Pandemic Recovery Plan

 These are some really interesting times that we are living in. Many people have lost their job or have been impacted in some way by CoVid-19. Don’t get discouraged, pick yourself up, brush yourself off   and continue your journey forward.

 If just want to share this group with those who have students that are preparing for college or those people who have decided to change careers and go back to college. There is hope! And when you go to college you will be surprised to see individuals from a wide background! There are kids fresh out of high school, middle aged or even senior citizens laid off from their jobs after working 20 something years and they are trying to learn new skills ( they also usually sit at the front of the class), stay at home moms who want something to do while their kids are at school, corporate executives trying to learn new skills to climb the career ladder.

 So never think that going back to school is not for you. Contact your local college adviser and they will help you come up with a plan ! I would also like to invite you to join this group or if you are already a member, invite your friends who you think may benefit from the information. Please also feel free to share your advice and experiences with the group! You never know whose life you can change with your story!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/774328389323692/?ref=share

My Review of Jumpcut Academy

This is my review of “Jumpcut Academy “
Well for those people following my page for a while you will know that I have expressed that my dream is to build Wellness Clinics, Labs and Hospitals. I registered with this online program called Jumpcut Academy. I intend to do more courses but I decided to start with just one course to learn entrepreneurial skills. The aim of the course is to teach skills that can be apg to any business or project. I must confess that I started the course and I haven’t followed the guidelines in the order recommended HOWEVER, for the strategies I have applied to my part time business, I HAVE seen some results. Basically their course teaches you how to use different online tools, software, physical strategies to promote your business online, increase your online presence, increase audience engagement, how to raise funds for your business, how to charge for your product.
I gained new clients for my part time business but when I got a new contract working with the hospital, unfortunately I was not able to devote the time to my part time business. I intend to spend more time to apply the principles to my business so that it will get to the stage where it functions smoothly.
I think the course is a great one, I have learned a lot and I am excited to see where the journey takes me !

How can you get a job if you don’t have experience?

How can you get a job if you don’t have experience? In this picture, I got an internship in a lab. How did I get this internship? I started volunteering at the hospital. While volunteering I talked to everyone. One day I met a lady from Russia who was my age. She worked in the lab and I asked her, How can I get a job there? Would you believe that she told me she was leaving and she would introduce me to her manager and ask her if I could take her duties! I spoke to the manager and the manager told me that since I was still attending school and did not have all the qualifications, she would give me an internship and when I finish my program, I could reapply! So I just want to recap. How did I get this position? I VOLUNTEERED. Something you should think about if you are trying to get into your favorite institution. Something else I want to point out, if I had a personal dislike for people from Russia, maybe I would not have spoken to her and she would not have opened a door of opportunity for me. Do you see how the world works?

How To Use Technology To Grow Your Business

Are you feeling excited? Well you should be! Why? Because right now you are living in the time of a great technology revolution! We live in a Global Village. Today you can communicate with someone on the other side of the world within seconds. So how is that important? Well that means you can communicate and do business with the 7.5 billion people who live all over the world within seconds. All by just using your smart phone. Technology has given us the ability to interact with as many people as one can, wherever they are in the world instantly. This is an exciting time for small business owners. Whether you may be a farmer, higgler, sky-juice man, jerk chicken man with your jerk pan, plumber, taxi driver, doctor, lawyer, teacher, whatever your job or profession or small business may be. Technology is at your fingertips just waiting for your command. There are many Social media products that are designed to promote a business, however, there are still many small businesses that do not have a social media presence. A website is one of the basic requirements for social media presence for your business. A simple website can be made from WordPress, Google or Wix. Social media pages like Youtube , Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, are other tools that will bring potential customers to your business. Having an active social media presence, will keep your customers informed of your business and generate more sales. This article will discuss how social media can be used to bring in and retain new customers.

How can social media generate more clients for your business?

Modern Technology can empower business owners to reach a larger audience and better advertise a company’s product. Every business would like to have a means of reaching more customers, advertising their product in the best way possible and keeping their customers updated on what the business is doing, like special offers and promotional packages. Many businesses are now using social media products to connect with their customers more. Businesses that do not have an active social media presence may be missing the chance to keep their customers informed. Social media tools like WordPress, Google Websites, Youtube , Blogger, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter can give a company very wide exposure.

Features and Benefits

Social Media empowers the business owner to publish to a wide audience globally and connect with customers. Someone who may be very well versed with social media may not realise that there are still many businesses that do not have an online presence. The reasons for this are usually that the business owner is aware that his company needs an online presence, but is too busy, may not understand how to use the technology available or may be from an older generation where the business thrived even before the concept of social media existed. In this blog, the different features and benefits of some of the most common social media products will be explained. The products that will be discussed are Google Websites, Youtube and Blogger, WordPress, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

Google Websites, Youtube and Blogger

 Google is a great social media tool that offers a lot of products including Websites, Youtube and Blogger.

Google websites offer advertising with features such as adsense, adwords marketing, which allows google to pay your business whenever someone clicks on an ad that is on your website.

