Tag Archives: #entrepreneurship
Diaspora to Home and Back – Key in Our Community Give Backs
The need for Caribbean diaspora collaboration and cooperation including home countries is not a new phenomenon for Meegan Scott and Magate Wildhorse Ltd.
It is the reason I deliberately designed a Caribbean Evaluators International, a VOPE for Caribbean Evaluators at home and in the diaspora.
Facilitating research, cross-fertilization, cooperation, and co-creation was integral in the design. Speaking the languages of the region was essential.
Below is the message used to launch the VOPE and the Jamaica, Chapter.
Another initiative led from the Canadian arm of the Jamaican and Caribbean diaspora.
History is important.
Before Caribbean Evaluators International and The Community of Practice for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs was the private Facebook Group, Sagacity North-Mart.
That forerunner to The CoP was created in April 2011. At that time I had not lived a year in Canada; but the need was crystal clear.
Sagacity North-Mart on Facebook
“Sagacity North-Mart is an exchange and meeting forum for businesses, practitioners and academic minds involved in, or looking to participate in the CARICOM – North America international trade arena.
It was created by Meegan Scott, for bringing together small and medium sized entities; business and trade support agencies and associations; academia; media; buyers, market access and sales support professionals in Canada, the Caribbean and the United States of America for sharing viewpoints, insights and tips as well as for growing new partnerships for making trade easier among partners in those markets.
Sagacity North-Mart aims to be that well of wisdom from which practical answers to questions relating to finding contacts, suppliers, buyers, growing sales, entering the market, packaging, finding financing, logistics, quality, pricing, pit falls and how to avoid them will be answered by people who have been there and done that. It is also a help-line through which you can find answers to your questions as the need arises.
You are invited to share, network and participate actively, grow your bottom line even as you help someone else to grow theirs!” – Source: Sagacity North-Mart on Facebook.
Besides, conducting research into the status of Caribbean entrepreneurs in Canada, I had opened an independent desk with Latrea Corporation later Brand Scout and had plans to serve Canada, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe in particular though not exclusively. Latrea Corporation was owned by Eastern European immigrants to Canada.
A stint with Sobeys Supermarket, which I enjoyed and which I wish was closer to me so I could continue to have the opportunity to study sales and marketing in that sector served as another driver. That opportunity allowed me to seek the extent to which Caribbean exporters were losing out by not using in-store sales and promotion to drive the sales and mainstream of their exports.
The Community of Practice for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs was a natural progression since business and entrepreneurship was one other area in which we are left behind. Hence the need to hasten the pace of growing high performing businesses in the diaspora and at home.
Moreover, it is a must that those businesses participate in the processes for ensuring good governance, problem solving and democracy working at its best.
If we do not act together to improve our social and economic status, and be recognized as significant contributors to our host countries we will not be able to contribute to our home countries. We need to position ourselves to be a more preferred demographic in our host countries before we can make more significant contributions to our home countries.
Windrush Scandal, Canadian and US deportation challenges are not just about racism.
We have a role to play in empowering our people to benefit and contribute more.
We need to earn a favourable position instead of “spurned” for a greater mass of our population. Unless we look at the combination of factors and own our role, as well as come together to make the needed change there will be even more heartache and loss ahead.
It is a two-way affair. Host countries must also strive to remove all artificial barriers, and level the playing field so those of us who are committed can contribute, if they too are to benefit from immigration.
The Rally Call – Caribbean Evaluators International By Meegan Scott, Founding Board Chair
The vision, commitment, aspirations, passion, needs, wants, obstacles, preferences, rights, and responsibilities that fueled the drive to deliver a VOPE for Caribbeans by Caribbeans.
Who planted the seed to act in my mind? An opportunity presented for VOPEs on the EvalPartners learning network.
What influenced the design of the VOPE experience as a Corporate Strategy Planner and longtime leader in Toastmasters International Jamaica, as well as University of New Orleans Alumni Association (Jamaica, Chapter), and of course hosting the Facebook Group Sagacity North-Mart.
Year: 2014
Whys and Wherefores of The Community of Practice for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs
Launch Year: 2018
Don Your CEO’s Hat ― Keynotes
You’re running a business and you are an entrepreneur.
