Gail's Jewelry World, Company

The first eight years of my working career were with Dr. W.L. Needham, M.D., Physician and Surgeon, learning about humankind and developing a strong sense of compassion for the sick and the elderly. In 1971 I married my wonderful husband Bill. He is my strongest supporter, always believing in me and encouraging me. Discovering a love for cooking led me to opening my first business. The Copper Kettle Restaurant in Harrow, Ontario, became a landmark in Essex County. My philosophy was simple: “Great Customer Service, Quality Products and Competitive Prices.” During this time, served my community as town councillor and as president of the Chamber of Commerce. Twenty-three years later I sold this business after developing it into a highly successful enterprise. The year was 1999, I was 50 years old and retired. Soon after, realizing that there was a huge void in my life began researching new business opportunities. In the interim, continued as a Board member with the local Community Futures Development Corporation and later the acting general manager and economic development officer. Researching the mail order business, the suede cleaning business and the dog food business led me nowhere. Wanting to do something meaningful, none of these ideas fit with my idea of the perfect business opportunity. This is where the idea of raising money for charity through the sale of jewellery began. My business plan started with selling jewellery at fundraising events and giving part of the proceeds to the charitable organization as well as donating beautiful pieces of jewellery for raffles. This idea has evolved into one of Canada’s largest on-line Jewellery Stores. Charitable organizations can log onto the site and sign up as a benefactor. When a customer makes a purchase, they choose a participating charity and Jewellery World donates five percent of the sale to the chosen charity. What could be easier!