Primrose and Peppercorn

LOUISE MCDAID

Having grown up around peppercorn trees as a young child in Wagga Wagga, it was only natural that Louise McDaid combined her memories and her passion for flowers, when starting her business “Primrose and peppercorn”. After training and working in the United Kingdom for four years, Louise moved back to Sydney and decided that the flexibility and self direction of owning her own business was a path she wanted to pursue. Four years later, Louise is running a successful business providing Modern, stylish flowers designed specifically for the needs of each client, be that private or corporate, without the large price tag attached. In such a competitive market, it is the high level of personalized customer service that helps to distinguish Primrose and Peppercorn. Meeting with the client onsite, Louise is able to spend time with the client, determining what flowers, designs and arrangements would best create the desired atmosphere and emotions. Having had extensive training and experience in her craft, Louise approached the Botany Bay BEC, after seeing an advertisement in the local paper about BEC business workshops. Louise found that the home-based business workshop expanded her advertising and good word of mouth. Louise says that “both the marketing and business workshops have been fantastic, I have learnt so much. They have also been great for networking and referrals.” With her business blossoming she plans to expand in to the Bridal market and is currently formulating her strategy.

Make up Make up

Lyn McCarthy

Starting up your own business is always a difficult task. The financial and emotional costs make the establishment phase a time of make or break. Lyn McCarthy had been operating her home based make up business “La Belle Visage” (Beautiful Face) for nine months before she visited one of the BEC’s small business workshops. The workshop helped Lyn to re-configure her business so to ensure future success. Mostly as a result of the marketing aspects of planning, Lyn has launched on a new marketing campaign to establish her new image and re-vitalised business: “Make-Up Make Up”. With guidance from Aub Eardley, Executive Officer of the Botany Bay BEC, Lyn commenced upon her Business Plan which has helped to highlight the break even point and market segments. Through networks gained on BEC networking nights, Lyn was able to develop strategic alliance and thus create a presence in the Mascot Mainstreet. Lyn is working with Mascot Hairdressers, Massage and Nails Artists and beauticians, where all members gain from increased public exposure and shared advertising costs. Botany BEC will continue to support Lyn and her business in the future.

Recipe for Success:

Louise Hammond

Many working mothers find it difficult to balance work and home made food for the family. For Louise Hammond, food is business. With a background as a food writer for the Sydney Morning Herald, Gourmet Traveller and Vogue Entertaining and, as author of Cake Books: part of the ABC for Kids Book of Cakes series, Louise saw the opportunity to combine her skills as a food stylist and food photographer to establish her small business based out of her Maroubra home. Louise was confident and prepared for a new business venture, but felt that advice was required in regards to the skills necessary to present her concept to corporate marketing executives with limited knowledge of food presentation and recipes. She approached Aub Eardley of the Botany Enterprise Centre (BEC), for advice on developing presentation skills. With the help of the BEC, Louise was able to align herself with food company marketing strategies. The idea was to develop a way to offer food companies ideas on how to showcase the flexibility of their products to consumers, a definite recipe for success. Louise’s broad skills base gave her business a competitive advantage. By combining her food and photographic skills, Louise could offer three services: “the home economist, the food stylist and the photographer”. Describing herself as a “sort of ‘one-stop-shop’ for food companies”, Louise offered a high quality product with the attraction of cost efficiency and convenience. Success has certainly been achieved. Late last year Louise was commissioned to produce twenty recipes and photographs for Bundaberg sugar. With days spent surrounded by food, one needs to ask, ‘Just what is Louise’s favourite food?’ “Hot chips shared with my young daughter, Georgia, on Maroubra beach”.

Callidus Property Services

Ray Wood

Ray Wood had been working in transport most of his life until the last three years. He was sick of transport work and wanted very much to start his own business. This business has now grown into Callidus Property Service that deals in property maintenance, large cleaning jobs, clearing and painting. He was working part time with his wife’s cousin, learning the ropes, in his property maintenance and electrical business and he had a friend who was a real estate agent, who was able to give him work as a start doing gardens, demolitions, warehouses, clearing sites when tenants moved out putting up new walls and knocking down existing infrastructure. The business has just progressed from there, now he is able to offer a full and comprehensive service to the East Coast, where there is plenty of work if you are prepared to have a go. Ray has now taken the business over from Mike, and is dealing directly with real estate agents, doing a lot of small maintenance jobs in their tenants blocks like putting doors on hinges, realigning doors, shaving the bottom off doors, doing tiling, cleaning after damage from fire and any other related work. His one off jobs can take days sometimes, and to ensure he does a thorough and complete job he will spend the right amount of time on each job.