Stop waiting on the Government for everything.

Introduction

First, I do believe we must hold the Government accountable. However, we must also hold ourselves accountable too. What are we doing to close the wealth and skills gap that exists in our country? Stating the obvious issues and just talking about them will not resolve the issues. Just blaming the politicians will not help, no wonder why we keep changing Governments. Of course, there are some challenges that need to be addressed. We are not looking in the right places, for we must examine ourselves and ask ourselves what we are doing to make a difference.

There are people in this country who are progressing without any help from the Government. They took a leap of faith and started that business or purchased that piece of property. Some may argue and say access to capital is the problem and Government needs to provide more funding but what about those individuals that have less than you, but they are making it.

Become an entrepreneur.

Dream but act on your dreams. It has been 10 years since I started my accounting firm and because of this I am better off than working for Flow. My wife took the risk and started an office supplies store in 2001 and because of that we have been to close the wealth gap through our profits. You too can do the same. I admire those young people who have water sports business. Well Done.

Let us take the risk, stop being afraid and become an entrepreneur.  Check the categories that Invest TCI is offering grants to and apply for them. Embrace the opportunity and stop complaining about the amount. It is a start.

Buy land.

Purchase land and that is one investment you will not regret. I know the price of land is currently high but there are also some good deals. Furthermore, there are some locals that are selling their generational property and quite frankly many of the buyers appear to be Haitian nationals. Look around Millennium highway and Leeward Highway and observe for yourselves.

I think some of us should purchase that land, build nice apartments and houses, and get our rental income. Personally, if I had generational property, I would not sell everything. I would mutate, sell a portion, and use the cash to develop the other parts.

You should not have to wait on Government for crown land because the leases on crown land can be expensive and, in many cases, it is cheaper to buy private land.

Come together.

Do you know many individuals are successful because they came together and pool their resources? You may not have the cash, but you may have other assets such as land. You may also have other skills and what you do can contribute to their portion. Therefore, I challenge us to form companies and become successful entrepreneurs. Many of us are too self-centered and don’t trust anyone.

 Network

One of the benefits of coming together is that you can create a network and be able to get support from one another. Many people are doing well in this country because of networking. Join different associations. Introduce yourself to others. Do well in whatever you do, and you will earn a good reputation and then you will attract more clients.

Upgrade your skills.

There are a lot of opportunities to upgrade your skills. Learn as much as you can on the job. Experience matters. Take your role seriously and one day you can become the CEO or the owner of your business.  Also, The Community College is offering free tuition. Embrace this opportunity.

Reserved Categories

There are still a lot of reserved categories in business licenses for Turks and Caicos Islanders. Embrace them and stop fronting. By fronting, you are helping others to become wealthy when you can do it yourself. Know your worth.

Conclusion

This article is not to take the Government off the hook because as policy makers, they have a significant role to play and that is why I was very happy when the Government announced the enforcement of the Real Estate Ordinance 2004.

You see people are coming and seeing the potential and some of them don’t have connections with the politicians. Everything does not have to be about politics. We have created that culture.

Change your mindset. Save your money and purchase that land or start that business. If you don’t know what to do, ask someone for advice.

I am convinced the ball is in our court, not the Government. If you want to see development in your community, be that developer.