Businessuite December 2012 by Miguel Rowe

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

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Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

editorial Our Top 50 Women in Business listing represents the epitome of those success stories.

commitment to living their dreams and contributing to the economic development of Jamaica. They not only contribute to the country’s GDP through the income they generate but through the thousands of jobs they create in an economy where jobs are increasingly hard to come by.

Equally important is the inspiration they provide; inspiration to In our previous issue, we looked at issues and stories sur- young women and even young men, that the entrepreneurial rounding women in business, both the struggles and the suc- spirit is alive and well in Jamaica, regardless of gender or age. cesses. Our Top 50 Women in Business listing represents the Look no further than at young turks like Yaneek Page and Gale epitome of those success stories. Here are fifty women who Peart, as evidence of this. These women have chosen to invest have made a mark in business in their different and in cases in Jamaica instead of taking their skill and talent up north as unique way. Some operate what could be considered already many of our professionals seek greener pasture. These women established enterprises such as Columbus Communication, renew remind us that anything and everything is indeed posGeneral Accident and LIME. Others are the founder and opera- sible with the requisite hard work, drive and business acumen. tor of their own operations which they have built through sheer As reported herein, the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica determination and the indomitable will of a woman. Look no will this year induct its first female inductee in twenty years further than operations such as Honey Bun, Edgechem, Man- into its Hall of Fame. This is a significant feat for her and all power and Maintenance Services, Restaurants of Jamaica women in business. Businessuite salutes Mrs. Lorna Myers Limited, Jencare Skin Farm, Diesel Equipment and Services, – Chairman of Restaurants of Jamaica Limited, owners and and the list goes on and on. Some are power brokers who operators of KFC and Pizza Hut in Jamaica. She continued to work behind the scene while others, like Audrey Marks, Dr grow the mega food chain, despite the sudden death of her Blossom O’Meally-Nelson, Beverly Lopez, Kay Osborne and husband – proving that no road to success is without its speed Minna Israel have been in the business limelight for quite a bumps, and more importantly, that challenges should never few years now. deter from the goal. The point is that there are different ways to carve your name in the world of business; all these women have proven this. They run the gamut of professions, industries and years of tenure. They are wives, mothers, sisters and supports systems for their families. For all these reasons we acknowledge and salute these women for their dedication, business savvy, and

CREDITS: Publisher: Aldo Antonio - blackslateholdings@gmail.com Executive Editor: Damian Wilson- advertising.businessuite@gmail.com Graphic Design/Layout: MD Studio - www.mdstudioja.com Photo credits - Sourced from the internet and contributed Advertising Sales - businessuitemagazine@gmail.com

Find out what’s the latest SME business news and features from Jamaica, the Caribbean and around the world go to our online magazine at www.businessuiteonline.com For all information call 876-631-5418 (o) or 876-280-9192 (m) OR email businessuitemagazine@gmail.com Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

As our feature ‘The Rise of the Global SHEeconomy’ proves; the balance of the spending and earning power has and continues to shift towards women. It is an undeniably fact in several regions and countries, supported by empirical evidence. The Top 50 Women in Business is one more piece of that evidence.

PUBLISHERS: Businessuite News Centre A division of the Blackslate Media Group More Info call 876-631-5418 (o) or 876-280-9192 (m) OR email blackslateholdings@gmail.com --------------------------------------------------------------------

Corporate Information: Blackslate Media Group Limited, Kingston 19, Jamaica To learn more about Blackslate go to www.blackslateholdings.blogspot.com

table of contents

Page 14, Special Mention

#46, Page 16

#50, Page 15

#45, Page 16

COVER STORY

Counting Down the FEATURE STORIES

#49, Page 15

#44, Page 17

#48, Page 15

#43, Page 17

#42, Page 17

Most Powerful Women in Jamaican Business for 2012

7. Follow Her Lead: The Rise of the Global SHEeconomy

Special Businessuite Educational Opinion (EDOP) Piece Evidence of this shift is visible all around the world. A recent Booz & Co. report called women “the Third Billion,” meaning that, globally,

................................................................................................ 10. The 51 % Coalition: Increasing

Women’s Participation in Leadership and Decision-making The 51% Coalition: Women in Partnership for Development through Empowerment was launched in November 2011

................................................................................................ 11. Lorna Myers to become First Woman

inducted into The Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ) Hall of Fame If you ask most people who is Lorna Myers, nine times out of ten you will get a puzzled look in return.

#47, Page 16

12. The Worlds Highest Paid Female

Athletes for 2011…Beauty and Business: Game On!! While Jamaican athletes like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price and Veronica Campbell-Brown make a healthy living burning up the track at major events and international meets, those sums pale in comparison to the kind of money the worlds top-earning female athletes generated last year blending branding and business. Proving that sports is indeed big business regardless of gender.

.......................................................... 33. TECHNO-LOGIC:

Five Apps for Women in Business

women + business

Follow Her Lead: The Rise of the Global SHEeconomy Special Businessuite Educational Opinion (EDOP) Piece

{

by Anita Davis-DeFoe, Ph.D.

Author, Organization and Leadership Development Solutionist

}

The power of the purse is gaining recognition and appreciation around the globe. Commonly, it is stated that 85% of buying decisions are made by women and even when married, they still serve as the chief purchasing officer (CPO) of the household. The mushrooming rise of the emerging SHEeconomy is an economic marketplace shift that cannot be denied. This trend can be expected to expand across the Unites States, Europe and moreover in the Caribbean and Latin American.

Evidence of this shift is visible all around the world. A recent Booz & Co. report called women “the Third Billion,” meaning that, globally, they are the next emerging economy. Much of this is a result of women’s growing economic power in developing countries, but even in the US, women hold way over 51.3% of the nation’s private wealth, as Maddy Dychtwald observes in Influence, one of many books on the subject of female economic empowerment to come out in the past 12 months. “We’re on the brink of a massive power shift, a grinding of the gears of history into a new human condition,” she writes. “It’s a world where women can, if they choose, seize the reins of economic control.”

fessional positions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). For every two males who graduate from college or get a higher degree, three women do. This is a trend that is becoming prevalent across the Caribbean as well as University of the West Indies data confirms. And as the US and Caribbean continue migration from manufacturing and agricultural economies to a knowledge-based one, women are poised to snag more jobs. Women in the US make up the majority of the workforce in 9 of the 10 occupations the BLS predicts will add the most jobs in the next eight years.

