October 11, 2017

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In conversation with: Alexander Slade, A Corp Computers

Defying age and perception, 21-year old CEO Alexander Slade founded A Corp Computers at the age of 12 with a vision to support businesses utilise IT at their optimal best.

Tell us about A Corp Computers.
A Corp Computers is a team of IT professionals looking to help small-to-medium businesses achieve their goals and assist them in utilising IT to serve them best. We are a Managed Service Provider, and when we work with clients, we become their on-call IT team. We aim to completely take the stress away from maintaining and servicing IT infrastructure and services.

You started A Corp at the age of 12. What sparked your entrepreneurial spirit?
As long as I can remember I have had a strong drive to achieve something incredible in the business world. The idea of running a tech firm stemmed from my interest in computers, which had been fostered from a very young age. Even in primary school, I showed a keen interest in technology and my teacher at the time would give me pieces of old computers to tinker with at home. At one point, I actually ended up electrocuting myself, but that didn’t stop me! I still keep on and off communication with that teacher and am very grateful for his encouragement.

What was the biggest hurdle you faced in the initial years of your venture and how did you overcome it?
Without a doubt, one of the biggest obstacles in my early years of business was my age. Having started the business early, I was often confronted with business owners who doubted my abilities. The way I worked around this was demonstrating, as clearly as possible, my knowledge in IT and the dedication I have to the work I do. After winning over my first major client, this task became easier as I drew on them as an example of my skills and professionalism. It helped immensely that my first client was a long-standing business in the field, and as it happens, they are still an A Corp client today.

You’re currently pursuing a double degree at university as well as managing your business. How do you balance this with personal time?
It’s definitely a challenge, especially during peak study and exam times. I’ve been studying at University for almost two years, and I’ve found some great ways to manage my time effectively, schedule my classes at night and make sure everything I learn benefits the business.

What does success mean to you?
Success for me isn’t a huge spike in profit or sales growth – both of which are vital but don’t necessarily spell out success. For most businesses, especially SMBs, IT is a significant investment, so it is important that their IT works for them. For me, success comes in the form of seeing the results of helping a customer to achieve their own goals in their business.

What is one thing you’ve accomplished that you take the most pride in?
One thing I take pride in is growing the company significantly in the last two years. Since moving to Sydney from the Hunter Valley, where I started the business, I have found that we have experienced growth in terms of revenue, workforce and client numbers.

If you were to start over again, what would you do differently?
The only thing I would change would be to bring additional technical support into the business sooner. A Corp has always been my passion, so I found myself hesitant to let go of smaller aspects of the firm. Having a strong team of people just as dedicated to A Corp as I am, has been the best thing that could happen.

What advice would you give to someone who aspires to become an entrepreneur?
The best advice I can give is to simply “have a go!”; this is something that has stuck with me from a young age and happened to be the words my high school principal would say on a daily basis. This rings true for anyone looking to become an entrepreneur. If you’ve got a good idea, there shouldn’t be anything stopping you from turning that idea into a reality.

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For more information, visit www.acorpcomputers.com.au.

In conversation with: Aishwarya Bedekar, Magnus Software Testing

Realising the gap in the provision of end-to-end support for businesses’ IT infrastructure, Aishwarya Bedekar founded Magnus Software Testing to apply her experience in testing and deliver creative solutions for her clients.

Tell us about Magnus Software Testing.
Magnus Testing started solely as a testing firm initially and has since transformed into an IT services-orientated organisation following high client demand and interest in website, apps and other development. We support in-house development, provide software testing and continual IT support, so organisations don’t have to worry about spending time and resources on their IT infrastructure. Magnus Testing caters to anyone requiring IT solutions or services for their product or organisation.

What made you take the leap into entrepreneurship?
Having worked as an IT test consultant for the last five years, I came to realise there was more to the industry than the limited amount of work that I was handling. It became evident that there was a gap in how the testing field operated; players in the industry were providing resources but fell short when it came to ongoing support; how the job is done is no longer the provider’s concern once the resource is provided.

