‘I now dare to tell my story’: Surinamese Entrepreneur Takes Steps Forward

Crystabelle Beaton spends a few days each week working the land of a nearby organic farm, plants and trees lush with tea leaves stretching in every direction.

Cultivating nutritious food naturally has always been important to Crystabelle. In December 2019, she turned her passion into a business and created Erna’s Garden. Named after her mother, Erna’s Garden produces and sells herbal teas, health supplements and organic food in Suriname.

“I’m a grower, processor and distributor,” Crystabelle shares.

Starting a company from scratch comes with its own set of challenges, but the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic was a hurdle Crystabelle could never have imagined.

“Because of the pandemic, the growth of my company has been slower than I had hoped,” she explains.

That’s when Crystabelle learned about CESO’s mentorship and advisory services. Training in business development and digital marketing from CESO Advisors Bryan Marshman and Howard Gosselin gave Crystabelle the support she needed to get her dream back on track.

Crystabelle was coached to set up a website and online store. “This will be so important for reaching clients, especially during COVID restrictions, and reaching customers overseas who can place orders online,” explains Crystabelle. “E-commerce platforms are still relatively innovative in Suriname,” she adds. “There are not many small business owners like me who have this.”

Crystabelle is staying connected to customers after being trained in other online marketing tools. “The brand awareness of Erna’s Garden has improved due to the increased use of social media,” she shares.

Aside from gaining a better understanding of marketing and business management tools, a rise in confidence has been a powerful outcome of continued business training from CESO. An empowered Crystabelle is making plans for growth—expanding her network, making connections with investors and exploring opportunities to export her products to other Caribbean countries, the Netherlands, Belgium and Canada.

“I now dare to tell my story and promote my company and products to the world,” says Crystabelle. “I can already see the growth on a personal level and in my company.”

Passionate about lifting up other women, Crystabelle works with all women suppliers and can’t wait to hire more. She knows how important it is for women to have the opportunity to be the resilient and resourceful economic agents they are, especially now.

“Many women do not have the financial means to work with expert business advisors,” says Crystabelle. “But with these opportunities from CESO, you have the chance to not only develop your entrepreneurial qualities, but also your personal qualities. This means being better able to control your own economic development and take many major steps forward.”