While it’s true that most women still earn less than men, are far less likely to be in the highest-salaried execuIn October 2009, the United States tive positions and suffer a prohibi(US) workforce became nearly half tive motherhood penalty, about a female: women held 49.9% of all third of women outearn their husnon-farm labour jobs and 51.5% of bands. And according to James high-paying management and pro- Chung of research firm Reach Ad-

visors, who spent more than a year analyzing data from the US Census Bureau’s 2008 American Community Survey, among one specific segment — childless city-dwelling single people in their 20s — the average pay gap favours females: in metropolitan areas, their median full-time income is 108% that of their male counterparts. In some places, says Chung, “they’ve not just caught up — they’re clocking the guys.” In Atlanta, women are at 121% of men’s pay; in New York City, 117%.

Notwithstanding, globally, on average, women are earning, spending, and influencing spending at a greater rate than ever before — and they account for $7 trillion in consumer and business spending in the United States, and over the next decade they will control two-thirds of consumer wealth. In addition to women making or influencing 85 percent of all purchasing decisions, they now purcontinued on page 8

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

women + business To say the least, there are billions at stake globally regardless of the currency, and these days women are at the centre of the discussion no matter how one views the economic marketplace. But 91% of women say that advertisers don’t

understand them,

chase over 50 percent of traditional male products, including automobiles, home improvement products and consumer electronics. Companies like Midas, Best Buy, and countless others are retooling their marketing strategies and in some cases their products and services in an attempt to meet “she” needs and distinctive requirements. And women are increasingly making the buying call in industries where men have traditionally held sway. In 2007, women were $90 billion worth of the $200 billion consumerelectronics business. They’re $105 8

billion of the $256 billion home- before agonizing over the backache improvement market. They’re 44% it gives her. Some mothers felt beof NFL fans. littled. Overnight they formed a group, and @motrinmoms gave J&J Given this power shift, few indeed a Twitter headache as emotions esare the industries that aren’t try- calated. The company apologized ing to lure the female dollar, even and canceled the ad. This is the formerly deeply studded fields SHEeconomy at work. like computers, cars and financial services. Harley-Davidson Interesting enough purchasing powhas a Women Riders section on er of African Americans, in the abits website. This year, Cuban cigar sence gender considerations is promanufacturer Habanos launched jected to reach or exceed one trillion the Julieta, a smaller, milder cigar dollars in 2012. According to the aimed specifically at women. 2010 US Census, African Americans alone had an average household inThen there’s Isaiah Mustafa, the come of $52,084, however, when hunky Old Spice guy. Rarely has a combined with African and Caribcampaign for a men’s product been bean immigrants, the average incrafted to be more appealing to come raises to $53,934. This is quite women, from its parodying of the understandable once you examine sexist way women are often por- the average household incomes of trayed in such commercials to its certain well-represented groups, mockery of the idealized modern such as South Africans ($125,668), male partner, a hot man who can Nigerians ($94,030), Guyanese bake cakes and build a kitchen and ($76,316) Ghanaians ($74,500) and get two tickets to anything — while Jamaicans ($72,237). Moreover, a on a horse! After a couple of com- 2009 study by New American Dimercials, Mustafa took to YouTube mensions and commissioned by the to give customized video respons- US African Chamber of Commerce es to tweeters’ requests, including touts that African immigrants living a wedding proposal. You could in the US have a purchasing power talk to Mustafa, and he would talk of nearly $50 billion. back. He wasn’t a celebrity endorsing a product; he was your friend. To say the least, there are billions at It’s relationship marketing with an stake globally regardless of the curactual relationship, even if it’s a put- rency, and these days women are at on one. The result: in the past six the centre of the discussion no matmonths, sales of Old Spice body- ter how one views the economic wash products have risen 27%. marketplace. But 91% of women say that advertisers don’t understand Johnson & Johnson found out about them, so clearly this is a required the power of the SHEeconomy in discussion in the boardroom, on a painful way, with a 2008 Motrin golf courses and throughout the campaign that followed the inner “good old boys network,” if an ormonologue of a mom toting her ganization does not want to be left infant around in a baby carrier. It out of this growing economic wind“totally makes me look like an offi- fall. cial mom,” she notes in a Web video Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

women + business With women entrepreneurs growing across the globe, elevating from the ranks of what is commonly referred to as “ghetto microenterprises” to evolving small and medium size business owners, the SHEeconomy certainly is fostering a 21st century consumer group that can no longer be ignored.

Businessuite offers 30 surprising stats to help marketers get a handle on this misunderstood demographic.

Earning Power

1. The average woman is expected to earn more than the average male by 2028 2. Fifty-one percent of US private wealth is controlled by women 3. Women account for over 50% of all stock ownership in the US 4. Women control more than 60% of all personal wealth in the US

Spending Power

1. Women account for 85% of all consumer purchases, including everything from autos to health care 2. Women make 80% of healthcare decisions and 68 percent of new car purchase decisions 3. Seventy-five percent of women identified themselves as the primary shoppers for their households 4. Women influenced $90 billion of consumer electronic purchases in 2007 5. Nearly 50% of women say they want more green choices, with 37% are more likely to pay attention to brands that are committed to environmental causes

Women and Cars

1. Women buy more than half of the new cars in the US, and influence up to 80% of all car purchases 2. Women request 65% of the service work done at dealerships 3. Women spend over $200 billion on new cars and mechanical servicing of vehicles each year 4. Forty-five percent of all light trucks and SUVs are purchased by women

Mom Power

1. Moms represent a $2.4 trillion market 2. Fifty-five percent of active (daily) social media moms said they made their purchase because of a recommendation from a personal review blog 3. 18.3 million Internet users who are moms read blogs at least once a month 4. In 2014, 63% (nearly 21 million) of all online moms will read blogs 5. Moms mention brands an average of 73 times per week compared with just 57 times per week among males 6. Seventy-seven percent of mom bloggers will only write about products or brands whose reputations they approve of, and another 14% will write about brands or products they boycott 7. Ninety percent of moms are online vs. just 76% of women in general 8. Sixty-four percent of moms ask other mothers for advice before they purchase a new product and 63% of all mothers surveyed consider other moms

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

the most credible experts when they have questions.

