Advertising
Phyllis Green Fo unde
r and
Chairman
Green Ad ver tisin G
7301 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, 800/852-1717, www.greenad.com
business services
Kim Canavan o wne r
Fish Windo W Cle Anin G 1600 N.W. Boca Raton Blvd., Boca Raton, 561/391-1661, www.fishwindowcleaning.com/boca
estAblished 2009
With a doctorate degree in information technology, Kim Canavan knew a lot about algorithms and artificial intelligence. But when she decided to start a FISH Window Cleaning franchise in Boca Raton almost two years ago, she didn’t know a lot about the window cleaning business. “I knew I liked clean windows,” says Canavan, who received a crash course in the business after following the advice of a recruiter who suggested that after years of consulting for others, she might be better off running her own business. Starting off by just knocking on doors and making phone calls, Canavan has grown the business to about 600 residential and commercial customers, with her small team of cleaners handling everything from large office buildings in Boca Raton to small, single-story homes in Delray Beach. Kim’s attention to detail and dedication to providing customers with personalized service focused on their needs has helped her maintain a strong client base. While the industry has traditionally been dominated by men, Canavan sees an advantage to being a woman. “A lot of our customers are women,” she says. “They want a man to do the job, but they want a woman telling the man what to do because they know it will be done right.”
women in business, a special adver
wib_brmnov11_fnllook-2.indd 30
estAblished 1986
In 1986, after a couple of decades rising through the ranks of the television and advertising business, Phyllis Green suddenly found herself unemployed. The first woman to oversee retail advertising sales for ABC-TV network-owned stations, Green became a victim of corporate downsizing during a challenging economy. “I went to every TV station in South Florida hoping to be hired in sales,” she says. “I soon realized that I had no choice but to start Green Advertising from a condo in Fort Lauderdale.” In the 25 years that followed, Green and her teams built a business that had billings of more than $3 million in just 12 years. By 2010, agency billings rose to $36 million. Today, despite many changes in the economy, the firm continues to be an industry leader in a wide range of categories, from real estate to retail and from education to hospitality. Now in a new location, the firm recently opened an in-house video production studio and edit suite. A division of advertising giant WPP Worldwide since 1999, Green Advertising is able to maintain its personal touch with clients while reaching out to the resources of WPP’s network of mega-agencies. Though much has changed in 25 years, Green still finds advertising exciting and challenging. “I still have a tremendous amount of passion for the business,” she says.
tising section
9/22/11 12:37 PM