Companies on the Move

Shirlaws develop business growth platform

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THE recent Shirlaws Conference on the Gold Coast was a demonstration of how scientific and strategic good business coaching has become.

At the October conference, titled Scaling Your Business: Creating Your Jump, Shirlaws coaches introduced methods and strategies for businesses to overcome common growth barriers identified by more than 20 years of Shirlaws research.

Through quantitative and qualitative research, both within its international network of companies and using external data, Shirlaws has identified distinct challenge points that all growing companies face.

Shirlaws Australia CEO, Tim Dwyer said the Australian conference focused on showing business leaders methods of clearly identifying those barriers – putting numbers to them – and then applying proven strategies to leap beyond those choke points.

Shirlaws Global CEO, Nic Rixon led most of the workshop sessions and demonstrated through UK and Australian case study examples how Shirlaws has been able to help companies orchestrate leaps of growth by applying this business development IP.

Many attendees were leadership teams of developing businesses, working on their plans throughout the conference, and Mr Rixon explained by example how to identify and create ‘jumps’ to new and more profitable stages.

He also took attendees through Shirlaws’ analysis of broader economic trends for the next decade and beyond, explaining strategies to overcome setbacks and accelerate off the back of short-term economic downturns.

“Technically, we know that businesses grow in ‘jumps’ and there are two phases to each cycle,” Mr Rixon said. “The first is the platform or infrastructure stage, when you are training staff, concentrating on sales and marketing and maximising today’s revenue.

“Then there is the growth or expansion stage when your capacity numbers really jump. This conference has been about showing people how to create jumps, manage your profit and equity uplift expectations and how jumping positively impacts an entrepreneur’s lifestyle and business enjoyment. That, at the end of the day, is what it’s all about.”

Mr Dwyer said more than 125 fast-growing business leaders and Shirlaws business coaches from around Australia and New Zealand gathered at the conference to challenge themselves and focus on better business development.

“Some of those at the conference are already Shirlaws clients, but not all of our clients come to the conference as they are all at different stages of development and may already be heavily engaged in a coaching-led growth program utilising our IP and systems,” Mr Dwyer said. “In fact, we have quite a few business leaders who come to our conferences each year and use what they learn to change their businesses for growth then engage a coach at a later stage, when they need them most.”

Mr Dwyer said Shirlaws had elevated the paradigm of business and entrepreneur coaching, using unique IP and experience in a mix of mentoring, knowledge, case studies, trusted connections, financial acumen and interpersonal support.

“These days, no-one expects a high performance athlete to achieve their goals without the right coaching – yet this is usually overlooked in business, which demands high performance management and intellect over a vastly greater period of time and with real-world consequences,” Mr Dwyer said.

“This is an evidence-based approach that Shirlaws is presenting to business leaders around the world and our client companies in Australia are really getting traction from it. And they love the business and personal success that it brings.”

Which is why Shirlaws’ branding line of ‘Love Enterprise’ continues to gain traction throughout Australia and internationally.

Shirlaws is an international portfolio of companies, including business coaching for private enterprises, founded in Australia by Darren Shirlaw, who developed their IP and methodology from many years of applying a funds management approach to assessing companies.

www.shirlawscoaching.com

 

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Mackay commercial net fishers become guardians of the Reef

COMMERCIAL net fishers in the Mackay region are joining the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s (GBRMPA) Reef Guardians program.

Mackay locals Mark and Debbie Ahern are among the first net fishers to join the program, which allows GBRMPA and commercial net fishers to work together to identify best fishing practices to protect the inshore environment.

GBRMPA chairman Russell Reichelt said best environmental practices were essential for the long-term sustainability of fisheries resources and crucial for maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem. 

“We’re delighted these commercial net fishers are operating in an environmentally sustainable way and hope it encouraged others in the industry to adopt similar core operational fishing practices,” Mr Reichelt said.

“A healthy Great Barrier Reef ecosystem is important for the Reef’s health and also provides for a viable commercial fishing industry. All actions — big or small — are vital to building the resilience of the Reef and help reduce pressures on the inshore environment.”

Mark and Debbie Ahern are owners of Debbie’s Seafood and operate with an appreciation that good environmental practices benefit the Reef, their business and their family.

“We fish responsibly and professionally and we want it to be viable into the future. If you run your business professionally you will also look after the environment and your resources into the future,” Mr Ahern said.

Among the Aherns’ innovative environmental practices, they have developed a ‘reef friendly’ arrangement with local farmers in which, under an approved process, they recycle fish offal with local farmers for use as organic fertiliser.