Women Online

1. As early as 2000, women were found to have surpassed men in Internet usage. 2. Seventy-eight percent of women in the US use the Internet for product information before making a purchase 3. Thirty-three percent research products and services online before buying offline 4. Women account for 58% of all total online spending 5. Twenty-two percent shop online at least once a day 6. Ninety-two percent pass along information about deals or finds to others 7. The average number of contacts in their e-mail or mobile lists is 171 8. Seventy-six percent want to be part of a special or select panel 9. Fifty-eight percent would toss a TV if they had to get rid of one digital device (only 11% would ditch their laptops) 10. Of the more than 500 million people on Facebook, women do 62% of the sharing, serving to demonstrate the growing power of online social networking amongst women globally.

The SHEeconomy is on the rise, so BANK on it. The SHEeconomy is on the rise, so forward thinking businesses around the globe are certain to take notice and FOLLOW HER LEAD! BM

advertorial

The 51 % Coalition: Increasing Women’s Participation in Leadership and Decision-making

The 51% Coalition: Women in Partnership for Development through Empowerment was launched in November 2011 with a mandate to address issues related to the composition of Boards, and recommend measures for their effectiveness. The 51% Coalition (denoting the 51% proportion of women in the Jamaican population) comprises 11 organisations and individual members with a specific mandate to:

• Monitor Boards and build partnerships to improve accountability and governance systems.

Partner organizations in the Coalition include; The Women’s Resource and Outreach Centre, Women Business Owners, The Private Sector Organization of Jamaica, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Panos Caribbean, Institute for Gender and Development Studies (Mona and Regional Unit), Sistren Theatre Collective, Young Women’s Leadership Initiative, Women’s • Promote gender equality on boards and in deci- Media Watch, Association of Women’s Organizasion making as a means of ensuring that Jamai- tions in Jamaica and the Jamaica Women’s Political ca has her best chance at national development Caucus. Several individuals and a team of volunteers • Lobby for quotas- that no Board should have less also form part of the membership of the Coalition. than 40% and no more than 60% of either sex for both public and private sector Boards; For further information, please contact the Coali• Undertake training to support women’s effective tion Secretariat at (876) 929-8873 or email 51perparticipation on boards; centcoalitonjm@gmail.com.

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

women + entrepreneur

Lorna Myers to

become First Woman inducted into The Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ) Hall of Fame If you ask most people who is Lorna Myers, nine times out of ten you will get a puzzled look in return. That’s because this business mogul is not known to frequent Page 2 of the Observer or the latest social soirées. However, Lorna Myers, Chairman of Restaurants of Jamaica Limited, is a business giant who on Wednesday, November 14th, will make history when she becomes the first woman and 20th inductee in The Private Sector Organization of Jamaica’s Hall of Fame. The gala event will be held at the Wyndham Kingston Hotel.

popular fast food brand in Jamaica, KFC - doubling the number of KFC outlets and adding Pizza Hut to the company’s portfolio.

Early on, this entrepreneur knew just how she wanted the organization to develop, being an extremely disciplined and organized person, who always set very high standards in all aspects of her life. She recognized that the company must have the ability to deliver products and service at a consistently high standard, in keeping with the stringent demands of the international KFC Since 1992, the PSOJ has paid tribute to a private sector franchise. Restaurants of Jamaica currently employ leader who has made contributions to the development over 1300 persons islandwide. of the business sector for 25 years or more. Further, the inductee must have demonstrated in depth knowledge Immediate Past President of the PSOJ, Joseph M. of the industry in which his/her company operates, as Matalon, CD in commenting on the decision said “The well as solid commitment to the advancement of this Selection Committee wholeheartedly endorsed Lorna’s industry and to national development. These are crite- nomination for induction ria no one can argue against in this case. Past induct- into the Hall of Fame. She is undoubtedly one of Jamaiees include a who’s who of Jamaican business including ca’s most powerful business women, although rarely in Paul Geddes, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, Oliver Clarke, the spotlight and we are thrilled that she has broken Douglas Orane and Christopher Blackwell. the proverbial glass ceiling to become the first female member of the Hall of Fame.” Restaurants of Jamaica was co-founded and developed by Myers and her late husband Anthony, in 1975. Af- Current President, Christopher Zacca notes that “it is ter Anthony’s untimely passing in 1990, she became fitting that Lorna’s role and contribution to the private Chairman and CEO. Myers continued to lead Restau- sector through her leadership of Restaurants of Jamairants of Jamaica through rapid expansion, maintaining ca, the undoubted leader in the Quick Service Restauleadership in the industry and achieving great success rant industry, should be recognized by being the first for the company. Working alongside her son, Mark, female in the PSOJ Hall of Fame and I look forward to and later her daughters Michelle and Tina, she is re- welcoming her into this prestigious body of Jamaican sponsible for the expansion of arguably Jamaica’s most business leaders.” BM Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

women + sports

The Worlds Highest Paid Female Athletes for 2011…Beauty and Business: Game On!! While Jamaican athletes like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price and Veronica Campbell-Brown make a healthy living burning up the track at major events and international meets, those sums pale in comparison to the kind of money the worlds top-earning female athletes generated last year blending branding and business. Proving that sports is indeed big business regardless of gender.

Maria Sharapova

was the world’s highest-paid female athlete last year for the seventh straight year. Sharapova earned $25 million over the 12-month period, double the amount of any other female athlete in the world. Sharapova maintains an impressive endorsement portfolio that includes Nike, Head, Evian, Clear Shampoo, Sony Ericsson, Tiffany and Tag Heuer. Sharapova has 5.2 million Facebook fans and her partners are

constantly doing things on her Facebook page to reach them. ColeHaan (a Nike subsidiary) ran a promotion for her 24th birthday where her fans got 24% off that day. Sharapova extended her Nike agreement in 2010 for eight years that could net her as much as $US70 million. Sales of her Nike line of tennis apparel were up 26% in 2010 and she now has five other Tour pros wearing the collection. She receives royalties on both her Nike and Cole Haan lines.

