Ulverston small business owner encourages entrepreneurs

Life had thrown some punches at Yonell Gray, a resident of Ulverston, Lower, Corentyne, Berbice but she took those blows in stride, picked up the pieces and moved on.

Armed with experience and her trust in God, the 35-year-old knew her life would get better even though it didn’t seem so promising.

However, she was not fazed and worked tirelessly to make a better life for herself, doing many jobs.

Gray was desperate for employment and she was motivated to join the army so she enrolled and worked in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) for six years.

It was during those years she realised she didn’t want to work for people and told herself she had to establish her own small business.

“Working for people is not an easy task because it becomes routine and they have a lot to say. Sometimes it’s hard to please employers,” she said.

After quitting the army, Gray tried her hand, working in the interior and that proved to be more difficult than she thought.

She then got a job at a restaurant and saved up her money, bit by bit and garnered culinary skills which became useful in establishing her own food business.

 Home-care and new opportunity
At the same time, she was taking care of a shut-in who was bedridden and she did this task for one year, six months.

The elderly woman, who was 77 years old, passed away last year on Mother’s Day.

After the elderly woman passed away, the relatives of the woman, whom she regarded as family were kind enough to let her stay in the house as their way of showing appreciation for the home-care she provided. They all reside overseas but are Guyanese from the village.

Gray told the Pepperpot Magazine that she had no formal training in home-care for the elderly but learned quickly after consulting with friends, who are in the healthcare profession.

The Ulverston resident added that she was even complimented by her peers for the home-care she provided and that made her feel she had done a good job.

Shortly after the woman’s passing, Gray then opened her business on October 20, 2019. It was a sentimental occasion for her because it was also her birthday.

The food shop
“Today, I have my own small business, making me self-employed and I have no boss to stress me out and I work at my own convenience, four times per week and I like what I do now. I provide home-cooked food for villagers and passers-by and it is working out for me,” she said.

Gray explained that she had to save up and it took her years to get the money to invest in her own business and along the way she felt like giving up but it was not an option.

“Nothing is impossible to accomplish because I prayed a lot and I still do because it wasn’t easy all those years and looking back it took a lot out of me to become self-employed but I did it and the experience was eye-opening for me,” she said.

To date, with her small food business, Gray pays her bills, maintains the house and has enough to assist her mother, Geneva Gray, who would visit to help her clean and sanitise before opening the shop.