tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89569955121048634862024-03-13T16:20:07.350-04:00Caribbean Research & Strategy by MarkStra Caribbean Helping Small State Businesses and economies grow, through research, strategy, marketing and innovation
MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-71542278356393457362014-09-22T07:09:00.000-04:002014-09-22T10:09:45.298-04:00What really makes a firm competitive?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>What really makes a firm competitive, thereby increasing its
ability to survive, export or be viable partner to existing or potential partners? </b>That is the topic of our upcoming seminar at the Central Bank of Curacao and St Maarten on October 2, 300-6pm. The
seminar is part of <b>Curacao Competes 2014</b>, following the
Global Competitiveness Study the company recently did. Tamira La Cruz will
share the findings of the study, Guido Rojer Jr. will highlight how industry
and universities can collaborate, while Marcos Cova will discuss if and how
firms can work together (cluster) to increase their competitiveness. The participation fee is ANG 145,--. <a href="http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1815060/CuracaoCompetes2014-seminar-registration" target="_blank">Register here</a> or contact us email <a href="mailto:curacaocompetes@gmail.com">curacaocompetes@gmail.com.</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMg6BsL2LEpR7tJiOFHAMc968ZSGFuq4GRkIFjnGaM6RxeIKu6pbIyj7y4HMCjBp2xEONh8y3yKCOlouwioFCXLhVD3d3IHw9fMKUE9Pge2xYRgEuIgYjg_Y5yJXQlIw1r8X32OWrgDEA/s1600/foto+arrarat.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMg6BsL2LEpR7tJiOFHAMc968ZSGFuq4GRkIFjnGaM6RxeIKu6pbIyj7y4HMCjBp2xEONh8y3yKCOlouwioFCXLhVD3d3IHw9fMKUE9Pge2xYRgEuIgYjg_Y5yJXQlIw1r8X32OWrgDEA/s1600/foto+arrarat.png" height="320" width="307" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Like in other countries, in Curacao we also look at government to
manage taxes, cost of doing business, and other issues well enough to make our
country and our firms competitive. According to the World Economic Forum and
based on its <a href="http://www.weforum.org/" target="_blank">Global Competitiveness Report</a>, the sophistication
and innovation of firms is also important for competitiveness and productivity
in the 21</span><sup style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">st</sup><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> century . </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Basically these indicators
refer to the <b>firms’ degree of market orientation, efficiency and professional
management. </b>Competitiveness and productivity are important because they allow
firms to survive local and incoming competition, export and be viable partners
to incoming foreign investors or international partners in general.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Curacao’s largest trading partners, </span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></b><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><b>the US and the European Union, but also our competitors in the Caribbean
have been investing heavily in these areas as a result of these insights.</b> </span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The EU recently launched a euro 8 billion program
for research in many areas that will increase the competitiveness of European
firms and their countries. The Inter-American Development Bank, the UK and
Canada are investing USD 40 million in Cariforum countries to increase their
competitiveness. To continue to be a viable local partner for your existing or
emerging international partner, firms must</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Recently 82 professionals in Curacao, including many executive
officers and captains of industry, assessed the business sophistication and
innovation of local firms through the Global Competitiveness Study</b>. Analysis
shows that, not surprisingly, there is room for improvement. It’s not
surprising because since local firms are unaware of the specific relevant indicators,
they do not necessarily invest in them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">At the seminar Tamira La Cruz, CEO of MarkStra Caribbean,
researcher and business strategist, will discuss relevant indicators and share
the findings of the study for Curacao. Guido Rojer, Jr. of the University of
Curacao, will highlight how industry and universities can collaborate, among
others to increase the efficiency of firms and achieve better alignment, while
Marcos Cova, entrepreneur and board member of several trade associations, will
discuss how and if firms can collaborate (in clusters) to the benefit of all.
The afternoon will be moderated by Stacey Rene.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-76360604630988700332014-01-17T12:14:00.002-04:002014-01-17T12:14:35.417-04:00Please take the Global Competitiveness Survey for Curacao<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As you may know, MarkStra Caribbean is
conducting the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Competitiveness Survey
for Curacao. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At this time we are in need of <span style="color: purple;">respondents
from the trade (wholesale and retail) and manufacturing sectors</span>,
to fulfill our quota. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We would very much appreciate it if you can would take the survey,
either by: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">a.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Following th<span style="color: #1f497d;">is</span> <a href="http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1307018/GCICuracao">link to <span style="color: #1f497d;">G</span>lobal Competitiveness Survey Curacao SurveyGizmo</a>,
or <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">b.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Contacting Tamira La Cruz at
767-3085 or tlacruz@markstra.com for a personal interview. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: dark2;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The survey takes 30 minutes, so it’s best to set some
time free, for instance during lunch or on a slow day (Wednesday, Friday
afternoon). You can save and come back to finish. The questions are quite
eye-opening and make you think about the state of your own company and
industry. It‘s anonymous. Someone else in your company/industry can also take
the survey since it is the opinion of a professional that is important, not
that of a company. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As a token of appreciation
we will raffle <span style="color: #222222;">a ANG250,- giftcard from
Boolchand's ComputerWorld among completed surveys. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Your participation is much appreciated! More info about
the GCI Index below.</span></span> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #222222;">About the Global Competitiveness Survey</span></b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">The survey,
done in 140 countries in the world since 1979</span><span style="color: #1f497d;">,</span><span style="color: #222222;"> ranks the competitiveness of countries. It covers </span>areas such as: Innovation and Technology, Infrastructure,
Financial Environment, Natural Environment, International Business and
Investment, Education and Human Capital, General Company Strategy, Corruption,
Ethics and Social Responsibility, Tourism and Health. <span style="color: #222222;">Importantly, the questions bring to light aspects which
we might not necessarily consider as factors contributing to the
competitiveness of nations and firms. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Because of its
small size, Curacao has never been included. But, MarkStra received permission
to conduct the survey in Curacao independently, following the WEF’s
methodology, on our own account. </span>We have
received good cooperation from the Chamber of Commerce, CHATA, ADECK, who have
either sent our request to their members or mailing list or posted it on their
website. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 11pt;">For more information on the Curacao survey, please visit our
facebook page </span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/GCCuracao2013">Global
Competitiveness Survey Curacao 2013</a>, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">This year’s
Global Competitiveness Report is available at <span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> <a href="http://reports.weforum.org/the-global-competitiveness-report-2013-2014/" target="_blank">Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014</a></span></span></span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-40027145737449899962014-01-17T12:10:00.000-04:002014-01-17T12:10:23.158-04:00Global Competitiveness Survey Curacao 2013-2014<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Around
the world competitiveness and innovation are increasingly important terms. As
the world becomes more global, everyone in every country is competing against
each other. In Curacao the awareness is also growing. There have been several events about competitiveness
and innovation. The flagship measurement of a country’s competitiveness is the
World Economic Forum’s Global Competiveness Index. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>MarkStra Caribbean received
permission to do the Global Competitiveness Survey in Curacao. While the
results are practical for investors and policy makers, the questions also offer
individual companies insight into competitiveness of their own firm and which
areas to invest in for the future. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The process<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The
methodology asks for 90 participants. At this moment 70 professionals have
participated. MarkStra is looking to recruit 20 more participants, especially
among Manufacturing, Wholesale and Retail. If you are interested in the economy, globalism, competitiveness,
innovation and strategy, please visit the Facebook page of <span class="msoDel"><del cite="mailto:User" datetime="2013-10-30T08:10"> </del></span>Global Competitiveness Survey
Curacao 2013 and follow the link to the online survey. You can also contact Tamira La Cruz at 767-3085, tlacruz@markstra.com for a personal interview</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1K0AcztNmM5mVnwCJStnBMPNzYSchxk2pM87IDOfH5gksNuykvGeMAvswsrsgE31EA0e2auj7hXv8CjHOLnijUQJefgQ-RacQkvGuxQ-2m5GJXZhVoYja7g7DWwUisS06e5huANU769jJ/s1600/2013-09-02+18.41.13+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1K0AcztNmM5mVnwCJStnBMPNzYSchxk2pM87IDOfH5gksNuykvGeMAvswsrsgE31EA0e2auj7hXv8CjHOLnijUQJefgQ-RacQkvGuxQ-2m5GJXZhVoYja7g7DWwUisS06e5huANU769jJ/s1600/2013-09-02+18.41.13+-+Copy.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">. Participants do
not have to be the company owner or director. The focus is to get the opinion
of professionals in each country regarding the factors that contribute to
competitiveness in their country. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">MarkStra
started the project in August with the help of UNA intern Yverna Hu-A-Ng. Says
Ms. Hu –A-Ng: “The first thing we did was use data from CBS and Chamber of
Commerce to get a good overview of the different sectors and number of businesses
in each sector, so that we could draw a sample that is representative of the Curacaoan
business landscape. We have received good cooperation from the Chamber of
Commerce, CHATA and ADECK who posted the link on their <span class="msoDel"><del cite="mailto:User" datetime="2013-10-30T08:10"> </del></span>website or sent the request to
their mailing list. We also used
MarkStra’s own database of more than 1,000 professionals. Of course, a 35
minute survey that asks questions one does not usually think of, can be
daunting. That’s why we included an option where participants can save their
work online and continue later. We know it takes a lot of time, so MarkStra
will raffle a gift check of ANG 250 at Boolchand’s ComputerWorld as a sign of gratitude.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What’s in the survey<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The
survey covers areas such as: Innovation and Technology, Infrastructure,
Financial Environment, Natural Environment, International Business and
Investment, Education and Human Capital, General Company Strategy on a local
scale, Corruption, Ethics and Social Responsibility, Tourism and Health. It
is anonymous. The questions are thought-provoking and indicate what the factors
for competitiveness are for companies and countries. For more information visit
the Facebook page<span class="msoDel"><del cite="mailto:User" datetime="2013-10-30T08:11">.</del></span> Global Competitiveness Survey
Curacao 2013.<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Why this survey?</b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Says Tamira La Cruz, MBA, CEO of MarkStra<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:User" datetime="2013-10-30T08:11"> </ins></span> <a href="http://www.markstra.com/">www.markstra.com</a> : “My
interest in the survey is trifold: professional, academic and nationalistic. MarkStra’s
core business is to help companies grow their profit, revenue or following in
an increasingly competitive global economy. We would like to know where the
challenges are. In addition, I have written several academic articles on
competitiveness and innovation in small states for local and regional
publications. However, while the survey has been done for over 30 years, my
country Curacao, was never included. That bothered me. I was pleasantly
surprised that, upon showing our credentials, the WEF immediately gave us
permission to use their methodology and offered their support. We do it on our
own cost, because WEF does not fund the survey in economies as small as ours. An
initial round of fundraising locally did not yield enough support.<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:User" datetime="2013-10-30T08:11">” </ins></span><a href="" name="_GoBack"></a><span class="msoDel"><del cite="mailto:User" datetime="2013-10-30T08:11"> </del></span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-72678644972397616932013-07-11T17:03:00.000-04:002013-07-11T17:03:36.788-04:00MarkStra Caribbean and Legal@Your Services conduct the World Bank’s Doing Business Survey in Curacao<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Often it is
said that Curaçao lacks data, whether it is to use as a basis for
‘selling’ Curaçao to investors, to compare us to competing countries or aid in
economic policy-making. One of the premiere global tools to do so is <b>The
<a href="http://www.doingbusiness.org/" target="_blank">World Bank’s Doing Business</a> Survey, n</b>ow in its 11<sup>th</sup> edition.
