AFTER a life-changing incident, Tarryn Tait’s determination and will to succeed came to the fore.
The local business-savvy entrepreneur is now the owner of a successful business venture.
Tarryn’s own entrepreneurial journey is certainly an inspiring one. She started working at 14 at a Spur restaurant and, during the seven years waitressing there, manning the tills and even managing the outlet, she garnered a host of important business skills.
She moved on to work for an antique shop in Musgrave Centre when she began studying business management, adding to the skills set she still relies on to this day.
During this period, and at the age of just 21, she nearly lost her left leg. Tarryn stopped to assist at the scene of an accident and she was knocked over, in the emergency lane, by a motorist who swerved to avoid ploughing into the accident scene.
Her leg was severely damaged and the doctor suggested that it would take at least two years for her to walk again. This simply wasn’t an option for her, and she was back on her feet within eight weeks.
After a painful but determined recovery, she joined a company that did merchandising for large stores such as Game and Makro. She worked on the Game account with the national buyers and 22 large suppliers – she also managed pricing and in-store promotions.
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From there, she moved to a supplier of homeware to large retailers and found herself travelling to the likes of China to source merchandise at the age of 23.
Two years later, a call from the Coventry Group of Companies changed her career path again. They wanted to launch a homeware company and wanted her to run it. Not prepared to take no for an answer, Tarryn said they called her three times each month, for six months.
With nothing to lose, she resigned. Determined not to compete with her previous employer, she focused on furniture and built the company into the largest office furniture supplier to Makro in just two years.
She has grown and eventually bought out the Coventry Group of Companies and took on partner, Wesley Wareham, who plays a hands-on role in the business.
Tait is a mother of two and values having a supportive husband who can step in when she travels.
“Balancing your business, personal and home life is essential for any entrepreneur,” said Tarryn.
For her, discovering and working with factories in faraway places and supporting local families at home through her 22 employees are highlights of what she has achieved so far.
“It is not just about the bottom line. That is very important for me,” she said.
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