The second highest-paid female athlete in 2011 is the former world’s No. 1 ranked tennis player, Caroline Wozniacki at $12.5 million. She banked $6 million

million from sponsors and appearances. Companies are lining up behind the 21-year old Dane hoping to catch tennis’ next big star. She added deals this year with Yonex, Compeed and Oriflame, but her biggest partner is Adidas which paid out lucrative bonuses in 2010.

in prize money and another $6.5

Racing’s Danica Patrick ranked No. 3 at $12 million.

Patrick continues to split her time between IndyCar and Nascar’s Nationwide Series. Her fourth place finish in the Sam’s Town 300 in March was the highest finish ever by a woman in a Nascar race.

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

women + sports Venus Williams is the oldest woman on the list at no. 4 with $11.5 million. Venus maintains her deals

with Wilson, Electronic Arts, Kraft, Ralph Lauren and Tide. She sells her own line of clothing, Eleven, through the Gilt Groupe.

Kim Clijsters at $11 million is next on the list at no. 5. Clijsters retired for two

years, but since returning to the court in the summer of 2009, she has won four Grand Slam events. Her $6.5 million in prize money over the 12-month period is the most on the WTA Tour.

Ninth is Ana Ivanovic with $6 million. Ivanovic is ranked No. 17 in the world,

but signed a lucrative lifetime endorsement deal with Adidas last year that makes her one of the top earners in womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tennis.

At no. 6 with $10.5 million is Serena Williams.

Williams played little over the past year as she recovered from foot surgery and then a blood clot in her lungs that developed months later. Her $33 million in career prize money is more than any other female athlete.

Next at no. 7 is Kim Yu-na at $10 million. Kim launched her own

sports management company, All That Sports, to manage her career. The firm organized ice shows in South Korea and Los Angeles with Kim as the star. Kim is also South Koreaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular athlete.

Rounding out the list is Paula Creamer at $5.5 million. The 25 year-old is the lone

golfer among the highest-paid women. She extended her deal with TaylorMade-Adidas Golf this year which has Creamer play TaylorMade clubs and outfitted in Adidas golf apparel.

No. 8 is tennis player Li Na at $8 million. Li became the first Chinese player to win a singles Grand Slam event at the 2011 French Open. She is set

Haagen-Dazs and Rolex in her endorsement portfolio. Before her French Open title in June 2011, she was making $2.5 million annually off the court, but her newfound celebrity could see that figure jump by more than $10 million. It is estimated that Li earned $8 million (ranked to see her earnings soar as she has been eighth) in the 12-months through June, busy signing new seven-figure deals with which is before most of her new deals companies like Mercedes-Benz maker kicked in. Daimler and others which joined Nike, Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

50 Top 50 Women

Most Powerful Women in Jamaican Business for 2012

Honorable Mention:

Hilary Phillips

Appeals Court Justice

While Justice Phillips is not in business, her influence on the bench warrants special mention. Hilary Philips is the daughter of former chief justice, Sir Rowland Phillips, and is the first female president of the Jamaican Bar Association, where she served between 2001 and 2004. Phillips was admitted to the Jamaican bar in 1974 and was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1998. Phillips, who has been a senior partner of Grant, Stewart, Phillips and Company, has extensive experience in civil litigation and served as a tutor at the Norman Manley Law School in civil procedures since 1994. She was also vice-president of the Organisation of Commonwealth Caribbean Bar Associations from 2003-2006 and has served in several other organisations and has been the Justice Reform chairman since 2007. Justice Phillips rose to the bench of the Appeal Court in 2009.

BUSINESSUITE Magazines Annual ranking of Jamaica’s leading businesswomen A woman of power: she is ambitious, a risk-taker, driven, determined, creative, a confident leader; she is unafraid to allow her passions to order her steps, or her gifts and talents to become her own personal calling card. Across Jamaica, there are powerful women in all sectors, so picking the 50 most powerful is a daunting task to say the least.

How we pick the Power 50 The list is compiled by BUSINESSUITE Magazine based on an established format created by FORTUNE editors, who consider four criteria: • The size and importance of the woman’s business in the Jamaican economy, • The health and direction of the business, • The arc of the woman’s career, • Societal and cultural influence.

Note however that Businessuite was not privy to financial statements from the various companies mentioned, and as such this was not factored into our listing and placements. Readers are therefore free to debate and discuss the names and placement of individuals. However, applying the criteria listed above, BUSINESSUITE Magazine’s list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business for 2012 are:

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

Top 50 Women

50. Sharon Burke, CEO and President, Solid Agency Burke made her foray into the local entertainment business as a promoter during the 1990s, especially famous for the Fully Loaded series of parties. Burke, now one of the most powerful women in the music business, is involved in many different aspects of the industry including event production and artiste management.

49. Kay Osborne

Former General Manager, Television Jamaica (TVJ)

Osborne served in executive leadership positions with US Fortune 500 companies for many years, and was even named by Ebony magazine as one of the 150 most powerful Black women in corporate America, before returning to Jamaica as TVJ general manager in 2004. Under her watch, TVJ has rolled out a number of popular programmes, such as Digicel Rising Stars, and remains a dominant force in the local electronic media landscape. Six months after stepping down at TVJ, Osborne recently founded Kay Osborne Associates, designed to help organizations clarify, develop and implement management, organizational and communication strategies in order for them to achieve their mission

48. Kim Marie Spence

Co-founder, Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI)

Still in her early thirties, Spence is the youngest among our influential women. The former Rhodes Scholar walked away from a six-figure job in investment banking on Wall Street to focus on economic and social development in Jamaica. Spence, who has lived in a number of different countries, recently became the first Jamaican woman to ski on the South Pole.

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

Top 50 Women 47. Beverly Lopez,

Former Managing Director, Kingston Hub Distributors; Cofounder Peak Bottling Company.

Aside from running two successful companies, Lopez made her mark as a hard working president of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ). During her tenure, the PSOJ led the memorable “Stand for Jamaica” which brought thousands of Jamaicans to Emancipation Park in a rally against crime.

46. Marcia Woon-Choy, ActionCOACH Marcia Woon-Choy defines a successful business as: “A commercial, profitable enterprise that works without you. As your Business Coach, I will function as an unreasonable friend who tells it like it is, and keeps you working on the path towards your dreams.” Choy is a certified Business Coach with ActionCOACH, the World’s #1 Business Coaching Franchise (Entrepreneur Magazine, 2004 to 2010). Her goal she says is to help small business owners spend less time working in their business and more time working on your business.