According to the World Bank, the <b>Doing Business Survey</b> ‘investigates
regulations that enhance business activities and those that constrain it’. As
such it is used by to assess, compare and promote the ‘ease-of-doing
business in 185 countries. Curacao is not included in the study because it is not
an independent country. <a href="http://www.markstra.com/" target="_blank">MarkStra Caribbean</a> and Legal @ your services have taken
the initiative to conduct the <b>Doing Business Survey</b> in Curacao following
the World Bank methodology.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">‘Same as done
in other countries, we have experts in each field covered by the survey
describe the procedure, time and cost . Afterwards, 2 or 3 colleagues,
experts in the same fields will verify their work. I myself was the legal
counsel for a large company, am a labor law expert by training and now work with
a notary office. So I start some of the descriptions’. says Fleurella Olaria, attorney,
CEO of Legal @ your services. ‘The second step will be to calculate where
Curacao ranks in the world ranking. Calculating rankings, comparing to
competitors and recommending changes for improvement are things that MarkStra
would typically do in its research and strategy practice’, adds Tamira La Cruz,
MBA, CEO of MarkStra Caribbean. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are
eleven (11) research topics,
among others, starting a business, registering property, enforcing contracts,
paying taxes and employing
workers. Because it describes procedures, cost and timing, the <b>Doing
Business</b> data also provides transparency and acts as an unambiguous guide to advisors
to investors, investors themselves and other stakeholders. The summary of
regulations in Curacao and abroad, and their effect on ease of doing business, will
indicate to policy makers which regulations need to be changed and which
changes are most likely to have significant effect on transparency and ease of
doing business. The results will be presented later in the year by way of a
seminar and a manual. For more
information, please Google our blog ‘Caribbean Research and Strategy by
MarkStra Caribbean’ or visit <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/markstra-caribbean/markstra-and-legalyour-services-conduct-the-world-banks-doing-business-survey-in/593393270681265" target="_blank">MarkStra Caribbean on Facebook</a>.</span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 15.994318008422852px; padding: 0px;">
<strong style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What are the business topics surveyed?</span></strong></div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="line-height: 15.994318008422852px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Starting a business</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 15.994318008422852px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dealing with construction permits</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 15.994318008422852px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Getting electricity </span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 15.994318008422852px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Registering property</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 15.994318008422852px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Getting credit </span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 15.994318008422852px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Protecting investors </span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 15.994318008422852px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Paying taxes </span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 15.994318008422852px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Trading across borders </span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 15.994318008422852px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Enforcing contracts </span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 15.994318008422852px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Resolving insolvency 9</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 15.994318008422852px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Employing Work</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15.994318008422852px;">ers </span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 16px;" /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.994318008422852px; padding: 0px;">
<strong style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Who are the initiators?</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.994318008422852px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Tamira La Cruz, MBA, CEO MarkStra Caribbean</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.994318008422852px; padding: 0px;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15.994318008422852px;">Business economist, MBA , The Wharton School</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15.994318008422852px;">From marketing to research strategy and innovation</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15.994318008422852px;">International research and strategy for global and local brands, industry leaders, as lead and subcontractor</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15.994318008422852px;">Local and regional network in private enterprise and academia</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 15.994318008422852px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 16px;" /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.994318008422852px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">mr. Fleurella Olaria, attorney, CEO Legal @ your Services</span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15.994318008422852px;">Dutch social economic law, University of Groningen</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15.994318008422852px;">Legal Counsel Fatum Insurance</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15.994318008422852px;">Independent legal consultant</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15.994318008422852px;">Expert in insurance, business and notary law </span></li>
</ul>
MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-55692591544947076032012-12-15T01:47:00.000-04:002012-12-15T01:50:13.941-04:00Delivery of MarkStra Solutions<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcD19DcDVWg8K6MevkOd0cg1GuGyAQbZo85r26PPrlRFUixjoZp_d3-h7t2_PO8urT3Y46rfwc4_76r6LSTK0_ebiYsyDLGFzX5kOw3lxJACIzuuQkgMfatbCEBwspA8_jQzI7veXrK4v/s1600/DSC00165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcD19DcDVWg8K6MevkOd0cg1GuGyAQbZo85r26PPrlRFUixjoZp_d3-h7t2_PO8urT3Y46rfwc4_76r6LSTK0_ebiYsyDLGFzX5kOw3lxJACIzuuQkgMfatbCEBwspA8_jQzI7veXrK4v/s400/DSC00165.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our solutions are delivered in a variety of ways, convenient for our clients whatever their needs or ROI constraints or wherever their geographical location.</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><b style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Outsourced Chief Business Development or Chief Marketing Officer</span></b></li>
<li><b style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In-person consultations</span></b></li>
<li><b style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Teleconsulting</span></b></li>
<li><b style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Tailored consultation
and professional services</span></b></li>
<li><b style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Industry
reports</span></b></li>
<li><b style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Articles</span></b></li>
<li><b style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Training and Keynote speeches</span></b></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Outsourced Chief
Marketing or Chief Business Development Officer<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Many
businesses or not-for-profit organizations in small Caribbean states cannot
afford or do not have the need for a full-time C-level Chief Business
Development or Marketing Officer. Yet, they need a C-level expert to help them develop
and guide implementation of marketing. Tamira La Cruz can be your part-time
Chief Business Development or Marketing Officer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Includes
weekly calls to monitor progress on business development targets and
activities. Typically Tamira La Cruz would work with you before in a tailored
consultation engagement to research, analyze or establish growth opportunities,
locally, regionally or globally. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In-person consultations<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Whether
for yourself or your management team, MarkStra Caribbean can facilitate
in-person consultations on general business, business development, market
research, corporate strategy, marketing, innovation, growth or competitiveness.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Teleconsulting<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">CEO’s
of organizations in small states sometimes do not have a trusted and
experienced person to share and discuss business development, growth, strategy
or marketing ideas with or to get fresh ideas from. Tamira La Cruz, CEO of
MarkStra Caribbean can be that person for you. Please use the contact form to
let MarkStra know the topics you would like to discuss.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Tailored consultation
and professional services<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Themes
typically include market research and strategy development in the areas of revenue, profit,
sales, market share, market opportunity, market potential, sales forecasts,
core values, brand positioning, competitors, innovation, new product, product
testing, product portfolio, business planning, online (affiliate) marketing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Industry reports<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">MarkStra
Caribbean is the publisher of the bi-annual ‘Reaching Curacao’ market research report
on demographics, lifestyle, spending, media and lifestyles, bought by over 30 local
and global companies and used in their advertising and marketing planning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">MarkStra
Caribbean can also produce reports for your industry or professional group to
help it to more effectively serve the local or international market.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Articles <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">MarkStra
Caribbean’s Blog Caribbean Research and Strategy covers the basics of market
research, strategy, marketing, competitiveness, growth and business
development, as well as articles and presentations on economic growth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Training and Keynote speeches</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_Zl_y08t3X9EixocSZCnT9dNqN8OVT5w_8ywQ2i09D2kkeX23EKpII097rASAfNzpzYgjTE2hERIA__wXFZIcMq3s8rOCYL03UncmRE80J2Rz6zabYAqtl367W4yI0LF1Z7TGbOLT8ot/s1600/DSC00260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_Zl_y08t3X9EixocSZCnT9dNqN8OVT5w_8ywQ2i09D2kkeX23EKpII097rASAfNzpzYgjTE2hERIA__wXFZIcMq3s8rOCYL03UncmRE80J2Rz6zabYAqtl367W4yI0LF1Z7TGbOLT8ot/s400/DSC00260.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Speaking to marketers on Return on Marketing Investment</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-90443536295437563342012-12-15T01:39:00.000-04:002012-12-15T01:59:58.044-04:00About MarkStra<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4T2u6R_BDq6NmcKX7GUash3cxKk_QgRPEALJe6TJgBpWmzr7tOKS5h7MslnPfz982KSP6HgE4ZBQfFE2LJ4NZTAnUwVGBj7bsNjoQPrjDrLUC-AZnrpkbNXRydOoGtgkqrwi0exFCf5KZ/s1600/035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4T2u6R_BDq6NmcKX7GUash3cxKk_QgRPEALJe6TJgBpWmzr7tOKS5h7MslnPfz982KSP6HgE4ZBQfFE2LJ4NZTAnUwVGBj7bsNjoQPrjDrLUC-AZnrpkbNXRydOoGtgkqrwi0exFCf5KZ/s400/035.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Over
the past 17 years MarkStra Caribbean, based in Curacao, has helped more than
150 global and local organizations to establish maintain or grow their revenue,
market share, profit or following, particularly those operating in small Caribbean
states like Curacao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our
practical market research and strategy solutions and implementations are:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">tailored
to the challenges of Caribbean small states: small scale, limited resources and
close relationships</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">based
in market research, strong analysis, strategy and implementation</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">return-oriented</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">conceived
by multicultural teams with an international outlook</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Companies
come to MarkStra Caribbean for:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">the
business development expertise they cannot find in general management
consulting firms</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">the strategic approach they cannot find from
advertising agencies and like agencies</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">when
a thorough understanding of the Caribbean and the nuances within the region is
required.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">MarkStra
works with business partners across the region and elsewhere, depending on the
market being served and specific expertise required. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Solutions
are delivered as an outsourced or interim Chief Marketing or Chief Business
Development Officer, through in-person consultations, tele-consulting, tailored
consulting engagements, industry reports, workshops and speeches, and articles.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkF3seoogarA88YxtEgN_ppnkMaIWU31uIg82fveA99eGwHsmGc-yRWJxleaLsEspoUXdJsxVR3l96PkGPUMr1m3ldRmLO_bKKgcs0Wrfsv1329LbAs7rD2Ovdt6efoMCY6mVTFQpa9RO/s1600/StKitts2011+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkF3seoogarA88YxtEgN_ppnkMaIWU31uIg82fveA99eGwHsmGc-yRWJxleaLsEspoUXdJsxVR3l96PkGPUMr1m3ldRmLO_bKKgcs0Wrfsv1329LbAs7rD2Ovdt6efoMCY6mVTFQpa9RO/s400/StKitts2011+033.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-69566027827705298752012-12-15T01:27:00.000-04:002012-12-15T01:27:25.183-04:00MarkStra Research Strategy Implementation and Evaluation<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHuLADg4OhWKhuPHPXH2Dp87t_pFDmddTPJn6Uo9TZdXCw3cKzfPKOLpi3jW5-KfGHd03z7HaMj4d7yras3B76BvpnYTwF4H5iO8yECnYfYD26SJiX0mZG0s9R-_WzWQrymshcd5qixcj/s1600/DSC00562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHuLADg4OhWKhuPHPXH2Dp87t_pFDmddTPJn6Uo9TZdXCw3cKzfPKOLpi3jW5-KfGHd03z7HaMj4d7yras3B76BvpnYTwF4H5iO8yECnYfYD26SJiX0mZG0s9R-_WzWQrymshcd5qixcj/s400/DSC00562.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting a feel for fieldwork in Haiti (before the 2010 earthquake)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our areas of expertise are:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Research and Analysis<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">MarkStra
Caribbean’s expertise is desk research, moderating focus groups and other qualitative
research, and B2B market research. However, MarkStra does all kinds of market
research.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Tamira
La Cruz, CEO of MarkStra Caribbean’s strength lays in practical but thorough
analysis, keeping in mind the broader organizational and ROI objectives.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Strategy<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">MarkStra’s
added value lies in adapting common strategy and growth models to the situation
of Caribbean small states. MarkStra Caribbean can help you with feasibility
studies, as well as business, growth, innovation, export and marketing strategy
and plans. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Implementation<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Many
businesses and not-for-profit organizations in small states cannot afford or do
not have the need for a full-time C-level Chief Business Development or
Marketing Officer. Yet, they need a C-Level expert to compete effectively
against global competitors. Tamira La Cruz can be the part-time outsourced
Chief Business Development or Marketing Officer for your organization.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Evaluation, auditing,
monitoring<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Let MarkStra Caribbean help you
measure your progress in achieving your projected revenue, sales, profit,
