Jennifer Macdonald-Nethercott
Jennifer Macdonald- Nethercott runs Strath Communications and Wilder Waves
Key outcomes
● Green initiatives -
○ Jennifer is a Highland Tourism Ambassador, representing a sustainable mission for Highland Tourism
○ Jennifer has signed up the Sustainable Marketing Manifesto and has reduced business-related travel.
○ Wilder Waves is in itself a green initiative
○ In relation to both businesses, Jennifer is on a renewable energy tariff with her supplier.
● Collaboration - the contacts and connections made through the GrowBiz Women’s Enterprise Network and other events have resulted in Jennifer gaining contracts for Strath Communications
● Community wealth building - when out-sourcing various aspects of the services she delivers through Strath Communications, Jennifer is committed to using local services and suppliers wherever possible
Jennifer’s Story
Jennifer has worked in customer-service focused roles for as long as she can remember, and in marketing for 21 years. She has worked across industries from food and drink, tourism and hospitality, to the automotive sector. This range of experience and knowledge, added to her ambition and determination, led Jennifer to decide to set up her own business, Strath Communications, in April 2018. As a Chartered Marketer, she aims to work seamlessly with businesses of all sizes, providing the marketing assurances, experience and skill-set required to sustain business growth and maintain customer-facing presence. Jennifer offers marketing strategy and planning services, email marketing and social media services, and her ‘marketing power hour’ service for a quick, valuable marketing boost. Jennifer is based in Grantown-on-Spey, and can work remotely with a wide range of clients.
Jennifer has found the support offered by Karen Martin, Enterprise Facilitator, and the wider GrowBiz community invaluable in growing and running her business. As well as direct support from Karen and other GrowBiz enterprise facilitators, Jennifer has also benefited hugely from the contacts and connections she has made through the GrowBiz Women’s Enterprise Network. For example, the speaker at one of the first GrowBiz events she attended became a Strath Communications client for six months. She’s also received swift and vital business advice via the weekly Growbiz Drop-In Surgeries, which she finds incredibly helpful and valuable. For example, one potentially stressful query relating to HMRC and limited company status was diffused and solved within the same day after a call-back from a GrowBiz team member.
In 2021, Jennifer set up a second business selling casual clothing from sustainable resources, and made with ethical practices. The purpose of Wilder Waves is to support our seas and oceans and raise awareness of what is happening to them. Jennifer received ‘amazing’ enterprise support from Karen in relation to setting up her terms and conditions, and her trademarks for Wilder Waves. This saved Jennifer money and was a fantastic help to her. She really appreciates the GrowBiz community, and having ready access to information and support without having to wait ages for a reply, or having to provide lots of information in order to get it. She loves that ‘GrowBiz is really happy to support you no matter what your business goals are: they meet you where you are’.
Jennifer was crowned Business Woman of the Year 2021 by Highland Business Women. She’s a Women’s Enterprise Scotland Ambassador, a role that involves helping to share stories of diverse entrepreneurship in order to encourage and help other women to start and run their own businesses. And she’s also a Highland Tourism Ambassador, representing a sustainable mission for Highland Tourism - as a business owner and mother, she wants her children and the businesses she works with to benefit from tourism in meaningful ways that benefit all - people, our planet and our economy. We can’t wait to see what she’s going to do next!