So, what if you’re not the CEO of the business you lead?
Why should you care about being the CEO, when you are already the entrepreneur behind the business?
Join us on Thursday, March 14, 2019 at 7:00 PM
For the speaker session: Don Your CEO’s Hat―Keynotes
Presenter: Meegan Scott
Duration: 45 mins. (Including post session networking).
You are welcome to submit challenges you have faced with owning both roles ahead of the session.
To book your seat, please complete and submit the registration form at the “Book my seat” link below.
Registration deadline: Sunday, March 10, 2019
Looking forward to sharing with you!
The event is brought to you by Magate Wildhorse Ltd.
We Made It in Time to Help You Succeed!
Who is this piece for?
Organizational leaders looking to grow and improve their results in 2019.
We came packed with solutions to help you attain the ―competitive edge!
We are talking about help with
- Getting strategic focus;
- Setting growth indicators that are aligned with your personal and business ambition;
- Working from your CEO’s hat versus from simply that of the operations manager― (to put it another way, we’ll help you with focusing and acting for driving balanced growth);
- Creating an actionable corporate strategy plan― for guiding you, and your organization to achieving the tomorrow you want for your business;
- Communicating your strategy to your team so your people will line up, fully committed, and working to deliver your strategy;
- Market research for ensuring you are aware of changes in your environment that could quickly become threats, risks, or opportunities;
- An evaluation, or an organizational assessment for boosting organizational learning, strategy execution, improved results, better understanding of and communicating your results, or all plus improved funder readiness;
- Problem solving, or capacity building, and increased levels of understanding for getting the right job done. We bring― workshops, webinars, charrettes, ideation, strategic and creative thinking sessions. Ever hear about our Pepper Pot Sessions for tough conversations and problem solving?
We’re all about growth, improved results, your success, and our success when you succeed!
For the solopreneur, or small business leader― finding your “one drop” or rhythm for success can take longer. Having us as a critical friend and success partner means the acceleration of that process.
You’ll notice the improvement as you prepare for, and move from one meeting to the next.
For the government department or non-profit organization, we’ll help you turn that evaluation spend into an investment in learning and growth for your organization, even as you meet your funder requirement.
But, why wait for a funder’s request to check on growth?
Why wait for an externally driven request to learn what is going well and what must be changed in your organization? After all, you’ve got the mandate to run that show!
We know the many reasons, why you don’t get around to it, that is why we have designed, and will work with you to get this essential part of your work done well.
And that corporate strategy plan, we know how that missing performance management system can squeeze your strategy execution to a slow and painful death. We’ve got your back with that one too!
Join a new class, say goodbye to Grade C, and that painful 60-70% failure report for strategy execution!
Economic development agency managers, chief of party, cluster managers, leaders of incubators and accelerators you thought we had forgotten you. Not a chance!
We know why and where business incubation fails.
We know cluster members could use affordable help with strategy execution; we know businesses in accelerators need that objective critical friend or advisor.
We know why development and change projects fail to deliver up to 70% of intended results.
We know that economic development agencies can realize a higher ROI if they had a partner for helping their beneficiaries with execution, and or performance measurement and management.
Look yonder to the image above, we come with a journal to help you and your clients with journaling, reflection, learning, strategy adjustment and performance improvement.
We come with hold your hand care ―plus pressure and urgency to drive success!
We come with a pen, conversations, meetings, tools, and a watch to keep score, track, and help you adjust your strategy and improve your results in time!
Because we are Magate Wildhorse Ltd, we come as that trusted friend to help you through the tough time and to focus on what really matters.
Together we’ll sniff the roses, relax, have fun, share laughs on your way to exceeding expectations.
Expect evidence-based, facts, rigor, organized, planned, synthesis, results, and caring!
Get value for money as you define it!
Let us help you find your success rhythm!
Let’s get the conversation going, message us today!
Hi Meet Meegan & Magate Wildhorse Ltd
Interview with Dr. K’Nife ― Caribbean Diaspora, Entrepreneurship and The CoP
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Making a chilly Saturday evening warm with a commitment to the winds of change for taking Caribbean Entrepreneurship in the Diaspora and in the Caribbean to the next level is Dr. K’adamawe K’Nife. He is the Director of The Centre for Entrepreneurship Thinking and Practice (The Centre), at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. Dr. K’Nife and the Centre will partner with the Community of Practice for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs (CoP) to deliver capacity building, research, foster inter-regional and Caribbean Diaspora collaboration.
