Business West October 2010

A STAR NEWS GROUP PUBLICATION | $4.95 ISSN 1837-9869

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THE RISE AND RISE OF THE WEST MAKING SCIENCE CE WORK HOW TO MANAGE GE YOUR CASHFLOW 10 TIPS TO MARKET RKET YOUR BUSINESSS

LAUREN’S

YEAR

ISSUE 4 OCTOBER 2010

CONTENTS 4

FANTASTIC From medicine to manufacturing

6-7

LAUREN’S YEAR

31

Meet our top businesswoman

8

THE RISING WEST Bulldog’s research scores

EDITOR Jim Lawrence jim.lawrence@starnewsgroup.com.au

a goal

12

EL ZORRO

EDITORIAL Charlene Gatt charlene.gatt@starnewsgroup.com.au

The bold and brave e win the day

30

ADVERTISING Charles Ferraro charles.ferraro@starnewsgroup.com.au Mobile: 0421 555 404

CASH IS KING How to manage your our cashflow

31

DESIGN Mark Dinnie mark.dinnie@starnewsgroup.com.au

TO MARKET 10 tips to promote your business

BUSINESS WEST 17 Assembly Drive, Tullamarine 3043 Phone: 9933 4800 Fax: 9933 4844

36-38 BW NETWORK Ready to do business with you…

10 “I had this idea.

At least I’m d the doing it and next six months onths will be very y interesting…” …”

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BUSINESS WEST

Business West is a division of Star News Group Pty. Ltd. Celebrating our 101st year as a family-run business. Proudly Australian-owned and independent.

General Manager/Editor-in-Chief Geelong-North West Division, Jim Lawrence. Produced and published

by Paul Thomas for Star News Group Pty. Ltd. ACN 005 848 108.

Star News Group Trading Terms and Conditions can be found on www.starnewsgroup.com.au

Cover Photo

Lauren Stanley NICOLE SULTANA

FROM THE EDITOR CASH is king… three little words that can decide whether a business succeeds or fails.

This edition of Business West continues with our aim of highlighting the innovative nature of business in the West.

by Australia’s leading demographer to help gain a better understanding of the West, both now and in the future.

It matters little how much profit you’re making on paper, without cash on hand you can’t pay employees or meet your bills.

Businesses like Davies, Craig who turned an idea for an automotive electric fan into an exporting powerhouse operating out of Altona North.

Bulldogs’ CEO Campbell Rose says it all when he declares: It’s an exciting time to be in the West as it stands on the cusp of an unstoppable rise and rise.

Or W.A.McNeil, who from a brand-new plant in Derrimut are turning discarded plastic bottles into cushions and pillows … or Maidstone mum Jo Harvey who turns bamboo into an organic fibre to make baby clothes…

And as Kevin Rudd would say – You know something? He’s right.

As Michael Hollowood spells out in this month’s Strategies, more businesses fail due to a lack of cash than lack of profit.

Michael, managing partner of Collins&Co, has written a special 10-point plan for Business West readers to help you manage your cash flow.

His message is clear: If you are planning to grow your business you MUST understand your business’ cash cycle, and work to improve it – or you may well be headed for problems.

And marketing guru Ailsa Page provides you with a detailed and practical strategy to raise your business profile. It’s invaluable advice whether you are running a longestablished business or tyros setting out on the brave venture.

Ailsa, who lives in Yarraville, is in demand all over Australia as a guest speaker and workshop presenter. Since starting her own business in 1999, Ailsa has helped hundreds of businesses and organisation achieve their marketing goals.

Business West also profiles Lauren Stanley, who won this year’s Women in Business Network’s Star Businesswoman of the Year award. Lauren is yet another great example of women pacesetters in a tough commercial world.

Another is the redoubtable Genevieve Fahey who has turned work into serious fun at Scienceworks.

And we welcome one of the world’s largest printers, Vistaprint, to the West where they have opened their Australian headquarters.

Charlene Gatt profiles the woman charged with the challenge of keeping the much-loved Scienceworks as a vibrant place for families.

For an interesting take on the West’s amazing growth in recent times, turn to Page 8 for Bernard Salt’s view. The Western Bulldogs commissioned research

Jim Lawrence jim.lawrence@starnewsgroup.com.au

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BUSINESS WEST

3

FAN tastic WINESAVE

Managing director Richard Davies… from medicine to motoring.

Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI

A layer of the argon gas across the wine’s surface in the bottle provides an impenetrable seal, protecting the colour and taste of the wine.

BY CHARLENE GATT THE latest Davies family invention is a corker.

Winesave, which keeps opened wine at its peak for weeks after it has first been opened, is being marketed towards restaurants and wineries that serve wine by the glass.

Daryl Davies, 65, came up with the idea e earlier this year and is using the Davies, C Craig warehouse for all the assembly and p packing.

Winesave provides an impenetrable seal, protecting the colour and taste of opened bottles of wine.

The product is 100 per cent argon gas, a pure, inert and odourless gas that is heavier than air.

The business has already attracted a big o overseas market, with offices also in the A Pacific and Europe.

Asia

The characteristics of wine alter and decay because of exposure to the atmosphere, particular oxygen.

Each container holds enough argon gas f about 50 uses. for

Oxidation begins as soon as a bottle of wine is opened and accelerates once the wine is poured.

4

For the solo drinker, the product means an unfinished bottle will not be ruined by oxidation.

BUSINESS WEST

“A restaurant could have 10, maybe 15 bottles open at the end of a night, this way they can use the open bottles of wine the next day,” Richard Davies said.

Because of the gas’s weightlessness, each container has a small weight attached to the bottom so that it is not confused with an empty container. [BW]

HE’S the doctor who gave up his career to come and work for the family business.

“I understood what was happening in a car engine better than most automotive engineers,” he said.

Now Richard Davies, 62, is managing director of Davies, Craig, a leader in automotive electric fans and, most recently, the electric water pump.

In 1986 the father-son partnership enjoyed a change in management, with Richard becoming managing director and Mervyn taking a more backseat role.

It’s the quintessential family business.

Mervyn, now 94, started slowing down about 10 years ago, but still comes in every Friday to open the mail and give Richard free advice.

BY CHARLENE GATT

Older brother Daryl and fellow pilot Bill Craig came up with an idea for an automotive electric fan and started up the company in South Melbourne 40 years ago.

The pair catered for the aftermarket, selling kits for drivers to convert their car’s belt-driven fans to electric.

“They were both car enthusiasts, and every car had a belt-drive fan that was very inefficient,” Richard said.

Mr Craig, who flew for Australian Airlines, helped Daryl set up the business then returned to flying, staying on as a silent shareholder.

Five years later, Daryl followed suit, calling on his dad Mervyn to quit his job at a transport company to take the reins.

Another five years on, Mervyn called on Richard to join the company.

Richard, who had been director of pathology and director of pulmonary functions at various hospitals, jumped at the chance to try something new and did a management course at Melbourne University to get up to scratch.

But as far as the mechanics of the business went, Richard was practically an expert.

He said his pulmonary science background “translates completely with a car engine”, making the transition between jobs almost seamless.

pumps, to a company that is developing British hybrid taxis.

Electric water pumps have the capacity to save up to five per cent fuel.

In the last 40 years the company has moved from its South Melbourne roots to Port Melbourne.

The Davies then spent $1.6 million six years ago to build their own tailor-made plant in Altona North, conveniently located near other automotive companies.

The plant has 15 on-site employees. The newest addition to the family business is Richard’s son Adam, who is a law graduate and has done some overseas marketing for the company.

In 1995, Siemens Electric Limited, who supplies air-conditioning equipment to GM and Chrysler, awarded Davies, Craig its highest supplier rating when it received 350,000 perfect units on time with no defects.

Mervyn and Richard Davies have run Davies, Craig for 35 of its 40 years.

“The forecast for 2013 is that Europe will need 15,000 water pumps – a day. And we’ve got the patent, so hopefully we’re working on prototypes and we’ll get onto production.”

The company has moved from strength to strength and currently sells about 10,000 fans a year.

Mr Davies said the Australian automotive market were more conservative, and would pick up on electric water pumps once other countries have jumped on the bandwagon.

One third of their market is in the export business, with Davies, Craig supplying to Holland, France, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, the UK, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Dubai and the US.

“The plans are to get our electric water pumps into as many makers of motor cars as possible and have a slice of the action,” he said.

Davies, Craig has most recently started shipping its newest patent, electric water

“Now fuel’s more expensive, we’re thinking the changeover will be much quicker than it was with the electric fans.” [BW]

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5

COVER STORY

LAUREN’S WINNING WAYS SHE’S only 30, but Women in Business Network’s Star Businesswoman of the Year Lauren Stanley has a career to envy. CHARLENE GATT reports…

Human and animal physio Lauren Stanley with her nine-year-old patient, Scully, recovering after a back operation.

Picture: SARAH MATRAY

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BUSINESS WEST

THE trained physiotherapist is one of four partners at the Hoppers Crossing Physio Centre.

The animal lover is also one of about 10 animal physiotherapists in Australia and has her own centre to prove it.

But physiotherapy was never her first career choice, with a young Ms Stanley keen to become a vet.

“I’ve always been into sport and I’ve got three older brothers and they’re all fully into their football and swimming and so I just followed in their footsteps and started doing a lot of swimming and tennis and I just got a few little injuries and I’d go to see the physio up the road and I really thought it would be a great profession, but I had a bit more interest in animals at the time,” she said.

In high school, Ms Stanley did work experience at a vet clinic, but didn’t like the idea of dealing with animals dying on an ongoing basis, so she started a physiotherapy course straight out of high school.

Her stellar career to date had a promising start when, fresh out of Melbourne University nine years ago, she was offered a job at Hoppers Crossing Physio Centre.

She was the first new graduate they’d ever employed.

“I guess they sort of drum into you at uni that you’re not experienced enough to go into a private practice, you’ve got to put your time in at the hospitals and do a rotation,” she said.

“When I saw this job opportunity I thought ‘well, I’ll come and do the interview and just get some experience and see if I could move into it after a year or so, but (partners) Andrew and Michael were really fantastic and just explained everything really well and hinted that they’d be able to help a lot with my training and education and that’s exactly what they did the first couple of years.

“I’ve been really lucky and had the right people around me.

“The main thing I think about when treating clients is to give them the optimum care and attention and that one-on-one time.”

Three years later she became a partner at the centre, which boasts about 30 employees and treats about 700 patients a week.

She then completed her masters in animal physiotherapy by correspondence.

The course also required her to complete four weeks a year of work experience in Queensland.

During homes visits for her human clients, word soon got around that Ms Stanley also treated animals.

At the same time, she was looking to partner up with a veterinary clinic because there were no animal physiotherapy jobs she could walk into.

“There’s absolutely nothing out there,” she said.

“When I did the animal physio course there was a girl that I was trying to book myself in with and do a lot of training with called

COVER STORY Michelle Monk and she owns a place called Dogs in Motion.

“She’d been in the business way before the masters program even started and was really good but she was based out in Doveton and it was just impossible to try and commute out there every week, so there was nothing else.”

Before long she came across the Advanced Vetcare centre in Kensington, who were more than happy for her to set up shop in some free space they had.

From there, the Melbourne Animal Physio Centre was born.

The centre employs two other people and provides virtually the same physiotherapy treatment that human get, with a greater focus on teaching the owners what exercises to give their pets at home.

The centre has grown in popularity since opening three years ago, with Ms Stanley and her employees currently treating about 30 clients a week.

