Small Business Journeys - Life's Lessons

Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 7 August 2018

We love here on Small Biz Matters to learn through other’s journeys and today is no exception. Two brothers, Hornsby born and bred going through not only life’s journey but a small business one to boot! But there’s is an interesting one where they’ve truly utilized their life’s experiences as well as those they gained on a J.O.B

So today’s show is really a Hornsby Centric one  

Welcome to the show Jon & Josh.

 

Topics we’ll be covering:

Small business journey

• Growing up in Hornsby community minded schemes, what sort of a place was it like to grow up in, working with my brothers (7 kids and a close family)
• Getting involved in fundraising for local schools
• Tenacity, resourcefulness, growth & fixed mindsets – “The Hornsby Mindset”
• Uni & business – marketing for financial services
• Working in media in an established media company
• Decided to take a sabbatical which turned into a couple of years in India – what did you learn from this time? Appreciation of time to yourself & immersing yourself in this cultural “awakening”. Time to yourself up to 5 month trips and avoiding the tourist trail.

 

Your first stint running a business – what skills did you bring?

• LastMinute jobs – online casual parttime and casual jobs site – got bogged down in the start up phase and coming into market with the perfect product/platform. Got gazumped by someone who had the the same idea but came to market sooner and better
• Difficulty in online marketplace & developers the relationships were difficult
• Flooded market & inexperience & young age factor

 

So where did Gone Bush Adventures come from?

• The passion was still there, the passion which was awakened growing up and an unconscious skillset
• Started out as inviting friends & co-workers on trips with interesting people.
• Consistent reaction from their experience was what made you think of it as a potential business
• “this is a powerful place” Its so close to Sydney and yet it seems to the city-based population to be out reach or uninteresting.
• Josh is the numbers guy John’s the creative – being a duo
• How on earth do you run a business with family?

 

How did you take this from a fun adventure with mates to a business?

• The marketing skills kicked in & client relationship roles helped. Maintained the network through platforms Linked In over 6yrs (how?). You saw early a “guerrilla tactic”.
• You recognised its importance as a resource early on. How do you connect with people? LinkedIn was very important
• Start using their language to market to the right people. You had to explore what worked, the right package, vocabulary to cut through to the right people.
• Using testimonials, stick to your core, which for you is the nature immersion experience.

 

Next Phase : Learning & Development phase

• Marketing speak; getting it right
• Bring potential clients away from the bright & shiny things
• Competing with the easier option
  • The client wants to know the ROI
  • We capture data on participants through surveys at the start of engagement AND the end
  • It needs to be more than a bushwalk to be valuable asset / experience to corporates.

 

Conclusion:

• Don’t just think of your last 5-6 years’ skills working in a job think of the whole immersive experience of life.
• Time pressure is removed when you’re young but so is the experience.
• Has it changed for young people? Do you think you could have done this 10yrs ago or did you NEED those experience to help you get to where you are.
• Is there more bravery in the next generation of business startups?

 

Lessons learned:

• Focus on quality rather than growth
• Find your voice and find what’s valuable – what do you represent? You can be dragged into something away from your core – even your clients
• Niche as early as you can & understanding what the market wants

 

To find out more go to their website: https://www.gonebushadventures.com.au/