Narayan focuses on giving back
Young entrepreneur’s business is all about charity
AT a time when most businesses are being hit hard by the pandemic and are struggling to survive, a young entrepreneur took a chance and started a new business, with the objective to give back to the community.
Eshley Narayan says the purpose of her business – Dessert Smith Fiji – is to give back as much as possible to those who are in need and those who cannot help themselves in these times of the pandemic.
“When I opened this page – Dessert Smith Fiji on Instagram – I did not realise what good I can do with the income generated by this page. Upon several thoughts, I decided this business to be completely about charity. All the earnings go to charity once a month and if the income is good, it will be twice a month,” she said.
The 24-year-old has been with DHL Global Forwarding Fiji for the past three years as a business development executive and is currently working from home.
“I started this business on 17th of June this year and I’ve invested about $2500 in it.
“I’ve always had a passion for baking and cooking, but more to that I love to feed people. A lot of my families and friends always pushed me to open up a small business as they saw my work and tasted desserts that I made, but I always held myself back.
“I chose dessert as that’s something I know and dessert is something that no one can resist and it is a very niche market.”
Miss Narayan said she did her market research and found out that events were something that’s never going to stop – birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, baby showers and the list goes on.
She has her family – her mother and two sisters – who help her with the business.
“As we started working from home, I had a thought to finally open this dessert page, but with no future plans added to it. As soon as the orders started coming in and the revenue generated, I decided to launch a project on my dessert page named PROJECT: DO-NATION.
“In this charity project every month, all the earnings generated by Dessert Smith Fiji will be given to the organisations and to the needy families.
“It’s a very simple plan to follow. The amount I’ve invested we are still rolling on with supplies from that and I have made a master sheet to keep a certain amount, at least 20 per cent out from the profit to be used in getting the supplies. The rest (80 per cent) is given to charity. The more orders I secure, the more we are close to our PROJECT: DO-NATION goal.”
The first donation by Dessert Smith Fiji was made on Tuesday to the Dilkusha Home in Nausori.
“What has pushed me and will continue to push me ahead is the priceless smile I saw on those kids’ faces today. How excited they got when they found out we’ve got them not only food, but desserts and chocolates as well.
“For me, it’s all about giving back. In God’s grace, we’ve put our first stamp today and there are many more stamps to come around Fiji,” she said.
So far the business has been doing really well and Miss Narayan says they have not faced any difficulties yet.
“I feel that now, I have this responsibility to complete every month and it’s a challenge within myself to fight with myself to reach to the point where I want to be. The joy of giving is my inspiration and I will do it again and again just to get that joy and peace within myself.”
Her advice to other SME businesses is to always be honest to themselves and to their customers, do not false advertise products (this makes the customers lose their trust in you), do everything legally and never be greedy.
“Try to make good public relations with your customers, after all, they are the ones running the show. Always be humble and help the ones who are in need.”
Her expectations from the national budget:
“Food items prices to be slashed, as this is an individual concern I have from my end. The cost of living in Fiji is so high and the wage rate is not adding up.
“That’s the reason for a high number of crimes in Fiji and citizens cannot provide sevenday meals for their families and end up doing illegal activities.”
She hopes the national budget would re-look at minimum wage rate discussion, better medical facilities and better roads.
“It should look at improving import of high-grade food items and not getting in third-grade food items, as I’ve shopped and seen rotten fruits and vegetables put as a discount to be bought.”
She also hopes government to provide a facility for all the homeless people, pick them up from the streets, educate them, give them a second chance to change and renew themselves not only adults but kids as well, a program for stray dogs and better education facilities.