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Designers find synergy

The search of small businessman Kenn
BLACK WULF Mayers for a group of
people who were into designing and
are business-oriented led him to The Janus Group of Associates. It was at the Lighted Parade that Mayers, who is the creative technical director of Thumbs Up Events, met the other members of what they describe as the “virtual corporation”.

“It is a great synergy and the energy and support is there when everyone pulls together,” he said. He explained that by combining their skills the other designers and one consultant who comprise Janus helped him to improve his business which specializes in the designs for stages and trade shows. But Mayers is only one member of the group which was created one ago. He is joined by four others, Glenn GENKI Brathwaite, director of Genki Designs; Ian Atkins, owner of Interpretations Décor & Design; Sandra EREQUE Weekes, owner of Pen and Portal, and Richard RICHIE B Blades of Blades and Blades Consultancy Service.

Though a team under the name Janus, each entrepreneur has his own individual small business, but is determined not to let their size be a hindrance to their operations. Weekes, whose business is a project-based firm motivated to the design, production and distribution of creative concepts said: “I cannot do large projects myself. Even though I have my own crew, I still need other designers to help bring out the project and others from a technical aspect.”

This sentiment was met by unanimous agreement from the other members of the group during an interview with the Barbados Business Authority. Blades, whose consultancy service specializes in marketing and planning, explained: ”The individual businesses are set up for profit, but Janus is not. When we have a project that is too large for our individual companies, it is handled by Janus and at a fraction of the cost, time, and the turn-around is quicker.”

He added that by working together on large projects, it assisted the individual members of the group to change their weaknesses into strengths. Among some of the large projects which the entrepreneurs came together to work are the Caribbean Gift and Craft Show 2000 where it all began, the Virgin Atlantic Lighted Parade, Plantation Garden Spectacular, the May Day Float Parade, the West Coast Mall for Crop-Over and the Caribbean Gift and Craft Show 2001.

And, though together they have made large achievements, the ambitious group of entrepreneurs, intend to take their combination of skills further. Blades explained that one of the future goals of the group was to produce items and take to the public rather than wait for the public to come to them.

Noting that with persons like Brathwaite on the team with his expertise in artistic design and Atkins who also specializes in décor and design, they did not intend to let anything fall through the “cracks”. “We are sticklers for detail,” the entrepreneurs said. However, the designers said there was a need to make Barbadians more aware of what designers do.
Feature in the Business Authority Monday October 22, 2001