Agency providing a voice for entrepreneurs

by David Hinkson

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in mixed fortunes for all businesses in Barbados, but while some faltered, others saw the opportunity to fill previously unexplored niches and thrived in spite of it all.
One such venture is Write Right PR Services. Chief Executive Officer, poet and former freelance journalist, La Shawna Griffith, explained when and how she got started.

“I realised that many small businesses were finding it hard to have their stories published especially those who had recently started and were looking for a featurette and or media coverage to introduce themselves to the public.

Some of our clients informed us that they were trying for months on end to get featured in traditional media and the process had been futile. That is why I decided that with my media relations I would assist them by writing the press release and or press statements and sending them to the media houses so they would be featured.”

The company started in March 2020, just as Barbados recorded its first cases of COVID-19 and subsequently went into a three-month lockdown period, and made its debut on social media via Instagram and Facebook.
There were two staff members at first, Griffith and Creative and Technical Director, Akeem Chandler-Prescod.

 

“When we started on social media it was just to let people know that there was a new agency in town where they could get their ventures publicised.”

She said that the response when she began was overwhelming.

“When I started, I offered my service and I posted it on our Instagram page @writerightprservices246 and the response was overwhelming as many new and existing business reached out to me asking me if I could write their story. Many told me that they were happy that a public relations company was seeking to assist them in this way.

“Over the last two years we have grown to the point where besides public relations and social media management, we offer social media packages, photography and videography, and we also have a make-up artist and a brand ambassador doing our promotions.”

Griffith said starting during the lockdown period was beneficial, because business owners reached out initially to send out messages announcing that they were closing as a result of it.

“Since then, business has picked up and we now have people working monthly, some clients on retainers, we have spearheaded campaigns and we are slowly becoming a “go to” agency for micro, small, medium sized and emerging businesses along with individuals working within their communities or with projects they want to highlight.”

Write Right has also come in for recognition among its peers in the small business community, having placed second in the recently held “Pitch It to Win It” contest held by the Trust Loans Fund, and was also a finalist in the Barbados leg of the Global Entrepreneurship World Cup.

It has also been nominated in the Writer of the Year category for this year’s Gine On Media Awards.

“Our clients are excited about this, and we believe this is the beginning of more awards to come.”
When asked where she wanted to see the business within the next five years, The Lodge School graduate, who also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science as well as certificates of merit in Better Business Writing, Social Media Marketing and High Impact Business Writing, said: “We began this business with a five-year plan, and now we are in year two and making good progress.

Ideally by our fifth year I would like us to have a regional reach, not just having releases appearing in publications in other Caribbean islands, but also having staff on the ground in those countries.

“The need for affordable PR packages goes beyond Barbados; many people need it but it is inaccessible to them.

Eventually we also want to train people in photography, public relations, and videography, and create a hub where small business owners can come in so we can offer more services.

With that in mind we seek to forge partnerships with private and state-owned bodies so that when clients come in, they can get much more than just publicity. Another long-term goal is to have a quarterly publication highlighting local businesses,” she said.