Jamaica is indeed a very inconsistent country. While it is probably one of the most influential nations in the minds and hearts of millions of people around the world, Jamaica has been struggling for years with insufficient income, inadequate infrastructure and immense indebtedness.

Foreign investors will experience Jamaica as a place offering lucrative business opportunities, but local entrepreneurs often find it difficult to overcome the various impediments to business success. It almost seems like two different business worlds exist for overseas and Jamaican operators.

Jamaica is the birthplace of reggae; a tiny island that developed a musical form that has taken over the world is almost unheard of. However, we are losing out on the value of our music as overseas musicians are producing quality reggae and profiting from it in ways that locals do not.

Manufacturers in far-off regions such as Asia are making super profits from incorporating Jamaican images or the words ‘Jamaican Style’ on their products. Conversely, many of our local producers have not been able to adequately exploit the gold mine that can be found in Brand Jamaica.

Acres of gold underfoot

Jamaica is blessed with many golden opportunities which are like low-hanging fruit on a laden mango tree. Port Royal is one example of a project that has the potential to reap billions for the Jamaican economy, yet inexplicably it is still a sleepy fishing village with huge economic woes.

For years I have read about various plans to develop the history-rich locale into a tourist attraction. Perhaps the pirate ghosts do not want to be disturbed, as the project ideas have not come to fruition, but I suspect that there are more earthly reasons why the Port Royal dream is unfulfilled.

Despite the stalemate on the major Port Royal project, it is still baffling why the town’s residents have not designed more products and services to capture some of the tourist traffic that does visit. Port Royal T-shirts, mugs and other memorabilia, which are not hard to produce, can hardly be found.

I would like to see local providers use their ingenuity to produce clever trinkets that truly represent the depth of Jamaican culture and entice visitors to purchase. Our gift shops should not be filled with products made in India or China, which lack the soul and spirit of the Jamaican experience.

Dig deep for gold deposits

I have travelled to attractions overseas and marvel at how the operators are able to spin simple ideas into pure gold. Historical sites are big business, and the birthplace of a local icon or the scene of a noteworthy event is enough reason to turn a location into a thriving tourist destination.

I like to read the weekly newspaper column of communications guru Lance Neita, in which he shares entertaining memoirs and fascinating tales of old-time Jamaica. A true visionary with a background in tourism marketing, Neita often suggests ways to unearth the gold from our history.

There are a few good historical tourist sites in operation now, but why haven’t we fully developed more of the elements of our captivating past to produce income? For example, I found Morant Bay in St Thomas, despite its exciting history of slave riots, to be very lacklustre from a visitor’s perspective.

The local saying, “Man nuh dead, nuh call him duppy” (if a man is not dead, don’t call him a ghost) may have deeper meaning for our tourism product. I think that our Jamaican duppies should be put back to work as tourists seem to be attracted to ghost stories and otherworldly experiences.

How to tap into the mother lode

Out of all the aspects of Jamaican life, our culture seems to excite people all over the world the most. The Jamaican music, food, language, and joie de vivre are all assets that are readily available to be exploited by ordinary persons who wish to earn from lucrative Brand Jamaica.

You don’t need to have access to large sums of financial capital to make money from selling Jamaica. We already possess the knowledge of what it means to be Jamaican; we just need to work on methods of packaging our experiences in ways that people will purchase.

The good news is that the Internet and social media have levelled the playing field and made it easier for people to market their products and services. Comedian Russhaine ‘Dutty’ Berry has shown how a simple online pastime can be translated into a career that produces golden returns.

Here are a few other ideas: create a photography site to sell original photos of unbranded local spots; offer tutorials on speaking Jamaican patois on training sites such as Udemy.com; post Jamaican recipes and sell local spices and sauces on a blog; retail memorabilia utilising Jamaican proverbs.

So, it shouldn’t only be top athletes like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Usain Bolt who are working hard to mine Jamaican gold. With a little imagination and lots of determination you can find other innovative ways to showcase Brand Jamaica and create your own gold rush.

Copyright © 2015 Cherryl Hanson Simpson. No reproduction without written consent.

Originally published in The Daily Observer, August 13, 2015.

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Cherryl is a money coach and business mentor, and founder of Financially S.M.A.R.T. Services. See more of her work at www.entrepreneursinjamaica.com and www.financiallysmart.org. Contact Cherryl