HAVING worked with employers in the city in the beauty business, Kerry Wilson was more than determined to establish her own small business to escape paying a commission and the long daily commute.

Today, that dream became a reality for Wilson, who has her own beauty shop named Kerry Styles Bar Beauty, located at Public Road, Voorzigtigheid, Mahaica and it is housed in a lovely pink-painted building just in front of her house.

The shop is a comfortable setting with a décor of colourful butterflies on the walls with suitable curtains, a fan and adequate chairs, and it is a clean space to have your nails, hair and makeup done.

The 41-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that she opened her beauty shop about three years ago and so far, her clientele has grown, and she is very comfortable working from home, in her own shop and at her own time.

Wilson is friendly and it is the right attitude to keep customers and make a profit by keeping the door of her small business open.

For many years, Wilson worked at a salon and after making the long commute, she would return home empty-handed because she did not have many clients and also had to pay a commission fee.

“It feels good. In fact, I feel much empowered that I was able to establish my own small business because I wasn’t pleased about working with people and the transportation aspect was too much for me,” she said.

Some of the services offered by Wilson are hair and lash extensions, nails, pedicures, manicures and full face makeup.

The prices are pocket-friendly, being a country area is most fitting to meet the needs of the people.

Wilson’s shop is open from 09:30 hours to 20:00 hours daily. She would attend to walk-ins, but most of her work is by appointment because timing is a vital part of reducing customers’ waiting time to a minimum.

“Being a beautician is nice, but one must possess patience to be able to work with clients since a lot of people would come with their own designs and would want the exact thing,” she reasoned.

Wilson told the Pepperpot Magazine that her small business continues to grow and by God’s grace she is hoping to make her beauty shop a bit more comfortable by adding more things.

With pink being her favourite colour, Wilson has embraced the fact she must have most things in that particular colour since it is her ‘feel good’ colour.

“This is a quiet, nice place to live and I was born and raised here, so I am used to the slow-paced life and it is very safe to raise a family,” she said.

Wilson pointed out that life in Voorzigtigheid Village, Mahaica is good but entails hard work and a lot of manual labour to have a comfortable life in the farming community that comprises both Indo and Afro-Guyanese.

Karen Lynch, the shop owner

Meanwhile, in Jonestown, Mahaica, there is the home and business place of Karen Lynch, a mother of two, who has a shop, a safe place for the youths in the Village.

Lynch has created an environment as a ‘chill spot’ for the locals of her Village and she has added a big screen television and a music system so the young men can watch sports and their favourite shows.

In her small shop, Lynch has in stock fresh pastries, bread and cold beverages.

The 43-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that the locals support her business and Jonestown is a good place to live because it is safe and the people know each other.

Lynch stated that the unemployment rate in the Village is quite alarming and it is sad to see so many youths wasting away.

She believes that a resource centre should be put in place for these youths so they can be equipped with life skills to earn by starting their own small businesses.

“A play field is also needed since it is a populated village with a lot of children and youths and a place is needed for them to have some form of recreation and also to engage in sports,” she explained.