WATER Drops Limited, located in Mandeville in Manchester, is owned by entrepreneur Gary Harris. Come December 2022 the store, which now operates in two locations in the town, will be six years old.

Water Drops supplies purified drinking water and water drinking accessories. When Harris started out, he said, no one was paying attention to that service segment in central Jamaica. The graphic artist-turned-entrepreneur seized the opportunity and jumped in. He recalls, “The water business had not taken off here as yet. Basically no one was even taking notice of the sector.

“But I saw the potential and started my research to find out how this works. It was way harder than it looked, but that was the challenge.”

He has spent the last six years catering to a wide segment of consumers who value purified water.

“Some people can’t afford a five-gallon bottle, but they easily buy a five-litre bottle or several. So, we make sure we are always stocked to meet everyone’s needs. As long as the bottles are available, we make sure we have them in stock.”

Harris said, “The market is for everyone, from students to adults and seniors as well.”

His major challenge in starting out, Harris recalls, was sourcing capital. Getting money for overheads in the first few years was a vexing issue.

Banking roadblocks

The entrepreneur shared: “The business of getting funding for SMEs in this country is a hard and vexing topic, especially in this era. I started business as a graphic artist in the late 80s and banking was much easier then. Now it’s hard. Very, very hard.”

“I started Water Drops basically out of pocket which was a big risk since I was literally a novice. There was a lot of lip service from the Government and banks about the role and importance of SMEs, but no one was doing anything about it,” he continued.

Then JMMB stepped in. The businessman said, “JMMB through the Accelerator Programme took a group of us in, trained us and is still training us to be better organised businesses that can get funding and that’s what happened.

“To be honest, the journey was a rough one. I wanted to quit. Have you ever tried getting a loan as an SME?

“It’s literally the hardest thing, especially with banks that basically say you are just a huge risk.

“Before, I was batting zero until I got to JMMB. They actually care about SMEs. It’s not just lip service. My mentor Vincent Auld was instrumental in encouraging me to press on.

“He said it would be worth it and I can say I’m glad I listened and stood my ground. The training we get in the JMMB Accelerator programme was invaluable. We could not pay for what we are learning now. It’s that important.”

The assistance, he said, came just in time. The purified water industry, he notes, has grown greatly since COVID.

“Many see it as a gold mine and have just dived in head first. So that in itself is a challenge.”

Harris says the competitive edge sought and offered by Water Drops is quality.

“We pride ourselves on our quality. We spend countless hours making sure we keep on top of things. This industry requires that. Our service is also a big part of us. We are part of the community we serve.

“We are like family. People love that. But it’s just how we are. We will continue to do the things that we always do.”

Second store

The entrepreneur says investment in the business is ongoing, but that the venture is now profitable. “Yes, to date we have done well since we started. We opened our second store in December 2021 and that is doing pretty well now. We have grown each year since we started, but as you know COVID was a challenge for everybody.”

During the height of the novel coronavirus pandemic keeping pace with demand was a challenge. Now, going forward, the emphasis Harris says remains on “a great product and good customer service. That wins every time in any business.”

Water Drops is looking to expand, but the founder states, “We will do so carefully. That is what we intend. Be careful and strategic in how we move forward. JMMB will always be our financial partner moving forward. They have helped pilot us and are continuing to do so. We cannot continue to talk about SMEs and not support them. JMMB has given us a voice and a much-needed one,” he closed.