Did you know that bubble wrap was originally sold as a textured wallpaper? As history has shown us, it wasn’t a viable product for its intended customers. The success of online business ideas or other small business ideas will always depend on a range of factors. Some factors are out of your control, such as interest rates, tax brackets and the...
In the heart of Perth’s skyline, you will often find the skilled crew of High Access Window Cleaning (or HAWC as it is best known) suspended from the city’s tallest buildings. Founded in 2016 by Alex Butchart, HAWC is a 100 per cent Aboriginal owned and managed small business, delivering safe and reliable high access window cleaning and building...
Many small business owners are unaware that they may be required to obtain various local government approvals for their new premises, to ensure they are operating in compliance with the relevant planning, building and health legislation. Here’s how to avoid costly and disruptive mistakes. It’s an exciting time for your business. You have a strong...
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...
If you’re a business owner, it’s important to understand your obligations to provide a safe and healthy workplace. This includes keeping up with changes to health and safety legislation. The Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety has introduced new Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws for Western Australia. Here are seven things...
Have you found yourself in a situation where you’ve finished a job only to discover you’ve only just broken even or perhaps actually lost money due to underquoting? First of all, don’t beat yourself up. Most small business owners discover at some point, particularly when starting out, that they have underquoted. Here are some tips to help you avoid...
If your rent is due to increase based on the consumer price index, here’s your guide to how it works and the calculations which could be used to work out your rent. The consumer price index (CPI) is a measure of how much the average costs of a fixed basket of goods changes over time. It is calculated quarterly and published by the Australian Bureau...
As a business owner, launching a new website can be a big step. It's your digital storefront, your brand's online home, and a crucial tool for attracting and retaining customers. For many businesses, website development and domain registrations are best outsourced to other businesses with specialised digital expertise. Before you dive in and hire a...
Many small businesses start as a hobby business or ‘side hustle’ which you might run in your spare time while holding a job with another employer. Setting your own hours and being your own boss might sound like a dream when you’re working while running a business on the side – but it’s important to make an informed decision before you decide to...
Tendering is the process of creating a formal offer (or ‘bid’) to supply goods, services or works as requested by a government agency or private organisation. Procurement and tender specialist Celia Jordaan also sees tendering as an opportunity to work out what you do well in your business and use that to your competitive advantage. Through her...
A false sense of urgency, manipulative tactics or any kind of aggression should be red flags when someone is trying to sell you something. Learn more about high pressure sales tactics and how you can avoid issues within your small business. Some sales training can involve not taking “no” for an answer, overcoming all objections or creating a sense...
Are you finding it hard to work out how much you should be charging for your services? One of the most common questions we’re asked by new business owners is how much should they be charging per hour for their services. There are a number of factors to consider when setting an hourly rate. Here are our top tips if you are running a service-based...
