Feeling confident in your abilities is a strong starting point when you’re considering running your own business. Jarrod Whitbourne was able to manage demanding FIFO shifts as a boilermaker while completing an accounting degree - a juggling act that first gave him confidence in his business capabilities. With 10 years of industry experience and a...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
If you have a great idea for a new product, you’re at the start of an exciting but complex business journey. From developing your idea to testing demand in the market and finding the right manufacturer, here’s your guide to the steps involved in turning your idea into a new product available for sale. Step 1: Develop your idea Developing any new...
Keen to try out a retail business idea without the cost or commitment of a long-term lease? A pop-up shop may be the answer. Not having the finances needed to get a great business idea off the ground is a common situation many would-be entrepreneurs find themselves in. Pop-up shops are a great way to give your business idea a go without the cost or...
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has recently announced changes to how your employees can calculate tax deductions if they work from home. Here’s your guide to the changes. Millions of Australians work from home for some or all of their working week. If your business is structured to have your employees working from home at some stage, they...
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...
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...
What started as a childhood hobby and a simple love of beekeeping has since grown into a buzzing business for husband and wife team Rupert and Kim Phillips. With a clear vision and strong values around sustainability, authenticity, and education, Rupert and Kim opened The House of Honey, an agri-tourism business nestled in the heart of the Swan...