The fishers have also improved their business practices to ensure they target the product they are chasing by using the right net size, paying close attention to where they set, and regularly reviewing wind and tide conditions.

“We love and care about the environment we work in,” Mr Ahern said. “We recognise it provides for us and we want to keep fishing into the future. We want it to be available for our grandchildren, so we need to look after it.”

The commercial net fishers join fellow reef line fishers, marine aquarium fishers and coral collectors that are part of the Reef Guardians program.

This includes Mackay local John Daymond — the first collector outside of Cairns to be recognised through the Reef Guardian Marine Aquarium Fish and Coral Collector Program.

Reef Guardian Fishers is part of a broader Reef Guardian Program involving 15 councils, more than 300 schools, and 25 farmers and graziers taking part in on-ground environmental projects that benefit the Reef.

Participating fishers publicly show their commitment to the Reef by displaying a Reef Guardian sign on their boats.

www.gbrmpa.com.au

www.gbrmpa.gov.au

www.reeefguardianfishers.com.au

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CTM adds Abacus top Australian agency award

CORPORATE Travel Management won the Top Australian Agency award in the global distribution system Abacus International Conference Awards, presented in Abu Dhabi on October 17.

The travel industry’s prestigious supplier-voted awards recognise outstanding achievement and performance among travel agencies operating in the highly competitive Asia Pacific region. 

The awards were part of a three day conference, coined ‘Breaking New Ground’,  which hosted more than 500 leaders from the Asia Pacific travel industry to debate the latest travel technology innovations and the trends now driving booking behaviour.

Abacus International wholly owns Sabre Pacific, a leading provider of technology to the travel industry in the South Pacific region. Corporate Travel Management (CTM) utilises the Sabre global distribution system (GDS) for booking clients’ corporate travel in Australia and New Zealand.

CTM’s CEO for Australia and New Zealand, Laura Ruffles said, “We are thrilled to have been acknowledged by our peers as the best agency in the Asia Pacific region. Winning such an award is testament to the shared vision that CTM and our valued partners hold in providing our clients with customised solutions and innovative travel technologies on a local and global scale.”

This latest award for CTM marks another highly successful year, having taken the 2014 AFTA award for Australia’s Best Corporate Travel Management Company for the ninth time in 11 years.

CTM entered the Asian travel market in November 2013 with the acquisition of Westminster Travel, and further extended is US footprint with the acquisition of USTravel and Avia International Travel.

The company now operates out of 37 cities in 15 countries.

CTM is also a network partner of International Leaders, having been a successful graduate and now supporter of its foundation organisation, Queensland Leaders, which works to foster a new generation of leading Australian companies.

www.travelctm.com

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Rolld welcomes TV identity Pete Timbs

VIETNAMESE street food franchisee, Rolld, has enlisted television and radio presenter – and an original contestant on the first Big Brother reality program – Pete Timbs to the Rolld family as part of its national growth plan.

Mr Timbs Pete opened his first Rolld store at 410 Queen Street in August and this month opens another in Post Office Square. That brings the Brisbane total to four Rolld stores. 

Rolld sees the involvement of Mr Timbs as a major coup as he brings with him extensive knowledge and experience from his hospitality background and involvement with several Crust stores in Sydney.

Recognising the importance of site position in the success of a business, Mr Timbs is confident the new Rolld stores will be popular additions to Brisbane’s CBD.

“Rolld is a major food venue and with the amount of people who work and shop in the city, there will be substantial foot traffic that you just can’t get in the suburbs,” Mr Timbs said.

“Providing fast, inexpensive and healthy street food in a casual dining environment, we are catering to people who are looking for something tasty and nutritious but who may not have a lot of time to spend at lunch.

He said with a capacity to “generously seat 85 people, the new Rolld store is also an ideal place to for people to come and just hang-out. The best part is, we will also have an alcohol licence”.

No stranger to the hospitality franchise industry, Mr Timbs said he had a good sense of what to look out for in a prospective business.

“The first thing I always look at is the product, and the Rolld product is fantastic – it’s fresh, its healthy, its quick, it’s cheap for people to buy and it’s got flavours Australians now understand,” Mr Timbs said.

“It’s also important to ensure that there are proven systems in place so that you can successfully run the store. With Rolld, all of the back-of-house elements were there.”

Rolld Queensland manager, Michael Jamieson, said the involvement of Mr Timbs showed the high calibre of franchisees keen to join the Rolld business.