business development or other marketing objective in the areas of: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Strategy and marketing
implementation</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Customer
service</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Enterprise,
Business and Economic Development programs funded by local or multilateral
organizations </span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-82884196717237910322012-12-15T01:02:00.001-04:002012-12-15T01:19:39.808-04:00Solutions: not-for-profit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC85T2N-qzcInTT9YoWzU3A0fOoMSjmCad7hhyphenhyphendTXO9EHqQImG4T26qi_BstCdmnsNmxvWwVDZyeFd_BuRE9jGceEAEyPBdlodxP8Dd5wCKq6oddNYPKRUzY1YYGj_znPVVRNbeO5kuC18/s1600/20244_1281975324214_6515506_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC85T2N-qzcInTT9YoWzU3A0fOoMSjmCad7hhyphenhyphendTXO9EHqQImG4T26qi_BstCdmnsNmxvWwVDZyeFd_BuRE9jGceEAEyPBdlodxP8Dd5wCKq6oddNYPKRUzY1YYGj_znPVVRNbeO5kuC18/s400/20244_1281975324214_6515506_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<ul style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Heritage, Culture and
Sports<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Higher education<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Enterprise development <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Business and
professional associations<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Is
your organization functioning at the intersection of where private and
public enterprise meet, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">serving
a public necessity, but with the need to be more business and market oriented?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If
you need assistance, Tamira La Cruz, CEO of MarkStra can help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">MarkStra
keeps in mind that both its solutions and their implementation should consider
the limited resources, close relationships and ROI challenges in small states, certainly
when it comes to heritage and culture organizations, business and professional
associations and start-up enterprises. We all KNOW they are important to our
communities. The challenge is to support them in a sustainable way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
MarkStra
Caribbean has significant expertise in the following areas:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b></b><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Enterprise development <o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
Consulting projects have included:</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 115%; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">training
for starting entrepreneurs on business planning, marketing, importing,
exporting, franchising</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"> developing
business plans for hotels, car rentals, restaurants, retail stores, and others</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">developing
and implementing innovation in emerging industries, recycling and renewable
energy</span></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Business and
professional associations</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">As
board member and president of organizations such as the Curacao Chamber of
Commerce & Industry, the Curacao Knowledge Platform, the Curacao chapter of
the international Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association Inernational (HSMAI), and others, Tamira La Cruz has led or been involved in
developing and implementing strategy for business and professional associations
in Curacao and the Caribbean. MarkStra Caribbean has developed several
proposals for trade/industry groups to promote their industry globally.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5QuOo4cs0zRElmcXhAm2AJJZxu3a2OIhyphenhyphen965CYNl0fHqsA3d3kpE5WhlzO27HYfBTtwXGIZ6CYKHj8A9LH8oSzjsCRV5uGeuUoloBJH4J28qPRl_IjMHs87peR8PDDanbpi5TLto5Yn0/s1600/HSMAI+retreat2008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5QuOo4cs0zRElmcXhAm2AJJZxu3a2OIhyphenhyphen965CYNl0fHqsA3d3kpE5WhlzO27HYfBTtwXGIZ6CYKHj8A9LH8oSzjsCRV5uGeuUoloBJH4J28qPRl_IjMHs87peR8PDDanbpi5TLto5Yn0/s400/HSMAI+retreat2008.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Presiding over HSMAI's 2011 Retreat in Christoffel National Park</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Higher education</b><span style="line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />Consulting projects have included:</span></div>
<ul style="line-height: normal;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-indent: -0.25in;">developing vision and strategy for institution</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-indent: -0.25in;">developing marketing plan</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-indent: -0.25in;">self-evaluations</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-indent: -0.25in;">advisor to medical school</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Heritage, Culture and Sports<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />Consulting projects have included:</span></div>
<ul style="line-height: normal;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-indent: -0.25in;">sponsorship plan and marketing workshops for Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee and sports federations</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px; text-indent: -0.25in;">developing innovative revenue streams for an art center</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-indent: -0.25in;">business and marketing workshops for artists </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-indent: -0.25in;">marketing plans for national parks and monuments</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-indent: -0.25in;">being an amateur painter and outdoor enthusiast ourselves helps</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
</div>
<ul><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64kTVKZHaGy87ecPqTGBUaP9I2lcjABcDZVkkXH-5YEsJrx1yeDPccrJ8fEbuSztLjW00djd81v8Wkw3b57cSjwBaVCqwD9MK8SdoLAebERN0js-qSOs021ft7NoRZZbdgX5zOcFnH1ut/s1600/388378_2512069755806_1832142821_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64kTVKZHaGy87ecPqTGBUaP9I2lcjABcDZVkkXH-5YEsJrx1yeDPccrJ8fEbuSztLjW00djd81v8Wkw3b57cSjwBaVCqwD9MK8SdoLAebERN0js-qSOs021ft7NoRZZbdgX5zOcFnH1ut/s400/388378_2512069755806_1832142821_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The first Xmas Market at Landhuis Bloemhof</span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-89852754212564629112012-12-15T01:02:00.000-04:002012-12-15T02:04:25.781-04:00Solutions: Industries<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEym30JiPBVPU47eoJcFFABVUOaVU4CjJes2foQzVDc3SWiwTKZeMm9zd5H0tTWDDm5JYOmDCKhomcSeg-LZ51Q-Xsa0qlal8rl4l9B2l-tR9cSn0chCkN1_8QNIPbR20yGUaun_GVTGtC/s1600/DSC00171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEym30JiPBVPU47eoJcFFABVUOaVU4CjJes2foQzVDc3SWiwTKZeMm9zd5H0tTWDDm5JYOmDCKhomcSeg-LZ51Q-Xsa0qlal8rl4l9B2l-tR9cSn0chCkN1_8QNIPbR20yGUaun_GVTGtC/s400/DSC00171.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1,500 sailing yachts for charter in St. Maarten</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Banking and Finance</span></b><br />
<b style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Tourism and Real Estate</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Pharmaceutics and Health
Care<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Alcoholic Beverages<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Waste Management and Recycling<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Are
you a business looking to establish or expand its presence structurally in a
Caribbean market, such as Curacao?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">MarkStra
can help with market research, growth strategy, implementation and evaluation
that keep in mind that both our solutions and their implementation should
consider the limited resources, close relationships and ROI challenges in small
states.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Banking and finance<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Expertise includes market research and strategy related to:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">personal
mortgages and loans</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">transactional
services</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">micro-enterprise
and small business</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">large
business accounts</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">customer
core values</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">branding,
positioning, advertising, direct mail</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">growth
strategies</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">customer
care and satisfaction</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">new
products</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">partnerships</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">in
Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Maarten and Suriname</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Tamira
La Cruz has also analyzed the Fund Services Administration Industry in the
Caribbean and developed marketing strategy for the <a href="http://www.dcxs.an/" target="_blank">Dutch Caribbean SecuritiesExchange</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Tourism and real estate<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Expertise includes:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">developing
business plans for hotels, residential and commercial real estate, as well as small
businesses such as car rentals, restaurants, and attractions targeted to
tourists</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">evaluation
of the Curacao Marketing Plan of the Curacao Tourism Board</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">presiding
over Curacao Chapter of Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association
International (HSMAI)</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Pharmaceutics and health
care<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Expertise includes:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">mapping
Caribbean health care markets</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">feasibility
studies for medical supplies and services</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">forecasting
Caribbean pharmaceutics market potential</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">developing medical
tourism concepts</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">pharmaceutics
market research among Caribbean specialists, doctors and nurses</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">particularly
in Aruba, Curacao, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago, but also in the Eastern
Caribbean</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ttdrinksfestival.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/drink-ponche-kuba-product.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://www.ttdrinksfestival.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/drink-ponche-kuba-product.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">One of the many brands we have enjoyed contributing to<br />with brand research and strategy</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Alcoholic Beverages<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Expertise includes:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">brand
market research and strategy development for global and local beer, stout,
liqueur, and spirits brands</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">product
portfolio analysis</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">advertising
testing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">new
product concept research</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">in
Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Bahamas, Bermuda, Trinidad & Tobago and St.
Vincent</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Waste management and
recycling<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Expertise includes:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">interim marketing management </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.selikor.com/" target="_blank">waste management company</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">providing
structure to the customer-contact departments of waste management company</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">guiding
sales force</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">developing
blue print for marketing plan</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">developing
business plans for recycling companies in Curacao and other countries</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9aJBfauCxbBL0bCOOUsRXm1ZxcoBx4ZOAcZVWQLIEvnMTmeI4fp-3ohT7QmHWT0U4X9Rqyh5lhmWCMcF5WEP4iAEn8rfo-0buGS4wGd2ecYKgiGij8O6ODjC8pVwxiyetaiwqYcQTmd5/s1600/2012-10-27+14.27.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9aJBfauCxbBL0bCOOUsRXm1ZxcoBx4ZOAcZVWQLIEvnMTmeI4fp-3ohT7QmHWT0U4X9Rqyh5lhmWCMcF5WEP4iAEn8rfo-0buGS4wGd2ecYKgiGij8O6ODjC8pVwxiyetaiwqYcQTmd5/s400/2012-10-27+14.27.20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-9604818872827542012012-12-15T00:40:00.000-04:002012-12-15T01:01:18.119-04:00Solutions: Economic Growth<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0Yy7ULY0N4YesMgkM-PExxvoPOdkqj129Ec0muBgEV57FMxlbSEPnk6Cic7S7sHx_jwt6udf7VtNQEWAs99wPVwNM8itijpZYI01g3JgbG9K2jyCoxFxScQhkfPu4QAAKkFelYBVaQKz/s1600/DSC00314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0Yy7ULY0N4YesMgkM-PExxvoPOdkqj129Ec0muBgEV57FMxlbSEPnk6Cic7S7sHx_jwt6udf7VtNQEWAs99wPVwNM8itijpZYI01g3JgbG9K2jyCoxFxScQhkfPu4QAAKkFelYBVaQKz/s400/DSC00314.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Is
it your job to achieve growth in your country’s economy or a particular
industry, in an increasingly competitive world? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With
the rise of the relatively low income large BRIC countries, our Caribbean small
states can find ourselves in a squeeze. We must take an innovative approach to
economic growth that is precise, defined and tailored to the resources of
Caribbean small states.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As
business strategists MarkStra’s job is to find avenues for growth mostly given
the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, and to make those as concrete and
simple as to implement as possible. Tamira La Cruz, CEO of MarkStra Caribbean,
takes the same approach to recommending growth strategies for small economies and
the industries within them. After all, most Caribbean economies are smaller than a
Fortune 500 company. We emphasize the micro- and meso-economic level, where
money is made.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">These
articles best show our approach to economic development</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 115%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="http://smallmarketmarketing.blogspot.com/2012/10/growing-curacaos-economy-by-1-10-for-50.html" target="_blank">Growing the Curacao economy by 1%</a></b><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">, by bringing in 10 projects
(including up-selling) that each add an additional USD 3 million in value</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="http://smallmarketmarketing.blogspot.com/2012/10/living-in-mud-huts.html" target="_blank">Living in Mud Huts</a></b><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">, in which, following Michael Porter,
Tamira La Cruz argues that competitiveness is not only related to cost-of-input</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="http://smallmarketmarketing.blogspot.com/2012/09/prepared-remarks-for-2012-curacao.html" target="_blank">Remarks at the Curacao InnovationEvent 2012</a></b><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">, in which Tamira
La Cruz argues that since ‘clusters’ are important, countries must also
promote the existing (locally owned) firms operating in those areas to attract
FDI in medical tourism, and knowledge services, etc.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="http://smallmarketmarketing.blogspot.com/2012/11/take-aways-from-imcusa-2012-grow.html" target="_blank">Take-aways from IMC USA’s Grow! Business Development Seminar</a></b><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">,
adapted for consultants in small states</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Find your innovation and monetize it!
