![Image: Tying the knot led to the entrepreneurs buying into the business of cards. [PHOTO: Stan Bishop]](https://thevoiceslu.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Tying-the-knot-600x400.jpg)
GETTING those unique greeting cards for your wedding, baby shower, birthday or any other special occasion just got hassle-free, thanks to an innovative team of young entrepreneurs who have teamed up to help you express yourselves through their business idea.
![Image: Heera Patra (centre) with two models showcasing her henna art at a recent exhibition. [PHOTO: Stan Bishop]](https://thevoiceslu.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Heera-Patra-600x400.jpg)
THE fashionable thing since the advent of fashion is that people keep coming up with more ways of presenting their appearances creatively. But it’s a tough job trying to achieve that transformation all by ourselves. That’s where people like Heera Patra come in — people who use their amazing talents to turn our bodies into works of art.
IN a tough economy, harnessing a special talent becomes a necessity in the quest to make ends meet for both the employed and unemployed. These days, it seems, more Saint Lucians than ever before are prepared to do just that, especially when they see their survival hanging by a thread.
![Image: Young entrepreneur, Sephra Duncan, says following her passion for business has liberated her. [PHOTO: Stan Bishop]](https://thevoiceslu.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Young-entrepreneur-Sephra-Duncan-600x400.jpg)
SOME entrepreneurs are lucky and smart enough to know when the right moment and idea actually gel. Sometimes that reality is actually planned. Even better, the reality comes to life through a fortuitous moment when one discovers a creative talent that remained latent. Such was the case of Sephra Duncan, owner and designer of Starburst Productions, who fell into business accidentally nearly two years ago with what started as a hobby and has now blossomed into something bigger.
![Image: Jano James (centre) supervising two gamers enjoying the VR experience. [PHOTOS: Stan Bishop]](https://thevoiceslu.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Jano-James-600x400.jpg)
THIRTY-YEAR-OLD Jano James is another addition to the growing number of entrepreneurs bold enough to not carry all their business workload in one portfolio. Having grown up with the philosophy that true financial freedom comes from owning one’s business inculcated in him by his parents, James is gradually making each of his business dreams a reality.
![Image: Artist Denver Pierre believes every household should have a piece of art. [PHOTOS: Stan Bishop]](https://thevoiceslu.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Denver-pierre-600x400.jpg)
EVER since enrolling at St. Mary’s College in 1996, Denver Pierre has seen his interest in art skyrocket from simply being a subject on the curriculum to becoming his number one passion and major revenue earner. Nevertheless, the thirtysomething year old artist continues to push the boundaries of art. In fact, he’s on a mission to push that boundary right into our homes.
THEY say beauty is skin deep. But one woman is determined to use her business to protect the very skin that characterizes us in a safe, healthy way. With her collection of homemade beauty products, Yvonne Layfield, owner and director of KaKo, hopes to make people love the skin they’re in even more. KaKo is a line of all-natural skincare products manufactured in Saint Lucia. Layfield uses ingredients such as nutmegs, cinnamon, grapefruit and just about and other raw materials to create her scrubs, body oils, body moisturizers, cleansers, toners, exfoliators, to name a few. She also launched the mom-to-be package and the men’s line.
![Image: Shondel “Abby” Alexander says the challenges of being a single mother forced her to establish her business enterprise. [PHOTO: Stan Bishop]](https://thevoiceslu.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Shondel-Abby-Alexander-600x400.jpg)
AFTER becoming a single parent nine years ago, Shondel Abiola Alexander felt she had to do something extraordinary to take care of herself, her children and the mounting bills. She had a nine-to-five job at the time; however, that salary was not enough to make ends meet.
![Image: Joseph’s growing collection of soaps. [PHOTO: Stan Bishop]](https://thevoiceslu.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Josephs-growing-collection-of-soaps-600x400.jpg)
IN the dictionary, the definition of the word “ingenuity” is “the quality of being clever, original, and inventive, often in the process of applying ideas to solve problems or meet challenges”. It is a word that has influenced pioneers throughout history, leading them to invent things that have made our lives more comfortable and livable.
![Image: Kwency Griffith (left) and Elijah Williams (right). [PHOTO: Stan Bishop]](https://thevoiceslu.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Kwency-Griffith-and-Elijah-Williams-600x400.jpg)
WITH over 20 radio stations already competing for the ever-shrinking advertising dollar, one would have to be crazy to start …
![Image: Since coming up with her business idea earlier this year, Regobert says her teas have been brewing up some positive feedback. [PHOTO: Stan Bishop]](https://thevoiceslu.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Teas-600x400.jpg)
In three weeks’ time, several Saint Lucian and Taiwanese companies will be showcasing their wares and services at the 9th …
All local businesses should consider participating in the St. Lucia Business Awards scheduled for January 28, 2017. That was the …
![Image: WLBL’s Managing Director, Sebastian Sanchez, Commerce Minister Bradley Felix, and DBC’s Managing Director, Dunstan Du Boulay. [PHOTO: Stan Bishop]](https://thevoiceslu.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/WLBLs-Managing-Director-Sebastian-Sanchez-mid2-600x400.jpg)
AFTER more than a year in discussions, officials from Windward & Leeward Brewery Ltd. (WLBL) and Du Boulay’s Bottling Co. …
COMPETITIVENESS guru Michael Porter stated that “A strategy delineates a territory in which a company seeks to be unique.” Within …
By Samuel Rosenberg WHEN you have no money in your bank account, savings, or even your children’s piggybank, the smallest …
![2016 St. Lucia Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, Julianna Ward-Destang. [PHOTO: Stan Bishop]](https://thevoiceslu.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/2016-St-Lucia-Business-Awards-Entrepreneur-of-the-Year-Julianna-Ward-Destang-mid-600x400.jpg)
AT first glance, Julianna Ward-Destang seems unassuming. But the soft-spoken businesswoman is a major heavyweight in the local finance and …
“INDEPENDENCE means freedom, growth and development and standing strong on your own and feeling proud.” Those are the words of …
FOR nearly three years, Mandisa Morrison has seen her dream of being in business materialize into something tangible. A mixture …
![Image: Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Keran Rosemond. [PHOTO: Stan Bishop]](https://thevoiceslu.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Young-Entrepreneur-of-the-Year-Keran-Rosemond-mid-600x400.jpg)
The Rise (And Trials) Of Keran Rosemond. IT took Keran Rosemond just under a minute to get on stage at …
Outgoing Prez Calls For Stability. [Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”17″ gal_title=”Chamber Honours The Best Businesses”] THE nominees were few this year but the …