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Edition 457 – The Spirit of Entrepreneurship

My wife and I have not long returned from a fabulous trip through the Caribbean, the Florida Keys and Los Angeles, in the lead up to, and over, the Christmas break.

Our first stop was five nights in Barbados. It’s a very, very long way from Australia, with the commute, including a brief overnight stay in Miami, totalling out at 49 hours. It was the departure point for our 10 night Caribbean cruise, and we wanted to spend some time in the most easterly island in the West Indies to acclimatise for our trip. It didn’t disappoint.
 
One of the things that struck me about Barbados was the very high level of entrepreneurship that we came across in our short stay.
 
From the family that owned and operated the Beach View Hotel in Paynes Bay, on the West Coast of Barbados, whose investment in our upcoming journey was professionally dealt with all the way through leading up to our travel, particularly as some flight changes necessitated an additional night’s accommodation. When we eventually arrived, Beach View exceeded our expectations right from the get-go.
 
To the local driver named Raychad, a young bloke organised by the hotel to effect our transfer from the airport, south of Bridgetown, to the hotel. He was polite, courteous, informative and, most of all, a patient and calm driver, always an issue when my wife suffers easily with travel sickness.
 
To the proprietors of the Roti Den, just a short walk up the road from where we stayed, to indulge in a local delicacy. Not being a fan of spicy food myself, the ladies behind the counter were kind in tolerating my queries, and overindulged us with what they served up.
 
To, on most of the major roads, virtually in the front yards of the locals, there were people with oversized eskys selling everything from bottled water, to soft drink, to their own derivative of rum punch. Other families had small barbecue stands, making various delicacies that they sold to both locals and tourists. Often, patrons would pull up in their car, dive out, grab whatever it was they were after, then head off again. No one tooted their horns. No one yelled obscenities out of the car window as they drove by. It was an accepted part of Bajan life.
 
To the eldest son of the current family that owns St Nicholas Abbey, in the north of the island. A former sugar plantation from the 1700’s, today the estate’s house is open for inspection, and you can sample the rum they distill onsite, as well as ride their small steam train to the beautiful vantage point of Cherry Tree Hill, which looks back down the Atlantic Coast. It wasn’t by chance, either, that the owner was out and about on the day we were there. A British tourist who was within earshot, mentioned that she’d visited 10 years prior, and he’d greeted her back then as well.
 
Whether it’s the market stalls in Bridgetown, selling everything from fruit and vegetables to t-shirts, or the third generation family that operates one of Barbados’ most well known souvenir and travel outlets, or the second generation family operating the most beautiful of home decor stores in Speightstown, further up the the West Coast, the spirit of entrepreneurship was alive and well right throughout Barbados.
 
During our stay, we made the effort to frequent small and family businesses, for the most part, rather than larger corporates or local affiliates of international chains. In my opinion, by supporting the entrepreneurial journey of local families, we do our bit to ensure more stays in the local country, and creates a financial benefit for locals, whose welfare and livelihood depends on our patronage.

This Week’s Tip

“Supporting local builds opportunity and wealth for locals, not for offshore shareholders.”