Today on “How They Did It” I feature Cenus Hinds, a 22-year-old tech entrepreneur from St Vincent and the Grenadines. Cenus is the creative genius behind Konservi, a technology company in the Caribbean responsible for Tapp – a mobile application that shows deals, promotions, and events and allows you to purchase these using credit/debit card payments. This is Cenus story.
Tell me a little about who you are?
I’m 22 years old and in love with technology. I also love expression, and so I play multiple musical instruments and do a bit of writing.
What was your life like growing up?
I can say I’ve seen the two sides of the spectrum while growing up. The very early years of my life was spent with my extended family, very humble upbringing, my father working to take care of both his immediate and extended family. We eventually moved away from there and built our own place. This is all thanks to the very hard work of my father and the managerial skills of my mother.
What is your business about?
Konservi is a technology company. We have a mobile app called Tapp that allows persons to see deals and promotions from local businesses and purchase them immediately using credit/debit cards. This includes quick and easy food delivery. We’re also working on an eCommerce platform for the Caribbean region which would basically be the Amazon of the Caribbean region.
What were you doing before you started your business?
I was in my second year of college before I started Konservi. Before this, I had a partnership to build All-In-One touchscreen computers, complete with actual branding. This reached as far as speaking with an investor. However, it did not materialize. Before the full launch of this company also, I wrote and published a Young Adult fictional novel.
What inspired you to start your Business?
The need for a platform that’ll show me local deals. I kept looking online for deals on computer hardware and could never find any that’ll work for me and yet, there was no place locally, to get this information. This little need sparked the creation of Konservi.
What obstacles did you face in starting your business and how did you overcome them?
I think some of the hardest things I’ve had to overcome is lack of motivation There were times where I just lost all hope and stopped working on the company. A hiatus like this even lasted about six months. Those are now officially, the most wasted months of my life. Besides that, non-support from integral individuals. I overcame these by learning to constantly self-motivate. From there, I began feeling like I had to establish this business. It was no longer a choice but a mandate.
Whats next for you and your business?
The Amazon of the Caribbean. We’d have beta ready in a couple of weeks to test out the website.
What is your best advice for young people looking to start a similar business?
Realize your dream and press towards it. When someone doesn’t understand something, the first thing to be said is that it won’t work. Decide to self-motivate and work towards your dream.
Click here to see how Christina Hunte built a Creative Marketing Agency in Barbados or How Heidi St. Clair Built a Childcare business in St Lucia.