identical phones with me to Jamaica but one of them needed to be unlocked . However , there was only one person in my hometown , Black River , who knew how to unlock cell phones .
This person was not available to immediately unlock the phone . He told me that I would have to wait for a day and was going to charge me more than I had paid to unlock my phone in the UK . That ’ s when a light bulb went off in my head . Why not create a phone unlocking business ? It was an idea worth pursuing but I knew I needed to know more about phone software and unlocking . I asked my mom to get internet access in our home and I spent 16 hours daily browsing the internet on my laptop learning how to unlock phones and researching equipment that I would need .
I purchased the tools from overseas . They arrived a few weeks later and I was ready to start my business . Brochures were made and distributed in Black River and surrounding communities . Soon after , several people started coming to me to unlock their phones . The Mobile Phone Doctor was born . Instead of returning to the British army at the end of my one year medical leave , I stayed in Jamaica to build the business . It grew quickly and I started to employ people . I managed to put together a great team including three brothers who still operate the business to this day .
It was time for a change in 2012 . Inspired by my love for music , I opened a recording studio .
Wow ! What was the experience like starting a recording company ?
Music is something I am passionate about . Therefore , the decision to start St . Bess Records wasn ’ t difficult . The studio was the perfect outlet for me to use my
Issue � : January ���� sound engineering training and I hoped to transform it into a big label . It had its own sound and vibe that attracted a lot of artists across the country including Konshens , Glen Washington and many others who would occasionally visit the studio .
I took a break in 2013 and returned to England for a while . However , the studio started developing internal issues that were irreversible . So , I decided to close it and use my resources to venture into ecommerce which was another passion I had .
Why JA Deals ?
Ecommerce was a venture that had piqued my interest a few years before I had opened the studio . Finding a local web developer who could build the type of platform that I wanted was challenging . Nevertheless , closing the studio meant that I had more time on my hands to focus on this new business venture . The first step was for me to move to Kingston and spend some time doing a feasibility study . I wanted to understand how brick and mortar stores in Jamaica ’ s city operated and how I could integrate them on an ecommerce platform .
The skillset to build a website wasn ’ t something I possessed at the time . However , I knew that I didn ’ t want to try another developer who might not finish the project properly . The only feasible solution was for me to learn how to build a website . This was another 16 hours per day process . My aim at the time was to make it simple , clean and functional and I would view it from the customer ' s perspective as a guide . The first batch of products listed were products I had been selling at The Mobile Phone Doctor store .
The website went live in January 2014 and I sold my first product a few weeks later . I was elated ! Traction was slow but I steadily worked on making the website better . Website traffic improved and customers began asking for products that weren ’ t listed . The platform slowly grew into an online marketplace with approximately 50,000 visitors monthly . It now offers electronics , pharmaceutical items , grocery items , auto parts , appliances and many more items .
The goods are listed on the website once approved .
Customers visit the website and have the option to pay using a credit card , bank transfer / deposit , PayPal or cash on delivery . Customers may also pick up goods from the vendor ' s physical location .
We offer delivery locally and internationally with a wide range of delivery options
Describe JA Deals in one word
Futuristic . Our aim is to become Jamaica ’ s Amazon and we intend to achieve this objective through remaining constantly innovative and forward-thinking .