A SMALL business woman of Georgetown has admitted that her business has really taken off, since she was featured in SEARCHLIGHT earlier this year.

“I am doing so much better than I was doing before.”

These are the words of Denise Richards, who is earning a living by making and selling coconut oil.

Her story was featured in the Friday May 6 issue of SEARCHLIGHT.

Speaking to SEARCHLIGHT on Thursday August 11, Richards gave a brief update on her coconut oil business.

In the past, the young agro-processor had to journey long distances to source dried coconuts.

She said this has changed and people now bring coconuts to her home.

“Because of the newspaper article, people does come right home here with coconuts for me to buy and I does buy from them.”

“This makes it much easier for me and I go to the mountain less often now,” Richards stated.

She started her coconut oil business to earn money to support her family and pay her bills.

Her business has also expanded, at first the young woman made oil to sell by the bottle.

However, since her public exposure, business has grown to the point where she is now selling coconut oil by the case.

When SEARCHLIGHT visited her home on Thursday, Richards was busy preparing to fulfil an order from a customer.

“A customer in town want two cases and that is what I am getting ready to do right now.”

“Sometimes customers order up to three cases at one time.”

Richards said she is very happy for the way that her life has been transformed since she decided to earn a living for herself.

“I really like to thank the SEARCHLIGHT newspaper,” Richards said with a broad smile.

When we interviewed her earlier this year, Richards admitted that making the oil was no easy task.

“It is not easy work at all, sometimes I have to go way up into the mountains to gather coconuts,” she had stated.

Before starting her own business, Richards endured about five years of unemployment.

The mother of five children faced many challenges then, until she started making and selling coconut oil.

This venture has brought about the transformation that Richards needed to improve her life and the lives of her children.