Amanda Jones

All about Her

INTERVIEW WITH AMANDA

JONES

Who is Amanda Jones?

I am a proud mother of a four-year-old girl, Katrina, a wife, a sister of two siblings, a godmother of two beautiful nieces and an aunt of six. From a very young age, I was interested in self-improvement and personal growth. I always strived to transform challenges into opportunities. Notwithstanding my busy agenda I still aim to develop further my personal skills and knowledge. I constantly seek to think out of the box and if need be without the box. I always felt that the secret to stand out of such a busy crowd is by expanding your intellectual and emotional intelligence. As the saying goes; "You can only grow your career to the extent that you grow yourself".

Ambitious, sophisticated, good looking a real doer and with a heart big as a house is a perfect way to describe Amanda Jones. Yet those in the circles she frequents will tell you that she is more than that. She is blunt, frank, bubbly and straight to the point with very little patience for those who try to beat around the bush. A woman, a mother and an entrepreneur, she gets irritated by those who dare ask her how she manages all. Atelier recently caught up with Amanda to discuss what lies beneath her outer crust.

Credits: Alan Saliba

Have you always been entrepreneurial? What led you to taking that first step and setting up your own business?

Following various stints with private and government entities, in 2019 I decided to embark on my own entrepreneurial journey. The idea of having my own personal business was always on my mind however, never had the guts to take the plunge. Juggling a child, family commitments and long office hours is not an easy endeavour. I was not ready to let go any of my commitments yet had to find the right formula. Entrepreneurship turned out to be the best option. I decided to stay at home with Katrina for three years until it was the right time for her to go to school. Meanwhile, I started working on my new business venture.

As an entrepreneur, what is it that motivates and drives you?

It gives me a sense of freedom and offers me the right platform for personal growth and accomplishment. I always believed in my abilities and after having completed my studies, I wanted to do something for myself and put my passion, my beliefs and my knowledge into practice. Fashion is my world. I believe that it allows me to express my style and personality. I love anything that pertains to this industry. Fashion is unpredictable and constently evolving. Which stimulates my interest to know more about the sector. My greatest motivator and role model is my father who passed away twenty-three years ago. He is with me in whatever I do and I am sure that he helps me take the right decisions in life from wherever he is. I am sure that today he is very proud of what I achieved.

The love for my daughter and my niece is what makes me a better woman. It drives me in a way to be brave and encourages me to keep going and follow my dreams. Equally is the full support from my family and closest friends.

Indeed, knowing that our clients, particularly kids, are in love with K Fashion induces me to further exploration and motivation”.

What would you say are the key elements for starting and running a successful business?

You need to have a good prast of the industry you intend to focus on and a good knowledge of how business works particularly the core areas of a business. You also need to have a good understanding of the market as well as your competitors. You need to understand risk and set a budget; carry out business costings, allocate resources, determine variable expenses and come up with business projections. The design and development of a good action plan is also a must. You also have to keep abreast with new trends. Customer focus is also critical. Indeed, at K Fashion, apart from our love for fashion, we focus on our values, knowledge and expertise and we place our customers on top of our agenda. We strive to provide our customers with an optimum shopping online experience by providing, at all times a professional and friendly customer service. Our team targets

to react and reply to customers’ demand in the shortest time possible and thanks to our reliable courier services we also make sure to deliver all our orders in time, according to our clients’ specific needs.

What makes KFashion stand out of the crowd?

K Fashion (www.kfashion.com.mt) is a multi-brand online store which offers the latest fashion collections of shoes, bags, ionable and unique eye-catching designs, we choose the leading fashion brands which produce comfortable and high-quality babies, kids and teens clothing.

Our Mini Me fashion trends are outperforming the overall apparel market, presenting interesting opportunities to our young fashion lovers. The collections presented by award-winning luxury designer brands stand out in creating clothing, accessories and footwear perfect for the child with an eye for style. The creation of Mini Me is aimed at offering clothing lines

swimwear and accessories sourced from recutaple luxury brands as well as other clothing lines from selected fashion designers exclusively online. Each brand is carefully chosen to ensure that the best products are provided to our customers. Apart from focusing to reach the young segments by means of the latest fashwhich are not only eyecatchers but also renowned for their modern and unique look offering sport, elegance, casual, smart and relaxed look perfect for any occasion.

K Fashion also exclusively presents an antibacterial line for babies which follows rigorous criteria in the selection of material

it works with and developed from certified raw material that inhibit the presence of bacteria – allows optimal comfort and well-being and ensure baby’s skin protection.

Moreover, as part of our corporate social responsibilities (CSR) objectives, we have lately decided to go green again by announcing the addition of another sustainable clothing brand, offering innovative designer UPF50+ swimwear crafted with a focus on organic and recycled materials.

