The Small Businessman

‘Altering’ More Profitable Now Than Tailoring

HERMON Bholaisingh (43), is a tailor who comes from a family of tailors. He says he was ‘born’ in the trade and remembers helping his father in the ‘family business’ from as early as he can recall.

Today Hermon concentrates strictly on the altering of ladies and gents garments. He has his ‘Altering Shop’ at 5/6 Lombard Street, Georgetown.

The businessman, known by his many customers as ‘Beard- man’, says he turned to what he called ‘general altering’ of all ‘types’ and ‘makes’ of clothes since returning from an overseas trip to North America three years ago.

On that sojourn, Hermon said, he observed: the heavy amount of ‘gift barrels’ being sent here to people by their relatives residing abroad.

It then occurred to him that many of these people had not seen their family for years and could not be in a proper position to determine their relatives ‘fit’. Pondering on this, he said, he switched from his small ‘cut and stitch’ job to adjusting of clothes. Some pieces of clothing are also too small and where identical material could be found, the necessary expansion to the garment is done, the tradesman explained. With three uncles and his father active in the business of making garments like pants, shirts and suits, Hermon recalled a disaster the family suffered in 1962, when their business at the same location where he is now was gutted by fire of unknown origin. With the help of some other members of the family a small business was reestablished there shortly after the fire.

‘Beardman’ says his customers are varied and include professional people. He has no fixed price for any job. He says he tries to meet people’s pockets. And for his Regulars’ some minor jobs are even done free.

In his business he is