed thus far to God, her mum “for being a stellar example of true strength and female empowerment”, and hard work.She encourages young entrepreneurstobelieve in their talents and dreams, and not hesitate to take the first step.“Ultimately, we make our own destiny so if a person has a natural talent or big dreams, go after them with a vengeance,” she advises.No doubt Shaye scripted her own destiny, which became clear when she fell in love with hair while just a little girl.Artistry By ShayeName of Business: ArtistryByShayeName of Owner: Shaye WaldronAddress: #616 Kingsland Christ Church 246-245 2120 [email protected] | livethedolllife | theoasisspa_Name of Business: Amleya Clarke Photography Name of Owner: Amleya ClarkeAddress: St. James, Barbados246-249-1093 info@amleyaclarkephotography.comAmleyaClarkePhotographyamleyaclarkephotographyamleyaclarkephotography.comAmleya Clarke PhotographyEntrepreneursto look out for

23 YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMEFive year ago, Tracia Holder had reached the proverbial fork in the road. With her daughter having gone to nursery, Tracia was home with lots of free time on her hands. Determined not to fall into the trap of having the devil find work for her idle hands, she chose to turn her attention to low-hanging fruit nearby.“You’re home, you don’t have anything to do with all that extra time, and we have a lot of fruit trees outside, so the business started by me just getting a coconut and trying to make a sugar cake,” the quiet, but talented Tracia explains with a satisfying laugh.Little did she realise at the time that this would be the beginning of something special. Back then she had no idea how to make sugar cakes, but she stuck to her task until she had the measure of it, thanks in part to advise from elders who are knowledgeable about the secrets of the Barbadian sugar cake. “After I perfected the sugar cake I realised I could sell this and make some money.”It was then that Ari’s Sweet Treats was born, right there in her kitchen at Belle, St. Michael. That was back in 2014. One year later, the young mother registered the business, which she named after her daughters Adijah, 5, and Anita, 2, whose middle names are Arika and Aria.Since then Ari’s Sweet Treats has continued to grow as the number of orders increases, with the creative Tracia - who says she is “not really a cooking person” but found love when she discovered the art of making pastries and sweets - adding cupcakes, lollipops, granola and the like to her impressive list of offerings.Things did not come easily for Tracia, who took a two-year break soon after registering the company due to the arrival of her second child. She has had difficulty convincing retailers to carry her products, although she’s beginning to see some improvement in this regard. Because she also works as a waitress at a local hotel, she can have extremely long days and even longer nights. But she continues to persevere, spurred on by her determination to succeed and the satisfaction of seeing the happy faces of the growing list of customers.She is confident that she is well on her way to something special, with owning a complete kitchen and getting her products in as many outlets as possible as part of her short-term plans, while building a sustainable business that she can pass on to her children in the long term.Her success thus far is due to working hard, remaining focused and ignoring the naysayers, an approach anyone seeking to start a business must adopt, she says. It’s not a nine-to-five job, Tracia explains. And be happy no matter what. This is her philosophy, and it’s what is driving her to succeed at Air’s Sweet Treats, a solely-owned business which began simply because she had time on her hands.There’s a certain chemistry between Stephen and Jamantha Byer that is just as uplifting as it is edifying. There’s such positive energy emanating from the couple that they leave little doubt they can conquer any odds and achieve greatness. And the two seem well on their way with the development of their Long Bay, St. Philip-based catering and entertainment business.Like a professionally rehearsed duo this husband and wife team takes turns – seamlessly so – telling the romantic story of how the business came into being. He is a chef and a drummer, she is a mixologist and a singer, so it was no surprise that when they were getting married three years ago they did their own catering and she spontaneously burst into song at the reception that followed.At the same time, they had grown tired of working for other people – she as a singer on a cruise ship and he as a chef at a local restaurant - so out of their union sprang The Byers Catering & Events.“We reached a point in our lives and we reached it at the same time,” Jamantha recalls, “where we got fed up of working for people,” adds Stephen without missing a beat.“Your ideas and talents working for people are going to waste so he got to the point where he couldn’t do it anymore,” Jamantha continues.Newly married without an income and just $300 in his pocket, Stephen approached businesses in Speightstown to gauge whether there was a hunger for a gourmet meal delivery service and the response was pleasantly surprising.“I got seven orders. The next day I had nine orders and the day after that, eleven, until we got to 30 orders.”As word spread the demand continued to grow, with some businesses placing between fifteen and twenty orders, while there were requests for the then Maynards, St. Peter-based couple to deliver to as far as Sheraton.Today, they offer private chef services at weddings, birthday parties, baby showers or wherever there is an event that requires catering - with or without entertainment.“The uniqueness of our business is that we don’t just specialise in one thing, we combine all of the arts together. You have a live band, you have catering, also mixology where you can have premix cocktails. So it’s the arts combined,” Jamantha says.Although the business has progressed to the extent that the catering services has been able to fund the entertainment segment, they are far from satisfied with their gains. The Byers are determined to become a household name that is defined by excellence, and in the long term they want to own a culinary art school and a restaurant. The two are one in their love for food and music, the joy that comes out of getting calls from large businesses to cater for their events and the conviction that The Byers Catering & Events is destined for something big. And, they are taking their own advice to anyone looking to start a business, to keep pushing and never give up.Entrepreneurs to look out for Name of Business: Ari’s Sweet Treats Name of Owner: Tracia Holder Address: #28 Belle, Farm Road, St Michael 246-823-2031 [email protected]’s Sweet Treats @arissweets The Byers Catering & EventsAri’s Sweet Treats Name of Business: The Byers Catering & Events Name of Owner: Stephen & Jamantha ByerAddress: Long Bay St.Philip246-826-0904 / 246-826-0905 [email protected] The Byers Catering and [email protected] to look out for

