One of the side effects of entrepreneurship is competition. Perhaps you have heard the story of the entrepreneur who opened a store to sell his particular product and was enjoying a brisk business when a competitor opened a store next his selling the exact same product.

But not only that, the competitor put a big sign that said best quality. While our entrepreneur was scratching his head how to respond, another person opened yet another shop on the other side of his. This person put up an even bigger sign — lowest prices. He scratched his head again and decided how to respond. He put up a sign over his business that read Main Entrance.

Cherry Miller has a small shop in Port Sea, St Elizabeth. She is one of 15 entrepreneurs whose stories are in the book Jamaican Entrepreneurship. She has experienced some of the good the side effects of entrepreneurship. And she never had a competing store next to hers.

Over 50 years ago she and her husband built a small shop using money he earned as a farm worker in the US. Life was not easy in the early days. But 50 years later she is still in business in the same store. She has never expanded. But the house has been expanded. They raised kids, selling basically the same products except now she has a freezer and a refrigerator. Today, life is easier; her children are grown; she has a car; learned to drive when she was 70 and enjoys cable TV and has even traveled overseas.

The side effects include profits, income security, sense of control over life, being her own boss, etc.