All Entries in the "Women in Business" Category
2016 Rhode Island Home Based Business Champion
A Day at the Beach Sea Glass Jewelry
Jane McHenry is making waves with her successful at home business
Jane McHenry, owner and chief designer of A Day at the Beach Sea Glass Jewelry, began her career in advertising and publishing. Jane worked her way through the ranks eventually taking a position as a Newspaper Executive. Despite a flourishing 25 year career Jane felt the pull of something long subdued; a childhood fascination with the ocean. As a youth Jane would walk the beaches excitedly collecting the sea glass treasures that had washed up onto the sand. Those memories and that excitement never left Jane and she began to brainstorm on a way to recapture her passion.
McHenry’s initial idea was dreamt up as a clearinghouse to celebrate other local artists and their work but the deeper Jane delved into the process the more her own curiosity and creativity grew. She began taking classes, learning styles and techniques of creating and quickly her passion for sea glass had met her artistic vision. Soon her home became a studio rolling out unique, hand-crafted jewelry. Suddenly, A Day at the Beach was to become a platform to display her own unbelievably original works of art.
Jane began researching where she could garner some support and found her way to the Center for Women & Enterprise; there she took classes in Visioning and Business Planning. Jane would go on to graduate from the program and in 2009 opened her home-based business called A Day at the Beach Sea Glass Jewelry. Jane began taking her hand-made jewelry to parties and festivals finding an enthusiastic yet limited market. Thinking back to her time with the CWE she revamped her business plan to be less reliant on shows and festivals and more focused on a fully functional online boutique. In 2015, her new website went online and the strategy has been an incredible success.
McHenry has since added 6 wholesale jewelry locations in Rhode Island and Florida and has continued to grow her online presence. Sales have increased 300% over prior years and the online market allows Jane to reach a national audience.
Throughout this entire process Jane has continued to create, building an ever growing, ever changing inventory of one-of-a-kind wearable art. Her difficulty lies in the diminishing quantity that is sea glass, unlike other artist Jane cannot simply go to the store to get more materials. This keeps Jane and her husband on the constant hunt for the glass and this has taken them to shorelines all over the world including the Bahamas, Bermuda, California, Hawaii, Nova Scotia, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, the United Kingdom and many more.
When asked how she can keep up with the day to day demands of the business while keeping her artistic spirit she replied, “I wake up in the morning and live and breathe it.” Her passion feeds her desire, and her desire is to see her business become the highest grossing and profitable sea glass jewelry website in the United States.
A Day at the Beach Sea Glass Jewelry products can be found online as well as many local charity events. Jane is a champion for many local charities and small business’ and truly believes that, “A purchase from a small business means you’re buying US made and supporting your local economy.”
For her demonstrated success and growth potential, the U.S. Small Business Administration is pleased to honor Jane McHenry, Owner of A Day at the Beach Sea Glass Jewelry, as the 2016 Rhode Island Home-Based Small Business of the Year.
The Woman Business Enterprise
In my forty-three years of working in and around the earth/road construction field, being impressed has not been a regular occurrence! However, when I began working in thearea of supportive services with the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE), and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) community, I’ve been in awe on several occasions. This month we look at woman-owned businesses and what this special group is about–in issues past we’ve reviewed, exposed, and dissected a wide range of topics regarding MBE/DBE community however–full disclosure here–with little focus on our women. Why?
I am guilty of “lumping” this group right in with all small business in an attempt to generalize and stick to our mission of support on the broad view. Not this month! WBE’s are a very different type of business and should be recognized as such for the distinctive set of challenges these owners and operators face each and every day! We can’t ignore the fact that woman have been faced with the “glass ceiling,” sexism, and equality issues simply because of their gender and that’s just in their employment role.
When a woman answers the entrepreneurial call, she now magnifies these issues in the eyes of her peers and is now positioned to engage her competition, mostly men, by a whole different set of rules. She must always be the best she can be, always ready to prove that she “belongs,” and is always the expert in her field. Now, all things being equal, it needs to be said that gender issue is not unique to small business. I’ve been in the company of moderate to large size companies where women head-up projects, represent the owner or, in rare cases, own the company themselves and I have to say…it isn’t much different!
Obviously we as a small state have a long way to go (as does the rest of the country) but we have made progress. In my role in supportive services, I’ve seen woman start-ups do very well in these men dominated markets, although not easy when dealing with some of the stereotypes and bias attitudes, it can be done! As I’ve focused on in prior articles, any change in social thinking rarely is effective within the target generation, it has to be initiated in the prior one. Young women should be shown that there are better and more effective ways to establish themselves in the business market. Young men need to be educated regarding the contribution of all individuals, male or female, as well as how to interact with them.
I’m not attempting to create anything new here, we have amazing organizations dealing with these issues, with great success right here in the Ocean State! As always I offer Rhode Island resources for you; Mission (360) 275-5840, the Center for Women & Enterprise (401) 277-0800, RI Small Business Development Center (401) 598-2702. These are just a few organizations that are willing to get WBE off on the right track through group, one-on-one, and various mentoring models available. As usual, if I can help, my phone is always on –see you on the job site!
