It hasn’t taken long for a one-man business selling smartphone accessories at a shopping mall kiosk to expand and quickly move into a retail unit before relocating again, a month ago, into an even larger shop space.

That’s the journey Kenneth Pemberton has taken during the past two years as his business Gear & Gadget Bermuda (G&G), has rapidly established itself.

The business not only sells various accessories and gadgets associated with smartphones, tablets and laptops, it provides a repairs and support service.

Its success is a testament to Mr Pemberton’s drive and vision to fill what he perceived as a gap in the local market.

“There was a void that other businesses were not fulfilling at the time,” he said. Mr Pemberton has been involved in the telecommunications field for many years, and for a time was an Apple specialist.

When he was made redundant a number of years ago, he kept working by making home visits or having customers bring their broken computers or mobile devices to be repaired or serviced.

His social media presence on Facebook and Instagram helped secure customers, and it was through an online message that he was made aware of the opportunity to operate a kiosk at Washington Mall. The kiosks are aimed at entrepreneurs looking to take a tentative and low-cost entry into the retail world.

He set up with a kiosk to sell covers and accessories for smartphones and tablets, including Apple, Samsung and BlackBerry devices, while continuing to provide support and service to customers, particularly those using products installed with Apple operating software.

However, the kiosk did not last long. Three months later he was confident there was sufficient demand to take the next step and relocate into a retail unit in the mall.

During all this time Mr Pemberton continued to refresh and enhance his own skills in servicing and repairing electronic devices, to ensure he had a high level of proficiency with the workings of many leading makes of mobile devices, tablets and laptops.

A month ago, he relocated the business for a second time, moving the G&G shop to larger premises within the mall.

It sells an ever-growing inventory of accessory items and also has a workbench at one side of the shop where customers can see their broken or malfunctioning device being worked on by Mr Pemberton and an assistant.

“That serves two purposes. There are still a lot of people who do not know about us, and when people walk by they see us working here on the bench and it might spur them to bring in a phone that needs to be fixed,” said Mr Pemberton.

“And with this open kitchen format people can see what we are doing. They can see us take a device apart in front of them and we can show them why it has stopped working, or what needs to be done.”

Mr Pemberton believes the demand for the type of services G&G offers is only going to increase.

“We want to be at the front of people’s mind when they have any technical issues, so they come along to G&G.”

The shop services and repairs top brand devices including Apple, Samsung and BlackBerry. Mr Pemberton and his team keep up to date with changing trends and upgrades.

Customers can walk in with a device they want to have looked at, alternatively G&G continues to offer residential visits to service mobile devices, laptops and computers.

“We also sell a full range of accessories and gadgets for laptops, PCs and mobile devices,” said Mr Pemberton, who has future plans that may see G&G retail cellphones.

For now he is pleased with the way G&G has proven to be a winner with customers.

“At this location we have been open for a month and we’ve been well received,” he said.

“We do what we do well and people love the customer service we give. And I really enjoying doing this.”

Gear & Gadget Bermuda has a Facebook page at www.faceboo.com/GNGBermuda, and can also be contacted by e-mail at gngbermuda@gmail.com or by phone on 824-2222.