MARGARET HIRSCH’S BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR COMPETITION IN SOUTH AFRICA

MARGARET HIRSCH’S BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR COMPETITION LAUNCHED IN UMHLANGA Over sixty business women in the Umhlanga region braved a cold and wet October evening to attend a star spangled launch of the Margaret Hirsch, Umhlanga Business Women of the Year competition at the Hirsch Umhlanga Showroom. The competition is being run on a monthly basis at all Hirsch branches, and will culminate in a Margaret Hirsch’s Umhlanga Business Woman of the Year winner being announced in each branch towards the end of . Over the last two years, Margaret  has been the recipient of a variety of awards to acknowledge her contribution to the business world in South Africa, from the BWASA  Business Woman of the Year (Entrepreneur) award in to SANLAM’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Entrepreneurship in .  This year she was a nominee in the  Standard Bank sponsored Business Woman of the Year (Topco) Awards.  “Winning these awards has been wonderful – both for Hirsch’s and for me personally, and I would like to see this happening to other women in business.”  Margaret explained when she decided to launch the Margaret Hirsch Business Woman of the Year Awards in each area in which Hirsch’s operates throughout South Africa. “As women, we tend not to be assertive enough.  There are so many fantastic women out there who are not coming forward to be acknowledged for their contribution to the business world, and I would like to encourage them to come forward and enter the competition or nominate a friend or business owner who they would like to be recognized for this award and if you think you are a successful business woman don’t be too shy to enter yourself!”  she said.    ü  Entries open on the 1st October  ü  Include entry fee of R payable on submission. The funds will be donated to the The Girls with Dignity Project. ü  Entrants and business must be based in the Umhlanga   area. ü  The entrepreneurial enterprise must not be operating at a loss ü  Nominees must be engaged in their profession as a means of livelihood.  ü  Nominees are required to operate an entrepreneurial enterprise as a sole proprietorship, a partnership or close corporation.   ü  All entrants must have a web-presence in the form of a blog or website.   ü  Entrant must also have been in her current position for at least three years.   ü  Deadline for submission for October -  31st