By Michel Outridge

GAURI Kalnarine, a young woman with a mind for business, embarked on her own small- business venture recently and established a store at Timehri Public Road Junction, moving away from her family’s business, a supermarket.

She told the Pepperpot Magazine that she started her small store about six months ago with the help of her father, a businessman, and he gifted her the capital and she got established at Timehri Junction, where she is renting the lower flat of a building.

“I started this business because I wanted to move away from the family business and do my own thing; and I pitched the idea and my generous father gave me the start-up money to realise my dream,” she said.

Over the past six months, Kalnarine, a resident of Base Road, pointed out that business has been fair, recognising that she is located at a good spot, on the public road and is hoping to expand as her business grows.

“When I acquire the capital I intend to install cameras for security purposes, because is me alone here. I can’t afford to employ anyone right now and everybody does be scared for me, being here all alone,” she said.

Kalnarine related that the store isn’t a fast earner, but she is patient and hoping that things will work out eventually. She sells hardware, stationery, electrical items, and haberdashery, among many other things.

She also has a printing section where she prints and photocopies for mostly schoolchildren; with two schools nearby, she thought it was a good idea.

Having finished school, this 19-year-old is studying business management at Nations University and opens her business from 08:00hrs to 17:00hrs, except on the days she has classes in the city.

Kalnarine described life in Timehri as quiet and peaceful and living near the CJIA doesn’t bother her at all.

Chill Spot Snackette at Timehri Junction
Fay Seaton, a mother of three, has her own small food business at Timehri Junction, vending from a roadside wooden stand she is renting.

The resident of the old Government Housing Scheme at Timehri Docks told the Pepperpot Magazine that she is paying $17,000 rent per month for the stand, but she “makes do.”

She has been in the food business for the past two years and prepares meals in the form of lunch, breakfast and afternoon snacks of fish, chicken and chips and on weekends she does bar-b-que.

She would start her day preparing meals from 04:00hrs and would open until 19:00hrs on weekdays and on weekends; depending on how customers flow, she would close around 21:00hrs.

“Being self-employed is difficult but rewarding and it entails hard work and dedication to keep a business operational; but at the end of the day it feels good to achieve something on your own,” she said.

Seaton handles the business single-handedly and prepares all meals at the same location.