Hamish speaks with Helen Brown from Living Spaces™ about Interior Design and what people should be thinking about if they need to ‘work from home’. Helen’s design philosophy is “You are the living expert on you and your life”. Helen talks about the misconception that interior design is simply about what the designer thinks will look good. Although aesthetics play a vital role in the process, it’s imperative that the interactions people need to have within a space are carefully determined. Helen works with both commercial and private clients. Please contact Helen if you would like to discuss your next project or to book a consultation. Helen Brown | Living Spaces™ 0406 544 702 helen@livingspaces.com.au www.livingspaces.com.au
In this episode, we introduce David and Stewart and their company New Venture Australia. Stewart Gow and David Cotton are long term Investors and Serial Entrepreneurs. They have held many successful roles in many different areas of the business world and have been kind enough to offer us the opportunity to tap into their lifetime of experiences to bring you some golden nuggets of information about how to successfully raise funds, run your business and succeed as an entrepreneur. If you have any questions for either David or Stewart their contact details are; Stewart Gow 0403 310 520 David Cotton 0424 025 209 http://www.newventuresau.com
Advances in design technology allow the inventor to get their hands dirty sooner; however, as you’ll learn from Scot, technology can also hinder your progress. There is a tendency to go straight to CAD without pushing a design concept on paper first. The reason for this is that you need to ‘fail fast’ and ‘fail early’. Hand sketching allows you to do this faster. You have to keep in mind that CAD is also intangible. In the early stages of exploring a concept, it’s better to construct a rough prototype. The ability to feel and test your idea is highly effective when it comes to problem-solving and creative thinking. It’s all about failing fast and cheaply. Spending hours on CAD only to find significant problems with a prototype will not only be disheartening, but it will also set you back financially. Get your concept right first, and you’ll be off to market sooner. If you have any questions about concept design or CAD please email Scot: scot@f3id.com Please share this episode with someone you think would benefit from these tips.
Cashflow and planning are at the crux of what Scot talks about this week when it comes to staging your project. A critical question you must answer in determining your launch strategy is are you going to partner with a distributor or are you going to take on the task of selling the product yourself. The point Scot makes is that you can’t be all things to all people. During the discovery and design phase of the project, you may have identified several different markets where your product can help. However, the financial reality is you need to choose a market and stick to it to generate cashflow. As an entrepreneur who is close to your project, of course, you can see how your invention can help half the world. The marketing energy required to educate and convince a single market, let alone half the globe will be enough to keep you occupied for months, if not years. Success for the inventor and entrepreneur is often the result of many small victories. You must have lofty goals, but you must generate small wins first. If you have any questions about the content in this episode, please email: hamish@hamishchadwick.com
We talk with HR expert Mark Thomson from True North™ about building and managing teams. Mark draws on his 20+ years of experience to offer advice for entrepreneurs and founders who are growing their businesses. Some of the areas covered are: How do you create and maintain a positive dynamic with a team How does it ‘go wrong’? (what are the warning signs to look out for). What sort of impact can bad people management have on a business? Tips for interviewing candidates Should Founders become General Managers? If you have any questions regarding HR or recruitment, please feel free to reach out to Mark: Mark Thomson Managing Director | True North™ Call: 0405 415 917 mthomson@truenorthsolutions.com.au www.truenorthsolutions.com.au Connect with Mark on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-thomson-16617a2/
Perhaps a little 'off-topic' for Off To Market, but perhaps not when you learn about the latest cybersecurity threat that is spreading around the globe. Entrepreneurs, business owners and inventors invest so much money and effort into developing products that you have to be aware of the devastation that a software virus can have on your business. The potential to lose your critical IP is real so we think it's vital that you arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible. For more information on the topics covered in this episode go to https://www.avantiacybersecurity.com/