Over time, I also realised that there more was required by businesses than resource sharing. It was evident that while organisations needed a proper infrastructure set-up, ongoing support was critical to its functioning. This is where I saw the opportunity and took the leap.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in the initial months of your business and how did you overcome it?
With several players in a competitive space, promoting the business and generating client interest and trust was the biggest challenge in the initial months. Working as a consultant prior to this venture was a very positive experience as I got to work with people from various backgrounds and diverse industries; as such we reached out to people whom we worked with, many of whom were kind enough to share our business via word of mouth.

Networking, business forums and B2B Expos gave us the opportunity to expand our network and gain some constructive feedback, enabling us to mould ourselves to meet customer expectations.

Even today, we don’t advertise and rely primarily on word of mouth; allowing our work to speak for itself. This enables us to be agile and adapt to feedback from clients and deliver something better and unique each time; generating higher trust. The trust from our customers has become the basis of our lead generation efforts and seen the creation of healthy and ongoing relationships.

What does success mean to you?
From a professional viewpoint, success means being able to deliver quality and retain our customers. It isn’t a one-time thing, but rather an ongoing effort. If my clients are happy with the work and quality we provide, then that’s success to me.

What is the toughest decision you have made and how did you handle it?
The hardest decision was creating Magnus Testing. I knew that there was a gap in the industry, but I was not sure if I had what it takes to meet that gap. However, inherently, I also knew that self-doubt wasn’t going to take me anywhere and that there was no room for anything to go wrong. Magnus either works, or it doesn’t, and I knew I didn’t want to look back with regret for not trying. The initial months certainly weren’t easy as I had no prior experience as a small business owner, but you learn on the job if you want to make your venture successful.

What is the one thing you’ve accomplished that you take the most pride in or satisfaction from?
I have created a venture that I am proud of calling my own! Through Magnus, I have been able to work with numerous people and organisations and know that I have successfully created a trust for our service through the quality of work we provide.

What advice would you give to someone aspiring to become an entrepreneur?
Don’t ever doubt yourself; everyone has the ability to make a mark in their own way. If you know that there is a problem to solve, get to it! Never give yourself a reason to look back and regret something that you could have had the opportunity to achieve. Nothing can go wrong if you have the patience, trust and conviction to achieve, so keep striving!

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For more information, visit www.magnustesting.com.

In conversation with: Ashley Elliott & Matthew Metcalfe, Rise Digital Marketing

Recent graduates and Managing Directors of RISE Digital Marketing, Ashley Elliott and Matthew Metcalfe founded their venture on a shared vision to help SMEs accelerate their digital presence.

Tell us about RISE Digital Marketing.
The name RISE came about because we wanted to use digital marketing to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) rise to the top of their industries. The real power of digital marketing is that it levels the playing field for businesses. Gone are the days when you require large budgets and resources to be able to reach your target audience. This means that SMEs now have just as much opportunity to compete in the marketplace. SMEs have great products and services to offer, but many often struggle to be heard due to high competition, usually from larger businesses with more resources. Our core focus is to help SMEs share their message and promote their solutions to the right audiences.

What did you do to start this venture?
We started the business when we both were in university. Initially, it was challenging to get the venture off the ground due to limited resources and experience. However, we knew that the success of our business would come by expanding our network and contacts. After establishing our business plan and marketing strategy, we put the word out to family and friends as the first step in initiating our network. On several occasions, people questioned our skills due to our age. To overcome this, we offered “free trials” for one to two weeks to demonstrate what we could do. This was a successful campaign and led to our first paying clients.

How did you form your business partnership?
Our partnership initially developed from our personal relationship. While attending the same university and working part time at our respective employers, we then came to learn about our shared passion for digital marketing. Noticing the stress on our employers to meet requirements and sometimes just to pay the bills, we also saw that their marketing efforts were limited and not as impactful. From these experiences, our objectives began to develop: 1) to help SME’s by giving them a voice in their industry, and 2) to start something that was more than just a business generating money. We wanted to make a difference.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in the initial phase of your venture and how did you overcome it?
Baby faces, as we looked very young! Starting out when were 21, people were sceptic about our skills and experience. People naturally questioned our ability to deliver, and it did create a barrier. Refocusing on our business plan and the driving passion from which it developed, we shored up our skills to match, master and polish as much as we could. We also reviewed our personal branding, developing a more mature style for conservative clientele.

