Old Harbour business owners respond after winning MSME competitions

Managing Directors of Shades of Elegance Limited, Treacha Reid, and RSS Naturalll Delites, Ronnetta Crooks-Allen, recently emerged winners of the small and micro business pitch competition at the MSME Business Roadshow, hosted by the Ministry of Industry, Investment, and Commerce (MIIC) in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The roadshow, officially named Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprise (MSME) Business Roadshow Series, connects business owners with financial institutions, key agencies, and private sector sponsors. It is designed to promote business growth, market access, and business networking. 

The competition took place across the island with stops in several parishes including St. Catherine, where both Reid and Crooks-Allen seized the opportunity with their impressive PowerPoint presentations. With their businesses based in Old Harbour, their triumph has sparked excitement and pride among locals. 

Shades of Elegance Salon and Spa Limited has been operating for 25 years now, offering a wide range of hair, wellness, and skincare services, including massages, body scrubs, pedicures, manicures, and facials. 

“For my business to reach where it is today, it was a lot of hard work, stress and disappointments…I have hired and fired myself from the business several times but I never give up and I am really proud of my business and grateful for the continued support,” Reid told Old Harbour News in a recent interview.

Meanwhile, RSS Naturalll Delites is a manufacturing business that reinvents traditional Jamaican sweet treats like coconut drops, grater cake and gizzada, giving them a modern twist. The snacks are infused with fruits, nuts, and a variety of flavors, including hot and spicy, sorrel, and rum-infused options.

“I see my business having different outlets in the future, both in Jamaica and abroad so the diaspora can remember their childhood memory. RSS is already on the international market at the Sangsters International Airport, the Artisan Village at Falmouth Pier in Trelawny… it was even on Caribbean Airlines,” expressed Crooks-Allen.

She received J$200,000 for the micro business prize which she used to purchase equipment to increase production for her business while Reid received J$400,000 for the small business prize, which she used to enhance her business’ space and add an auto spa to the line of services.

Celebrating 25 years of excellence, Reid expressed her confidence in winning the competition. "The competition wasn’t stressful, and I knew exactly what I was about. I applied because I wanted to win. I knew I couldn’t come home without the cash. I was confident and well-prepared,” she said.

Crooks-Allen, who founded her business in 2017, named it after the initials of herself and her daughters — Ronnetta, Shauntae, and Shaunnel — representing ‘RSS’. Reflecting on her experience with the competition, she said, “It was a great competition. I gained a lot of exposure and valuable networking opportunities. This wasn’t my first time competing, but it was the first time I won cash in hand.”

The triumphs of Crooks-Allen and Reid not only highlight the talent within Old Harbour but also serve as a source of inspiration for local entrepreneurs striving to take their businesses to the next level.