OUR PRIME MINISTER recently noted that the next fifty years of Independence can’t be years of entitlement, they must be years of responsibility. Perhaps if moderation had been practised and responsibility encouraged in our first fifty years, we might now be more deserving of, and able to afford, entitlement i.e. “inherent right of privileges or special treatment”.
Sadly, politicians of both parties, in search of votes, have encouraged entitlement to such a degree that it’s now out of hand, with the majority expecting a free ride through life at the expense of the hard work and dedication of a few.
This trend is difficult to reverse, as we’ve seen from the uproar at tertiary level students having to pay a portion of their fees. Prior to that, we had students allegedly doing two and three degrees, often in areas which aren’t priorities for Barbados and taking extensive periods to complete them. Why was that abuse allowed? The day of reckoning had to come.
Through the years however, we’ve had fine examples of responsibility to emulate. I was really touched when the “roast corn” vendor Ms Joseph related her story to David Ellis. She’s one of the traditional entrepreneurs before they were called by that name, who raised families on ventures such as hers as well as pudding and souse, coconut bread, sugar cakes, guava jelly and other Bajan treats. She just used common sense, persistence, discipline and plain hard work to achieve her goals. The offspring of these entrepreneurs are doctors, lawyers and other professionals.
On a larger scale, we’ve seen the success of older family businesses like Cave Shepherd, R.L. Seale, Goddards, Carters, Mount Gay, and so on, and more recently, Branckers, Harris Paints, Solar Dynamics, Automotive Art, and the various Williams companies.
I read the history of Cave Shepherd as recorded in their 100th anniversary book and as far as I can see, the founder, R.G. Cave wasn’t born into riches, but worked as a salesman along with J.P. Shepherd at W.L. Johnson and Co. They soon realised there was a need to be fulfilled in the retail business, and opened the Ideal Store in 1907.
This business has certainly withstood the test of time and is now in its fourth generation. Goddards had a similar beginning with Joseph Goddard and his son Victor opening a small meat and grocery business in 1921. This developed into a group of 50 companies in diverse areas operating in 23 counties.
The foundation for these companies was laid in times of little or no technology, limited access to business schools, finance, incentives and so on. But the founders managed their resources well and recognised the need to reinvest in the businesses to ensure their sustainability.
In my own family, my mother was the consummate entrepreneur, making use of her sewing, cooking and handicraft abilities and her “green thumb” to supplement our father’s income.
In my generation, my sister and her family are entrepreneurs, starting from “scratch”, withstanding the rigours of living in a tent before building a home and repaying the start-up loan for their dairy farm in record time. They recognised that paying your debts is a priority and that you have to creep before you can walk.
On the other hand, many entrepreneurs today, in spite of their declared goal to be masters of their own destiny, are still caught up in this entitlement and seem not to understand the basic principles of running a business.
Admittedly they face challenges with red tape, illogical regulations and so on, but in spite of all the avenues of assistance now available, they often fail because they don’t display the discipline required for success. They are often unreliable and disorganised and apparently expect success to be handed to them on a platter.
Furthermore, they don’t understand that if their businesses are to grow and be sustainable, when they sell a product, they must pay their creditors and reinvest in the business before trying to live in luxury. And in spite of the technology available, they have to work hard and consistently. Even fairy godfathers and mothers ultimately become fed up with laziness and indiscipline.
Let’s take responsibility for ourselves, while at the same time demand that Government is accountable to us and undertakes its responsibilities so that together we can build a better Barbados.
• Dr Frances Chandler is a former Independent senator. Email: [email protected]
