May 14 2019 Tired of running a side hustle? It’s time to step up

Top tips from the 2019 Victorian Telstra Small Business Woman I am an accidental entrepreneur. My grand plan was to provide home visit physiotherapy to clients who couldn’t access other services, while earning a bit of extra cash on my way home from my real job. After years of tip toeing around the edges, I realised Read More…

April 26 2019 Why startups can’t afford to ignore design and branding when launching their product

Design is more than just a pretty font and it can’t be just an afterthought. Instead, it’s a quintessential element of product strategy, inextricably linked to business success, that must be considered from day one. If I told you that the best startup idea in the world would fail in today’s internet age without design Read More…

April 16 2019 Skalata Ventures’ Seed Investment Program open for start-up applications

Skalata Ventures is seeking applications from early-stage businesses with proven traction to join its seed investment program. The six-month program, customised for each company, will offer operational support and up to $250,000 in funding to early-stage businesses to become significant and sustainable. Backed by noted business leaders Paul Little and Carol Schwartz, the seed investment Read More…

December 10 2018 The riskiest hire in business – Hiring your first salesperson. What entrepreneurs must know to avoid millions of dollars of lost opportunity.

“How did you go hiring your National Sales Director, Paul?” “Terrible! That guy cost me $500,000!” I’d met Paul (not his real name) about two years ago and was recalling our conversation about his plans for expanding the sales function at his start-up software company. I wasn’t in a position to advise Paul at the Read More…

September 22 2017 The NSW and Federal Governments have joined forces to slash red tape for small businesses

An inter-governmental partnership to help reduce red tape for new small businesses has been announced today. The announcement follows the test launch, in April 2017, of a new business registration service to make the process simpler for small businesses, with the aim being to save new business starters $40 million each year. The Federal Government Read More…

September 21 2017 Government urged to simplify small business registration

The Australian Small Business and Family Ombudsman is urging the Government to simplify small business registration. In a submission to the Government’s consultation on Modernising Business Registers, Ombudsman Kate Carnell has called for the consolidation of registration requirements for small business. “The optimal outcome would be one form hosted by a single agency on a Read More…

April 4 2016 A step closer to tax breaks for investors; what can Australia learn from the UK experience?

Entrepreneurs, along with their start-ups and innovative ideas have certainly been discovered as the new ‘best friend’ of the Australian economy – or at least, they have only recently been recognised as such at a governmental level. Welcome to the ideas boom. In December 2015, the National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA) announced a suite Read More…

March 29 2016 Different distribution options for your start-up

Product distribution resides at the heart of getting your products into the hands of consumers. Any startup business, no matter where they operate from, must overcome the basic problems of distribution in order to generate meaningful profits. The more avenues through which your startup can move product, the more potential income streams you will have Read More…

March 16 2016 Building Blocks: Creating a Strong Foundation for Your E-Commerce Startup

You’re tired of the daily grind. It’s time for something different. E-commerce seems like the right move. It’s easy to get set up, and it’s a proven business model. Here’s how to get started. How To Find A Good Market It all starts with product research. Actually, it starts with market research. If you don’t Read More…

February 22 2016 7 Survival tips to avoid common business mistakes

Growing a business is a special talent, part science, part art and doing it well can be one of the most rewarding life experiences. It can also spell financial disaster from which it is very difficult to recover, when things don’t go well. In this article we discuss 5 common mistakes made by businesses. Cash Flow Cash Read More…

November 30 2015 It all happened ‘on the side:’ Now selling 100,000 units per year, this stationery business is no stationary business

Research released by ecommerce platform, Selz has revealed that six out of ten working adults are either running a side business or thinking about it. Titled “The Side Business Phenomena,” the research surveyed working-age adults in the U.S., Australia and the UK and found that an average of 16 per cent were actively engaged in Read More…

November 16 2015 When and why you should (or shouldn’t) find a co-founder

There is an old African proverb that goes, “If you want to go quickly, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.” In the world of startups, going together often means going both faster and further. According to Startup Genome, a project that analysed a dataset of 100,000 startups over a few Read More…

November 12 2015 Your company is the sum of your people

There are two kinds of startups – those who succeed and others who constantly try. In Britain, at least half the companies fail to last more than five years and in the US, three out of four startups are going bust without managing to turn a profit. The team and leader define the success of Read More…

November 6 2015 5 Investment lessons from the TV show Shark Tank

While there are certain things that reality television shows have in common – the vast majority of them seem to keep us glued to our seats while, at the same time, make us cringe at some of the things people do or say – not all reality TV shows are created equal. Some are little Read More…

November 2 2015 Australia’s small businesses: optimistic or foolhardy?

One of the requirements for businesses to secure a bank loan is to have a formal business plan in place. According to the State Government of Victoria’s Business Victoria website, “When applying for a business loan, it’s essential to prepare a detailed business plan and fully inform the lender about your proposed venture. This information Read More…