Jewellers hope to strike gold with help from NatWest

Paul Vivian, his wife Sriranjini and son Shan have opened Sabari Jewellers in South Harrow, north west London, specialising in 22 carat gold and designer jewellery.

The shop, a former bakery, is on a prominent position in South Harrow so the family hope to attract a fair amount of passing trade and will are hiring two part-time members of staff from the local community.

The Vivians will also develop an online service to extend the reach of their products as well as continuing to promote their new business.

Banking relationship

Paul has banked with NatWest for more than 20 years and, working with Garey Reyes, Senior Relationship Manager at NatWest in Harrow, he secured a loan of £250,000 from the bank, backed by the Government’s funding for lending scheme.

“We have always wanted to open a jewellery shop and after seeing a gap in the market in the South Harrow area, we thought now was our chance,” he said.

“As this was the first time we have ventured into the jewellery business we needed expert advice, and Garey was a huge help in this area. He was very motivating and gave us invaluable guidance. Without him we wouldn’t have been able to get the commercial mortgage in order to buy the shop.”

Opening a new business

Garey Reyes from NatWest said: “Opening a new business in a different sector can be confusing and stressful so it was my aim to make the process as simple as possible for them. This new store will be a fantastic addition to the South Harrow community and I’m sure people will also be coming from far and wide to buy from Sabari Jewellers.”

Although this is the first jewellery store the family has owned, Paul has a successful business background with three Costcutter franchises to his name. Sriranjini has also spent the last two years working in the jewellery industry and Shan recently graduated with a finance and economics degree.