Investment confidence in Tobago is being restored as business activities are trending upward, the latest being the Fan Club, a novelty store offering a wide range of items for sports enthusiasts.
The Fan Club will open its doors on Monday, at Pelican Plaza, Milford Road, Crown Point Tobago.
Chairman of the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Tobago Division Curtis Williams told the Sunday Business Magazine that he is pleased to see young and small businesses coming forward to boost the island’s economy.
“I am happy that the Fan Club in Trincity had that confidence to open a branch in Tobago and that the branch owner is one of our own, which is great news,” Williams.
Owner of the Pelican Plaza, Loye Warner, who also owns Penny Savers Supermarket, said many people approached him to have a food store in the spot the memorabilia store will occupy.
“I wanted something different as Crown Point is known as the food hub, so when the branch owner approached me, I agreed. Crown Point is where things happen so business would be fruitful. The other seven tenants I have at the Plaza said while revenue is not booming like pre-pandemic, sales are good. So, I expect the Fan Club to do well on that strip,” Warner explained
Vision to open a Tobago store
41-year-old Dwain Bedlow, branch owner of Fan Club, said every football season he would go to the Fan Club in Trincity Mall for the uniforms and the merchandise for Manchester United, the British football club, of which he is a fan.
“I’ve always been saying how I wish this store would come to Tobago, not thinking I would be the branch owner. Being a Manchester fan, I met Chad Phillip who works alongside the owner Valentino Singh, and I realised that Phillip used to host a lot of fan club stuff. So just randomly I enquired how it was possible to have a Fan Club on the island.
“He then introduced me to Valentino and that is where he saw my passion for the sport. Valentino mentored me like a father, and told me about the pros and cons of the business and here we are. He guided me right through the process and then we decided to collaborate and have a branch together,” Bedlow said.
Asked whether he believed that such a store would be sustainable on the island the young entrepreneur said that he considered that and created the store not only as the Fan Club but it would be promoted as the ultimate gift store, on the tourism side there will be a lot of Trinidad and Tobago souvenirs, along with a stationery section.
He said a Lotto and Play Whe booth will also be included as well as a MoneyGram.
“There are several different attributes that would contribute to help generate income monthly. So, it’s a mini-mall in the store,” Bedlow chuckled.
Obtaining capital to run the store he said besides being a security officer he also has a Promotions company of 10 years, that helped generate the capital, so he did not have to take a loan from a financial institution to start the business.
Beldow, who is also an Airport Authority security officer at the ANR International Airport, said the store was supposed to be opened for Christmas, but there were delays, as there was a drug store in the said spot, so they had to move, and the place had to be prepared.
Questioned on what some of the challenges businesses encounter, the young entrepreneur outlined that many times Tobago businesses have to depend on Trinidadians to spend money on the island, to generate into the economy.
“The Trinidadians and the tourists are the ones who support more in sustaining businesses, but you are seeing the gradual change, so I can safely say that people are coming around when it comes to the nightlife and excessive shopping,” the businessman mentioned.
Owner of The Fan Club, Trincity, former Guardian Sports Editor, Valentino Singh, said he was pleased to partner with Bedlow. “He is a young, ambitious, and hard-working man who is very focused, and we are very pleased to associate our brand with him. We have no doubt the hundreds of fans who flew over to us in Trincity would find the store ready and willing to ensure that they had all they needed to support the beautiful game.”
“When the young entrepreneur came to me and said he was interested in opening a similar store in Tobago, there was no reluctance on our part, to give him the benefit of our experience. “We gave him all the fixtures we had and the best advice,” Singh disclosed.
For a young entrepreneur, Singh said he is already demonstrating a very mature approach to business.
The Fan Club opened its doors in Trincity Mall in 2016.