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March 2010 SPEAKER - Monday 8thDanielle FerryTaking It One Cookie At A Time Danielle Ferry, Director of The Cookie Barrel does not believe in the saying “That’s the way the cookie crumbles!” She is an eternal optimist much to the annoyance of those around her and is now an even greater believer in the saying “Every Cloud has a Silver Lining”. Danielle has learnt many valuable lessons along the way and is keen to share with other business owners the highs and lows of a rapidly expanding business, the pros and cons of expansion and the importance of work/life balance. Something that she and her partner (who now works in the business too) have both achieved in the past year. In her early 20s Danielle was breaking sales records within the Telecommunications industry, then joined the administration of one of Australia’s largest growing Franchises and by her mid 20s a State Franchisor in her own right. After spending a further five years as a partner in one of Perth’s leading Event Management companies with clients including Channel 7, Danielle left and joined her parents in a new business venture. Always one to rise to the challenge, Danielle and her parents embarked on an adventure in a new field they knew nothing about - baking. A recipe for disaster some might say! However by applying their combined business skills they grew the business a further 200% in the first 4 years. Danielle will be covering:
Online Ticket Bookings PAST SPEAKERSFebruary 2010 SPEAKERDr Eric BakkerThe Wonderful World of Nano! Imagine a world where you wear clothes that can change colour and texture, a wall that looks like wallpaper but becomes a TV screen; or the hallelujah moment for all women - a self cleaning bathroom! This is the wonderful world of Nanotechnology and it is already used in computers, medicine and a huge range of industrial applications to the tune of 100’s of billions of dollars. Our first Innovation speaker for 2010 was Professor Eric Bakker, Director of the Nanochemistry Research Institute at Curtin University. Eric explored the world of Nanotechnology and its applications in business, industry and life.November 2009 SPEAKERTony FridaySubdivide and Conquer Prices are still at near record highs; first home buyer grants are being scaled back; finance is difficult to obtain with banks imposing strict lending criteria; and the market is still generally risk averse (bearish). Is it still possible to make money from residential property development in these uncertain times? ABSOLUTELY (and without giving up your day job) Come along to this informative and pragmatic session designed to equip you with the basic skills to get started in residential property development. Tony will guide you step-by-step through the development process using actual case studies and war stories. Whether you bring your development proposal or just your dreams, this session will make a valuable contribution to your wealth creation knowledge. Bookings Tony Friday is a Director of Blue Zoo; an Australian Governance, Strategy and Risk advisory practice. He is responsible for coordinating the strategic growth of the company, both here and internationally. Tony also sits on several other Boards, including Interchange (a not-for-profit Disability Services Agency), Advantage Foundation (a not-for-profit Entrepreneurship Incubator), and Global Village (a commercial Import/Export company). Tony has previously been an equity Partner and Director with a variety of companies – ranging in operation from Information Technology to Import/Export and Property Development. During this time, he has acquired business interests, shares and property in Europe, Africa, and Australia. With specializations in corporate strategy and growth, Tony has consulted to both Government and the private sector. In this capacity, he has been involved in drafting the whole-of-Government corporate governance framework and for assisting a Japanese technology company as they extended their presence throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Tony is a well-recognized public speaker and has addressed public forums covering a wide range of topics including marketing and brand management, strategic growth, business etiquette, financial frameworks for entrepreneurs, customer relationship management, and raising venture capital. Tony’s real passion is backpacking. He has visited more than thirty countries in the last five years for both business and pleasure, and has recently returned from Bosnia and Andorra. October 2009 SPEAKERMark PozziYoung, successful and rich! After winning the very first Business Icon competition in 2005, Mark Pozzi began work in his own consultancy company. By 2008 at 23 years of age he was named on the BRW Young Rich List. Mark will talk to the Innovation Club about his journey, pitfalls and highlights. September 2009 SPEAKERBarbara Etter - Just How Ethical Are You? August 2009 SPEAKERBiff Brody and the Java Juice StoryBiff moved to Perth in 1995, started Java Juice in 1996 and sold Java Juice in 2007. He will share his journey about what led him down his path and how it became such a success. Biff is also preparing to launch what he calls another Java Juice experience but promises that this one will be even more exciting. The evening will be an inspirational and fun look at the world through according to Biff. July 2009 SPEAKERRick Hart - MD Rick Hart GroupAs the Rick Hart Group celebrates its 30 Year Anniversary, Rick himself prepares to take the business through another exciting phase in the Group’s history. Rick Hart has become a prominent figure in Perth, heading up the retail icon Rick Hart and also Chairman of the Fremantle Football Club. But Rick’s business empire did not come easily, there was considerable hard work to get started and in later years to ensure the business held its own ground against the increasingly competitive electrical appliance industry. Rick Hart has given us an opportunity to gain an insight into the man behind the name, and what has transpired over the last 30 years to bring his business to be the successful brand it is today. Rick Hart was born and bred in Merredin, Western Australia. After finishing his Leaving Exams, he moved to Perth and worked at the Dalgety Trading Co for some time. It was October 1975, when Rick and a business partner obtained a tip that an insurance company was holding a container of about 