She said her Hoppers Crossing Physio partners – Andrew Ronchi, Michael Tricarico and Anesa Robinson – had been very encouraging about her next business venture.

“They’ve always known that I was interested in animals and we all support each other with what we want to do,” she said.

“We’re fine with our partners not actually treating as such but pursuing their dreams and certainly supporting this practice and making sure our younger staff are educated and up to scratch.”

Ms Stanley currently spends four days at the Hoppers Crossing Physio Centre and one at the Melbourne Animal Physio Centre, but says it’s likely she will share the time more equally in the future as the animal physio centre takes off.

In the meantime, she is busy planning her October wedding in Phuket after getting engaged in May. [BW]

Women In Business Network AWARD WINNERS Star Businesswoman of the Year: Lauren Stanley, Hoppers Crossing Physio Centre and Melbourne Animal Physio Centre

“I wanted to do a little bit of both. I don’t want to give up humans because I love it too much – especially the women’s health – it’s nice to have that mix.”

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Ms Stanley said she hopes to build up the animal physio centre in coming years.

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Plans are also underway to expand the Hoppers Crossing Centre to cater for their ever-growing number of patients.

The four partners hope to buy a neighbouring piece of land to add another three or four treatment rooms and a bigger gym.

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7

THE RISING

BY CHARLENE GATT

MELBOURNE’S West has become the fastest growing region in Australia, outstripping the Gold Coast as the place to be.

Research by demographer Bernard Salt, reveals Wyndham and Melton grow by 18,000 new residents every year – 1000 people more than up North.

The research was commissioned by the Western Bulldogs to get a better understanding of the West both now and in the future.

Mr Salt’s research found: • In the first decade of the 21st century, the municipalities of Wyndham and Melton took on 124,000 new residents; • In the 1990s, population growth in the West was 4000 new residents a year; • According to population projections prepared for every municipality in Australia by the Department of Health and Ageing, Wyndham and Melton will remain will remain the fastest growing region in Victoria for the whole of the coming decade, and throughout the 2020s; and “It’s like Melbourne is rebalancing the West.

In fact, much of the story of Melbourne’s growth in the 21st century will be told in the West,” Mr Salt Wrote.

“Melbourne’s West delivers affordable housing and Australians are voting with their feet in record numbers to take up the option of home ownership.

“But it goes beyond this. Affordability must be triangulated with job opportunities, and with quality of life issues that deliver social infrastructure such a schools, shops, a sense of community and public transport.

Mr Salt goes on to write that the Regional Rail Link will be like a “sugar hit” to the West, creating more localised demand for workers, contractors, labourers and consultants.

Bulldogs CEO Campbell Rose said the Western Bulldogs were the perfect conduit in the West, as one of the region’s oldest and most recognised brands.

The Bulldogs have forged countless links within the West, including partnerships with Victoria University and Olex, and countless small to medium-sized businesses through its Bulldogs Friendly Business Program.

“It’s an exciting time to be in the West as it stands on the cusp of an unstoppable rise and rise,” he said. [BW]

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BUSINESS WEST

WEST

BY BERNARD SALT

knots: It’s largely to do with affordability.

Melbourne made its intentions clear from the beginning . During the 19th century, the city pushed with some purpose towards the fertile and undulating lands to the east.

After more than a decade of rising house prices, it is clear that the driving force propelling Australians ‘out West’, is the fact that house and land packages start at less than $300,000.

After the war, market gardens in places like Glen Waverley quickly gave way to new housing estates. Rail and tram lines as well as freeways pushed east. By the end of the 20th century, Melbourne was visibly lop-sided.

Consider the evidence. In August 2010, the Property Planet Group was offering a house and land package at 170 Federal Drive in Wyndham Vale on 480 square metres of land for $279,000. And this was at a time when the (June 2010) median sale price on a house in Melbourne was $543,000.

The outermost edges of the city extended 55 km east to Pakenham but just 30 km west to Deer Park.

But then something happened to change Melburnians’ perspective of their city.

It began in 1978 with the completion of the West Gate Bridge which opened up new territories for suburban growth in bright new places, like Hoppers Crossing and Altona Meadows. But even so, this new development was small scale. The fastest growing sub-metropolitan region in Victoria in the 1980s was the Lilydale corridor.

The end of the Maroondah Highway attracted 73,000 new residents during the 1980s.

During the 2000s, Melbourne’s growth focus was again on the move, but this time the hot spot wasn’t attached to the edge of an eastern transportation corridor, as it had been for 170 years, it was in the West.

In the first decade of the 21st century, the municipalities of Wyndham and Melton (“Melbourne’s West”) added 124,000 new residents.

In the final year of this decade (to June 2009) these two communities combined to add 18,000 new residents. As a matter of fact, this number is higher than the number of new residents added to any other comparably configured region on the Australian continent.

Let me put what the West has done into context.

The two Western edges of Melbourne now add more new residents every year (ie 18,000) than does the Gold Coast (ie 17,000).

Why are Australians gravitating to Melbourne’s Western edge at a rate of

At the same time (June 20I0) this same group was offering a house and land package at lot 6024 in the Belle Gardens Estate in Melton South on 557 square metres ofland for $257,000 .

Melbourne’s West delivers affordable housing and Australians are voting with their feet in record numbers to take up the option of home ownership.

Until recently, the issue of public transport was a limiting factor for the West: only one frail rail line projecting to Werribee and another pushing to Sunshine.

But then, announced in May 2009, came a game-changer. Federal and State Government funding would combine to deliver a Regional Rail Link connecting Wyndham Vale with Deer Park and Southern Cross stations.

As a consequence, rail services would be faster and more frequent, with two additional stations allowing the West’s new residents to live in suburbia and to commute to the city. The exquisite point of this project is not just that it will deliver public transport on a grand scale to the Western edge, but that it will also pump $4.9 billion into the area.

After 170 years of neglect, the West’s time has come. In an era of rising property prices and long commutes the West offers an antidote: house and land packages for less than $300,000 in a capital city location less than 35 km from the city centre.

There is no place on the Australian continent that offers more population and urban growth than Melbourne’s Western edge.

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Local St Albans Business Banker Emmy Chau and Bank Manager Sarver Bhathawalla agreed they both found it very interesting to experience how the small business at Nandos operated.

There were stock and staff shifts to understand, and they even learnt the art of how the chicken is delivered, cooked and finally basted in the ‘secret’ recipe of Peri Peri sauce.

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MAKING

SCIENCE WORK

BY CHARLENE GATT GENEVIEVE Fahey’s job is all about serious fun.

The Scienceworks general manager has been with the interactive museum since it opened 18 years ago, and was also part of the project group that set up the popular tourist attraction.

And like many opportunities in life, Ms Fahey’s role in the museum was all down to timing.

Before Scienceworks, the trained geologist was mapping remote parts of the Northern territory for the NT Geological Survey.

When she and her husband moved back to Victoria so that he could return to study, geology jobs were thin on the ground, so she put her teaching degree to work and taught for a year.

She then applied for a job as an education officer at Melbourne Museum and spent a couple of years doing that, before being invited to join a project group to develop a new museum based on science and technology.

The site – a former four-acre pumping station in Spotswood – had already been earmarked for the project.

“It was a project that the Government embraced because it was about getting Victorians interested in science and technology, and seeing the relevance of science and technology to their everyday life,” she said.

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BUSINESS WEST

“At that time there had been a growing movement around the world of interactive science and technology centres.

“They had started with things like the Exploratorium in San Francisco… some of the senior staff had been around the world looking at some of those places and could see the strength of that, but also the strength of a more traditional museum approach.

“Basically, Scienceworks took the most creative elements from the science centre movement, what people were doing at the cutting edge in museums, what was being done in multimedia and then put them all together and created what was, at that time, quite a unique approach to how you present science and technology.”

It was a concept not lost on the masses, but perhaps underestimated by the Scienceworks board.

A business plan for the museum suggested the museum would gradually build to 250,000 visitors over its first five years of operation.

In Scienceworks’ first year, more than 400,000 went through the doors.

“When Scienceworks opened in March 1992, we were swamped,” Ms Fahey remembers.

“We were certainly seen as a benchmark for all kinds of things in terms of our approach but also the way we approached customer service, the way we approached education.”

Ms Fahey started out as an education officer and climbed the ladder by becoming a project leader, then manager of education and head of public programs, and finally becoming manager of Scienceworks in 2004.

She oversees up to 60 employees and about 140 volunteers.

“The one thing that I firmly believe is that you’ve got to enjoy what you do and have a positive attitude when you come to work,” she said.

“If you’re enjoying what you’re doing, that’s what comes through, especially in a business like this. When they come through the door, they’ve got to see that you enjoy what you do – you don’t have to have a big, cheesy smile, but it’s just the genuineness of the interaction, no matter whether you’re a customer service officer or a presenter or people who are helping to keep things clean. I think that makes an enormous difference.”

Visitor numbers dipped slightly after a few years in operation, fuelling a need to keep the museum up-to-date and innovative.

When Business West met with Ms Fahey in July, she had just spent two weeks in the UK looking at potential exhibitions to bring out to Scienceworks over the next two to four years.

“The challenge now is to continue to be a vibrant place for families,” she said.

“We are constantly looking for exciting exhibitions that we can bring that will really

PROFILE stimulate people’s imagination and get them to think about things differently.

“Once we worked out a pattern of how frequently we needed to change our exhibits and bring in temporary exhibitions and that kind of thing, we’ve gone from strength to strength.”

New Scienceworks staples like the planetarium in 1999 and the lightning room in 2004 have continued to generate interest,

“ Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT

a difference to people’s perceptions of science and technology. I think that the thing that keeps you going is when you see the reaction of visitors when they come here and you can hear the excitement and the pleasure they’re getting out of being here.”

Ms Fahey’s latest challenge is to get the State Government to re-invest in Scienceworks.

Scienceworks has been literally loved to death… while short-term exhibitions, like last year’s Star Wars exhibition, are becoming major drawcards.

The Star Wars exhibition helped draw in a record 540,000 visitors in 2009.

More recently, the museum catered for over 46,000 people during the winter school holidays.

“It offers a really sound, educational experience but it also offers a very sound day out for families. We used to refer to it as the healthy hamburger – it’s still a lot of fun, but it’s good for you as well,” Ms Fahey said.

“I believe passionately in what we do and I do believe that what we do makes

At the grand age of 18, it costs more to run the museum than what it takes in, and Ms Fahey estimates Scienceworks needs about $80 million to fully upgrade the site.

The museum received $10 million in this year’s State Budget to put in new airconditioning, demolish the buildings next door and build a collections storage facility and more car parking.

“Scienceworks has been literally loved to death. It’s pretty much wearing out,” Ms Fahey said. [BW]

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BUSINESS WEST

11

BE BOLD AND BRAVE EL Zorro Transport partowner Geoff Tighe explains to NICOLE PRECEL that the key to success is being bold and brave.

THE Hobsons Bay freight company won the overall Hobsons Bay Business Excellence of the Year Award last year, and is gearing up for this year’s awards.

Nominations closed Friday, 3 September.

Mr Tighe said he was “blown out of the water” when El Zorro Transport was named business of the year last year.

“Actually, I went into a bit of a brain ct meltdown,” he said. meltdo “It fflooded over me that we got awarded that, it was just fantastic, we were all on a high.”

The company was founded by Ray Evans 1999, originally distributing with trucks, in 199 based in Williamstown and offers an is bas alternative to bigger frieght operators such alterna Pacific National. as Pac Lisa Trezise soon came on board alongside Evans and Mr Tighe as stakeholders.

