Small Business Archives

Gourmet Living: Connecting Rural Australian Producers with City Foodies

Bek McMillan worked as a chef in London and Melbourne for 12 years before taking over the kitchen of The Living Room in Templestowe. Eventually, she decided to chase her dream of opening a cellar-door style provedore in Melbourne, helping connect small-scale local producers with foodies in the city.

Protecting Your Intellectual Property – Why It’s Crucial for Your Small Business

Patents. Trademarks. Copyright. When you think about intellectual property, you probably think it doesn’t apply to small business. It’s easy to think that intellectual property is something that only applies to large businesses. But this is wrong.

Catastrophic Muck-ups With Cupcake Central

The One Where Cupcake Central’s Cookbook Got Burnt

After she was fired from her IT job in the 2009 Global Financial Crisis, the founder and director of Cupcake Central, Sheryl Thai, decided to chase her dream of opening up a cupcake store. Once she’d achieved that, she set her sights on another dream – publishing a cupcake cookbook. And she did, but it turned out to be a catastrophic muck-up.

Cupcake Central: Changing the World One Cupcake at a Time

Founder and director of Cupcake Central, Sheryl Thai, started her career in Information Technology. But when the Global Financial Crisis hit in 2009, she lost her job and decided to pursue her dream of opening a cupcake store. Eight years later, she has 5 stores across Melbourne.

Persuasive Communication Tips for Small Business Success

Persuasion plays an important part in all aspects of our lives, whether business, family or social. It has been estimated that persuasion is responsible for 30% gross domestic product. For small businesses, persuasion can make the difference between failure and success. Let’s look at the key elements of persuasion and how can boost your business performance.

Tips for Successful Business Networking

The rise of social media has meant more people are connecting online. While more business networking is being conducted in cyberspace, there still is a place for face-to-face business networking as a way to meet people and develop new business relationships. Here we offer a few tips for leveraging business networking for professional success.

What is Customer Experience and How Can You Improve It?

Great customer experience is the key to developing customer loyalty and grow your business through satisfied customers and word of mouth marketing. But what exactly is it? Here we cover customer experience and how to improve it to boost your business.

Simple Ways You Can Improve Your Customer Service

Effective customer service drives business success. According to research conducted by American Express, 80% of customers would be willing to pay premium prices for improved customer service. At the same time, only around 4% of customers complain when they feel the service is not up to par. Instead, they will move on to other companies for the product or service they are seeking. Given the importance of customer service, here are a few simple ways you can improve it.

Work-Life Balance: How to Improve It

Research has uncovered that work-life balance is the biggest challenge for nearly half of all entrepreneurs. Another survey notes that one-third of employees have difficulty managing their personal and professional lives. Given that a good work-life balance is challenging for both business owners and staff, we will explore some of the ways to move towards an equilibrium between work and personal life.

The One Where Mid Life Cycles’ Shop Fit Out Stalled

After six years in business, Mid Life Cycles outgrew its shop and needed a bigger and better premises. Providing a memorable and pleasurable experience for customers has always been a core focus for director Michael Catchpole. And once he found the right location, nestled in Cremorne, Melbourne, he was ready to get building, but it was a rough ride.

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