Patrick Evans looks to bag his dream

Karen Sudu, Gleaner Writer

HEATHFIELD, St Catherine:

THE DRIVE to be self-reliant, creative and unique has been Patrick Evans' hallmark since he was 17 years old. Having worked for a few employers, he decided to venture into his own business.

"I just look at bags and said, 'I want to design every different style of bags - market bags, bags that teachers can use to carry their school stuff, all kinds of bags'," the enthusiastic entrepreneur told The Gleaner recently, as he worked at his home in Heathfield, St Catherine.

However, though excited about the venture initially, he never knew how to make the product.

"I am self-motivated. I never wait on anyone to push me to do anything, so I bought a machine and taught myself how to make them, and I have been doing that ever since," he gloated.

Since that time, the St Mary's College alumnus has been generating an income from designing and selling his bags at various markets, in addition to doing odd jobs. However, the 41-year-old, who holds level one and two HEART Trust/NTA certificates in building construction, points to recent challenges.

"Right now, I cannot get the material that I want to use. So I have to work with what they have in the stores and, sometimes, the material they have is old stuff," Evans lamented, while he worked feverishly to complete an order of 300 bags.

He added: "Sometimes you see people bring some bags from foreign and you know the material is there, but you just cannot get it here in Jamaica," he explains, adding that this often sets back his deadlines.

At the same time, the father of three believes the Government should implement initiatives to make equipment, raw material and loans more accessible to small entrepreneurs who want to expand their business.

"The people who (the) Government gives the money to, to lend small business people make it too difficult (for us) to access it as small entrepreneurs," said Evans, who is a beneficiary of a loan scheme.

It's not been all smooth sailing for the optimist, but his drive, strong determination and satisfied clients keep him afloat.

"When you can create something and you see it on the market, and when you see people carrying it, you feel proud, and that's one of the things that push me," he said, beaming.

Bigger goals

Yet, the articulate businessman says despite his passion for entrepreneurship, now more than ever, he has to motivate himself to further his education en route to fulfiling his career goal.

"I always wanted to become a teacher, and not necessarily a classroom teacher. I love to talk, love to impart knowledge to people and I have to achieve this," he stressed.

This dream, for Evans, who heaps praises on his mother for his upbringing as he doesn't know his father, is to become a Spanish tour guide or a Spanish translator.

"My first step to achieve this is to study at the Language Training Centre, then go to UTech (University of Technology) to get a degree in the language. I love Spanish. I want to talk the language fluently," Evans says.

Laughing, he continued, "Check me in the next four to five years and you will see what I mean. Everything is hard, but it's just the mindset. Nothing is impossible," he said, oozing with confidence.

PHOTOS BY KAREN SUDU