Part 1</b><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Because
of limited resources and ROI challenges, small state firms are forced to find solutions
that are more efficient than elsewhere. These are innovations. How do you
capitalize on them?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Find your innovation and monetize it!
Part 2</b><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Attractive
opportunities for Caribbean small state businesses and entrepreneurs also lie
in finding innovative product or services that fit other markets that are
similar your Caribbean market</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">C<a href="http://smallmarketmarketing.blogspot.com/2012/06/executives-are-looking-for-more-than.html" target="_blank">ompanies are looking for more thantechnology, they are looking for answers</a></b><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Favorite themes</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Knowledge
Innovations<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Export
of Professional Services<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Global
Competitiveness<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Doing
Business<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Business
and Professional Associations<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Export
Development<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Online
(Affiliate) Marketing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Foreign
Direct Investment</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-31158470278341591382012-12-15T00:38:00.000-04:002012-12-15T01:01:18.109-04:00MarkStra Qualifications<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNzHzq6EDKcw7mxVEysLhvvPuc_A6Gs9-niYa_M44T13jdSR0gAnUInns3WYffpCwpE7ulAAGk1_mjc8rkpykF4fpRO9-ioIQPky9cS1MQv96CPS26IpMVpTVGGk9fu-wyBFYhksZQHdB/s1600/14734_1260808115047_6471656_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNzHzq6EDKcw7mxVEysLhvvPuc_A6Gs9-niYa_M44T13jdSR0gAnUInns3WYffpCwpE7ulAAGk1_mjc8rkpykF4fpRO9-ioIQPky9cS1MQv96CPS26IpMVpTVGGk9fu-wyBFYhksZQHdB/s400/14734_1260808115047_6471656_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Blue Ocean</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Tamira
La Cruz, MBA, CEO, is an expert in helping organizations to establish, maintain
or grow their revenue, market share, profit or following, particularly in small
Caribbean states, like Curacao.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b></b><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Key
facts<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Education</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 1.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/rankings" target="_blank">The Wharton School at the Universityof Pennsylvania</a>, MBA<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 1.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I<a href="http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/european-business-school-rankings-2012" target="_blank">ESE Business School Spain</a>, exchange<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 1.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
Boston University, BSBA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Post-graduate: Certified Focus Group Moderator,
Interim Management, Corporate Governance, Labor Law, Income Tax Law, Branding, Online Branding, Affiliate
(online) Marketing, and Return on Marketing Investment<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Favorite
thought leaders</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 1.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/" target="_blank">Blue Ocean Strategy</a>, <a href="http://hbr.org/1994/07/competing-for-the-future/ar/1" target="_blank">Gary Hamel</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPnx6gLcfK4" target="_blank">C.K. Prahalad</a>,
<a href="http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6532" target="_blank">Michael Porter</a>, <a href="http://www.weforum.org/" target="_blank">World Economic Forum’s Global and Business Competitiveness Indices </a>, <a href="http://www.doingbusiness.org/" target="_blank">World Bank’s Doing Business Reports</a>, <a href="http://www.gladwell.com/bio.html" target="_blank">Malcolm Gladwell</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Languages </b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 1.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Native Papiamentu, near-native
English, Dutch and Spanish, good French, conversant Portuguese<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Worked</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 1.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Aruba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Bonaire, Curacao,
Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St.
Vincent, Suriname, Belgium, Chile, Guatemala, Colombia<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Lived </b>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 1.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Boston, Philadelphia, Santiago de
Chile, Barcelona, Brussels, Madrid, London, Curacao<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 1.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Professional
</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 1.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Board member Curacao Chamber of
commerce and Industry, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 1.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">member the Curacao Knowledge Platform,
member Curacao Hotel and Tourism
Association, Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association Inc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 1.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">continuing academic interest in small
state innovations and growth and regular publications on these topics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Community
</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 1.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.clubrunner.ca/Portal/Home.aspx?cid=7454" target="_blank">Rotary</a>, Paul Harris
Fellow, <a href="http://www.bloemhof.an/" target="_blank">Landhuis Bloemhof Art and History Center</a> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Life</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 1.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Roamed Europe, sailed the Caribbean,
summitted the Kilimanjaro<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9i3sfZnyz1HZFvTZFCHw_kqqGKvXXF1SIxFnARGi8V_xffeV9Eeil79CfrAEVOnXVmZebRlJfSlZK4gPicn7Wf7wE029fxJJwVlBw89NLSVBvEzSrq16Gv7nqrlhztHMlYJuCBiDEgiN/s1600/463216_250238541740641_927895690_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9i3sfZnyz1HZFvTZFCHw_kqqGKvXXF1SIxFnARGi8V_xffeV9Eeil79CfrAEVOnXVmZebRlJfSlZK4gPicn7Wf7wE029fxJJwVlBw89NLSVBvEzSrq16Gv7nqrlhztHMlYJuCBiDEgiN/s400/463216_250238541740641_927895690_o.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With Rotary District Governor as Chair</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">of District Conference Organizing Committee</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2012</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-30699271414229193442012-12-13T16:33:00.000-04:002012-12-14T22:27:06.399-04:00Check out my article in the Jan2013 edition of Services Scoop <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://c-nsc.org/download/coalition_resources/Services%20Scoop2-Final%20Copy.pdf" target="_blank">Services Scoop January 2013</a> is a publication of the Caribbean Network of Service Coalitions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was invited to submit an article on Capitalizing on Innovation. It's an excerpt of a paper I presented at the SALISES Conference in Trinidad in 2010. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In that paper I argue that because small states always have a challenge in achieving an acceptable ROI, our solutions are inherently efficient. Efficiency is always a good thing. We can therefore sell our innovation to organizations in other small states or even larges states.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In addition, there are large markets with conditions similar to ours where our solutions are quite suitable. These include markets with tropical climates, important coastal areas, the same ethnicity and race, largely the same sources of income (tourism).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Check out my article on page 68. If nothing else,it has been very nicely laid out.</span><br />
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MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-85755503059326541192012-11-25T01:40:00.000-04:002012-12-13T16:01:11.667-04:00Take Aways from the IMCUSA 2012 Grow Conference, adapted for consultants in small states<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">In October 2012, I attended the
excellent IMCUSA Grow Conference in Orlando, addressing business development
for management consultants. The following reflects some important take-aways </span><span style="line-height: 150%;">and translates these to the situation of
consultants in small states.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Different delivery methods at different price points.</b> The output of
consultants is traditionally a document of some kind. However, our expertise
can also be transferred through books, speeches, webinars, telephone
consultations, etc. Besides providing supplemental income, these methods
typically require a smaller investment by the client. In small states, where
achieving acceptable ROI on consultants’ services is a challenge for our
clients, and regional consultants face stiff competition from foreign
consultants, the possibility of making a smaller investment (initially) is even
more crucial in getting a foot in the door. We can also buy or sell insights
from other consultants through these smaller investments, enhancing quality and
collaboration in the region.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Expertise through thought leadership. </b>There is nothing that
establishes a consultant’s value more than thought leadership. This is
typically achieved through writing, speaking and engaging in discussion. The
temptation exists to speak or write on a variety of issues. However, to be a
credible thought leader, one must have <b>in-depth</b>
knowledge of an issue. So, specialize!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Specialize and highlight.</b> As consultants in small states we are
likely to serve ALL industries and reply to RFP’s as long as the engagement seems
somewhat financially attractive. That is our reality. However, we can also consciously
choose to <b>only highlight</b> and <b>actively pursue</b> those engagements which
we most like, are best at or which are more profitable. Even rejected proposals
can be presented to other clients. If the issue is sensitive, we can enlist
colleagues in other markets to ‘sell’ a successful solution or rejected
proposal in their market. That’s the bright side of the relative ‘isolation’ of
small states. In addition, because our countries are all small states with
similar challenges, the solutions or proposals regional consultants develop are
more likely to be readily transferrable to other small states than a solution
developed in and for a large market by consultants whose solutions are
instinctively based on the situation in large markets. That is the competitive
advantage of Caribbean consultants, which together we must make tangible, even
when it is by using other consultants’ work as examples.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Reward Referrals and refer to be rewarded.</b> Management consultants
typically don’t promote their services through advertising. However, our
marketing (including networking, speaking, publishing, certifications etc.) is
an investment which must be recuperated or rewarded. Paying and expecting a
referral fee (not an illegal kickback) also opens the door to more cooperation
among regional consultants. Knowing that there is a reward, those whose
strength lies in attracting business will happily attract and refer business, which
they themselves are not particularly interested in doing, to others. Those
whose strength is ‘high expertise’ will be able to concentrate on just that,
producing a better quality output, which benefits all consultants in the
region. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Provide proof that you are an expert advisor. </b>Many of us come to
the consulting profession as technical experts, often having worked before on
the client side. However, to have clients ask for, accept and implement our
advice, we need to be <b>expert advisors</b>.
So, let’s get our Certified Management Consultant Certificates. While going through the steps, we learn how
to be expert advisors and reduce costly learning by trial & error, to the
benefit of our clients and ourselves. I will.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Highlight benefits rather than features.</b> As professionals we are
proud of our knowledge and expertise and are convinced that that is the reason our
services are enlisted. However, we should design and populate our websites,
blogs, linked-in profiles, comments to ‘sell’ and to highlight the added value,
in other words, the ultimate benefit that we bring to our client, rather than
our expertise. As an example: “innovation’ is now popular among business
consultants. However, no business person has ‘innovation’ as a final goal. What
they would like is to increase sales, lower cost and increase profitability.
That can certainly be achieved through innovation. In the Caribbean, where
budgets are small, reiterating that we can help clients achieve their ultimate
goal is crucial.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For many reasons competing against foreign consultants will always be a challenge for Caribbean consultants. We will not succeed by repeating ‘traditional’ methods in attracting or executing consulting engagements. We must adapt these to fit our small state environment, in the process contributing our own ‘innovation’ to the field. If nothing else, these innovations will show the true comparative advantage of regional consultants: that we innately understand the challenges clients in small markets face and instinctively know how to solve them without breaking the bank.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This article appeared first in part in the November 2012 edition of the newsletter of the Caribbean Institute of Certified Management Consultants. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Tamira La
Cruz, MBA, CEO of MarkStra Caribbean (1995), specializes in helping
organizations in small states to establish, maintain or grow their revenue,
profit or following. The practical solutions are based in research, strong
analysis and strategy, as well as 25 years of work experience in Caribbean
small states. Based in Curacao, she is a graduate from The Wharton School at
the University of Pennsylvania (MBA) and Boston University (BSBA). She
publishes regularly on small state innovations and growth. Contact via www.markstra.com, </i>o<i>r </i><a href="mailto:tlacruz@markstra.com"><i>tlacruz@markstra.com</i></a><i>.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">This article appeared first in part in the November 2012 edition of the newsletter of the Caribbean Institute of Certified Management Consultants. </span></div>
MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-19354027384482091462012-10-20T20:54:00.000-04:002012-10-20T20:54:20.642-04:00Growing Curacao’s Economy by 1%: 10 for 50 (10 initiatives for 50 million ANG’s)<br />
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘Complexity
is your enemy. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Any
fool can make something complicated. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It is
hard to make something simple.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Richard Branson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d;">I.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #1f497d;">Introduction<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On the whole, Curacao’s GDP has grown at rates that
are significantly below the regional or world average over the past 10-18
years.<a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Often when speaking about possible avenues for economic growth in Curacao, we
start with macro-economic tenets, broad visions and goals. All too often that’s
also where we stop. Unfortunately that is not where money is made, for a
country or its people. Money is made at the micro-economic level.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As a business strategist it is my job to find
avenues for growth given the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, and to
make those as concrete and simple as possible for those in the organization to
understand and implement. I set out to do the same with the Curacao economy, an
organization smaller than a Fortune 500 company. The following is what I came
up with. Basically, the argument is that if we can find 10 projects to each
produce ANG 5 million a year extra added value (export) , we will achieve a
growth of 1% above the ‘normal’ average. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d;">II.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #1f497d;">Assumptions<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">a.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Curacao’s
GDP is ANG 5.5 billion (in Dutch: miljard), a little over USD 3 billion<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">b.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">To
grow 1% over and above the average 0.6%<a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> that the
Curacao economy has grown over the past 10-18 years, we need ANG 55 million in
extra economic activity every year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">c.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The
tourism multiplier is 1.6.<a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> For
simplicity, we assume that the overall multiplier for the Curacao economy is
1.8. So, we need about ANG 30 million in new economic activity every year to
grow the GDP with 1%.<a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_edn4" name="_ednref4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">d.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Let’s
say that, all else equal, we are totally safe with 10 new initiatives/year with
ANG 5 million (USD 3 million) each in new added value (i.e. export), for a
total of ANG 50 million (USD 30 million) extra added value annually.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">e.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Added
value basically means that a company’s operating expense, interest and profit
are left or paid in Curacao (and, in this exercise, paid for by foreigners).
