Economic exclusion is not a new phenomenon
for Black people on the continent and in the diaspora. Reparations should be
the remedy but in the meantime, how will Black people survive this information
age? One option is entrepreneurship. Solving problems is what entrepreneurs do
and this is done by strategic planning. This preplanning is similar to the game
of chess. Before a player makes a move, they think 3 or more moves ahead on the
layout of the board. Good entrepreneurs consider authenticity, nonlinear
patterns, quality and value.
Not long ago a Canadian restaurant
franchise company implemented these tools to entice millions to spend their
money to purchase Popeyes chicken sandwiches. They were able to pull of this
chess move by targeting American Blacks.
By using urban slang and American Black dialect, many believed the “authenticity”
of the so called tension. The long lines of Black people at the various Popeyes
restaurants verified the social proof that was needed for the campaign.
Bypassing the traditional advertising
route of TV, radio and billboard, they used social media for their nonlinear
pattern. Each year, more and more people are leveraging their cell phones to
get information. This is how entrepreneurs can become successful. They think
outside the box and find a new of doing things, a brilliant chess move. Go
where the people are consuming and relate to them by using language and
symbolism.
If a product or service if not of
quality, why would the customer buy? What was the psychological incentive to
entice any one to stand in line for a chicken sandwich? It was scarcity. Buy this now or you will miss out. The customer believed that they will benefit?
This best way to capture ones attentions is branding. Brand names provide a
feeling, social prof and worth. In chess
terms, how does the rook get the queen? Create value.
Everything has a price. What are
you willing to pay for it? Would you stand in line for hours? Do you purchase
or trade for it? Creating a desire provides a market rate. The selling price
point is when the public will buy. Always think of how to motivate others.
So, did the American Blacks benefit
economically? They didn’t. They made a Canadian company millions of dollar but
not for their community. Remember this is a Canadian company that markets
itself as an American Southern fried chicken restaurant; juxtapose this issue
with the current state of reggae music.
Reggae music is now played on every
continent. These new performers will eventually not need the Jamaicans to
create the authentic sound and do it for themselves. Jamaicans will have to
create wealth by narrowing its culture diversity. It is our niche and we should control the
production and distribution to ensure income for Jamaican people. For if we
don’t, other ethnic groups will begin to dominate and control the culture for
financial gain. i.e. the Koreans now
control 99% of the Black hair business in the US and have no interest in
letting Blacks become owners and producers again. They want the Blacks to
remain a consumption class for their goods. This is not right but Black people
allowed it to happen. This was a strategic move, for the Koreans thought like
chess players.
Not everything is for everybody.
Circle your wagons and operate in a group interest fashion. Develop means to
give back to the community. The yearly barrel is a band aid but not a
solution. While traveling one earns,
learns and should return. Sun and sand is all over the Caribbean. How is
Jamaica unique and why should Diasporans and tourists return to the “rock”?
Many joke that the only time one sees large group of Jamaicans are at
funerals. We should convalesce around
positive events and not just pain. No more “red eyes or badmind” Celebrate and
elevate our wins. We must connect the dots to leverage our most powerful
resource, which is the mind.
Think of the opportunities of a half full
glass and not a half empty glass. Each year Chinese and Indians move to Jamaica
and become naturalized citizens. If the
country is so bad, why are they moving to Jamaica and creating jobs for their
community? They have a different mindset
for you will never see an Asian work for a Black person – ever. If Asians are
dealing with Blacks, it is an owner/ consumer relationship.
Stop being the consumption class
and become the merchant class like the other ethnic groups. The island should
be used for production and the diaspora should be the primary group that
consumes the products. This pattern creates an economic ecosystem. The diasporans have the capital, experience
and disposable income to purchase. They also have the capital to create credit
unions, which in turn can finance entrepreneural ventures. Thinking like a
chess player will ensure that Jamaica survives the information age and everybody
“caahn eat ah food”. Check mate!