“We’re thrilled to have an experienced, passionate franchisee like Pete join the Rolld family,” Mr Jamieson said.

“We are an exciting young and growing business, so having the right partners is crucial in our success. Pete, in his short time with us, has already proven he will be an asset and help fast track our growth and development. We look forward to his first store opening later this month.”

Rolld Vietnamese Street Food was launched in Melbourne, by co-founders Bao Hoang, Ray Esquieres and Tin Ly, in May 2012.

Rolld has since established 20 outlets throughout Australia. Rolld has identifid a gap in the market for a fast, fresh, healthy and affordable alternative to sushi, sandwiches and ‘take-away’.

Rolld have experienced unprecedented demand that has buoyed their ongoing success. Rolld now currently employs more than 500 staff and has stores in Victoria, Queensland and the ACT and opened its first NSW store in August this year.

www.rolld.com.au

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Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Business Awards spiced with variety

 

VARIETY is the spice of Brisbane business life, if the list of winners and finalists of the 2014 Lord Mayor’s Business Awards – announced at Brisbane City Hall on October 10 – is anything to go by.

The two headline awards for business leaders were dominated by women: Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO Julieanne Alroe was named Channel 7 Brisbane’s Business Person of the Year and Hear and Say Centres for Deaf Children founder Dimity Dornan was presented with a Lifetime Achievement award. 

‘Activist’ game developer Phil Larsen from Brisbane-based Halfbrick, creator of global video game phenomenon Fruit Ninja, was presented with the Brisbane Times Young Business Person of the Year award, while innovative property company, Place Design Group won the overall Optus Business Platinum award after earlier winning the new HSBC-sponsored award for Doing Business in Asia.

A theme of several award winners – including Mr Larsen, multiple award sinning Place Design Group managing director Shaun Munday and ANZ Made in Brisbane High Growth Business Start-up winner, Tanda director Tasmin Tresize – was to acknowledge the approach of Brisbane City Council and Lord Mayor Graham Quirk for focusing on developing an innovative business environment and recognising the vital role of the local business community in Brisbane’s $135 billion economy.

BUSINESS VARIETY

The mix of winners and nominees proved to be a showcase of the broad and sometimes surprising variety of business success stories coming out of Brisbane.

For example, a beauty company founded just 10 years ago in Brisbane by Francesca Webster, Brazilian Beauty, has re-written the code for franchising in this sector by focusing on both staf and customer satisfaction and discovered success well beyond what has been seen in the sector before. Now with 17 Brazilian Beauty locations, Ms Webster is opening another five in the next year and anticipates 50 within five years.

“We treat our team as we do our clients, we make them feel beautiful,” Ms Webster told the Lord Mayor’s Business Awards dinner event. “It’s by daring to be different that you succeed. We strive to be the best customer focused beauty brand in Brisbane and beyond.”

Special mention in the same category went to SponsoredlLinX, one of the fastest-growing digital marketing companies in Australia, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said. He said SponsoredLinX had developed into a market leader in Google Adwords, search engine optimisation, web design and other digital marketing service, doubling its revenues almost every year since its foundation in 2006 by CEO Ben Bradshaw. 

SUCCESS IN VARIETY

While Cr Quirk highlighted the significant long-term contributions to Brisbane’s business environment from Brisbane Airport Corporation’s Julieanne Alroe and Hear and Say’s Dimity Dornan, he also enthused about the lively start-up business scene that has been steadily developing in the Brisbane region and the international prospects for many early stage companies.

“Julieanne Alroe has been a remarkable leader at Brisbane Airport Corporation since her appointment as CEO in 2009,” Cr Quirk said. “She holds a number of other board positions with Australia TradeCoast Limited, Tourism and Events Queensland, Urban Futures Brisbane and the Queensland Theatre Company.

“Brisbane Airport Corporation also won the 2014 Clayton Utz Award for Corporate Citizenship which follows its win last year for Sustainability in Business. With Ms Alroe at the helm, Brisbane Airport has won numerous awards, including the 2014 Skytrax World Airport Awards third place ranking for airports servicing 20-30 million passengers. She is now overseeing the $1.3 billion parallel runway project, one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Australia.”

Significantly, when accepting her award. Ms Alroe highlighted the intense and continuing focus Brisbane Airport has on environmental achievements and sustainability.

Cr Quirk said associate professor Dimity Dornan was recognised for the ongoing success of the Hear and Say clinics that were founded in 1992. 

“Associate professor Dornan was one of the first people to graduate in Speech Therapy at The University of Queensland and she has been a trailblazer ever since,” Cr Quirk said.

