Flipping Grand Bahama

Hello on this fine breezy morning. A lot has happened in the past year and a half of Flippinggrandbahama.blogspot.com and only just recently I came across the demolition of four building of the old Freeport Inn I have confirmed that East Sushi Restaurant is moving back to Port Lucaya, but on a ground level, and more changes are in store for Grand Bahama. As I uncover and try to promote the good, I too am making moves ... moving to the world of .com so catch me as of this Friday at FlippingGrandBahama.com . I'm still working on it so bear with me at this point. The work will be more intense and if you hear of any great person or great work that I don't mention, I encourage you to let me know at flippinggrandbahama@gmail.com. I look forward to many years of sharing the positive vibes. Also if you want to advertise your business here for a nominal fee, contact me at the above email as well. To date we have had over 10,000 views from all over the world includin...

And on the positive side.... What is there to say about the future of Freeport? It's all positive. Created from a dream by one man, it is returning with the will and creative imagination of many who remembers the good ole' days. Freeport was planned strategically by investors in the 1950s and 60s, but today as technology and entrepreneurs look at the possibilities in pockets we see great things beginning to come together. Rumours persists of a sale of the Xanadu Resort and Marina but little is yet know if it is true and what will be come of the property that was once owned by Howard Hughes, U.S. tycoon, investor, inventor, aviator, aerospace engineer, film maker and philanthropist. Memories Resort is looking forward to full occupancy throughout the season and other persons are beginning to take a second look at Freeport seeing all its wonderful potential. If you have any disbelief then you need to check out the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence ...

So the magic city is watching as the country attempts to implement the Value Added Tax to its books. Good or bad, depends on the person you are talking to. But for Freeport, as was said before, we may escape the VAT altogether. Why? The Hawksbill Creek Agreement that began this magical city. Here is what it says to VAT: (Thanks Wayne Russell) 14.  VAT and the Hawksbill Creek Agreement (HCA) Under  Clause 2 of  the  HCA,  the  Port  Authority  and its licensees  are exempt from customs duties and taxes on imported goods that are used for developmental  or manufacturing  purposes within the  Port Area, or which support the administrative purposes of the Port Authority. Goods of a consumable nature are excluded from this treatment. In the VAT draft Bill, it is stated that the VAT law  would apply in the Hawksbill Creek Port  Area where:   a taxable supply within the Hawksbill Creek Port ...

For many years in Grand Bahama the hotels have been operating together and their guests roamed from hotel to hotel, restaurants and other places on their own. It is all part of the experience, is it not? Just recently we got the "all inclusive vacation feel" with Memories coming on board with is quite a new experience. Speaking with the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce last week the General Manager of Memories Gabriel Varela told local business owners about the successes they are having. Of particular note was the fact that locals are not excluded as there is a set rate for day and night passes to visit and enjoy many of the finer aspects of staying at the all-inclusive, with the exception of the room rental. This of course brings a variety to the island in its offerings for guests. The all-inclusive includes the air travel and for many of them it means a way to get here from Canada and from parts of the United States. Since the opening of the resort and casino th...

Can you make a difference in Grand Bahama? It's amazing what you think you can do and what you can actually do! Twice recently I heard, what would you do if you were told you only had a year to live. With a focus on leaving a legacy would you finally do what you refused to do before because you were playing it safe? Not lecturing on business I found out about several new things coming on stream for Grand Bahama. An old hotel is about to see new life and those persons only looking of a job to get back on their feet will have a place to expend some good energy. Sushi is coming back to Port Lucaya for those who don't want to drive from Lucaya to Pier One. And investors are beginning to take a second look at Grand Bahama. In the wake of these good news, what have we learned from the past that could enhance any opportunities we get? I'd say one thing, consistently we go from boom to bust and back. So as we begin to boom, remember .. make the most of each day and fi...

This past week the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce announced plans for this year's Business Excellence Awards. It was noted that this event skipped a year but people in the community are being asked to let the Chamber know who they feel are the great business achievers this year. Here is the announcement from Sarah Kirkby, Director; Mercynth Ferguson, Director; and H. Rudy Sawyer who is a member of this committee.

Its the middle of the years and really we are slowly sweeping into the end of 2014. What has happened so far in Grand Bahama? Well the truth is, if you want to be negative it's really easy and you can say nothing. To be realistic and positive there has been some small but steady changes. In the world of real estate, there has been some small pockets of great fortune as things change. This is one of the indicators of an economy - real estate. Another indicator is construction and although we have not seen a lot of construction going on at present some has picked up. We are still waiting for such projects as the sale of a major hotel or the building of the one projected for out East, but what about the smaller enterprises that you can work on just for you that can work itself into hiring others? What about the incubators? Grand Bahama will do well with an incubator for small businesses. This is a dream of mine and my daughters' ... to start an incubator. It's ...