What does success mean to you?
We believe that success is making a genuine impact on people’s lives and inspiring people to live their dreams. It’s easy to get lost in just chasing money, but we like to stay grounded in things that really matter.

With many established competitors in digital marketing, what challenges did you see entering this space?
It is true that the digital marketing industry is extremely crowded and competitive. Our biggest challenges have emerged from having insufficient resources and budgets which have meant we have had to work smarter and be more innovative than our competitors. Another big problem is only having two of us rather than a whole team. We have had to continuously evolve and grow our skills sets to be able to help our clients in the most efficient way possible.

What advice would you give to someone aspiring to become an entrepreneur?
Be comfortable with the unconventional. We looked around our workplace and struggled with being different. We didn’t have the regular schedule, and we didn’t think conventionally. But that’s okay. That’s what will make you a standout entrepreneur. Our advice would be to keep struttin’ when everyone else is walking.

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Visit www.risedigitalmarketing.com for more information.

In conversation with: Frances Quinn, Athena Management Consulting

Athena Management Consulting’s Managing Director Frances Quinn believes in recalibrating and reinventing her approach to deliver the best for her clients and challenge the status-quo.

Tell us about Athena Management Consulting.
Athena Management Consulting is a boutique consulting firm specialising in contact centre and customer operations. We work with clients who seek improvements in their customer experience or staff engagement by helping them get the most from their people, processes and technology; often by way of strategy advisement or transformative initiatives.

During our conversation, you mentioned that you became an entrepreneur by accident. What sparked this venture?
The stars aligned and the universe conspired to push me down the entrepreneurial path! After being made redundant for the second time in three years on a Friday and making the decision to move inter-state over the same weekend, I received a call on Monday from one of my connections wondering if I knew anyone with my specialist skillset to deliver a project in the location where I decided to move! Thus, began my career as a consultant and shortly after came the creation of Athena and my journey as a business owner.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in the formative years and how did you overcome it?
I was lucky to start my journey with a meaty project that kept me engaged for 18 months, so I didn’t think much about marketing and selling my services. I built a website and got business cards, and that was it. When I finished that contract, I had a naive expectation that the next opportunity would arrive at my doorstep. I did very little to get my brand out there; moreover, with zero networking effort and being in a new city, my professional networks were practically non-existent.

I found myself without work for six months, which was exceptionally challenging. When I did come by a great opportunity, I didn’t win the business. After a healthy dose of self-pity, I found some resilience buried deep within and started to rebuild my confidence and thought processes. I developed services-based products and marketing materials, invested in conferences and networking events, and signed my second client within a few months.

What does success mean to you?
Success means challenging the current state and striving for a better outcome. Professionally, it means creating a company that attracts exceptional talent, and a brand that is renowned for providing quality and value. Personally, it means building positive, authentic relationships with everyone in my sphere, backing myself, taking risks and living a purposeful life.

What is the toughest decision you have made and how was this managed?
I started the business with my partner at the time. Together we built two brands, both consulting firms in different industries with different service offerings. However, we had conflicts over professional ideals that leaked into our personal lives. Eventually, I decided to end the relationship. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve made; having both personal and professional ramifications. We had to untangle our lives, belongings and businesses.

This became a time of significant growth, and I had to learn to back myself 100%. I no longer had a sounding board to share in the decision-making. Win or lose; it was all on me. Since then, when bringing on new team members, I apply my own process to ensure their values and attitudes align with those of the business.

What advice would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur?
1)   Price is only an issue in the absence of value. Don’t undervalue yourself or sell your products/services at the lowest price to win business. Know your worth and focus on how to articulate your value rather than driving price-based decisions. Don’t be afraid to turn down a client if your values don’t align.
2)   Find a niche. You may be great at ten things, but pitching yourself as the company who is great at all these things will dilute your brand. Choose one unique thing and focus on that. Once customers are on board, then they will organically see the other things you are great at.
3)   Be clear on who you are. What does your brand stand for? What are your values? What is your mission? Knowing this will help you choose the right clients and people to help you realise your vision. Make it personal; people connect to real stories, not corporate jargon.

