At a very tender age Jahmani Tomblin knew he wanted to be his own boss, which was what led him as a pre-teen to walk into his entrepreneurial pursuits with the start-up of his company 876 Rugdealer.

With bold and captivating messages, the young entrepreneur creates eye-catching doormats and welcome signs for his clients, which helps to set the tone for entry to their homes, offices, and just about any other space. To a lesser extent, he also creates planter boxes for agricultural and gardening needs.

“The main reason I started my business was because I wanted to become my own boss and to make my own money in order to create financial independence and not having to depend on my parents. The business was funded from my savings, along with the contribution of friends and family.

“This summer marks two years since I started operations and it has been amazing so far. In learning new things every day and getting the chance to engage with different clients, the business has helped me to grow personally, fuelling my passion and creativity to come up with even more insightful pieces,” he said to the Jamaica Observer.

“The slogan for my business is ‘let the mat chat’ and that is exactly what it does. It says what you may be afraid or would want to say to your guests. These custom doormats not only provide you with a difference for your entry portals but also helps to prevent unsightly dirt and other debris from being dragged into homes or establishments,” he further told Sunday Finance.

Creating a niche for himself in a market where he has little competition, Tomblin said he has over time been able to witness an expansion of his client base, which oftentimes keeps him very busy in fulfilling his growing orders.

“I started off with my target market being mainly homeowners, but it has over time expanded to everyone as people began to request mats as wedding or birthday gifts for friends and family and for their businesses as well. The competitive advantage is also favourable because I do not have a lot of competition. The products I find to be highest in demand are rugs with the patois slangs like ‘Tun back if yuh love chat people bizniz’ or ‘Wipe yuh foot’ ” he noted.

As a full-time student who only gets the time to focus on business during his spare time and on the weekends, Tomblin, who at the moment operates as a one-man band is largely assisted by his parents, mainly his mother Esther Elias, who actively processes orders and procures materials for production among other duties.

Happy that he is also able to steer clear of much challenge at the moment, Tomblin’s greatest desire in the coming years is to, however, see his business grow into becoming a household name and his products a national brand.

“Within the next three to five years my hope is to expand to other locations outside of Montego Bay, where I’m currently based, and to also sell my products outside of Jamaica. Now operating from the confines of my home, my aim is to also transition into having a storefront with a showroom where more customers can just walk in to view and order products at their own convenience.

“I also want to create employment opportunities for other creatives within the short to medium term, especially as I position to bring new styles of rugs for businesses and hotels. In a next couple of years I also want to add a merch line as I have lots of ideas that I want to bring to life on garments,” he stated.

Considering himself blessed to have been able to chase after his passion while honing his craft at an early age, Tomlin urges other young entrepreneurs who may be thinking about starting their own business to just go for it.

“My greatest achievement to date is just being able to have a platform through which I can not only earn but being given the opportunity to inspire like-minded youth that they, too, have the ability to pursue their dreams. With determination and hard work, there’s no cap on how lucrative owning one’s own business can be. If an individual aspires to build wealth, there’s no reason they can’t achieve that goal. The scariest part of starting a business is getting started, while I highly recommend knowing more than I did before getting started, I also recommend getting started before feeling ready, because that day will never come.

“It is also very important to surround yourself with others who are doing something similar and to feed from positivity to have your business grow and thrive,” Tomblin said.