Pull Quote: “You really can’t please everybody, but at least try to please as many people as you can.”By Leon SuseranThe family unit is struggling with all sorts of issues these days, leading to many break-ups and fragile ties. FamiliesAhmad Allyare held together by strong ties and bonds that keep their foundation solid. Our ‘Special Person’ this week,Jerseys NFL Cheap, Mr Ahmad Ally, has cemented his family through a business that started out in humble beginnings and has become a household name in Berbice and indeed, Guyana.Mr Ally, a popular businessman, father, friend and associate of many in Berbice and further afield, is a pioneer in his own right, and a special person in many ways. He has a deep care and concern for the general public, particularly his customers and employees.His ordinary family backgrounds and beginnings and the little education he received could not afford him a posh job to provide for his mother and other siblings after the death of his father, but fate was to take him on a new journey; a journey to entrepreneurship that would result in him managing one of Berbice’s largest businesses and one of Guyana’s largest chain- stores. This brought out in him the better qualities of a human being, and the many ways he has used his business to touch the lives of numerous persons.He also is thankful for the “commonsense” that he has which has played a large role in his entire life.Born to Munshi (father) and Jahooran (mother) on October 28, 1949 at Rose Hall Estate in East Canje, Ahmad grew up at neighbouring Reliance Abandon. He attended St Patrick’s Anglican School and Reliance Sanatan Public School until 1963 after which he wrote the Preliminary Certificate Exams. Due to certain circumstances,Cheap Jerseys From China, he left school to assist his mother and two brothers. The family had a little grocery shop and parlour at the home.In 1968, he joined the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Rose Hall Estate as a labourer where he remained for two years. He was then offered a permanent job to harvest cane which he accepted. On September 20, 1970, he married Bibi Zulaka after they met while attending the same Masjid.Ally later started working with an American firm, MK, as a labourer, to build the Corentyne Highway, for three years. In 1974, he was offered a job at the GuySuCo field lab in Canje. He then worked at the Senior Staff Club from 1974 to 1985. He represented Rose Hall Estate in a number of games such as dominoes, darts and billiards at various events.In 1978, he was offered a job to work part-time with the American Life Insurance Company as an insurance agent, so he juggled the two jobs (at the Club and Insurance Company). He was awarded Top Producer for two consecutive years. He had over 700 policies in force.In 1985, during a discussion with a good friend of his, L.P. Singh, who managed the L.P. Singh Furniture Store in New Amsterdam, he was given an offer to buy and manage that store. Quite skeptical to partake in the new venture (his desire was to become a teacher), AllyMr Ally (centre) and his family (including in-laws) during a recent event at the store in New Amsterdamknew he had two good jobs and was uncertain about the risks of dedicating himself to something quite new and even more challenging.“He [Singh] insisted because I really didn’t want to come, I didn’t know what I would be reaching in New Amsterdam, I was quite settled at the Estate, but he encouraged me and I took up the challenge”, Ally reflected. However, he accepted while still holding on to his other two jobs and managing the main affairs of the store. He had to leave someone in charge though.After a few months, he realized that there was “some potential” in the business and then decided to commit himself fully to the new venture. He resigned from GuySuCo and managed his store. He started to add a few hardware items for sale. The first couple of days were hard, he reflected.“I could remember one day I spent the whole day and I only sold one envelope because nobody knows you and such like”, he said. After renting the first location of the business at the old Brown Derby location at the corner of Main and Church Streets in the town, Ally decided to move and expand his business.In 1991, he moved to the current location of the main store at 14 Main Street, New Amsterdam. He decided to open more locations of the store after a few years. The Canje Turn location was opened in 2000; Home Depot, 2003; and Corriverton branch in 2006. He never realized in his biggest dreams that life would have changed so drastically for him and his family, since A. Ally & Sons turned into Berbice’s most popular business.There was a big fire in 2002 at the main store and this resulted in millions of dollars in damage. The location was closed for six months. It was then a task to start to rebuild. “Maybe it was a test, and from there on I have i