45. Gale Peart,

Founder, Caribbean Fortress Ltd & My Elite Grocer (MEG)

Gale Peart founded My Elite Grocer (MEG), an Internet-based grocery concierge service that affords shoppers the luxury of customized grocery shopping service and doorstep delivery. MEG’s services are available in the Corporate Area and Portmore. Clients can visit the company’s website or call in with their list from a supermarket of their choice. The goods are then delivered within 48 hours.

360 Signature Events is a Caribbean company specialising in the planning and execution of Corporate and Marketing Events including, Exhibitions, Conventions, Conferences, seminars, Sporting and Hospitality Events, Road Shows, Brand Promotion, Product launches, Incentives and Special Event.

www.360signaturevents.com 16

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

Top 50 Women 44. Sandra Bramwell,

Executive Director, Versan Education Services

Sandra Bramwell, Director of Versan Educational Services, has helped to hone the academic skills of young students wishing to study in colleges and universities in the United States. Her successes in over a decade of business are spread across a wide expanse of the US higher education landscape with an everincreasing number of successful scholarship winners added to the many successful placements.

43. Shirley Carby,

Managing Director, Carlong Publishers Ltd

Shirley Carby is the founder and Managing Director of Carlong Publishers (Caribbean) Limited, which she operates with her husband. Carlong’s principal activities are the publication of textbooks and creative literature for Caribbean primary and secondary schools and the distribution in Jamaica of textbooks from the Pearson Education group. Through their holding company, Jabulani Holdings Ltd, the Carby’s in 2009 acquired Sangster’s Book Stores Ltd.

42. Lorna Green,

Founding President, Digital Transtec Ltd

Lorna Green, who used to be a Vice President at Cable and Wireless in Jamaica. In 1984 she decided it was time to leave the corporate world and set up her own business. As a result Digital Transtec, the first and only ICT company in Jamaica founded and owned by a woman, was formed.

41. Ethnie Miller Simpson, Managing Director, Brandz Avenue

Ethnie Miller Simpson is Co-Managing Director of BRANDZ Avenue, a company that innovatively brands people, places and things. With over 17 years expertise in building human capital in Jamaica she thrives on sharing her skills with others. She is also the Former Faculty leadership Advisor, National Commercial Bank (NCB) and Head of Learning and Development, Digicel.

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

Top 50 Women 40. Dena Davis,

Managing Director, Solid Life and General Insurance Brokers Ltd

Dena Davis has received extensive professional insurance training in the USA, Canada and Jamaica and has studied the different distribution systems of insurance and their effects on client services. With over 20 years experience in all classes of insurance she pioneered the establishment of Solid Life and General Insurance Brokers and is unquestionably the driving force in its continued growth and development.

39. Andrea Cowan, CEO, Lillan Limited Andrea Cowan is the Co-Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Lillan Limited, a dynamic company, dedicated to providing the highest quality meats, fish, grains, and pickled meats to Jamaican consumers at highly competitive prices. A graduate of Spelman College, Andrea is passionate about persons making the best of their God given gifts and truly believes that we all have vast potential and should maximize our opportunities to the fullest.

38. Dorothea Gordon-Smith,

Garbage Disposal & Sanitation Systems Ltd (GDSS)

Mrs. Gordon-Smithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s management skills honed over 35 years allows her to operate a successful business, operating 26 trucks collecting waste and employing 160 people.

37. Yaneek Page, Future Services International Ltd Yaneek Page is the pioneer of legal funding and enterprise risk management in Jamaica. She is the founder and managing director of Future Services International Ltd a company which helps litigants get money for injury or damage they suffered. Her company is also the leader in enterprise-wide risk management training and support, helping companies and institutions prevent losses and become more resilient

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

Top 50 Women 36. Dr Pauline Knight Former Director General, Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ)

A social scientist, Dr. Knight is employed to the Government of Jamaica and up 2010, was the acting director general at the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ). She admits she loves to keep a low profile and describes herself not in professional terms, but as a wife, mother, grandmother, and follower of Christ. She joined the PIOJ as a social planner but moved through the ranks of the organisation to hold several senior management positions, right up the very top. Among her accomplishments of which she is most proud is the Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions (JSLC) and the flagship publication The Economic and Social Survey of Jamaica, which highlights issues relating to sustainable development and provides critical data on social, economic and environmental indices.

35. Patricia Francis, Executive Director, International Trade Centre

Patricia Francis is an award-winning business facilitator who joined the International Trade Centre as Executive Director in June 2006, appointed by former United Nations SecretaryGeneral Kofi Annan and World Trade Organization DirectorGeneral Pascal Lamy. She is a former president of the Jamaica Promotions Corporation, now Jamaica Trade & Invest.

34. Minna Israel, Former CEO, RBC Bank A career banker with almost 30 years of experience, Israel spent years as the number two behind William Clarke at Scotiabank Jamaica before spending three very successful years as Managing Director of Scotiabank Bahamas. She returned to Jamaica in 2008 to head up the operations of then RBTT Bank Jamaica, with a mission to narrow the gap between RBTT and the top players in the local market. THE MONA School of Business (MSB), University of the West Indies (UWI), announced the appointment of Minna Israel as Distinguished Business Fellow, effective March 1, 2012. Among the specific activities in which Israel will be engaged is working on developing the executive management development component of the programme targeted at the business community in the northern Caribbean. Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

Top 50 Women 33. Anya Schnoor, Former Executive Vice-President - Wealth Management and Investments, Scotiabank Group.

Schnoor is no doubt one of the most powerful under-40 corporate executives in Jamaica - male or female. With responsibility for wealth management at Scotiabank -- the most profitable listed company, she has one of the most high profile roles in corporate Jamaica. The firm announced in June that Schnoor will succeed Richard Young as Country Head of Scotiabank Trinidad.

32. Grace Silvera, Regional VP Marketing Lime Former Executive Director, Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, Silvera is one of the most respected marketers in Jamaica who spent many years at Red Stripe helping to drive the beer companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exports. Lime appointed her to the position in January of last year to take the fight to mobile telecoms powerhouse Digicel. But switching the focus from promotions to marketing, Silvera and her team recently launched three new campaigns, the latest aimed at grabbing back share in the mobile market. Mobilising her and driving her team, she oversaw the recently launched Talk EZ campaign around new mobile rates, within less than a month achieving what she claims is a 90 per cent consumer awareness.