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For more information, visit www.athenaconsulting.com.au.

In conversation with: Lisa Rubinstein, The Institute for Human Potential

The Institute for Human Potential’s CEO Lisa Rubinstein combines the ancient wisdom of martial arts with modern neuroscience to improve organisational and team performance by cultivating people’s readiness to learn.

Tell us about The Institute for Human Potential.
We help companies create a new and sustainable future that delivers dramatic improvements in individual, team and organisational results and culture. We also teach managers and leaders about how to cultivate their people’s readiness to learn – the holy grail of performance.

You’ve combined teachings of neuroscience and martial arts to approach leadership and organisational challenges. How did this combination develop?
The martial arts side comes from my training in Shotokan Karate with the head of the Japanese Karate Association in North America; now the highest-ranking sensei in the world. He taught leadership, integrity, resilience and most importantly, the responsibility of power.

I picked up neuroscience when I researched for my book, ‘True Leadership’, which combines the neuroscience of leadership with insights from highly-respected business leaders. The two are very compatible. Neuroscience gives us the answer to what is going on inside our head, but martial arts points to actions you can take to be a great leader, no matter your title.

You have an accomplished career in leadership training. What is the biggest challenge you face in your role today?
Keeping things fresh is a constant challenge as is keeping people engaged and ready to learn. That ‘ready to learn’ aspect is the biggest problem leaders face. When people are open to learning, they’ll be more proactive, communicate when something comes up, be more accepting of changes and able to deal with curveballs.

Today, more than ever, business is about constant change and dealing with the unexpected. Handling both of those well depends on being ready to learn and change.
However, today’s workplace environment drives us to be less willing, less open and able to deal with the unexpected. The increasing pace of business coupled with the high rate of change challenges all of us and kills people’s readiness to learn. It’s the biggest threat to success and sustainability for any company.

What does success mean to you?
Success will always occur as elusive. As soon as I get close to the goal, I’ll shift to an even greater challenge to keep life interesting. It’s most important to recognise this, so we don’t relate to ourselves as less than, only because we still haven’t achieved our expectations. If we know we’re resetting the bar; we can own it!

What is the toughest decision you have made and how did you handle it?
To walk away from a project that I had worked on for over 11 years. We had reached a point where the energy and focus needed to take it to the next level wasn’t going to pay off and hence, I stepped away. It was a relief and opened an even better pathway to achieving what I was after. But, until that first step, it was a hard decision to make.

What is something you’ve accomplished that you take the most pride in?
Making time for my two girls while they wanted me around. Business can always fit in. I have memories and a relationship with them that is far more valuable. Now that they’re grown and building their own lives, I have plenty of time to put everything into the business with no regrets.

What advice would you give to someone aspiring to become an entrepreneur?
•   Build a team first. Make sure you identify where your strengths lie and cultivate them. Then find great people to fill in the gaps.
•   Every week, make sure you are out somewhere and meeting new people. It’s not just about filling your pipeline, it’s about being connected, knowing what’s going on and getting out of your own head.
•   Go to events without an agenda save for meeting people. So many people go in like sharks in a feeding frenzy. It’s a real turn off and stops you from meeting what could be an interesting contact.
•   Build a business that also helps in some way to heal the planet. We are at a point in our history that if more people do not take on sustainability projects, we will not have a future to pass on to our next generation.

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For more information, visit www.thehpinstitute.com.

In conversation with: Megan Edwards, mWords

mWord’s Expert Content Marketer and Trainer Megan Edwards emphasises the value of content marketing for businesses to connect with their customers.

Tell us about mWords.
mWords is a boutique content marketing business that assists corporates and SMEs to develop strategic and tailored content marketing strategies to build awareness, generate leads and position themselves as industry experts. There are two key arms to the business: 1) content creation & distribution, and 2) content and social media training.

Our services are designed to help business owners and professionals build an empathetic relationship with their customers through solution-focused content that bridges the gap between what the business sells and what their customer wants or needs.

Our training empowers business owners and professionals with the strategic knowledge and skills they need to design and implement an effective content marketing or social media strategy to build their personal or company brand.