We also offer a Personal Shopper Free Service to provide assistance, advice, guidance, and buying services to customers. We communicate directly with clients to better understand and determine what they are looking for, and we offer advice and our knowledge of the best products to purchase according to their requirements. We also help our clients to process orders and assist with exchanges and returns if necessary. We also offer the possibility to our local customers to book an appointment to view in person any preferred items from our collections.

Do we live in a brand-driven society?

Absolutely. A brand name distinguishes one product from another, add value to the product and gives people confidence - when buying a brand, you know what to expect. Studies show that consumers are more inklind to purchase branded products, popular and the strongest companies. By nature, people want to avoid risk and disappointment.

People buy brands for satisfaction, happiness, comfort, and for quality experience. Most brands have shown consistency in product quality hence shoppers become loyal. Some people purchase specific brands to support their personal or professional image. Branded clothes add elegance to your style and make a statement about your fashion sense and personality so people want to be associated to that brand.

What is your thought on on-line buying in Malta?

In today’s marketplace, the new economy and technological capabilities have redefine the traditional business model challennean it's torts a broader perspective of e-business. As retailers worldwide more e-savvy, consumers are embracing the new economy, moving away from the traditional shopping behaviour and enjoying the new trends of online. Certainly, this change has also altered Maltese consumer behaviour and online buying in Malta. Studies have shown that eCommerce in Malta has developed at a fast rate (even before the pandemic). People have become more reliant on the internet to search for products, follow brands and purchase products. People lead a busy life and have limited time or no time at all (particularly working parents) to visit the physical boutiques and shopping malls so online buying is the way forward in Malta.

The idea of K Fashion originated before the pandemic when online shopping was picking up at a fast rate in Malta and becoming popular with Maltese consumers but was not still very popular with Maltese retailers - Maltese consumers were most likely to buy online from EU and other international web stores. Thus, the aim was purely to position K Fashion as the first local central hub of multi-brand online shopping activity for the Maltese population for babies and kids’ luxury clothing, footwear, accessories and more.

How has the COVID-19 Pandemic affected the on-line buying market?

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had a great impact on the different aspects of our daily life, in particular, on our shopping behaviour. COVID-19 has changed consumers’ habits and online shopping behaviour and I find it highly unlikely that consumers will go back to the old habits after the pandemic – the new habits will emerge by more technology advances, change in demographics and innovative ways consumers have learned to adapt to.

With the advent of digitalisation and knowledge-based economies the impact on consumer behaviour and e-commerce was growing fast before COVID-19 however with the outbreak of COVID-19, online shopping attracted more attention and accelerated even more the growth of e-commerce drastically. In the midst of the unknown, ordering of social distancing and lockdowns consumers shifted their buying behaviour and avoided stores causing e-commerce sales to skyrocket. I truly believe that on-line buying will develop into the rule rather than the exception to the rule.

What’s next for you?

I surely want to spend more time with my family whilst keeping up with my business venture and also explore new markets. I am also already in touch with other brands and will introduce them to our clients shortly. I will also make sure to keep up-to-date with the latest and newest trends to keep on offering our little fashionistas the opportunity to enjoy the latest fashion collections from popular luxury brands and more. I am a dreamer and I dream big… the sky is the limit!

The fight Against ORGANISED CRIME

The fight against money laundering, organised crime and financing of terrorism is a fight at the forefront for the Abela Administration. Modern Crime goes beyond voluntary or involuntary homicide, petty or aggravated theft, rape or sexual harassment, nowadays it includes sophisticated white-collar crime.

The world has become more globalised through the internet, which gave rise to online cross-border crime, varying from financial transactions that happen over crypto-currencies to the dark-net, these all give easier access to those who want to launder money and finance terrorism. In light of this, legislators at both Union and National level have drafted legislation aiming to disturb this model of crime – in Malta we have passed two laws which are historic in nature: The Proceeds of Crime Act and Amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Through the Proceeds of Crime Act we established a mechanism whereby actions such individuals who commit actions of money-laundering, financing of terrorism and organised crime are held accountable. Through this Act we strengthened the Assets Recovery Bureau by providing them additional powers to seize assets following judicial action by the validating authorities (Attorney General). Moreover, it also introduced a system of non-conviction-based confiscation. The aforementioned method of confiscation is purely based on recovering assets suspected to have derived from criminal actions listed in the Act of Law. Therefore, the level of burden of proof which authorities need to meet is ‘reasonable suspicion’.

Another point of law which makes the Act interesting is the notion of Action in Rem, this type of judicial action was one found in maritime law (regarding seizure of a ship) however it was an unknown concept in other spheres of law. This concept was only introduced after case-law from American and British courts (Common Law), which led to legislative amendments in both jurisdictions. Using this frame of mind, and after much research the legislative drafters introduced this concept in our Proceeds of Crime Act, thus establishing a system wherein the authorities are allowed to seize assets which remain unclaimed following the institution of judicial proceedings against the object. This process permits the authorities to seize the assets which remained unclaimed and auction them off, the proceeds of the auction will form part of the financing structures of the Bureau.

