Business Weekly – Roteek Island Franchise

Tereapii Vakapora once dreamed of supporting the justice system as a policewoman. Now she supports her fellow Cook Islanders as a businesswoman.
Vakapora, owner of the recently-opened Roteek Island Franchise in O’oa, Tupapa, had her law enforcement career nixed by a relative. Instead, she worked in the family’s coffee lounge in Auckland’s Onehunga Shopping Mall. Along with tasting coffee, Vakapora also received her first taste of operating a business.
Since returning to Rarotonga 16 years ago, she has nurtured a desire to open her own store.
“It just wasn’t in me anymore to work for anybody,” she says. “But the question was, what can I do that no one else was already doing?”
Nearly two weeks ago, Vakapora transformed what was once Nga’s Designs into Roteek Island Franchise.
The business’s name originated from the names of her four children: Roimata (9), Tekura (4), Enua (15) and Kimberley (16). While the business is family-orientated, Vakapora has assigned Enua the responsibility of being the frontline sales person.
“He is the face of Roteek,” she says. “He’s very polite and open with our customers.”
The fact that Roteek specializes strictly in locally-made products is the store’s point of difference. It stocks a wide range of handicrafts, including jewelry made from pata-apuka and poepoe.
“It’s mainly about using resources we have on the island,” says Vakapora. “We’re promoting the Cook Islands, so why not promote Cook Islands products? It’s a natural part of our identity.”
Her shop sells pata-apuka from Rakahanga, black pearls from Manihiki, and oils and hand-woven baskets from Mauke. In return, she supplies suppliers in the Outer Islands with much-needed goods such as sugar, bread, and so forth.
Vakapora says it wasn’t until she became a born-again Christian that she realized her desire to become her own boss was based on all the wrong reasons.
“I always thought that owning a business made you look good,” she says. “But after giving my life to the Lord, I realized that I wanted to own a business so I could help the little people of the nation. We’re all in the same boat.”
“I also wanted to prove to people that God is real. He has not only blessed me with finance, but with more friends.”
But it wasn’t all red and rosy, Vakapora admits. Like so many entrepreneurs whose dreams are bigger than their bank accounts, the availability of funds has been the major stumbling block in her attempt to accomplish her business goals.
“But I never gave up,” she points out. “I put my trust and faith in the Lord to open doors for me, and He has. I’ve learnt to make do with what I have. It’s a lot of hard work. But, at the end of the day, I get my personal satisfaction.”
Today, Roteek’s products have gone beyond the shelves of Vonnia’s General Store, to be available to consumers as far away as the U.S. and Germany. Vakapora is also filling orders from locals for pata-apuka used for costume making.
“It’s all working out slowly,” Tereapii says.
Selling locally-made products, however, isn’t the only thing keeping Tereapii and her family busy.
“We also sell candy floss,” she says. “We bag them and supply them to Muri Outlet, Kia Orana Store, Super Brown, Convenience Store, Turamatuitui, and the Corner Store. It’s going very well.”
Since 2005, Vakapora and her family have operated at the Punanga Nui Market, selling hand-made jewelry and assorted foods.
“We started very small,” she says.
While business at the O’oa shop hasn’t been overwhelming, Vakapora understands it’s still early days.
“People are still getting to know where we are,” she says.
In the future, she hopes to add a café to the existing site, and to employ locals to help out with the family enterprise.
“I’d also like to stock more products from the Outer Islands,” she says, extending a warm invitation to those who wish to sell their handicrafts or food products from her hut.
Roteek Island Franchise is open weekdays from 9am to 4:30pm. With the stock expected to increase in the near future, Vakapora may soon consider opening the shop on Saturdays. In the meantime, you will be sure to find her at the Punanga Nui Market on Saturdays.
“This all wouldn’t have been possible without the lord,” says Tereapii.

By Sally Hosking

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