Kingston is the place where ideas meet opportunity. It is the country’s centre of business, culture and decision-making, and for many entrepreneurs, it is the space that shapes their mindset and shows them just how far their ideas can go. Kingston remains the capital of possibility for every entrepreneur who is ready to build.
For Fritzroy Smith, founder of Life Stream Water, Kingston plays a big role in how he approaches entrepreneurship and how he positions his brand in the market.
“My business is health in a bottle,” he explained. “So I’m providing health options in water. So it’s pure water, it’s carbonated water, it’s vitamin water, it’s a boost.” Everything he produces is purposeful. “It’s a lifestyle,” he said. “These are products that you can carry around with you all the time, and they’re not single-use bottles.”
His products cater to children, adults, the health conscious and anyone looking for a cleaner alternative to sugary drinks. He loves the fizz of sodas, but wants something healthier. “I know the sugar is not good for me,” he said. “So what I decided to do was to move to a product that I can get that same fizz, not the sugar.”
Although the products sound scientific, Fritzroy says the foundation is simple. “It’s all down to love and research,” he said. “If you don’t love what you’re doing, then you won’t put the energy in it.”
Even though his bottling plant is in St. Elizabeth, Kingston remains the centre of his commercial activity. “Business in any capital city is going to be different,” he said. “Everything gravitates to the city. It’s easier to do business in Kingston.”
Whether it is meeting a financier, visiting a government office or connecting with partners, the capital brings everything within reach. “You’re surrounded by the business environment,” he said. “Most of the people that you interact with are in business, so that encourages you to be business-like and mindful.”
According to Keera Walters, Assistant Manager for the Business Advisory Services Unit at the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), Kingston’s appeal comes from its diversity and its concentration of activity.
“Kingston is the capital of business in Jamaica,” she said. “It’s the hub of commerce and so there’s opportunity all around.”
She noted that JBDC’s client base in Kingston covers almost every sector. “There are creatives, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), transportation, production and manufacturing, and even agriculture and tourism.” In her view, the city allows almost any idea to take shape. “There are unlimited possibilities.”
While there is no one trend dominating the market, she noted that areas like fintech and digital inclusion are growing. Professional services and construction also continue to offer opportunities.
Kingston has its challenges, but they mirror what businesses across the island face. “There’s always a concern around staffing and getting and keeping competent staff,” she said. Growth also depends on whether entrepreneurs can meet the requirements of lenders and investors. “Often, they have an issue with providing the criteria that is asked for.”
For startups, the challenge is usually the lack of a strategy. “Often, people get the idea that they want to start a business and they just proceed right ahead without designing something to ensure that there is a market,” she explained.
JBDC steps in to guide entrepreneurs through those gaps. “We help them realise they need a strategic approach,” she said. “We offer training from the startup phase through the growth phases and up to internationalisation.”Through one-on-one advisory and access-to-finance support, JBDC helps entrepreneurs put the right systems in place and prepares them to secure funding when the time is right. Their network of ecosystem partners also strengthens the support available.
Fritzroy’s own journey reflects that. While seeking investment for his product, an investor encouraged him to reach out to JBDC. That single referral reshaped the trajectory of his business. He was paired with a Business Development Officer who helped him to refine his business plan and strengthen his research.
The result? A whole new look for his products, with help from the Technical Services team at the JBDC’s Incubator & Resource Centre (IRC) and an investor-ready business plan.
“It’s just been a professional handholding thing without criticism, without embarrassment. It is more like friends helping friends, but in a professional way. They don’t say, oh, this is rubbish. They don’t say that. They don’t use those words. But like a friend, they would say, okay, maybe let’s change it a little bit. Have you thought about looking at it this way? Have you thought about looking at it that way? Why don’t we look at it this way and see how it would look?,” the entrepreneur explains.
Fritzroy wants his brand to sit in the premium water category. He hopes to secure 15 to 20 percent of the Jamaican market, expand into the region and later into markets like the UK and the Middle East.
Between entrepreneurs like Fritzroy and the support of teams such as the JBDC Kingston Business Centre, one thing is certain: Kingston gives ideas room to grow.
Like Fritzroy Smith, entrepreneurs in Kingston and St. Andrew can access the full range of support at the JBDC Head Office at 14 Camp Road, Kingston 4 or at JBDC’s Incubator & Resource Centre (IRC) at Unit 10a 76 Marcus Garvey Drive, Kingston 13. Call 876-928-5161-or visit our website at www.jbdc.net.
