DEON Jessamy imagined herself doing many things, since she is multi-talented, but never knew she had the potential of becoming an entrepreneur who would successfully acquire her own small business, “Avie’s Little Things.”

With the knack for creating something out of nothing, Jessamy always knew she was built differently. She had that little extra patience to take on projects, was always good with her hands, and wanted to do something that would make her happy.

During the pandemic, as a salon owner, Jessamy’s small business suffered a blow much like many others during that time. As a result, there weren’t any customers, so she knew she had to do something else for work.

She began searching the internet and found a video of someone making jewellery from polymer clay, which piqued her interest.

“In my mind, after looking at the video, I knew I could make the earrings and after convincing myself I have the talent to do it, I began sourcing the materials and the pasta machine to make it a reality,” she said.

Jessamy told the Pepperpot Magazine that after she got everything to make jewels from polymer clay, which were imported and not locally produced, she made a few pieces of earrings and gifted them to her friends and family.

They were pleased with her hand-made pieces and encouraged her to make it into a small business, and she was pleasantly motivated to put it into motion.

Named after her only child, a daughter, Avigail, she named her small business “Avie’s Little Things” and began making hand bands, necklaces, earings, bracelets and some Guyanese-themed items for sale.

Jessamy stated that it was then her small business began to bloom, and her pieces were in demand. Having participated in several local and overseas expos, she has gained recognition for her talent.

The 34-year-old related that when Sonia Noel hosted the Women in Business Expo in 2022, she participated, and the response to her pieces was overwhelming.

Jessamy pointed out that she wanted to do things right. Based on advice, she signed up with the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association Limited (GSMA) and went to Barbados for an expo.

She noted that she also went to St Vincent and the Grenadines, and people could not get enough of her products. She had to establish a network to have her handmade pieces in a local salon on the island.

Jessamy began to market her small business and participated in the Guyana Festival Expo in the United States of America, where all her Guyana flag earrings were sold out in 2023.

As a small-business owner, she reported that her business has been growing with both local and overseas support, and she is also an interior decorator who caters to all functions.

With the birth of these two businesses, Jessamy told the Pepperpot Magazine that her time is taken up, and she likes creating things that obviously bring joy to people through art and craft.

“My joy always comes from watching people’s faces when they acquire a piece of my jewels or when I finish decorating the place of an event I was hired to. It gives me a sense of fulfilment that I have accomplished what I set out to,” she said.

Jessamy envisions that in the next five years, she would like to have a storefront business to produce customised arts and craft and expand her small businesses to create employment for others.

She explained that when she established “Avie’s Little Things” it was for her daughter, and all proceeds go towards her education and upbringing.

“I have the mindset to create a lasting impression. I created this business for my child because I want to leave a legacy, generational wealth for my family and offspring, so I am always geared towards improving my skills,” she said.

Jessamy believes that young people or any like-minded person should develop a mindset of not settling for less, push themselves to stay motivated, and gain empowerment via skills training.

She told the Pepperpot Magazine that since she was young, she had always felt the need to sharpen her skills and utilised training opportunities in cosmology courses, hairdressing, floral art, cake-making/decoration, painting, and architectural drawings.

Jessamy wanted to become an architect but went on to pursue other talents and become self-employed.

She is also the kind of person who is proud of her creations and wears her earrings and other jewels to showcase her talent.