How can time or resource-poor start-ups or SME business owners fit content marketing in their day’s routine?
Effective content marketing is all about planning. A content calendar is one of the best planning tools a business of any size can use to take control and be strategic about content marketing. A calendar can be established by investing a few hours once a month in identifying key messages, areas of expertise and topics you want to promote, then composing a series of posts for each.

To further streamline your content marketing, invest in a scheduling tool such as Buffer or Hootsuite. These allow you to not only upload your posts in advance across all platforms but also provide insights and analytics to help you determine the best answers for what, where and when to post.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in the formative years of your business and how did you overcome it?
There are two key challenges which were present when I first began, and which I still face today: competition and customer perception.

I have overcome heavy competition by refining my focus to specialise in HR & Recruitment and Property & Real Estate; sectors where I spent the most time during my corporate days and in which I have the greatest depth and breadth of knowledge.

Customer perception of the value of content marketing is an ongoing challenge. Though the market has a greater broad appreciation of its value these days, there is still a perception that since a) writing is a skill we all possess, and b) most aspects of social media are free to use, it should be cheap and easy.

I have found the best way to overcome this is by educating my customers about the ‘value adds’ that enrich the process and elevate it from just content generation to strategic content marketing. My writing skill draws on marketing expertise as well as creativity and language. I also explain the additional steps I take to support the actual writing, such as researching the market, defining the buyer’s persona and performance analytics.

With a gradual increase in content skimming and reduced attention spans, it is worth investing time to create long-form content such as blogs?
Long form content is still worthwhile if it focuses on providing information and education. Before writing anything, put your idea to the “So what?” test: what will your target audience think after reading it? Will it make them feel any different? Make their lives better? Inspire them to action? If the answer is no, you need a new idea!

When creating long form content, it’s also important to consider how your audience will consume it. Sometimes a lengthy content piece is more impactful and more likely to be read when broken down into several smaller pieces. Simple formatting like bullet points, tables and visuals can all help to convey your message more efficiently.

What advice would you give to someone aspiring to become an entrepreneur?
•   Understand that everyone is an expert in something, but rarely an expert in everything. You don’t have to know everything to be of value to someone.
•   Be willing to try something several times before you decide it doesn’t work. Sometimes repetition is key.
•   Don’t be too proud to accept help when it’s offered or ask for advice.
•   Build your knowledge in a range of areas, not just those directly related to your business. This will give you a broader, richer reference base and the ability to communicate effectively with a wider range of people.

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Visit www.mwords.com.au for more information.

In conversation with: Natalie Goldman, FlexCareers

While FlexCareers draws on the untapped talent pool of Australia’s 2.1 million career women, going forward, CEO Natalie Goldman sees it enabling businesses to realise the power and potential of flexible employment.

Tell us about FlexCareers.
FlexCareers is changing the way careers are pursued by redefining ‘success’, rewriting talent management and realigning workplace expectations within the current workforce. It is a disruptive online talent matching platform connecting skilled people with progressive employers offering flexible work.

Our initial focus is to tap the underutilised talent pool of 2.1 million career women. However the market is shifting, and flexibility is something that more and more people are wanting. In the meantime, we are enabling Australia’s workforce of the future and delivering gender diversity in scale. FlexCareers also offers a fully integrated suite of products, including its proprietary ‘Relaunchships’ program, which facilitates a return to work after an extended career gap.

How are Australian businesses responding to the growing demand for flexible work arrangements?
More and more candidates are seeking flexible employment, and with such a small talent pool in Australia, businesses are responding by offering more flexibility. But attracting talent is not the only reason why companies are focusing on implementing flexible work practices.

It is also about retaining talent and engagement – when employees are happy and engaged, they are more likely to stay, be highly productive, profitable and give discretionary effort.

It’s also the future of work conversation – the way we work is changing due to changes in technology, markets and more. Progressive employers need to be agile and responsive, and flexible working is one of the key enablers to creating such a workforce that breeds creativity and innovation.

Finally, it’s also about diversity and inclusion. Flexibility creates a highly diverse workforce. This addresses numerous issues businesses face, such as women who are not fully participating in the labour market due to barriers of being the primary caregivers or perceptions around women and work. It also encourages diversity as not everyone fits the same mould and it allows us to be human at work.

