Small entrepreneurs tell a bigger story of grit and growth

­ Beneath the hum of conversation and the scent of spice, honey, and coconut oil, a quiet revolution was on display. At this year’s Berbice Expo, eight small entrepreneurs sponsored by the Small Business Bureau (SBB) transformed a modest exhibition space into a testament to what persistence — and a little support — can build.

One of them, Kishaun Ramjattan, stood proudly beside his table lined with glass jars of amber honey and neatly labelled bottles of oil. His business, Richards 100% Pure Honey, began as a one-man operation and now draws ingredients from several regions across Guyana.

“The honey comes from Nappi Village in Region Nine, the crab oil from Region Five, and the casreep from Pomeroon (Region Two). Even our bottles and caps are sourced from Eccles,” Ramjattan said, his voice carrying both pride and practicality.

Like many small-business owners here, he has learned to improvise and collaborate. “Small businesses are the biggest supporters of each other. A friend and I even rented a car together to attend this expo,” he told Ignite News.

It is the kind of cooperation that defines Guyana’s emerging entrepreneurial landscape — one still small but ambitious enough to dream bigger.

A few booths away, Dawn Edwards-Dickson was offering samples of mango achar and pepper sauce to a curious crowd. Her company, Dicks Seasoning Products, turns the country’s flavours into something both familiar and new: mango achar, fish dip, and several varieties of green seasoning, alongside tamarind balls and sugar cakes that taste like nostalgia with a modern twist.

“We want people to get more out of each bottle than the usual. In just over two and a half years, we’ve grown tremendously. Now, our goal is to make Dicks Seasoning a household name,” she said.

Her table, filled with small jars of brightly coloured seasonings, symbolised something larger — how food and identity intertwine in the Caribbean, and how women entrepreneurs are quietly reshaping that story.

And then there was Ameer Rahim, whose brand Country Side Flavour grew out of years of farming and a desire to add value to what he already produced. “I was a farmer in Black Bush for many years before moving to Blairmont. Last year, I discovered the Belvedere Incubator Centre, where I learned how to process and package my produce. That’s when Country Side Flavour was born,” the young entrepreneur related.

Now he makes cold-pressed coconut oil, plantain flour, and a lime sour based on his grandmother’s recipe. His business, he said, is an attempt to blend tradition and modernity — the kind of quiet innovation that defines much of rural enterprise in Guyana.

Each of these entrepreneurs tells a variation of the same story: starting small, often with little capital but abundant determination, and finding in the SBB a partner that offers training, funding, and market access.

For the Small Business Bureau, these are not just success stories — they are indicators of a shifting economic reality.