These would include payment for wages, utility, insurance, taxes, rent, bank
interest, dividend, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">f.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Imports
enter the equation as a ‘negative’ factor. For every extra dollar in import the
required extra export increases by the same dollar. So it is best to
concentrate on services (which require no import) and on ventures where the
imports have already taken place. For instance, a hotel has already been built
with imported raw material. Maximizing its direct revenue or any other revenue
it may spur, entails little import or capital outflow. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br clear="all" style="page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d;">III.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #1f497d;">The question is: <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Which of the FDI leads generated
over the past 2 years by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of
General Affairs, the Curacao Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Curacao
Airport Holding, the Curacao Tourism Bureau, etc. are likely to generate ANG 5
million per annum or more from foreign sources?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Which local companies/sectors
can we help generate an extra ANG 5 million/annum or more in export added
value. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What, if any, are the obstacles
to making either of these a reality. What is needed to remove any obstacles?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d;">We
just need 10!</span></b><span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d;">IV.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #1f497d;">Conditions<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d;">All ideas for initiatives must fit within the general
vision of tourism, hub, business and international financial services for
growth. Ideas for hub and international financial services are not included
since the author is unfamiliar with their business models.</span><b><span style="color: #1f497d;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d;">Note that if we just get more businesses catering to
locals, regardless of how innovative they may be, money just changes hands
locally. There is no influx of more money, so the economy will grow only
minimally.</span><b><span style="color: #1f497d;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d;">V.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #1f497d;">What produces ANG 5 million
(USD 3 million) in added value?<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">150
foreign students each spending USD20.000/year on Curacao</span></b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">.
Two semesters at a local medical school cost at least USD 11,000 in tuition
alone. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, in 2009 St. George’s
Medical School in Grenada graduated 640, while Ross University School of
Medicine in Dominica graduated 754 medical students.<a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_edn5" name="_ednref5" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
What do we need to do? We need to sign a letter to ‘recognize’ that these
schools exist in Curacao. We do not need to accredit them. We just need to
recognize that they exist, much in the same way a notary attests to the
existence of many other things. This is needed so that students can get student
loans from their respective governments. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">200 cosmetic surgeries at USD15.000/patient</span></b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">. A friend spent USD 30.000 in Colombia on surgery.<a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_edn6" name="_ednref6" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Did you
know that U.S. surgeons take U.S. patients to Costa Rica for surgery in
operating theatres set up in luxury hotels?<a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_edn7" name="_ednref7" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> We must
amend laws to make this possible and train nurses to specifically nurse
clients, who are likely to pay for the treatment themselves, after elective
surgery.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">40 extra tickets/day sold by local airlines to
foreign visitors for USD200/ticket</span></b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">In
2011, visitors spent close to <b>3.2
million nights in Curacao. If each left 1 dollar more per night</b>, e.g. as a
tip for the chambermaid, we would have reached the goal of USD 3 million. We
must incentivize visitors to leave that extra tip for the chambermaid and train
the chambermaids to suggest it. I still have a picture of the Martha’s Vineyard
chambermaid, the first ‘suggestion’ I received almost 30 years ago while in
college.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Less than USD10 more spent (preferably in services) by
each of the 400.000 stay-over tourists on Curacao</span></b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">. That is one extra cocktail. We must train waiters to
up-sell. In Barbados, the </span><a href="http://www.nisebarbados.org/">National Institute for Service Excellence</a><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> provides these types of training.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The same cocktail for each of the 400.000 cruise
tourists, please.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">7.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">In the United States, the guideline for tipping has long
been between 12% and 18%. </span></b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">If we
raise our tipping suggestion from 10%, we will make between 20% and 80% more on
tips.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">8.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">5,000 visitors leaving USD600 net at festivals and carnivals
every year. </span></b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">In 2011,<b> </b>4,930 visitors came to the Curacao
North Sea Jazz Festival. They left USD1,717 (gross) per person.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">9.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">One in eight (12%) visitors,</span></b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> <b>100.000 total,
stay-over or cruise, buying one or more locally made pieces of art or craft for
USD 30 total</b>, like a Chichi. We must help the sector produce and
merchandize their goods. The same holds true for beach and ‘in-city’<a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_edn8" name="_ednref8" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> massages
with the healing power of laraha and datu.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">10.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">250 extra conference visitors per month, each leaving
USD 1,000 on Curacao</span></b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">. Dr.
Myles Monroe, CEO of Bahamas Faith Ministries International Fellowship, who
landed on Curacao in his private jet for some motivational workshops some years
ago, has made a </span><a href="http://www.bfmmm.com/Conferences/Conferences.aspx">business out of getting faith in the Bahamas</a><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">, with ongoing conferences for every demographic. CTB
has a department to attract MICE. Many of the 20.000 local business owners and
professionals, who are agents or members of global organizations, can also make
a conscious effort to get their meetings and conferences to Curacao. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">11.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">15
extra ship repair jobs at USD 300.000 (parts are imported). I do not know the
average revenue of a ship repair.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">15 extra houses of USD 350.000 sold to foreigners</span></b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> (much of the construction material is imported). We
must adjust the regulations to enable these foreigners to spend more than 6
months on the island without having to leave and ask for a new permit. Wouldn’t
we rather have the ‘penshonado types’ stay 12 months? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">13.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">100 consultants getting foreign assignments for USD
30.000 per year</span></b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">.
Provide easy e-zone status so they bring the earnings home. Disclosure: I am a
local consultant. I have the required industry knowledge.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">14.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Waste
cardboard sells for about USD 100 per ton.<a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_edn9" name="_ednref9" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <b>If we ship 30.000 tons/year we get USD 3million
in foreign revenues</b>. Elsewhere, cardboard is being stolen! If we don’t have
enough we can also sell mixed waste glass for USD30 per ton or add Bonaire and
Aruba’s waste. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">15.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Give <b>ANG 5million in jobs to foreign
consultants, medical clinics (medische uitzendingen), etc., and the required
added value rises by the same amount. </b>We must make a conscious effort to
reduce these numbers, especially when foreign cooperation (SEI) is<b> </b>winding down. The donor money we were getting
ads to our GDP and reduces the donor’s. It is only fair that they donor would
want to get some of it back. But, if the funder is local, a conscious effort
should be made to keep the funds locally, and in the process, increase local
expertise. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">16.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">If
5,000 immigrant workers each send ANG 250/month home, the required number rises
with ANG 15 million! According to the Central Bank of Curacao and St Maarten,
transfers out of Curacao due to worker remittances reached ANG 80 million in
2011.<a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_edn10" name="_ednref10" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> When attracting
new industries or employees we should focus on those who are most likely to
spend their earnings in Curacao rather than send it off-island.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d;">VI.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #1f497d;">How can we organize to achieve this?<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We must agree that it is easier
and cheaper to use existing resources to capacity than to attract new ones. The
existing resources have already been sold on Curacao and are invested here. If
these (local or foreign) existing resources do well, they will likely attract
more. If they do badly, that sends a negative message. One can also argue that
existing resources need to be treated as loyal customers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The </span><a href="http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/">Clinton Global Initiative</a><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
asks each (invited) member – business, government and NGO leaders, Nobel
laureates, philanthropists, etc. - to make a concrete commitment to solve a
global issue (in one of 12 broad tracks), in a bold innovative way. It’s not a
structured program. Each year the
members gather to measure their progress, network, share knowledge and be inspired.
</span><span style="color: #244061; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">Why does this model
work? Because, we believe, working with diverse groups with different cultures
(</span><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">and underlying preferred business models) delays
decision-making. Every ‘captain’ would
want to lead the group. That does not work. In addition, the yearly event
provides a natural moment to measure how effective a ‘captain’ really is. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We could use the same model and
start the Curacao Economic Initiative.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Each member chooses 1 commitment
a year, and finds or provides funding for its execution.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Critique
is welcome. Ideas may be used with appropriate acknowledgement of source.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Tamira La
Cruz, MBA, founder and CEO of MarkStra Caribbean, is a consultant on research,
corporate strategy, competitiveness and innovation. A graduate from The Wharton
School at the University of Pennsylvania, she has a continuing interest in
small state innovations and growth. She can be contacted via www.markstra.com, her blog </i><a href="http://smallmarketmarketing.blogspot.com/">Caribbean Research
and Strategy </a> o<i>r </i><a href="mailto:tlacruz@markstra.com"><i>tlacruz@markstra.com</i></a><i>.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div>
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</span><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Reference to be confirmed</span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
ibid</span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_ednref3" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ministry of Economic Development</span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_ednref4" name="_edn4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
People have argued that the overall multiplier is larger. That would make the
task at hand even easier.</span></div>
</div>
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<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_ednref5" name="_edn5" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <a href="http://chronicle.com/article/Students-From-Caribbean-Med/125681/">http://chronicle.com/article/Students-From-Caribbean-Med/125681/</a></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_ednref6" name="_edn6" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <a href="http://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/article/Colombia-s-budget-plastic-surgery-w-slideshow-1810223.php">http://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/article/Colombia-s-budget-plastic-surgery-w-slideshow-1810223.php</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_ednref7" name="_edn7" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <a href="http://www.healthcostarica.com/tummy_tuck_costa_rica.html">http://www.healthcostarica.com/tummy_tuck_costa_rica.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_ednref8" name="_edn8" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
New Orleans’s French Quarter is full of foot-massage parlors for feet tired of
walking through town</span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_ednref9" name="_edn9" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <a href="http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2012/07/inside-surprisingly-lucrative-world-cardboard-theft/2761/">http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2012/07/inside-surprisingly-lucrative-world-cardboard-theft/2761/</a></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Economy/Growing%20Curacao's%20economy%20by1%25%2027sep12.docx#_ednref10" name="_edn10" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">If that
money had been spent locally, that would have added 2.6% to our GDP. Other
middle income countries such as ours only lose 0.2-0.7% of their GDP to
remittances.<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span>
In 2010, Barbados received 2.99% of its GDP in remittances.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-28066862684994895562012-10-20T20:49:00.001-04:002012-10-20T20:49:23.036-04:00Living in mud huts<br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the Amigoe Newspaper of October 5, Mr. Mike Willem, director of the
Antillean Contractors Assocation (AAV), suggests that Curacao must economize,
reform and become cheaper. This because over the
past 20 years Curacao’s economic growth has been
less than 1% on average. Focusing on ‘economizing’ is what Curacao
has been doing for 20 years, with success in some areas - look at our
schools, roads, poverty and subsequent crime-, but not in GDP growth. Why would
continued focus on the same thing yield a different result this time around?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">According to the World Economic Forum, Switzerland,
Singapore, Finland, Sweden and Holland, in that order, are the most competitive
countries in the world. They are also nowhere near ‘cheap’, which, according to
Mr. Willem, is IMF’s recipe for success. Instead, these countries have
consciously sought and found high-added value sectors and jobs where a small
cost-differential is not a deal-breaker.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In this increasingly competitive world it requires
professional skill to find and analyze these opportunities.
