Entrepreneurs should not only set their sights on their home turf, but they should seek out opportunities to form global connections, which could see them further developing themselves and their businesses, in this globalised world.

Anise Hayes, Executive Director of Atlantic Impact out of Detroit suggested the above, while in Barbados for a partnership with the Caribbean Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Livelihoods (CoESL) on the Global School to Work Internship Leadership Programme. That programme sees a number of high school students coming from the United States to learn from Barbadian entrepreneurs, the dos and don’ts of business. Atlantic impact also teams up with Eastern Michigan University out of the US, to also bring in US university students who will serve as mentors for the high school students, undergoing the internship programme.

“At Atlantic Impact, we do local and global travel experiences with the goal of increasing our students’ academic, economic and professional ability, so we are really excited for this partnership with CoESL. We were able to bring students from the United States from Detroit Michigan and then also from Eastern Michigan University as well, to come and explore the economic structure of Barbados and also entrepreneurship here as well,” Hayes explained.

“It’s a great opportunity for our students to explore the economy of Barbados and to really understand business from the perspective of an entrepreneur here in the country. Our students can then take this back home with them as they think about their own futures and how they would like to form their own businesses, possibly,” she added.

“One of the things students have to really think about, is the fact that this is a globalised world that we are in and in order to be successful in business in the United States, you oftentimes have to think about what people outside of the US need and want as well. So I think that is the strongest perspective that our students have gained, that they are seeing the needs of people here in Barbados and then really thinking about how they can culturally work with others; how can they can collaborate and think more globally, considering that when our economies are stronger, we all prosper and we all do well,” Hayes stated. (RSM)