Young entrepreneur going places in tourism and eyecare with new product launch and experiences

IF you had told Shavana Goulchand years ago that she would become a female entrepreneur with her very own small businesses, she probably would have doubted that. But with a bit of encouragement and drive, she established herself with two separate businesses.

The 37-year-old from Cove and John, East Coast Demerara, is the proprietor of Touring Guyana, a small tour company based at her home with several full-time and part-time staff members.

She is a naturalist who loves travelling and experiencing new places, things, and people, and makes use of every opportunity to become trained and qualified as a tour operator.

Goulchand told Pepperpot Magazine that it was after completing the Accelerate Her Project training at the Guyana Centre for Local Business (GCLB) that she gained the confidence and know-how to establish her small business, Touring Guyana.

“This training helped me to stay focused, to understand marketing, networking, and to assess my finances,” she said.

With an IT background, Goulchand worked at the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) and the Ministry of Finance. She had the opportunity to travel around Guyana, which piqued her interest in hosting tours, giving people the chance to see all parts of Guyana at a reasonable cost.

She reported that she began to see how lovely Guyana is, and ideas started to form in her mind, as her aim was to share the experience with others via a tour package without breaking the bank.

Touring Guyana
Goulchand added that she created Touring Guyana on social media and began posting photos only of her travels. Then, people began asking her for recommendations of places to visit, and she obliged.

She related that she genuinely wanted people to see all of Guyana, its beauty, and what it has to offer, and her spouse encouraged her to start the tour business, which began operations after the pandemic.

Goulchand said she entered it with genuine willpower because she didn’t know much about operating tours, so she approached the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) to become certified and licensed as a tour operator.

She pointed out that, as a tour provider, safety is the hallmark of her business because it is essential for a good experience, as well as customer reviews and approval.

The businesswoman stated that she started out with some staffers when it became overwhelming to take calls and manage the business alone.

Goulchand added that she has a home office where staff take reservations and handle calls, and also has a lone employee stationed at Optical World, an eyecare business she established in partnership with her sibling on Thomas Street – a second business venture.

She noted that she offers tours to several regions and has specific packages, and is about to launch a new product in the tour – a bush cook at a farm in Canal Number One Polder, where fruit picking and cooking will take place under a shady tree.

Also coming soon is the Bush Bar, a portable service for any location, such as a pop-up event for wine and snack sampling, which is still in the testing stage for approval.

Goulchand said Touring Guyana was established in March 2021, and now it has five part-time staff members and two full-time employees, as well as tour guides for peak season tours.

Optical World
Goulchand also has another business, Optical World, located next door to the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs on Thomas Street, which is managed by her sister, Nashella Goulchand, an optometrist providing cutting-edge, modern eyecare services in Guyana.

She explained that her sister is passionate about eyecare, so they partnered and opened Optical World, which currently has three full-time staffers and a student on work attachment.

Goulchand added that they took the risk and invested in the eyecare business, and so far, it has been fair, considering it is a new business that stands out with its reliable, efficient, and customer-oriented services.

She reported that they provide quality service, where they listen to customers and offer options and advice based on their eyecare needs, without overcharging for their products.

Goulchand noted that their service isn’t rushed; they provide the best eye care and will work with any customer to ensure optimum satisfaction in both service and product.