‘Frozen Treats’

Sep 01, 2024 Features / Columnists, News, Young entrepreneurs

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“I believe that young entrepreneurs serve as role models for the next generation, inspiring others to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions.”

By Allyiah Allicock

Kaieteur News – “I was always opened to owning a business, I always had the mentality that when I grow up I want to be a boss.”

Those are the words of 23-year-old Jada Aalyah Baird, a young woman who is witnessing her dreams unfold as she is the founder and owner of ‘Frozen Treats’, an ice-cream shop which is located on Dennis Street,  Pattensen, Turkeyen (better known as Sophia Main Road).

Giving us a sneak peek into ‘Frozen Treats’ and how it was formed, Baird told The Waterfalls that it was no easy walk in the park as there were trials and errors to getting where she is at today.

She informed this magazine that from a young age she always wanted to be her own boss and this stemmed from her mother who was also in the business realm a few years ago.

“Growing up I loved to play supermarket with my cousins. I would be the owner of the store and the cashier of course, it was so soothing to me. My mother also had a 9-5 [job] and a lotto shop and I would be the one running it ever since I was 11 years old,” she recalled.

Being alongside her mother all those years and helping out with their business, in December 2017 things took a turn when she lost her mother to cancer. “I was only 17 years of age.

She is who I got my drive from. My mommy was a hustler and I never saw her give up for nothing,” she said.

Following in her mother’s footstep, Baird said she began her entrepreneurial journey in early 2019, when she started online shopping for some clients. Having been progressing well, she then shifted gears and decided to try other avenues of online shopping.

“I then decided to try something different, same online shopping but this time I was focusing on wigs, bundles, etc.  And that’s how I started ‘The Weave Express’ which is now known as Authentic Flair”, she informed.

Being a go-getter like her mother, Baird said she did not only stop there but in July that same year she decided to try something different. This time she said, “I went to my aunt and sat her down and told her I want an ice cream shop, this would be something different for my neighborhood. My Aunt was ten toes down behind me with the idea. I leaned to just that, quit my 9-5 job and using savings I begun the renovation for Frozen Treats.”

‘Frozen Treats’ and ice-cream shop with a difference, according Baird, was officially opened on August 25, 2019.

It offers ice-cream treats such as ice-cream shakes, sandwiches, nachos, tacos, sundaes, cones, burgers, wings and so much more. In addition to that, they are known for their “freak shake dessert” and according to the young woman this comes with cake or anything the customer desires as toppings.

Having been operating this venture for about five years now, Baird related that just like any other young entrepreneur she too had hiccups along the way. One of the main challenges she remembered was having placed an order from a site for some wigs for her clients and when it arrived it was not what she ordered.

She noted that customers had already deposited 50% of the cost and because it was not what was ordered she had to refund them, which she said took a toll on her. She shared that she had to dip into her ice-cream business for funds which took a toll on the business.

Another challenge she related was, “There was a time my mental health was not up to par and I closed for weeks. When I reopened there weren’t any customers for me to serve because persons were already of the impression that it was permanently closed. I had to strategize and come up with other means to boost sales,” she explained.

Despite these setbacks and admitting that it was hard at some point, Baird said she did not once think of giving up on her dreams and the goals that lie ahead. “I crawled and crawled and here I am now,” she added.

Having operated for all these years, she expressed that the support has been bountiful and she uses this as motivation to keep pushing forward. Through Frozen Treats, she gives back to her community in a certain way because according to her there are still a lot of persons living in the community who are unaware her services exist. Sometimes she would hear persons saying, “I didn’t even know it get a place like this in here,” she mentioned.

When asked what she has planned for ‘Frozen Treats’ as it continues to grow, the young entrepreneur said her long-term goal is to open an even bigger ice-cream shop to be able to offer more than what she can now.

Meanwhile, she is of the belief that small business owners like herself serve as role models to the next generation. “I believe that young entrepreneurs serve as role models for the next generation, inspiring others to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions,” she said.

When asked what she thinks can be done locally to help small businesses grow, she related that, “I think more expos can be hosted at a fair and affordable cost so that these businesses can be showcased. I also think that more young entrepreneurs should be featured in the newspaper and radio interviews.”

For persons interested in contacting ‘Frozen Treats’, they are available on Facebook, Instagram @FrozenTreatsgy, and on mobile number (592) 686-7328.

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• ‘Frozen Treats’, generation, Jada Aalyah Baird, Sophia Main Road, Young entrepreneur

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