Hot Innovator

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Podcasts

View > The perfect Storm: Friday, 18 July 2008 A wave of government grants for community water projects has helped take Storm Sustainability from start-up to $50 million business in just two years. Managing director Stephen Webster tells JAMES THOMSON how the company is handling explosive growth

View > Planet Health’s pick me up: Friday, 11 July 2008 Peter Harwood’s decision to move his business to regional NSW helped transform the company into a market leader. Now he’s got a new plan to grow sales and market share by taking advantage of the turmoil created by the downturn. JAMES THOMSON reports.

View > AEC’s greener, gas-fuelled strategy: Friday, 4 July 2008 An early proponent of getting commercial vehicles running on natural gas has made Advanced Engine Components an innovator whose time has come. By TIM TREADGOLD

View > Mint wins over market with wireless business vision: Friday, 27 June 2008 A young start-up tech entrepreneur, who was first to market with exciting mobile technology, is counting on the iPhone for success. By MIKE PRESTON

View > How a start-up snared big clients with innovation: Friday, 20 June 2008 Theatrical events at product launches no longer cut the mustard. One start-up, Sense Event Group, is winning big clients by taking an innovative approach, based on combining marketing, branding and ‘intelligence’. By PATRICK STAFFORD

View > Retail display success no flash in the pan: Friday, 13 June 2008 Ownership turmoil has been the death of many a business, but for retail display business Flash Photobition, and its chief executive Fred Uden, it has proved an unlikely springboard to success. By MIKE PRESTON

View > Allomak’s speedy rise: Friday, 6 June 2008 Rob Allan’s company Allomak has grown rapidly by buying up family-owned automotive businesses. But as JAMES THOMSON explains, the credit crunch has put the brakes on his acquisition drive.

View > Getting Law In Order: Friday, 30 May 2008 Meeting the voluminous demands of lawyers has turned into a 24 hour a day, seven day a week challenge for legal document services provider Law In Order. JAMES THOMSON reveals the innovations that have seen the firm thrive.

View > From niche to net – e-nnovation for audio books: Friday, 23 May 2008 Bolinda Audio Books has overcome a stodgy brand and found new markets to become Australia’s leading audio book company, with sales this financial year of more than $15 million. By EMILY ROSS

View > EcoRegen cleans up: Friday, 16 May 2008 Award-winning biotechnology business EcoRegen has made its mark in Malaysia turning palm oil waste into organic fertilizer. As JAMES THOMSON explains, the next challenge for the business will be to manage its rapid growth.

View > The Chefs Toolbox holds the ingredients for success: Friday, 9 May 2008 Founder David Mills followed master investor Warren Buffett into a party plan business with a focus on cooking. He shares his winning recipe with MIKE PRESTON

View > Check-in’s e-green light: Thursday, 1 May 2008 Ask Check-in founder Simon Isaacs about his business’s greatest asset, and top of his list will be in-house knowledge of which tools drive the web. He tells AMITA TANDUKAR how Check-in – and how your business – can thrive online.

View > Crust Gourmet Pizza founder’s winning recipe: Thursday, 24 April 2008 Costa Anastasiadis evolved his business from a single pizza shop into a 17 store franchise chain, with plans for 40, in just seven years. He shares his secret ingredient with JAMES THOMSON

View > Finance innovator takes the fast road to China: Thursday, 17 April 2008 Serial finance entrepreneur Clive Isenberg’s latest venture, Octet, is his answer to a question that has plagued many an entrepreneur: How do you make money from China? By MIKE PRESTON.

View > Service Central learns a traffic lesson: Thursday, 10 April 2008 Young entrepreneur Danial Ahchow has built a thriving online marketplace of service providers in less than five years. In the midst of a skills shortage, Service Central is now pushing hard into other markets, and plans to double turnover to $16 million next year. By JACQUI WALKER

View > Wine entrepreneur marketing secrets: Thursday, 3 April 2008 Just two full-time staff, global brand recognition, healthy $5 million turnover* and wines that have the critics falling over their superlatives, is Rick Kinzbrunner running the world’s smartest wine business? BY EMILY ROSS

View > Sambag founder finds her fit: Thursday, 27 March 2008 Guarding her trade secrets, and a commitment to continually exciting her customers with new product, has helped Sam Wagner turn a little market stall into a thriving retail brand. By EMILY ROSS

View > Unistraw’s gizmo a unique success: Thursday, 20 March 2008 Aggressive protection of a great idea, collaboration and a commitment to building a global business have been key to Unistraw’s success. By EMILY ROSS

View > Next Digital: The pure play pay off: Thursday, 28 February 2008 Arthur Spanos will not have his photo taken and he has little time for marketing but it hasn't stopped him building a successful digital marketing business and selling it off for $20 million, EMILY ROSS reports.

View > Right time, right service: Thursday, 21 February 2008 Matching logistics and the boom in buying and selling online was the unexpected combination that put Pack & Send founder Michael Paul on a trajectory that is still running. By AMITA TANDUKAR.

