Navigating the world of business as a woman can be frustrating and there are times when one reaches the point of being burnt out. This was the experience of three young women who, instead of falling out of the race, used their frustration as a turning point to help other women.
Loyette Williams, Tiffany Lyken and Saskia Tull are all young professionals who have their day jobs, so to speak, but felt the need to open small businesses. They soon found that it was not as easy as they imagined. Rather than throw in the towel they put their collective shoulders to the wheel not only to help themselves but to be a source of support for those who need it, bringing Her Paradise into existence.
While COVID-19 has really made it easy for persons to open online businesses, the three found that personal contact is still important and that is where Her Paradise comes into play. Williams was the connecting dot among the three as she knew both women and she brought them together into the all-woman collaboration.
The name Her Paradise was conceived because they wanted the business to be a getaway for women. All three women believe owning their own businesses is the way to go and they want more women on that journey. They have now created a space to do just that.
“We wanted it to be somewhat of a sanctuary, somewhere you come and it feels welcome, it feels warm and cozy, a home away from home that is how we came up with the name paradise and of course with the concept of it being female focused, hence the her,” Williams said in an interview with this newspaper, just about two weeks after the February 12 official launch of the business.
At Her Paradise members are offered a space where they can host their businesses, whether it be a shelf or a cold storage for items that require refrigeration; it is also a pick-up space for businesses located out of town that have customers in and around the city.
“So, we are basically hosting your business for you, hosting as well as providing marketing for your business,” Williams explained.
According to her, through Her Paradise women are being offered a support community as whether they decide to be a customer or a member of the entity they want women to be comfortable.
She described Her Paradise as a sisterhood, as women will not only access physical services, such as items – the office serving as a drop-off or pick-up point – but more importantly women will also receive advice and emotional support.
‘Burnt out’
Williams was candid in sharing her experience of starting a thrift business and reaching a point where she became “burnt out” as she navigated being a small business owner. She noted that with the advent of COVID-19 incomes decreased or dried up altogether and many people, some of them women, were forced to explore entrepreneurship.
Most of them were online-based and sometimes they found themselves in unsafe environments as they attempted to take their business to prospective customers. Recognising this and the fact that they themselves had similar experiences with their businesses being exclusively online, Williams said, they decided to create a space for themselves and other women.
Today her thrift business is on hold, but she now has what she calls Generation Womanpreneur, which she said was born out of the idea of helping women to create and maintain healthy relationships with themselves as well as their businesses.
“Being a small business owner, I found that it was exciting at first and I poured so much into it but then I reached to a stage of burn out. I am tired, I am exhausted and when that occurs sometimes you tap out. The idea behind this business is to assist you to create and maintain your business while maintaining a healthy relationship with yourself,” she shared.
She wants to create that balance between work and mental health and self-care for women. Her thrift store was opened during COVID-19 and after the burn out, Williams said, she took a rest and then reflected on the mistakes she made and how to combat them. After finding herself on a “lovely journey” to accomplish this, she said, she wanted to share with other women.
But even after she founded Generation Womanpreneur, Williams said, she found that more was needed, hence the collaboration with her two sisters to form Her Paradise. She described the reception to Generation Womanpreneur as “astonishing” as women reached out and shared their stories.
“I realised immediately that we are looking for someone to lean on. We are looking for the support. We all have battles that we are fighting silently. Although some of us might be well-dressed professionals with excellent jobs we have issues. We need assistance,” she noted.
She also found that being online was not enough as persons needed to visit a physical space and interact with the individual behind the phone.
At Generation Womanpreneur products such as budgeting items, business planners, self-care and mental health journal planners are offered along with books about development and emotional intelligence. Women are also assisted with creating their own business, including getting it registered and marketing and branding.
She pointed out that at times when women are on the journey of entrepreneurship they feel alone, not realizing there are others who are having the same struggles and for them that is why Her Paradise is so important to provide a community for women which makes it easier for them.
Some of the struggles shared by other women include not being able to navigate social media to market their products, packaging and labelling.
Confection.queensgy
Tull and her sister own the business Confection.queensgy, which provides all things sweet for those who want it.
“We like to branch off and bring in new and unusual treats which we introduce into the market,” she explained.
She recalled that when they launched the business last year they were strictly online, but they always wanted to have a physical space.
Zeroing on the advantage of having the space for women, Tull said while they might not have all the answers other women who access the business may, and they will then share with their sisters,
They have 14 members at the moment, and they have a WhatsApp group in which they communicate and share general information. She said to become a member, women have to fill out a registration form and they must have a clear idea as to what their business is. They must also be passionate about that business and while they are willing to go the extra mile with those who are now starting out, they will not be creating the business but will assist.
So far, she said, they have not turned anyone down.
Williams and Tull noted that while entrepreneurship sounds nice, whoever goes down that road has to become an accountant, sales representative, and everything else that comes with the business. It can be a heavy burden to bear and that is why they really want women to take advantage of Her Paradise.
Williams said while she has a demanding job, she now knows her triggers and she has found a balance between her professional job and her business.
“When I am at work I focus on that. I commit time to Her Paradise and then I commit time to myself because I know if I don’t commit time to myself I will get burnt out. So that is why I am thankful that I have co-owners and so if I take a day, I know that I have responsible persons who can take the business forward…,” Williams said.
Tull encourages women to start their businesses now if that is the way they want to go and to take the time to write down everything they need and do the research.
“Have that moment where you go through it fine, set your goals, set your objectives, set your limit and really see yourself in that position to really take of that mantle and have that business being birthed into life,” Tull said.
Williams encouraged women to hold onto their vision and run with it even if it is different and might not accepted by everyone immediately.
Lyken, who was not part of the interview because she was out of town, owns her own business called bossyclothing.store
While the three women do not have husbands or children as yet, they do have social lives and find time for themselves. They pledge to be in it for the long haul and also to tap into the Caribbean market as well.
Each space offered by Her Paradise comes with a fee, the large shelves for business owners to display their products cost $8,000 a month, the small shelves $5,000 and the cold storage $10,000. If Her Paradise is chosen as a pick-up location then the cost is $4,000 monthly.
Her Paradise is located at 57 Hadfield Street (in the second storey of the three-storey green building) and can be contacted via the number 649-7708.
Her Paradise is open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm and on Saturday from 9:30 am to 4 pm. While the three women are at their full-time jobs during the week, a customer service representative operates the business during those hours.