Mr Eva “We started from virtually nothing with that joined forces, less than 10 three owners o people working in the company and we now 70,” Mr Tighe said. have 7 The company now works in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia and has won a number of large contracts including the Australian Wheat Board. with th Among the 70 employees are those that Amo

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BUSINESS WEST

have been trained from administration jobs to train driving positions.

“Our oldest, longest serving employee, a locomotive driver, is a woman,” he said.

Mr Tighe said among the reasons they won business of the year, was that it is flexible, a small privately-owned business, innovative and determined.

“If you’re small and in the big world you have to be determined to succeed, there’s a fair amount of determination in this place, they’re the big things and that makes us different,” he said.

Winning the awards, Mr Tighe said, cemented his notion that the company was heading in the right direction.

“Makes you think you’re on the right path,” he said.

“That’s the biggest thing I was hoping to achieve, it gives you strength to keep going along that path.”

Visit www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/bus inessexcellence for more information.

The winner will be announced at a gala dinner at the Williamstown Town Hall on 22 October.

Business West and Star News Group are media partners for the awards. A full report on the winners will appear in the next edition of Business West. [BW]

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THE TOUGHEST GIG

BY CHARLENE GATT IT’S the chance to be your own boss, but owning your own small business is considered to be one long, hard slog.

That’s the predominant view to come from a recent Victoria University survey on public perceptions of the small business sector.

VU recently commissioned a Roy Morgan telephone survey of 652 people, and found: • 78 per cent of respondents reported a negative perception of what it would be like to be in small business; • Respondents viewed small business as predominantly retail, despite the sector representing only 20 per cent of all small business in Australia; • 54 per cent said they would encourage their children to go into small business, but considered long hours and lack of access to finance as drawbacks; and

including state and national awards to raise business profiles.

You can either have your business run you, or you run your business.”

South Kingsville business owner Mhairi Nicolson-Biggs, who set up online jewellery store Amante Jewellery with business partner Mary Walker four years ago, said the prospect of long hours and hard work did not faze her.

Amante employs 15 women around Australia and boasts corporate clients like IBM, NAB and Optus.

“I’ve come from a corporate background where it is long hours and hard work,” Ms Nicolson-Biggs said.

“I guess I looked at it like what I put in was what I got out of it, where as in a corporate environment you can do 12, 14 hours a day, but you get paid the same amount.

“In your own business, the office door never closes… but that’s how you set up your business and you have to be very in control.

The company was awarded the Greater Western Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence award for Best New Business in 2006 and Best Small Business in 2007 and has also been a finalist in the 2007 Australian Small Business Champions Awards and the 2008 Small Business Champion for Online Business.

Ms Nicolson-Biggs advised any budding business owners to do their research and take on some business courses before setting up their own small business. [BW]

• Being your own boss was the biggest benefit of being a small business owner.

VU Head of Small Business Research, Professor John Breen said the results replicated a similar survey conducted 15 years ago.

“The public view of small business is still fairly negative, that it’s hard work, long hours, tough,” Prof. Breen said.

“Bright young students don’t often see small business as an option. It’s got to be considered a vocation alongside anything else.

“

In your own business, the office door never closes…

“This will lead to a more positive community perception and encourage more new operators who are best suited to such endeavours.

“Also, having more entrepreneurs will result in more business growers rather than business survivors.”

Prof. Breen said the State and Federal Governments needed to take a more proactive approach to encourage small business,

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BUSINESS WEST

Mhairi Nicholson-Biggs… get used to long hours and hard work.

Picture: SARAH MATRAY

TRUE TO

to customers everyday, and we were doing that from a factory in the Netherlands, and we had marketing folks who were doing their job from Boston. “We had built a business here that was starting to be an interesting and sizable business, yet we were doing it with those large handicaps. “The fastest we could get a product to our customers was nine days, and when we looked at this business‌ we realised we hadn’t developed a great product because you can’t get it very fast if it comes from a long way away.

IT’S the overseas printing business that caters for over nine million people worldwide a year.

And when Vistaprint management decided to open up headquarters in Australia, they chose Derrimut.

“The way to really invest in this market and prove that this market can continue to grow in the pace that it had in the first couple of years, was to build a factory here that would serve not only the Australia and New Zealand markets, but also Japan and other northern Asian markets.�

The new 12,000 square metre site opened in June this year and offers a range of textile, offset and digital products, like t-shirts, mouse pads, ink stamps and business cards.

Now that the Derrimut plant is up and running, the company can deliver products around Australia, New Zealand and Asia in as fast as three days.

The company has also set up a marketing office in Sydney.

The site currently employs up to 50 people and runs on a single-shift operation, producing thousands of individual orders a day.

BY CHARLENE GATT

Head of Vistaprint’s Derrimut plant Robert Bruce said: “It’s (Derrimut) close to the airport, close to the postal depot, the Western Ring Road, the city, so you’ve got good access, it couldn’t be better. There’s also a good demographic here in terms of skilled labour and its one of the growth corridors of Melbourne.�

Mike Ewing, head of Vistaprint’s Australian operations, said coming to Australia was a question of solving a geographic problem. “We deliver thousands of individual orders

market with regard to the micro or small business, and developed that plan while in school.

The company has since grown to become one of the leading suppliers in printing and boasted $670 million in revenue over 200910. “Our best customers are typically customers that have 10 or fewer employees and often they’ll have one or two employees.

Because we take so many orders, we group all those orders together in a way that gives the same economic advantage of volume to the small customers that a large customer might get,� Mr Ewing said. “We typically don’t have large customers. “A company that has one employee or two employees can look as substantial as a company that has hundreds of employees, and they can do it at a price point that they might not have thought was possible.�

For now, it is Mr Bruce and Mr Ewing’s job to ramp up the Derrimut plant to capacity so that it becomes operationally stable. [BW]

“We look at the investment we’ve made here as a pretty substantial investment compared to where we were a year ago.

We’ve built this facility as an example with room to grow into it,� Mr Ewing said.

Vistaprint was founded in Paris in 1995 by current President and CEO Robert Keane, immediately following his graduation from INSEAD Business School.

Mr Keane was interested in closing what he considered a gap in the printing industry’s

Vistaprint’s Mike Ewing and Robert Bruce in the Derrimut plant.

Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT

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BUSINESS WEST

15

ON THE CREST OF A

WAVE

Get Wet Marine was once again growing, but Mr McIver had to wait it out a couple of years before the money, and opportunity, presented itself.

Mr McIver got to fulfill his dream in July this year, opening up an 800 square metre factory along Kororoit Creek Road in Altona.

The new factory is in good company, with industry giants Qenos, Nestle and Dow Chemicals nearby.

With all the extra room, Mr McIver is now starting to pour more money into advertising to help bump up the business.

“The location is also free advertising. Our last one in Laverton was on a dead-end road, you only went there if you had to,” he said.

“We couldn’t have fitted the boats we have here in the old factory.”

Ash McIver… make one person happy and you get lots of referrals.

Picture: SARAH MATRAY

BY CHARLENE GATT ASH McIver is living the dream, and he’s hoping a bigger factory in a prominent location will bring in waves of business.

The Australian Army-trained marine fitter has been running Get Wet Marine since 2003, and has been busy servicing boats ever since.

He started his career as a fitter and turner at 16 and joined the Army two years later.

the move, combined with slowly building the business up, made Get Wet Marine’s first few years in business a struggle.

However, a lack of marine shops in the West and some good referrals helped keep the company afloat.

The company also sells second-hand motors, and Mr McIver is keen to become a dealer of outboard motors and boats in the future.

Get Wet Marine has clients from all over Melbourne, and as far out as Gippsland and Wallan.

But ironically, for a man that spends so much time on boats, he isn’t keen on fishing or spending time out at sea.

Mr McIver then spent eight years completing various armoured vehicle weapon maintenance courses. He also served overseas as part of the Special Forces, where he used his fitter and turner skills before an injury made him leave the Army.

“The marine industry’s very small. If you make one person happy, you’ll get lots of referrals,” he said.

He then used his Army payout to set up Get Wet Marine in his Seabrook backyard.

Together, Mr McIver and Mr Osborne grew the business to the point where boats were parked on neighbouring nature strips.

Once word got around, it didn’t take long for Mr McIver to outgrow his home workshop and he soon relocated the business to a 300 square metre factory in Laverton.

Despite the welcome capacity for more business, the move tripled operating costs.

Mr McIver admits

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Mr McIvor and Mr Osborne, who is due to complete his apprenticeship in November, are servicing about three to four boats a day during the slow winter/ early spring period, but expect to service up to 15 boats a day over summer.

In 2006 he took on his only employee, a 16-year-old apprentice named Shaun Osborne.

“I get sea sick,” he said. [BW]

LIGHT BRIGHT

BY CHARLENE GATT COULD this man be the answer to sustainable street lighting?

Adam Carey is on a one-man mission to put green lighting on the streets, and he’s recruited international public lighting experts Citelum to drive his campaign.

The Hoppers Crossing man came up with an idea to better manage public lighting in Australia four years ago, and last year turned that dream into a reality when Citelum agreed to set up an Australian and New Zealand subsidiary in Williamstown.

Citelum manages over 2.3 million street lights around the world, and Mr Carey is hoping to use the brand to get councils to take him seriously.

Since 2001, the Essential Services Commission of Victoria made public lighting a contestable tendering item, but before Citelum there had not been any competition to give councils choice.

Victorian councils spend over $20 million a year in public lighting services. ounnc ou ciills have have ha ve jjoined oiinne o ed Forty-five Victorian councils pa p al A As ssso sso oci ciaattiio on o off forces with the Municipal Association tree tr eettss tthe hhe e G rre een en Victoria in its Give Our S Streets Green alllls on on tthe hhe eS tta atte e Light campaign, which calls State o su ssubsidise ubs bsid idis ise and Federal Government tto tre tr ee et llilight ig ghht the costs of switching sstreet o ne ess. bulbs to energy efficient on ones.

Nearly 2500 people have signed the online petition.

Mr Carey, who is the managing director of the Australian and New Zealand subsidiary, said his approach could provide a cheaper, more eco-friendly model than what is currently on offer.

“We can provide an energy performance contract to councils in relation to public lighting,” Mr Carey said.

“We can build a grid-type public lighting to a solar plant. We’ve got plans to develop a large-scale solar renewal energy power plant that would be grid-tied to the public lighting network out in the West.

“Once they (councils) put out the tenders, they’ll be quite surprised with some of the prices that come back.”

If successful, Citelum could bring in 200 jobs for the Williamstown area.

Citelum is also instrumental in decorative lighting, and recently relit the Eiffel Tower for its 120th anniversary.

Mr Carey said he had great ideas for the West, especially Nelson Place in Williamstown.

“Nelson Place has got so much potential.

People that are standing on the Eureka Tower should be able to look over at Williamstown and think ‘what’s happening over there?’

That’s the sort of stuff lighting can do, improving local businesses, creating interest.”

Mr Carey is so confident in the idea that he gave up his stable day job at lighting company Thorn to make it work, and is now working solo to win council tenders.

“We need local government to put those tenders out,” he said “When the tenders are released, we’ve got a mobilisation period of say, three months, where we’ve got to employ lots of people..

“I live in the West and I just think with the type of business that we are, our large core business will be on this side.

“In life, you get one of those things where y get g one big g idea and I held onto this idea you and it’s an it’s it ’s changed cha hang nged ed my my llilife, ife fe, ffo orrc ced ed m e to to rresign esig es ign and forced me fro fr om m a job job ob where whe here re I spent sp pe ent nt nine ninne years. yye eaarrss.. from “It’t’s exciting.

