GREVIC ALVARADO
A group of 16 Venezuelan women in TT have come together to strengthen their small businesses by sharing ideas and supporting each others' ventures.
Venezuelan Business Woman is the name of the social media platform they use to attract Latino and TT customers. The 16 include hair stylists, decorators, kids party entertainment, artists and pastry chefs.
Deilyn Bracho, a decorator and balloon artist from San Fernando, came up with the idea.
"I had contact with some entrepreneurs and from there came the proposal to join forces to highlight the talent of Venezuelan women here in an honest way and generate more work for each of our businesses," she told Business Day.
Yamilethsis Fernández – who bakes cakes in Fyzabad; balloon artists Jennifer Martínez and Beatriz Antequera (Sangre Grande), Joelyn Guzmán (San Fernando), Ivonne Rojas (Penal); stylists Luisa Marín, Jesulexis Vegas, María Indriago and Carolina Urdaneta (San Fernando); manicurists Silvana Gutiérrez, (Curepe), Veronica Fernandez and Ana Corvo (San Fernando); Deirilyn Bastidas – who does kids' party entertainment in Arima; Nathairys Jaimez, a creative stationery artist in San Fernando; and Maholyth Muñoz, who supplies piñatas in Fyzabad, complete the group.
[caption id="attachment_950682" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Ana Corvo manicures a customer's nails. - SUREASH CHOLAI[/caption]
“We started a WhatsApp group and from there more girls joined until we formed a group of 15 that spread throughout various parts of Trinidad,” said Bracho.
They held the first team and strategy meeting at the beginning of March and from that moment they began to expand to different areas.
“Each entrepreneur has her own social network, but we decided to open Venezuelan Business Woman so that those interested in each business can locate the person of their choice there,” said Bracho.
They share customer contacts and organise promotions, sharing ideas, materials and labour.
Most were professionals in their homeland.
“We seek to grow little by little, with talent. Many already did these things in Venezuela and others started here because of the lack of opportunities in honest jobs, language and security,” said Fernández. "In my case, I would like to teach local people, not only to have Trinidadian clients but also for anyone to see the differences, the styles we use and what they like here."
They plan to register their small businesses.
"We want to help this country. We can pay our taxes, create jobs, rent spaces and at the same time promote local talent," said Antequera.
That is the case of Indriago and Urdaneta, who opened beauty salons.
"It's a way to generate more clients, workers, and we also pay for services by giving back a little to this country that has opened its doors to us," said Indriago, who owns Ávila Magics Studio.
[caption id="attachment_950681" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Deirilyn Bastidas, from left, Maholyth Muñoz and Nathairys Jaimez does stationery and piñatas. - SUREASH CHOLAI[/caption]
They are all moth