31. Audrey Chin, Senior Vice-President, NCB Insurance; Co-owner, Lasco

Audrey Chin is a financial sector veteran who has held senior management posts at various companies. She has also been a member of the CHASE Fund board since December 2002 and currently chairs the Finance Committee. But arguably, it was her victory against ex-husband Lascelles Chin in a 13-year legal battle to gain co-ownership in Lasco, which made Audrey such an influential figure to many women.

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

Top 50 Women

30. Dr Blossom O’Meally-Nelson, CEO, Aeromar Group of Companies

Jamaica’s first female post master general and former prochancellor and chairman of Council for the University of Technology (UTECH). Against the background of her outstanding achievements in public service, O’Meally Nelson is making inroads in the private sector with family-owned logistics company Aeromar Group.

29. Carrole Guntley-Brady

First woman appointed Director of Tourism in Jamaica.

In the history of Jamaica’s tourism the name Carrole Guntley-Brady will always be remembered. She brought to the JTB grace, tolerance, tenacity, leadership and good management at a time when the industry faced one of the most challenging periods of its existence. Carrole Guntley-Brady will also be remembered as the first woman to be appointed Director of Tourism in Jamaica. She was appointed Director of Tourism for Jamaica on June 5, 1984. Her distinguished career has marked her as a technocrat and professional with the appointed goal of promoting tourism worldwide.

28. Audrey Marks,

Managing Director, Paymaster

She introduced the one-stop shop bill payments concept to Jamaica when she started Paymaster in 1997. Over the last 13 years, the company has grown from a single branch at Sovereign Plaza in Liguanea with one client and five employees, to 156 locations across the island with 52 clients and over 400 staff members. Marks is a former president of the American Chamber of Commerce and Former ambassador to the US.

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

Top 50 Women 27. Ethlyn Norton-Coke, Tax specialist and attorney

Coke is a former director at Deloitte & Touche. Cokeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s influence spans many sectors including accountancy, law, taxation, tertiary education and healthcare.

26. Sancia Bennett Templer, President, JAMPRO

Bennett-Templer has had a wealth of experience transforming the national airports, both the privatization of the Sangster International Airport and the expansion and upgrading project for the Norman Manley International Airport. She also has significant private sector experience and is regarded as a female pioneer in the shipping industry.

25. Sandra Glasgow, CEO,

Private Sector Organization of Jamaica

Sandra Glasgow is also a member of the Board of Directors of the National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited, the National Export-Import Bank of Jamaica (Ex-IM) and the Planning Institute of Jamaica. She is the Mentor to Caribbean Producers Jamaica Limited. She has been certified as a Director by the Commonwealth Association for Corporate Governance (CACG), a Trainer of Trainers in Corporate Governance Board Leadership by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and a Trainer of Trainers in Business Ethics by the Inter-American Investment Corporation and the US Department of Commerce.

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

Top 50 Women 24. Gloria Palomino,

Managing Director, Diesel Equipment and Services

This successful entrepreneur not only fixed diesel engines, earning a worldwide reputation for the 53-year old Diesel Equipment and Service Company she launched singlehandedly, she also used her positive, keen approach to restore hope and mend lives. Indeed, her business became one of the most successful training grounds for scores of Jamaican men, many of whom now have their own businesses.

23. Valerie Levy, President, Valerie Levy and Associates

Levy is one of the most recognizable real estate brokers in Jamaica. She was president of the Realtors Association of Jamaica from 1990 to 1993, and has been a lecturer at the University of Technology for many years.

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Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

Top 50 Women 22. Deborah Cummings,

Chairman and Managing Director, Century 21 Heave-Ho Properties

Cummings founded Century 21 Heave-Ho Properties in 1990 after recognizing the need for a customer-service oriented real estate company to serve clients wishing to buy, rent or sell properties. And she hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t looked back since then. In 1998, she acquired the local franchise of CENTURY 21 Real Estate Corporation, with operations in over 50 countries, and she is widely regarded as one of the best brokers in the industry.

21. Jennifer Samuda, Principal, Jencare Skin Farm

She combined her entrepreneurial and cosmetic formulation skills to develop Jencare Skin Farm from a modest backroom operation in the early 1980s into the modern production facility and beauty parlors that it is today. The Spa now operates in a luxurious state-of the art facility in Kingston, with branches in Miami, New York and Trinidad.

20. Doreen Frankson, Managing Director, Edgechem

Now twenty-years since she started Edgechem, Frankson continues to defy the economic odds stacked against Jamaican manufacturers. The former head of the Jamaica Manufacturersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association has for years been one of the most vocal voices championing the cause of local manufacturing. Today, EdgeChemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sales have passed the J$800-million mark and employees number more than 140. It now boasts 14 retail outlets, one mobile outlet and some 500 distributors and partners.

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

Top 50 Women 19. Jennifer Messado,

Attorney-at-Law. Senior Partner Jennifer Messado & Co

This highly regarded real estate attorney, who calls many corporate bigwigs her clients, has one of the most revered track records in the field. She is Senior Partner at Jennifer Messado & Co. since 1982 and Managing Partner since February 1984.

18. Audrey Hinchcliffe,

Chairman and CEO, Manpower & Maintenance Services

In 1992, the former hospital administrator from Lorrimers, Trelawny founded Manpower and Maintenance, which today provides sanitation, maintenance and landscaping services to some of Jamaica’s largest companies and public institutions. Hinchcliffe is a former president of the Jamaica Employers’ Federation. In 2011, she was invited by US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to join the US Department of State’s new International Council on Women’s Business Leadership (ICWBL) for a two-year term.

17. Andrea Sweeney,

CEO, Jamaica Livestock Association

Andrea Sweeney is the chief operating officer of The Jamaica Livestock Association, a position she has held since her return to Jamaica in 2002. The Jamaica Livestock Association (JLA) is one of the primary representative bodies for the livestock farmers of Jamaica. Under her stewardship the Association has maintained its position as the main provider of agricultural support and services to the independent farmers of Jamaica. Their wide product range includes animal feed, animal health care products, day old chicks, agriculture chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, hardware items and farm and garden supplies.

