Enewsletter published by Ms. Dinah Hippolyte

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Inside this issue:
The National Services Sector
Survey
SLCSI participates in Consultations
on Caribbean Health and Well-
1
2 Focus on
Services
Business Opportunities 3
Code of Practice Consultations 3
Global Coalition of Services Press 3
Release
Tips for Networking 4
The National Services Sector Survey is Underway: Why it Matters to Your Business
tors” which is being implemented by the SLCSI more competitive. It also looks at an often
with financing by the Caribbean Development touchy area, revenue generated by the busi-
Bank and counterpart funding provided by the ness. This has been included in order to pro-
Government of Saint Lucia. It is designed to vide more accurate estimations of the of the
address the paucity of information on the sector economic contribution of the Services sub
which has inhibited the ability of government sectors to Gross Domestic Product. “Continued
agencies and the SLCSI to develop effective on page 2”
and targeted interventions to support the devel-
opment of the Sector.
In preparation for the survey, field interviewers
underwent training with assistance provided by
the Statistics Department. Field interviewers
can be identified by their Name Badge and
On 15th April 2012 the Saint Lucia have been provided with a letter of introduction
Coalition of Services Industries (the SLCSI) in from the SLCSI. The Survey is divided into 6
collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce, key sections
Business Development, Investment and Con-
sumer Affairs and the Statistics Department Corporate Profile: this section consists of
commenced the first ever National Services basic contact information about the firm and
Sector Survey on the island. The survey is includes business location, telephone and
expected to run for six weeks and targets the website information. This section is designed
Professional services sector, the Creative In- to enable the SLCSI to maintain a geographic
dustries, the Health and Wellness sector and layout of the location of services firms and iden-
the Information Communication Technology tify whether there are natural occurring clusters
sector. among and between the subsectors. This can
help identify factors of interdependence within
These sectors were selected based on their the services sector which are not obvious to
export potential as identified in the draft Na- the casual observer.
tional Export Development Strategy for Saint
Lucia. Current Status: this section seeks to identify
through the eyes of business persons in the
The survey is a critical component of the Pro- sector, the factors which constrain/facilitate
ject “Developing Saint Lucia’s Services sec- their ability to grow their business and become
FOCUS ON SERVICES IS THE OFFICIAL ENEWSLETTER OF THE SAINT LUCIA COALITION OF SERVICES INDUSTRIES

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IS SUE 1
VO L 2 2011
The National Services Sector Survey is Underway: Why it Matters to Your Business Cont’d from page 1
Staff Profile: Availability of skills is one of the
expansion plans of firms over the next 2 to 5 in export readiness is most needed.
critical factors related to the competitiveness ofyears.
Services. This section of the survey seeks to Service providers are urged to participate in
identify the core competencies which exist International Trade: there has been much the Survey as policy makers and advocates of
within the sub sectors as well as the skills gaps fanfare over the years regarding increased the sector must be well informed on the size of
which need to be addressed. The section also trading opportunities for services providers the respective sectors, the services offered, the
allows for a more accurate estimation of the under the Caricom Single Market and the constraints which persons in these sectors face
employment generated by the sector. CARIFORUM EU Economic partnership agree- in their daily operations and the areas where
ment. This section investigates the export assistance would be most effective.
Future Outlook and Expectations: this sec- performance of the Services sector, the main
tion of the Survey is forward looking and gages sources of competition faced by local services
the potential of the sub sector by evaluating the providers and areas where assistance
SLCSI participates in Regional Stakeholder Consultation on Marketing and Promotion of the Caribbean Health and Well-
ness Tourism Sector
The Global Health and Wellness industry is a US $40 billion dollar market, with exponential growth of 30% per annum. It is estimated that Carib-
bean’s potential for earnings from the global industry is an impressive US$175 million dollars. Based on findings several global trends have
boosted the potential of the Caribbean to further develop its earnings from this sector. These global trends include increasing health care costs in
developing countries, fitness and exercise consciousness and a growing interest in wellness services.
From 11th-12th April 2012, the SLCSI joined a cross section of stakeholders to discuss the Marketing and Promotion of the region’s Spa and
Wellness products to enhance the Caribbean’s international profile and reputation as a Health and Wellness destination . The sessions were
hosted by the Caribbean Export Development Agency in collaboration with the Caribbean Spa
and Wellness Association (C-SWA) within the framework of the project “ Development and Pro-
motion of the Caribbean Health and Wellness Tourism Sector” funded by the CARTFUND which
is managed by the Caribbean Development Bank.
The project is being implemented in recognition of this huge potential which the Health and Well-
ness holds for generating income and increasing employment across the region. The four main
components of the project namely market research and sector strategy development, marketing
and promotion of the region’s spa and wellness products, standards development and the launch
of a C-SWA website which will increase the visibility of the region’s health and wellness sector.
During the two day consultation, stakeholders identified the need to forge linkages with other key
Cross section of Head Table
sectors of the Caribbean economy, improve standards and innovate as critical to the success of the
region’s Health and Wellness sector. Stakeholders also discussed the key marketing strategies which would be most effective in driving the
growth of the sector.
These marketing strategies included the strengthening of national and regional associations, branding, recognition of the spa and wellness sector
as a viable sector and greater use of eTools to reach consumer markets abroad. The region’s target markets were divided into geographic mar-
kets, demographic markets and psychographic markets. The geographic markets identified were the USA, Canada, the UK, Germany and the
Caribbean. The demographic markets which held the most potential were the 50+ market and the newly coined term “SWOFTIES” which refers
to single women over the age of 50+.
