Under the umbrella trademark of “5gillie,” Sherland Gillis leads two distinctive ventures that have rapidly carved their niche in the local market: the Dessert Lab and a pioneering Steam Cleaning Arm.
Hailing from Hopetown in West Coast Berbice (WCB), both businesses are a testament to Gillis’ commitment to delivering services previously scarce in the region, catering to the needs of the community in innovative ways.
A cleaning done by 5gillie
The steam cleaning business was started specifically as a seasonal business. As an entity, we were aiming to assist the working class with annual cleaning during the Christmas season. This endeavor was deemed successful, and we worked towards revolutionizing the business structure to facilitate persons throughout the year. With this, we began focusing on detailing vehicles.
On the other hand, the Dessert Lab, a sweet haven in Hopetown, was born out of a desire to offer a distinct culinary experience for Berbicians without them having to endure lengthy trips to Georgetown.
The business model was founded to foster uniqueness in products produced. At commencement, our focus was providing ice cream and its variants along with other sweet treats. As the business progressed, the introduction of savory treats ranging from cheese straws and other pastries were included in the menu to create diversity and depth in the menu. Acknowledging our creativity, cake decoration was also a new addition, catering for celebrations at large and birthdays specifically.
Gillis, the driving force behind these ventures, dedicates undivided attention to both businesses, meticulously managing them based on demand and scheduled appointments.
Some of the sweet treats by Dessert Lab:
The overwhelmingly positive response from a growing clientele speaks volumes about the success of these endeavours.
However, the road to success has not been without hurdles. Introducing new services in rural areas presents its challenges.
Overcoming traditional customs and persuading the community to embrace novel products and innovative cleaning methods have been an ongoing battle.
A cleaning done by 5gillie
Because of customs, it is hard to get persons to try new products and methods of execution for the dessert lab and steam cleaning, respectively. Another challenge is figuring out ways to indulge interactions with customers to get their opinions to better serve them.
Looking ahead, this entrepreneur envisions taking these businesses to greater heights by achieving commercialization.
The ambition is to showcase a diverse array of unique ice cream flavours and treats in local supermarkets.
For the Steam Cleaning Arm, the goal is to secure long-term contracts for maintaining and cleaning business entities and vehicles, thereby generating more employment opportunities within the community.
As an entrepreneur, Gillis acknowledges the rollercoaster nature of the journey, with highs and lows that necessitate a well-thought-out blueprint to navigate through different situations and find solutions.
As an entrepreneur, you must be prepared for good days and bad days with a blueprint to guide your actions, trying to think of multiple outcomes from a situation and solutions.
Approaching the festive season, the Dessert Lab offers special cake packages to ease the burden of baking for patrons. At the same time, the Steam Cleaning Arm introduces tailored packages for optimal housekeeping results, perfectly timed for the Christmas rush.
You can contact the two ventures on telephone number +592 685-5632 or Instagram @5gillie.dessertlab and @5gillie.steam_cleaning.
