As the banks toughen their lending criteria, the finance industry is witnessing the emergence of a new type of business – one that aims to make it easier for consumers to obtain credit and finance.
My CRA, which appears at number 24, was developed for the sole purpose of giving customers the cleanest credit file possible.
The idea behind the service is to give customers the best chance of getting approval, secure a lower interest rate or reduce the upfront fees that can be associated with obtaining credit.
Similarly, 360 Financial Services is an online asset finance brokerage business, offering finance for a range of assets, including vehicles, trucks, heavy equipment, caravans and marine.
“We identified that consumers were not necessarily getting the best rate or solution when sourcing asset finance through the traditional channels,” co-founder Matt Burgess says.
Given consumers’ increasing determination to get the very best price possible, it’s no surprise comparison services are growing in popularity.
Mozo, which makes the list at number 13, describes itself as Australia’s leading financial services online marketplace, helping consumers find the best banking or insurance deals.
“It is no secret that for most Australians, financial decision-making is a chore,” founder Rohan Gamble says.
“Mozo was the first online comparison site to offer users a fresh perspective to the dull and jargon-filled world of financial services.”
Also tapping into the trend is ServiceSeeking.com.au, which allows users to compare quotes and prices for any type of service. The website receives about 200,000 unique visitors a month.
It’s no longer considered child’s play to centre your business on kids. In fact, these sorts of businesses are becoming more successful by the day, particularly among time-poor parents.
One example is Cushie Tushies, which designs, manufactures and sells eco-friendly baby nappies and accessories. According to co-founder Michelle Taylor, the products are big business.
“Our aim was not to be another handmade work-at-home-mum operation, but to be very professional about our product manufacturing, our branding, our customer service, etc.” she says.
Another successful child-centric business is Kidz Lidz Salons, founded by Phil and Shannon Adair, who wanted to make children excited about getting their haircut.
In addition to creating a kid-friendly environment, Kidz Lidz is committed to helping parents tackle their children’s head lice, and also offers hairdressing services for busy mums and dads.
As start-up numbers continue to soar, it should come as no surprise that a certain breed of entrepreneurs are launching businesses that service start-ups, including The New Agency.
The New Agency is the brainchild of Alan Jones, who is also a co-founder of Yahoo! Australia and New Zealand, HomeScreen Entertainment, Trippything and Trainerplatform.
“Start-up founders who don’t have geeky friends to code for them still have great ideas,” Jones says.
“We help enable those ideas by supplying great development, design, marketing and strategy at startup-friendly pricing.”
There’s also crowdfunding site iPledg, offering those with creative, commercial, charitable and community endeavours a low-risk way to raise funding from their networks.
Event styling goes that little bit further than event management, with a personal touch that’s hard to match. This can be seen in tech-focused event management company Solution Entertainment.
“We design the whole event – from styling, audio visual and entertainment – and focus on the smallest detail to provide the perfect event,” founder Brad Hampel says.