A complementary law to the Proceeds of Crime Act, is Bill 192, also known as the legislative instruments which amendment the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The Bill in itself creates punitive measures, including fines, which are effective, proportionate and dissuasive in line with the Anti-money Laundering Directives drafted by the institutions of the European Union. The Prevention of Money Laundering remains a key legislative instrument which further ensures that the fight against moneylaundering, the financing of terrorism and organised crime is strengthened.

I look forward to strengthening further and build on the work carried out by the Abela Administration over the past months, leading to a more efficient and effective justice system. Our aim is to ensure that our institutions and justice system work is an effective manner. The Administration is adamant to make Malta one of the most reputable jurisdiction on a European and global level. Together we can reach this objective.

WHY IS CODING BENEFICIAL FOR CHILDREN?

Article by CLAUDE CALLEJA

Executive at eSkills Malta Foundation

One of the first questions that comes to mind when thinking about programming for children is: “How does one teach children how to

program?” The answer lies in what children learn in the children’s programming class. They learn a lot about problem solving, programming skills and about being part of a team.

Programming courses encourage curiosity, which helps children to be more confident, creative and resilient later in life. Coding teaches children how to build with cause and effect in mind, so that things work and are adapted for specific purposes. It encourages children to think outside the box and sends them the message that they can create anything. This allows children to ask, “What happens if I do this?” and they create and learn how things really work.

Learning programming is easy and fun, and in fact, programming books can be a great way to introduce children to the world of programming. If parents succeed in teaching programming skills through games and game-based strategies, their children will find it easy and fun. Over time, children will learn basic programming concepts, build fun games, gain a competitive edge, and learn the basics of programming concepts.

When children can program, they can develop apps, video games and websites. Creating a website or a simple game with an app like Kudo will help children solve problems in a way that improves problems solving through coding. While teaching children about programming may sometimes seem daunting and impossible, it will open opportunities for them in the long run.

The great thing about app programming is that it can be used for children of all ages to program. Online sites such as Udemy is a great resource for learning basic programming skills. Coding for Kids is an excellent resource for children to learn to program and thus discover how to interact with computers. This equips them for a variety of different professional fields in which they can use these skills to make life easier for themselves and their families.

Object-oriented programming is the preferred type of programming that children learn if they ever want to become professional programmers. Even if a child never becomes a software engineer, they will still benefit from knowing how to solve problems. The practical aspect of a programming language is also important, as the right programming languages taught to children enable their creative instincts without restricting them.

It is important that students learn not only how to write code, but also how to use the constructs and tricks of the craft. Once children and students learn about programming, one would want them to have a basic understanding of how to think as a programmer. This could be the first step to introducing children to the concept of coding before moving on to the next step that teaches them about code and how it works.

The eSkills Malta Foundation believes that children should learn to program and start programming as early as preschool age. One can easily teach their children how to code through computer or even board games. Once one understands the meaning of coding, they will get a much better understanding of its benefit for their children.

Taking computer related courses in secondary level education is also a good start. Following that, computer courses may be found at every education level namely at MCAST, private training institutions and the various sixth forms and universities. Many schemes also exist to partially or fully fund specific courses carried out by private institutions. In fact, the eSkills Malta Foundation recently brokered free Amazon Web Service courses funded by the Melita Foundation.

Therefore, we must conclude that it has never been easier and cheaper to acquire coding skills which will undoubtedly be of great use later in everyone’s life. There is never anything lost when acquiring a new skill.

This article was prepared by collating various publicly available online sources.

Focus on founding director JOSEPH PACE

JOSEPH PACE embraced the Convenience Shop concept from the outset. Along with fellow director Ivan Calleja, he founded the Group.

With just five employees, they opened their first outlet in Żebbuġ – with Joe taking responsibility for all administrative matters from HR to budgets and projections, effectively building the back-up infrastructure from scratch.

Joe says the two of them realised early on there was a new niche in the food retail market. With the proliferation of larger supermarkets, the village grocer was becoming a dying breed. They rethought the concept and brought it up to date along with realisation that whatever they came up with needed to fit around customers’ increasingly busy lives.

As they started to open two to three shops in each town, small investors were keen to be part of their success. So they developed a financial structure that could sustain a mix of owned and franchise outlets.

They have not looked back, growing the chain at a rapid rate to become Malta’s leading convenience shop group in less than a decade – now responsible for 72 stores across the island.

However, for the founders the venture was more than just about profit. They both harboured a strong desire to make a contribution to society and provide financial and other support to a number of NGOs. Moreover, they achieved their dream to open a store which hands over its profits to Puttinu Cares, an organisation that helps cancer patients which is close to both their hearts.

Joe also has an active life away from the Group. He has been president of Żebbuġ Rangers FC for almost two decades and enjoys spending time travelling and being with his family.