There are many great Australian business stories out there. Stories about founders who have started their business from their kitchen bench, people who pride themselves on sourcing local and ethical ingredients, and people who use the unique “Australian-ism” of their business to stand apart from their competitors.
For many of these businesses, branding their products with the iconic Australian Made logo – and weaving a story around what that means to them – has helped them grow their business and capture the hearts of loyal customers, giving them an advantage over their competitors. After all, research suggests that consumers have a preference for Australian made products, both in Australia and overseas.
In the latest SmartCompany webinar, we talk with 2016 Telstra Victoria Micro Business Award Winner Antonette Golikidis, founder of Little Innoscents, Jim Bradley Speedball owner Nick Waterman and Australian Made chief executive Ian Harrison about how Aussie businesses are turning their Australian-made credentials into business success.
Speakers
Ian Harrison, chief executive, Australian Made
Ian Harrison joined Australian Made Campaign Ltd (AMCL) as its Chief Executive in June 2004.
Prior to this, Ian’s career involved time in the private sector in his own business and senior executive positions with employer organisations at state and national levels, with a principal focus on policy and economics.
During Ian’s time with AMCL, the office was relocated from Canberra to Melbourne and the Australian Made, Australian Grown logo repositioned clearly as Australia’s global product symbol – giving country of origin information to consumers, wherever they may be, and providing businesses with a powerful marketing tool to highlight in markets everywhere that their product/produce is Australian.
Antonette Golikidis, founder, Little Innoscents
Frustration and desire for completely chemical-free skincare for her own children drove Antonette Golikidis to create Little Innoscents – an exclusive baby skin care and natural cleaning range ten years ago.
After falling pregnant with her first child in 2006, Mrs Golikidis searched for all-natural baby products and couldn’t find any with claims that you could trust. So she drew on her own experience and qualifications in health sciences and natural therapies, to develop a baby skincare range that is truly healthy – completely free of chemicals and certified organic.
What started as a quest in her kitchen, has expanded into an affordable range that is stocked in over 800 retail stores nationally and exporting to nine countries.
Nick Waterman, owner, Jim Bradley Speedball
Nick and his team find it very rewarding to produce high-quality boxing equipment and are proud that their Australian-made products tick all the boxes. Jim Bradley Speedball is the ‘go to’ company for boxing gyms around Australia, supplying everything from boxing supplies through to major gym fit outs and boxing rings.
