SmallBusiness.wa.gov.au
The Small Business Specialists
Phone: 131 BIZ
Website: www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au
Become a media contact and help raise awareness of your achievements and challenges.
Please contact Diane Graham on (08) 6552 3218 or 0432 750 565.
We're always looking for West Australian business owners to tell their stories in the media. We have regular requests to provide local small business stories that people can relate to.
So, if you have an unusual business or a business that is doing something in an unusual way, let us know. For a business to be included on our register, a prior association with the SBDC is not necessary. Businesses on this register may be referred to newspaper, magazine or television journalists seeking interesting small business stories.
All of the success stories featured on our website are businesses that have accessed our services, either through our small business advisory service or one of our specialist programs. Below are some examples:
When Kate Coghlan and Tamala Ranson left their hospital-based occupational therapy jobs early in 2010, it was to fulfil a long-held ambition to create a business of their own, providing care and rehabilitation for people in the comfort of their own homes.
Combining 25 years clinical experience in acute care, rehabilitation, disability, function, aged care and community care, Kate and Tamala have now launched “Positive Step” which brings occupational therapy to the client.
“We wanted the opportunity to run a successful business and make our own decisions,” Kate said.
“We saw a gap in the market for an occupational therapy service that was responsive and able to meet the needs of clients who want to stay in their own homes for as long as possible. Our aim is to provide treatment and rehabilitation to help achieve that.
Positive Step is registered with health funds to provide eligible clients with refunds, and receives referrals through public and private hospitals, general practitioners and clients’ families, but like most businesses, Kate and Tamala are looking to expand their client base.
“We are now increasing our marketing efforts to focus specifically on general practitioners so they are aware of our service and how useful it is for people who may be experiencing difficulty with their everyday activities,” Kate said.
Kate and Tamala recognised their need to know all about running the business, so cashflow, bookkeeping and taxation were high on the list.
“The workshops held at the Small Business Development Corporation were
absolutely fabulous,” Kate said.
“We did four or five of them in the early months and that answered all our questions about business planning and the early steps of getting started.
According to Kate, it has been very helpful being in business with someone else.
“It’s really good having someone to talk to about the business, how it’s going and where it’s going. We are lucky in that we share similar values and we support each other well.
Kate’s advice for others is to get the groundwork right from the beginning, and learn from those who know.
Tee2Seain Mandurah lays testimony to the fact that you can start a very successful small business on a shoe-string budget!
British sisters Tracy Bolt and Trudy Hynes came up with the idea for their exclusive golf and leisure wear shop in Mandurah as a way of satisfying business migration requirements while providing local sailing and golfing enthusiasts with stylish, practical sport and leisure wear.
But with very little retail or business experience, Trudy and Tracy were wary of gambling too much on their new business venture.
"We were cautious with our spending in the set up phase with the biggest outlay being bond and rent in advance for the shop premises," Trudy said.
"This took a lot out of our available funds, so we had to cut back on other things.
"We painted the shop ourselves, our husbands built the changing rooms and we found the perfect sales counter for sale in the Quokka for $250!
"With what was left, we purchased our first shipment of stock, and then spent the money we got from that, on the next shipment."
Trudy and Tracy are both keen sportswomen and have found a niche market for their exclusive range of sportswear which includes locally manufactured labels Shock and Oar, as well as Crew Clothing, Nautica, Greg Norman and Jamie Sadock designs from the USA.
"We have plenty of golfing clubs around the Mandurah area and our clothing range is also perfect for boating enthusiasts at the Mandurah Marina," Tracy said.
What the sisters lack in business experience, they make up for in good organisational skills, clear procedures and commonsense. They both have strong secretarial skills and with that, comes the ability to keep track of many things at once.
"We've informally divided the roles into Trudy handling the business side and me looking after the shop floor, but our basic philosophy is not to overcomplicate things," Tracy said.
"We do the basic accounting procedures in-house and employ the services of a local bookkeeper to take it to the next level," Trudy said.
"We also use a commonsense approach when it comes to marketing. We've co-sponsored golf tournaments and charity golf days to help support the community and raise awareness of our business."
Tracy says choosing the range of clothes is very enjoyable, but they have learnt from early mistakes. "In the beginning, we made the mistake of buying too much of the same style," Tracy said.
"Now we have a better feel for what our customers want, and when a new range arrives, we contact our database, to give existing clients first choice."
Since opening in August 2008, Tee2Sea has gone from strength to strength.
"We could not have guessed the business would be so successful, so quickly," Trudy said, touching wood.
"We've taken on a junior employee, purchased capital equipment and exceeded our sales forecasts - all with no major financial outlay."
Trudy says the future may see more Tee2Sea shops opening around the country, but for now she and Tracy are busy with clients from as far away as The Vines and Joondalup.
Trudy and Tracy have visited the SBDC on two occasions. First time was to seek advice and guidance through the State Migration Centre on meeting the requirements for permanent residency and secondly to get information from the Business Information and Licence Centre on how to employ staff and how to meet their Australian Taxation Office obligations.
Go to the State Migration Centre website for more inspiring success stories about business people who have migrated to Western Australia.
After a rewarding career working with professionals and students in Performing Arts, David was looking for new challenges. He found the answer by turning his passion for motorcycle riding and teaching into a thriving small business.
“I started off working for Alert Motorcycle School, but when an opportunity came up to buy the business in 2004, I found myself in charge of a company that needed some TLC to get it back on its’ feet,” David said.
While he provided the energy and commitment the business needed to grow its customer base, attract new corporate contracts and re-establish itself in new premises, David soon realised he needed to increase his business knowledge in order to take things to the next level.
“I had no business background before buying the firm, but after I took over, it started to grow and I had to manage some pretty substantial contracts. I was fine with the skills training and people-management side of things but working out business financials and understanding the fundamentals of business planning was all new ground for me.”
Why did you come along to a BiZFiT event? What attracted you?
I went to Curtin University looking for some business courses and was soon steered in the direction of BiZFiT. I enrolled for the Extend 2-day workshop which gave an overview of what I needed to know, and then I was lucky enough to qualify for a scholarship to the BiZFiT Growth program.
The content of the Growth program is pithy and covers all bases, regardless of what type of business you’re running. In our class, we have a pharmacist, designers, beauticians, tradesmen and IT specialists, but at the end of the day, we all need the same advice on how to keep our businesses profitable.
In your view, what is unique or special about the BiZFit Growth Program?
The timing and the content of the Growth program is really well worked out. There’s time to think about the information in between the classes and to work on the concepts. It demystifies a lot of things that I’d found daunting and overall, the standard of instruction is exemplary, first class. It’s also great to be around people who have such terrific motivation and a thirst for information.
From your participation in the program, did you have any “ah-ha” moments?
When I was doing the Extend program I became acutely aware that there was so much more I needed to know. I realised that it was important to have a well structured, well run business in order to provide an enjoyable, stable place for my employees and myself to work. We all have needs and aspirations and I want to provide a workplace that meets those needs. It’s important to get the basics right.
Has your involvement in BiZFiT inspired you to make any changes in your business?
Introducing measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) has been a major change implemented since I’ve been involved with the BiZFiT program. I’m also keeping better track on my finances and the regular outgoings we need to prepare for, such as superannuation and income tax. We’re in the process of writing procedures manuals and duty statements which will also help us in the long-run.
What do you see as the next big challenge for you in your business?
Proposed changes to State Government registration requirements for motorcycles and training will present some operational challenges for my business. It will result in new training qualification requirements for instructors and getting the business accredited.
We are also keen to take our services to regional centres around the State and to introduce some new travel/training initiatives for our customers.
