193 Middle Road La Penitence is the home of D&D Beauty Salon and Boutique and the family team of 25-year-old Delshana Christopher, her brother Delson and their mother, Vanessa, run what one might call a place of style and beauty for people of all walks of life.
Delshana Christopher, who is unquestionably the captain of the ship, believes that the location of the business, far from the crowds of downtown, might even be a plus for her. She has come to value the custom of the people of the inner city. She knows that if her business is to grow and prosper, her prices must be affordable, whether it be with the cost of a hairstyle or a weekend party dress.
To remain in business, therefore, she must match what high street establishments offer, with services that compete in quality and style but which are available at “better prices.”
She has done well enough to have created a pattern of travel to the United States for the purpose of shopping. It is, she says, based on “events” or “seasons”; Christmas, Easter, Jamzone and Mash being high on that list. Shopping in New York, she says, is a demanding exercise though the frequency of her travel has meant that she has become known among the New York traders. Accordingly, she gets the ‘low down’ on styles before they become very public. She has also become an excellent bargain hunter.
Shopping in New York for clothing, beauty and hair accessories for a small business in inner city Georgetown is a pursuit that is learnt over time. Delshana says that it is a matter of understanding the market in which you operate. It is easier when customers provide shopping guidelines. In most instances, however, it is a matter of knowing what will sell, of throwing your hard earned cash behind your intuition.
The hairdressing salon was opened in 2008 and the boutique followed earlier this year. When Delshana is away on shopping trips Vanessa and Delson hold the fort. It is a matter of collective effort and collective reward.
After school, Delshana pursued a course in cosmetology. She considers herself a skilled stylist even though she says that she still learns from metropolitan stylists online.
She has set her sights on expanding into the big time and Delshana says she is acutely aware of the harsh nature of the competition in an economy the fortunes of which ebb and flow. That is why she has sculptured a clientele that goes beyond the ‘Jamzoners’ and weekend party crowd.
She makes a shopping trip in October in anticipation of what she expects will be a slew of “all-black affairs” in November. After that she will ready herself for “the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas.”
She is, she says, a party goer. But even as she entertains herself there is business on her mind. She might wear a particular item to test the market and her hairstyles – which she changes around once every two weeks – are designed to attract curious questions.
Delshana says that having already proven that she can make a living out of her current pursuits, she is in it for the long haul. She wants to grow but is determined that growth will occur side by side with an enhanced understanding of the entrepreneurial pursuit which she has chosen as a career.