How is technology assisting the adoption of flexible work among employers?
Technology is one of the fundamental aspects to implementing successful flexible work cultures and arrangements along with trust and communication. Technology enables working from wherever we are and whenever. I often say that my office is in the bag; between my laptop and smart phone, all technology is cloud-based and we can access each other through communication channels such as Slack. Without technology, we wouldn’t be able to collaborate, communicate or create in real time from wherever we are.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in the formative stage of FlexCareers?
There is a growing demand for what we are offering, but only so many of us are able to connect with employers – which is a great problem to have. From the candidate’s side, all interactions are primarily using the digital interface – hence, that can be managed easily. Although we have a robust AI platform, technology isn’t what ‘wows’ people. It’s the human connection, and that requires presence and time, and there are only so many hours in the day.

What does success mean to you?
Having so many flexible jobs that surpass non-flexible jobs… everyone wants to have some agency over where, when and how they work – we are working hard to achieve this.

What is the toughest decision you have made and how did you handle it?
One of my colleagues had a great idea about a product line for FlexCareers. However, we didn’t have the capital nor bandwidth to focus on it, so I had to say no. The truth is we still may very well do it, but timing is everything.

If you were to start over again, what would you do differently?
Nothing…we have learnt from our mistakes, and everything happens for a reason. We are still learning but open for others to provide their guidance at all times.

What advice would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur?
Being an entrepreneur now has the association of something cool and aspirational. The reality is that it isn’t glamorous but full of hard work, tough decisions and lots of pressure. Not everyone is made for this kind of work. At the same time, it is also incredibly rewarding and the best thing ever; I love what I do and jump out of bed each day energized and excited about the possibility. I wouldn’t change it for anything.

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Visit www.flexcareers.com.au for more information.

In conversation with: Rick Gilmore, Good Company Coaching

Good Company Coaching founder Rick Gilmore – one of Australia’s pioneer executive coaches –
blends eastern and western philosophies ensuring business leaders and organisations stay relevant.

Tell us about Good Company Coaching.
Learning how to avoid reputational risk today, to remain relevant tomorrow, is now a top-shelf priority. After working with numerous executives, business leaders and professionals for over 25 years, I can vouch that the fear of becoming obsolete and irrelevant is sadly rising.

Many tell me that their secret fear is seeing their career or business flatline or not advance as fast or far enough as they hoped for. The truth is for many of us there’s a growing gap between the rapid rate of change and our ability to remain relevant. The chances are that by the time I’ve finished this interview, I’ve likely become more irrelevant than relevant! That’s a long lead into saying that Good Company Coaching helps individuals and organisations stay relevant, avoid reputational risk and realise their potential.

What motivated you to “look east” and move to India after pursuing Western Philosophy in university?
As a young man I majored in Western Philosophy at university, then my dial moved to “east”, where I spent time sitting at the feet of masters in India, contemplating the meaning of life, human potential, practising 30-day silent mindfulness meditation retreats and all the rest of it! Why did I do it? Apart from the luck of the draw, serendipity and working on “my stuff”, the two primal drivers were:

• While studying Western philosophy, I remember reading an epistemology question – “Who knows more about electricity, an electrician or an electric eel?” – that said a lot to me then and still does today about the difference between theory and actionable knowledge and asking the right sources and people for help.

• The other driver was more experiential and a tad esoteric. Personally, I don’t like using words like ‘spiritual’ or ‘peak state’. But back then, I had some “experiences and insights” that self-authenticated a lot of what I had read about in the Eastern spiritual traditions. It felt like I had been given a vision of something that I had to act on. So, looking back maybe there were deeper impulses and connections at play that drew me to India at the time.

How has the application of Eastern and Western philosophies impacted your approach to consulting clients?
It’s impacted everything. All through my career, I’ve believed that if we are to grow in our professional journey, improve our lot and make a better life for everyone, then a new integration of our individual and collective wisdom is critical.

