Side hustle pays off
IT’S OK to start small.
These are the words of Mereoni Naikanitoba, the owner of Mereoni’s Creations and Sweet Fragrances.
caught up with her at her stall at the Central Division Women’s Expo at the Vodafone Arena early this month.
She is originally from Beqa with maternal links to Nadru in Macuata. Her business involves selling perfumes, handmade earrings, necklaces and complete jewellery sets.
“Actually at first, I was one of those who was told I couldn’t take part in the expo this year because I’d registered late and that I was in Nadi, but I’m thankful that the Fiji Women’s Association took me in at the last minute,” she said.
The former teacher recalls how she has always had side hustles in addition to her teaching job from as far back as 2012.
Those side hustles have been in the form of cooking, making jewellery and selling perfumes.
She said at one point, while teaching in Nauru, she would make roti vakalolo or roti and curry at home which she would take to school to sell to the students and teachers. They sold like hotcakes.
“It came to a point where I asked my fellow ladies if there could be some sort of market day. So, we came together and started the first market day. I am proud to say that it is still going on,” Ms Naikanitoba said.
She retired in 2017 from teaching and joined the American Peace Corps for a while before she was approached by a private school to teach for a year.
After that, she went back to the American Peace Corps where she stayed until COVID arrived.
“When COVID hit, I started my business,” she said.
“I make my own necklaces and earrings.
“When I first started, it was hard to make them, but now it doesn’t take me long.
“I am mostly self-taught and have used my own creativity to make my pieces.
“Sometimes, I go into secondhand stores and look at the jewellery displayed there, thinking how I could improve on it and make them into sets.”
Ms Naikanitoba said the biggest supporters of her business are her two daughters, her friends at the Women’s Expo as well and her customers.
Her advice to those who wish to start their own business is “God gave each of us two hands, and with those two hands, you can do something”.
“It’s okay to take small steps to reach your major goals,” she said.
Mereoni’s Creations and Sweet
Fragrances can be found at the FNPF Plaza Boulevard in Suva.