Helping small businesses grow

The Little Field Mouse Market, a store conveniently located at Randridge Mall, is helping local small businesses become successful.

Owner of the store, Debbie Fendick said there are two aspects to their business – one which specialises in upmarket events and craft markets and the other which caters to small businesses and their growth within the community.

“This they do by giving space to local entrepreneurs to showcase their own little business within the shop,” said Fendick. “They ordinarily would not get the exposure in big shopping centres because of the rentals.”

According to Fendick, the store gives each entrepreneur the space they need for their business. The store markets and sells for each business and along with that has incentive programmes for previously disadvantaged people.

The shop has, among many other great small businesses, an organic vegetable project. This project is run by those who were previously disadvantaged.

“We try and help those who struggle to grow their business and it has done so well for us to help others that we now have a store in Bryanston Shopping Centre, The Grove Mall in Pretoria and we opened another in Key West Mall in Krugersdorp.”

Fendick feels this is great for the traders as it is great for them to see their businesses grow. “Stores like mine are important because we source local goods to the community. The company has given exposure to people who otherwise would have never had such an opportunity.

“Here they have the opportunity to show their product and also get their names out there to the public and become a trusted supplier to the local customer.”

Her hopes are that when people look at the store they say that it is a community store.

Ultimately, Fendick wants the store to go international and is now looking at opening a store in Botswana and thereafter Europe and Australia. “Expats always want that feel for home when they are abroad and our store can cater to that.”

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