Don’t let her youthfulness be an assumption that her success was ‘overnight’ as Sherma Gregoire has been in the making for over a decade now.
At 27, the entrepreneur from Fond St Jean is the owner/chief executive officer of Heaven Scent and has been identified and awarded by the Dominica Youth Business Trust (DYBT) as one of the nation’s top young business persons.
Gregoire started her business quest in 2000 just after leaving high school and after she had completed a year long training course in soap making with the Youth Division. Back then she was 17 and a shareholder of Coal-Pot, a business she started in partnership with two other friends. During that time she completed her training in soap making with a United States consultant.
While Gregoire stayed with the company, she directed its sales and marketing while establishing business connections and learning more tricks of the soap making trade.
In September 2008, in the quest for more independence, she founded her own enterprise and with more help from the Youth Division she accessed funds and started the production of medicated soaps in the convenience of her Loubiere home.
Today, Heaven Scent is now located at the Canefield industrial Estate, with a four-member female workforce and exports soap to St Maarten, Tortola, Antigua, Guadeloupe and Trinidad.
The economic spin-off is wider and more far-reaching than Gregoire’s pocket. She explains that she views soap making as a way of helping in the development of her country since Heaven Scent’s production is fully dependent on raw materials like oatmeal, cinnamon, aloe, natural herbs, noni, coconut soap, bay leaf and sulfur, all sourced locally.
Her product is a hit among tourists and distributed in Dominica by road side vendors, pharmacies and major supermarkets.
To keep up with competition, Gregoire maintains that she is constantly looking for ways of improving.
“A lot of my time I spend researching, reading books, online and asking questions of elders,” Gregoire admitted of her strategy.
When asked about some of the struggles and pitfalls experienced in the past, she remained positive. “I never had any doubt, am very ambitious; I know what I could bring to the business and what the business could bring to me,” she pointed out.
However, Gregoire mentioned that due to the lack of readily available raw materials, sometimes Heaven Scent has not been able to meet the quantity demands in the international market and has lost business opportunities that way.
Gregoire thinks that the future could be made brighter with some intervention from government in the assistance of herself and other small business establishments.
“I think we need the international exposure, mentor-ship, spend some time with the people out there, so some of the things they do, the professionalism, can rub off on us,” she stated.
For now, the youthful lady from rural Dominica is focused and she wants a larger share of the international market pie.
She is grateful for the influence of Julien Pacquette, the encouragement of Christopher Robert and Lannice Defoe for the development of Heaven Scent.
Sherma,
I forgot to ask how can I get some soap from you?
Ann Woody
Hi Sherma,
Congratulations! WOW, what a surprise! I’m really proud of you and would love to talk. So many things have changed since I was there.
I’m so sorry I lost contact with everyone. I miss my life in Dominica.
I know you’re very busy but email me and give me the scoop on the C-P!!
Great job, Sherma.
Ann Woody
Congrats to you, hope those other lazy S \of B
Congrats Young lady. How about posting this one D.N.O. Fool me once shame on me fool me twice shame on you:
Wonderful work Sherma. We can be nothing but proud of you
Congrats to you young lady, you are on your way to big things. It is always a please to see other women doing positive things. Stay focused and be a good listener to advise and be careful of those who will seek to distroy you. Who knows you may be the future owner of DCP.
On another note, you may want to reconsider the name of your product “Heaven scent” this name already exist and is a US based company who manufactures the very same type product. You may also want to create a web presence for your company.
Good luck.
Hey hey hey!! im so proud of you girlie!! sherms u deserve all this praise and more! Growing up in Fond St Jean has its trials and challenges but you have succeeded and showed us what the meaning of ambitious is!!! i wish you all the best, keep striving and keep making us proud! soo good to see u untop! good luck and God bless!
congratulatoins to whom ever u a knowing that u a from fondstjean and am from bagatelle keep it up good job
she could speak directly to local farmers or other women that own land to produce the raw materials needed (oatmeal, cinnamon, aloe, natural herbs, noni, coconut soap, bay leaf and sulfur) to support international demand, the only government intervention needed is access to the markets and maybe some tax breaks.