“Her not-for-profit Hear and Say clinics now help more than 650 children across six centres.

“This year Dr Dornan received an AO in the Australia Day Honours, having previously been made a Member to the Order of Australia in 1998 and Queenslander of the Year in 2010.”

HEALTHY VARIETY

Also in the medical sphere, but at different ends of the spectrum were the My FootDr Group of companies, winning the Chandler Macleod Award for Digital Strategy and Mater Misericordiae Health Services which took out the Energex Award for Sustainability in Business.

My FootDr is leading the world in the development and manufacture of podiatry systems and the way it integrates digital technologies throughout its clinics and with patient communication. Its Brisbane operation has perfected its systems in Australia and Asia to reduce orthotics turnaround times from the traditional two weeks to just 30 minutes.

At another end of the business scale was Brisbane City Council Award for New Investment winner Felicity Hotels, which established the new $450 million Four Points By Sheraton hotel in the Brisbane CBD this year – the first luxury hotel opening in the city for more than a decade.

Felicity Hotels managing director Paul Chong, whose property is one of the key hotels hosting G20 Leaders Summit delegates next month, said his group was delighted to “establish a footprint in this great city”.

Lord Mayor Quirk said, “These businesses and individuals play a critical role in establishing Brisbane as Australia’s new world city and a hub for innovation, investment, education, conventions and tourism in the Asia Pacific region.

“A big thank you to our award sponsors: ANZ, Australia TradeCoast, Brisbane City Council, Brisbane Times, Chandler Macleod, Clayton Utz, Channel Seven, Energex, 4BC, HSBC, BDO, Sirromet Wines and Optus for their support.”

www.lmba.com.au

 

The 2014 Lord Mayor’s Business Awards winners were:

Australia TradeCoast Award for Small Business Growth: Brazilian Beauty; special mention to SponsoredlinX.

Brisbane City Council Award for New Investment: Felicity Hotels Pty Ltd trading as Four Points by Sheraton Brisbane.

Chandler Macleod Award for Digital Strategy: My FootDr Group of Companies.

Clayton Utz Award for Corporate Citizenship: Brisbane Airport Corporation; special mention to HopgoodGanim.

Energex Award for Sustainability in Business: Mater Misericordiae Health Services Brisbane Limited.

Optus Business Platinum Award: Place Design Group.

HSBC Award for Doing Business in Asia: Place Design Group; special mention OBE Beef Pty Ltd.

ANZ Made in Brisbane Award for High Growth Business Start-up: Tanda; special mention to Ecoriginals Pty Ltd

Sirromet Wines Award for Business Innovation: EarthCheck.

Brisbane Times Award for Young Business Person of the Year: Phil Larsen of Halfbrick.

Channel 7 Business Person of the Year: Julieanne Alroe, Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Dimity Dornan AO, founder of the Hear and Say Centres for Deaf Children.

 

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Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Business Awards finalists set

AN ORGANIC beef producer, a planning and design leader, an international training college and employment agency and a nature-based tourism operator are all vying for the new Doing Business in Asia Lord Mayor’s Business Award, to be announced this week.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the Brisbane Airport Precinct-based OBE Beef, Place Design Group and Charlton Brown, both located in Fortitude Valley, and Moreton Island’s Tangalooma Resort were all building important links between Brisbane and Asia. 

 

 “The ninth annual Lord Mayor’s Business Awards honour our local business community and its contribution to Brisbane’s $135 billion economy,” Cr Quirk said.

“The awards also reinforce why Brisbane – Australia’s new world city – was chosen to host the G20 Leaders Summit in November.

“The Doing Business in Asia category recognises businesses making an outstanding effort in building trade between Brisbane and Asia. It highlights our growing role as a business hub within a region with which we share increasingly close economic, trade and cultural links.”

Cr Quirk said other 2014 award finalists include Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO Julianne Alroe and Vuly Trampolines founder Joe Andon for Business Person of the Year. Mr Andon is also nominated for Business Innovation and Young Business Person of the Year.

“Phil Larsen from HalfBrick, the game developer behind the global hit Fruit Ninja and one of the faces of our international Choose Brisbane campaign is another in the running for Young Business Person of the Year,” Cr Quirk said.

Brisbane Marketing CEO John Aitken said the companies and individuals chosen as finalists were from a wide range of industries.

“The 2014 LMBA finalists highlight the amazing depth of Brisbane’s business community. They cover areas including hospitality, tourism, law, health services, transport, IT, digital, food, education and manufacturing,” Mr Aitken said.