SAVE THE DATE: SLCSI and VAT Implementation Office to Host Session on the Implementation of VAT and the Services Sector
The SLCSI in collaboration with the VAT Implementation Office will be hosting a special session entitled “Implementation of VAT and the Services
Sector” on 4th June 2012 at 9:00am. Be sure to look out for our email announcement on the venue for this important upcoming session!
FOCUS ON SERVICES IS THE OFFICIAL ENEWSLETTER OF THE SAINT LUCIA COALITION OF SERVICES INDUSTRIES
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The SLCSI Collaborates with the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards to Host Consultations on Code of Practice for the
Hair, Beauty and Spa Sector
The Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards in collaboration with the SLCSI hosted two consultations on the “Code
of Practice for Beauty and Wellness Facilities”. The Consultations were held in Vieux Fort and Castries. The
purpose of the meetings was to discuss the Draft Code with industry stakeholders (Spa, Beauty salons, cos-
metologists, nail technicians,
Barbers etc) and to receive feedback for incorporation into the final document.
The organizers were very pleased with the outcome of the meetings which were very well attended by public
and private sector
interests, including the Attorney General Chambers and the Ministry of Health. Given the emergence of new
sub-sectors and the current trends in the Health and Wellness sector, it is hoped that major components of
the new Code will support the existing Barber Shop Regulations of the Public Health Act of 2006.
The implementation of this new Code would require the strategic input of the related Public sector Ministries,
Cross section of Participants at Consultations
the newly formed Hair, Beauty and Spa Association and other development partners. Further, the Code seeks
to improve significantly, the environment in which practitioners operate and the overall health and safety of the customers. Under this Code, Ser-
vices providers will be licensed and certified to international best practices.
Global Services Coalition Releases Statement on Services Trade
The Global Services Coalition congratulates UNCTAD, along with its co-sponsors,
the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org) on
hosting a Global Services Forum as a pre-event under the auspices of UNCTAD XIII in
Doha.
Request for Expressions of Inter-
The Forum witnessed and supported the foundation meting of the Arab Coalition of Services est
Industries convened by H.E. Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Senator and Chairman and CEO of Client: Government of Saint Lucia
TAG Org and a member of the newly appointed Panel on Defining the Future of Trade. The Contract: Implementing a Framework
GSC welcomes and applauds this vital new step for business in the Arab region and looks for Environmental Management in
forward to working in association with this new industry association. Saint Lucia
Deadline: 25th May 2012
The Forum also saw the launch of valuable new UNCTAD publication son Services, Trade Click Here: www.stlucia.gov.lc/tenders
and Development which provided important case study evidence of the relationship between
services trade-policy making and development challenges, including regulatory and institu- Invitation for Bids
tional dimensions. Client: OECS Secretariat
Contract: Design, Development and
International Lawyers and Economists Against Poverty (ILEAP) also distributed an insightful Implementation of E-Filing System
new Background and Guide on Services Coalitions in Africa and the Caribbean. Recent Deadline: 21st June 2012
World Bank work confirms the importance of active services industry stakeholders groups for Click Here: www.oecs.org/job-
services competitiveness. opportunities
UNCTAD XIII is being held at a time when the world economy clearly needs an immediate
boost and the global trading system needs urgent reinforcement. To provide stimulus re-
quired, business looks to Ministers in Doha to focus more closely on the need for services-
centered development. The Global Services Coalition 9GSC) supports the informal work
underway in the WTO “really God Friends of Services” to explore fresh approaches to acti-
vate the existing negotiating mandate and launch early negotiations for a new international
services agreement.
FOCUS ON SERVICES IS THE OFFICIAL ENEWSLETTER OF THE SAINT LUCIA COALITION OF SERVICES INDUSTRIES
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SLCSI Series on Networking Tips for Services Professionals
This series discusses the surprising mistakes that even very smart professionals make,
and how to avoid them based on the Tangled WEB . The TANGLED WEB is a philosophy about
connecting and reconnecting with people and about developing interconnecting networks that help
your business grow. In our last edition we looked at Mistake #3—Networking to Find Clients Not
Strategic Partners.
In this edition, we discuss MISTAKE #4: YOU’VE GOT NO PLAN FOR RECONNECT-
ING. You go to a business event/meeting and strike up an amicable conversation with a few per-
sons who seem to have solid potential for becoming strategic partners or even clients. You make
vague promises to keep in touch and walk away without a solid plan for doing so. The reality is that
vague intentions to stay in touch don’t typically work out very well. If you don’t have a plan for stay-
ing connected, you’ll probably fail to do so, wasting all the good work you’ve already done.
Tangled Web Strategy: PRE PLAN EVENTS FOR EASY RECONNECTING
Pre planning events each month makes it infinitely easier to stick to your goal of staying in touch
with good new contacts. It will also make it easier to stay connected with existing Strategic Partners
and Clients. You don’t have to schedule tons of meetings. A power lunch or breakfast meeting with
3 to 5 good people is an excellent alternative to a bunch of one on one meetings. It also give you a
chance to interconnect your networks of people. Charity events, volunteering and networking events
where guests are welcome are all also great for efficiently reconnecting.
Be sure to look out for our fifth networking tip in our next issue of Focus on Services!
Adapted from the Article “DEATH BY COFFEE & THE TANGLED WEB: The Seven Most Common, Most Surprising Networking Mistakes &H o w to D o It Be t te r * A MAVERICK & COMPANY Article by Alecia Huck.2010
FOCUS ON SERVICES IS THE OFFICIAL ENEWSLETTER OF THE SAINT LUCIA COALITION OF SERVICES INDUSTRIES
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