Anthill Magazine
What is Anthill?
It's a business magazine.
What’s it about?
It's about innovation, entrepreneurship and rapid business growth.
Until Anthill was launched in September 2003, the bulk of existing business titles in Australia were mainly concerned with issues of relevance to small/micro businesses or large corporations (one or the other).
Anthill was developed to bridge this gap, appealing to highly innovative and ambitious ‘fast’ growth businesses - SMEs with rapid growth potential and larger companies that realise the value of reinvention to stay ahead.
It does not focus on the traditional ‘nuts and bolts’ of business development (although this is a key element of editorial content), but instead it highlights the inspiring thrills, spills, trials and tribulations of business development and rapid commercial growth.
Business can and should be fun, right!
iFindConsultants.com (SMART 100)
I accepted a consulting assignment to help an ASX 100 organisation improve the way its staff sourced and selected external service providers. I was astounded at the difficulty and inefficiency staff faced in simply trying to work out which Service Providers in the market had the ideas, experience, capability and availability they needed. It went beyond business managers being frustrated at wasting time. The organization was at significant commercial risk from poor process and selection. Ironically, service providers were still struggling to find good clients. It didn’t make sense. When I realized this was common across industries, the penny dropped.
Ifocus Group (SMART 100)
We used to be an outsourced sales and marketing organisation conducting campaigns for SMEs right up to large brands such as 3 mobile. We now use this ability of putting in place a sales and marketing division, in order to acquire a large equity stake in the businesses we work for. We have now become a hybrid blend of a private equity firm and a sales and marketing organisation, implementing sales systems and structures in exchange for up to 40% ownership in the business. A model such as this is a world first.
Imagineering Profit (SMART 100)
Business coaching is delivered 1-on-1 at a cost of $2000/month. Results vary and the industry is overrun by advisors that have little understanding of financials and no systems to track financial results. Many SMEs need help but cannot afford this type of coaching. IP represents a paradigm shift in the way that business coaching is provided - online, anytime and leveraged. It all comes down to the numbers and the numbers don’t lie. IP pinpoints pain and teaches owners how to improve their bottom line and cash flow. SMEs access the best coaching available at a fraction of the cost.
ImGreenPowered (SMART 100)
ImGreenPowered is a simple and easy way for individuals or organisations to minimize their impact on the environment in an overt way so that you the consumer can show others how green and responsible you are and how easy it can be for others to offset the negative environmental impact of an everyday product like a Mobile Phone or Laptop computer, a front-of-mind product most of us use every day.
Pink Stuff (SMART 100)
I couldn’t get my grout clean after my gorgeous Himalayan cat Dudley spilled his bloody roo meat. I tried all the cleaners on the market without success, so with a bit of nouse created my own.
Papyrus Australia (SMART 100)
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.
Invoiceplace (SMART 100)
Invoiceplace was born from the frustration of staying up late to create and send invoices. It was too much of a hassle and was something that ended up being put off, which is potentially disastrous for the cashflow of any business. This grew into a mission to provide a robust and professional online quoting and invoicing service, without being complex and intimidating. Invoiceplace is now used worldwide to help small business do what they do best and grow their business.
Last Chance Ads (SMART 100)
We saw businesses struggling to advertise themselves, unsure of where to start and lacking in time, money and media experience. We created a trusted marketplace matching available media space, both rate card bookings and ‘last minute’ deals, with those businesses wanting to purchase advertising. All types of media are available, including: TV, Radio, Newspapers, Magazines and Digital (online). We developed the Last Chance Ads marketplace to be: fast, easy to use, open 24/7, media company independent and offering businesses the opportunity to search, find and purchase - all in the one place via the web or mobile.
LEVESYS (SMART 100)
LEVESYS personnel were reflecting on development projects for annual software upgrades. Always aiming to deliver greater value to clients with each upgrade, we surveyed our clients to identify where they were experiencing costs and brainstormed ideas to lower these costs. The concept of Perspectives was born and we knew we were onto something as the idea grew and evolved and the benefits to our clients became more evident as did our enthusiasm for the project as an organisation.