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

Top 50 Women

16. Dr. Rosalea Hamilton, President, The MSME Alliance

Dr. Hamilton is a trade policy specialist and founder/CEO of Jamaicaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Institute of Law and Economics at the University of Technology, a teaching and research institute. She holds a PhD in Economics from the New School for Social Research, New York and a LLB from the University of London. Dr. Hamilton is the author of several articles on trade and development. She is also a consultant who has worked with several international organizations, including with UNDP on the Implications for Surinameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Economy of WTO, FTAA, CSME, and ACP-EU Trade Agreements. She has also worked as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Nova Southeastern University, Florida (MBA Programme) and Adjunct Professor at the Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville. Dr. Hamilton was also Chief Adviser to the Prime Minister of Jamaica.

15. Evelyn Smith,

President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association

Her career in the hotel industry began over twenty years ago, in Boston at the five-star Four Seasons Hotel and the Sheraton Hotel and Towers. On her return to Jamaica, she was appointed the opening Sales Manager for Superclubs Grand Lido Negril where she worked for several years. After leaving Grand Lido Negril, she worked as the Resident Manager of Point Village, after which she assumed the position of Director of Marketing, reporting to the Board of Directors prior to being appointed General Manger in 2005. Mrs. Smith is a graduate of the prestigious Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She also studied at the Universite of Aix-Marseille in Aix-en-Provence, France and holds a MBA with honors from Nova Southeastern University.

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

Top 50 Women 14. Sharon Donaldson,

Managing Director, General Accident Insurance Company Limited

Sharon Donaldson is responsible for driving the company’s growth and for overseeing its prudent underwriting and risk management strategy inclusive of establishing the Company’s strong relationships with international reinsurers. Ms. Donaldson has been with the Company for over 20 years, first joining as the Financial Controller in 1989 before becoming Managing Director in 2001. In addition to her responsibilities at the Company, Mrs. Donaldson is a Director of Musson (Jamaica) Limited. She also represents the local general insurance industry in discussions with the FSC and chairs the Finance and Accounting Committee of the Jamaica Association of General Insurance Companies (JAGIC), the local industry association.

13. Dr. Eileen Chin,

Managing Director, Lasco Manufacturing Limited

Dr. Eileen A. Chin, M.D serves as Managing Director at LASCO Manufacturing Limited and served as its Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Chin also serves as a Director of Lasco Financial Services Limited. She serves as a Director at LASCO Manufacturing Limited. Dr. Chin also serves as a Non-Executive Director of Lasco Distributors Limited. Prior to this, she taught at the Giron School of Medicine in Havana from 1993 to 1998 in. She specialized in histology. She has furthered her knowledge and skills development with Lean Six compliance training and advanced negotiation skills training. Dr. Chin holds a Medical Degree from Havana University’s School f Medicine and an MBA in Global Management.

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Top 50 Women 12. Michelle Chong,

CEO Honey Bun (1982) Limited

Educated at York University in Toronto, Ontario, Michelle has been the absolute driving force behind the company’s success. A self proclaimed workaholic, Michelle is a shining example that hard, honest work pays off. Michelle has spent endless hours developing and advancing staff and has ensured that a Christian spirit is maintained within the organization and that positive family values are always promoted through the companies marketing activities.

11. Marlene Street-Forrest,

General Manager, Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE)

Street Forrest has effectively run the JSE as an efficient financial market for over 10 years. She played an important role in the formation of the Junior Exchange and is a major force behind the planned integration of regional stock exchanges.

10. Angella Whitter, CEO, Whitter Group The Whitters are developers of the almost three-decade old Ironshore community which spans 1,300 acres and now features residential, commercial and light-industrial developments. Its properties include Whitter Shopping Village which officially opened in December 2010 with 240,000 square feet of retail shopping, dining and entertainment space and the Ironshore Golf and Country Club in Rose Hall, Montego Bay. The Country Club is an 18-hole parkland style, par-72 course which has garnered the reputation of being one of the most interesting courses in Jamaica. Proving that they are also socially responsible, The Whitter Group handed over a cheque for $601,000 to the Cornwall Regional Hospital’s Hemodialysis Unit in August of this year. At the handing over, CEO Angella Whitter noted that “My Company has a passion for the hospital and for giving back.”

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

Top 50 Women 9.

Diana Stewart,

Managing Director, Stewart’s Automotive Group

Stewart’s Automotive Group is a family operated business founded in 1938 by Lionel Arthur Stewart, father of Richard Stewart. Aside from being the Managing Director and driving force (no pun intended) behind the Automotive Group and a astute businesswoman who was along with her husband Richard was jointly nominated as Outstanding Business Leaders of the Year in 2008, Diana is a dedicated philanthropist. As head of the American Chamber of Commerce of Jamaica, Diana was behind the building of a new and interactive police station and clinic in the community of Grants Pen, resulting in what was a volatile community now being a relatively peaceful model community of tolerance. She has also served as a director of the board of supervision, focusing on care for the elderly and disenfranchised, and had a stint as a committee member of the National Chest Hospital and was able to engineer the much-needed reroofing of one of the wards.

Michele Rollins,

Chairman, Rose Hall Development

Michelle Rollins is the widow of John W. Rollins Sr., who made his money in pest control, truck leasing, outdoor advertising, and other businesses in Delaware and elsewhere. After the passing of her husband twenty years ago, Michele went on to run Rollins Jamaica Ltd, the holding company for the Rose Hall vacation resort. In 2010, Rollins reported her family fortune to be between $92 million and $350 million dollars. While most of that money is held in trust for the children of John Rollins, Michele Rollin’s personal 2009 income still ranged from $1.6 million to $13.3 million.

Thalia Lyn, CEO, Island Grill

Lyn rebranded and developed what was once Chicken Supreme into one of the most dominant and recognizable restaurant chains in the local fast food market. Plans are underway to launch a new Island Grill restaurant in Barbados - its second on the island -- in accordance with Lyn’s regional expansion strategy. There are presently 15 Island Grill restaurants across Jamaica. An additional three restaurants will be opened this year, two in Kingston and one in Sav-laMar. The company is considering locating a restaurant in Mandeville and is in the process of assessing demand. Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

Top 50 Women 6.

