21. Jo Burston
Company: Job Capital
Established: 2006
Revenue: $26 million
Job Capital was born in 2006 after Burston’s chance meeting with serial entrepreneur Philip Weinman, and after years of working 24-7, she took full ownership of the business and watched it grow, with offices opened across Australia.
Job Capital is now Australia’s fastest-growing outsource payroll, salary packaging and migration company, with revenues for 2011-12 on target for $40 million.
“With each new venture I realise how much opportunity there is in Australia to start and grow businesses,” she says.
“It is always the people that make everything possible. My team are outstanding and one of my greatest pleasures is working with and leading passionate, focused A Players on a daily basis.”
Company: Carman’s Fine Foods
Established: 1992
Revenue $27 million*
There might be might be plenty of fancy mueslis on the supermarket shelves these days, but back in 1992 an 18-year-old Carolyn Creswell didn’t realise that her part-time job of making muesli would lead to her owning a business and eventually exporting her health foods to more than 30 countries.
Over the past 20 years, Carman’s muesli, muesli bars and porridge have become available in supermarkets, delis and on airlines.
Company: E3 Style
Established: 2006
Revenue: $25 million
Revenue has soared over from $14 million to almost $25 million for E3 Style, the youth electronics supplier co-founded by Vanessa Garrard six years ago.
With just 23 employees, E3 Style says its electronic products are now found in one in four Australian homes and its clients include Big W, Kmart, Barbie and Dick Smith.
Impressive stuff – not just for a 34-year-old.
Company: Pie Face
Established: 2003
Revenue: $24.5 million
Lord knows how much you’d have to pay to get the kind of exposure Pie Face got earlier this year.
US talk show host David Letterman featured the pie franchise on his popular late night show last month as part of an irregular segment on nearby businesses.
Pie Face hasn’t been in the US all that long, and 2012 could well be another bumper year for the sweet and savoury pie franchise business: managing director Wayne Homschek – Fong’s husband – told SmartCompany last year that Pie Face would like to float in 2012. There are also plans for 500 stores within Australia, in addition to US expansion.
Company: Sue Ismiel & Daughters
Established: 1992
Revenue: $21 million
Pie Face isn’t the only business benefitting from US press – Jimmy Fallon’s talk show also features a man having a strip of chest hair waxed each time his friend gets a trivia question wrong.
Nad’s, the natural hair remover, was developed by Sue for her daughter 20 years ago. The self-described “Australian family-owned company with a global reputation”, Nad’s is sold in North America, New Zealand and the UK, and a suite of other products – including products for men – have been developed along the way.
It has remained a family affair, with daughters Nadine, Natalie and Naomi also working in the business.
Company: Bark Busters
Established: 1989
Revenue: $20 million
A compassion for dogs has turned into big business for Sylvia Wilson. She set up Bark Busters 22 years ago, with husband Danny, in the hope of saving as many dogs with behavioural problems as possible from ending up in shelters and being euthanised.
Today Bark Busters says it’s the largest, most trusted dog training company in the world. It operates out of 10 countries, with almost 500 franchises and plans for expansion in Europe, Asia and South America.
And although revenue has dropped dramatically to $20 million, from last year’s figure of $27 million, Wilson says a recovery is on the horizon for the privately owned franchised company.
Company: Bloom Cosmetics
Established: 1993
Revenue: $20 million*
Bloom’s cute cosmetics, skin care and beauty products are sold throughout Australia and also in the United States, Thailand and South Africa.
Started by Bloom as a 22-year-old, the business’ revenue is estimated at $20 million.
Company: SCO Recruitment and Trim & Proper Property Services
Established: 2009
Revenue: $14.5 million
Larissa Robertson, founder and chief executive of SCO Recruitment, is a new entrant to this list.
The business won SmartCompany’s Smart50 awards last year for its impressive 428% growth rates, and has just opened offices in Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria.
Roberston, a trained accountant, has overcome significant challenges on her way to building the labour hire and recruitment firm.
In the early days, there was rescuing the recruitment firm she worked for from liquidation, losing a key client while pregnant, and paying out partners.
But the business has prospered and Robertson now has another business on her hands,Trim & Proper Property Services.
Company: VIP Home Services
Established: 1972
Revenue: $12.77 million
Adelaide-based couple Bill and Rose Vis founded VIP Home Services 40 years ago, and now have more than 1000 franchisees across Australasia.
Revenue for the company, which provides garden and cleaning services, grew by 68% to $12.77 million.
Company: MyBudget
Established: 1999
Revenue: $11.1 million
There’s money to be made taking control of people’s incomes and developing long-term budgeting plans for clients.
Tammy May, founder and director of MyBudget, has aggressive growth plans for the personal finance business: she wants client numbers to rise by 75% to 15,000, two new Sydney offices and a doubling of staff numbers to 230.
This year has started well, too – May says MyBudget had 35% growth in January alone.
Its target market is large: May says there’s an equal split between men and women, in client base, and most are aged between 25 and 55.
Visit Women’s Agenda for more news and advice for professional women.
Smart Company is the leading online publication in Australia for free news, information and resources catering to Australia’s entrepreneurs, small and medium business owners and business managers.