Unfortunately more than a generation of our best and ‘go-to’ professionals have
specialized in economizing, becoming cheaper, repeating broad macro-economic
tenets, regulations and laws. As a result, as a country we just don’t
know how to identify and go after the high-added value innovative and
global 21<sup>st</sup> century industries and opportunities. We also do not
think it is a priority. Case in point? The new Minister of Finance
and Economic Development, himself a public finance expert, has enlisted the
support of no fewer than three high level
public finance experts, but, to my knowledge, not
one expert in economic/business development, the area where the new minister is
likely to be less strong. I am a business development strategist (often
misunderstood and dismissed in Curacao, I might add). Yesterday I returned from
a business development conference. I respectfully submit that we must urgently professionalize
our business development approach and skills, and make it a priority. After
all, if our priority is to become cheaper, the simplest solution is that we all
live in mud huts instead of brick houses.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Tamira La Cruz, MBA</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5 october 2012.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Tamira La
Cruz, MBA, CEO of MarkStra Caribbean (1995), specializes in helping
organizations in small states to establish, maintain or grow their revenue,
profit or following. The practical solutions are based in research, strong
analysis and strategy, as well as 25 years of regional work experience. Based
in Curacao, she is a graduate from The Wharton School at the University of
Pennsylvania (MBA) and Boston University (BSBA. She publishes regularly on
small state innovations and growth. Contact via
www.markstra.com, </i>o<i>r </i><a href="mailto:tlacruz@markstra.com"><i>tlacruz@markstra.com</i></a><i>.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-1148253522818452452012-09-24T14:15:00.002-04:002012-12-13T15:31:07.784-04:00Prepared Remarks for the 2012 Curacao Innovation Event<br />
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
</div>
<div class="Body1">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Prepared Remarks
at the 2012 Curacao Innovation Event<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body1">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Curacao World
Trade Center, 20 September 2012<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body1">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Tamira La
Cruz, MBA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Permit me to
add a business strategic side to our discussion today. As a business strategist
it is my job to look for concrete and sustainable opportunities taking the relative
strengths and weaknesses of an organization as a given. Yes, we can and should endeavor to change,
a.o., our educational system. How long would that take? Can we afford to wait? What
can we do NOW to get on the innovation train?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I suggest that innovations happen in Curacao organically every
day. We need to recognize them as innovations, make them marketable
(internationally, if possible). It is when profits are made on innovations (or
seem possible) that people get excited about innovation and join the movement. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On another
occasion I also used the example of a doctor who argued that he cannot innovate
because he works in a small hospital with limited resources. I asked him: “Are
your patients still alive?” Of course, but that is because I had to find creative
ways to make do with little resources. So he had a ‘necessity’ as Dr. Peterson mentioned as a prerequisite to
innovation. I said: “Then you have innovated. You have found a way to achieve
the same result with fewer resources”. <b>Finding
solutions with fewer resources is the textbook definition of innovation! <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There are about
200 countries in the world. Holland and
the USA, our ‘examples’, are very high-income countries. Most countries cannot afford the innovations
conceived in these markets. They are often too expensive and sometimes too
complex for a small market. An innovation conceived in a small middle income
country like ours is more likely to be more suitable and affordable for many
other countries. <b>In Blue Ocean Strategy,
Kim and Mauborgne call these types of innovations ‘value innovations’: more
suitable and more efficient.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">How big is the market for innovations based on a small economy?</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Of the 200 countries mentioned before, 56 are small sovereign
states. There are also 33 dependent small territories (like Curaco and
Aruba) and 125 small islands with
populations smaller than 1.5 million.
So, depending on your innovation you have 211 markets!! Yes, it does require a shift in the way we
think, as you mentioned, Dr. Peterson. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">If you are an
architect and you have found an innovative way to build energy-efficient houses
in the tropical island of Curacao, and there is absolutely NO reason you could
not do so. Better yet, you are better positioned to do this than any architect
living in Delft or New York, certainly since the advent of the internet. Anyway.
If you have found an innovative way to build energy-efficient houses in
Curacao, you have found an innovative way to build energy efficient houses in
Aruba, in St. Lucia, in Key West Florida, in Mallorca, in Zanzibar off the
coast of Tanzania, in the Philippines, in Papua New Guinea in the South
Pacific, etc. etc. You don’t have to go build them all yourself. You can
license the technology to others, make some money for yourself and some foreign
exchange for the country. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In 2009 I set out to purposely outline</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <b>the unique opportunities
that arise from being a small state, possibly an island, possibly in the
tropics</b>. The findings were presented at the international SALISES
conference in Trinidad & Tobago in 2010. The focus was knowledge
innovations. Basically these are innovations by business and professional
service providers: consultants, designers, engineers, translators, doctors,
nutritionists, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I wanted to make
the same analogy for small countries as the late C.K. Prahalad made for Bottom-of-Pyramid
countries, where people live on a dollar a day. He found that they have come up with unique innovations that
can be marketed in other very poor countries, against a profit. My question was: could innovations in small countries
be marketed to other small countries?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I can provide
many more examples of small island marketable strengths. But let me conclude: We
might take them for granted, but we have some textbook examples of innovation! Because in a small economy there is a REAL
NEEED to be efficient! There is a NECESSITY, the prerequisite for innovation. There
is also an unexploited opportunity to export these innovations to other small
markets. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I ask the policy makers, supporting agencies here today, fellow
panelists, to please support this sector
by:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 16.35pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-outline-level: 1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">promoting
local innovations abroad. It helps the
local innovator grow. It also aids in attracting
knowledge and medical tourism industries. Potential investors want some
evidence that a ‘cluster’ exists locally, where they can get support services
and professional exchange. That is the reason Silicon Valley is what it is
today. Some promotion would include:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 52.35pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-outline-level: 1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">a.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">using/suggesting
them as speakers at international venues<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">b.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">including
their innovations in presentations about Curacao business<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">providing
incentives and support in the broadest sense. Help the innovation leaders lead
so that the followers have someone to follow, with best practices and
inspiration. These would include:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">a.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The elimination of OB tax (revenue tax) between knowledge workers.
We need interdisciplinary teams to produce world-class solutions and effective ‘clusters’.
OB tax between suppliers hampers these.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">b.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Easy
access to e-zone benefits for the amounts exported. Now the knowledge exporting
company would have to move into an E-zone building, or pay double rent (a
doctor cannot move there). Some E-zone buildings
do not even accept locally owned companies<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #a6a6a6; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 166;">c.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Tax
credit for the acquisition of knowledge (an asset), same as there is a tax
credit for the acquisition of real
estate and fixed assets</span><span style="color: #a6a6a6; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 166;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Tamira
La Cruz, MBA, founder and CEO of MarkStra Caribbean,is a consultant on
research, corporate strategy, competitiveness and innovation. A business
economist, she has a continuing interest in small state innovations and their
monitization. She can be contacted via www.markstra.com , her blog </span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://smallmarketmarketing.blogspot.com/">Caribbean
Research and Strategy blog</a></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-no-proof: yes;"> o</span><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">r
tlacruz@markstra.com.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">These
remarks were made as a panelist at Dr. Ryan Peterson’s keynote speech at the 2012
Curacao Innovation Event, September 20, 2012, based on a 2010 paper Exporting Knowledge
Innovations of Small States presented at the 2010 SALISES Conference at the University
of the West Indies.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-38314478367507176222012-06-29T11:47:00.000-04:002012-06-29T11:47:05.621-04:00‘Executives are looking for more than technology. They are looking for answers.’<br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Introduction
to Seminar on the occasion of</span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">World
Telecommunication and Information Society Day and <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">UN’s
Year of Women and Girls in Technology<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by
Tamira La Cruz, MBA, Member of Curacao Knowledge Platform on behalf of the
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Curacao</span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx565Ar7FtSf7XJQg-YlENk2yeQwlQfAWkz72p5q9YS3sejjyPj1FMamJFqZS1O3EjpZ_Ik2A_FDonDLmnmxQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">‘</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Executives are looking for more
than technology. They are looking for answers.’ Clara Shih, 29, founder Hearsay Social.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Allow me to show you some more answers<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Who are these people?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Soccket was invented by a group of female college students in New York. One
of them, Jessica Williams, graduated in 2010 with a degree in psychology and
economics. She must be in her early twenties.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Jenny Drinkard, the founder of the crate shown on quirky.com, has
a degree in industrial design. She is also in her early twenties. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The founder of Quirky.com is Ben Kaufman, also
in his early twenties. Depending on how you want to look at it, Quirky.com is a
company, a website, or a community where you can submit your design ideas. The
community will comment and help you improve it. They will also suggest pricing.
When the time comes, Ben Kaufman will make a prototype and manufacture your
product. In principle it does not matter where you are located.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Jane McGonigal is 34, developer of the game of Evoke.com. She is Doctor Jane McGonigal with a degree in performance studies. She has received numerous accolades as one of the best game changers, innovators, thinkers, etc. of our current times. Her game Evoke encourages players to submit creative solutions that might solve some of the world’s problems.</span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">These
stories and more give me hope for ourselves and girls AND boys in Curacao. These are the stories that bring to light the
opportunities, the level playing field, the flat world, that lies before us in
the information society. ANY one in Curacao could also have come up with the
ideas we saw and make them global.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We must get the idea of limitless
opportunities in our DNA<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This
sea of opportunities is new to all of us on Curacao. It is not part of our DNA.
All we and our forbearers know is that we have a small market which is bad for everything.
Kleinschaligheid is our curse. We have limited and expensive access to information.
We have no raw materials to speak of. Transportation to and from Curacao is
expensive. We have never functioned from a mindset of ‘abundance’ and limitless
opportunity. But that is exactly what
the information society offers. We have some catching up to do, to get to a
mindset of limitless opportunity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We
already have enough physical infrastructure, broadband and whatnot, to enable
everyone to Google and find innovative ideas and be inspired by them, as I was,
or to find ways to help make their ideas a reality.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Preliminary
results of last year’s census show that 65% of all Curacao households have a pc
or laptop at home, and 55% of all
households have internet at home. My company MarkStra Caribbean’s research in
2010 yielded that among people between the ages of 18 and 65, the more relevant
segments, 82% have pcs or laptops at home and 78% have internet connection at
home. Today much of that connection is broadband, even in schools.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We
are working on our security infrastructure. Ms. Martis will speak to that. And
I hope we will find steps forward with regard to our data and internet privacy
laws, which Ms. Helders will speak to later. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What can you and I do?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Incentivate
to participate<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For those of us who teach, regardless of the
subject, we can use examples in our classes that have ‘information society’
DNA. Sometimes it does require more preparation, but let’s resolve to do so. If
needed give incentives and rewards for students to engage in increasingly
innovative ways in the information society. By the way, in his work on country
competitiveness, Michael Porter, finds that in high income countries the
‘incentive compensation system’ in companies is much better developed than in
lower-income countries. All the more reason to give incentives.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the same spirit, encourage your students,
children and perhaps yourselves to participate in global contests of the
information society. For its 10<sup>th</sup> anniversary a few years ago,
Google held a contest <a href="http://www.google.com/onceuponatime/project10tothe100/">‘Project 10 to
the 100<sup>th</sup> ’</a>. People could submit ideas that helped solve five
(5) global challenges. There are 200 countries in the world. 170 or 85%
participated. Has Curacao? It’s not
about winning. It’s about an emotional and intellectual commitment to the
future, an immersion, which needs to be near absolute.<a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Technology/Knowledge%20Platform%20TLaCruz%2016may12.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[1]</span></span></span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In this regard, please allow me a plug for
Rotary. For its <a href="http://www.rotary.org/en/ServiceAndFellowship/MakeConnections/GroupStudyExchange/Pages/ridefault.aspx">Rotary
Group Study Exchange</a> project (a global project) our Rotary District is seeking
professionals aged 25-40 with at least 2 years of experience to go on a one
month study exchange to Sweden next February.