“I exc ex ciiting ttiing ng. I didn’t diidn’t d dnn’t’t want d waannt tto o get get et to to an an “It’s aag ge where whe wh erre I would wo w ouulld look ou loo lo okk back bac ack and aannd think tthhiinnk thin age ‘I‘I had haad d this tthi hhiis idea’. ide id eaa’’.. At At least lle eaasst I’m I’I’m doing doinng it do it aannd the tthhe next nexxtt six ne six ix months mon onth ths will willll be wi be very vve eryy and inte in tere rest stin ing g..” [BW] interesting.”

Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI

BUSINESS WEST

17

Witchmount Vigneron Tony Rammuno at his Rockbank estate.

Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT

BY CHARLENE GATT IN 1990, Tony Rammuno started planting a vineyard as a hobby. Today, that hobby is an award-winning winery, with an on-site restaurant and functions room.

Witchmount Estate Winery in Rockbank is set on a 200-acre site and boasts a 65-acre vineyard that produces, among other things, a 2004 vintage Shiraz that in 2008 was named Best Shiraz at the Syrah du Monde wine competition in France.

But despite the grand title, it is Witchmount’s Cabernet that is actually the estate’s most award-winning wine, Mr Rammuno is quick to point out.

When Business West visits the winery in August, it’s like being transported to the Yarra Valley.

A delicious aroma of oak and wine fill your nostrils from the moments you step foot into the cellar door, and to top it off, workers are filling barrels of the 2009 Shiraz.

It’s a scene that’s been 20 years in the making, when Mr Rammuno first started planting a five-acre vineyard.

It was a hobby that soon turned serious.

“We weren’t just looking for something

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BUSINESS WEST

to do on the weekends. We wanted to do it proper in terms of quality and sales,” the 41year-old vigneron said.

“We want to continue to grow and expand, but we want to grow at a rate that the market will accept us.

In 1996, Witchmount made its debut through Avanti, a fine dining a la carte restaurant where the wines were sold from the bar.

“We’re not going to produce heaps of wine and have an overproduction, we’re going to grow according to the demand of our product, so each year we’d like that to be five, 10 per cent without letting go of our quality standards.”

Before long, Mr Rammuno then added a function room and expanded the vineyard.

In 2003, Mr Rammuno leased out Avanti to Joseph Brancaleone and in 2006 opened up a purpose-built cellar door for the wines.

In another coup for Witchmount, esteemed winemaker Steve Goodman joined the team in 2004.

The functions room is now also leased out.

“We had no real plan back in those days.

We opened the doors and from there on it was easier because you had people walking through the door in the restaurant and we started doing functions and the word started to spread,” Mr Rammuno said.

“Once we got out of the restaurant and function room we concentrated heavily on wine quality and wine shows and wine awards, and that’s what helped us grow.

The winery, which sells between 100,000 to 130,000 bottles of wine across Australia, Canada, the US, Singapore and China each year, suffered a 20 per cent drop in sales during the Global Financial Crisis, sparking an unprecedented slow 2009 for the company.

“You try to get as much media and press as you can to push the brand, but you just can’t help when people don’t want to take money out of their pocket,” Mr Rammuno said.

But sales are on the up again, and Witchmount hope to break into the European market once the effects of the GFC have blown over.

At the moment, Mr Rammuno is focusing on sales and marketing, but come February, it will be a tough slog until the end of April to pick, process and ferment the next season’s grapes. [BW]

BOTTLER OF A

P.E.T. PRODUCT

BY CHARLENE GATT A DERRIMUT home-textile wholesaler is manufacturing cushion inserts made from recycled plastic bottles.

W.A McNeil recently unveiled the new technology at the launch of its new 5000 square metre plant, which is five times the size of its previous operation in Wellington St, Collingwood.

The PET fibre is created by chipping down plastic bottles and then melting them down to create a soft fibre.

The fibre is then put through a new machine imported from China that teases the fibre to fluff it up and give it bounce.

The machine, which uses five plastic bottles to fill a cushion and 10 per pillow, can fill about 360 cushions an hour.

The new cushion inserts, which were previously manufactured overseas, will now be done at the Derrimut plant, creating six new jobs.

Managing Director David McNeil hopes to import another two machines over the next few months.

He said the company had saved one million plastic bottles from going to landfill in the past six months with the new technology, which was discovered by national sales manager Peter Scott in London.

The company has also bought a pillow press so that it can fit more product into one container when exporting, cutting down transport costs and reducing carbon emissions through reduced transport.

The new cushions are being sold exclusively through Spotlight stores and are garnering lots of interest from other business.

Spotlight CEO Mark Goddard said it was a “no brainer” for the company to try out the new cushions.

Mr Goddard said customers had embraced the new filling “with open arms”.

Managing Director David McNeil has a cushy time.

Picture: DAMJAN JANVESKI Mr McNeil said the company was likely to expand their range and start manufacturing bedding products for Spotlight in the next year.

David took the reins from his dad about four years ago.

W.A McNeil was started up by David’s dad Bill in 1972. Bill is now in partial retirement. In keeping with the family theme, Bill’s nephew Colin is a specialist sales person for the company.

“They’re interested in new paths I never would have thought of. It’s a new path for us, and it’s been fun.” [BW]

“We all have a use-by date and it’s time to let the younger ones do it,” Bill said.

BUSINESS WEST

19

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More Businesses turning to Technology Solutions as confidence returns

“An increasing number of small businesses are turning to technology to boost productivity, manage costs and help grow their business…”

An increasing number of small businesses are turning to technology to boost productivity, manage costs and help grow their business, according to John Rovas, Managing Director of the Telstra Business Centre Outer West Melbourne.

“The results from our latest national business survey* show that not only has confidence returned, according to 75 percent of the businesses, more than a quarter were also looking to use technology to fuel their growth,” said John.

This is where John and the team at the Telstra Business Centre Outer West Melbourne can help. Since 2005, they have been providing advice and customised communication solutions, backed by the resources of Australia’s largest telecommunications provider, Telstra.

“We’re really passionate about helping local businesses get the most from the latest digital technology,” said John.

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On top of helping businesses get the most from the latest digital technology, the centre also offers dedicated account managers to deliver a better service, loan phones when handsets are on the blink and management of equipment repairs.

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John Rovas, Managing Director of the Telstra Business Centre Outer West Melbourne

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THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW *The 2010 Telstra Back to Business survey polled 325 SME’s across Australia on their views about the economy, their business and their plans for the future. ® Registered trade mark of Telstra Corporation Limited ABN 33 053 755 556. Microsoft® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Inc. ™Symantec and the Symantec Logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Symantec Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. *The trial period is available for an initial order for each service only (except Work Force Guardian). After the trial period, charging for each applicable service will commence except for Microsoft Online Services. If you have agreed a minimum term as part of your initial order, and you cancel the order after the trial period, the early termination charges in Our Customer Terms will apply. Microsoft Online Services trial via the Business Productivity Online Suite (which includes: Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Office Live Meeting and Microsoft Office Communications Online) or via Business Productivity Online Suite Deskless Worker (which includes: Microsoft Exchange Online Deskless Worker and Microsoft SharePoint Online Deskless Worker) is limited to 20 users and expires after 30 days. After the trial period, you may choose to convert your trial users to a paid subscription for the suite or any of the individual Microsoft Online Services applications. No early termination charges apply for not converting to a paid subscription. User information and data, including mailbox content, hosted data and other related settings, will be deleted from those Microsoft Online Services applications for which you have not converted to a paid subscription within 30 days after the expiry of the trial.

BAMBOO

BABY

BY CHARLENE GATT

TAKING baby steps has proved a winning business formula for Maidstone mum Jo Harvey.

Ms Harvey, 32, who runs online store Babyjo Bamboo Clothing, has been awarded the 2010 Best Eco-Friendly Business award at the recent AusMumpreneur Awards.

The products – which include a range of blankets, beanies, rompers, PJs, singlets, one-pieces and pants for babies and toddlers – are all made with bamboo fibre, an organic fabric that is good for sensitive skin and is soft to touch.

The fabric is also thermo-regulating, which means bubs wearing the clothing are about two degrees warmer in winter, and two degrees cooler in summer.

“It was nice to be acknowledged for all the hours you sit behind the computer on your own and especially I’m proud to have won an eco-friendly business award,” Ms Harvey said.

“There’s lots of quirky little things I do in our business – obviously bamboo is organically grown – and it’s something I try to continue, like walking my orders to the post office. It’s little things, but they all add up over time.”

Ms Harvey started up the business in mid-

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BUSINESS WEST

Babyjo founder Jo Harvey with three-year-old daughter Mia, who is modelling a pair of Babyjo PJs.

2007 when her five-month old daughter Mia suffered a mild case of eczema.

“I’d been tossing up the idea of looking into a business that I could start from home and through a bit of natural progression I was looking up natural fibres and natural fabrics that would alleviate or manage eczema and I stumbled across bamboo somewhere on the internet and after looking into it a bit further it really caught my eye, and I tried a few samples from the manufacturer that I use now… and it was just fantastic,” she said.

“The results were amazing and the eczema just cleared up.”

Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI

it was still a risk nonetheless. (There was) $5000 or $6000 in stock is sitting there, and if it doesn’t work, or it doesn’t come off, then that money’s down the drain and all that time spent setting it up is down the drain too.

“Thankfully it took off and I think the progression from our first range to what we have now has been quite clear.

“It was a steep learning curve, and a fast one and it got me to where I am today.”

Ms Harvey said it took about 15 months for the company to start turning a profit.

Now, Babyjo sells to 48 stockists worldwide and its retail sector is growing too.

Ms Harvey has been manager of hospitality for Accor Hotels in Melbourne before giving birth to Mia, but said the prospect of returning to shift work did not gel with her idea of a happy family life.

Ms Harvey said one of the best things about Babyjo was that she didn’t have to work within the confines of 9am to 5pm. In fact, the bulk of her work is done between 7pm and midnight.

Despite not having a business background, Ms Harvey and her husband dipped into their savings to set up Babyjo.

Ms Harvey also works one day a week in Melbourne teaching hospitality.

Her brother, an IT specialist, designed a website for her, and then it was up to Ms Harvey to use her social networking skills and hard work to get Babyjo’s name out there.

“I was taking baby steps, but it was also about taking a bit of a risk too,” she said.

“It was a small risk to take initially, but

“I don’t want to expand to a size where I can’t manage it or look after my family; that was never the aim,” she said.

“Everything’s fairly flexible, it fits in around what we do. We could be having breakfast and I’d be packing orders, I’ll be answering emails on my Blackberry while we’re at the park.” [BW]

SHE’S dressed Miss World Victoria, Bulldogs WAGs Megan Akermanis and Haylea Cooney and countless brides.

It’s all in a day’s work for designer Deborah Selleck, who makes up to 100 made to measure couture bridal and evening gowns a year from her self-titled Seddon store.

“It’s not necessarily a traditional wedding cake look. It’s more of an elegant, modern contemporary look inspired by vintage touches, 1930s art-deco design,” she said of her designs.

Her eye for fashion was born during her childhood in Rome, where clothing in the early

1960s was predomina predominantly made to measure.

“I loved the proce process of having clothes especially made for me by a skilled dressmaker,” she said.

“My mother choos choosing the fabrics and details, the dressmake dressmaker adjusting the design throughout the fittings fittings, watching the dress take form, and finally, the joy of wearing the prettiest party dress that puffed out like a cloud when I jumped.”

Her interest took a more serious turn when she completed hher Diploma of Fashion at RMIT in the 1980s aand then spent the next 15 years designing day and evening wear for various companies.

