Young and successful Berbice business owner Javed Raffik has been making gains in one of the largest industries in Guyana, the hardware business, since 2015, setting the pace for young entrepreneurs looking to start their own businesses as well.
Javed, 34, who operates JR Building Supplies at Lot 233 Ramphal Street, Williamsburg, in an interview with The Scene, explained that he started his business back in 2015 as he has always been fascinated with the hardware industry and business in general. He was part of his father’s business, Raffik and Sons Construction, which has been in operation since 1997, for most of his adult life and is now the Deputy CEO.
According to the young businessman, his father, Mohammed Raffik is not only a major investor in his business but also one of his mentors. “We decided we are going to start a hardware business because I have always been fascinated with hardware… We decided that we were going to… supply ourselves and introduce new and exciting products to the market in spite of the competition.”
Javed, a father of three, attended Berbice High School, New Amsterdam Technical Institute and has completed two online programmes in construction management through the Ashworth College. At present, he is undertaking a programme in business management through the same college.
Although his father is extremely well known throughout the country, Javed has done a good job of establishing himself on his own, but he stressed that his father has been his personal adviser throughout his life, something he is extremely grateful for.
According to him, his store offers items from foundation to furnishings at some of the best prices. But currently they have commenced an expansion to the building as they are looking to target various budget brackets.
He pointed out that this is the third expansion since opening and they are hoping to upgrade their business and expand their inventory. He said they are looking to expand to a mini home depot by changing the entire outlook of the building, adding another floor and departmentalizing the items offered.
Javed said that he wants to cater for people from different walks of life with both high end and low-priced products, and that every customer should feel comfortable when visiting the store.
He stressed that it is his dream to give Guyanese the best shopping experience with a modern shopping facility. “We want to keep our everyday walk-in customers, but we also want to attract persons who may be looking for a more unique and expensive product,” he stated.
Meanwhile, touching on the location of the business, he said while it is located in a street and not in the town of Rose Hall, customers are very comfortable with where it is situated. “We started off very small… and hadn’t acquired any properties on the road. But [given] the congestion on the road [and] a business like this, you need trucks to come in to offload and load. And customers want to drive to the door and load… We can do that here instead of on the main road with the traffic congestion.” He noted that although they have since acquired properties on the main road, after conducting a survey they have decided to remain at their location since customers prefer it.
He further noted that his business has grown through “word of mouth” and not any major advertisements. “People like to come and shop at the store through the street,” he joked.
Meanwhile, the businessman also spoke of the expected change in Guyana’s economy with the oil revenue. He said the expansion of their business is in keeping with the changes expected in Guyana. He noted that he believes in years to come other businesses will also have to expand as the needs of Guyanese will change.
In the future, he said, he hopes to expand to the East Coast Demerara.
Javed stated that while in any business there will always be competition, the importance of proper and efficient customer service is what leads the way. “We believe that instead of sitting down and waiting for things to happen you need to go out to the customer…
“Overall we have done a lot of groundwork… We have reached out to people, gone out to work sites, visited different villages to see exactly what is happening and what is going on. We have reached out to people with our productiveness and our prices and people enjoy this. That has been keeping us going for the last couple of years,” he said.
“You need to ensure that you are not only trying to provide quality service, but also a very good customer service. Those things can help you set the foundation of your business and would help to make the success of the business.”
Good service, excellent products and good customer service are keys to a successful business, he said.
Currently Javed’s business employs some 20 staff from the Corentyne area. He stressed that it is a team effort that drives his business to success and without being supportive of employees no business would be possible. “They have all played significant roles in the developmental stage where we are today,” he said.
JR Building Supplies is well known throughout the region for their pleasant, friendly and helpful staff. “We tell our staff that even if our product is $20 more than our competitors it is how they treat the customers that will sell our products. The staff has been very hardworking, and we appreciate their efforts in ensuring the business runs.”
He also touched on the importance of valuing customers, who all he wished a prosperous holiday. He said they were giving out 1,000 Christmas hampers to the first 1,000 holiday customers at the store and offering a special package for contractors.
He also spoke highly of his wife, Priya Raffik, who manages the business with him. “She’s been a very strong pillar in making this business a success,” he said.
His mother, Nazia Raffik, he said has supported him throughout his entire life. He also dubbed his mother one of his mentors whom he spoke highly of. “It’s been a team effort and we have been working strong as a team. No one succeeds in business alone and those who try will lose to a great team every time. Build your own great team to bolster your success,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, according to the young businessman, in any business there are always difficult days but as the driving force of the business, persons need to take their role up and ensure to work and improve the situation for the betterment of the business, its staff and customers.
Extolling technology, he encouraged persons looking to start their own businesses to also use online marketing as a major tool. “Right from our Facebook or WhatsApp, we have people ordering from Georgetown and overseas even,” he said.
He advised up and coming businesspersons to always put their best foot forward. “Challenge yourself, do work you care about, take risks, believe in yourself, have a vision, find good people, face your fears and take action,” he said.
