The Tribune

Young professionals who have been dreaming about leaving their 9am to 5pm to become their own boss will get some candid advice from three of the country’s seasoned business owners during a panel presentation on Thursday, October 4. The event is free to the public and takes place at The Nassau Yacht Club from 6:30pm.

Sponsored by the Rotaract Club of East Nassau, the panel will feature Chester Cooper, president and chief executive of BAF and chairman of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce; Diane Phillips, founder of the award-winning public relations firm Diane Phillips & Associates; and Peter Andrews, founder of Bahamas Waste and Bahamas Hot Mix.

“Despite the appeal of being your own boss, the reality is that you will work harder than you ever imagined, put in longer hours than you ever dreamed, accept the fact that you are never ‘off’ and always remember that it’s the people around you who enable your business to not just survive, but to grow and thrive,” said Mrs Phillips.

“The rewards can be abundant but so is the work. People who get it right don’t just find work; they produce meaningful work, contribute to the community and find true satisfaction.”

Panellists will share first-hand knowledge of growing a business with a range of perspectives.

Mr Cooper joined BAF, formerly British American Financial, as vice-president, financial services and investments, in 2001. Prior to that, he worked as an investment banker in Luxembourg, Dublin and the Bahamas for eight years.

Mr Andrews has built a variety of businesses including Bahamas Waste, Bahamas Hot Mix, Bahamas Mac Truck Sales, Nassau Ready Mix and Pride Investment, which purchased and began the development of the Montagu property in 1981.

Mr Andrews has been an entrepreneur since 1950, initially making $1 per week selling newspapers.

Mrs Phillips has been a reporter, writer and editor in a career that has spanned 42 years. Her travel pieces, features, boating stories and columns have appeared in numerous papers and magazines around the world, including The New York Times, Modern Bride, Motor Boating & Sailing, Stern, and as editor of the in-flight magazine for Silver Airways. She was a former executive director of the Bahamas Duty Free Promotion Board, and the first director of the Nassau Tourism & Development Board.

“There are very few people who take their time to be mentors, especially to aspiring entrepreneurs,” says Rotaract fundraising lead Taran Mackey. “The opportunity to listen to the stories of some of the country’s most successful businesspersons will give hope to those that would like to start their own venture. We hope that some of the attendees who are on the fence about starting their own business can take the knowledge gained to start or improve their own businesses.”