GREAT MODEL FOR SUCCESS

Over a decade ago Jane Stewart Cornes was a daredevil skier beating a path down some of the worlds steepest mountain slopes. Setting up her own business could be considered a walk in the park by comparison, but the bubbly 30 year old admits the challenges of establishing two successful companies have made for an equally rough ride, especially when she became a Mum.

Now Jane controls one of Australia's largest promotional modelling agencies, Promotional Models Australia, and is developing a major online empire 'Lady Jane' which is devoted to the female health and beauty field.Ironically, it was a health scare on the ski slopes in 2000 and an end to any hope of a professional skiing career that put the Gold Coast businesswoman on the road to success.

'Everyone goes through setbacks in life' Mrs Cornes said. So she set about focusing on a healthy mind and body, sowing seeds for a new venture in personal fitness training in her home town in Melbourne a year later. 'I grew the business, specialising in women's health' she said. 'I would go to playgroups and corporate clients and basically would coach them on how to develop a healthier and happier life'. Jane decided to move her business to the Gold Coast in 2007 where she saw a huge market for the health industry. She also took advantage of the Gold Coast's glamour scene to help build her promotional modelling agency into a multimillion dollar business that is now looking at further expansion.

While Jane Stewart Cornes is no stranger to business success (her parents founded multiple business chains), she said the challenges were particularly tough for women in business- especially those with young families. She and her husband Ben had their first child, Cooper, in 2009.

Apart from the exhaustion of juggling roles, she said 'guilt' was one of the biggest hurdles facing mums who often had to build their business at the expense of family life. 'Having a child is a very precious time, particularly in those first few years. When you have the pressure of running a business, and setting up a second one at the same time, it is a lot to handle. The first 12 months were very difficult.'

Jane Stewart Cornes said the answer rested with efficient systems, and that's been her focus for the past 2 years. 'I have now structured and streamlined the business and trained staff so well I have been able to take a step back' she said. 'So that guilt I was carrying the first year is gone and it's been replaced by the satisfaction (of building a business)'.

Mrs Cornes said PMA has increased turn over by 30% each year she has been trading, driven by National growth.'We've been able to take on board massive contracts, particularly throughout Queensland.' she said.

Posted By Mediablogger on Friday 18th April 2014 @ 14:09:47
Updated : Tuesday 12th August 2014 @ 17:47:45 | Words : 471 | Views : 2202 | Comments : 0