Georges Set For Greater Things
MAURICE and Carol George are a prosperous husband and wife business team. They make children’s garments at their Fourth Street, Campbellville “factoryhome.”
They are two of a growing number of Guyanese husband and wife teams combining individual skills to make a success of various small economic ventures.
Carol, 28, is the expert seamstress who remains at home producing garments, while husband Maurice, 31, puts the finishing touches to the clothing, heads downtown to higgle them at competitive prices and returns in time to lend a hand if necessary.
Says Carol: “The demand is so strong that I hardly find the time to look after the home and the family. Maurice helps with that.”
While the six-year-old business is seeing the best of times, owing to strong support from exporters, they are nevertheless swamped by several frustrating problems, typical of the small entrepreneur.
“We went into the City Council many times to get a stall to sell the product, but they say they don’t have any. It is hard for me (Maurice) to stand on the pavement when the Town Constables are hassling you to display the various styles. I can only hold up three or four.”
The price of polyester can range from $55 to $70 per yard and this makes life difficult for seamstresses.
Business people in this industry find it difficult to get adequate quantities and the right colours to manufacture various styles for special occasions, says Carol, a Seventh Day Adventist like her husband.
“Our plans include an expansion of the business. We are thinking of going back to the Institute of Small Enterprise Development (ISED) for a second loan to buy two more machines and employ staff.”
Again the problems of acquiring suitable premises for this expansion haunts the Georges “If we could find a house to buy that would be good, but if we could get a better place now we would expand.”
Other hindrances plaguing the industry are shortages of parts, especially for the Singer brand, and blackouts.
With two machines, working night and day, the Georges can sew up to 60 kiddie dresses per day. Their selling prices range from $95 to $180.
When asked about exporting, Mrs. George said “I think it is a wise idea. I once worked in Trinidad in this same business and the market is good. I returned home and then started sewing. We do a lot of wholesale apart from Maurice selling on his own.”