Sweden is the 3<sup>rd</sup> most competitive country in the world with
lots of emphasis on environment and innovation. Let me know at <a href="mailto:tlacruz@markstra.com">tlacruz@markstra.com</a> .<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Strategize <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In my daily professional life I help companies
grow through research strategy, competitiveness and innovative thinking. I would be amiss if I did not suggest that
there must be some system to the madness, some strategy. The same Hamel and the
late CK Prahalad that I mentioned before suggest that countries should ask
themselves: “Given our unique portfolio of competencies, what opportunities are
we uniquely positioned to exploit?” In Curacao we have long considered
geography as our unique competence. While that is true, we must realize that in
the information society the role of geography is increasingly smaller. So, where
else might we find unique competencies? Let me give 3 ideas:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">a.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">We live and work in a small state. As
professionals, consultants we have often had to develop solutions because the
available solutions were too complex or expensive for our small markets. As I
said before, there are 200 countries in the world. Of these, 56, i.e. almost
30% are sovereign small states with a population of less than 1.5 million
people. Could those be your market? Could some thing that you developed for
Curacao be sold to another small state? I first mentioned this at a conference
at UWI with scholars from around the Caribbean and elsewhere. Then and since,
everyone gets excited whenever I mention it. I hope you do too. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">b.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">There are at least 125 islands with fewer than
1.5 million people. By definition they all lie in a salty sea, and have issues
related to shore and beach management, transportation, etc. Certainly they are
looking for answers which can be provided in the realm of the information
society.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">c.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">We are an increasingly touristic island. In
2011 we had around 400.000 international stay-over arrivals and an equal amount
of cruise arrivals. According to the World Tourism Organization there are some
1 billion international arrivals in the world each year. At least 25 million of
those are to Caribbean islands. Certainly there are solutions still to be found
for some of the issues facing this industry. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Work together.</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> We hear that every day. But I want to be more
specific. I was trying to make a coherent story about this. But I will just
spit it out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">a.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I suggest that to get ahead we have to work in
interdisciplinary teams. Before a doctor, engineer, marketer could be
successful by ‘covering’ all the disciplines herself. Today that is no longer true.
Internet and social media have had integrated marketing and technology in ways
we could not have foreseen, as Ms. Kleinmoedig will attest to later. To take advantage
of the opportunities in the information society, we must work together, across
disciplines. It is no longer an option. It is a NECESSITY.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">b.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">For many reasons these interdisciplinary teams
cause tension. But, we must not retreat. That’s the whole idea. Diversity of
eyeballs, and the resulting tension, whether because of discipline, gender,
age, ethnicity, or religion breeds better answers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, on the eve of the World Telecommunication
and Information Society Day, in UN’s year for women and girls in technology, let
me end where I started: Executives are looking for more than technology. They
are looking for answers. We must prepare to deliver those answers. The way in
which we prepare is a whole new ballgame.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Tamira La Cruz, MBA, is
a consultant on research, corporate strategy, competitiveness and innovation. A
business economist, she has a continuing interest in monetizing small state innovations.
She can be contacted via www.markstra.com
, her blog </span></i><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><a href="http://smallmarketmarketing.blogspot.com/">Caribbean Research and Strategy
blog</a> o</span><i><span style="font-size: 8pt;">r tlacruz@markstra.com.</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/Knowledge%20paper/Technology/Knowledge%20Platform%20TLaCruz%2016may12.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[1]</span></span></span></a>
Hamel and CK Prahalad, Competing for the Future</span></div>
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</div>MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-915726581098357292012-04-26T15:31:00.001-04:002012-04-26T15:35:39.167-04:00Business and business development in Bonaire<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I found my 'home' in Bonaire: <a href="http://www.centralhotelbonaire.com/">Central Hotel Bonaire</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Right in town, new and clean and affordable. Makes it a lot easier to develop business in Bonaire.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Key words: hospitality, tourism, real estate development, nature, heritage, art, research, feasibility study, business plan, strategy and innovation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The engagement was to do a quick scan of the overall cost-of-living in Bonaire.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-48424436552239017022012-04-26T15:21:00.001-04:002012-04-26T15:44:11.747-04:00Finding innovation and learnings in Africa and the Kilimanjaro<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Some time ago I called someone's bluff and ended up in Africa and on top of the Kilimanjaro. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />I learnt of and started paying attention to the opportunities in Africa. I also realized there is a lot we in Curacao and the Caribbean can learn from Africa, in any case from Tanzania:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1. Impressive eco-lodges in Tanzania. One of them was the 'execution' of the artist's impression of a 140-room hotel and retail development in Curacao I had written a business plan for about a month earlier. The boulders in the picture below are the wall of the restaurant. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwk34Dd6tsuA-g-VBZeEnQf06lY2vmpswDnJ311TbMFzUl13Y0LlQDyuDp353dc8El35RFq0ts_mu2xztkjcht1sbj5dyj6Unqp15O9SZNWQzbeN8NzS2G3tWvRo4mvlgUbnWUfu2TSgI/s1600/Tanzania2010+352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwk34Dd6tsuA-g-VBZeEnQf06lY2vmpswDnJ311TbMFzUl13Y0LlQDyuDp353dc8El35RFq0ts_mu2xztkjcht1sbj5dyj6Unqp15O9SZNWQzbeN8NzS2G3tWvRo4mvlgUbnWUfu2TSgI/s320/Tanzania2010+352.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2. Since I am writing a book on innovations in small states and how to monetize those, I was especially interested in Zanzibar, which is also a small state with a population of less than 1.5 milllion. Like Curacao's capital Willemstad, it's capital is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Knowledge workers in small states share the common fact that they have had to found creative solutions because of limited resources. Hence, they have innovated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3. What a global world! My cousin (an catholic econometrist living in Holland) and our guide Omary (a Tanzanian moslim who had barely finished secondary school), were both 27 years of , fans of Manchester United, Rihanna, some 'Reggaeton artist, who I, of course don't know. Omary also knew the Beach Boy's Kokomo song "Aruba, Jamaica, Bahama... ."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Here Bob Marley's "One Love" greets us when arriving in Zanzibar.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDPULYihYRvhtjNKPE40Tyah3K9I7NpUyUHxBmt9S_qhccLznxkkB6wzarVK9g7uGtksmmmyjABFG3LtQO3cUimskdUdK4RUroiUGEgnbBzmxlQEoaffy9ZGs0BVHX-2U-5Kpbgp-d-Wn/s1600/Tanzania2010+137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDPULYihYRvhtjNKPE40Tyah3K9I7NpUyUHxBmt9S_qhccLznxkkB6wzarVK9g7uGtksmmmyjABFG3LtQO3cUimskdUdK4RUroiUGEgnbBzmxlQEoaffy9ZGs0BVHX-2U-5Kpbgp-d-Wn/s320/Tanzania2010+137.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">4. In Zanzibar we went to a street festival. Soup and sugar cane juice were served in a regular plastic bowl and glass glass, which you had to return afterwards. Green and sustainable!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1i7EpWQ_p-1_g3rzmNZ95NKtFvPLuqsXIcQ2q26PVZD5IsC-b6jD8ZyQ3GvQdLoGXdqyW1ppkt1Rq5g8N_y0xu0Pt_OEEA2KnuUHStdtx79TzwrUuUx_zziGNysTCOdHmmnMwidEAL6LB/s1600/Tanzania2010+172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1i7EpWQ_p-1_g3rzmNZ95NKtFvPLuqsXIcQ2q26PVZD5IsC-b6jD8ZyQ3GvQdLoGXdqyW1ppkt1Rq5g8N_y0xu0Pt_OEEA2KnuUHStdtx79TzwrUuUx_zziGNysTCOdHmmnMwidEAL6LB/s320/Tanzania2010+172.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">4. The Tanzanian guides were excellent. This is our safarai guide Omary, who besides Swahili, speaks English and had learnt himself French. His book was a few handwritten pages of French words and sentences he once learnt.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgImBvKbOMeqcTZLWebXiSw7MH8FUDqkX2fuBVOvROexztzk3wdFbtckuPZ2v7C7X4Q_MFDy-qxckfffqM028eshY8HDAXF1FQg2ynTjXN6aSxIztkgGH0caJuHawTJiLYSVBmpjixNZf/s1600/Tanzania2010+401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgImBvKbOMeqcTZLWebXiSw7MH8FUDqkX2fuBVOvROexztzk3wdFbtckuPZ2v7C7X4Q_MFDy-qxckfffqM028eshY8HDAXF1FQg2ynTjXN6aSxIztkgGH0caJuHawTJiLYSVBmpjixNZf/s320/Tanzania2010+401.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">5. Most of all I am impressed that someone had such good marketing skills to get so many people to want to summit the Kilimanjaro. In our case, we were neither hikers, had never slept in a sleeping bag, let alone a tent, for seven days, out in the middle of nowhere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I plan to go back to Africa, not as a tourist, but as a volunteer or a consultant. Volunteer, that was the bluff.</span></div>MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-1225321686448991492012-04-17T20:52:00.000-04:002012-06-29T11:35:07.919-04:00Find your innovation!<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">‘How COULD I innovate?’, </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">he shouts.<i> ‘I work in a small country, in a terrible
hospital, where there is no money for anything. I can’t finance any research
myself because the government pays me late for my services. On the other hand,
my colleagues in Holland……..’<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">‘But, I bet that BECAUSE you live in a
small country and work in a terrible hospital, you have found creative ways to
keep your patients alive with limited resources.’, I suggest.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> ‘Sure
thing’, </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">he says, still mad.<i>
‘I HAVE to.’ <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">‘So, you have innovated,’ </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I respond.<i> ‘If you have found a way to produce the
same results with fewer resources, i.e. more efficiently, that’s an innovation.
<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">His
face lit up. <i>‘We must talk about this
further.’<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">This introduction is the continuation
of that discussion. Then I will ask you to stay after the key note speaker’s
talk. We will then open the floor for interaction and ask how the Chamber of Commerce
or others can help you monetize, capitalize on your innovation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">By the way, the notion that
‘you have innovated if you have found a way to produce the same results with
fewer resources, i.e. more efficiently’ is from a theory called <a href="http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/abo/what_is_bos.html">Blue OceanStrategy. </a>The authors also assert that it is even better ‘If that efficient
solution is also better suited to the needs of your client (because of market
size, complexity, climate, gender, ethnicity, etc.).’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">So, the question is not
whether you have you innovated, but where. Please allow me to share some thoughts that
might inspire you:</span></div>
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<li style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;">I did not tell the doctor that there are 200
countries in the world. Holland and the US are among the 10 richest.
