THE Women in Business pop-up shop, which opened on Thursday, is featuring 21 women-owned small businesses with a variety of products and services, which will be on display at the Tower Suites until March 18, 2023.

The host, Sonia Noel, said that the Women in Business Expo 2023, an event held annually, will not be possible due to her travel commitments, so she decided to hold a the pop-up shop, which is a much smaller activity.

Noel told the Guyana Chronicle that she thinks women will be the driving force in small businesses, as is the case in many parts of the world.

“I just love it when I see young women venture out on their own; entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart, because you are going to fail a few times,” she said.
Noel noted that events like these provide women entrepreneurs with confidence.

She said that with the world still just coming out of COVID-19, lots of businesses are rebuilding, so she hopes that the pop-up shop provides entrepreneurs with a rise in clientele.

“Not everybody reacted the same way to ‘COVID’; some people were beaten down. Some people rise, and some people are still feeling the after effects; you know, mentally and everything,” the veteran businesswoman said.

She also explained that there is an Empowerment Zone where discussions on mental health wellness, how to navigate through challenging times, as well as purpose and confidence will take place.

Additionally, at the end of the event, there will be a tea party and fashion show at Tower Suites. Noel noted that the tickets, which cost $5000, are available at the front desk.

Meanwhile, this publication spoke with Cristal Wray, who makes a wide variety of hair accessories, such as bonnets, headbands, and scrunchies for adults and children. She is the owner of Simply Stunning Collections, an Online store, where she sells her items.

She has been in operation for three years, and sources her materials locally. Wray can be contacted at 671-2352.

Wray is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marketing, and runs her business full-time.

“I did clothing and textile in high school, and my mom is a seamstress. So I was always in that sewing environment,” she said, before adding, “It actually started off with just a ‘scrunchy’, and when I mastered it, I moved on to other things.”

Another business that is being featured at the pop-up shop is Fine Art, which is owned by Visual Artist Alyce Cameron. On Thursday, her business was represented by her sister.

She explained: “She (Alyce) is the artist that did all of these works, and she works with various mediums. She can use watercolour, acrylic paint and coloured pencils; she even uses different materials. She can paint on bags, leather and regular canvases,” Alyce’s sister said, before going on to explain that most of the work is inspired by social ills affecting youths and their environment. One other inspiration for her is the issues women face. Alyce can be contacted at 688-6950.

Dolly (only name given) of Linden, produces wine on a small scale. The wine is named Blue Lake, after the famous ‘blue lakes’ in her hometown.

Dolly related that she started her business because she is from a farming community where lots of fruits go to waste, so she decided to make wine.

She first tried sorrel wine, and has expanded to making cashew, guava, and soursop-flavoured wine. She can be contacted at 690-5017.

She has been producing wine since 2020, when she was out of a job. Dolly wants to expand her business, but is not financially able to do so at the moment.