Thirty four year old Tracy Payne is part of an emerging contingent of young whose excursions into one business pursuit or another are beginning to make a persuasive statement about the emergence of a new generation of Guyanese businesswomen.
Over last weekend Tracy’s was one of fifty women-run businesses that offered impressive public product displays at a business marketing event organized by Fashion Designer Sonia Noel in collaboration with Giftland Mall to celebrate her 50th birthday.
Perhaps the most worthwhile purpose of these displays is the role they play in monitoring the pleasing incremental improvement in the standards of small businesses being run by local women.
In the instance of Tracy, her’s is offers three different areas of enterprise, all of which are run from her 707 Providence Housing Scheme home. It began with Cakes on Parade, created in May 2018. Afterwards, she established Bobjour Makeup Artistry subsequently re-named Beats By Tracy. Her most recent venture, Tracy’s Kitchen was launched in May last year.
A trained Occupational Safety and Health functionary, Tracy manages to stay abreast of the demands associated with being employed with Optimum Safety Solutions an enterprise owned by her Fiancee, Dale Beresford and affording time and attention to her four year-old son whilst responding to the demands of three separate service-oriented businesses. She concedes that ‘covering all of the angles’ is a demanding task. Tracy is, she says, a “family-centred person.” When she is not engrossed in her culinary pursuits in the kitchen she is finding time to give attention to her son. “As a mother I always work to a schedule. I try to complete my orders in a timely manner whilst giving time to my son.” Thankfully, she says, she benefits from the support of her sister, a niece, and a cousin.
Tracy’s Kitchen works to a weekly routine of orders from customers for a range of dishes. The Proprietrix says that the advent of the covid-19 pandemic “has given me the opportunity to further my business and explore a variety of new artistic skills ranging from cake – baking and decorating to the creation of my very own sauces.” Over time the range of her culinary offerings has grown to include a homemade Creamy dip, a sweet sriracha sauce, chilly oil and sweet and sour sauces which, she says, her customers have embraced enthusiastically.
Cakes on Parade offers a variety of custom-designed cakes and popular pastries which affords Tracy the opportunity “to perfect her cake-making techniques. The service provides catering for a broad range of events.
Over time, Tracy has managed to utilize her training in Occupational Safety and Health to apply a valued food safety dimension to her work. “I work in a sanitized environment which is reassuring to my customers,” she says.
Beats by Tracy, a beauty service enterprise, derived from what Tracy says is “a deep passion for beauty. I created Beats by Tracy in order to share my passion with my followers.” It was this that took her down the road of experimenting with natural products. “I created my own natural makeup that works as well as any factory-manufactured product.”
The logistical challenges associated with operating a delivery service are rendered easier by the fact that she has her own transportation.
Going forward, she is confident of business growth.
Tracy is an avid user of social media which serves as an invaluable marketing tool.
