By Nicola Telford
There is a distinct pattern to the types of small businesses that have mushroomed across Guyana. In the capital, Georgetown, coastal communities, and established townships an assortment of small businesses – store-fronts, pavement dwellers, suitcase dealers and peddlers has mushroomed.
The government has taken aim at the small illegal constructions that have sprung up to support these businesses. Pockets of illegality, manifested in the encumbering of legitimate business premises, abound.
The investors in these enterprises belong to the vast army of the unemployed. They have found, however, that doing business is no walk in the park. The main deterrent to successful business ownership is finance.