ActivitiesEventsCompiled by Cherryann Jordan, Youth Enterprise Officer The Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment rolled out the pilot phase of its Building Blocks Community Based Training Programme on Monday, March 18th 2019 at the Bonnets Resource & Community Centre in Christ Church. This programme was facilitated through the collaborative efforts of the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme, the Youth Development Programme and the Community Development Department. The programme also took place at the Ivy Community Centre, the Parkinson Resource Centre and the Chesterfield Brewster Youth Empowerment Centre. Over the four weeks of training participants were exposed to Life Skills and Entrepreneurial Development Training. 24YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMEPhoto at left of Manager YES, Selma Green engaging with Facilitators and Service Providers at the Orientation Meeting for the Ministry’s Building Blocks Community Based Training ProgrammeGloria King joined the YES staff in September 2005 as a Clerk Typist. Since then she has been an invaluable asset to YES often going above and beyond the call of duty. Her dedication and cooperative nature will be truly missed. In September 2018 Glo was reassigned to the Ministry of Housing, Lands and Rural Development. The YES team wishes her all the best.& Activities & EventsNEXT CHAPTER

TRADE SHOWSYES facilitated the attendance of eleven of its clients at the 2018 Barbados Manufacturers’ Exhibition (BMEX). The event took place at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre from May 18th – May 21st. The YES clients represented businesses drawn from the manufacturing, food, Jewellery, beauty and fashion sectors. At the beginning of 2019 ten clients attended the Girlfriends’ Expo under the YES banner. The event took place at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium on February 2nd and 3rd. On January 24th 2019 YES hosted a briefing meeting/workshop to prepare clients for the Expo. The event was hosted at the Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment.25 YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMEPictured below are some of the YES Clients who participated in the market village at the 2019 Barbados Relay Fair which took place at the National Stadium on Saturday February 9th 2019. The event was organized and hosted by another YES Client, Ms. Kimberly Rudder of Elite Sports.YES bid farewell to our beloved colleague Rose Anne Niles in October 2018. Rosie worked with YES for over 13 years as part of our Ancillary staff.Gone but never forgotten“No one is ever really lost as long as their story still exists.” - R. M. Romero, The Dollmaker of KrakowActivities & EventsFAREWELL TO A ROSEOwner of SusKennel, Josiah Maximilien and his assistant at BMEX 20182019 Girlfriends Expo participants at the YES briefing meeting/workshopYES OUTREACHYouth Enterprise Officers Ryan Moseley, Claire Inniss and Cherryann Jordan represented the department at the 2019 UWI Job Fair on March 7th on the grounds of the Cave Hill Campus. The event took place from 11.00am to 6.00p.m. Throughout the day officers interacted with students and other visitors to the booth who were seeking information about YES services and entrepreneurship.“Youth Enterprise Officer Heather Jones delivered a presentation on Entrepreneurship to third year students of the Springer Memorial School at their Career Day on Wednesday, February 20th 2019. Along with the presentation from Mrs. Jones the students were also introduced to three young entrepreneurs who are operating businesses in digital media and virtual reality.

26YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEMEWORD SEARCHm r e g u l a t o r y a g e n c i e s sI w v g x c p o t k e d u c a t i o n bc o n s u l t a n t s g e n c i e o e xr o a n t s g e s r e i c n a n i f h to c q f g k b z a g e n c i e t n x z bl a y f a c i l i t a t o r u b t g t ye n y d l u d e d a c h m t g x e z t bn p a k u t c z e y e n i c h m r i r td w g o v e r n m e n t g s s g n s a ye v e r n m y e n s s g e e u u s u i lr h e r s a o y e n b c h z m x h m n is r o t s e v n i e a c h m o o i o i mt a n t s g e y e s a o o o e p p n n at e a c h e r s a o a c e y o n s g g ft a t e s a c e c e s a o o e l t e c me g e n i b t y o u a n d m e r s o c at a o t h e e n t r e p r e n e u r r ft p r i v a t e s e c t o r e s a o o so e w t e n t a n s f u t a n s f u a ot r u s t l o a n s f u n d a c c e s sTHEME: ENTREPRENEURSHIP ECOSYSTEMAll the words in the word search relate to the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Barbados. Happy searching! Produced by Claire Inniss, Youth Enterprise OfficerBEF BIDC BYBT Coaches Community Consultants Education Facilitator Family Financiers Fundaccess Government Internships Investors Media Mentors Microlenders Private sector Regulatory Agencies SBA Schools TVET Teachers Tertiary institutionsThe Entrepreneur Training Trust Loans YES You and me26YES! THE MAGAZINE OF THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEME



“ FROM IDEA TO ENTERPRISE ”