Companies

Women all ears over opportunities to run own companies

Adele Horin A DESIRE to be their own boss, to have a better work/life balance, and to escape corporate life is behind the surge in the number of women starting their own businesses, a report has found.

Can’t drink, can’t vote - but this teenager is hot property in Silicon Valley

Entrepreneur Secrets He's founded four online start-ups and sold three, not a bad resume for somebody who hasn’t had their 18th birthday.

10 QUESTIONS FOR...

Taking the mummy market by storm

What is it about Koolaman Designs' hand-stamped silver jewellery that has Aussie mums gushing?

Techie helps filmmakers get with the program

Christopher Niesche When Melbourne computer programmer Chris Rickard heard how films were planned and scheduled, he thought there had to be a better way.

$100m software sold a year, not a single cold call

Asher Moses A billion-dollar business built by two Sydney friends in an apartment 10 years ago is widely tipped to be the first Australian tech start-up to go public.

Branching out to the web has been fruitful work

Glenn Mulcaster The prospect of having too many customers is an annual certainty for nurseryman Nik Magnus.

GROWING

Passion for plants proves to be bloomin' marvellous

Jo-Anne Hui When Edible Blooms' founder, Kelly Baker-Jam-

Breathing life into Aussie innovation

Christopher Niesche Phil Morle is one of the people would-be web entrepreneurs turn to for a chance to turn their dream into reality.

Start-up

Creating a courier community

Christopher Niesche When Erin Mulvey bought a chest of drawers in Bellingen in Northern NSW a couple of years ago, she was stumped about how to get her new purchase back to Sydney.

Social media prompts heartburn for restaurants

Nina Hendy Award-winning restaurants are being forced to defend themselves against faceless complaints.

Cashing in on a payment revolution

Christopher Niesche When it comes to collecting money from customers, cafes have traditionally been low-tech – a couple of gold coins for a coffee, maybe a card payment for a bigger order.

ENTREPRENEUR SECRETS

The headache that sparked a $1.3 million idea

Entrepreneur Secrets Jack Fitzgerald had barely experienced a bad headache in his life but, three years ago at the age of 22, he suddenly developed one that lasted for years.

TECHNOLOGY

Total recall: Virtual mirror lights up fashion world

David Wilson A new augmented reality virtual mirror application is designed to remove the need for an in-store try “before you buy” experience.

We're addicted to Facebook

Adrian Lowe Facebook continues to reign supreme as Australia's most popular social media website.

Comments 1

Start-up idea began on the go

Christopher Niesche Nathan Tesler had an idea for an app, but no programming skills.

Info tech

Founding of a Republic

This online start-up stands out by first generating interest in new fashion designers, then generating sales, writes Christopher Niesche.

ENTREPRENEUR SECRETS

For the love of schnitzel

Entrepreneur Secrets Polish-born Roman Dyduk opened a pancake and schnitzel restaurant in 1975, fell in love with a waitress and two weeks later proposed.

Little Creatures heads for takeover

Rania Spooner Independent ale house Little Creatures has backed a foreign takeover offer that valued the company at more than $380 million.

ENTREPRENEURS

From $100 in his pocket to a sprawling bun empire

Peter Cai When Simon Ip arrived in Australia 20 years ago as a pastry chef, he had just $100 and a French certificate in patisserie. Last year he and his brother sold $50 million worth of buns.