Tag: south australia

The research found that 26% of SMEs expected the domestic economy to improve within 12 months, an obviously welcome increase from the 19% of the July 2012 report.

Don’t let its 104 years of age fool you though; Robern Menz is still a very versatile player in the industry, and even produces high-quality confections for other international brand names besides the Robern Menz name. CEO Phil Sims says these companies have chosen to focus on their strong points, and leave production to more capable companies like Robern Menz.

Vinomofo has an ambitious mission: to create a new generation of wine consumers far removed from the effete, bourgeois, oloroso –sipping Frasier Cranes with whom the pastime has long been associated. Since its initial launch in 2007, Vinomofo has endeavoured to bring people and wine together as a source of good wines and engaging customer service practices.

This may sound like a broken record, but if you do not have a clear business plan, you are already setting yourself up for failure. A business plan could be just a couple pages long that describes what you would like to do and how you would want to do it. The important thing is that it will show how much you are willing to spend and how much profit you are planning to make and how long you plan on surviving before you break even. A business plan is like a road map not a prediction of the future.

Guess what Australian accountants forgot during the last tax season? The Internet. Taxpayers scrambling to beat the June 30 deadline thronged to Google’s search service to find meaningful tax services online but may have found precious little, according to the search giant.

Australian business are upbeat about the future -- or, at the least, they are putting on a brave face. The latest MYOB Business Monitor reveals that 74% of businesses reported revenue levels the same as a year ago, or higher.

Dr. Peter Cooper and Dr. Nikolai Petrovsky met at a social function in Canberra and realised that they shared a common interest in research into improved vaccines. From this initial research collaboration, Advax, a novel plant-sugar-based ingredient that enhances vaccine action, was born. Advax is now a leading ingredient in vaccines being developed in Australia, the US and Japan against pandemic influenza, HIV, malaria and a range of other infectious diseases.

I realized that plants possess a powerful intelligence which they use to manipulate soil microbiology in order to feed and medicate themselves.

This innovation came to life after a discussion with a friend who owned an Ice manufacturing and distribution business in Adelaide. I noticed there was a blank space on one side of the bag and asked him why he didn't sell the space off to advertisers. We also discussed the vast opportunities due to his distribution network into all supermarkets and convenience stores. From this we looked at potential markets and agreed to trial the concept through his business.

Papyrus Australia founder Ramy Azer previously sold traditional papyrus in Europe and realised the demand for this environmentally-friendly paper was greater than supply. After completing a Mechanical Engineering degree in SA, Azer investigated alternative fibre resources readily available in Australia and various manufacturing processes. Following a detailed research and selection process, banana trunks were identified as an ideal choice. Papyrus’ pilot plant was established in Lonsdale, South Australia in April 2007. In February 2008, Papyrus established its first commercial manufacturing facility at Walkamin in Far North Queensland. In November 2009, Papyrus successfully began continuous production of its banana fibre products.

The innovation came to life when Modra Hayes was approached by a number of fly in/fly out miners to solve the quality of accommodation problem that existed in remote locations around Australia. Traditional mining accommodation was considered to be uncomfortable, dirty, and not aesthetically pleasing or attractive to live in. The modpod™'s use of composite fibre technology was specifically designed to redress the deficiencies of traditional mining dongas. Modra Hayes has also designed and is constructing a modpod™ Mass Production Facility (MPF) capable of producing one modpod™ or more per eight-hour shift.

The innovation came to life when Modra Hayes was approached by a number of fly in/fly out miners to solve the quality of accommodation problem that existed in remote locations around Australia. Traditional mining accommodation was considered to be uncomfortable, dirty, and not aesthetically pleasing or attractive to live in. The modpod™'s use of composite fibre technology was specifically designed to redress the deficiencies of traditional mining dongas. Modra Hayes has also designed and is constructing a modpod™ Mass Production Facility (MPF) capable of producing one modpod™ or more per eight-hour shift.

The 2010 Australian Innovation Festival celebrates its ninth anniversary by again focusing on the 4Cs of Innovation -- Creativity, Connections, Collaboration and Commercialisation. This year’s Festival theme “Building Sustainable Businesses” highlights the importance of innovation during this period of regeneration from last year’s global economic uncertainty.

In further evidence that there is investment capital available for innovative Australian companies in this bear economy, Adelaide-based seed investor Playford Capital succeeded in generating more than $12 million in innovation investment during the 2008-09 financial year.

Playford Capital, the SA government backed seed investor fund, announced today that it will receive $7.45 million from the Federal Government to invest in its portfolio of emerging companies.

The aim of the Venture Capital SA Investment Attraction Course program is to prepare 10-12 companies that are looking to raise private equity/venture capital in the next 6-12 months.