How do entrepreneurs become wealthy?

Wealth is acquired in many ways. If you are an aspiring entrepreneur, who are the role models? Your mentors should inspire you positively? When you study them, watch and observe their mindset. 

Answer these questions:

1.       What problem are you able to solve?

2.       Name the niche you are trying to tap?

3.       Can you produce a product or product line that you can share?

4.       How is the public learning about your product or service? Name your marketing strategies.

5.       Don’t consider selling but sharing for a price. What is your price and it does not mean money.

June 21st is Fathers Day in the US.

 Written by Chris Daley

My friend Joy invited me to join her on an outing to the zoo. She needed a chaperon for her first grade class. Well, my romantic heart got visions of slowly strolling, hand in hand on a pleasant spring day sharing a mango smoothie. I blurted out a yes before she could finish the request. Well I was jolted from my day dreaming moment when she assigned me three, very lively first graders. I got to hold hand alright, the hands of these kids as we maneuvered around the zoo, trying to stay together in the sea of students. I was again reminded why Mother's day is such a more affirming day than Father's day. Men, women were all over the zoo.

They were teachers, bus drivers, caregivers, stroller pushers. Sure, there were some men, but we were in the decided minority. Guys, let's change this profile and readily volunteer for such opportunities. One of the kids in my charge had arrived from Jamaica only one week prior. She was filled with excitement and foreboding and thus kept particularly close. As the trip proceeded, she felt more comfortable and became a chatter box. She shared that her dad was still in Jamaica, and how much she missed him. This declaration brought a flood of memories. Without exception, every woman that I have had as a close friend has always talked profusely about her dad.

There is always a longing admiration. Even if he was aloof, even if he was overbearing, even if he was dead, he was fondly remembered in some manner. How will my girls remember me? I have been blessed with three wonderful daughters, thus my focus on the father-daughter relationship. For the past eight years, I have been a single dad. With my youngest about to begin college in the fall pursuing a degree in history, I can afford to be a bit reflective.

My eldest is clearly out of the nest, married, and practicing the craft of videography internationally, from India to South America. My middle child is a junior in College sharpening her leadership and entrepreneur skills as she pursues a business degree. My parenting mojo consist of my trifecta of B's: Belong - unconditional love, good communication and home- base security Believe - in God first and your God given gifts Become - Invest in your education, push the edges of your discomfort zone, widen your success footprint.

Well this proud papa is beginning to enjoy the fruits of these many years of parental investment. I find that the currency of this return as tears. Yes, tears, tears of joy when I celebrate with my kids some milestone achievement. I saw an editorial in the Gleaner of May 14 suggesting that people should have to apply for a license to become parents. My first reaction was one of shock and dismay. Upon reflection, I think the author is just echoing his frustration with the break down of the family unit and would recommend such a draconian solution to restore this important ingredient to the success of Jamaica's future. I cannot envision any practical means of keeping folks apart when their desire is running rampant. I would however suggest equipping our young people with emotional and relational intelligence that will give them the capability to internally handle mature issues like their sexuality.

Men, we can play a key role in reducing the dis- functional trend our Jamaican family systems. Let me challenge you to also have a village focus to your fatherhood. Let me explain. Some single mother needs you to be a male role model to her child. I have tried to practice this investment with boys. It is going to be you or 50 cent providing that role model. I will guarantee that your involvement in a young boy's life will be more life changing. Raising children today is never easy, but it is the most rewarding, fulfilling job you can have.

Be your own ringmaster!

Are you living the life you want? Is the World Wide Web controlling you or are you controlling it? Save money, time and reach places that you not considered. Let today’s technology work for you. Here are some indispensable must have sites for the modern day entrepreneur:

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    Docusign: www.Docusign.com ; have the ability to sign documents on line via emails

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       Uberconference: www.Uberconference.com; when you have conferences, the profiles, picture and social media becomes interactive during the conference.

       Dropbox: www.Dropbox.com; When files are too large to attach in the email, this is an options

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    Google Drive: People can work on a project online. i.e spreadsheets

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        Google task List: type what and when something needs to be done. Reminder icons will keep appearing until task is complete

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        Go to my PC: www.GotomyPC.com; If you need to access your computer, you can do so remotely.

Here are some entrepreneur ideas for under $3000.00.

1.    Rent a booth or stand at the local mall and set up a sneaker cleaning business.

2.    Buy a t-shirt presser and make t-shirts for groups and organizations.

3.    Design t-shirts and sell them on Café Press.com

4.    Become a virtual assistant. All you need is a computer and a Skype connection.

5.    Start an animal grooming or dog walker business.

6.    Charge for tutoring; you can meet clients at the library instead of their homes.

7.    Sell gift baskets for special occasions i.e weddings, showers, graduations

March is Women History Month in the US

SOMETIMES YOU WIN …

Brand Jamaica is a worldwide cultural phenomenon. All Caribbean people are the life of the party, but there’s something about Jamaicans that is synonymous with cool.

That cool factor springs in part from the ubiquitous presence of reggae music around the world. Dreadlocks, Rastafari  and ganja smoking. These started off as symbols of revolution and then became cool. The fastest men and women in the world consistently sprouted their wings running on Jamaican soil. When the rest of the world thinks of the Caribbean, Jamaica is likely the first island that comes to mind. Jerk seasoning is available everywhere. I’d say, we have quite a few accolades to claim.

Now, I can brag fairly articulately on all these because I’ve had an entire week to write a column, but with a few thousand people in a room staring at me and just a few seconds to communicate all of that, maybe I would have frozen too. Kaci Fennell, the Jamaican beauty queen who also seemed to have a beautiful spirit, buckled under the question that many touted as a gift from God for someone representing a country like ours. Before the question and answer section of the recent Miss Universe pageant, she was presumed the winner of the competition by the crowd who booed loudly at the announcement of her 5th placement, and even by the other contestants who hoisted her on their shoulders after the ceremony was concluded.

She showed poise and spirit throughout the competition. She stood out for her short hair and ‘vibesy’ personality. But after the judges’ decision that someone else deserved the crown, it was remarkable the way the media paid even more attention to Kaci’s loss than to Ms. Colombia’s win. Kaci herself has been very gracious about the whole thing.

We didn’t take the crown, but we still won the crowd. Our girl is who the media decided to dwell on, at least in the immediate aftermath. And in a not so humble brag, I’ll declare Kaci Fennel one of people who have made Jamaica proud in representing us to the world.

Calibe Thompson is a personality, author and the producer of The Caribbean Diaspora Weekly. For your free preview of her 2015 collection of writings, Things I Probably Shouldn’t Say, visit www.calibe.net.

Valentines Day is February 14th.

Here are 10 things to stop doing in order to love yourself:

1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.  If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you.  You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot.  Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth.  And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.

2. Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on.  No, it won’t be easy.  There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them.  We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems.  That’s not how we’re made.  In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall.  Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time.  This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.

3. Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself.  Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves.  Read The Road Less Traveled.

4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.  Yes, help others; but help yourself too.  If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.

5. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else.  Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you.  Don’t change so people will like you.  Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.

6. Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.

7. Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.  Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success.  You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.

8. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us.  We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past.  But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.  Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.

9. Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive.  But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.

10. Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either.  You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else.

Happy New Year and here a few things to do for happiness

• ·         Smile
• ·         Treat other the way you want to be treated
• ·         Look someone in the eyes when you talk to them
• ·         Say something nice to another person to life up another’s spirit