Join us as Dr. K’Nife shares on entrepreneurship, trends, tradition, and the ecosystem for supporting Jamaican and Caribbean entrepreneurs, the Caribbean diaspora, Diaspora Direct Investment, Jamaica, and the CoP Opportunity. Dr. K’Nife also addresses the potential of entrepreneurship and business as a possible glue for driving regional integration.
With Dr. K’Nife is Meegan Scott, of the CoP Secretariat, and Magate Wildhorse Ltd.
Brought to you by The Community of Practice for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs.
Ask to join your CoP today, click here!
Who Is the Young Entrepreneur in 2017?
The face of the young entrepreneur has changed.
Today many individuals in their mid-forties and even sixties have had to find and to turn to their entrepreneur within in order to solve problems or to make a living.
Many are not lucky to be entrepreneurs of opportunity; in fact, a large number are entrepreneurs of circumstances.
Those entrepreneurs often have an urgent responsibility to care for potential and youth entrepreneurs in addition to providing for themselves. The potential and existing youth entrepreneurs are their children. They must feed them, they must provide shelter, health care, entertainment, education, hope and inspiration for them.
Retirement for those older young-entrepreneurs is just around the corner and those entrepreneurs must accelerate the growth of their businesses and increase their earnings in order to meet the cost of health care, shelter and entertainment during retirement.
If they fail, today’s youth entrepreneur could face a high financial and emotional burden of care for their parents in a couple of years. They may find that their best efforts and winning ideas never come to fruition because their parents are not able to help them to build capacity and execute to match or exceed the pace of change.
Some of those older young-entrepreneurs are immigrants in North America, the Caribbean, Europe and elsewhere in the world—they must also be recognized, celebrated, inspired and supported to succeed despite the constraint of size and resources.
Those older young-entrepreneurs are sometimes challenged by even greater difficulty in accessing financing for operating and growing their businesses. Some come to the world of entrepreneurship near-drowning in debt—be it from student loans, mortgages or from years of being underemployed or unemployed. Perhaps their financial challenge is the result of the financial burden they carried or carries in caring for their families.
At Magate Wildhorse our focus will be on young entrepreneurs irrespective of age even as we encourage youths to grow the entrepreneurial mindset and to find their entrepreneur within.
We want to encourage the serial entrepreneurs looking for success to stay on course. We are here to help them on the path to being focused for growth and to achieve growth.
Grit in the hours of darkness by Meegan Scott
Grow and hold your grit!
What will it take for you to succeed?
You need ideas and solutions for real problems, strategy, tactics, an updated or novel business model, flexibility, risk intelligence, risk management, performance and customers with pockets to pay for your solution.
You also need performance management and measurement, a solid in-house or adjunct team of supporters, grit plus finances for supporting you and your business as you grow together.
A lonely journey — by Meegan Scott
Be ready to embark on a lonely journey during the early days.
Be ready to act on your gut feelings and to take intelligent risks.
Don’t forget insurance, door openers, mentors and competent help with execution.
Still, you’ll have to juggle many hats!
Know your purpose, passion and aspiration!
For the Canadian entrepreneur know your Canadian Entrepreneur DNA and leverage it.
For the Caribbean entrepreneur in Canada and in the Caribbean know your Caribbean Entrepreneur DNA and leverage it.
Be ready to trim and focus.
Have an exit strategy that is grounded in your focus for growth.
If you don’t make it in your current business what you learnt should serve as key ingredients for successfully exiting one enterprise and to successfully grow another.
Hence the phrase “if you are in the same business you started in five years ago you are likely out of business”. This does not necessarily mean a new business. It could mean that the business you started have grown and evolved; but it could also mean that you must exit the old business and start another.
Be real! Be true! Know what it means to be focused for growth. Know what focused for growth should look like for you and your business given your circumstances, then act to grow.
I wish for you the greatest success in your journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Meegan Scott