LightSpeed Terrain (SMART 100)
After re-working our older Avian terrain system we have come up with some new innovations to make it even better. The largest set of enhancements are in the reduction of the file size; we have cut our existing engine’s file size in half, making larger worlds for games more possible.
Mailing Lists Online (SMART 100)
Lauren noticed many SME enquiries did not convert to sales in her traditional list-broking business due to the high cost and large volume of data required for minimum order standards. Automating the supply process through mailinglists.com.au eliminated associated labour expenses and brought the minimum order value down from $1,500 to $29.95, thus creating a new business model opening the market to SMEs to finally access mailing lists in an affordable, timely and self-directed manner.
Nudge (SMART 100)
...cofounders Marita Cheng and Mark Parncutt heard about the Melbourne University Entrepreneur’s Challenge. While only in their first three months of university, they vowed to come up with an idea and enter. A few weeks later, Mark was hanging out with his friend, when she suddenly jumped up and exclaimed, ‘Drats! I forgot to take my antibiotics!’ Mark thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if she received a text message reminder on her mobile reminding her to take her medication?’ An idea for the challenge was born, and Marita and Mark took out first place in the Undergraduates Division of MUEC.
Making People Count (SMART 100)
A mortgage broker with a conscience realised that the reason MOST people need to borrow MORE money is because they don’t have a budget. Further research showed that not only have most people under 60 NEVER been taught how to set one up, but there was NObody that offered a service to coach and teach people this skill. Many times people are told to ‘do a budget first’ but there are very few people who actually KNOW how to start.
Pulse Heart Transportation System (SMART 100)
I conducted research into human organ donation, procurement and transplantation in Australia. The research identified the archaic methods used in organ preservation in transit and also identified the heart as the most time-critical organ in the transplantation process.
Free online ’starting a business course’ for those ready to start
Sponsored message: There’s a special place for those with a vision and the get-up-and-go to start something. www.thesbhub.com.au is an information resource and online community where you can learn a thing or two about starting a successful business! The course guides you through the practicalities of opening a business and completing a business plan.
Allegro launches new $250 million private equity fund for Australia
Australian private equity firm Allegro Private Equity, last week, announced it had launched a new fund, Allegro Fund II, to raise more than $200 million to invest in the growing number of smaller mid-market private equity opportunities emerging in the post-GFC environment.
Five industries tipped to succeed in 2011 (and those likely to fall). Is your...
With the new financial year upon us, business information research and analysis group IBISWorld has compiled its annual list of Australian industries set to fly and fall in the next 12 months.
The Loop (SMART 100)
My business partner, Matt, and I work at MTV, Matt in Digital and me in Marketing. The idea for The Loop was born out of my frustration in finding fresh creative talent - we were overly dependent on word of mouth and incredible people were slipping through the net. On the flip side, Matt, being the digital guy, was constantly being asked by other creatives for advice on the best way to build their own websites to showcase their work online and promote themselves to potential employers. We brought these two frustrations together and The Loop was born.
Hungry Giant (SMART 100)
I was working in a bulky goods retail store in 2005. I noticed the huge amount of white polystyrene foam that was going into the bin - and ultimately ending up in landfills. I thought, ‘There must be a better way to recycle’... so I started looking, only to find drop-off locations which not only charged, but you also had to drop it off to them! I looked elsewhere, to no avail. That was when I realized that the cost of disposal was because it weighed nothing, and took up lots of space. That’s how the HG machine was born.
Paycycle – Small Business Online Payroll (SMART 100)
Stuart was managing Contract1, a Contractor Management company. He was extremely experienced in payroll and all the software solutions available at the time, and found himself continually frustrated at the lack of attention to detail and the appalling user interfaces. If there was a way to make the job of a payroll person more difficult, they would have found it. About the same time, Xero entered Australia and declared that they wouldn’t be offering a payroll solution with their product. That was the epiphany moment. Stuart had lunch with John (his former boss at AusAID), and Paycycle was born.
