This June, the Entrepreneur Weekly highlights family-owned businesses. Many Jamaican businesses are family-owned, contributing meaningfully to employment, community development, and the informal economy. Some of these businesses have gained a competitive advantage through strong family involvement leveraging trust, shared vision, and generational commitment.
This is the story of a business fuelled by the love of husband and wife, Sheldon and Shanika Cardoza, hailing from Manchester, Jamaica—Klutch JA Organics. From the cramped quarters of a one-bedroom apartment to retail shelves across Jamaica, Klutch JA is a powerful example of what happens when business meets family and love.
The brainchild of Sheldon Cardoza, Klutch JA began with a simple idea for a side hustle and quickly evolved into a thriving, all-natural skincare brand—with roots in the kitchen and branches now spreading across the region.
“I read an article from the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) and it says that Jamaica imported over $44 million worth of cosmetic products. And I was like, $44 million worth of cosmetic products? And say, you know, that Jamaica has a rich fauna and flora in terms of, you know, raw ingredients and materials and so forth and things like that. So, we can definitely use that and make our own natural products.” That thought sparked the birth of Klutch JA, deliberately spelled with a “K” to differentiate it from a car part and to symbolise holding on tight to a vision.
The first products weren’t flashy. Just four handmade soaps: tomato, charcoal, turmeric, and cerasee—made from natural, locally sourced ingredients. But they carried purpose. “At first, it was about business,” Sheldon says, “after doing it for a little while, I recognised that, you know, a lot of persons actually had real issues in terms of skincare issues. You know, acne, eczema and so forth,” and the passion for helping kicked in.
By 2019, the business was registered. In December2020, they opened their first physical store. The apartment that once served as a production hub, complete with makeshift shelving, drying racks, and family shrink-wrapping contests, gave way to a retail space stocked with growing product lines.
Today, Klutch JA boasts 18 soaps, a collection of body creams, scrubs, lip balms, and castor oils, all formulated and handcrafted with care.
Sheldon focuses on production and innovation, while his wife Shanika leads logistics, marketing, and strategic direction, “My wife basically does the coordination as it relates to the logistics of, you know, sending out the orders, taking the orders. She manages all the social media posts. And basically, does the entire marketing aspect. My focus overall was more on the production side. You know, getting those products manufactured and thing over time. And try to develop new formulation and introduce new products.”
At the heart of Klutch JA isn’t just its products—it’s Family.
“Trust is at the centre,” Shanika shares. “We were building something while bonding. Our business conversations happened over breakfast or while sealing soaps in the living room.”
Through the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), Sheldon was able to access the Gemini Grant of $1M, which offered crucial funding for scaling production and enhancing product quality. The JBDC also provided business development training, helping the couple navigate areas like product certification, inventory systems, and packaging standards—tools that proved essential as the brand moved from home-based operations to formal retail partnerships and export readiness. “We learned things we never considered, like the importance of inventory management or getting certified lab results for exports,” says Sheldon. Klutch Ja Organics also won the Manchester leg of the MSME Business Roadshow Pitch Competition hosted by the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce (MIIC).
Distribution has expanded steadily. You can now find Klutch JA in all of JBDC’s Things Jamaican™ stores, Fontana, St. Bess Pharmacy, Proactive Lifestyle, and other outlets. And bigger plans are in motion. “We’re working toward full regional distribution,” Shanika explains,“ and we’ve signed our first manufacturing contract in the UK.”
Fambili Legacy
Klutch JA is among family-owned businesses which form part of Things Jamaican’s Fambili Legacy promotion. Under the theme ‘From Yaad bonds to Yaad Bonds’, the promotion showcases brands that have emerged over family generations to establish a legacy for families and the future of Brand Jamaica.
Some of these brands include:
- Liberton
- Pure Chocolate Jamaica
- Desilva Hall Designs
- Chocollor Chocolate
- Home Choice
- Portland Authentic
- Bartley’s All in Wood
- Flavours of the Past
- Vintage Chic
- Kabreco Designs
According to JBDC’s Marketing Services Manager, Janine Fletcher-Taylor, “The period is a celebration and honouring of important relationships that make persons whole& grounded whilst understanding and appreciating your roots. A happy and cohesive and bonded family makes a healthy community. Bonded communities lead to greater nation building.”
Continuing, she pointed out that the focus on family-owned businesses demonstrates the importance of creating a pathway to generational wealth and sustainability and growth for Brand Jamaica.
A Proud Family
Despite challenges like supply chain gaps, balancing demanding careers, and learning to delegate, the family remains grounded in shared purpose. “We’re both Christians,” says Shanika. “We never make a move without prayer. That’s our foundation for our marriage, our family, and our business.”
And their proudest moments? For Sheldon, it was seeing Klutch Ja products on the shelf. “That felt surreal,” he says. For Shanika, it was reflecting on the transformation from sparse shelves to a store overflowing with soaps, oils, and creams. “It’s literally night and day,” she smiles.
As they look ahead to factories, export markets, and generational legacy, Klutch JA stands on the power of family. Building something beautiful, together with love at the centre.
Visit www.thingsjamaicanshopping.com to shop some of Jamaica’s best products built on a ‘fambili legacy’.
St. Elizabeth & St. Catherine, You’re Next!
The JBDC is on a mission to train 2700 MSMEs to use digital technologies in their businesses under the European Union (EU) and Government of Jamaica’s (GOJ’s) Digital Jamaica Project. With over 800 entrepreneurs already trained, the JBDC is on the hunt for the next set of MSMEs who are ready to learn real world digital skills. Register now for upcoming trainings in your parish.
