We had the good fortune of connecting with Anna Bucknor and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Anna, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Over the years, many of my friends have stepped away from their corporate jobs and ventured out into the world of entrepreneurship. We would often talk about their challenges surrounding the realities of entrepreneurship vs what they thought it would be. The idea of being their own boss sounded great, but they quickly realized that a big part of running their own business was also doing the not so fun, tedious day to day operational tasks. During these conversations we would talk about simple processes they could implement to streamline their business and with that, the idea for Strukcha was born. Strukcha uses the same concepts behind business operations for large corporate companies but simplifies them to help streamline administrative operations and improve efficiency, communication, and teamwork in smaller operations.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My parents were entrepreneurs, and both had businesses of their own. Because of this they were able to be very hands on and “present” for my brother and I when other parents who had full time jobs had a much harder time finding that balance. I grew up seeing that work- life balance and knew that was what I wanted for myself. I started working when I was 18 years old in the Jamaican Film and Television Industry as a Freelance Production Manager. The skills I gained in that job, set the foundation for the rest of my career. However, rather than continuing on the path of entrepreneurship, the next 20 years found me working in corporate Jamaica, America and the U.K. in Operations and Project Management and for some amazing companies including Microsoft, Swarovski and IMC the Caribbean Broadcast of the London 2012 Olympics.
Fast forward to 2020 and the opportunity for entrepreneurship presented itself. My husband and I had just moved back to our home country of Jamaica and realized there was a gap in the market for business and process consultants who were geared towards helping small businesses and entrepreneurs, so I filled that gap. My experience working in diverse industries for large companies, coupled with my passion for entrepreneurship and the need to help others do what they love is what pushed me to start STRUKCHA. My approach to working with my clients is to take the same operational business processes that large companies use and simplify and tailor them for smaller businesses. I more than anyone understand that one size does not fit all, so I listen to where you are in your journey and curate a package around what you’re looking for and need. Some clients may need a more hands-on approach while others can use our templates to create the business “strukcha” they need.
With all that said, starting a business during the pandemic hasn’t been easy. There are times when business is good and other time when things are slow and I question if I’ve made the right decision or not. But you brush that feeling off and remember why you started. Because of the shift in how we now view working from home and online, what I thought would be a service I offered to just Jamaican small businesses I now offer internationally; and of course my experience working internationally allows me to do this successfully. My current clients are based not just here in Jamaica but also in the US.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Nothing beats getting to know the real Jamaica through the locals eyes when visiting. I would honestly avoid the tourist spots. So we start off in Kingston and a drive to my absolute favorite place in the world. Get up early and head 3000 feet up above the city to Hollywell. Nothing beats having a cup of Blue Mountain Coffee in the cool, foggy hills while smelling pine trees all around you. Drive down to New Castle and get a tour of the camp grounds. On the way down the hill stop at Crystal Edge Restaurant in Irish town for lunch and another cup of coffee from Cafe Blue. Dinner from Peppa Thyme in Constant Sprint – if you love pork you have to try the Barbecue pigs tail.
We’re still in Kingston for day – well kind of. Take a drive out to Port Royal and get a boat across to Lime or Maiden Cay. Spend the day there and when you get back into Port Royal stop at Glorias for some fish and festival.
The next day we’re heading to Ocho Rios but, we aren’t in a. rush, so forget the toll road, we’re taking the long way that we used to drive before “progress” happened. Through the gorge and over flat bridge. We’re buying fruit from the vendors in Linstead and we are stopping at Faiths Pen for some roast breadfruit and sailfish. The drive is a little longer than the toll road but totally worth it! Once we’re in Ocho Rios we’re going to White River Valley – Spanish Bridge. After that we head to Miss T’s Kitchen for lunch and then drive to Falmouth to take a boat ride in the dark through Glistening Waters. We would probably stay at a villa in silver sands for the night few nights and enjoy the beach. Over those days we could take day trips into the hills of Trelawny to Windsor Caves and then into Montego Bay to eat at the Pelican Grill. 100% recommend their malt milkshakes with a burger and fries.
From there I would take a drive around the island to YS Falls and do an Appleton Rum tour. Head back to Kingston and have dinner at Broken Plate. The curried goat pasta is to die for!
Other great places to visit would be Portland and Treasure Beach! Oh and you can never come to Jamaica without trying Devon House Ice Cream!!
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m a true believer in my tribe. When you surround yourself with people who cheer you on, show up for you even when you don’t show up for yourself and believe in what you’re doing it makes a huge difference. With that said, I’m going to dedicate my shout out to my husband Gordon. I left my corporate job two years ago during the pandemic. We moved from Florida to Jamaica (where we are both originally from) and he’s held it down ever since! Even when things were tough and he wasn’t working as much, he did all he could do to make it work for us financially while I chased the dream of entrepreneurship for myself.
Website: www.hellostrukcha.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellostrukcha/