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For that customized look, choose ‘The Cztm Fctxry’
“Being a part of the community of young entrepreneurs really showed me how vital we are, not only to the areas that we’re from respectively, but to the areas that we conduct business in. Since a lot of us now run businesses that in fact make a lot of our day-to-day activities more convenient.”
By Allyiah Allicock
Kaieteur News – For as long as she can remember, Anika Soodoo always had an interest in art. Her way of expressing or showcasing her artistic
Some t-shirts and sneakers that were customized by Anika Soodoo.
skills was through the clothes she wore. At first, it was a hobby; drawing and painting were things she enjoyed doing in her spare time. But who knew that making a decision to expand on her skills would have gotten her where she is today? At the age of 20, she is now the owner and founder of ‘The Cztm Fctxry’ (pronounced The Custom Factory), a customizing business that is fast gaining popularity.
Young entrepreneur and owner of ‘The Cztm Fctxry’, Anika Soodoo.
In a recent interview with Kaieteur News, Soodoo shared that the inspiration behind this business venture came from “within”. “I was always a very creative person for as long as I could remember. I had begun dying and hand painting t-shirts back in 2017 during the summer of that year. It was a hobby and a pretty good past time,” she added. She recalled that during that time, she had a mild obsession with sneakers and even had her own collection. She mentioned that she always wanted her sneakers to match the clothing she chose to wear. However, she noted, the specific brand of footwear, which she owned did not always give her the match she was looking for. Soodoo said at that moment she knew it was a good opportunity to utilise her artistic skills and ideas. It was then she started to customize her sneakers, and with her love for painting, she decided to “integrate it all and make it a hirable service so that others can also have the opportunity to bring their own ideas to life or even complete an outfit that needed matching sneakers.” The young entrepreneur in November 2019 officially launched her legitimate business venture. According to Soodoo, since then, she has gotten immense support. Orders, she said, have been coming from people who really have an appreciation for customized, personal items. She shared with pride that her brand “has gained an incredible amount of traction and the support has been unceasing.” When asked what sets her business apart from others that are similar, Soodoo made it clear that she is not limited to one particular item. In fact, she mentioned that she has the ability to customize anything a customer desires and not just sneakers and t-shirts. Recently, she added to her portfolio crocs and sweaters as customizable products. Moving forward and taking her business to greater heights, she hopes to one day open a physical establishment and eventually have multiple locations that persons can visit to see what ‘The Custom Factory’ is all about. For this young woman, being able to reach the targeted market or level of recognition was never a difficulty for her. “As I fulfilled orders and kept coming into contact with such diverse orders to create, I got better and better at it.
soodoo (logo)
Not because I needed physical practice but because it was undiscovered talent,” she related. Interestingly enough, the ongoing pandemic, she said, had a positive impact on her business. Though it was a challenge for many entrepreneurs, Soodoo said that the support her business has gotten has far exceeded her expectations. Our featured entrepreneur believes that young people in business are important to today’s society to fill the gap of services that was lacking in the past.
“Being a part of the community of young entrepreneurs really showed me how vital we are, not only to the areas that we’re from respectively, but to the areas that we conduct business in. Since a lot of us now run businesses that in fact make a lot of our day-to-day activities more convenient,” she expressed. Soodoo’s advice to young entrepreneurs like herself is to utilise the resources they have, that is, the social media platforms, which can reach people in different parts of the country. According to her too, there are a lot of amazing talent and ideas in young people but the problem is finding ways to help them unleash what lies within. The relevant authorities, she believes, can play a crucial role in helping young people recognize and unleash their talents. Anyone wishing to utilise Soodoo’s customizing service can place their order at The.Cztm.Fctxry either on Facebook or Instagram. >>>
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