BRADES, Montserrat – Librarian at the Montserrat Public Library, Sonja Smith is encouraging more people to use the library to make their enterprise dreams come to life.
Smith was speaking at the conclusion of the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) workshops which were held at the library last Wednesday to Thursday and facilitated by author and entrepreneur Nerissa Golden.
“The library is chock full of resources to help people move their ideas forward. It was such a joy to see the ideas going back and forth and the enthusiasm of the participants,” Smith said.
Montserrat joined more than 100 countries around the world participating in GEW and provided an opportunity for persons to get help with their business ideas and tapping into the expertise of Golden and entertainment lawyer Warren Cassell.
Cassell facilitated the Wednesday session on protecting intellectual property and music publishing. Those who attended were encouraged to protect their work and also to join or start a publishing company to exploit more ways of selling their music. Cassell used the example of the late Soca King, ‘Arrow’ who started his own publishing company in the 1970s and still profits considerably today from his catalog of music.
On Thursday, Golden led a small group in developing marketing solutions for home-based businesses and the cottage industry. “I was very pleased to see that one couple showed up, having just registered their business the day before and was able to show that they’d already done a lot of leg work but needed a few more ideas of how to push their products to the next stage and increase revenue,” remarked Golden.
Friday’s session looked at the issues surrounding the fears people have in setting prices and negotiating contracts that will benefit their business. “We must have full confidence in our abilities and in the value of the product we are offering before we can expect someone else to buy into us and what we have to offer,” the facilitator told the group.
“One of the things that we stressed during each workshop is that you have to create a demand for your goods and your services. A lot of people wait for someone to come and ask them what they have to sell and what service they can give, but you have to do the leg work and promote and show people the skills you have,” added the entrepreneur.
“I’ve been to many sessions on starting a business but this one was more personal and I felt like I got my questions answered and have more encouragement to do more to grow my business,” said Rondell Grant, who sells locally-made juices, jellies and treats.
The consultations were offered free of cost by Nerissa Golden, who runs goldenmedia Montserrat, a public and media relations firm, which specializes in promoting entrepreneurs in the creative industry. The library stayed open until 6pm to facilitate the workshops and to encourage persons to use the computers to search for information on building their particular business.
About goldenmedia Montserrat
goldenmedia Montserrat is a public and media relations firm that has been working with young entrepreneurs in the creative arts and the non-profit sector in the Caribbean for more than five years. Its flagship brand is trulycaribbean.net, which is a web portal that celebrates the work of Caribbean people, and provides information and resources to boost spirit, mind and body.
