By Utamu Belle
The challenges – such as the closure or reduction in the operation times for some agencies and businesses – brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many Guyanese to look at alternative means of providing for themselves and families. While some may be spurned by these challenges, others are using them as a stepping stone for enhanced creativity and economic advancement.
COVID-19’s timeout from the hustle and bustle of the world has led to 33-year-old Tiffany Clarke finding her creative niche and a means of economic empowerment. Clarke, a mother of three, operates a small shop and like many other businessmen and women in the Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) community, she found herself on the receiving end of economic depletion.
A simple spark led to an idea that motivated her to start creating and selling decorative vases and tables in various sizes and designs. She would later be inspired to enhance some of her work by including floral arrangements.
“Well after the COVID-19, nothing much wasn’t doing, things get slow, business get slow…Well, I have a small shop and then my grandmother did some rearranging, changing some windows and stuff. They had some cement left and I sit down a day and say ‘You know what?’ – because I used to be watching the videos on YouTube, I said ‘Let me try this thing’; and I decided to try and my very first try came out successful. I said I was doing it for myself, but then I start posting it out, people start seeing it and like it and started making orders. Then I started doing it and eventually I started doing it on a large scale because more people start coming and ask. So, that is how I am where I am today…After I start doing this, things start picking up,” Clarke shared during an interview with the Sunday Times Magazine.
The entrepreneur, who operates from within her home at Old Kara Kara, Mackenzie, went on to state that prior to this, she had absolutely no intention of doing such a business. She explained, however, that her hobbies are centred around being artistic. As such, she disclosed that she has a love for things such as drawing, painting and making items like decorative cushions.
“These are the type of things that I like so this wasn’t hard for me to fit into. I like creating my own stuff,” she shared.
The vases are made by utilising simple, inexpensive items for creating a mould such as cloth, cement, bottles or buckets and are decorated with paint. Clarke said easy to find items such as baby blankets and diapers are used. The transformation process is one that makes her happy.
After settling into making the vases in a particular fashion, Clarke revealed that she soon recognised the challenges as well as the need for diversification in an effort to enhance her new business initiative.
“At first it was a bit challenging but after a couple of days, a couple of weeks of making it then I realised that you can’t make one thing all the time; you got to start making different patterns. So, it was a bit challenging in terms of making different types of patterns,” she revealed.
Then came the orders for floral arrangements.
The entrepreneur said this presented a new challenge since flowers are a bit pricey. She noted, however, that she has managed to find an avenue to work around it so that her clients can receive extravagant creations without breaking the bank.
Asked about the demand for such decorative items around this time of the year, Clarke said she was shocked that there is a demand as she explained that some persons are trying to get such items in order before the Christmas holidays.
“A lot of people saying that due to the COVID, money is coming in slow so they started buying early”, she explained.
The young entrepreneur is quite happy with her newfound passion and means of economic empowerment. She advised young, single mothers like herself to be creative as there are many talents that can be discovered with the use of their hands.
“I would tell them to be creative. Anything that you could do with your hands, it will be blessed. Find your own vision, whatever it is. Be creative because sometimes we might be trying with something and it’s not one thing we’re cut out for and we try something else and that works”, she advised.
