Donning branded t-shirts depicting the logo of their father’s new venture, sisters Ayzia-Alaia Marriott, who is 10 years old, and Amira-Ali Marriott, who is six, beamed with joy on Saturday as they watched their dad officially launch his courier and bill payment business in downtown Kingston.

Ackeem Marriott, the owner of Marriott Couriers, was the recipient of congratulatory hugs from his girls, who were made to understand that the business, located at 45 Spanish Town Road, will form part of their legacy.

Marriott, who uses his daughters as his motivation, made a bold move to set up business in West Kingston, in the vicinity of Denham Town and Tivoli Gardens. Whenever people question his reasons behind choosing the location, he tells them it’s the right thing to do.

“Some people ask why I come here, and I say, ‘Why not here?’ These services are not being offered in the community, and these are services that these people utilise on a daily basis. When we came up with the idea, the community supported it 100 per cent. It is something they have been looking for.

“No longer will someone have to go all the way into downtown Kingston, Cross Roads or Three Miles to get these services. It’s right at your foot. It’s just the stigma with violence that kind of shifted the business focus from here, but this is where opportunity is,” Marriott told Observer Online.

Marriott shared that he is no stranger to the field of business, explaining that from as early as high school, he has been experimenting with entrepreneurial ideas.

“I have a lot of entrepreneurs in my family, whether it be on a structured or unstructured level. Growing up in that environment and seeing that, even if I didn’t want to, I couldn’t avoid it because it was already in me. I used to sell things at school and from there I explored with many ventures.

“Now we have the courier with a MoneyGram and other money services as well. We also do bill payments. Persons can order online and we ship it straight to Jamaica. We are just trying to offer a wide range of services to West Kingston and just build on that,” he said.

“This is another of my dreams come true. The girls are really my motivation. I want to show them work etiquette, hard work and what it really takes to be successful or just to fulfil your dreams. If you have an idea or a dream from you are young, you can grow up and fulfil it. It just takes work and dedication. Definitely, this is a huge milestone,” Marriott added.