Every year she wo would jet set overseas twice to get inspiratio inspiration from collections for her range.

But then, after the birth of her second child, the prospect of overseas travel wasn’t so appealing, so Ms S Selleck downsized and started doing freelance designing and made to measure from home home.

Business quickly g grew, and within three years she found her ssmall home office was not big enough to cate cater for the demand. So she set up shop in Ball Ballarat St, Yarraville.

In 2007 she moved to Charles St, Seddon, when rental costs triple tripled.

“Yarraville had beco become very, very popular, so in order to remain profitable, I needed to keep my overheads do down,” she said.

But it’s unlikely the work will stop anytime soon.

As she enters into her busiest time of the year, between Sep September and May, Ms Selleck and a team of four seamtresses will be working around th the clock, and anyone interested in having a Deborah Selleck dress made during the busy warmer months needs to book 12 months in advance.

Thanks to advertisements in specialist bridal magazines, clients come from all over the country to have a Deborah Selleck original made for them.

And this year in particular has been a big one for Ms Selleck.

She recently launched a ready-to-wear line of gowns that is designed here and made overseas. Prices start from $1600 and go up to $3500.

Her made to measure line is priced between $2500 and $7000.

Deborah Selleck… an eye for fashion.

Picture: SARAH MATRAY She has also turned teacher, teaching fashion at the Kangan Institute and Box Hill.

Ms Selleck said she has found the experience stimulating.

“I’m imparting knowledge I’ve gained over 25 years experience, and I have hands-on skills to teach these concepts and ideas and pattern-making rules, I know what will work.

“Institutes are recruiting a lot more people working in the industry to teach for that reason – that they have hands-on working skills.” [BW]

399626-SH38-10

BY CHARLENE GATT

BUSINESS WEST

23

McCANN DO-MAN years at ICI Australia (now Orica) across operations, business development, project and also in leading business units.

It was, Mr McCann remembers, a valuable crash course in both chemical engineering and business.

Ross McCann… upgrade essential to keep manufacturing strong.

Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI

BY CHARLENE GATT ROSS McCann had set himself up for a life in the legal profession, but it took only one thing for him to change his mind: a car.

“I went through high school on a scholarship, and left to enroll in law at Sydney University, but a mate of mine had a car, and at the end of the day I came back and I enrolled in chemical engineering at the University of New South Wales,” the now 61-year-old said.

“It was transport and I didn’t have a car, and my friend was going to the University of New South Wales.

“I was familiar with what chemical engineering was, because my father worked at a factory in Balmain in Sydney and I’d done some student vocation work with some chemical engineers.

“I think, in the final year yearbook there was a little photo of me and a little writeup that said something along the lines of ‘between rugby league, cricket, surfing, horse racing, Thursday night cards and his girlfriend Margaret, Ross tried to complete the university course as quickly as he could.’”

Little did he know at the time that that snap judgement would eventually lead to him becoming Executive Chairman of Qenos, a leading manufacturer in plastics and rubber and the sole manufacturer of polyethylene.

After obtaining an Honours in Chemical Engineering in 1969, Mr McCann spent 25

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BUSINESS WEST

“ICI gave me a lot of opportunities,” he said. “I learnt a lot about business, financials, profit and loss, other than the pure technical side of what I was brought down here for.”

Mr McCann then moved on to WMC Resources Ltd, where he was able to undertake major project management across Australia and overseas.

During this period, he was the driving force behind the major expansion of the Olympic Dam copper and uranium complex in South Australia and also aided in the development of the Phosphate Hill chemical and fertilizer complex in Queensland.

In 2001, he became CEO of Qenos. He remained in this role for seven years before being appointed Executive Chairman.

Mr McCann’s position takes him overseas at least six times a year for various board meetings and other business.

“We’ve been very good at engaging all the stakeholders in our business – from our customers, our suppliers, community, our employees. You build up a bucket of goodwill and every now and again you may have to dip into it, but I think you keep replenishing the bucket.”

To counteract the hectic work life, Mr McCann had made an effort over his career to keep his home life somewhat less so.

He has been married to his university girlfriend Margaret for over 40 year and has two kids and seven grandkids.

“We were lucky in that I sort of insisted

that we keep the family base stable so that the kids didn’t have to move, so I was the one that did the moving.”

In March 2008 he joined the board at the Plastics Chemicals Industry Association and was appointed president seven months later.

At the time he was also working hard to establish a good working relationship with Chinese company BlueStar, who took over Qenos in 2006.

“We’ve had a terrific change with ownership.

The change has given us encouragement from the new owner to look at growing the current business and also looking for acquisitions outside of what we’re currently doing.

“With that sort of encouragement, it gives Qenos a future that it otherwise didn’t have under the previous ownership.

“The most satisfying part for me has been seeing Qenos come from a position we were in 10 years ago, where there was some dark days. I think with our new ownership we can really see some bright days ahead.”

Mr McCann said Qenos was looking at a project to expand the Altona site.

He said Qenos are in talks with stakeholders and the State Government and hope to have an arrangement by the end of the year.

He said an upgrade was essential to keep manufacturing strong is Australia.

“It’s (manufacturing) under real threat at the moment and the ones that will survive are the ones that keep moving with the times and the changes, and that’s what we’ve got to do.

“I think determination and perseverance goes a long way, and you’ve got to keep looking at growing and changing, otherwise you’ll be overtaken by the competition.”

Mr McCann’s approach saw him inducted into the Manufacturing Hall of Fame earlier this year, an award that was accepted with great surprise and honour from the Executive Chairman.

“I’ve never been one about awards and stuff, but it’s great to have some recognition,” he said. [BW]

VU’S

Remedial Massage Therapist Annie Wen Jing Tian works on a patient.

Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI

new

KENNEL VICTORIA University has made the Dogs’ house their home.

VU has opened its $8 million Sport and Recreation Learning Centre at Whitten Oval’s John Gent stand, fortifying the sports triangle between the university, the Western Bulldogs and Maribyrnong College.

The new centre includes teaching and staff facilities for VU’s School of Sport and Exercise Science and the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living.

The space also has a Vocational Education School of Sport and Science massage facility, a Performance Analysis Facility and two shared general purpose tutorial rooms.

More importantly, the centre will ensure that VU students get around 25 per cent of

their tertiary education doing practical work in their chosen field.

“They’ve (the students) got closer access to the Bulldogs players, which means they are exposed to lots of injuries and pathologies that are less common in the general public,” School of Sport and Science Senior Educator Kevin Skillen said.

Members of the public can also benefit from the facilities, with Vocational Education students offering one-hour consultations from Monday to Thursday.

The new space complements a new major research facility at VU’s Footscray Park campus that will also open later this year.

The facility will have five major sports-related research laboratories, including an altitude hotel, where athletes can mimic training in high altitudes, and a biomechanics lab.

Lecturer and Bulldogs sport scientist Dr Rob Aughey said: “To be working on the same site as elite professional athletes is unique.

“Both our players and students will benefit from world class support that no other AFL club or tertiary can lay claim to.”

VU also has a stake on the floor above the new centre, which is currently the temporary home for the Department of Education and Early Childhood’s western region office.

VU will convert the top floor into a 130-seat lecture theatre, Sport Psychology Relaxation Unit and three shared general purpose classrooms once the Department moves to its permanent home in Footscray’s CBD. It is expected the changes will not take place for another three years. [BW]

Kylie Spark 498505-SH38-10

BY CHARLENE GATT

BUSINESS WEST

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SMALL TALK LUNCH AND LEARN

INJURIES

VIKING

The State Minister for Ports and Roads Tim Pallas will be the guest speaker at the inaugural Business West-Sanctuary Lakes Resort business round table lunch on Wednesday, 22 September.

WORKPLACES in the West have forked out over $117 million to workers suffering muscle and bones injuries in the last financial year.

HOBSONS Bay Council is taking action against Viking Transport for using methyl bromide to fumigate logs as part of a freight terminal operation in Altona.

The council wants the fumigation processes at 441-459 Kororoit Creek Rd to stop immediately.

Methyl bromide is an ozone depleting substance which the Federal Government began phasing out in January 2005. It is used as a quarantine and pre-shipment treatment for imports and exports.

Viking Transport applied for a planning permit for its road freight terminal in April and stated its intention to fumigate logs bound for China with methyl bromide.

The council has received 60 objections to the planning permit and has vowed to seek enforcement through the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal if the fumigation continued.

It has put Viking’s planning permit application on hold until the investigation into related planning issues, including the fumigation and use of methyl bromide is resolved.

The West is the heartbeat of Victoria’s industrial, manufacturing and distribution networks. And the next 10 years of transport infrastructure will be vital to our future sustainability, socially, economically and environmentally.

Mr Pallas will outline the plans and projects which are on line for the next decade to ensure the West can meet the challenges of the future.

The lunch will be held from 12.30pm to 2pm at the Sanctuary Lakes Club, Greg Norman Drive, Sanctuary Lakes.

To book call Event Bookings on 9394 9495.

Cost is $55 per head.

JOBS EXPO Centrelink will hold a Western Suburbs Jobs Expo on Monday, 8 November, at the Wyndham Leisure and Events Centre.

The expo is a one-stop jobs and skills supermarkets, where employers and training organisations can deal directly with job seekers under one roof, on one day.

Centrelink’s Job Expos across Australia have helped more than 12,000 job seekers link with 2200 businesses and registered training organisations in jobs and training opportunities.

Entry for exhibitors and job seekers is free.

To be involved as an exhibitor, or to place a job at the Centrelink’s Western Suburbs Jobs Expo, call Centrelink on 9731 5241.

The expo will be held from 10.30am to 3.30pm. The Wyndham Leisure Centre is at 80 Derrimut Rd, Hoppers Crossing.

Workplaces in Brimbank, Maribyrnong, Moonee Valley, Melton, Hobsons Bay and Wyndham collectively paid $117,359,488 to cover medical expenses, wages and other expenses for musculoskeletal injuries where the person was off work for 10 days or more and/or had costs exceeding $580.

The municipality had the twelfth highest number of claims in the state.

“Injuries to the muscles, tissue, nerves and bones account for more than half of all workplace injuries in Victoria, but they are often overshadowed because there’s no blood on the floor,” WorkSafe’s Strategic Director Trevor Martin said.

“Lifting a box, climbing a step ladder or navigating a slippery surface at work might not set off alarm bells for most of us – but tasks like these cause over 17,000 Victorian workers painful muscle and bone injuries every year.

“They’re the most preventable, because in many cases, simply cleaning up a spill on the floor or providing some lifting equipment eliminates the risk.”

WorkSafe has launched a major advertising campaign to challenge the perception that musculoskeletal injuries are only suffered by people in jobs that involve heavy lifting.

Mr Martin said workers in child care, retail and hospitality commonly suffered muscle and bone injuries.

For more information about preventing risks from musculoskeletal injuries, go to www.worksafe.gov.au/backonsafety.

WYNDHAM AWARDS CONCRETE recycling company Alex Fraser Group has taken out Business of the Year at the recent Wyndham Business Awards.

The company, based in Laverton North, also won the large manufacturing category.

The Alex Fraser Group is Australia’s leading construction and demolition materials recycler with six major recycling centres in Victoria and Queensland.

The group has various divisions, including Construction and Demolition Materials Recycling, Demolition, Asphalt, Recycle Bin services, Steel and Salvage sales, Mobile Crushing, Environmental services and special projects.

The company has the capacity to produce over three million tonnes of recycled product every year.

