“STRAIGHT Outta 592” is an 11-month-old social media platform, founded by Janel Bovell-Drakes, which focuses entirely on increasing awareness of products and services offered by micro and small business enterprises in Guyana.

Bovell-Drakes uses her platform to support local businesses by making a purchase then posting a review on Straight Outta 592. This strategy has helped to promote many businesses as well as acquire new customers, both locally and in the diaspora. For now, Straight Outta 592 services are free.
The blogger said: “For years, I have supported local micro and small businesses and I have seen their talents, dedication and time spent on building their businesses to cater to customers.”
Small businesses are usually managed by one person and that person has several responsibilities such as dealing with customers, performing cashier duties, stocking the shelves, posting on social media pages and so much more.

In most instances, these business owners are so busy that they have little time to update their social media pages and this is where Straight Outta 592 steps in.
“It was always a dream to create a brand and I wanted to be the first platform that focuses only on micro and small businesses in Guyana, I wanted to push for an ‘is we own’ concept,” Bovell Drakes said.

Her greatest influence is the small business owners. She has seen many invest their time and money to create brands that are a true representation of what they have to offer.
These businesses have evolved over the years with packaging, customer service and also expanded their services and products for Guyanese in various areas. Apart from the business owners, her other influences would be her close friends and her current boss.

“The reason I would say this is because over the past year, they have all contributed to my growth in their own little ways and each has encouraged me to explore my communication and creative skills,” the blogger related.
It is common knowledge that success doesn’t come without challenges and one of her biggest hurdles when she started her creative venture was extending her reach to a wider audience.
She believes that when she created the Instagram page, the reach was larger than that on Facebook. Today, she has learned to filter her content and post during peak hours to gain the most traction.

INCREASING AWARENESS
The COVID-19 pandemic did not affect the Straight Outta 592 platform, but it has negatively impacted many micro and small businesses. This, in fact, has encouraged her to invest more time into increasing awareness of these businesses.
Bovell-Drakes believes her greatest professional accomplishment thus far is being able to develop and implement a new platform that allows persons locally, regionally and internationally to see products and services offered by local micro and small businesses.

She has successfully managed to establish fun and interactive ways for these businesses to be recognised on social media.
“Recently, I introduced the virtual interviews on my Instagram page which allows me to introduce the business owner or a representative who will then inform the viewers about their products and services and provide some advice to those desirous of starting their own small business,” the blogger said, adding that the business owners also have the opportunity to display some of their products.

A small business owner once told the blogger that ‘they’ can steal your recipe, but the sauce won’t taste the same. This has since resonated with her and has helped her to grow in both her personal and work life.
Creating a business is a big step for many. It might be to assist with financial growth or just for passion but one thing that is always important is to remember to be original, stand true to your brand and also be honest about your products and services.

Bovell-Drakes noticed that on several occasions, persons display pictures of other people’s work; this is deceitful and misleading to customers. At no time should any business owner be comfortable stealing pictures of other people’s work.
The most effective marketing strategy for Straight Outta 592 has been participating in live interviews.
The blogger said, in her first live interview, persons were able to have a better understanding of what Straight Outta 592 is all about, understand the services offered and get a sense of how her passion has led to the evolution of the concept.

Over the past few months, she has learned that networking, collaborations, and support to other businesses are great for business growth.
Networking can create many opportunities for these businesses; it can also boost their reputation and referrals. Collaborations create connections with other small businesses and support is what helps businesses to keep going. Support can be in the form finances or through sharing, liking, commenting on social media posts and/or referrals.

SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE
The blogger said she always encourages persons to create business accounts on both Facebook and Instagram because there are many features on these platforms, which allow businesses to gain recognition.

In offering advice to businesses, she said: “Make use of your social media channels. I use both my personal and business pages on Instagram and Facebook to boost the presence of these businesses and also my WhatsApp story.

“As business owners, you should always be open to feedback, the good, bad and constructive as they assist in improving your products and services. Technology is a powerful tool – it all depends on how and when this tool is used.”

In 2021, Bovell-Drakes sees herself working along with other organisations to assist micro and small businesses with training in basic courses. She is also working on a website which will serve as a digital listing hub for businesses, and hopes to start hosting an annual mini business exposition; this is in fact her number one business goal.

Businesses desirous of being featured on Straight Outta 592 could connect with Bovell-Drakes through the following social media pages: Facebook: Straight Outta 592 and Instagram: @straightoutta592.