Jun 16 2014.
views 1002Suramya Perera is the owner of the successful and creative business ‘Sue’s World’ that deals in party décor. Her creations are versatile, elegant and monochromatic when needed and fun and imaginative at other times. She is a working mother who focuses on the joy of her work and the time she gets to spend with her children through this venture.
What prompted you to start this?
Well, while I was in school, I was on decoration committees and things like that. I’ve always liked it. It’s the sort of thing I made for my friends. Then after I got married and had my kids I thought, why should I just stay at home? So I thought of opening a store called ‘Sue’s World’. I didn’t have time for a physical store but thanks to social media you don’t need one. People in general also are more interested in crafts, they like things that are handmade, not just flowers or store bought things and that’s great.
Was it difficult to start this up? And also keep going once you started?
When it comes to craft related stuff I tend to start hoarding things and everything becomes a bit of a mess so I had to learn to organise and to be neat and also how to manage my time. As far as the business is concerned, it started to spread by word of mouth. I have 3 kids and they also want to get involved. They’re good, they want to do something similar to what I do but they don’t pull things. It’s good because it builds their motor skills and creativity. It also taught me that while it’s necessary to have a wonderful house, it’s also important to have fun, and the kids learn to clean up after themselves.
One thing that still is difficult though, is trying to get around the lack of resources available here. For example, I couldn’t find black tissue paper so I used garbage bags! This has got me experimenting and I love that. The internet is a brilliant resource too. It gives me a lot of personal joy, even with work I still do it, and I put a lot of myself into it – more effort than the monetary aspect seems to reward me some would say.
What sort of parties do you do? Any type in particular that you love?
I do Kiddie parties, Weddings, Dinner Dances and other events. Each event requires a different sort of style, for example weddings would call for elegance whereas a kiddie’s party requires things like animals and other images. I enjoy kiddies more because of the variety of themes, they are so exciting! A customer recently asked me to do a jungle theme with animals in 3D, as realistic as possible! That definitely is a challenge but I love it. The parents are so enthusiastic and it’s lovely to see.
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What future plans do you have, for Sue’s World as well as yourself?
Sue’s World has opened a lot of avenues for me. I want to start a blog very soon, and upload different types of crafts and also show people that this is what you can do at home with your children. It will also have tips and tricks that I have learnt, and where you can buy specific things in Sri Lanka. I wouldn’t want to just market things, but to help people out. I’ve had a very supportive family, my husband is completely understanding and tolerant of what I do, and my parents and in laws have been lovely. My friends too, they’re great because they give me business and help me find crafts! Without all of their support I wouldn’t have been able to do this and they are what drive me forward.
By Marissa van Eyck
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Ajit F. Perera says:
Jun 16, 2014 at 12:00 amThank you Marissa, for this article about my daughter in law! My wife Ajantha