Forced by collapse of a finance company to become an entrepreneur
Not only high-tech IT but creativity, talent and designing with innovative creations could also be transformed to produce attractive, marketable products.
Ranil Ferdinando arranges a flower basket using a variety of dried flowers etc
The difficulties in life that the average person face also energises people to become innovators to create products, first for a living and then developed into a huge business.
Ranil Ferdinando from Nelumpura, Ratmalana creates floral arrangements using his talents in artistic designing. All the material he uses is natural but not fresh. He goes to places like Hambantota and collects items like mahogany fruits, illuk and manna flowers, pines’ flowers and fruits and many such items that grow freely in scrub jungles, water holes and marshy land.
Some of them are boiled and dried and then painted with attractive colours. While this material is used to make ornamental flower baskets which are commonly used by others, what is different in his product is the novel way of arranging and designing that catches the eye. There is a combination of dried leaves, flowers, nuts and even roots that make his creations stand out of a crowd.
‘Kaduru’ nuts are boiled, cleaned and dried and used in these arrangements and various items from the coconut tree, palmyrah trees are combined to make different varieties.
Earlier he had been in business involved in wall and floor tiles, first with his brother and then with another partner. When his business partner migrated to New Zealand the business ended and all the funds available with him were deposited in F&G Real Estate. He began to live off the interest from this investment.
However once this finance company collapsed, he was forced to find alternative ways to make a living. He started making flower vases and baskets and sold them to various shops frequented mostly by tourists. His creations were also purchased by the Industrial Development Board (IDB).
Referring to his F&G deposit, he says for the last six years he hasn’t received any interest payment.
He said that many people were badly hit by the unscrupulous and fraudulent financial companies and the failures could be attributed to the inefficient monitoring of these financial institutions by the Central Bank. What is now needed for him to promote his business further, is financial backing. Now that government inaction (Central Bank) has forced him to lose his money in the financial company, the authorities are obliged to grant him a loan or an outright grant as he is trying to do something productive with his life.
He is another individual who called the Business Times (BT) to seek support to profile his work. When the BT visited his residence in Ratmalana to find out how he manages his business, the living room of his residence was a mess of a (dried) flower garden. He says he is blocked by banks not giving small entrepreneurs like – and in particular those who have been duped by finance companies registered with the Central Bank – loans. Interest rates are also high.
He said Government authorities should have a scheme where innocent people duped by fraudulent but registered finance companies, offers a helping hand to those who are trying to recover on their own by starting a business or some economic activity.
He told BT that all what the state agencies – Tax Department, local authorities, Pradeshiya Sabhas, etc – chase after businessmen to squeeze them out of various taxes while no genuine help is given to honest entrepreneurs like him.
Anybody wishing to help Mr. Ferdinando grow his business could reach him at 0773784045.