St. Croix\u00a0entrepreneurs who participated in a Small Business Camp Weekend in October will be featured in a new book titled, “The 16-Week Challenge Launch Pad: Small Business Owners Pursuing Excellence” that will present the ideas, business ventures, goals and inspirational insights from the camp’s participants, according to a press release issued about the soon-to-be-released book.<\/p>\n
Made available\u00a0through the V.I. Economic Development Authority\u2019s Disaster Small-Midsized Enterprises Incubation Program in conjunction with the Small Business Camp, \u201cthis book will definitely send a strong message to our local community and the world that the USVI has a thriving entrepreneurial spirit,” said Percival E. Clouden, VIEDA chief executive officer. “It will also reflect that the Small Business Camp participants are determined to be successful as they take the initiative to discover what they need to do to improve their skills in business or learn how to become entrepreneurs.”<\/p>\n
Small Business Camp Weekend is described as “an intensive, three-day program that allows the participants to walk in with just an idea and leave with a website, press release, comprehensive marketing plan and 90 days of follow-up coaching.”<\/p>\n
Andrew Morrison, president of Small Business Camp and a VIEDA DSME Incubator Program consultant, facilitated the weekend activities.<\/p>\n
“I was delighted that everyone enjoyed the initial three-day training,” Morrison noted. “But now comes the hard part. The participants have 16 weeks to make money. Our book will give the community a close look at the various small business owners in the V.I. and hopefully motivate others to start their own journey towards entrepreneurship.”<\/p>\n
Morrison, an entrepreneur many times over, has delivered this program in major U.S. cities, including\u00a0Chicago, Orlando, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington D.C. In addition, he has offered the course in international locations such as Toronto, Jamaica and Nigeria.<\/p>\n
The book launch will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 9 from 6p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Atrium of the Innovative Business Office in Estate Diamond, St. Croix.<\/p>\n
The VIEDA Disaster Small-Midsized Enterprise Incubation Program was awarded a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration to provide consultant and support services to entrepreneurs and small businesses that were affected by natural disasters on St. Croix.<\/p>\n