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Her Magazine December/January 2013

Her Magazine is New Zealand’s only women’s business lifestyle magazine! Her Magazine highlights the achievements of successful and rising New Zealand businesswomen. Her Magazine encourages a healthy work/life balance.

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standards, something that is rare in Samoa. Aileen Burness Island: Fiji Business Name: South Sea Orchids Aileen Burness, who describes herself as a ���polynesian cocktail���, established South Sea Orchids in 1996 in Fiji���s tourism capital of Nadi with her horticulturalist husband Donald. South Sea Orchids is a business that is founded upon assisting village women to earn an income through floriculture. Gaetene Austin Island: Fiji Business Name: Pure Fiji Gaetane Austin, the founder of Pure Fiji, would like to see procedures streamlined. Since starting out just a decade ago, Pure Fiji is today one of Fiji���s most recognized exporters. The company produces three brands of face and body care products ��� Reniu, Mana���ia and Pure Fiji. After being featured in the Emmy and Golden Globes gift baskets, the products have become a hit with Hollywood names such as Tom Cruise. Dhan Gauri Patel Island: Fiji Business Name: Universal Electronics, trading as Dick Smith Electronics From her humble beginnings, Dhan is now the Director of Universal Electronics, trading as Dick Smith Electronics. Dhan was selected by Westpac Women in Business awards as the Vodafone Business Executive of the Year in 2008. She now advises other women, ���Try to open your own business. Be on your own feet rather than depend on someone else.��� Dr Mere Samisoni Island: Fiji Business Name: Hot Bread Kitchen Women in Fiji are not often big employers, but one exception is Dr Mere Samisoni and her chain of bakeries, Hot Bread Kitchen. In fact, Hot Bread Kitchen is one of the largest employers in Fiji, and 65 percent of Dr Samisoni���s 450 staff workforce are women. Debra Sandranu Island: Fiji Business Name: Senikai Spas and the South Pacific Academy of Beauty Therapy Debra is Managing Director of Senikai Spas, which provides beauty and spa therapy and selects the best Beauty Therapists from its own accredited school, the South Pacific Academy of Beauty Therapy. Senikai Spas is the only company in the South Pacific that operates two beauty therapy training institutions, a chain of spas at some of Fiji���s best renowned resorts and utilizes their own product range in both their training and spa operations. Robina Nakao Island: Tonga Business Name: Fund Management Ltd Leading up to the early 1990s, the only option available for Tongans to send their hard earned money home was through the formal banking channels. Fortunately, local businesswoman and mother of two, Robina Nakao, was presented with a business opportunity that provided a better option for Tongans to send their money home. A new era for ���sending money��� was introduced, which provided a personalized service that was fast and reliable. Thus, the doors were opened to Western Union���s first branch in Tonga, on the 8 December 1994. Lee Miller Island: Tonga Business Name: Fab Rentals After selling up in New Zealand, Lee Miller and her husband left New Zealand���s shores 18 years ago to sail around the world. The couple sailed their yacht, bringing only their most treasured possessions onboard with them. They got work in a resort on the island of ���Atata. Six months later their yacht was wrecked by a hurricane and ended up shipwrecked off the island of ���Atata. After losing everything they decided to stay in Tonga to try and rebuild their lives. Today, the couple now run five businesses, including a mechanical workshop, car rental, waste management, sign manufacturer, and an organic farming business and happily call Tonga home. Tanya Edwards Island: Tonga Business Name: SDE Memorials Tongan women have always played a significant role in funeral ceremonies, often gathering to craft beautiful traditional cloth, called tapa, to drape over a loved one���s grave. But as Tonga���s culture continues to modernize, traditional funeral customs are changing. Nowadays, many Tongans prefer decorating graves with tombstones and floral wreaths, an idea pioneered by local businesswoman Tanya Edwards. Ofa Tu���ikolovatu Island: Tonga Business Name: Gio Recycling ���Ofa Tu���ikolovatu and her business Gio Recycling are a celebrated part of Tonga���s business landscape. In July 2008, as part of the annual festival celebrating the country���s cultures and traditions known as the Heilala Festival, Gio Recycling entered a float. The float featured a rotating crown for Tonga���s King made from scrap metal and a rotary motor, and a roasting pig ��� both of which proved very popular with festival goers. Gio Recycling gained 1st prize for the best float. In 2007, ���Ofa also won Tonga���s Westpac Business Woman of the Year Award. Mary Bollen Island: Solomon Islands Business Name: Westside Women for Peace Westside Women for Peace started with a noble goal. They wanted to promote peace among women from different ethnic groups and ensure economic security by selling their wares at a joint marketplace. But legal and administrative obstacles prevented their access to land, forcing the women to operate informally. Julie Gegu-Haro Island: Solomon Islands Business Name: Premier Real Estate and Property Development Julie Haro worked for five years at the main real estate agency in Honiara, Blums, before deciding to go out on her own. She says, ���I just feel confident to run things on my own.��� That confidence led her to Premiere Real Estate & Property Development in December 2008. The business rents and sells property and land (both commercial and residential), and also completes land appraisals for firms. www.h e rmagaz in e .co.n z | 33

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