Economic Opportunities for Women in the Pacific - Case - IFC

ains and their machines have broken down, they outsource
their washing and drying to us.”
Other businesses that use Esline’s services include beauty
salons, hairdressers, ni-Vanuatu, and tourists in town. When
she bought the business, there had been an established
clientele that she retained, but she expanded the list by
going door to door to recruit more customers.
A typical day for Esline consists of reconciling the bills and
accounts from her small office at home. She then goes in
to EzyWash once or twice a day in the morning or at lunch
to organize deliveries or provide extra supplies like washing
powder, and she is often the last one there before the
establishment closes in the evening.
Going for Growth: Obstacles and Opportunities
The search for adequate technical support for the upkeep
and maintenance of her equipment is an ongoing challenge
for Esline. “The lack of technical support in Port Vila to help
maintain and fix my machines makes business harder,” says
Esline. Currently, Esline deals with this problem by scouring
the internet to source spare parts as well as importing parts
via contacts in Brisbane and New Zealand.
“I have to import all new machines and all spare parts,” she
says. “The key problem in the Pacific is getting technical
support to fix electrical goods. Even though my husband is
a very handy man and would normally be able to maintain
equipment, he has difficulties too –with his job as an
aircraft engineering manager, he does not have a lot of
spare time.”
Esline feels that men more often than women are taught
the practical knowledge of fixing machines, an area she
admits she is generally less familiar with. She adds, “I just
don’t have enough time or interest – after running the
business – to also fix all the machines.”
For example, Esline purchased a second hand roller machine
in late 2008. With duty and freight from Australia, the
machines cost AUD $10,000. “But they are sitting unused
because I need the technical expertise to install them. There
is also a need for a backup service as at the moment there
is nobody in Port Vila that can provide that service” she
says.
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A bigger machine she bought from Australia – brand
new – wasn’t installed properly either. “So for two years
I haven’t been able to use it. I even went to Australia and
met with the supplier. He spoke directly with my husband
to coordinate the set-up, but it’s still not working.”
She has also bought a roller machine second hand, “but
there is no backup service and it is broken. Nobody in Port
Vila can provide that service.”
Nadine Haines
Business Name: Air and Ice Solutions
Country: Vanuatu
Like Esline, Nadine Haines key challenges have been
the technical aspects of her business, Air and Ice
Solutions, and employing workers.
Reflecting on her first few days in the air-conditioning
business, Nadine Haines admits that she knew little
about running a business on her own. “I started
with nothing. I didn’t know anything about air
conditioning,” she says. “Now, being my own boss, I
do everything by myself – all quotations, marketing,
invoicing, and managing the boys. My business
handles three to five jobs per day. It is quite a heavy
workload.”
Nadine Haines established Air and Ice Solutions, an
air-conditioning, refrigeration and electrical firm, in
June 2006. Through this business, Nadine provides
installation, breakdown repair and servicing of air
conditioners, refrigeration and electrical services. Her
five employees are mostly electricians servicing a range
of different clients, including a 12-month servicing
contract with Iririki Island Resort.
Nadine has made a conscious decision to only hire
Ni-Vanuatu staff and has been in contact with some of
the local training providers to ensure that she can tap
into their pool of talent. In Port Vila there are 12 other
firms in the same market, making it very competitive.