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whole new world for attracting thousands of
international customers. Since then, through
the use of popular social media platforms
like Facebook and YouTube, online sales have
skyrocketed, leading to a year’s worth of Sacha’s
Buttercup Setting Powder being sold in a single
month. “Our website is one of the most highly
ranked in the business and currently, half of our
export sales is through e-commerce,” Maharaj
explained.
Well on its way to conquering the Western
Hemisphere, the forward momentum gained
in CARICOM markets was abruptly halted,
however, when Sacha turned its gaze southwards.
Non-tariff barriers in Latin America became
stumbling blocks for Maharaj as he tried to
expand the reach of the cosmetics company into
that market. “CARICOM is trouble-free, as well as
the US andCanada. Tackling the LatinAmerican
market is fraught with difficulties, as the non-
tariff barriers create headaches for exporters. You
have to register everything, but the registration
process is really to keep you out. You get frustrated
and leave. It is very costly and time consuming.
In Panama alone, we have to register every shade
of lipstick and every shade of nail color, so by
the time we are ready to get in, we already spent
US$150,000.”
It is these high costs that can make or break a
business seeking to expand to overseas markets,
and at a time when entrepreneurship is being
extolled as the salvation of the region, Maharaj
believes governments and support organisations
must look to aidmanufacturers. “These agencies
can open these markets for us by going to
exporting companies making quality products,
and say ‘well, let me open up markets for you by
paying your registration costs and all you have to
do is go and sell your products.” If governments
want to expand the marketing base and help
eradicate some of the ingrained disadvantages
we have operating in small, developing markets
this needs to happen. That way, you diversify your
economy, gain foreign exchange and keep persons
in the country employed,” he insisted.
Refusing to be disheartened by the LatinAmerica
situation, Sachamade the determination to focus
on spreading the cosmetic line across the US. It
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