Barbara Ellington
ON THE COVER, Andrea Graham.
SHE has been a member of the Small Businesses Association of Jamaica (SBAJ) for 19 years and since May, Andrea Graham has been the President of the 26-year- old organisation, making her the third woman to head the SBAJ.
The Kingston business woman was drawn to the SBAJ when as a small entrepreneur, "I wanted to see how through networking, it could help my business to grow," she told Flair.
The SBAJ provides for its roughly 400 members and their employees, training courses and seminars on topics which include: employment techniques, marketing, managing for success, telephone techniques, customer service, team building and quality control. They also bring in local and international resource personnel to ensure the successful running of factories and help members in various areas of manufacturing.
Ms. Graham pointed out that the SBAJ, "lobbies on the sector's behalf and has the authority to effect changes for members.
The head office is located at 2 Trafalgar Road in Kingston with a branch at the parish library in May Pen. The Montego Bay branch has not been functioning for over 10 years and plans are afoot to establish branches in St. Thomas and Portland.
Explaining the reason for the latter, Ms. Graham said, "Many persons who have come on board the recently launched production train have received loans to set up businesses and the SBAJ is looking at bringing them into the fold." Annual membership fee is J$4000.00; currently there are some 200 paid up members.
The SBAJ president's goals include: getting the organisation's website established, improve training facilities, get government to understand what the SBAJ goes through in order to create wealth and move forward, be a stronger voice against policies that cripple the sector, and get members to start thinking like business people instead of just "doing a thing."
The major task is the restructuring of the weekly Flea Market to make it a family market with proper collapsible tents, stalls, play area for children, entertainment area for adults, a food court.
"We want to give the market a new face for the millennium, with the addition a section for locally manufactured items and I hope this will be a reality by December," she told Flair.
Ms. Graham noted that research shows a larger percentage of small businesses started by women than those started by men. To that end, on August 30, "The Business Woman Convention" will take place at Alhambra Inn, 1 Tucker Avenue in Kingston. Using the theme, "Women Taking Charge in the 21st. Century," the guest speaker for the seminar will be Tourism and Sports Minister, Portia Simpson Miller.
There will be nine female presenters who will address topics such as: Facing your Creditors and being Strong, Maintaining your Focus during Emotional and Financial Furmoil, Challenges facing Business Women in the Caribbean and Grooming for Success.
"I hope the seminar will empower women, refocus their thinking, encourage sharing ideas on how we can cope and help us regain our pride and hope in the country, we have to look at our goals and not the obstacles, Ms. Graham said.
A single mother of two, Ms. Graham finds the job challenging and time-consuming but, "I love what I do, the staff is co-operative and I am not just a talker, I get things done even if I have to do them myself."