Yet, as many an entrepreneur would likely agree, you’ve also got to meet people where they are and give them what they want now, so you can give them what they really need later. What that means is that even though my “East-West” approach is always turned on, how ever high-beam or low-beam it is, depends on the readiness, context, and outcomes my clients want to achieve.

What’s good about the present, is that compared to 25 years ago, there’s a lot more cut through with “what’s old is new and what’s new is old.” When I first started out, getting business leaders to practice mindful leadership was an alien concept, something best a kept secret.

What does success mean to you?
To me, success is an emergent property or process. You’ve got to embrace the process, the journey, and who you are becoming. Ultimately, as good as the specific successes, results and big wins are, there’s always, “what’s next?”.

Success lives in the unfolding process that propels you towards realising your potential and highest opportunities and purpose. In plain English, fall into your masterpiece and let the music in you out; that’s success to me.

What is the one thing you’ve accomplished that you take the most pride in?
A description that echoes down through the ages is that, whenever in any moment you genuinely connect with who you are, there is a feeling of ‘being home’ at last. Being ‘good company’ and helping clients lead naturally, be successful and feel ‘being home’ at last has been my one thing.

If you were to start over again, what would you do differently?
•   Trust and let go
•   Start before I’m ready
•   Learn from the best

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For more information, visit www.goodcompanycoaching.com.au.

In conversation with: Ting Zhou, Abundance Property Group

Ting Zhou, Founder and Director at Abundance Property Group, believes in being invested in the development of her venture and self in pursuit of a worthy idea.

Tell us about Abundance Property Group.
Abundance Property Group is specialised in facilitating aspiring property developers and investors both locally and from overseas to initiate, complete and invest in development projects successfully and profitably in Sydney, Australia. We provide the following services:
•   Property Development and Investment training courses
•   Property Development and Investment consultancy
•   A service directory to connect all service providers with buyers/potential clients
•   Abundance Property Development and Investment Club Membership

You moved into property development & investment after an accomplished career in financial services. What attracted you to the industry?
The opportunity to be my own boss. Property is an excellent investment vehicle to generate cash flow and create wealth, and property development is one of the most effective ways to build net worth in a relatively shorter period. With finance being an essential part of this business, the knowledge and experience I accumulated while working in the financial services/banking industry have given me a competitive edge.

I love the opportunity to learn and improve daily (because there is so much to learn!), run my own projects, own my property assets, and operate Abundance Property Group in a way that brings value to our clients daily so they are informed and can be successful in pursuing their investments too.

What was the biggest hurdle you faced in the formative years of your business and how was this overcome?
The biggest obstacle I had to face was to become aware of what my personal limitations are in terms of making a small business successful, work to improve them and eventually overcome them. It is more of a personal transformational journey. I undertake daily personal development activities to make sure I am on track.

There are many aspects of the business we have to deal with as a business owner, but we need to be the master of ourselves before we can effectively direct and manage as a leader and eventually get the results we want from a team. Prior work experience although helpful, in a way, can hinder our thinking ability as an entrepreneur because we were given lots of resources by our employers. As entrepreneurs, we have to create everything ourselves with not many resources to draw from. That is tough for anyone to start with.

What does success mean to you?
Success means having a “worthy idea” and then eventually make it a reality in the physical world. A worthy idea is a vision or goal that you are happy to dedicate the rest of your life to because it represents the authentic you. As this idea benefits clients, employees, investors, and community as a whole; it needs to be so good that without realising its potential, would mean a loss to the community.

What is the toughest decision you have made?
Letting some people go. It is not easy to find the right people to work with, and letting them go is even harder. However, it is important to work with people whose value systems are aligned with yours and the organisations; as such, they also need to feel that they are developing themselves by working with you.

What is one thing you’ve accomplished that you take the most pride in?
Identifying a gap in the market and created the business model for Abundance Property Group from scratch. I had to refer to a lot of existing business models of course. I believe our business model is unique, and really addresses the unmet demand from clients in this market.

What advice would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur?
Determine your “worthy idea”, have a plan, and act. The plan does not have to be perfect since the “how” is not as important initially as the “what”. Also, work on yourself daily so that you can persist with your goals and not be affected by anything external.

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Visit www.abundancepropertygroup.com.au for more information.

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