Nerissa Golden, a Montserrat-based business strategist and founder of Truly Caribbean Academy, has published what she calls a road map for today’s entrepreneurs titled Start, Grow, Thrive: Build a Business to Last.

In the book, now available on amazon.com, Golden introduces 19-year-old community-college graduate Kyle Matthew, who cannot find a job. He decides to sell the traditional Caribbean fried dough, called Johnny Cakes, but is challenged to not simply sell it on the roadside but build a brand.

Through the mentorship of his uncle, a financial advisor, Kyle also shows his parents how to transform their own small businesses.

“The story is told from Kyle’s perspective, but we come to see how his decisions and perseverance transforms his entire family and a community as well,” said Golden.

“While every entrepreneur does not need to have global ambitions, they do need to build with the future in mind. This opens up a new world of options that will allow small business owners to employ others and give to the communities and causes that matter to them.

“Start, Grow, Thrive: Build a Business to Last is a road map to legacy building. Over the years, I’ve taught hundreds of hours of sessions on entrepreneurship, marketing and growing a business. Looking back at the number one reason why some succeeded, and others did not, was having a plan for the future.”

She advised that starting a business with the future in mind rather than to fix a short-term financial need, makes a big difference in the actions that entrepreneurs take and the impact they will have. This, she said, needs to be the focus, even in the middle of a pandemic.

“The businesses which were able to pivot and thrive during the pandemic had specific characteristics. They had systems, the business was not dependent on one individual, and they were agile in their ability to troubleshoot and create new solutions to continue to serve their customers,” said Golden, who runs Goldenmedia LLC, a media and business strategy firm based in Montserrat.

“Start, Grow, Thrive: Build a Business to Last is a welcome and critically-needed resource for an entrepreneur no matter where they may live around the globe,” writes UN Global Peace Ambassador and CEO of Upshift Global Dr. Anita Davis-DeFoe in the Foreword. “In a thought-provoking fashion, Nerissa shares and highlights key aspects of business creation and growth, ranging from testing the idea, marketing, planning, process management and scaling. She reminds us that in both business and life, one must hold fast to purpose, passion, and persistence.”

The book is available as an ebook and in hard copy on amazon.com.