Rita Humphries-Lewin,

Founder and Chairman, The Barita Group

Rita Humphries-Lewin has been at the forefront of Jamaica’s stock broking industry for over thirty-five years. One of the first women in this hemisphere to become a stockbroker, Mrs. Lewin went on to become the first female Chairman of a Stock Exchange in the Caribbean. She led the Jamaica Stock Exchange in this capacity in 1984 and again in 1995 to 2000. Under her tenure, she spearheaded the establishment of the Jamaica Central Securities Depository in 1998 and the development of electronic trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange in January of 2000. Mrs. Lewin also served as the Chairman of The Development Bank of Jamaica participating in the development and implementation of Jamaica’s “Highway 2000” project and the “Harmony Cove” project in Trelawny.

Lois Sherwood,

Managing Director, Restaurant Associates Ltd

In addition to being Managing Director of Restaurant Associates Ltd, operators of Burger King and Popeye’s, Lois Sherwood is an accomplished and successful visual artist. She sits on the boards of several Jamaican companies, the most significant being Restaurant Associates Ltd, the company that holds the franchise for Burger King and Popeye’s restaurants in Jamaica. Burger King is currently the second largest fastfood franchise in Jamaica, with over 20 outlets in Jamaica, and one, the Half-Way-Tree outlet, having been named the top selling Burger King in the world for several years on end.

Lorna Myers

– Chairman, Restaurants of Jamaica Limited

Lorna Myers and her husband founded Restaurants of Jamaica in 1975. After his untimely passing in 1990, she became Chairman and CEO. Myers continued to lead Restaurants of Jamaica through rapid expansion, maintaining leadership in the industry and achieving great success for the company. She is responsible for the expansion of arguably Jamaica’s most popular fast food brand in Jamaica, KFC - doubling the number of KFC outlets and adding Pizza Hut to the company’s portfolio.

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

Top 50 Women 3.

Donna Duncan-Scott,

Group Executive Director of Culture & Leadership Development, Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB)

The former managing director of JMMB steered her late mother’s brokerage firm to the top of the financial services sector before handing control to brother Keith Duncan in 2005. Duncan-Scott has since assumed a human development role at the organization with the mantra of social betterment espoused by her mother.

Melanie Subratie;

Vice Chairman and a Principal Shareholder of Musson (Jamaica) Limited

Melanie Subratie is also Vice Chairman of Musson’s subsidiaries, General Accident Insurance Company Jamaica Ltd and T. Geddes Grant Ltd. She is also on the Executive Board at Seprod Ltd, an Executive Board member at Facey Commodity Co. Ltd, and Chairman of the Investment and Loan Committee of the Board. In addition, she serves on the board of Falmouth Heritage Renewal.

Michele English,

President and Chief Operating Officer, Columbus Communications

Michele English took on the role as President and Chief Operating Officer of Columbus Communications in August 2008, having been a part Flow since 2006 as General Manager. In her position, English played an integral role in managing Columbus’ aggressive US$250 million capital investment program; a program that has virtually transformed the telecommunications industry in Jamaica.

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

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Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

women + techno Techno Logic

Techno-logic: Five Apps for Women in Business Most women might not consider themselves techie. But as the number of smartphones and tablets increase in Jamaica, more and more women are relying on these devices and the convenience and support they offer to their businesses. Here are five tablet and smartphone apps, or applications, that any business woman would find helpful.

MINT

Any successful business owner must have a good grasp of money coming in and out of her business. Welcome to ‘Mint’. Mint is an iPhone app that checks your business accounts a few times a day to see if certain checks and deposits have cleared. You can even use Mint instead of QuickBooks to keep your books. You can create specific categories such as rent, employee costs, taxes, income, marketing, client expenses, etc. At the end of the year you can take all this information, dump it into an Excel spreadsheet, and hand it over to an accountant who uses this data to prepare tax returns. You can even use Mint to set budgets for your company’s monthly expenses, and Mint will alert you once you’re over the budget. Best part of all, Mint is Free. Now, that’s a good money decision! Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012

HOOTSUITE Business women or men for that matter, are often hesitant to get involved with social media, and for a good reason. It eats up a lot of their time, and may not necessarily lead to new clients. Before you waste any more time on different social media sites, sign up for Hootsuite. This amazing application allows you to link up all of your social media and send out one message simultaneously to all so you can stop typing up the same message on each site. Even more so, Hootsuite allows you to calendar when your messages will go out. So, you can spend just a few minutes a week setting up your social media calendar. Decide ahead of time what you will be messaging about: your newest article, a talk you’ll be giving at the end of the month, or a case that you recently won. Enter all the information and let Hootsuite do the work for you. And although you can upgrade to a paid subscription, everything that I just described can be done for free. continued from page 34

Techno Logic

CHIMP MAIL

One of the simplest ways to continue staying in touch with your existing clients and prospective clients is through e-mail. But who likes to get a mass, impersonal e-mail that goes out to all of your contacts? I sure don’t. As you grow your e-mail contact list, your inability to e-mail each of them individually will become too time-consuming to justify. Mail Chimp allows you to start your own personalized email campaign free – at least the first 2000 contacts you input into Chimp are free and for the new small business, its also free. As you grow, you’ll be charged based on the size of your mailing list. You can personalize each e-mail with the recipient’s name. And after your e-mail campaign has been sent, you can check the analytics to see who opened your e-mail, how many people clicked on your links and who unsubscribed. It’s so easy, even a chimp can do it.

women + techno-logic week to get to their destination. Now, you can receive faxes in a PDF format in your inbox through Ring Central for about US$80.00 per year. That’s a lot less than the cost a fax machine, buying paper, ink, paying for a phone line, and just dealing with the hassle. You get faxes right in your e-mail box, open the PDF files and save in the appropriate client files, then move on with your day.

SKYPE

And last but not least, the very popular but for some reason, underutilized, Skype. Skype offers free instant messaging and video conferencing service over a data or an Internet connection. Not only is it convenient and easy to use but it saves time and money from having to travel from location to location, for meetings. It is also available across different mobile and computer platforms and best of all, as we mentioned earlier, it’s free!

RING CENTRAL

A lot of business people are not fond of fax machines. They instead prefer for documents to be scanned and sent via e-mail instead. The problem with that is a lot of persons, particularly older persons may not have the technical know-how nor the tools to do this. Instead they may mail documents, which would take days if not 34

Businessuite Magazine Special Edition December 2012