Meet the architects of e-shopping in Jamaica

Sheena Gayle, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU: Two young Montego Bay entrepreneurs have found a winning recipe to make e-commerce accessible and affordable while expanding their technology business.

Recardo Hewitt and Adrian Wiggan set up ShopinJA.com, an online trading platform operated from Jamaica.

Both Hewitt and Wiggan studied architecture and have worked in the technical field for years. While they still have the capacity to undertake technical-drawing projects, the two shifted their focus to concentrate on building a viable enterprise.

"ShopinJA.com went live on January 10, 2009, and we have been growing ever since. Our website generates over two million page views per month with an infinite projected growth. We are also involved in graphic design, electronic repairs and maintenance, website design and building, and more. Currently, we also offer BlackBerry phone-unlocking services," the duo highlighted.

They recalled that they had always wanted to build a website, from as far back as in the late 1990s when they saw the power and potential of the Internet. However, with limited experience and resources at the time, it seemed like a far-fetched idea.

made it on their own

Now, with technology and software more affordable and accessible, Hewitt and Wiggan have built there website from the ground up without the aid of a web developer.

Being an entrepreneur is not all fun and without its fair share of challenges, Wiggan outlined.

"We work 24 hours per day, seven days a week," he explained. "Due to the nature of our business, we have to be connected to the Internet at all times at work - at home, and on the road. But being your own boss is something people must strive for. But don't be fooled! It is as much, perhaps even more, work than pushing a regular nine to five."

Wiggan charged: "Do something that you love and have a lot of passion for it as this is the key to keep pushing forward even when things don't always seem to be working out. A business can always be started as a side project, and you can put more time and energy into it as it grows."