Meet Glenda Pastoor, owner of Mount Isa based Phoenix Security Services and one of Queensland’s 100 Faces of Small Business.
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The 100 Faces project aims to inspire others to start, grow and employ more staff for their own small business and Ms Pastoor is an excellent role model.
“I was asked to take part in the program as an Indigenous woman in the Outback running a business in a male-dominated industry because it ticked every box of their criteria,” Ms Pastoor said.
Ms Pastoor has ticked a lot of boxes over the years, starting out as an employee before buying it in 2011 and gradually expanding its services and helping Phoenix Security rise from the ashes.
“It used to be called Solar Security, I ended up going in and doing their books working really hard because they were in a financial bind,” Ms Pastoor said.
After two years the owners wanted to sell up. Ms Pastoor pounced and has never look back creating a family-like team with six full-timers and 15 part-timers.
“We now provide static guards, alarm resources, cash in transit and we’re the only ones I know that can guard ammunition and explosive trucks because we have a special licence,” she said. “We’re also moving into armed services in the next few months and getting our licences for that.
Phoenix also provide mobile patrol services and crowd control services.
To grow her staff, Ms Pastoor has used the government Back to Work program which she said was “super easy” to use.
“Back to Work funding has supported people who were doing it tough,” she said. “Finding work and accessing training has opened up possibilities for my employees professionally and personally and has made a positive impact on the business.”
Ms Pastoor says hiring decisions come down to good judgement. “In the security industry we probably have 30 seconds to sum anyone up, you have to go on gut feeling and what you know about them,” she said.
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Minister for Employment Shannon Fentiman said the program has assisted more than 100 employers in the Mount Isa region to employ over 300 Queenslanders struggling to find the right opportunity.
“Giving businesses the confidence to be able to take on new employees will support them to grow and create more jobs,” Ms Fentiman said.
Meanwhile Ms Pastoor has become a mentor to other women looking to carve out a future and encourages them to follow their business dreams.
“Go for it – but ask questions and don’t take no for an answer,” she said.