By Gibron Rahim
AN IDEA for a new business venture can appear in the most unexpected way. The discerning entrepreneur is always ready to nurture such ideas into a full enterprise. This has been the case with Melba La Goudoue’s new line of lime products.

As the founder and owner of Eco Intricate Creations, Melba is no stranger to entrepreneurship. She has been creating floral arrangements and ornaments using materials from coconut palms and other plants for a number of years. She related to the Pepperpot Magazine that she has been a senior member of the Sonia Noel Foundation for Creative Arts (SNFCA) since 2016. “With her mentorship, I was able to branch off into another business venture whereby I’m into the production of products from lime juice,” she said.

Melba will be launching four products made from lime juice at the upcoming 2019 Women in Business Expo. These include a lime juice made up of 98 per cent concentrate, as well as lime syrup, lime bitters and lime curd. The lime curd is peppered and Melba noted that Guyanese refer to it as “lime achar”. It can be used as a condiment to be added to various dishes. She pointed out that the lime syrup is a concentrate that can be used in fruit salads, fruit-based cocktails, snow cones and beverages. Only a few teaspoons of the lime syrup have to be added to make a glass of refreshing “swank”.

The idea to create products made from lime juice came about from a visit to a family estate, according to Melba. She explained that her family had acquired an estate in the Canje River that had been passed down from her foreparents. She noted that her brother has a farm on the estate and would bring down citrus fruits from time to time. She was fortunate to visit the estate this past August vacation.

“Being on site there, there were thousands of limes being wasted” she related. “So, with my idea and being entrepreneurial, I decided to take up such a task and process such.” On returning to Georgetown, Melba discussed the idea with her mentor Dr. Noel. With Noel’s encouragement, Melba decided to move forward with her plans.

Melba had hoped to be a part of the Green Guyana Expo and International Small Business Summit held this past October. However, she explained that the necessary procedures and paperwork clearing her products for consumption could not be completed in time. The way is now clear and Melba is ready to present her products to the wider community. She noted that she was able to acquire her paperwork before the Christmas holidays. Her lime products have thus been on sale at Pay Less Supermarket in New Amsterdam since this past holiday season.

The process of getting the new venture up and running has not been without its challenges. While Melba noted that getting access to the limes is not difficult, due to the family owning the estate, she is concerned about keeping up with the demand for the products. “I’m just trying to use other alternative situations to keep the market flowing with the lime juice,” she said. She noted that her current focus is launching the product. She will direct more of her focus on distribution afterwards. She has already contacted the Guyana Marketing Corporation’s Guyana Shop which has examined her products and remarked on them favourably.

Melba was sure to note that she is a teacher by profession. She emphasised that she has a great deal of passion for that area of her life. She balances her career and entrepreneurial pursuits, fitting in her crafting after school and on weekends. “But my job is my number one priority,” she noted. At the same time, having her own business gives her the ability to excel in her own right. Her entrepreneurial experience has been invaluable to Melba’s new venture. She has been part of numerous expos and has represented Guyana locally, as well as regionally. She told the Pepperpot Magazine that those opportunities gave her greater scope and valuable insight from fellow entrepreneurs. “I was also able to get that scope being able to promote my business,” Melba stated.

Mentorship has been an important part of Melba’s journey. She related that the knowledge she has learnt from Sonia Noel and others have helped her to expand on her managerial skills, as well as, her skills in marketing and reaching out to the wider community. She noted that Guyanese produce many local products that align with the current worldwide drive toward going organic. She opined that, if individual local entrepreneurs can innovate in terms of marketing, Guyana will be in a better position in terms of tourism, trade and other positive activities that would develop communities and Guyana as a whole.

Melba hopes that her business can be one of the top businesses in Guyana. That would encourage her to focus more on the estate and plant more citrus fruits she said. She also would like to continue and expand on recycling and upcycling through Eco Intricate Creations. She expressed concern for persons who are differently abled.

“I feel that they should have a much better place in certain sectors in our community,” she said. She expressed the firm belief that the differently abled should be employed regardless of their disability. Melba hopes to, especially through Eco Intricate Creations, employ differently abled persons in the future as her business continues to grow.