Other winners on the night included Hair Phase, Tonia T Boutique, Plum Heating and Cooling, Sunrise Supported Living, Moka Patisserie and Café, Werribee Open Range Zoo, Werribee Party Hire and CREATE Wyndham.

SHIP SHAPE VICTORIA University will invest $3.4 million to develop boatbuilding facilities within the Williamstown Seaworks Site.

The whole area will become a heritage maritime precinct with Victoria University’s boatbuilding facilities occupying the north– west corner of the site and overlooking the harbour.

The new education centre includes teaching spaces, workshops, painting booths, and conference facilities incorporating a balcony that overlooks the harbour.

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SMALL TALK Courses offered cover construction, repair and maintenance of boats, working with wood and the use of fibre-glass and aluminium materials.

There will also be a range of short courses to attract maritime enthusiasts and hobbyists.

It is anticipated that the current boatbuilding activities will be moved from Victoria University Newport campus by next year.

OFF AND RUNNING THE new Werribee International Horse Centre has been officially opened.

The $2 million centre will deliver worldclass quarantine facilities for overseas visitors coming for this year’s Spring Racing Carnival, while the recently resurfaced track will provide a training surface for international thoroughbreds.

The main compound has been named the Newminster Stables in honour of the locally-trained inaugural Caulfield Cup winner, Newminster.

The first of the international horses for the Spring Racing Carnival, UK thoroughbred Imposing, has already started using the facility.

UGB

GREEN AWARD

WYNDHAM City Council has welcomed the State Government’s changes to the Urban Growth Boundary.

The extended boundary will allow for an extra 43,000 households in the municipality, with the suburbs of Wyndham Vale, Tarneit, Truganina and Mount Cottrell set to undergo the biggest changes.

The amendment also includes the reservation of land for the Regional Rail Link through Truganina, Tarneit and Wyndham Vale.

It also includes the Outer Metropolitan Ring Road Transport Corridor and public acquisition overlays to establish two large grasslands parks to Wyndham’s west and north-west.

In Melton, the boundary changes will add approximately 11,000 hectares between Melton and Caroline Springs.

MOONEE Valley City Council is onto a winner.

The council’s green finance system won the Sustainable Procurement Award at the Procurement Australia Excellence Awards recently.

The finance system and procurement policy requires staff to purchase environmentally friendly products and services whenever possible.

The council recently purchased electric and push bikes to replace fleet cars; energy efficient lighting for The Clocktower Centre and 100 per cent recycled paper for all in-house printing.

EPA THE Environment Protection Authority has announced a crack down on errant construction companies who fail to manage sediment runoff from their building sites.

The EPA’s North-West manager Tim Eaton said the issue was prevalent at many construction sites, school upgrades and subdivisions.

Mr Eaton said most companies understood their responsibilities in this space, but failed to act because it required an investment in time and money.

“An increased presence by EPA will hopefully encourage the construction industry to take the issue a little more seriously,” he said.

The EPA can issue errant companies with a notice requiring them to cease runoff by a certain time. A failure to comply with the notice conditions may result in a $5841 fine.

Procurement Australia Chair Marianne Di Giallanardo, Moonee Valley Council’s finance manager Leigh Kelly with senior contracts officer Silke Therhaag with Mike Davis of Corporate Express.

Picture Contributed

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27

The bulldozers close in on Bunnings.

Picture: SARAH MATRAY

WOOLIES WAR ON BUNNINGS

IT’S the renovation that’s going to turn Braybrook’s Ballarat Road into hardware city.

CHARLENE GATT reports…

GROCERY giant Woolworths, with US-based partner Lowes, is set to barge in on Bunnings’ territory with a five year plan to open 150 hardware stores across Australia, and the Braybrook store will be one of the first to be opened to the public.

Maribyrnong City Council issued the planning permit for the 15,000 square metre development in March this year.

The store will include 7813 square metres of trade supplies and retail space, a 2207 square metre nursery, a 2274 square metre trade section, a café and upstairs office space and over 400 car parking spaces.

It will feature all the usual hardware, renovation and DIY stock, but will also sell a range of whitegoods, including washing machines, dryers and televisions.

A giant glass façade facing Ballarat Road will give the store a sophisticated feel and passers-by a sneak peak into what’s on offer.

Plans also indicate a 1591 square metre space earmarked as a separate tenancy, and two pockets of land facing the Ballarat Road frontage marked for future development, subject to planning approval.

Both pockets of land exceed 1500 square metres.

The piece of land is less than two

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BUSINESS WEST

kilometres away from a Bunnings store on the corner of Ballarat and McIntyre Roads.

Work has already been done to demolish the existing cement block and metal factory, but Woolworths is remaining tight-lipped about when construction will start and when the store will be open to the public.

Woolworths also would not answer questions about the cost of the development, how many jobs it would create, other store sites and the name of the new hardware chain.

The project is currently going by the codename Oxygen.

Luke Schepen from Woolworths said all would be revealed in coming months.

“It’s a significant investment in the local community,” he said.

“Everybody in Braybrook will certainly be pleased with what the new store will have to offer. It certainly will be something unique in the marketplace and certainly have something a little bit different to what they have seen before. We think customers are in store for a real treat.

“We’re looking forward to coming to the local market, bringing competition to the sector and delivering customers a great shopping experience and great deals.” [BW]

Q&A BARBARA McLURE Barbara has spent most of her working life in Melbourne’s West as an accountant, a banker, business advisor, consultant and teacher. She is a passionate advocate of the West and has arguably the best network and contact list. Circumstances have led to her pursuing a range of employment options, which led her from the board room, into businesses, to Victoria University and in recent years to the Middle East.

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL WORKING DAY. Because I have what is called a ‘portfolio career’ rarely are two days of the week the same. I work three core days a week at Victoria University as their Industry Engagement Coordinator, and I have a number of board and audit committee positions so not only do I attend these meetings but I have lots of preparation to do beforehand. My consultancy work takes me into businesses usually in the West.

HOW DO YOU RELAX AWAY FROM WORK? I am up before 5.30 and out walking to ensure that I get my daily bout of exercise. I was widowed quite a number of years ago so my children take a lot of my time and I try to get to the coast regularly to see my parents. My New Year’s resolutions this year was to cook a new recipe a week, get into Middle Eastern cooking and entertain more. I think there is nothing better than sitting around a table with family and friends with food, wine, and coffee.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CAREER SUCCESS TO DATE? The work I did when I was Executive Director of the Western Region Economic Development Organisation (WREDO) is my highlight. Having spent most of my working life in the West I knew and understood the positives of the West and recognised that there were negatives. I worked with a terrific group of people who made up the Board and gathered together a group of staff who were also passionate about the West. Even though WREDO closed over 5 years ago, these strong links are maintained today.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CAREER FAILURE TO DATE? I’m not sure that I should class my time as a banker a failure but I look back at it as a something that I wasn’t good at – but I did try hard!

Barbara McLure

HOW DID THAT HELP YOU GROW AS A BUSINESS WOMAN? One of the important things we need to learn is when to say no or to move away from something that isn’t working for you.

Life is too short to not enjoy the things you are doing and there are so many different opportunities out there. I believe that there is a place for all of us – of course we just have to find that right place! Also you need to believe in what you are doing.

WHAT MADE YOU START UP e-WEST, AND SISTER PUBLICATIONS e-NORTH, e-SOUTH AND e-EAST? e-WEST was started in the weeks after the closure of WREDO. WREDO had made it its business to deliver information to the West through its own newsletter that was not usually available elsewhere. I knew that this information dissemination was going to be missed so I suggested to the journalist who wrote the newsletter that we should start e-WEST. Based on the positive response to e-WEST, e-NORTH, e-EAST and e-SOUTH followed.

We are now working to publish e-MELBOURNE. HOW WOULD YOU SELL THE WEST TO A PROSPECTIVE BUSINESS INVESTOR? I would ensure that the investor has the whole story including the availability of a skilled workforce, industrial and commercial land, good training and education institutions, accessibility to and within the region including major roads, train, air and sea access, housing availability at all levels and recreation opportunities via coastal areas and world class tourist attractions.

THE TWO WORDS YOU WOULD NOT HEAR PASS BY MY LIPS ARE: Social disadvantage.

YOU ARE A KEEN MOTORCYCLIST. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MOTORBIKE AND WHY? Who can go pass the look and sound of a Ducati? If you are talking motor scooters it’s a Vespa. Maybe it’s an Italian thing as I drive an Alfa Romeo!

IF YOU HAD TO INVITE FIVE PEOPLE TO A BUSINESS LUNCHEON, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? Richard Branson so that I could learn what drives him to continue to develop and expand his business, Marcus Padley because I read his newspaper column each week and enjoy his insight into investment, Mark Williams the ex-coach of Port Adelaide because I admire his passion, Carla Zampatti the fashion designer who delivers top quality product and has done so over a very long time and Christina MacGregor from MacGregor Logistics, who not only runs a very good business in a tough male dominated industry but is passionate about the West and is not afraid to tell you about it!

WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS MANTRA? Underneath everything else must lie trust and respect which is a two way interaction. I can also add empowerment and accountability, and for those people who know me well they understand how important I think contacts and networking leading to relationships and data and statistics leading to knowledge are in the way I go about my business.

BUSINESS WEST

29

STRATEGIES

CASH IS KING 10 TIPS TO MANAGE YOUR CASHFLOW

MICHAEL HOLLOWOOD is Managing Partner of Collins & Co. He has more than 35 years experience advising small to medium sized businesses. He specialises in taxation and business advice.

He joined Collins & Co in 1983 and became a partner of the firm in 1986.

INDUSTRY EXPERTISE He has extensive experience advising clients in taxation and business advice in many industries including the following: • Transport • Real estate • Childcare • Manufacturing Professional Memberships and Associations • Diploma of Business Studies • Registered Tax Agent • Fellow of the Australian Society of CPA Australia • Life Member of the Yarraville Club

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BUSINESS WEST

The recent Global Economic Crisis has reinforced an old adage; ‘profit is what your accountant tells you, but cash is king’. One of the most important lessons that business people have to learn, often painfully, is that cash really is king.

Cash flow is all important because without a positive cash flow it does not matter how profitable your business might be. If you cannot pay your bills, the business may be forced to close.

Employees can’t wait on pay cheques until your customers pay. Your landlord does not care that you are having difficulties collecting from your debtors.

Suppliers may not be willing to extend further credit, thus you may not be able to purchase the goods you need in order to supply your customers.

“More businesses fail due to lack of cash flow than lack of profit.”

Let’s start with the basics.

Profit is the difference between income and expenses. Income is accounted for at the time the sale is made or the service provided, rather than when the full payment is received. Likewise, expenses are accounted for at the time the goods or services are purchased, not when you pay the bill.

Cash Flow is the difference between receipts and payments, with receipts covering money received from all sources, and payments, which covers all outgoings including operating expenses, loan payments and capital purchases. Receipts and payments are accounted for when the money is received and the payment made.

Besides keeping your creditors and bankers off your back, there is another excellent reason why cash flow management is important. When you have your cash flow under control, it frees you up to focus on your business; it allows you to work on your business instead of in your business.

Here is a 10 point plan for managing cash flow: 1. PREPARE A CASH FLOW BUDGET A cash flow budget is a prediction of receipts and payments. A good cash flow budget can anticipate problems and give you time to take action to avoid them.

2. INVOICE The golden rule is to invoice frequently. Invoice as soon as the job has been done and not just leave it to the end of the month.

3. UPFRONT PAYMENT Depending upon the type of job and the relationship with the customer, ask for an upfront payment, which may be a percentage of the total

cost. In some cases, the material required for the job accounts for the majority of the cost, so an upfront payment enables you to pay your suppliers.