Go girl! I’ve purchased soaps from your business before and I love them. I hope more Dominicans follow in your footsteps. Good luck.
THE COMMUNITY OF FOND ST. JEAN IS PROUD OF YOU SHERMA MAY GOD BLESS YOU GOOD JOB.
Positive, ambitious, hardworking, thats what I like to hear. A young lady with vision. Congratulations.
Keep focused and in time you will be Dominicas version of the late Dame Anita Roddick who founded The Boby Shop. Her products are all made of natural products (and untested on animals).
There is now a Body Shop in almost every shopping centre/high street in the UK.
Must admit I’d never heard of Heaven Scent, but will now start buying your products and will introduce them to family and friends when they visit.
you wonna give her some paper loving huh? You should love her even later because she is still struggling….opportunist!
Congrats to you Sherma, follow your dreams the sky is the limit, God Bless
Congrats and all the best. When I come down for Fest, I will look for your products!
Truly impressed young lady. Congratulations.
I FEEL SO PROUD SINCE I AM FROM THE SAME COMMUNITY AS SHERMA..
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I WISH U GREAT SUCCESS AND PRAY THAT GOD SENDS HIS BLESSINGS UPON U SO THAT UR BUSINESS WILL GROW EVERYDAY..KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND WORK HARD..SUCCESS COMES FROM HARD WORK AND DETERMINATION..
STAY AWAY FROM NEGATIVE PEOPLE AND ALWAYS TRUST IN GOD..
WHENEVER I COME TO DA I WILL BE LOOKING FOR UR SOAPS FOR SURE…
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
I’m impressed! All the best!, I do think that you will strike it big soon.
congratulations my girl. my company sells the product and it is the fastest seller of its kind. i was introduced to it couple yrs ago and the oatmeal scrub does wonder on my face. if i run out n use any other soap i get instant breakouts. continue doing ur thing. great job and congrats again
i remember when u started in 2008, glad to see u are expanding.
make time for me to show u how to expand into the markets that will take sales thru the roof.
call me lets go over that plan again.
that noni is the key to the UK market as it sells like crazy in the health dept of tesco.
you go girl Sherma i see your products on shelves at stores in the USVI and i purchase it the sulphur helps well with my face. keep up the good works.
Wow!! congratulations young lady you are making yourself and all Dominicans proud. You are so young yet have that entrepreneurship spirit. I know that the market will flourish and you will be rewarded for your hard work. As one of the contributors mentioned, your face tells the story, your skin looks flawless that means that your product is good. Hope to test your product on vacation. Once again C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S !!!!!!
DOMINICAN IN CHICAGO SAID THAT FOND ST. JEAN IS ALL ABOUT FISHING. WELL THATS THE TRUE DOMINICAN DREAM CONGRATULATION.
you go cuz, all the best , just keep the head up u know, and all good tings go follow through you hear, just bless up. more love .
Congratulations. Good to see some positive news from a young Dominican. A positive attitude goes a long way. It helps you see opportunities.
I should also add: Last week Bello was complaining about the lack of raw materials for there products. Now i see the same complaint here. We have enough land and farmers to supply our small industries. We have been talking about diversification in the Agri industry for years. When is the ministry of agri going to capitalize on theses small opportunity. there should be no reason that this younlady shoul loose business opportunity because she cannot supply demand due to lack of raw materials.
We have estates like Hampstead going to waste.
I rest my case. I wish this young lady well and is looking forward to see her product in the states. I think i will have to get my familly to order me some.
Always knew you were FOCUSED.Keep up the good work Sherms,god bless.
This is such a great story! Congratulations Sherma! We need more folks like you …
Congratulations to you Ms Gregoire. Hurry up a join the Dominica Manufacturers Association. Talents are welcome to boost the manufacturing sector of our island.
Kindly contact the Invest Dominica Authority.
Having a photo/story of her is perfect advertisement. Look at her smile and skin, you can’t help but go out there and buy her products. Last year when I visited home, I was at Whitchurch and Ms. Ed/Laville was the one introducing me to all her procucts. My sister was telling me Ms Ed/Laville must have shares (smile), because the way she was promoting the products. So it must be very good stuff, I bought quite a few products.
