Former Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce President and business owner, James Carey recently spoke with ZNS News about the growth of local businesses on island.

Carey said Grand Bahamians are beginning to feel good about themselves and feel the possibilities. He said, “those possibilities we feel is not because someone else has done it for us. We’re doing thing and there’s so much small business that has been pushing and retooling and making a difference. I believe that’s a lot of what’s doing good for us, notwithstanding recent large developments.”

The proprietor of Westside Cigar Lounge could not say whether consumers are spending more but acknowledged that local businesses seemed busier than before. “I suppose if people are not spending more there seems to be more people spending and that accrues to the same thing.”

Carey is also contemplating the expansion of his own business that has been open for two years. He said, “we’re getting requests for a little different things and environment. We’re looking at what’s happening on the ground in Freeport and Grand Bahama. We’re looking at what customer demands are and we have to be mindful and responsive to that and that’s the kind of expansion that we’re looking at.”

Carey is of the view that should proper planning, promotion and retooling continue everything will move in the right direction.