The Value

When everyone you know is having the same problem, the solution might be a successful business. 

Kadion Preston, Co-Founder, and CEO of CaribShopper saw an opportunity to solve a common problem among Caribbean merchants and consumers by providing an easier way to buy goods from the United States.

When the original business model ran into challenges, the founders pivoted to solve another problem for their customers, now giving Caribbean merchants the opportunity to sell to overseas consumers. This shift, and the drive to find the investment capital to support it, came just before 2020, forcing even further innovation and evolution.

Kadion's journey is an example of the importance of embracing the opportunities presented, overcoming tragedy, and understanding that failure is a big part of the formula for success.

Unless a valuation can withstand intense scrutiny - it is just a number.

Defensibility is everything.
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Whether you are seeking to raise capital, negotiate investment terms, or sell your business - a defensible valuation is your starting point.  

In this episode, I discuss how a valuation engagement is conducted and what determines the value of your business.

Learn more at https://kevinvalue.com 

For many entrepreneurs hoping to grow or scale their businesses, successfully sourcing investment capital is a major pain point. What investors are looking for can be a mystery.

This episode features a panel discussion with expert investors and finance professionals who give insight into why businesses succeed or fail to attract investment and outline what business owners can do to become more Investible.

Panellists include:

• Chris Williams of PROVEN Investments,
• Beresford Grey of SYGNUS Capital,
• Karrian Hepburn-Malcolm of The Trinidad and Tobago Unit Trust Corporation (UTC),
• Kriss Marcus of Aspire Fund Management Company Limited, and
• Vashtie Dookiesingh of The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

In this episode, we discuss how to increase the investibility of your business, create your own wealth engine, and how to protect, extract, diversify, and smoothly transfer that wealth to the next generation.

This episode features Zahra Alleyne from Become Investible and Tennille Whiskey from the Trinidad and Tobago Unit Trust Corporation.

Topics covered include:

1. Building an Investible Business
2. Risk Management
3. Wealth Extraction
4. Diversification of Income Streams
5. Wealth Transfer

Can we become investible?

I recently sat down with Dike Rostant at TTT News station to discuss the professional services I offer; from business valuations to working with businesses to attract investment.

I also offered my perspectives on what is needed to foster a favourable environment for business, how to fortify our private sector, and what drives me to do all that I do.

Resources:

TTT News Special - Becoming Investible with Kevin Valley

It is not always about doing things better, but sometimes we simply need to do better things.

This belief is near and dear to the heart of Sian Cuffy-Young, a social entrepreneur who is driven by the need for environmental change and waste management education.

• Sian's journey and reason for becoming an environmental entrepreneur,
• Reframing her mindset from student and employee to business owner,
• Social Entrepreneurship: Environment and Business Case,
• How to get started without funding,
• An introduction to landfilling, and
• What's next for Siel Environmental.

Sian recently launched her book "Ky's Magical Adventures" to teach children about waste management and awaken the Eco-Hero within them.

Let's talk about Serial Entrepreneurship.

From music to catering to tech to events, Osei Wright-Alexis has brought his business start-up formula to bear on numerous ventures over the last 15 years. Hear him explain how he knows which idea is going to be next, and when it's time to move on. 

Once the challenge is gone, serial entrepreneurs are always looking for the next business spark to develop. Bringing an idea to fruition is exciting, but making sure a business is ready before you move takes focus, patience, a thorough understanding of the market, and then sometimes tedious formulation of the systems and processes that underlie successful operation. 

Osei walks us through his successes, failures, and lessons, and drops some serious wisdom for those of you who have too many ideas and don't know where to start.

Mind. Your. Business.

When breaking out on your own, there is no such thing as being over-prepared. 

If you want to start a business and you think you are either too young or too inexperienced, this conversation with Kyle Maloney will show you that none of that matters as much as knowing your business better than anyone else. 

His research-based borderline obsessive approach impressed investors who may have been sceptical of investing in a few 20-somethings and underpinned his ability to learn from mistakes to grow a series of better, stronger, successful businesses.

In this vault episode of Caribbean Power Lunch featuring Kyle Maloney, we discussed how ChefMade works, the value of being over-prepared, the Tech Beach Retreat conference series, the future landscape of tech in the Caribbean, the plight of F1RST, and harnessing the power of fear.

Leading an active lifestyle from a young age, fighting early-onset diabetes, becoming an academic scholar – Kerrie-Kim Kirton left his secure corporate job in December 2015, to turn his passion for lifestyle fitness into the business known today as All In Fitness.

In this episode, we discussed:

• Why Kerrie is called the ‘fittest diabetic’ 
• Kerrie’s 9-month search for employment after successfully completing 2 degrees in Economics 
• Leaving the ‘safety-net’ of the corporate world to pursue your passion 
• Building customer loyalty & repeat clientele 
• The philosophy behind the All In Fitness brand
• Practical advice for those who believe they are “too busy” to exercise. Yes, YOU.
• An update on what Kerrie is up to now, and
• Top Tip for entrepreneurs.

What does the word “recession” bring to mind? For many, it evokes saving, shrinking, and worrying about job loss and rising debt. After listening to this conversation with finance professional Maria Daniel and business owner Gerard Edwards, though, you will have a different understanding of the possibilities that a financial downturn can bring for business growth and transformation. In accepting that life in the “new normal” will not be the same, business owners can be empowered to adapt intelligently, making decisions that create opportunities instead of obstacles.

You will learn strategies to reach new customers, how to identify your customers’ problems, and how to understand your numbers in a way that puts you in control of your business’ future.

This is a long one, but worth every minute.

Terri-Karelle graciously sat with us for over three hours and shared her wisdom and experience on turning failures into opportunities, the importance of being genuine, and how to find power in being your authentic self. From immersing herself in an academic program taught in a language she did not speak in order to pursue her dream, to overcoming the opinions and criticisms of others by standing in her own confidence, Terri's path has at times been far from what was expected, but it has definitely been inspiring. 

Terri's zeal for life, her faith in her purpose and gifts, and her comfort with being uncomfortable have all contributed to the success she has achieved so far, and with her approach, the sky is truly the limit. Get your notebook ready, because the gems are truly overflowing from this one!

“Until Everywhere is Free” is a statement that encapsulates the hope of Muhammad Muwakil, a Trinidadian poet, musician and in some ways, a modern-day renaissance man, Who, with the help of many others, is creating a new sound for calypso music.
In today’s episode, Muhammad tells us his story about how he is paving his way in the world on his own terms, along the path of his entrepreneurial journey and self-discovery.

Resources:

Watch this interview on Youtube