Entrepreneur of the Year WINNE

Entrepreneur of the Year WINNER 2013: Karine Torr

Karine Torr has been nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year in the South African Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2013. Read her profile and vote for her here.

Entrepreneur of the Year WINNE

Karine TorrName: Karine Torr

High School: Johannesburg High School for Girls
Tertiary Education: N/A
Qualifications: Damelin Public Relations Diploma – First Class, Greenoaks Finishing School Diploma
Lives In: London
Company Name: Darling Magazine UK (With titles for Wimbledon, Cobham & Esher and Kingston Upon Thames)
Title: Publisher Darling Magazine and Editor Darling Magazine Wimbledon
Duration of time within company: 5 Years
Professional Membership held: Member of the Merton Chamber of Commerce

Previous positions:

  • Public Relations Officer for Trutone Music (Gallo Music SA), Founder and Director of The Hollywood Nail Bar franchises SA.
  • In my dark and distant past I was a SAA Cabin Attendant and travelled the world looking for good business ideas, which I eventually found!

What are your main achievements in the category you are being nominated for?

Founder and owner of the Darling Magazine UK franchise,which I started in 2008 with no capital, making a profit from the first issue. A women’s lifestyle community magazine for local women BY local women, started in Wimbledon and now with a franchise in Cobham & Esher and a Kingston franchise springing up in February 2014.

Starting an original magazine up from scratch in the middle of the recession with a view to supporting small businesses and local women in all walks of life and providing interesting, well crafted and relevant content that engages people – not just a vehicle for pages of advertising. I run it single handedly which means selling all the advertising, seeking out the editorial and putting the magazine together with my current South African graphic designer, Talitha Minchin.

What makes you most proud about your business?

  • The I have been able to start a successful franchise magazine, juggling three children and a hectic household, which is giving women the opportunity to start their own businesses doing something that is fun and glamorous but meaningful to their communities and affecting people’s lives
  • Through my work on Darling I have been in a position to meet leaders like Boris Johnson and top athletes like Serena Williams.

Community Involvement:

  • Darling is committed to being involved in the community on a business and social level. The packed ‘On the Scene’ social pages also testify to this and as Editor I go to dozens of business events, openings, parties etc. to make sure Darling is on the cutting edge of what is happening on our doorstep and reporting on it.
  • As well as providing an affordable platform for local marketers and independent businesses in the form of a glossy magazine, I have also started a series of regular Darling South African Ladies Networking events (February 2013) for South West London and Wimbledon businesswomen and those not in business, to connect with each other far away from home. These have been well received and a percentage of the ticket sales is always donated to South African charities such as FoodBank SA, Starfish Greathearts Foundation and Shine.

Directorship / Leadership positions: I am a serial entrepreneur and my own manager.

Recent Awards: In 2010 I was a finalist in the first Merton Business Awards for Entrepreneur of the Year and Best New Business and in the newly launched Merton New Business Awards I was a finalist in both Entrepreneur of the Year and Extra Mile categories.

Favourite Business Quote: ‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get’ – something i regularly tell my kids and they use it against me often!
Mentor: My brilliant writer/ex advertising husband Gordon who can always be relied upon to come up with a snappy headline and a mot juste.

Voting for all nominees has now closed. Each comment posted in response to the CV/bio of your chosen nominee, which is connected to a unique, legitimate e-mail address and IP address, will be counted as a vote. Comments made by the public will contribute to 30% of the total vote. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 28 November.

Entry, voting, participation and judging of the South African Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2013 are governed by the Rules and Regulations.