Meet TheGiftChest. A brand that promotes affordable gift ideas and options to fit any budget. Owner Reshma Balramsingh says that she tries her best to provide unique, novelty and specialty gift items by hand selecting & picking each item herself in the hopes to achieve a fun environment and an affordable means of gift shopping for all types of clientele and budgets.
“I usually try to update stock 3-4 times throughout the year to ensure fun, new & engaging products in the store you wouldn’t really find anywhere else. I also try to keep my items niche by only importing minimal pieces in an item or product to encourage that “special” feeling when buying something. I personally think when buying something, knowing you’re gifting or gaining something rare, makes it a whole lot more special. It also allows me to have a larger variety of items to choose from, rather than bulk buying.”
Apart from TheGiftChest, Reshma has a part time job as a pilates and yoga instructor where she teaches private classes, and her full-time job is an operations manager for a printery & advertising company. “As a result, I had to travel a lot for business conventions and whenever I came back with items I purchased for my own use, many people would always compliment me on it or ask where I would’ve gotten it from; saying they don’t usually see cute stuff like them around to buy. That’s essentially where the motivation to open a gift shop originated.”
Reshma added that when it came time to shop for friends and family for occasions, she would automatically opt to shop online because she (at the time) didn’t know of any easy-go-to gift shops with the type of items she would’ve been interested in that offered affordable enough prices to sway her away from online shopping. “Because I was facing this challenge, (esp when last minute gifts were involved) I knew I couldn’t be the only person. So that’s what I tried to create and make possible with the store. The gift shop idea also gave me the opportunity to marry both my full-time job and my small business venture together, by not only supplying gift items but by being able to provide customisable/personalised gifts as well! By opting to go this route, it made my time management and my days easier as my focus was split into 2 places instead of 3. However, one challenge I faced was the mandatory early closing hours the store has due to its’ mall location. In order to overcome this issue, I now offer TTPOST delivery & delivery to public meeting spots after store and class hours.”
When it comes to milestones along her journey, Reshma says the major ones would be her educational achievements and the overcoming of the initial set up issues of the store. “I have had TheGiftChest for approximately 2 years now, but I’ve only started marketing and promoting it heavily within the past year. Being a bit of a perfectionist, I have taken the extra time and effort within the past year to ‘perfect’ the types of items and services I am proud of and this has finally given me the sense of confidence in the business I knew I was previously lacking.”
In getting to know the face behind TheGiftChest, we delved into a little bit of Reshma’s background. “In terms of my academic accomplishments, I completed my education at tertiary level at the age of 22. I hold an MBA with specialization in strategic management, a BA Human Resources Management & multiple certificates in public relations, marketing & sales, public speaking, project management and more. I strongly believe knowledge is power. As such, I’m extremely gratefully for my academic opportunities as it allows me to understand theoretically how things function or at least how its supposed to function. But, at this current stage in my life, 5 years post university, I would say most of these qualifications are for self-fulfillment. From my exposure working in the real world and dealing one-on-one with customers, I think it’s safe to say you hardly ever apply what you’re taught in a classroom. I deal with people from all walks of life on a daily basis, hearing their stories & life experiences, helping to choose a gift for that someone special or even just friendly faces who’ve turned into regulars stopping by the store just to say a simple ‘Hello’. Personally, I think this is more valuable than anything that could’ve been taught in a classroom. It might sound simple, but these little experiences and gestures has given me a greater appreciation for a lot of things in my life.”
When asked about lessons learned along the way, Reshma admits to gaining experience from both the working world and the entrepreneur world. “I would say based on my time spent in both worlds, I have grown my level of adaptability to situations, appreciation for each and every one of my client interactions and my ability to think outside of the box. It has also taken me outside a lot of my comfort-zones, as with running a small business there’s no guarantee of a fixed income, but you learn to make it work over time. And MOST importantly, it has taught me how to deal with people in a professional, respectful manner by doing everything I do with humility in all things.”
And does Reshma have any advice for budding entrepreneurs? She sure does! “My recommendation is to never think you have to do everything all on your own when you’re now starting out. Use your network, communicate with friends, family and existing business owners. Any and all information received is always useful. Share your ideas and receive advice from your loved ones, the people in your life who love you will never lead you wrong. For me, my parents have always been my main support system and go-to’s for advice. But, most importantly whatever you choose to do; work hard, always keep learning and trying to educate yourself, and do something that brings you joy everyday.”
TheGiftChest offers a myriad of products to choose from, as well as the services/options available to customise or create an item. “I think the accessibility to good quality products and affordability are currently the strongest points in my business. However, due to Covid-19 and travel restrictions I no longer have the ability to travel and pack my own boxes. This has made it so much more difficult to keep my price points on target. However, I’m still determined to keep my products affordable. At TheGiftChest I pride myself on catering for all types of customers and pockets, so no matter what your budget is, you’re sure to get something special to gift.”
TheGiftChest- Making Gift Giving Easy & Affordable!
Contact information
Facebook: TheGiftChest
Instagram: @TheGiftChest
Email: mailto:reshmab@mac.com
