A well seasoned Entrepreneur operating in the Jamaica SME sector was recently overheard lamenting the other day at a popular drinking spot in New Kingston how he could not understand how he runs a legitimate business, pays his taxes, late most times but he pays them, does everything by the book and still has a hard time making money and running a profitable business. Yet when he looks around him he sees business people in similar businesses “making money” or at least appears to be based on their lifestyle and outward show of success. He could not understand it.

In response to his query a fellow Entrepreneur in the group said to him “Listen man, you don’t watch that, a lot of people look like them have money and making a lot of money, the business look healthy, but let me tell you, and this is from experience, things are not always what they seem to be, you look at the recent fall of some “brand name” business people. They all exhibited the traits you just mentioned, but look what happen to them and look what they were doing to make money.”

Another Entrepreneur in the group entered the discussion “I have a better story to tell you. I was with my bank manger the other day trying to negotiate a small overdraft, and boy if a tell what him ask me for collateral and is less than a million me looking for, and for just four days, but anyway, on his desk was a large file containing computer print outs. So I ask him out of curiosity what kind of file that was. He said these were people who borrow money from the bank and behind in them payments. So I said a so much people in that problem. And this is the kicker now. He said if I take you out on to Knutsford Boulevard and we check the first 10 “brand name” cars that pass; chances are them either in my file or the file in another bank. A lot of people driving around in bank car now him say.”

The men all laughed out loud except one in particular who did not find the whole discussion funny and quite frankly was very uncomfortable with the subject matter. He picked his blackberry curve off the table and said he was leaving, something just came up and he had to deal with it now. The other men watched in silence as we walked over to his brand new brand new SUV and drove out of the watering hole heading towards upper St. Andrew.

As he drove out the Men who had been drinking together as a group for many years looked at each other in silence. Only one person spoke he said “rahtid”