Michael Brito
Team Member, Managing the Road Ahead
managetheroadahead.com
2016 Rhode Island Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Eliana Parada
Owner, Las Delicias Bakery
Eliana Parada began her career not as owner and proprietor of the Las Delicias Bakery but as an employee. Her mother opened the family business in 2006, filling a void of traditional Latin American baked goods within her community. They specialize in Bolivian, Guatemalan, and Mexican breads which Eliana learned the recipes for under the guidance and tutelage of her mother. Eliana immersed herself into Las Delicias Bakery, quickly picking up how to operate the business day to day operations.
In 2010, Eliana took over the business from her mother and began enacting her vision to the grow Las Delicias Bakery. She began by garnering more equipment to allow for expanded production, while updating the bakeries technology to expedite process. Soon the bakery located at 964 Atwells Avenue in Providence was able to produce more goods for a larger clientele. To cater to her new customers Eliana has continued to create new and exciting goods that keep her community happy, “the community likes trying new and different things.”
The twenty-eight year old Eliana continues to learn every day and has used resources like the SBA, SCORE, and Center for Women & Enterprise to garner the knowledge to help her business succeed. Eliana is a graduate of the CWE’s business planning course noting that the knowledge, strategic planning, and continuous support from the CWE staff always motivates her to keep moving the business forward, “I don’t know where I would be without their help.” Eliana continues to apply what she has learned at the CWE in her daily handling of the business, “I work on my business plan and I stick to it, I always stick to it.”
Eliana is currently renovating a new location in order to expand her operations further, “We currently operate with three employees and we do see that number growing in the near future.” Eliana is proud of the growth that her business has shown but admits that she wouldn’t be here without a strong support system, “My mom has always been my number one supporter, I couldn’t have done it without her.”
It is this type of family involvement that has made Las Delicias Bakery a staple in Eliana’s community and it is the same sentiment that keeps her customers coming back. The atmosphere and ability to deliver fresh, quality products daily has produced a winning combination for this second generation Bolivian businesswoman.
Eliana offered some advice to any other young entrepreneurs who may be interested in starting their own business, “Do you homework, research, and start off with a business plan. Try to connect and network with people in your business realm.” Valuable advice that Eliana herself practices in her business life.
The U.S. Small Business Administration is pleased to honor Eliana Parada, owner of Las Delicias Bakery in Providence with the 2016 Rhode Island Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
2016 Rhode Island Financial Services Champion
A Champion For All SmallBusiness In Rhode Island
Holly Ferrara, Vice President of Commercial Lending, Greenwood Credit Union
“When I meet with a borrower it’s not just an interview for them, it’s an interview for me as well and I’m proud to say that, while I am the lender, I strive to make the person across from me to feel as comfortable as possible, so as to not make them feel intimidated or uneasy about the process.” The old adage of “respect goes a long way” is not lost on Holly Ferrara, Vice President of Commercial Lending for Greenwood Credit Union. “I give everyone the respect I would want myself.” This statement, while once commonplace has been lost in much of today’s hustle and bustle, relegated to a time gone by. But for Holly this is standard practice, she has the consummate “glass-half-full” attitude, naturally taking negatives and by intelligence and creative thinking makes them positives.
Greenwood Credit Union exists as a single entity, without the safety net of multiple locations. Where some may see limitations, Holly sees opportunity, “Geographically our presence is limited but I don’t find that to be a challenge, we have a great reputation in commercial lending.”
It is this same attitude that has convinced Holly to buck the mold and break out of common credit union conventions, “Commercial lending at credit unions had traditionally been geared towards small rental properties but in my four years here at Greenwood Credit Union we have expanded those horizons to include SBA loans among other commercial loan type; this expands the portfolio but more importantly meets the needs of our borrowers.”
In 2015 Holly brokered an SBA 504 loan of $335,000 for a real estate project totaling $805,000 to finance the 2,485 square foot expansion of a daycare center. The project added three new classrooms and enabled the business to accommodate up to 79 children, while also adding seven new staff positions. This is a glowing example of the effect Holly has made at GCU.
Holly began her commercial lending career in 2004 while still enrolled at Rhode Island College. She got her start as a credit analyst for a local bank and continued to professionally develop as a commercial lender, garnering increased responsibility at each and every step.
By 2010 Holly had achieved her
MBA form Bryant University and was attending various banking and commercial lending schools as well as fulfilling her passion for teaching an adjunct professor at various local schools and universities. For the last four years Holly has been in her current position as Vice President of Commercial Lending for Greenwood Credit Union. In that time she has consistently grown the commercial portfolio while making great strides in SBA lending, becoming a SBA preferred lender in 2015. As a testament to her hard work GCU finished 8th in Rhode Island for SBA lending for fiscal year 2015.
Besides her dedication to GCU, Holly also finds time to volunteer at the Blackstone Valley Advocacy Center and has done so since 2008. Holly sits on the board of directors for of the organization that provides services to victims of domestic violence including domestic violence education, awareness, advocacy, and emergency shelter services.
It is these characteristics and her willingness to go above and beyond that makes it an honor to award her with the 2016 Small Business Administration Financial Services Champion of Rhode Island Award.
