Curtis Davis brings promise to West Kingston

Latoya Grindley, Staff Reporter

You think or hear West Kingston and negative associations readily come to mind. And one of the last things to ever consider is the abundance of talent and promising youths that are products of this area.

Made up of garrison communities, investing in a business in West Kingston may come with a great amount of reservation. But for 23-year-old Curtis Davis, establishing his own business in an area in which he grew up was no game. Defying all odds, he has created his own employment and that for others.

"I don't dwell on the negative aspects of life. Yes, when you hear West Kingston, you hear about shootings, extortion, etc. But I am living in a community with a critical need, so why offer these services elsewhere? I can't leave the garrison to set up elsewhere that perhaps doesn't need it or already has it," he ended.

With a huge interest in the computer and technology fields which developed while attending St George's College, Davis opened the doors to his Internet café in 2009 at the age of 19.

Since opening its doors, New Era Technology Services Limited (NET Services) has both grown in size and services and just recently relocated to a bigger space which is conducive to its increased operations.

"When I started out, it was really just an Internet café. But I thought to myself that this is really not enough to maintain and sustain the type of business I wanted to operate. And so I started to offer other well-needed services."

SERVICES OFFERED

To date, NET Services has added to its list of services computer repairing and updating, website development, graphic designing and local and international faxing. However, it is the recent partnership with LIME that has the young entrepreneur beaming.

An exclusive LIME retailer, Davis said partnering with the telecommunications company is NET's biggest achievement so far.

"We used to get a lot of calls from persons asking if we provided Internet services and so I started looking at telecommunications companies as a good avenue to boost business. I looked at both major telecommunication companies for both Internet and device and I decided to go with LIME."

The partnership, which officially commenced in March of this year, sees New Era Services selling LIME phonecards and mobile devices. It also acts as a referral agency for persons who are interested in Internet services by registering and passing on their information to the telecommunications company.

With a setting seen as a striking contrast with its immediate surroundings, the store is a comfortable haven for those who utilise the services of the Internet café. Housing approximately 10 computers, the greater part of the company's business comes from teenagers.

As for the other services offered, Davis noted that he is encouraged by the support he gets from other businesses.

"Since we have expanded from just the Internet café, I have been getting a lot of business from businesses within proximity to this area," he stated.

Continuously inspired to build his community while providing well-needed services, he is also a role model for persons both young and old. "Many of these persons look up to me, especially those who I grew up with. They see me in a position where they want to be and so sometimes they even call me 'Sir' as a sign of respect."

Moving to West Kingston at the age of seven to live with his mother, Davis spent his earlier years in Ewarton, St Catherine with his grandmother and uncles. That experience, he claims, laid a valuable foundation for him.

According to him, "It was phenomenal! I remember walking miles to catch water and to go to church. I experienced life better there. Imagine, if I wanted something to eat, I could just pick it from a tree and eat and everybody was just so warm and welcoming."

Fast forward to his subsequent years in Kingston, Davis was enrolled to attend Holy Family Primary School and then Hagley Park Prep before going off to high school. Knowing very well what he wanted to do after graduating, Davis omitted sixth form from the equation.

"I didn't go to sixth form because it would not have added much. I went to work to get experience first and then enrolled in the Vocational Training Development Institute."

While studying Information and communication technology, the personable businessman said he launched out to start his dream.

"Everything you see here started right here in my head. I didn't know anything about running a business, but I researched. I did it without having an MBA," he said while smiling.

With about seven employees both full-time and on contract, Davis is eyeing the possibility of expanding even further. But for now, he enjoys the relationships he has built with clients, impressing them with his top-quality work and service.

"I may be having a bad day and clients don't know that. Many times, things aren't going my way and I get an angry customer coming in and most times they leave with a smile and become repeat customers. When dealing with problems like computer repairing, I talk to my clients first to get important information, and through this, we build a relationship."

Pertinent to the success and growth of NET Services Ltd, according to its owner, are providing quality service both in its offerings, location and interpersonal relationships with clients.

latoya.grindley@gleanerjm.com