30under30 2012

Guy Pearson is dragging the accounting profession kicking and screaming into the modern age. All the paperwork, inflexibility, suits and ties? So 20th century. He pitches his business, Interactive Accounting, as a forward-thinking firm casting off these heavy burdens. Interactive utilises Xero cloud-based software to give clients more than traditional bookkeeping services, also scaling its services for business that want to grow, and even expand overseas.

Businesses that are stuck in the pre-digital age have a prayer of hope thanks to Michael Woods, the creative director of Media Saints. A full-service digital development company, Media Saints produces games, mobile apps and even feature films for clients.

"The entrepreneur's journey is an incredible way to discover your true self and capacity for success," says Emily Gowor, a best-selling author, motivational speaker and mentor who identifies herself through her own personal brand, the Word Artist. Through every imaginable channel -- print, YouTube, social media, one-on-one coaching -- she reaches out to those in doubt or in crisis, using words to break down the human psyche, carrying the power of inspiration in her work.

When one in three people in the world have no access to clean energy, practical solutions call for inventive thinking. To that end, Boyd Whalan is demonstrating that solutions are possible. After volunteering in Ghana and studying business at uni, Whalan founded Hessex Solutions to make solar energy easier to purchase.

What's more auspicious, and fitting, for a budgeting specialist site than being named Shoe String Startup of the Month? Kixup, says Andrew Frahm, comes with tools for beating debt and building savings. "Kixup is all about where your money is going and what the months ahead have in store for you financially," he explains.

Sales are not just the key to survival, says Jake Howard; they're essential for a business to expand and dominate its market. Sales Pipeline, Howard's Perth-based company, uses leads generation, database building, telemarketing, and other strategies to grow a business' brand awareness and thus grow the business itself.

Mathew Beeche began Shoe String Media as a one-man show cataloguing business stars on the ascent, then turned it into a monthly print magazine. Shoe String now operates as an online daily with a network of bloggers and full multimedia palate, and TV and radio outlets have taken note.

Jessie Larcombe says her brand's appeal relies on the five senses. Certainly, hearing is paramount, because Jesselle PR keeps the Brisbane fashion community in the hum of media buzz.

One of the questions often asked of Jo Schneider pertains to the fact that the co-founder of DVE Business Solutions, based outside of Adelaide, has a degree in mechanical engineering. To her, the business benefit is obvious: problem solving skills.

To prevent social media gaffes, businesses might want to check with James Griffin and SR7, a PR strategist of sorts for Twitter and Facebook accounts. "Our core business is the provision of social media intelligence for our clients when they face complex issues and events -- when keyword search and 'dashboards' won't cut it," Griffin explains.

A seasoned academic and scientist, 28-year-old Lachlan Blackhall is also the linchpin of the startup business community in the ACT. And he has the CV to show for it. His current project, 17Dynamics, is a boutique consultancy firm providing growth and innovation solutions for institutions in government, education, technology, energy and engineering.

In 2001 (yes, he was just 18), Andrew Craig was selling computers to university students out of a townhouse garage. Computer Empire has since moved near Brisbane's CBD, forged a partnership with SuperGeek, and achieved annual turnover of $2 million.

Though always into entrepreneurship and physical fitness, it was in corporate law that Izhar Basha established his career. After being diagnosed with an auto-immune disease, however, Basha regained his earliest passions and founded Direct Nutrition Australia (DNA) late last year. The store, located in the Sydney suburb of Randwick, sells dietary and muscle-building supplements and includes a full online catalogue of its products.

Workplace safety is an issue with particular resonance in Western Australia, and Perth's James McDonough is emerging with a unique solution. He's the developer of SEE Forge, a mobile platform for facilitating communications amongst personnel, for reporting injuries and resolving safety problems in real time.

Adam Long's newest venture, Beehive Digital Manufacturing, is devoted to customisable products made with sustainability in mind. Long found his breakthrough in the Panda Pad, a bamboo-cover notebook that pre-sold well over a thousand copies through a crafty Kickstarter campaign.

"Reduction before production" is James Stapledon's sustainability mantra, and as an entrepreneur he's managed to still be, well, pretty darn productive. Lighting Matters, whose LED lights were among the first of their kind to hit the market, posted half a million in revenues after its first year and has refined its leading online presence since.

One of Melbourne's oldest industrial landmarks, the York Butter Factory once again hums with activity, as a co-working space for entrepreneurs, thanks to Darcy Naunton. It's part of a larger effort by Naunton's firm, Adventure Capital, to transform the city into a miniature Silicon Valley.

It's often said that there has never been a better time to be a young entrepreneur in Australia. We have the economic stability, a soaring...

Marcus Lim loves the home trades (from plumbing to landscaping to masonry) and wants to make the market for them more efficient and less fragmented. Lim is the co-founder and director of operations of OneFlare, which lets homeowners post their needed jobs and compare quotes from servicemen in their area.

Monica Kade is a journeyer. After her career took her to New York and back, she chose to dedicate herself to the physical, mental and spiritual health of young women. Through her online journeys and speaking tours, she helps girls to cast off the false and damaging attitudes about body image and self-worth that can lead to depression, suicidal thoughts and eating disorders (which she herself overcame).