I know over the last few months, the headlines have been dominated with talks of stagnant economies, massive job lay offs, traditional sectors facing some really tough times. For me, this is just the type of things we need to spur people in the right direction. We are in the digital age, technology has never been more accessible & cheap to implement for our own needs.

My goal is to start really pushing people to learn how to leverage technology, so that they can succeed as a solopreneur or entrepreneur. The path to breaking away from a 9 to 5 job or if you are currently unemployed and want to start creating a revenue stream, can be broken down to 6 simple steps. Even though the steps are simple, the work required will be a lot & that is why it is imperative you are doing something that you love.

Without further adieu, here are 6 steps to never be jobless in the Caribbean:

1. Master A Relevant Skillset
2. Build a Digital Portfolio
3. Make Yourself Visible To The Public
4. Start Networking With Potential Clients
5. Build Real Friendships & Relationships
6. Building Your Exposure and Your Network Should Keep Busy

Mastering a relevant skill set is going to be your foundation for how you build your brand and make your money. Given that we are in the digital age, you are not limited to finding people in your immediate city or country, you are able to connect with individuals all over the world, who can be a part of your tribe and be a paying customer.

Building your digital portfolio is going to be crucial. As we shift away from resumes and referrals, showing you can actually do what you say you do and actually showing your past work is going to be the social proof that everyone is looking for, when engaging you for your services. Making your portfolio digital, will allow your work to be viewed by anybody, anywhere and anytime.

When you are armed with your portfolio, you will then want to start learning how to show up online and make yourself visible to the public. Making yourself visible online will allow people to find you, connect with you & see what you are all about.

Building a website, learning basic digital marketing & social media techniques will allow you to start networking with potential clients. Start showing up on groups, forums, search relevant people in the space you are entering in on social media and jump in the conversations.

Nobody ever likes to feel like they are being sold to, so aiming to build real friendships and relationships online will allow you to create meaningful connections & lifelong fans of your brand.

Finally, building your network & your exposure is a daily task. You will always have to be on the link out for events you can participate in, trying to get featured in the newspapers & figuring out how you can join or create the conversations that will allow you to get featured on TV. With so many people blogging or creating their own platforms, collaborations are going to be key and will also put you in front of other audiences.

Translation, be you, be unapologetically you! Be true to yourself when diving into whatever you decide to do! It will make putting in all the work more enjoyable and give you that extra push during the days when you need every ounce of motivation to do what you need to do.