“Good Luck”.
Keep up the good work ! Is there a website and can we buy online.
Good vibes. Continue to surround yourself with the right people – people that can help advance your vision for your company. Access to low-cost capital is always a hinderance, try to be as creative in this area as in your product development strategy, while excerising the necessary pre-cautions. Blessings
Positive Dominican!!! Congrats my girl. keep the good works going. One Love.
Very positive and encouraging story. There is hope for the youth of my country indeed!! Keep it up girl!! Big up Julien!!
Thanks Julian Pacquette for your influence over this young lady and many others of the southern community. Such a great story, thanks DNO for posting. I had not known of heaven scent before, I definitely will be supporting your product from hence forth.
God bless you and more blessings. STAY POSITIVE
i love this story! positive vibes! just goes to show that no matter what your circumstances are. with ambition, you can achieve ANYTHING!
Good work Ms. Gregoire. Keep doing the great job you have already done so far and I wish you even more success in the future. Btw I love your Glory Cedar soap.
Congratulations!! This is the type of story I love to hear coming from DA. Are the products available online? I live in the US and whenever I have family coming they know the only thing I want is Coal Pot soaps. When I come home I spend hundreds of dollars on them as well, I leave extra space in my luggage just for the local soaps.
With that said I will gladly purchase your soaps as well when I get home. This is what JFK meant by the quote ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country’. Keep up the good work and on my next trip home in October I will definitely be stocking up on your soaps too!!
Very well said!!!!!
i love that .
well said openminded,young lady GODS speed.”HEAVEN SENT”nature at its best.
You go girl!!!!!!!! That’s what it is all about!!Nuff respect!
I love to read such stories about fellow entrepreneurs, keep up the great work, and remain focused. Don’t be scared to get trust worthy investors to move your company forward to where you wan to see it. Do not put a cap on your success or your vision.
well my dear i wish you the best you need t\o be more locally known as well i want yoiu to know that you must keep your sanity to get help from govt you have to sleep with the ministers. so work hard god will be with you.
Truck, you sound like a truck indeed, a bedford one at that!!!! One with old suspension springs, no shocks and a bad muffler
******************We can do it if we really want*********************
Ms.Gregoire I wish you endless success…………….. we need more like you in the manufacturing industry! You are truly a heavens “sent” to DA.
-Thans for your contribution to DA
Amazing! isn’t it? more amazing is the fact that Dominicans have not seen it fit to share the comments congratulating this young lady. Certainly, if this was a failure, politics would have been the reason and that would have attracted tremendous comments. I therefore would like to be as positive as possible. sweetheart, you are getting as much out of your undertaking as you actually are putting in and therefore, you need to continue to do what you are doing.
I am a user of your product especially the sulfur and they are all very good stuff. I wish you the very best and may the Good Lord continue to bless you with wisdom that you may be able to continue to improve your products.
I could not put it better….. you are so right.
Come on!! The story was released half an hour before your comment although that’s generally the case. But lighten up!!
Now there’s wonderful story! Here is a lovely young lady who did not waste time making excuses for failures but instead got busy placing all her efforts in ensuring success. I pray to the Father that your businesss grows and grows. You deserve it!
This is the kind of inovation and entreprenuerial spirit that Dominicans can invigorate within a culture of optimism. Clearly the path to success is not always easy, but what is the alternative? For those who sat on the side walks and throw rocks at big goverment while doing nothing, maybe there is something to learn from this up and coming inovator within the great environment in Dominica.
You go cuzzo!!! Heaven Scent, is a quality product on the market and I’ll keep saying it. On hot summer days like these, the bayleaf soap is the best, keeps you cool, refreshed and energised for the day.
married?
Sherma we are so proud of you, keep it up! Those soaps are really good. God bless you girl.
why the dislike button?…… I can’t understand some people…
Bcuz pple hate and grudge for anything… So when they don’t like to see another person elevate themselves they keep on hating.. I can’t understand some pple.. Jealousie is the root of evil.
Congrats Sherma..