30under30 is an Anthill initiative that was 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. Anthill’s editorial team then trawls through hundreds of applications and identifies and profiles the top 30 Australian entrepreneurs under the age of 30. The process culminates in an event held in Melbourne where the 30 winners will network and celebrate. We’ll be releasing this year’s Anthill 30under30 winners over the next couple of weeks via our Twitter account – youngest to oldest.
Launching an independent niche magazine as the economy is nose-diving would be daunting enough, let alone doing so as a 22-year-old student.
But that’s just what Queenslander Sophee McPhee did in 2008 when she became as the Founding Editor of Queensland Calendar Girls Magazine (QCG Magazine).
According to McPhee, QCG Magazine exists to “connect, inform, inspire and celebrate Queensland women (aged 45+)”.
McPhee, who is completing her final full-time semester of a Business Advertising/Media & Communications degree at Queensland University of Technology, says being a young student entrepreneur makes it difficult to win people’s trust and respect in the business world.
However, she also believes it bestows some unique advantages, such as free access to mailing lists, reports, expert advice from lecturers, student volunteers, networks, etc., and, most importantly, being under-estimated by other business people.
QCG magazine is already proving to be a success, breaking even with its first edition during a slow economy. To bring it together, McPhee enlisted 25 contributors and generated publicity in eight different media channels.
As a second business, McPhee also runs ‘Cookie Cards’, operating in the edible gift market.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCORDING TO SOPHEE:
What motivates you as an entrepreneur?
Life’s too short not to be exceptional (try your best).
Happiness comes from helping others.
Be the change you want to see in the world (i.e. don’t complain about it, do something about it).
Being an only child, I’ve been able to create an awesome family (QCG Community).
Fear of boredom/being unproductive.
The game, baby! The triumph to tribulation to triumph roller-coaster is exhilarating – the best high there is.
Desire to make mum proud and show her that her sacrifices did not go to waste/unnoticed.
Believe that nothing is impossible.
MULTIMEDIA
To check out the spoils of McPhee’s toils, scroll through our sample edition of QCG Magazine below.
This morning, it was confirmed that Yahoo!7 has acquired Australian group-buying business Spreets for $40 million. The deal is the first of what is expected to become a consolidation of the Australian group-buying market. However, what’s truly remarkable about this announcement is the short time-frame between Spreets’ launch and its sale, after only 10 months on the Australian market.
The most recent report of The Pew Research Center for the People and Press reveals the internet has surpassed television as the main news source for American young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 years old. And this year, for the first time, the internet surpassed radio as the main source of news for Americans aged over 50, including the over 65 demographic.
In this video, New York Times technology columnist/blogger David Pogue makes some interesting points on why many executives fear social media, citing loss of control and reluctance to part with their one-way, broadcast spin mentality, to mention a few.
In recent months, several companies have carved out innovative niches for themselves in the beauty industry, launching ground-breaking products and services designed to meet the needs of cosmetics consumers in unique, cutting-edge ways.
I have a problem with youth. Or to be more precise, I have a problem with society’s obsession around all things youth. Take for example, Anthill’s “30 under 30” initiative, designed to “encourage and promote entrepreneurship among young Australians”. Why has this particular demographic been singled out for recognition?
In case you missed our mobile billboards roaming the busy streets of inner-city Australia to promote our 2009 Cool Company Awards, here’s a pic, courtesy of Anthil Twitter follower @Tian_Yang, who captured and tweeted this image late yesterday. For his quick thinking and generosity promoting the Anthill brand, we’ll be sending Tian award winning business documentary DVD, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (just ’cause we can).
ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCORDING TO SOPHEE:
