Aug. 22, 2001 – In traveling throughout the Caribbean as marketing director for a shipping company, Michelle Geary says, she "realized that the majority of small businesses faced similar challenges."
Such as? "Antiquated information technology, inadequate marketing and customer service, import-export issues and no financial growth."
After two years of networking throughout the region, Geary decided to venture out on her own. In April, she started her own marketing and consulting firm, Infinite Possibilities. What makes her business different from a lot of others, she says, is her commitment to the big picture — economic growth in the Caribbean as a whole.
Her firm's function is to serve as a liaison between other local companies and those on the U.S. mainland, in Europe and throughout theCaribbean, she said.
"You would be surprised" at the potential for investment, she said. Local businesses are looking to expand within the Caribbean, and stateside companies are looking to come into the region, she said. "What we do is establish alliances and partnerships to assist entrepreneurs in developing" their businesses.
Geary hosted the talk show "Woman to Woman" that was on TV2 for nine months and currently hosts the "Positive Vibes" feature of the "Robert Luke Morning Show" on WVWI Radio. She was one of the first local entrepreneurs to obtain a micro loan from the Women's Business Center of the Virgin Islands, an organization dedicated to the economic empowerment of women.
In addition to providing the liaison services, she said, Infinite Possibilities conducts empowerment seminars, conferences and retreats with a particular focus on women, "to educate people on how to start businesses and pursue their dreams."
One of her clients, Geary said, is Casa Rustica, a new home furnishings store on St. Thomas which specializes in Mexican imports. The owners had a small shop in Anguilla and wanted to expand into the Virgin Islands. "We assisted them, from retail space to shipping coordination," she said.
Another client is Total Service Solutions (TSS), an information technology engineering firm headquartered in Washington, D.C., which also has offices in St. Kitts, Trinidad and Belize. "At TSS, we offer flexible, economical and customized solutions to meet the challenges of Caribbean-owned and -operated businesses," company president John Chandler said. "We are totally committed to assisting in strengthening the overall economic base in the Caribbean."
Geary cited Barbados as a Caribbean nation with a similar commitment. She recently met with Barbados government officials to discuss collaborative efforts to export products manufactured there and to establish alliances with Bajan businesses. The government there has recently embarked on "an initiative to solicit foreign companies to expand into the Barbados market," she said.
Infinite Possibilities can be contacted via e-mail at infinite@islands.vi.
