At a recent Founders, Leaders and Lawyers business event hosted by HHG Legal, I had the opportunity to catch up with Michael Malone, WA entrepreneurial legend and founder of iiNet. If you are not familiar with the story, Michael was finishing his studies at UWA in 1993 and realised that the end of university, meant the end of his internet access...
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...
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...
Wondering if your business is eligible for a government grant? We’ve put together this overview explaining the availability and eligibility of grants for small business. Are there incentives or grants to help start-up businesses? There are no government grants available for the specific purpose of starting a business. Government support for start...
For Ami Hackett, turning her ‘holiday job’ into a business launched her into the unknown, but keeping her business skills current helped her steer it through rough waters. Ami opened her self-named boat detailing and management business, Ami Marine, in Success in 2004 after an early career on the land in the wool industry. The marine business now...
Focusing on how to make use of surplus product has created a win-win situation for gourmet soup business, the Suppa Club. Founder David Kane set out to provide a product for those who craved pure, whole-foods, with the comfort of home-style cooking without the hassle, which gave rise to the Suppa Club. Focus on producing a ‘no-waste’ product David...
If your business sells any kind of unpackaged, ready-to-eat foods, it’s important to keep your customers safe from food-borne illnesses. Here’s what you need to know about the new food safety management standard introduced in Australia – and what action you need to take. It’s not pleasant to imagine the consequences for your customers, business and...
Starting a business often begins with choosing a business name – and then getting a logo to match. With so many graphic design programs and apps available, creating a logo for your business is easy. However creating a logo that looks great and really reflects what you want your business to become can be a bit more of a challenge. Whether you decide...
When Melissa Raffan’s career took an unexpected trajectory and she became a small business owner, she was driven by her personal passion for scrapbooking and a desire to do something different. “The previous owner literally made a joke that I should buy the business. That was in May 2021 and by November I had taken over the shop,” Melissa said. “I...
The City of Kwinana was one of twenty local governments to participate in the SBDC’s Small Business Friendly Approvals program over the past two years. Since 2021, the City has implemented the majority of reforms they identified to improve the small business experience in Kwinana. The City of Kwinana was selected for the Small Business Friendly...
Making the decision to quit his fly-in, fly-out mining job to help care for his young son after a bout of surgery, Jordan Wilson knew he needed to change his career goal posts to a more family-friendly earner. But setting up Concept Tech, an IT business in Albany with wife Natasha, was a whole new ball game, so Jordan called on support from the...
All new businesses start with an idea. Conducting thorough research during the business start-up phase can help you discover if you’re on the right road to success. We know there are a number of costs associated with starting and running a business, so we encourage you to make use of the wide range of free information and resources available to...