Simplified: 190 countries, 95% of all countries cannot financially afford many
of the Dutch or American innovations in health care, or many other areas.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Even if they can afford it, for a great many
countries these innovations are unsuitable, because they are too complex, because
there is not enough local talent to implement them, etc. Sounds familiar?</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<li style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;">A few weeks ago someone told me. ‘My health-related
service is targeted to older people, of the average age and income of cruise
tourists. I can do the whole thing before they leave the island. I promote it
online.’…Of course. Last year 400,000 cruise tourists visited Curacao. </span></li>
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<li style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Then there is <a href="http://one.laptop.org/map">“One Laptop per Child”</a>. Up to
now the program is mostly available in large low income countries. If we can
develop a good program to introduce this in Curacao, we would be the first
middle income, small country to do so. Don’t you think other small middle
income countries would be interested? ‘Scale’ is a challenge for them too.</span></li>
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<li style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="http://www.chukkacaribbean.com/">CHUKKACaribbean</a>, from Jamaica. They have zip lines and other adventure travel tours
(ATV’s) in three countries. Do YOU have an innovative touristic attraction that
can be implemented in another island? There are some 30 Caribbean islands
receiving over 20 million stay-over tourists each year. On the other side of
the world, there are yet more touristic tropical islands…</span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Fresh Water. You know that fresh water will
be a challenge everywhere. If you Google (in English) about gardening in dry
climates or harvesting rainwater, most solutions, websites, blogs, come from
Australia and New Zealand. We ALSO live in a dry climate. If you are an
engineer, landscape designer, etc. have you discovered a marketable solution to
deal with this? </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sohI6vnWZmk" width="480"></iframe></span></span></div>
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</div>
<ul style="line-height: 150%;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I have a friend who is a nutritionist. She specializes in weight loss and has her own ‘program’. She said: “I am at a loss when I get clients who eat traditional local food. Because, I don’t have a lot of ideas with guiambo, yuka, chayote, etc. My education included regular potatoes, strawberries, brussel sprouts, etc. I ask you: Have you seen ANY weight loss program based on tropical fruits and vegetables? By the way: </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">40% of the world lives in the tropics! By 2060, 60% will because older people like warmer climates.</span> </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_ciGVx1qhb4" width="560"></iframe></b></span></span><br />
<ul style="line-height: 150%;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Black women spend 5 times more on hair care
than White women. Most of our products come from the US. Is there any large
global brand for Black women living in hot climates? There are 800 million
people living in ‘tropical’ Africa. Yes, some people laugh when I mention
Africa. It IS the one undiscovered continent in the world, full of opportunities.
The Trini’s are laying a major oil pipeline there, funded by an international
organization.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<ul style="line-height: 150%;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Of course you can choose an innovation that
covers the whole world. But what would be your competitive advantage in knowledge
and experience? </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Some years ago, when the
Jazz Festival was still at Brievengat, an American music entrepreneur told me: ‘Yes,
she is a great singer. But, she should sing another genre. There are thousands of
equally great voices in the world that sing popular tunes. Breaking through will
be impossible.’ Izaline Calister and Emphrem J’s success are not a just luck.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<ul style="line-height: 150%;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;">There is one BIG exception, that perhaps confirms
the rule. Technology! Today’s keynote
speaker, Clark Russel, is the CEO of an IT company. There are global
opportunities for internet games, all kinds of apps, etc., <b> IF</b> we focus on using the
internet productively, rather than consumptively. Last Sunday, a saw Jane
McGonical, a games developer, speak on CNN’s The Next List about the games she is making to improve
health… She had a serious brain injury and developed games that have helped
her. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZztLac0Q1EI" width="560"></iframe></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">That was the first part.
Find your innovation! In the next post, how do you monetize your innovation, i.e. capitalize
on it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">In case
you are wondering, there are about 200 countries in the world. Of these, 56 are
small states with fewer than 1.5 million people. There are 33 small dependent territories
and 125 islands with a population smaller than 1.5 million. Only 240 cities in the
world have more than 1.5 million people.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 150%;">Speech delivered at the Curacao Chamber of Commerce's Services Lunch Seminar, April 17, 2012.</span></div>
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<br /></div>MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-67520838352093032582011-09-18T17:02:00.002-04:002011-09-18T17:02:29.365-04:00Register for Rainmaking Curacao 2011 - September 27<br />
Thank you for your interest<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/625085/Registration-Rainmaking-Curacao-2011-Tuesday-September-27-2011"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Register for September 27 seminar at Renaissance here</span></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Payments can be made in favor of</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MarkStra</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MCB 12567805</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Curacao</span>MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-92117512048252549852011-09-16T10:03:00.002-04:002011-09-16T10:03:42.206-04:00Featured Speakers<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f">
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<st1:personname w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #464646;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Born and raised on Curaçao, <b>Tamira La Cruz</b>, MBA, CEO of MarkStra Caribbean, started her career as a marketing executive with a leading banking group in the Netherlands Antilles, working throughout the Dutch Caribbean. As a consultant, she has completed research, corporate strategy, marketing, trade development and internet/e-commerce assignments for both domestic and global firms throughout the Caribbean, in the U.S., Belgium, Spain and Chile. </span></span></st1:personname></div>
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<st1:personname w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #464646;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></st1:personname></div>
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<st1:personname w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #464646;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span></st1:personname></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She has lectured and published extensively on strategy, marketing, management and global business issues, both locally and elsewhere in the region. Selling knowledge services and innovation across borders holds her particular interest.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ms. La Cruz holds an MBA degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BSBA degree from Boston University. Ms. La Cruz is a Burke Certified focus group moderator, a board member of the Curacao Chamber of Commerce and Industry, former president of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International Curacao. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #464646; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><b>Mirto Murray</b>, esq., has practiced law in the Dutch Caribbean and Surinam for the past 15 years, using Curacao as base, most recently as partner of SMS Attorneys. Early in his career he served as Vice-President and then President of the Curacao Bar Association. His </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">law degree is from the University of Amsterdam.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #464646; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #464646; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">He has served on numerous important committees and board, often related to legal issues in the Dutch Caribbean and Surinam. He has been the trustee for the bankruptcy for the Dutch Caribbean Airlines N.V. and an observer on behalf of the Curacao Minister of Justice to the trials related to the "Decembermoorden" in Surinam.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #464646; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">He is a prolific writer, whose work has often been published in legal and scientific publications, as well as local newspapers. His most recent publication is the "Two Masters" written with Karel Frielink, esq. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mr. Murray, who hails from Surinam, has also lectured law to numerous full-and part-time students in Curacao and has made many media appearances to speak on legal issues.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><st1:personname w:st="on"><b>Clark Russel</b></st1:personname>
is the CEO of IBIS Management Associates Inc. the
leading international banking consulting and technology company in the
Caribbean and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Americas</st1:country-region></st1:place>.
IBIS Management helps major banks in more than 25 countries to become
"profitably efficient" in their operations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clark founded IBIS Management
Associates Inc. back in 2001, as an advisor and provider of Straight Through
Processing solutions for the international banking sector. IBIS Management is
the creator of the award winning Alchemy Payment Processing suite of products
that provide Internet Banking, Mobile Banking and a back office payment
processing infrastructure for banks. Banks that use the Alchemy solution
transform their manually driven back-office departments into highly efficient
and fast paced operations with increased profitability.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After completing his Engineering studies,
Clark began his career in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">Netherlands</st1:country-region>
where he joined the international systems department of the ABN AMRO Bank in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Amsterdam</st1:place></st1:city>.<span> </span>In this role, he laid down the initial blue
prints for the Global Access Network of the Bank, a proprietary integrated
communications network connecting all world wide ABN AMRO Branches. He went on
to hold Sr. positions in the Bank where he played leading roles in the creation
of regional ATM and POS payment processing networks for the Bank in the
Caribbean region over a six year period.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 1998 Clark continued his career at
PriceWaterhouseCoopers as a Sr. Management Consultant, where he was involved in
implementing cost management models at major national telecommunication
companies in countries such as the <st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Holland</st1:place></st1:city> and his native Dutch Antilles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clark and IBIS Management associates
are members of the International Financial Services Association (IFSA), the
Caribbean Association of Indigenous Banks (CAIB), SWIFT, and actively provide
thought leadership and best practice to leading Central, Private and Commercial
Banks.<span> </span>Clark and IBIS Management are constantly
at the forefront of leading innovative projects in banking technology while at
the same time making contributions to the local and regional community through
the Banks-4-kids charity foundation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clark is a native of the lovely island
of Curacao in the Dutch Caribbean, is married and the father of three sons and a
passionate sailor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-26882894949159839072011-09-16T09:06:00.001-04:002011-09-16T09:07:48.358-04:00Program B2B Marketing Strategy and Innovation Seminar<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Rainmaking Curacao 2011</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>September 27, 2:00pm-5pm</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Renaissance Resort and Casino Curacao</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">200pm-230pm
Registration followed by opening<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">230pm-300pm
Tamira La Cruz- CEO <a href="http://www.markstra.com/">MarkStra Caribbean</a>, on Marketing<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> includes hands-on exercises</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">300pm-315pm
Mirto Murray, Partner <a href="http://www.sms-advocaten.com/">SMS Attorneys</a>, </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> as interviewed by Karyl Bertrand, </span><span style="color: black;">lawyer, </span><a href="http://www.sba-advocaten.com/">SBA Advocaten</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> on his experience in marketing himself and his firm as a lawyer</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">315pm-335pm
Coffee break<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Tamira La Cruz – strategy and innovation<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Clark Russel – CEO of <a href="http://www.ibis-management.com/">IBIS Management</a> on specialization </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> as a strategy for </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">international growth</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">430pm-500pm Panel discussion<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">500pm Networking </span></span></div>
MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-58650661486790318742011-09-12T22:18:00.000-04:002011-09-12T22:28:46.956-04:00Mystery Shoppers Wanted<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A mystery shopping program enables companies to measure the quality of their service and therefore the satisfaction of their customers. Read more about <a href="http://www.mysteryshop.org/">Mystery Shopping</a>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mystery shoppers pose as anonymous customers and go to assigned stores on assigned dates and carry out an assigned transaction. Thereafter they fill in an evaluation form which is sent to the MarkStra's client. Shoppers are reimbursed for the expense (of buying something) and/or receive a fee.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mystery shopping is also referred to as secret shopper or shop audit.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because of our increased load we are now looking for mystery shoppers. We are looking for serious, responsible people with a cellphone and internet access. If interested please fill out <a href="http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/636215/Mystery-Shopper-Application">Mystery Shopper Application</a> and we will get back to you via email.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Un programa di mystery shopping to sirbi pa yuda kompanianan midi kalidat di nan servisio i satisfakshon di nan klientenan/kumpradonan. Pa mas informashon, por lesa <a href="http://www.mysteryshop.org/">Mystery Shopping</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mystery shoppers anonimamente ta bishita un establesimentu predetermina riba un fecha predetermina i ta hasi un transakshon (kumpra algu, hasi un pregunta, etc.) predetermina. Despue snan ta yena un formulario di evaluashon ku MarkStra ta manda pa dono di e establesimentu. Nos ta paga nos shoppernan pa e gastu (di a kumpra algu) i/of nan ta hana un pago apart.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Na e momentu aki nos ta buskando algun mystery shopper nobo, hende serio i responsabel ku telefon selular i aseso na internet. Si bo ta interesa, por favor yena nos <a href="http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/636215/Mystery-Shopper-Application">Aplikashon pa mystery shopper</a> i nos lo tuma kontakto via email.</span></div>
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MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956995512104863486.post-10445292199957979292011-09-12T17:32:00.006-04:002011-09-12T17:32:48.401-04:00Support from the Curacao Chamber of Commerce and Industry<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are grateful for the support of <a href="http://www.curacao-chamber.an/info/">Curacao Chamber of Commerce and Industry</a> for <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8956995512104863486#editor/target=post;postID=5916997242544002583">Rainmaking Curacao 2011</a> on September 27, 2011.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/625085/Registration-Rainmaking-Curacao-2011-Tuesday-September-27-2011"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Register for Rainmaking Curacao 2011</span></a>MarkStra Caribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00418246887302450762noreply@blogger.com0