Success Lifestyle Issue 7 Success Lifestyle Issue 7 | Page 22

Buy Jamaican , Build Jamaicans

Jamaica continues to be a place of choice for international companies to conduct business . Our competitive business environment , among other significant attributes , attracts aspiring entrepreneurs to settle and start their businesses here . Now , though this is good for the growth and development of the Jamaican economy , it also poses a problem for Jamaican entrepreneurs whose products suffocate because of this international competition . It can be a taxing task for Jamaican entrepreneurs looking to distribute their products locally or internationally .
Most products developed and produced by our own are generally accessed through “ links ”, a random social media discovery or by the few people who attend local expos such as The Rise and Shine Jamaica Expo . It ’ s often mind-blowing to Jamaican consumers to know that these products exist right under our noses . It ’ s relatively easy to distribute and access food items . However , when it comes to products such as skin care or hair products developed and produced by our own , getting access to them is not universal .
Change in Behaviour : Buy Jamaican , Build Jamaicans
Jane , a Jamaican consumer , wants to buy hairointment for natural hair . She has two options , one Jamaican made and the other international . Jane validates both products based on ingredients and her basic knowledge of her hair type . The Jamaican ointment has fewer ingredients and is less processed , while the international ointment has more ingredients , and is more processed .
However , Jane decides to purchase the international hair product . She demonstrates a classic behavior of what I like to call a “ stereotype consumer ”. Often , we see consumers , like Jane , who are of the misconception that more ingredients account for better value , leaving our Jamaican products to gather dust on the shelves . The concern here is not just the accessibility of Jamaican products , but also the ideology behind the ingredients in the products . For Jamaicans to gain access to Jamaican products , we first need to tap into the psyche of the Jamaican consumer , in an effort to reduce or eliminate stereotyping products .

Issue � : January ����

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