…young entrepreneur open up about business, family and school
By Naomi Marshall
Being artistic has definitely allowed Romona Singh to earn a living through her business, ‘CoCo Crafts and Party Décor’.
However, the journey to fully embracing her artistic traits was not a smooth one, instead it was filled with doubts because Singh was a young girl trying to fit in with society’s view of “what is a real job”.
The early years of Singh’s life was stationed in Black Bush Polder, a farming community located in the county of Berbice, Region 6 where she lived with her mother, father, and younger siblings, and had dreams of becoming a wedding planner.
However, in 2002 Singh’s father passed away which caused her family to move to Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara in order for her mother to gain employment.
There, she attended Enterprise Primary, and Cove & John Secondary where she completed her secondary education in 2010. After finishing secondary school, she had planned to do a Degree in Business Management at the University of Guyana but instead she had to begin working to help out at home.
The young woman worked as a part time teacher and a customer service representative up until 2013, when she would quit and focus on becoming an entrepreneur together with her newlywed husband.
Over the years Singh, who was always good at craft, played around with several business ideas including opening a salon, stationary store, boutique, and cosmetic store, but they never came to fruition.
Even though handicraft was an activity Singh loved doing in her past time and would get compliments on her work from friends and family, she never thought it would make a sustainable business.
Nevertheless, in February 2019, one of her friends ordered a few handmade gifts from her and the thought of actually getting paid to do something she loved doing made Singh very excited. This motivated the 27-year-old to launch her business, ‘CoCo Crafts and Party Décor’ in the said year.
‘CoCo Crafts and Party Décor’ is a party supply store that offers customised party décor, gifts, and even provide interior design services for small parties.
“Handicraft has always been something that I enjoy doing when I am bored or need a gift for friends and family. I was really good at craft making but I always doubted myself saying that it is not professional enough to be sold,” Singh told this newspaper.
She added, “I was scared to start a craft business to be honest. I was thinking about what if it doesn’t work out which is why I took a while to actually start.”
The first few months of launching her business, Singh was a bit uneasy because business was slow and she was worried it may not work out, but as time went by, sales increased which encouraged her to keep on the path she was on.
Like any other entrepreneur, the young woman encounters challenges with her business, with the main one being the unavailability of certain tools and materials needed to create her products, as such, she is forced to purchase the said tools from overseas.
The woman that describes herself as self-driven and independent said that she would like to see Guyana’s school system making accommodation for persons who do not wish to have a traditional job.
“I wish that in school they would teach you about non-traditional jobs. To be honest, in school, all you kept hearing is that after high school is university, you get that degree and then a job so being a teenager, I figured that is exactly what I needed to do,” she recalled.
“I am honestly so happy that I started my craft business because I work from home, I make my own working times, I get to use my energy towards my own dream. I wish I had started sooner,” Singh added.
Singh disclosed that attending University is not something she wishes to do anymore but she would rather become a certified wedding planner to fulfill her childhood dreams.
“The thing is that I feel so free now that I can admit that university is not something that I was actually interested in. Since I was a little child, my desire was to be a wedding planner and I am hoping that I can become certified and become a professional wedding planner,” she noted
Additionally, Singh is working towards opening a craft store in September 2021, to fulfill the needs of crafters like herself by efficiently and readily providing the tools and materials needed for their craft.
“Doubting yourself is normal but do not let it hold you back. Do not let your fear of failing stop you from trying. Give it a try,” is Singh’s advice to persons who may be doubting themselves and their capabilities.
Persons interested in contacting ‘CoCo Crafts and Party Décor’ can do so on Instagram and Facebook, or on cell phone number 6798007.