View > Smartpack Kitchens takes the China heat: Thursday, 14 February 2008 How Australian manufacturer Smartpack Kitchens survived and thrived in the face of the onslaught of Chinese competition. By MIKE PRESTON.

View > Water solution ready for export: Tuesday, 12 February 2008 Rubicon Systems is building an innovative global business through trying to solve the world's water problems. He gives his export tips. By AMITA TANDUKAR.

View > Software innovator’s global gamble: Thursday, 17 January 2008 Success in Australia does not automatically translate globally. But know-how – and the gumption to give it a go – helped logistics software business CargoWise do just that. By MIKE PRESTON.

View > Big bang marketing without the big bucks: Thursday, 10 January 2008 SMEs on a shoestring could learn something from one of Australia’s most respected marketing gurus, Kidspot chief executive Katie May. She reveals her secrets for big impact marketing to EMILY ROSS.

View > Freshview’s fresh view: Thursday, 3 January 2008 With clients including Nike, eBay, Technorati and Apple, Sydney-based software developer Freshview has hit a bullseye with its simple-to-use email marketing software and its relentless, obsessive approach to customer service. BY EMILY ROSS.

View > On the front burner: Thursday, 29 November 2007 A strong focus on the core business, but a wide ranging view of its distribution, has been the key to this ‘bricks and clicks’ company. By TIM TREADGOLD.

View > Wireless broadband innovator takes on the big boys: Thursday, 15 November 2007 Jason Ashton is tackling Telstra head-on in broadband, and using Telstra’s bulk to his advantage. He and partner Patrick Choi are ensuring their Big Air remains nimble and responsive to customers. By MIKE PRESTON.

View > Web 2.0 innovator leaps Facebook frontier: Thursday, 8 November 2007 Being ahead of the pack has been a winning edge for online design company Wiliam founder Robert Beerworth. Now that the web has caught up, Wiliam can take the next leap. By MIKE PRESTON.

View > Big bang marketing without the big bucks: Tuesday, 23 October 2007 SMEs on a shoestring could learn something from one of Australia’s most respected marketing gurus, Kidspot chief executive Katie May. She reveals her secrets for big impact marketing to EMILY ROSS.

View > From high seas to high tech: Tuesday, 16 October 2007 Two thriving tech companies are being driven to success by a 38 year old who knows where she is going and how she's going to get there. Tammy Halter talks to MIKE PRESTON.

View > Online catchers: Thursday, 4 October 2007 The three entrepreneurs behind Daily Deals have parlayed a stall in shopping centre aisle into a TV shopping business and two online retail sites turning over $10 million a year. Their supplier relationships are one of the keys to their success. By JACQUI WALKER.

View > Taking off the training wheels: Thursday, 27 September 2007 The highly competitive education and training market became a rocky proving ground for 20-something Vitreous founder Marcus Sellen. He talks to MIKE PRESTON.

View > Clear vision for fibre-optic success: Thursday, 20 September 2007 Kingfisher International developed its winning technology concurrently with a wide global network – and the world is steadily catching up. By MIKE PRESTON.

View > Neptune rises: Thursday, 13 September 2007 A smarter, longer-lasting, underwater welding technology launched Neptune Marine Services, but it is clever and sustained marketing and management that has kept it afloat. By TIM TREADGOLD

View > Game gurus hit the world stage: Thursday, 6 September 2007 Heroes of the Pacific was a huge gamble for IR Gurus, and the big risk brought a big reward. By MIKE PRESTON.

View > Hit the brakes, and go!: Thursday, 30 August 2007 After taking shareholders on a rough ride, Safe Effect Technologies is turning its fortunes around. It is now preparing to export its fail-safe braking systems especially for heavy-duty vehicles. By TIM LEVIEN.

View > Shouldering the drive and passion: Thursday, 23 August 2007 Amanda Briskin is a true innovator. She started Mimco 11 years ago with $5000 and a design for two handbags and just sold the company for $45 million. She bucked the norm many times while building her handbag and accessories company and now tells Amanda Gome that she will be leaving Mimco in a few months and is very excited about future possibilities.

View > Skills shortage? No problem!: Thursday, 16 August 2007 The tighter the labour market, the more it pleases Daniel Turner. It only extends the competitive advantage of his Unity4 virtual call centre. By MIKE PRESTON.

View > Freshview’s fresh view: Thursday, 9 August 2007 With clients including Nike, eBay, Technorati and Apple, Sydney-based software developer Freshview has hit a bullseye with its simple-to-use email marketing software and its relentless, obsessive approach to customer service. BY EMILY ROSS.

View > The right words, the right mouths: Thursday, 2 August 2007 A new Australian company is marrying the latest technology with the oldest form of marketing, word-of-mouth, and creating a buzz among consumers right across the generational divide. By SIMON LLOYD.

View > Movie FX success no act: Thursday, 26 July 2007 Rising Sun Pictures has gone from teetering on the brink of business oblivion to being at the forefront of the global film visual effects industry - By MIKE PRESTON.

