SEVERAL small businesses banded together on Saturday to create the ‘Carnival Market’ in an attempt to capitalise on business opportunities that would be created for the Guyana Carnival season.

Saturday morning, at just about 10:00hrs, the Umana Yana at Kingston opened up for patrons to choose their outfits, skin and hair products and even their craft mementos.

“Carnival Market is just a huge pop up shop for small businesses to capitalise on the season,” one of the organisers and local entrepreneur, Denisha Victor, said, adding: “A lot of persons have different Carnival-type products and services and we felt that there was a need for them to come together in one space.”

Victor explained that she and few other local entrepreneurs and small business owners decided that a niche market would be created with the Carnival season, and as such, it would make ‘good business sense’ to capitalise on the opportunity.

To bring the event together, the small business owners tapped into their own networks and encouraged like-minded persons to join with them. The Small Business Bureau (SBB) also came onboard and according to Victor, they even sponsored booths for five persons.

Victor said too that there was a steady flow of persons throughout the day, though she would have liked for an even greater turnout.

“It was the first event of this kind and so we expect better as it progresses,” she said.

She also noted that at the Umana Yana, many of the exhibitors were craft makers.

“Maybe one day we could have crafts, one day we could have fashion and so forth,” she explained.

This year, the exhibition is crafted as a one-time event but the organisers are not ruling out the possibility of it being done again during the Carnival season.

Victor noted that it is definitely an event that will be held again, for the next Carnival season.

“We had a lot of small businesses and we were really encouraged by how many small businesses turned out and gave their support and we’re looking forward to bigger and better next year,” Organiser and co-owner of WineDaysGY, Michelle Howard, said.