2020 July

The novel coronavirus is taking a huge toll across the world, and governments in Latin America and the Caribbean are right to take aggressive measures to save lives. Within a matter of weeks, the macroeconomic outlook for the region has changed dramatically.

The tourism and hospitality sectors are among the hardest hit by the outbreak of COVID-19, which has impacted both travel supply and demand. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that tourism constituted 45% of the GDP, 40% of total employment, and 42% of total exports in Belize last year. Given this heavy dependence on tourism, Belize’s economy will be one of the world’s tourism-dependent economies most affected by the pandemic. Apart from its immediate impact on employment, the unparalleled shock of COVID-19 in the tourism industry will have wide-reaching implications, including on the fiscal front.

At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was hoped that warm weather and younger populations would shield many developing countries from the virus. This hope has not been realised. Cases of infections in Africa, South

As a consequence of the rapid spread of COVID-19, the entire world is suddenly engaged in the biggest distance learning experiment in history. In Latin America and the Caribbean, radio and TV have been the most common technologies used to reach students and deliver education.

Have you ever wondered what enables some entrepreneurs to exponentially grow their businesses while others go flat, or worse? Their secret lies in their ability to find and lead what I call their “hidden” organization. You may think you don’t have an organization, hidden or otherwise, especially if your business consists of a “gang of one” or there are only a few employees on staff. But the fact is that even the smallest businesses have an organization, and your success or failure is determined by your ability to find it and then lead it in a way that gives you more of the results you want.

The late Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computer and Pixar Animation Studios, once gave a commencement address to the graduating class at Stanford University. He talked about creating passion, life and death, and “connecting the dots.” The dots were events in his life, many challenging and many positive, which led to his many successes.

Money is really hard to find these days especially if you're lazy. Entrepreneurs on the other hand are hard working and dedicated individuals. Once they set their minds to a certain business endeavor, they will surely find ways to make it successful. There are so many entrepreneur opportunities that you can find. All it takes is some research.

Factory Audits are often conducted by companies to confirm whether the supplier is delivering the supplied goods per agreed upon terms and standards (e.g. quality, safety, ethical, environmental, etc.). This has become an important undertaking for companies to continually ensure that it consistently meets its quality and performance standards.