View > Gemcom’s identity crisis: Thursday, 19 July 2007 The mining industry software house scrapped its own awful slogan, only to have new labels imposed on it. By TIM LEVIEN.

View > Beating a skills desert with an in-house oasis: Thursday, 12 July 2007 A steel fabrication and construction company has turned a subcontracting headache into a valuable asset via business model innovation. By SARAH BELFIELD.

View > Fuss-free car parking: Thursday, 5 July 2007 A system of easy-to-understand signs and lights guides drivers to the nearest empty spot in a car park. It has also led Daniel Cohen to a very profitable niche. By MIKE PRESTON.

View > It takes a hacker to catch a hacker: Thursday, 21 June 2007 How does computer cop Robert McAdam keep one step ahead of hackers? By getting his hands dirty. He talks to MIKE PRESTON.

View > Sage finds way into China: Thursday, 14 June 2007 The lessons learnt here should be noted by all Australian SMEs thinking about entering the world’s hottest market. By TIM LEVIEN.

View > Fresh take on classic growth: Thursday, 7 June 2007 Clear Blue Day is an online marketing firm that now has enough runs on the board to give founder Peter Bray real momentum. By JOHN COOK.

View > Prescription to online success: Thursday, 31 May 2007 Getting prescription medications used to require a trip to the local chemist, but no more. By EMILY ROSS.

View > Over-planning can stifle creativity: Thursday, 24 May 2007 Adaptability can so often be lost when any business takes a one-pointed view of operations. Take off the blinkers, says Kym Martin, and look around. By TIM LEVIEN.

View > Essential Baby grows up: Thursday, 17 May 2007 Australia's largest parenting and baby site began before the dot-com crash, but survived and prospered. Essential Baby's entrepreneurs share their secrets with EMILY ROSS.

View > Kick it to me, kick it to me: Thursday, 10 May 2007 Search engine marketing is a hot area for hot innovators, and with the big retail names yet to realise its potential, it is one market that is on a roll. By JAMES BENNETT.

View > Heat in the kitchen: Thursday, 3 May 2007 Acquisitions, an international business model and a custom-built operating system have proved successful building blocks for Australia’s only multi-state kitchen retailer. By LAURA COCHRANE.

View > Australia’s fastest-growing startups: Tuesday, 24 April 2007 We set Emily Ross a hard task: to find five of Australia's hottest start-up entrepreneurs and get them to talk warts and all about how they did it. Did she succeed? You decide!

View > Best foot forward: Thursday, 19 April 2007 The resource boom in WA has been only one of the motivators behind the burgeoning Steel Blue safety footwear success. By LIBBY-JANE CHARLESTON.

View > Flat-out in the fast lane: Thursday, 12 April 2007 Con Liosatos and Con Scrinis saw an opportunity in Australia’s fragmented traffic services sector – providing signs, signals and road marking. They have built a $120 million operation, but are thinking bigger. By MIKE PRESTON.

View > In the bag: Thursday, 5 April 2007 A casual observation led one entrepreneur into a business that just won’t stop. By LIBBY-JANE CHARLESTON

View > Room with a view: Thursday, 29 March 2007 A big idea in a tiny office has been turned into a multi-million dollar, debt-free business. For entrepreneur Graeme Wood, innovation has been the key to success. EMILY ROSS reports.

View > Taking on the big boys: Thursday, 22 March 2007 The founder of software developer TechnologyOne learnt a big lesson early on – don’t be shy about competing with the biggest companies in the world. By KATE CARROLL

View > Vending DVD venture: Thursday, 15 March 2007 A long adventure began when the founders of Red Room DVD found they couldn't rent a movie in the middle of the night. They decided to look into it and a business idea was born. By KRISTEN LE MESURIER.

View > Tell me about it!: Thursday, 8 March 2007 A plumber with an interest in how things work survived the tech crash to come back with an internet product that is changing the telecommunications industry. By KRISTEN LE MESURIER

View > Innovation and doggedness: Thursday, 1 March 2007 Things were especially tough for a start-up in the capital-thirsty games market. And breaking into the DVD gaming arena required not just an innovative mind, but a fierce determination. By EMILY ROSS.

View > Baker’s cure: Thursday, 22 February 2007 Simon Baker pulled realestate.com.au out of a death dive and is now targeting revenue of half a billion dollars. He is unfazed by new competition from PBL's My Home. By EMILY ROSS

View > Deal of a lifetime: Thursday, 15 February 2007 How a New Zealand internet entrepreneur took on a global giant — and won. By EMILY ROSS

View > Exports bring woollen mill in from the cold: Thursday, 8 February 2007 A Tasmanian woollen mill was close to the brink when Bruce Grant stepped in and targeted China, through exports and TV home shopping. By KRISTEN LE MESURIER.

View > The Pitfalls of Being a First Mover: Thursday, 1 February 2007 As the entertainment revolution gathers pace, pioneer Quickflix is learning the hard way that it’s tough being first. By TIM TREADGOLD

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