Time to Pivot
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Established October 1895 See Inside Monday December 7, 2020 $1 VAT Inclusive TIME TO PIVOT Expert says business marketing is not supposed to be reactive AS companies continue to continued, “A lot of people grapple with the negative think that investment and impacts of the COVID-19 expense are the same thing, it pandemic and look to the really isn’t. An expense is future, a regional where you spend for no marketing and advertising returns, an investment is specialist, says it cannot be investing for future returns... A business as usual if they lot of business owners, because want to increase their marketing is not tangible they visibility and keep their can’t understand it is an doors open. investment. It is like education, Carla Williams Johnson, it is an investment now for Chief Executive Officer and future earnings. So investing founder of the Trinidad-based in an expert is just the same Principal of the Alleyne School, Julia Beckles as she delivered the Principal’s Report, during Carli Communications, is thing, investing now for future the school’s Speech Day & Prize Giving Ceremony. telling businesses not to be earnings”. afraid to seek professional She made the point while help. In fact, as she reflected noting that for too long on the pandemic, Williams businesses have not been Teachers and students rise to Johnson said when it comes to taking marketing seriously, major crises, it is people like and have either been engaging herself that need to come to the in do-it-yourself (DIY) the challenge despite pandemic forefront to inform business marketing or utilising persons owners about what they should who are not properly trained IN SPITE of the challenges focus on and do to stay in and lack the requisite know- presented by the ongoing business. how. COVID-19 pandemic, teachers “There are some people who and students of the Alleyne Marketing an investment genuinely don’t know what to School were still able to rise to She made the point in a do, and they have been DIYing the challenge and achieve many recent interview with The their business marketing. of the goals set for the academic Barbados Advocate, as she Maybe someone told them you school year. made it clear that business need to be on Facebook and Principal of the Alleyne School, owners must stop seeing that was the beginning and end Julia Beckles acknowledged the marketing as an expense and of the conversation, oh you above as she delivered the see it instead as an investment need to do sampling and that Principal’s Report, as the school in their business. Williams was the beginning and end of held its annual Speech Day & Johnson warned that if the conversation. There was no Prize Giving Ceremony in its businesses are not willing to strategy behind it, so they are auditorium recently, under the embrace the change that is doing all of these things and it theme “Surpassing Adversity needed and to pivot, making is almost as though they are Through Resilience”. the necessary adjustments to running on a treadmill, During the ceremony, many their strategy, delivery and because they do not have the students were rewarded for their operations, it will likely result component behind it in order to success in varying areas of school in the demise of their make their time and energy life. It was a day of celebration, as companies. and investment pay off. What I the school reflected upon the “Definitely invest in the help do is connect the dots for my achievements of its staff and that you need. It might seem people, which is what I find a students, during the past counterintuitive, because you lot of people don’t do”. academic year 2019 to 2020. may say you don’t have the She continued, “Marketing is “It would have been easy to money, but I don’t think you not a one size fits all, every have written this speech in one can afford not to invest, if you business has its own puzzle sentence.It would probably have don’t have the specific and the pieces will be different gone like this – COVID-19 came knowledge and expertise in for it to fit together. So bring in and therefore, there is nothing order to navigate the business somebody that can help you. to report. However, that is environment. Investing in There are a lot of people like certainly not the case for us at yourself and investing in the myself that are offering free Alleyne School,” the Principal people you need is the way to consultations... remarked. Erisha Husbands (left) was recognised for her excellent go,” she stated. results in the CSEC examinations. Here, she accepts one of The marketing specialist BUSINESS on Page 4 RISE on Page 5 her prizes from Ms.Tonya Stephen. 2 • Monday December7,2020 Monday MUSEUM® CLASSIC MESH MOVADO.COM T el: (246)537-0146 The Barbados Advocate Barbados The The Barbados Advocate Monday December 7, 2020 • 3 Future farmers in focus during virtual forum THE future is farming. That’s the message shared during a virtual Future Farmers forum hosted by the Inter- American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) which was held yesterday. The objective of the forum was to acquire cross-sectoral support for youth in agriculture, to understand the policies, projects and other initiatives currently in place to support young agripreneurs and to inspire hope, collaboration and innovation among members of the future farmers group. IICA representative Ena Harvey made it clear that agriculture is not dead, even though some persons held that view in the past. “For us at IICA Barbados, the launch of this forum represents our commitment to the youth and hope and optimism for the future of agriculture. A future IICA representative Ena Harvey highlighted the importance on which our youth can stamp of yesterday’s forum. their own legacy for their future Chef Kiara Riley highlighted some of the challenges in her generations. Start their legacy agro processing business. with innovative technologies and with the confidence that work but no one knows about it, support is available, in terms of so we want to make sure we are policy, technical assistance, supporting these initiatives to funding, mentorship and ensure that nationally it is recognition. better known and that the work Executive Director of of the youth is highlighted.” Barbados Environmental During the forum, attendees Conservation Trust Tamaisha were given an opportunity to Eytle also commended the hear directly from young initiative noting that the Trust, agripreneurs Keriah which is in its second year, Scantlenury on crop production, decided that the Future Farmers Kiara Riley on agro processing would have been one of its first and Ravindra Chandan in projects. aquaculture. They highlighted “IICA youth farm has been the challenges and successes of going on for many years and it being a young agripreneur and was very important that we plans to expand their business. highlight what they have been Young farmer Jonathan doing. At the Trust we look at Griffin also highlighted the supporting organisations and challenges facing urban youth, initiatives that have that holistic many of whom are faced with approach to sustainability. So it property restrictions and a lack is more than just a youth farm, of access to land to go about it is an important facet in our starting their own business.He Keriah Scantlebury shared agricultural food chain here in also called for a synergy to be her journey in crop produc- Barbados. We wanted to make made between renewable energy tion. sure as a Trust we support and young agripreneurs who initiatives in ways that don’t could benefit from lower costs in development and agribusiness normally traditionally get the long run, while protecting to dialogue and build supported.” the environment. partnerships with young people. “Many organisations and The forum also brought A Think Tank was also Jason Francis was the moderator for the Future Farmers NGOs here in Barbados and together stakeholders who are launched during the Future Forum which was held under the theme: “Connecting globally suffer from doing great supporting local agricultural Farmers forum. (JH) Agripreneurs – Facing the Future together”. Teachers should be retrained for improved learning outcomes AN AWARD-WINNING school,” Dr. Cardinal Warde Organisation of Eastern interesting, “That good teacher that gene would never be Barbadian entrepreneur, insisted. Caribbean States (OECS) can turn on a student to a active. And they might think innovator, scientist and scholar The professor of Electrical Region”. subject that might be they could never do Maths and views the training and Engineering at Massachusetts He explained, “Because all considered difficult such as they don’t like it”. retraining of teachers as Institute of Technology (MIT) the time our primary school Mathematics, and if you get “We have a lot of Einsteins imperative. comments came while teachers are asked to teach them hooked early maybe they in the region and I think we “Our teachers need to be re- contributing to The University subjects that they don’t really would realise that God gave need our teaching staff to be trained all through the region of the West Indies (UWI) Five know very well”. them a gene for Mathematics there to excite them; to guide – from the Primary all the way Island Campus – Public Dr Warde also pointed out and they are good at it”. them; and show them what the through to University, but Advocacy Series on “The that a good teacher can make “Whereas a horrible teacher possibilities are,” he further especially in the primary Future of Work in the subjects deemed as “difficult” can turn off that student and expressed.