A passion for sewing and lessons from her dressmaker mother motivated Fiona Larkins to move from retail management to running her own clothing alteration business at the tender age of 24. In 2024, her city-based business is celebrating 30 years, and still going strong. Location, location, location Armed with a can-do attitude, Fiona identified a...
Turning a hobby into a side hustle business can be a labour of love, but one business owner warns others to be careful of the ‘fine print’ of regulations if you are working from home. Empire Copper is owned and operated by husband and wife team Cam and Beth Hayes as a side hustle, while they still work full time in the sheet-metal industry and...
Reaching out to the SBDC for advice was the key to helping Elizabeth Lang from Diversity Focus make the right decisions during her business journey. Diversity Focus is a research, consultancy and training business that was established in 2017, inspired by the vision to create a more equitable and inclusive world. Founder Elizabeth Lang said that...
Market research is essential for anyone looking to go into business, according to East Victoria Park business owner Shellie Attwood. “Don't just open something without looking around in the neighbourhood to see what is already there,” she advised. Shellie is the owner of Greenbunch, a florist, café and plant store along the popular hospitality...
Grant funding could provide your small business with an opportunity to invest in new equipment or projects, launch a new product or service or expand your operations. With many business grants being competitive, it’s good to know how to give your application a competitive advantage. If you’re looking for ways to finance your business growth, grant...
Owning a small business is like having a child that doesn’t sleep, according to Tamara Cook, owner of events management agency, Known Associates Events. “Of course, it’s extremely joyful but it’s also all-consuming and always in the back of your mind,” said Tamara. Freedom of running own business Tamara founded Known Associates in 2007. The...
How can you effectively set goals in your business? We spoke to Trevor Flint, founder and director of Capstone Associates.
We all want to avoid non-essential costs when starting a business. The good news is, there are some amazing free resources available to get you started on your business journey. Here are some of the best. 1 - Free Starting a Business workshop If you are new to business, our free Starting a Business workshop is the best place to start. You’ll cover...
Being authentic and true to oneself has been Michelle Rimmer’s mantra since the launch of her business, Hills Massage, 20 years ago. Reflecting on her business journey, Michelle said she would tell the younger version of herself that consistency is the key to success. “You have to be consistent in the quality of your or product, your communication...
Visitors to this year’s Dowerin GWN7 Machinery Field Days had the opportunity to meet local small businesses and business advisers in the SBDC Regional Start Ups Arena. The Dowerin GWN7 Machinery Field Days is Western Australia’s largest agricultural Field Days event, having started in the Wheatbelt town more than 50 years ago. A record crowd of 25...
Buying an established business can represent a huge challenge – and a huge opportunity. Dr Vanessa Atienza-Hipolito bought a long-standing health business eight years ago and has discovered there is always more to learn. While many business stories begin as an idea that sparks a start-up, small business success stories can take other forms too. In...
I welcome the news that from the start of 2022, businesses that engage in illegal activity can be banned from tendering for State Government projects, or have current contracts cancelled, under a new debarment regime. The activity that can see them cut out of lucrative Government work ranges from fraud to safety breaches, and importantly also...