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May 08, 2022 News
“I believe young entrepreneurs bring a new dynamic to the business sector in Guyana. Most of us are now trendsetters bringing modern ideas to the local scene.”
Kaieteur News
By Allyiah Allicock
Today is the day that we celebrate mothers but it certainly isn’t a crime to keep these special human beings smiling all year long with special gifts. The place to turn to, today and just about any day of the week, for that sentimental gift for mom is Cami’s Craft.
Cami’s Craft is a local accessories business where you can find jewellery, key rings and even home decors, all made out of coconut shells. Yes, coconut shells.
It is a business that was introduced by Calissa Camilla Bradford, a 25 year-old craft enthusiast, who loves to work with natural materials.
The University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) alumnus, who graduated with a degree in Business Administration, is also the co-founder of another business called Nature Works Gy. This business focuses on bamboo straws and other items made from the coconut shell including: cocktail cups, bowls, wine glasses, soap dishes, candles and cacti arrangements.
In a recent interview with Kaieteur News, Bradford said that she got the idea for her craft business back in 2017 but its introduction was not until July 2019.
“During 2017, I was in college and doing online classes and this allowed me some free time. I started to create simple home décor using recyclable materials found right at home; paper rolls, plastic bottles, etc. However, I wanted to create an item that I can monetise. At the time, I was making coconut oil for my hair and I realised I had a lot of coconut shells lying around. The idea sparked in me to use these shells to create earrings,” she added.
“I then went on Pinterest where I was inspired further to create my own unique pieces,” Bradford shared.
According to the young woman, people have grown to love the numerous designs she carves out of the coconut shells. She revealed too, that from the inception, she got support from family members and friends who encouraged her to post her products on Facebook. “There, the support and interest took me by surprise, especially when I created my Marvel and DC Universe themed necklaces. From there, a lot of persons started to send me their custom orders and the business started to grow from there,” a grateful Bradford highlighted.
Our featured young entrepreneur said that although she is now getting “amazing” support, when she initially started, there was no designated shelf-spaces for small businesses such as hers to operate. This, she said, presented some difficulty for customers to pick up items. Additionally, there were customers who would order custom-made items and not pick them up. This, of course, was a bit discouraging and even demotivated her to some extent.
Another challenge was the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the election’s period. This, she said, had caused a tremendous decline in sales.
But the challenges have been decreasing, as according to Bradford, during the pandemic too, there was an upsurge in the number of shelf-spaces located in central Georgetown which made it easier for customers to uplift their orders.
She revealed too that, “A conversation with one of my friends gave birth to another business venture, a partnership – Nature Works Gy. The success of Nature Works Gy gave me the motivation to relaunch Cami’s Craft.”
When asked about her long-term goal, Bradford spoke of re-launching Cami’s Craft since it was on pause for the past two years. She also plans to focus on making her products available to various parts of the country and to even go regional to reach different Caribbean counterparts.
Bradford is of the belief that young people in business have a pivotal role in society. She said, “I believe young entrepreneurs bring a new dynamic to the business sector in Guyana. Most of us are now trendsetters bringing modern ideas to the local scene.”
In order to boost small businesses and build young entrepreneurs in Guyana, she believes that relevant authorities should provide more business workshops on customer service and ethics across the country. She also highlighted the need for “our people to show support to our own local businesses even if it is just a share, like or feedback on social media. This would boost the creator’s confidence as well as provide a means for improvement on their services.”
Persons interested in Bradford’s craft can contact her on telephone number (592) 621-7291.
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