Rustam Ali is one of the first hawkers to sell merchandise along Suva's busy streets, and he is still at it after starting this trend 15 years ago.
Nowadays, there are more hawkers selling their electronic gadgets and other wares along footpaths and shop fronts.
"I got this idea after watching a movie from India where it shows people selling on the streets with different stuff and so I decided to give it a try.
"I think I am the first falla in Fiji to start selling stuff on the streets," Rustam says.
Before, the 63-year-old first started off by selling razor blades. Through the years he has included merchandise like socks, phone chargers and old style razors to his portfolio.
He first started selling on the streets after spending his lifetime working for cafes, restaurants and later hotels like the Tradewinds and the Travelodge. He also spent seven years in the Fiji Police Force.
"I like selling like this because nobody can boss you around, just get your own hawkers license and just do your own job," Rustam says.
With the increase in the cost of business and with more competition popping up just about every corner, Rustam is still adamant that there is still a future for him in this business.
"None of these shops see me as competition and none of them complain about me sitting on the sidewalk," Rustam says.
He usually gets his merchandise from wholesalers and other shops as well.
Just like any other business, he has to pay the city council for a hawker's licence and this is something that has been increasing through the years.
"When I first started off, I used to pay $4 a year for the license, but now I have to pay $50 every two weeks and I pay six hundred dollars a year plus VAT."
A normal day for him usually means waking up as early as 5am and setting himself up just like any other business along Suva's Marks Street, starting at 8am.
"Business is the usual you know, things are going slowly for me right now."
But for the last three years, each day has been a struggle after he was partially disabled after a motor vehicle accident.
Now Rustam uses crutches to move around but it has not hindered his spirits which sees him making the trips to Suva daily to come and sell his wares.
With the income from hawking, Rustam manages to look after his family and send his children to school.
"Now the children are all big and I look after my wife at our Caubati home," he said.
Soon Rustam must go on a break - he is scheduled for a hip replacement surgery sometime in the coming weeks, thanks to the free services of a medical professional from India.
"I have just got the confirmation that I will go in for operation in the Suva hospital, hopefully next week, because the doctor from India is here and I have had my blood sample taken, and I will check myself in maybe sometime next week," Rustam says.
In the meantime he has his friend Maciu to look after his business while he is away.
"I have one of my good friends, Maciu, to look after my business," he said.
Perhaps this is the new lease of life that Rustam is hoping for, which will see him put in more years to his business and livelihood.