“A big thank you to our sponsors: ANZ, Australia TradeCoast, Brisbane City Council, brisbanetimes.com.au, Chandler Macleod, Clayton Utz, Channel Seven, Energex, 4BC, HSBC, and Optus for their support.”

The 2014 LMBA winners will be announced at the Gala Dinner at City Hall on Friday  (October 10).

www.lmba.com.au

 

The 2014 Lord Mayor’s Business Awards finalists are:

AUSTRALIA TRADE COAST AWARD FOR SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH

Alt.vfx Pty Ltd

Brazilian Beauty

Reload Media

SponsoredLinX

 

BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL AWARD FOR NEW INVESTMENT

Coca-Cola Amatil 

DP World Brisbane

Felicity Hotel Pty Ltd trading as Four Points by Sheraton Brisbane

SilverNeedle Hospitality

 

CHANDLER MACLEOD AWARD FOR DIGITAL STRATEGY

Brisbane Airport Corporation

Dental Members Australia

My FootDr Group of Companies

NEXTDC Ltd

 

CLAYTON UTZ AWARD FOR CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP

APHS

Brisbane Airport Corporation

Brisbane Broncos

Hopgood Ganim

 

ENERGEX AWARD FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN BUSINESS

Business South Bank

Ecoriginals Pty Ltd

Global GreenTag Pty Ltd

Mater Misericordiae Health Services Brisbane Limited

 

HSBC AWARD FOR DOING BUSINESS IN ASIA

Charlton Brown

OBE Beef Pty Ltd

Place Design Group

Tangalooma Island Resort

 

ANZ MADE IN BRISBANE AWARD FOR HIGH-GROWTH BUSINESS START-UP

Brus Media Pty Ltd

Ecoriginals Pty Ltd

PlantMiner.com.au

RedEye Apps

Tanda

 

AWARD FOR BUSINESS INNOVATION

EarthCheck

Halfbrick

Queensland Urban Utilities

Vuly Trampolines

 

Brisbanetimes.com.au AWARD FOR YOUNG BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR

Joe Andon – Vuly Trampolines

Michael Trusler – PlantMiner.com.au

Nic Blair – Search Factory

Phil Larsen - Halfbrick

Sarah-jane Peterschlingmann – Atechnology International

 

CHANNEL 7 BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR

Associate Professor Dimity Dornan AO – Hear and Say Centres for Deaf Children

Joe Andon – Vuly Trampolines

Julieanne Alroe – Brisbane Airport Corporation

Robert Bishop – Azentro

 

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Invigor buys Search Results Group for $5.8m

EXTRA >>

ASX-listed Invigor Group is developing into a leading integrated digital solutions group through the purchase of online media agency Search Results Group for $5.8 million.

The deal, through the acquisition of shares in the operator and associated entities, is expected to have a transformative effect on Invigor – and Search Results Group, which has fielded complaints from some businesses unhappy with its search engine results in recent times – by improving Invigor’s EBITDA and generating net operating cash inflows, according to Invigor Group executive chairman Gary Cohen.

Meanwhile Invigor has also committed $3 million dollars to purchase 20 percent of high tech US company My Verififed which specialises in the development and distribution of universal verified sign in technology to eliminate fraud, reduce costs and protect against identity theft.

 “This investment further enhances Invigor’s investment into businesses specialising in digital solutions,” Mr Cohen said. “We look forward to working closely with the My Verified team and assisting with their development and distribution of the My Verified product.”

Search Results Group has become a leading Australian online media agency by offering simple and affordable search, web development and marketing products to assist small and medium enterprises to grow. The challenges it has faced have come from its brands Publicity Monster, Premium Locals and The Online Media Agency, according to reports in the Australian Financial Review.

“Upon completion, the acquisition of Search Results Group will continue Invigor’s transformation into a leading digital solutions group,” Mr Cohen said.

“This acquisition will add to the portfolio of Invigor customers to whom we can deliver products and services to meet their business needs and at the same time provide Invigor with the ability to leverage data and our existing infrastructure to drive down delivery costs and increase margins,” Mr Cohen said.

Invigor Group currently specialises in innovative business intelligence and big data solutions which are supported by strategic consulting, development and marketing services. Invigor works across a broad range of industries including consumer electronics, automotive, financial and insurance, pharmaceuticals, apparel and homewares.

Invigor has offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Chennai., focusing on the information technologies sector.

Invigor Group is also this year rolling out a range of new data insight products for several industry sectors.

www.invigorgroup.com.au

 

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