100 fridges that had been damaged on board a ship. They put in a tender to buy the fridges, advertised them in the classifieds and sold them from the front of a panel beating shop in Osborne Park. All sold fairly quickly. That was a catalyst for things to come. In 1975, colour televisions had recently entered the market, making electrical stores even more popular. The business began to do well which Rick credits to advertising. “We had to take risks and advertise because Osborne Park was not a retail area back then” says Rick. In 1980, Rick secured warehouse premises in Osborne Park opening his second ‘Rick Hart Discounts’ store and introduced the ‘warehouse direct’ concept. At this point he started to specialise in ceiling fans. “There was a definite market, as we got a hold of some $29 fans and couldn’t keep up with the demand.From there, we ended up with 5 ‘Fans and Lighting’ stores and the beginning of the ‘Rick Hart Fan Club’.” Meanwhile, cooking appliances and refrigeration had been introduced into the business. While other retailers were focusing on browngoods, Rick decided to make kitchen appliances his niche market. Today, Rick Hart Superstores boasts Western Australia’s largest kitchen appliance displays, providing consumers with the biggest and best range of kitchen appliances, supported by a highly trained sales team. The cooking niche took an exciting turn in 1987 with Rick Hart introducing European cooking appliances into the Western Australian market. “We thought stainless steel was a fad” Rick chuckles “18 years later, it is more popular than ever!” In the year 2000, Rick Hart made a prominent entry into the audio visual market with the opening of Rick Hart Hi-Fi Corporation in Belmont. Amazingly, the launch attracted an estimated 15,000 people. “There was a queue about 500m long outside, customers were admitted in groups of 50 and inside the store, 50m lines were observed at the sales counter. We knew it would be big but this was incredible!” The Rick Hart chain has continued to grow its business and consolidate its position as one of Western Australia’s major retailers. Rick Hart Discounts has grown from strength to strength and today employs around 300 people. The Group consists of 10 company owned Rick Hart stores plus 3 franchises, 4 seconds outlets which trade as Rick Hart Seconds. A lot of the success is invested back into the community with the Rick Hart Group sponsoring several senior and junior sporting associations. Rick Hart is a strong supporter of grassroots football, and the company is also a major sponsor of the West Australian Umpires Association. “Even the men in white need some support, although the old days of white uniforms seem to have gone” says Rick. Close to Rick’s heart, is the Group’s key sponsorship of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which helps terminally ill children achieve their special wishes. “We have been involved with Make-A-Wish for 10 years now. In that time, we have raised over $350,000 and made many wishes come true. Nothing beats the feeling of seeing a child’s eyes and heart light up when being told that their wish has been granted” says Rick. “Our staff also supports the charity through payroll deductions which is a sizeable contribution”. Rick is also the Head judge on the Business Icon program in WA – giving up his time to mentor and feedback young leaders and entrepreneurs. So does the man who has been busy building an empire over the last 30 years have time for anything else? “I have been a Dockers supporter from day one. When the opportunity arose in 2001 to accept the role of President of the Fremantle Football Club, I saw a great challenge with the potential of the Club, and accepted the role with pride” says Rick. “Having been involved in the Club has been a great experience for me, and yes there have been some highs and lows, but the challenge has been rewarding. There is an incredible amount of talent and I am confident, we will be a force to be reckoned with in the years ahead”. The Rick Hart chain has continued to grow its business and consolidate its position as one of Western Australia’s major retailers. With the recent merger between Rick Hart and eastern states electrical retailer Clive Peeters, the Group enters another exciting phase and period of further growth. Rick Hart says “the merger with Clive Peeters provides many benefits to our customers through access to more suppliers and an expanded product range. The merger also offers improved buying power, modern information systems and financial support that will aid future development”. Managing Director, Rick Hart, reflects over the last 30 years and credits his committed employees, and equally a very loyal customer base, for the success the Rick Hart brand is today. JUNE 2009 SPEAKERTimothy John Milsom - Multi MillionaireTopic: Making it happen - in business and in government A millionaire at the age of 27 and a multi millionaire at the age of 30, Tim can be described as an entrepreneur, and a man of action. At 20, Tim began working life as a salesman in a London rubber company, taking sales from £10,000 to £18,000 per month and receiving five pay increases by the age of 21. Tim asked for directorship and when this was declined, started his own company, Capital Rubber, in 1984. Capital Rubber is most well known for a product called the Cats Whiskers – the world’s first flexible backed brush, used on the wheel arches of trucks to eliminate heavy motorway spray. Tim has won numerous business awards including Livewire Young Entrepreneur in 1984, two Blue Ribbon Innovation awards, and the National Westminster Business of the Year award. In 1994 Tim won the prestigious Department of Trade and Industry Small Business Best Newcomer for Exports award. The award and extensive media coverage saw the demand for Cats Whiskers soar, going from orders of 1000 metres per week to 1000 metres per day - a 500 percent increase in demand. With all this, came the challenges of coping with such demand. Today, Capital Rubber is one of the largest independent rubber companies in the UK. In 2007 Tim moved to Perth and is bringing his entrepreneurship to a new government role, heading up a new department called Small Business Solutions WA, which is a business mentoring service subsidised by the WA government. APRIL 2009 SPEAKER - Ros WorthingtonLessons of a Social Entrepreneur
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