Cheryl Bassoo exudes the satisfaction of a woman who is enjoying the rewards of having realized a lifelong ambition. Three years ago she acquired the popular Nalini Hair Salon and Spa, one of the best-known establishments in the local beauty industry. That, she says was the culmination of an ambition nurtured over four decades.
The preoccupation with being a businesswoman was nurtured at school and strengthened during her stay at the financial institution TD Canada Trust. Over several years she built a career for herself. Three years ago she returned to Guyana along with her husband Dr Errol Bassoo.
The couple had returned seven years earlier and had established the Multi-Tech Laboratory at Cove and John on the East Coast Demerara.
Cheryl says that they were sufficiently satisfied with their first business venture in Guyana that they invested in a second branch of the laboratory.
Cheryl says that while her husband serves as the service provider she is responsible for the “business end” of the facility.
Over time Cheryl has learnt to function in what she says is a “challenging and competitive market.”
She believes that good customer care is critical to success in the industry. She recalls that when she bought the business ”some employees and clients decided to move on.”
Over time her marketing strategy has evolved to embrace cutting edge social media including Facebook. Her search for a greater share of the market has led her to reach out to a broader clientele through discounts and other packages which will allow her to acquire new markets and penetrate existing markets.
As far as business is concerned Cheryl is “not complaining.” On weekdays her staff of twenty employees serves around forty customers. Understandably, things change radically on Fridays and Saturdays, with the establishment attending to up to seventy customers. June, July and August are usually the busiest months of the year.
Cheryl says that competitive prices work to her advantage in the industry. Women, she says, want to look good but are not always able to meet the high costs of the industry. Sometimes she finds herself “coming down” to meet the pockets of some customers. Every month, through the Red Cross, she offers hair care to a number of children.
In June Cheryl opened a second branch of Nalini’s at the Princess Hotel and she says that the new branch has been more than holding its own. Apart from the patronage which it secures from clients of the hotel it has also become particularly popular with walk-in clients.