4. TRIAGE PAYMENTS This is done frequently in the construction industry where payments are staggered over stages of the job with invoices being issued upon the completion of each stage.

5. PROVIDE DISCOUNTS FOR PROMPT PAYMENT Some suppliers offer incentives for early payment, Collins & Co offers a 5% discount for payments received within 14 days of the invoice date.

6. AVOID CASH Many small businesses have cash dealings, it may be best to avoid the folding stuff as it easily slips through the fingers. It’s best to bank it.

7. MANAGE YOUR DEBTORS Have a debtors policy and stick to it. Talk to your debtors, remember it is your money and if you do not see it as important your debtors will not either.

8. MANAGE YOUR STOCK Remember that carrying stock costs money.

You have to pay your suppliers regardless of whether or not you sell the stock.

9. COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR BANK If you know that you’re in for a short term cash problem, make sure that you have a plan and talk to your bank manager. It is important that your manger understands your business and its growth potential otherwise he may not support you when required.

10. MANAGE YOUR CREDITORS Negotiate terms with your suppliers and stretch them out without damaging the relationship.

By doing so, you create an interest free line of credit. You need to work with them to help you through tough times.

Remember the most fundamental rule of good cash flow management; ‘cash in the bank is not money in the pocket’. After you have done the hard work of collecting your money, do not be tempted to splurge the cash on non-essential items.

If you are planning to grow your business you must understand your business’ cash cycle and work to improve it or you will be headed for problems.

STRATEGIES

TO MARKET 10 TIPS TO RAISE YOUR PROFILE

1. Do something often. Marketing in business is similar to staying fit, it is not something you can do for three months of the year, you need to take a little action often for the best results.

2. Always look at things from the customer’s perspective. Make sure your product range, shop opening hours, website navigation, payment methods and way your work is tailored to your customer’s needs not your own.

3. Always ask ‘how did you hear about us?’

All marketing should be able to be measured for effectiveness and this question can do that for you. Sometimes the answers customers give will surprise you.

4. Communicate your point of difference.

Many businesses have a point of difference but forget to shout it from the roof tops.

Explain how you are different from your competitors so the customer can decide which business is a better match for them.

5. Be authentic in your branding. With all the spin that has crept into our lives in the past five years or so, it is no wonder that customers are screaming out for businesses to be ‘real’. So be yourself, don’t try and be something you’re not.

The good news is that the customers will love you all the more for being real.

6. Check website statistics. Finding out who visits your site, which pages are being visited and what words customers use to find you is vital to your online marketing strategy. Many businesses have a website but few access them to find out how their website is performing. Speak to your web host or web developer to gain access to your statistics.

10. Do the free things first. Everyone is wanting to save money in business so before you spend money make sure you have done all the marketing things that don’t cost you money. Put a good message on your answering machine, signature on your email and sign up to your local online business directory. Spend money on g after that. marketing

7. Communicate with your customers. Good businesses build strong relationships with their customers and the fundamentals of a good relationship is communication. So don’t forget to talk, write, tweet or email your customers regularly.

8. Tailor your marketing strategy to your business and your customers. A good marketing strategy is one that is tailored to your business goals, your customers, your budget and you. It will have unique components just like you.

9. Invest in good design and copy to stand out. If you’re spending money on advertising, then make sure you stand out by making sure that it looks good and the words are catchy. You still pay the same to place a bad looking ad as you do to place a good looking ad.

AILSA PA PAGE started her market marketing business in 1999 and since then has helped elped hundreds of businesses and achie their marketing goals. These goals have e ranged from increasing sales or organisations achieve rai memberships to raising the organisation’s profile.

Ailsa is a marketing specialist who partners with other trusted, specialist providers to meet marketing and business needs. She is also a highly sought-after guest speakerr and workshop presenter around Australia.

As a qualified marke ting experience and expertise, Ailsa marketing professional with over 18 years marketing specialises in the small business, services and education sectors. An associate member and Certified Practising Marketer of the Au ate of both the University of Melbourne and the Australian Marketing Institute, Ailsa is a graduate Melbourne Busin Business School with qualifications in psychology, management and training and assessment.

Ailsa lives in Ya Yarraville and works all over Australia.

She can be co contacted at www.apmarketingworks.com.au

BUSINESS WEST

31

AFTER HOURS

COLLINS AND CO FAMILY BUSiNESS SEMINAR

HOW do you run a successful family business? That’s the question accounting firm Collins and Co tried to answer in a family business seminar at the Yarraville Club recently. From the left, Secon Freight Logistics CEO Terry Considine, Jas H Stephens Managing Director Craig Stephens and Baron Forge Director Claudio audio Paz gave their tips in a panel panel-like like discussion.

1

2

3

1. Russell and Lesley Edwards, Thi Vu and Mark Ducret from Collins and Co 2. Claudio Paz 3. Collins and Co’s Steve White welcomes guests RIGHT. Facilitator and MC Tanya Lacy Pictures: DAMJAN JANEVSKI

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BUSINESS WEST

AFTER HOURS

HOBSONS BAY BUSiNESS CONNECTIONS MARKETING PANEL

Panel member Ailsa Page Pictures: KRISTIAN SCOTT

1

NEARLY 70 Hobsons Bay business owners got connected recently at the Hobsons Bay Business Connections Marketing Panel.

Star News Group general manager and editor-in-chief Jim Lawrence joined Hussle Media managing director Alex Cordova and marketing strategist Ailsa Page on the panel.

The trio fielded questions about marketing strategies and the best way to utilise print and online media.

The Hobsons Bay Business Connections was launched in September 2009 and involves a group of local business-minded people creating a vibrant business network for Hobsons Bay. Under leadership team Dino Gulizia, John Dawson, Mark McIvor, Vicki Lauder and Tanya Lacy, the network aims to share ideas within the business community to make local businesses more successful.

Star News Group is the media partner of the Hobsons Bay Business Connections and Leadership team.

1. Matthew Hindley (Big and Small Production) with Darryl West and Fabio Cammarano from Collins and Co 2. Hussle Media’s Alex Cordova with Fanny Montiouis and Connie Sanduval 3. Williamstown Chamber of Commerce members Adrian Masterman-Smith, Lowen Clarke and Michelle Langlands 2

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BUSINESS WEST

33

AFTER HOURS Pictures: NICOLE SULTANA

STAR WOMEN IN

BUSiNESS AWARDS PHYSIOTHERAPIST Lauren Stanley scooped the pool at the Star Women in Business Awards recently, taking out the Leisure Health and Lifestyle Award and the Star Businesswoman of the Year.

Ms Stanley, 30, is one of four partners at the Hoppers Crossing Physio Centre and also runs the Melbourne Animal Physio Centre in Kensington.

She is one of about 10 animal physiotherapists in Australia and hopes to grow the business in coming years.

An expansion is also on the cards for the Hoppers Crossing Centre, which caters for 700 patients a week.

Ms Stanley joined about 80 other successful women in business across the West at the gala dinner at Moonee Valleyy racecourse,, which included a business expo and silent auction. on.

OTHER WINNERS ON THE NIGHT WERE:

Wendy Lakeman with her award for Tourism and Hospitality

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Business and Professional Services: Youth Now; Home based/micro business: Kylie Shacklock, Learn to Relax; Manufacture, Trade and Construction: Liz Micallef, Concept Fasteners; Tourism and Hospitality: Wendy Lakeman, Amawind Apartments.

1. Colleen Bergin of Youth Now, winner of the Business and Professional Services 2. Kylie Shacklock, Home Based/ Micro Business winner 3. Business Woman of the Year, Lauren Stanley with Star’s divisional manager, Catherine Taylor

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BUSINESS WEST

3

AFTER HOURS

NETWORK LIKE A

PROFESSIONAL

NiGHT THE Bulldogs Friendly Business program and the Women of the West hosted a Network Like a Professional night at the Whitten Oval’s latest addition, the Pound Café.

Women in Business Network president and Wicked Nutrition owner Estella Hutchinson, above, was guest speaker on the night.

Ms Hutchinson discussed the hows and whys of networking and the ways to maximize networking opportunities to boost business reputations.

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Pictures: NICOLE SULTANA

2

1. Leonie Braham, right, of Endota Point Cook, with Margaret Unthank from Westpac 2. Rachel Martin, left, of Planning For Life, with Westpac’s Julie Addison

WESTERN REGION

BUSiNESS NOW

CONFERENCE 1

TELSTRA Australian Business Woman of the Year for 2006 Margot Spalding was a keynote presenter at the Western Region Business Now conference held at Overnewton Castle in August.

Australia’s Rockstar Marketer Paul McCarthy was also a guest speaker at the day-long event.

Jenny Sadler from McDonalds

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1. P Pauline Hobbs from the Department o Innovation, Industry and Regional of D Development, with marketing guru P Paul McCarthy and Bendigo Bank’s B Brian Weppner 2. T Tonia Tribe from Tonia T Boutique Pict Pictures: DAMJAN JANEVSKI

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BW NETWORK Business West Network – a growing directory of local businesses ready to do business with you.

You can join the Business West Network by registering online at www.businesswest.com.au to make sure you receive your personal copy of Business West AND receive a free onetime 30-word listing for your business in a future edition.

PRD HOMES PTY LTD 85 Orange Street, Bentleigh East 9570 2866 All building needs… new homes, extensions and much more.

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY & EVENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES PO Box 309, Ascot Vale 0438 465 998 ESEMS is a boutique administration and event management company offering expert advice and competitive prices. We will undertake all of the daily administration and event organisation that businesses do not have the time to complete.

INSURANCE ADVISERNET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD C5, Level 1, 2 Main Street, Point Cook Town Centre 9394 6369 Insurance broking and consulting services for both general and life insurance products.

We make insurance work for our clients by securing for them the right cover at the right price.

THE MIXING BOWL - GRAPHIC DESIGN Unit 1, 22-30 Wallace Ave, Point Cook 9012 6090 Success is not accidental... it is designed.

Graphic design is the key to your business’ first impression. Understanding your passion and goals is the key.

LEADWEST LTD PO Box 2382 Footscray 9317 5794 The objective of LeadWest is to foster and undertake actions that will support, sustainable growth and regional development of Melbourne’s western region. LeadWest aims to build on the existing social, economic and environmental capacity of the region and to plan and create a sustainable future.

COMPLETE COMFORT (VIC) 21 Comben Drive, Werribee 9741 8507 Specialist suppliers of premium quality adjustable beds, lift chairs, mobility scooters, daily living aids, compression products, incontinence products, and much more.

Service and repair available.

GRUNDOL P/L EVENT MANAGEMENT 45 Birchwood Blvd, Hoppers Crossing 0407 303 255 My business is varied. Centre Manager for Union Road Traders’ Association, Centre Manager for Centreway Traders’ Association, events, advertising, festivals, small business development.

TYREPLUS Unit 1 93/95 Matthews Ave, Airport West 9330 4133 All tyre, balancing, wheel alignments and mechanical services.

M WORSLEY 15 Clarafield Crescent, Tarneit 0387 421 400 Established in Australia in 1967 as business consultants, tax agents and chartered accountants we offer local business custom support to help develop their business as required. 24/7 Hotline support @ $5.50 per minute on 0428 414 400 against a credit card.

CAT’S BODY CRAFTS PO Box 2251, Melton South 0407 450 522 Cat’s Body Crafts specialises in Bowen therapy, pregnancy, relaxation, remedial and seated massage in Melton and Caroline Springs.

