MINISTER of Family, Culture, Sports and?Youth Stephen Lashley is imploring young entrepreneurs to think “outside the box” and aim even beyond the regional markets.
Lashley made this call before more than 100 young businessmen and women at the graduation and awards ceremony of the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES), at Mahogany Ridge in Plum Tree Road, St James.
“I want to urge you to plan strategically to create businesses that can rival their counterparts in any part of the world. This current generation of entrepreneurs cannot simply focus on the domestic and regional markets, but must use cutting-edge technologies to become leaders in distant markets as well. And don’t confine yourselves to traditional endeavours only,” he said.
Before an audience that included Senator Jepter Ince and YES?manager Selma Green, Lashley urged the 140 graduating entrepreneurs who spent eight months in a development training programme to do things differently.
“How many of you, for example, have looked for opportunities arising within our annual Crop Over Festival which will be officially launched next week? How many of you have looked at what is creatively required to take our tourism industry to the next level?
“I urge you to closely link creativity and innovation to entrepreneurship. Find something new to offer, Create! Find new ways of getting in the market, Innovate! Do things differently . . . make it happen!
Lashley said it was no secret that entrepreneurs will kick-start the next economic revolution.
“It is not by chance then, that it is the policy of this Government to link entrepreneurship with creativity and innovation. This is because innovation and creativity are key to achieving growth and sustainability.”
