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This Week We Feature Young Professional Rajah A. Smith
He returned to his homeland from the United States a few months after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack with a determination to make something of himself, and 10 years later this week’s young professional is a well-known entrepreneur and aspiring politician.
Meet Rajah Smith, 28, the proud owner of No Limit Business Services, which is a multi-faceted company of cleaning, excavation and construction. The office is based in Sea Cows Bay.
Mr. Smith’s path to becoming a businessman can be summed up as an interesting tale. According to him, when he graduated from the then BVI High School, 5 Arts in 1999, he worked at the Moorings for nearly a year and half before leaving for the United States, after some prodding from his parents and grandfather to purse a tertiary education.
“I left here for New York in July 2001, but after that tragedy [September 11, 2001] it kinda shook me up and it was then I decided to come back home,” he recalled.
However, it was a bit frustrating for the young man to find a job, but his admiration for his mother Janet Hendricks, grandfather Sydney Hendricks and grandmother Almean Smith on their innovation, bolstered his confidence in creating his own business.
And lucky for him, finances to start his business came from someone who had purchased his vehicle prior to him leaving for the United States, and with that “start-up money” Mr. Smith was able to purchase a van which he turned into a mobile car wash.
With a grin, he remembered going around to the different car parks offering his services to customers, and one day the 3rd district representative Julian Fraser, who was impressed with his hard work and determination, hired him to clean several drains and cut bush.
Slowly but surely, his hard work paid off and with that hard earned cash, Mr. Smith was able to buy more cleaning materials, carpet extractors, floor scrubbers and buffers. It was then he ventured into cleaning commercial and residential buildings.
The young professional recounted his first big contract which came from telecommunications giant Cable and Wireless (C&W). According to him, he saw the advertisement in the newspaper and chose to bid.
So at the tender age of 20, the budding entrepreneur compiled his documents and sent in his winning bid.
“It was in 2004 and it's a contract I have up to today. I must say I really appreciated the top brass in C&W giving me a chance including Vance Lewis, Karen Smith and Patricia Adams. I was nervous because I was young and negotiating with these guys ya know. They made me feel comfortable,” he said with a smile.
Later on he got contracts with BVI Electricity Corporation and Peebles Hospital but those contracts have since expired.
To keep the cleaning side of the business flowing, Mr. Smith has approximately six employees, some part-time, and although it’s a competitive field the young professional added it’s very marketable. “Everybody got to know their clients.”
He commended his sister Sonjah Smith, who was the Manager for the cleaning business, for being effective and efficient in ensuring contracts were signed.
“She is overseas studying law at the moment so that responsibility lies with me right now, but I am managing,” Mr. Smith noted.
Interestingly, the construction and excavation aspect of the business got off the ground after Mr. Smith’s clients would ask if he knew anyone who could do renovations and after some thought he got into home maintenance, which eventually became full blown construction.
“I first bought a backhoe, then an excavator...now I have a concrete mixer. I am pleased with how things have worked out,” the ambitious young man said with a smile.
And if he is short of staff, Mr. Smith can fill the gap.“My grandfather, who died last year, always instilled in me that to become a good businessman you have to learn all areas of your trade. He used to own a restaurant in Jost Van Dyke. And I could tell you I did all the jobs there you can think from fishing to washing dishes, to helping in the finances of the business,” Mr. Smith stated.
He proudly added, “My grandfather was very innovative and I was also inspired by my mother who is a very independent woman.”
He also credited his father Alwon Smith, whom he said encouraged him to read and never stop reading ever since being a child. “My father always told me do the right things, live good with people and anything that you do, do it with pride”.
Mr. Smith is also the proprietor of an apartment building.And though this young professional is a busy man, he will in the not too distant future be taking some business management courses.
He describes himself as a hardworking individual, and admitted when the job gets a bit overwhelming he goes over to Jost Van Dyke – the island of childhood – where he sails, fish and relax with his mother and grandmother.
Looking back at what he has accomplished, Mr. Smith taps himself on the back and the father of three boys advice to young men is, “It will be very difficult in the beginning being young and unemployed and you can get lost and caught up. You are influenced and it is very hard to stay positive sometimes.Take your time and what’s for you is for you. It’s a long road ahead. Being in business for 10 years I still find it difficult to get things done and dealing with things and you can never finish learning, you always learning”.
Mr. Smith is also the chairman of the Youth Arm in the 3rd district and looks up to Minister Fraser describing him as a cool person that you can learn from. As for his political aspiration, there is a possibility he would enter politics – only time will tell!
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