Dr Jenny Panchal - Consultant Small Businesses

As an educator, I have seen many case studies about businesses - their rise and/or fall, the challenges they faced and how obstacles were overcome. As a business person, however, I understand that many of the business stories and scenarios are somewhat far-fetched if not relatable especially for small local businesses. And as a consultant, I believe that many 'best practice' solutions used by big companies can be modified according to specific business needs and applied by SMEs. My experience as a Senior Lecturer in tourism, hospitality and management at James Cook University (Singapore and Townsville Campuses) has exposed me to many start-up companies that sought research-informed advice and strategies that embed key principles of sustainability in their operations. With my teaching job, I had the opportunity to apply different combinations of conceptual schemes and business practices in classrooms. I had the chance to lead groups of students in various business plan competitions and hackathons in Singapore. I obtained my PhD at JCU (Australia); my thesis focused on the Asian wellness industry. I had been invited to speak in universities, conferences and annual trade shows (e.g ITB Asia) and exhibitions in Asia, predominantly in Southeast Asia and in the Indian subcontinent. I have been doing consultancy work for resorts and luxury-focused wellness travel agencies in the Philippines, Thailand, the Maldives and Sri Lanka. I'm also listed as a consultant for Ahava Consultants (for training and education) in the Philippines. In Australia, much of the consultancy work I do are focused on business development and sustainable marketing strategies. Part of the work that I do for businesses include market research, business planning and providing advice on sustainable operations particularly in marketing.