Business View Civil and Municipal | March 2021

18 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL MARCH 2021 POWER QUEST ION Michael Smith, President of Norwest Engineering, Portland, Oregon: “I would say be mindful that you’re in it for the long term. Business is an infinite game. Players can come and go, and it takes patience and time to make sure that you’re making the best decisions long term.” Aldwyn Wayne, CEO of WiPay Trinidad & Tobago: “The most important advice I would give is that there is no better time than now. Before, if you had an idea it took a lot of effort to turn that idea into a product. Before globalization via the internet, it was difficult to get started; you needed some capital. If you have an idea today, you could have your business off the ground in 48 hours because the internet allows you to create a presence online. Social media allows you to talk to billions of people that normally it would take millions of dollars to reach through traditional marketing. So everything is in place for us to BE that entrepreneurial generation. To be the start-up generation. I say the best time is now to be an entrepreneur… because of the internet, because of digitization, because of this new gig economy where you exist in a virtual space. You don’t have the overhead, the red tape, or the restrictions to get your business started, like the people who came before us had. So, if you have an idea or something you’re passionate about, now is the time to get your business going.”