For small entrepreneurs in Region Nine, building a business is becoming a journey supported at each stage, from learning how to manage and grow an enterprise, to gaining access to modern production facilities, and now, financing through the Guyana Development Bank to take those businesses to the next level.
For Vanessa Khan, co-founder of Diva Herbal Teas, that journey began with support from the Small Business Bureau, which she said provided training, guidance, and opportunities to market her products.
The support has helped her move from having traditional knowledge of medicinal herbs to developing a product that can be packaged and taken to market.
“Oh, it has done a lot, because just from basic knowledge of herbal bush, as we would say, to being able to have a marketable product, being able to reach out to my fellow members of the community, and give them a healthier alternative, it has done great for us,” she said.
Through the Small Business Bureau’s support, entrepreneurs can access training and guidance in areas such as business planning, financial management, marketing and developing their enterprises, skills that are critical as small businesses move beyond simply having a product to building a sustainable operation.
For Vanessa, the next challenge was production.
Diva Herbal Teas produces nine varieties locally, but previously, some of the services needed to finish and prepare the products for market required going outside the region, even across the border to Brazil.
The new agro-processing facility in Lethem means services and equipment that entrepreneurs previously had to seek elsewhere can now be accessed closer to home, while the facility also provides a larger and safer environment for processing.
“Now that we have this space, I only hope that I don’t run out of raw materials to be processed,” she noted.
That increased capacity is also creating opportunities for entrepreneurs like Sharla Fernandez, whose business connects agro-processing with farmers and suppliers across Region Nine.
Fernandez said the new machinery can significantly reduce the time and labour. Where producers once spent days on aspects of the process, the equipment can help them produce faster and in larger quantities.
“I feel it is less time-consuming and provides a facility free of charge for the persons that are coming and use it, so it will help a lot,” she stated.
As an entrepreneur who works with farmers and suppliers from different communities, greater processing capacity can create more demand for locally produced crops, giving farmers a stronger market for what they grow.
And now, as these businesses build their production capacity, another piece of the puzzle is coming into place.
The Guyana Development Bank is now operational, providing financing of up to G$3 million to eligible small and medium-sized businesses.
For entrepreneurs like Vanessa and Sharla, access to that financing could mean moving from having the equipment and skills to actually having the financial resources to buy more raw materials, increase production, improve packaging, reach new markets, and expand their businesses.
For Vanessa, that could mean taking Diva Herbal Teas beyond its current nine varieties and investing in the next stage of the business.
“We’re hoping to expand with the facilities that we have. I can introduce new flavours for new health benefits. People are becoming more health-conscious. So we look forward to the blossoming of this business,” she noted.
For Sharla, financing could strengthen the network she is already building between her business and farmers across Region Nine, allowing greater quantities of local produce to be processed and brought to market.
“This is one opportunity we cannot miss. Let us take all the opportunities, and to all small entrepreneurs like me, I encourage you to take every opportunity you can get; everything you need is available here,” she said.
From training and business development to access to modern equipment and production facilities, and now financing of up to G$3 million, the government is providing opportunities for entrepreneurs that can help turn small enterprises into businesses with the capacity to grow.