HRNET 20 Junction Street, Newport 0438 779 925 HRnet provides small to medium business with flexible and affordable HR and recruitment service with a difference. We access the best candidate sourcng tools and support you to find the best people fast.

ABLE INDUSTRIES ENGINEERING 5 Sutton Street, South Kingsville 9391 1522 Able Industries Engineering is a sheet metal and fabrication engineering business. Business sectors are defence, energy, rail, construction and mining. Able Industries Engineering has ISO9001:2008 quality management system.

TURNING POINT BUSINESS CONSULTING PO Box 3338, Caroline Springs 0416 127 009 Teaching low cost / no cost sales and marketing strategies that help small business owners take their businesses to a new level of success and profitability and profitability they never thought possible.

DILLON PARTNERS PO Box 98, South Melbourne 9696 1788 Auditing, accounting, taxation and management consultants for small and medium businesses

KATHY BUTLER PO Box 4334, Hoppers Crossing 0418 489 480 Reiki master/teacher. A Reiki session can help ease tension and stress and can help support the body to facilitate healing on all levels physical, mental, and emotional. A treatment restores balance and harmony to the whole person, bringing about a sense of wellness.

GET PRINTED! 10 Hounslow Green, Caroline Springs 1300 663 242 Need your printing done - NOW? Providing a comprehensive array of design, print and multi-channel direct marketing solutions, with the ability to turn jobs around FAST – we’re your ideal marketing team!

Register to get your FREE copy of BUSiNESS WEST now!

Go to www.businesswest.com.au 36

BUSINESS WEST

BW NETWORK AGIFT PO Box 2106, Taylors Lakes 9012 5429 Personal and corporate gift solutions. It’s easy to shop with AGIFT. Simply log on and choose your occasion, recipient or category. Find the perfect gift that makes you smile and order online. Or, call our friendly staff for a quote on corporate gifts or promotional products.

VICTORIA UNIVERSITY Office of the Dean, VU College, Footscray Nicholson Campus PO Box 14428 MCMC, Melbourne 9919 7709 Managing new initiative for VU - VU Community Gateways which takes the university out into community space to provide individual career counselling (no charge with qualified counsellors), language and skills assessment and referrals, workshops etc. Developing a mobile gateway using a large vehicle that can work with industry in their own space.

MAREENIE OLD STYLE DELICATESSEN 82 Charles Street, Seddon 9687 7454 Selling quality products: smallgoods, cheeses, groceries etc. in the Seddon shopping strip, friendly and welcoming serving the local community.

UNIVERSAL INSIGHTS PO Box 196, Chirnside Park 0425 828 281 I organise 12 to 16 expos per year with about 50 stalls at each.

VERSA ROBES 13/22-30 Wallace Ave, Point Cook 9360 0123 We are a Melbourne-based family business, established in 2006. We offer stylish and affordable built-in wardrobes, designer splashbacks, shower screens and custom built furniture to the discerning buyer. We offer a high level of service unmatched by most in the marketplace.

GARFIELD MAYALL PTY LTD PO Box 2030, Werribee 9742 8444 As a Werribee based accounting firm for over 35 years, Garfield Mayall provides their clients with various services through our qualified CPA team of accountants and financial planners.

CUSTOMER-CENTRICITY 63 Steiglitz Street, Ballan 0417 344 864 I work with business owners and their staff to develop excellent relationships with their clients, which assists in business success.

I specialise in working with sole traders, home based businesses, and SMEs. INTERMIZZI PTY LTD PO Box 98, Harcourt 0409 229 331 Sales people/sales tools/sales leadership.

InterMizzi specialises in coaching and mentoring sales people and sales managers in business to business sales.

RETIREINVEST WILLIAMSTOWN 35 Ferguson Street, Williamstown 9399 9088 RetireInvest can provide you with a comprehensive range of financial advice specifically tailored to suit your circumstances.

BOX FULL GIFTS & HAMPERS 17 Willowbank Way, Attwood 0407 823 633 Box Full Gifts and Hampers offers a vast range of hampers, baskets and other gifts to corporate customers and the general public.

Need a corporate gift hamper for a customer or employee? Celebrating a birthday or anniversary? Whatever the occasion, we have the perfect gift. At Box Full we are true to our name: www.boxfull.com.au BENDIGO AND ADELAIDE BANK LTD 15 Douglas Parade,, Williamstown 9399 9266 Company retail branch of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank.

ALTONA GLASS & SHOWER SCREEN 233 Sunshine Road, Tottenham 9315 1983 Fast glass repairs, shower screens, new and repairs, affordable same day service.

A&B IINTERIORS 106 Douglas Parade, Williamstown 9397 6388 Drapes and curtains, blinds and shutters, upholstery, bedspreads and cushions EDDIE THE BUTCHER 29 Mason Street, Newport 9391 3365 Traditional meats, home made sausages, gourmet delights, free home delivery and spit roast hire.

FIRST CLASS ADVERTISING PO Box 6507, Point Cook 1300 656 491 First Class Advertising is the publisher of Your Local Business Guide, distributed free to households throughout Wyndham and Hobsons Bay municipalities, now selling its 7th annual edition. evEX CONSULTING PO Box 3, Seddon West 0404 854 779 evEX Consulting helps your business be the best it can. We save money. We address issues and solve problems at the source.

We specialise in LEAN Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement.

SUNRISE SUPPORTED LIVING 312-318 Derrimut Road, Hoppers Crossing 0430 038 322 Sunrise Supported Living villages provide residents with the capacity to receive increased care as physical needs change.

Care is provided on site as and when required.

The model provides choice, a smaller, safer home, with a community of like interests within the wider community daily 24 hour fully integrated nursing and personal care service on site.

Register to get your FREE copy of BUSiNESS WEST now!

Go to www.businesswest.com.au BUSINESS WEST

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BW NETWORK DPS PRINT MANAGEMENT 13 Habitat Court, Tarneit 0407 855 095 DPS Print Management offer a full range of printing and promotional services to get your businesses advertising out to your customers and your target markets. Very competitive pricing with 30 years experience.

BAYTI HALAL BUTCHER 55 Baltimore Drive, Point Cook 0401 357 838 Provide Halal meats at local area.

ANZ Units 19 & 20, 47-51 Little Boundary Rd, Laverton North 9316 7142 Getting involved with businesses in the West is what we do. We take time to listen and understand your business. When opportunity knocks on your door, knock on ours.

CRASH IT PTY LTD Unit 1 - 61 The Gateway, Broadmeadows 9359 1444 Crash IT Pty Ltd, lowering your IT costs and increasing profits. We offer end to end, highly specialised and experienced IT professionals to deliver cost effective IT solutions.

CAFE TERRONI 18 Ballarat Street, Yarraville 9687 8011 Cafe Terroni is an authentic Southern Italian restaurant located in the heart of Yarraville Village, offering rustic food, great coffee and unique local and Italian wines. Open 7 nights.

COMMUNITY TELCO 39 Peel Street, Ballarat 0400 030 659 For local businesses bBy bringing together the telco spend of local businesses, these local Community Telco companies leverage national buying power while keeping profits and contributions local.

AGRICOLA WUNDERLICH & ASSOCIATES 17 Alfrieda Street, St Albans, Victoria 9366 4011 Legal services in variety of areas provided by experienced lawyers.

TWEDDLE CHILD AND FAMILY HEALTH SERVICE 53 Adelaide St, Footscray 0412 145 070 For 90 years Tweddle has assisted parents with young children confidently manage the challenges of early parenting. A not-for-profit organisation covering Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs.

BADENACH CONSULTING C5, Level 1, 2 Main Street, Point Cook 93946342 Badenach Consulting is a specialised law firm assisting clients in the areas of workplace relations law, human resources, industrial relations, EEO, workplace investigations, training and mediation.

JOBS PLUS APPRENTICESHIPS SERVICES Corner Buckley and Albert Streets, Footscray 9919 8533 Traineeships and apprenticeships are available across a range of industries for new and existing employees. Employers can access funding to support training for skill development and accreditation.

BANJAR GROUP Unit 2, 1A Clarinda Road , Essendon 9337 3933 Through excellent facilitation we can help anybody or any organisation, who share our passion, improve their sales environment and success.

GEELONG COMMUNITY TELCO 83A Moorabool Street, Geelong 52280810 We are a franchise of the Bendigo Bank offering local communities better costing on telecommunication solutions. As well as putting money back into the community.

1800 DETAIL PO Box 4191, Hoppers Crossing 1800 338 245 Car detailing Melbourne wide, your home - your office - your choice.

Register to get your FREE copy of BUSiNESS WEST now!

Go to www.businesswest.com.au 38

BUSINESS WEST

FFOR OR YOUR DIARY

SEPTEMBER Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday Business West-Sanctuary Lakes Resort business round table lunch. Guest speaker: State Minister for Ports and Roads Tim Pallas. Cost $55 per head. Contact Event Bookings 9394 9495 for details.

Thursday

Friday

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Seven steps to Business Success seminar.

Laverton Business Centre. 7pm-9pm. $10 Women in Business members, $20 non-members. Guest speaker Lisa Gissling.

Go to http://www.womeninbusiness.org.au to book.

Grow Your Business the Entrepreneurial Way seminar. Kangan Institute, 38 Buckley St, Essendon.

6pm-9pm. $195.

Call 1300 255 313 to book.

Managing stress seminar. Melton Civic Centre, 232 High St, Melton. 6pm-9pm. $50 non-GMCC members, $35 members. Call 9747 7200 to book.

Saturday

OCTOBER Monday

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MYOB with bookkeeping elements workshop.

Yarraville Community Centre, 59 Francis St, Yarraville.

9.30am-12.30pm. $85 plus $60 for MYOB book and CD. Call 9687 1560 to book.

Tuesday

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Wednesday

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Marketing for Growth workshop. Altona Civic Centre, Civic Parade, Altona.

6pm-8pm. $30.

Call Sally Curtis on 9932 1115 to book.

Thursday

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Committee for Wyndham Annual Dinner. Werribee Park Mansion Ballroom, K Rd, Werribee. Guest speaker Harold Mitchell. Email Jan Goates jgoates@alphalink. com.au to book.

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

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11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Agribusiness opportunities seminar. Balliang Public Hall, Balliang-Bacchus Marsh Rd, Wyndham BizNet monthly Balliang. 7am. Guest speakers meeting. Werribee Racing Greater Melton Chamber of Kevin Wilkinson and Tony Gill Club, Bulban Rd, Werribee.

Commerce AGM. Call 9747 from Department of Primary 6.30pm-9.30pm. $35 7200 to book.

Industry. Call 9785 0103 to members, $45 non-members. book. karen.thomas@dpi.

Go to info@wyndhambiznet. vic.gov.au com.au to book.

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Introduction to Dream Weaver workshop.

Yarraville Community Centre, 59 Francis St, Yarraville.

6pm-8.30pm. $85.

Call 9687 1560 to book.

The Price is Right‌Or is it? Workshop. Melton Civic Centre, 232 High St, Melton.

9am – 12pm. $45 non-GMCC members, $25 members.

Call 9747 7200 to book.

Recruitment and Selection workshop. Melton Civic Centre, 232 High St, Melton.

6pm-9pm. $50 non-GMCC members, $35 members.

Call 9747 7200 to book.

Hobsons Bay Business Awards.

Williamstown Town Hall.

Call Sally Curtis on 9932 1000 for more information or to book.

25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Exceptional customer service workshop. Melton Civic Centre, 232 High St, Melton. 6pm-9pm. $50 non-GMCC members, $35 members. Call 9747 7200 to book.

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