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What is 30under30?
30under30 is an Anthill initiative launched in early 2008 to encourage and promote entrepreneurship among young Australians. Each year, we invite our readers to nominate young Australian entrepreneurs deserving of recognition for their outstanding entrepreneurial endeavours. More.
Nicole Kersh, NSW (b. 1984)
Name: Nicole Kersh
Age: 28 (Born: September 1984)
Gender: Female
State: NSW
Known for: 4Cabling
As Nicole Kersh helped out her parents with their cable installation business while a university student, she gained a deep knowledge of the logistics and inefficiencies of supply chains. So when it came time to blaze a career path, she took a pair of sharp cutters and snipped out the middleman.
Kersh founded 4Cabling as a manufacturer, distributor and retailer that sells its products direct to the consumer: ethernet cables, audio and video cables, power boards, server racks, and just about any electric widget one can imagine. Her online model met with early resistance in its time, ca. 2006 (yes, 2006!), but six going on seven years later, the IT industry is all on board.
Kersh says her model gives her greater flexibility in filling customer orders and cutting them better deals. So effective has it become that even her competitors have begrudgingly accepted 4Cabling’s hegemony.
“Our competitors are now forced to buy from us to satisfy the demands of their clients,” says the 28-year-old Kersh, a repeat 30under30 winner. “They find themselves in the uncomfortable position of responding to customers who insist that they use 4Cabling products for their installation jobs.
“As far as persuasion goes, in my book, that’s about as good as it gets.”
Her triumphs in a male-dominated world give her further reason to boast. Long gone are the days she had to hide her gender just to get people to respond. “For a while I would answer all client queries via email and sign them ‘Phil’,” she admits. “When I did need to speak with them, I pretended I was the manager, or Phil’s EA.”
Today, she doesn’t have to pretend to answer to anyone. 4Cabling has added, on average, a turnover of $1 million every year since its founding. With all of that growth, Kersh and company have relocated around Sydney as many times in as many years. She can’t guess where her next warehouse will be, but no matter; she’s been too occupied keeping a step in front of the rest of the industry.
“My company has been predicting trends and innovating products to keep ahead of our competitors,” she affirms. “I’ve never been afraid to act on my predictions.”
Nicole Kersh’s top three business tips:
1. Wherever you see inefficiency, there is opportunity.
2. You can’t do everything and you can’t know everything. Trust in your team — that’s why you hired them.
3. If you are upsetting your competitors, chances are you’re doing the right thing.
An introduction to 4Cabling
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To check out the full list of Anthill’s 30under30 winners, click here.
http://www.4cabling.com.au/