Youtube offers broadcasting globally. I have gained firsthand knowledge of how youtube works because of my personal experience in using this product. In July 2013 my company was invited to become a youtube partner when my channel received over 50,000 views, 325 subscribers and was broadcasted to 176 countries. Youtube also offers adsense marketing which allows google to pay your business whenever someone watches an ad that you may place on your video.  The following pictures shows screen shots done on 2013 which shows the first page of the number of views to my youtube channel and the countries where the viewers are located. The final picture shows a screen shot of the page that shows that I have been verified as a youtube partner.

VideoGeographyDateGEOGRAPHYVIEWS  United States35,302United Kingdom3,214Germany2,296Canada1,666Brazil1,251France1,170Jamaica964Netherlands959Philippines939Italy925Japan564Mexico528Australia515Spain470Poland385Trinidad and Tobago337Sweden292India265Belgium265Romania242Norway237Czech Republic224Hungary219Switzerland213Argentina191  1–25 of 176

WordPress

WordPress is a tool that may be used to build a website or a blog. WordPress is an option for users that do not want a lot of ads or other features on the website. WordPress may be used to write a daily, weekly, or monthly (or however frequently your company requires), article or blog about the business.

Facebook

Facebook is a great tool for connecting with your customers. The business may have a regular facebook page where the customer may add himself/herself as a friend, or a Facebook business page (Note that this is different from the regular page), may be created which the customer can click a button known as a “like” button and this will enable the customer to follow any updates that the business may post. Facebook also offers statistical data regarding your business page and updates and this will give the business an opportunity to view what product engages the customer more than others, who visits the business page often and their geographic location. My experience with Facebook has been a positive one. My business page presently shows over 500 people who like the page. The Facebook business page also generates statistical data. For example in 2013 my facebook page received views from people in 20 countries, who spoke 7 different languages. 48.3% were female and 50.7% were male. The data also showed the age group of the viewers.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a social tool used mainly by professionals to network with other professionals in their specific industry. It is sometimes known as the “Facebook for business people”. It is used to provide the public with information about the business and also to give updates. It is also used by employers, company HR personnel, recruiters to post jobs and seek new employees, and by jobseekers to seek jobs.

Twitter and Instagram

Twitter and Instagram are social media tools to give instant or “up-to-the minute” updates on your business, especially live events or daily, weekly and monthly specials or promotions. Every company can invite their customers to click a button called the “Follow” button which allows the customers to “follow” current updates about your business or services.

Don’t Get Left Behind!

Today we are living in an Information Technology revolution. Small Business Owners can empower their business to reach more customers all over the world digitally. They can advertise their products in the best way possible and keep their customers updated on what their business is doing, like special offers and promotional packages using any device such as a smart phone, tablet or computer. Having a knowledge of using social media products to better connect with their customers more is very important. Creating a simple website from WordPress, Google or Wix and using Social media pages like Youtube , Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other tools can bring many potential customers to their business. Getting connected with social media and keep up with technology is now available for everyone at a fraction of the cost it used to be. Without an active social media presence, businesses may stand the chance of having their customers  miss the great products that they have to offer. Using the opportunities that the Information Technology Revolution offers, having knowledge of using social media will give small business owners a very wide exposure and help them grow their business.

Always Trust God and Believe in Yourself

Today I want to take some time to encourage young people especially my younger family members and especially the ones in Montego Bay to keep believing in yourself no matter what your present situation. Your situation does not define who you are. Unless you are born rich, the only way to be successful in life is through hard work. Never trust get rich schemes and fast money. Remove yourself from anyone who tells you otherwise. Whether you work hard at a skill or trade or you study hard in college and work towards obtaining an academic degree. If you place yourself in the right place at the right time, doors of opportunity will open for you. There is no formula and it is not magic. It is just the way life works. Here are some steps that I took that opened opportunities for me.

1. Firm belief in God.

2. Registering for College

3.  Hard work

4. Surrounding myself with positive friends who had ambition

5. Volunteering

Here are some of the rewards I received for taking those steps

I got the opportunity to receive an all expenses paid trip to Washington DC to visit the office of United States Senators. That opportunity opened up further doors for me and the experience  I received is one that no one can ever take from me. 

In summary, always trust in God and keep believing in yourself. Never trust get rich schemes. Work hard and one day you will achieve success.

Encouragement to my Family in Jamaica

To my younger cousins in Jamaica, I know crime is spiraling out of control and things are hard and seems only to get worse, but I just want to encourage you to keep  believing in God and keep praying. I can tell you that because prayer worked for me. Please don’t turn to scamming because your friend is doing it and it seems like the quickest way out of your problems. Get rich schemes never work and you could end up in jail or worse. I just want to urge you to have faith no matter how hard your situation. Hard work always pays off. Work hard. Save your money. Choose your friends wisely. Ask God for what you want and he will give it to you.

Major Flooding In Downtown Montego Bay

I understand that a lot of new buildings have been constructed in downtown Montego Bay. But have the city planning authorities also put in place proper infrastructure to facilitate drainage during times of heavy rain? If I remember correctly from my geography class the soil in Montego Bay allows for water to pass through very quickly in times of heavy rain. If this soil is covered in concrete ( which is not natural ) and the water has no where to go, this may contribute to the massive flooding. So in summary, proper planning for new infrastructure is important to prevent flooding. Why am I posting this on Facebook? To educate all my younger family members who may one day become leaders. And since Facebook, Twitter, blogger and other social media (not school) is where everyone learns nowadays, what better place to discuss this?