Conventional Brand or Identity Guidelines are over-sold by some agencies as a must-have deliverable that will save your brand from the perils of inconsistency. However, if you’re commercialising a new product or service are they ultimately a useless document that will end up in your bottom drawer? Markets move very quickly and customers’ needs can also change rapidly. Promotional opportunities and marketing platforms are constantly evolving. We argue that there’s a more effective approach to managing and building your brand. Want us to cover a topic? Do you have a question? Please email our Off To Market™ Listener Liaison Officer, Hamish: hamish@hamishchadwick.com P.S. we changed the intro music again... #podcastlyfe
New year, new music and a new digital audio recorder! Yes, we’ve ditched the smartphone for a Tascam. But as always the focus is on the content, not shiny gadgets. The first episode of Off To Market™ for 2020 is about what it takes to be an entrepreneur. It's never a straightforward journey, but it can be highly rewarding if you focus and ensure you look after yourself. Scot speaks from personal experience and highlights the need to plan ahead and put family first. Hamish talks about how to use advice and to trust your gut instinct. Want us to cover a topic? Do you have a question? Please email our Off To Market™ Listner Liaison Officer, Hamish: hamish@hamishchadwick.com Connect with Hamish on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamishchadwick/ Connect with Scot on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scot-farley-82082013/
Scot talks to Hamish about how inventors work with Industrial Designers and how this critical relationship works to determine commercially viable products. Some of the topics covered are: The design brief Philippe Starck’s lemon juicer Hourly rates and fixed fees The disconnect between design & commercial outcomes Ego and projects Why it’s best to fail early Scot’s hot tips for inventors! If you have any questions or would like us to cover a specific topic please email Hamish: hamish@hamishchadwick.com
Hamish talks to Scot about the importance of having a plan to build mindshare when launching new products. Marketshare is the result of building and maintaining effective mindshare. Listen to find out more. If you have any questions, email Hamish direct: hamish@hamishchadwick.com
Hamish and Scot were privileged to speak with Sarah Barnes who gave us an inside look into how she and the team at Transitional Level Investments work with tech startups.Transition Level Investments was founded by Steve Baxter (Shark Tank).Transition Level Investments backs early-stage startups from angel through to Seed rounds, and connect sophisticated investors with VC-grade, screened investment opportunities.Sarah was kind enough to recommend the following resources to our listeners:Send us your pitch – www.transitionlevel.com/pitchhttp://theleanstartup.com/ (recommended reading for any entrepreneur)Where to go to get help:River City Labs. https://www.rivercitylabs.net/Fish Burners. https://fishburners.org/Startup Onramp https://www.startuponramp.com/ (Great program run by Colin Kinner & Nick Shewring)
Hamish has a fascinating chat with the very talented Allan Morris about everything from Boards to branding. Hamish asks Allan his advice and perspective on what he has seen ‘in the trenches’ that will help the inventor and entrepreneur understand what it takes to maintain a successful business. Allan has extensive international experience in multi-nationals, across retail, consumer goods and tourism industries. With expertise in strategic financial management, M&A, capital raisings, project management, organisational transformation, IT implementation, audit, financial analyses and financial reporting. If you would like to contact Allan please connect with him via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allanjmorris
Scot and Hamish talk with Angelo Coco from Invention Pathways about fundraising. Fundraising is, unfortunately, an area where many projects fall short or worse, fail. Angelo discusses the different options and strategies available to inventors and entrepreneurs.
Belinda talks about Brand Archetypes. A fascinating insight into how to structure your brand.
Scot and Hamish talk with Jagdeep Jalota from Invention Pathways about how to structure your business so you can take advantage of the Federal Governments R&D incentives with Tax Rebates. Did you know the Federal Government has $137.9m in the budget set aside for R&D grants? If you’re in the process of developing or commercialising your idea then you need to listen to this podcast. If you have any questions about accessing R&D grants and the associated tax rebates, please contact Jagdeep at Invention Pathways: https://www.inventionpathways.com.au/
Scot and Hamish have an enlightening conversation with Angelo Coco from Invention Pathways about how inventors and entrepreneurs should structure their businesses not only to protect their assets but to be eligible for substantial R&D Tax Rebates from the Federal Government. Angelo also gives us insight into how the rules have changed to allow inventors to use Social Media and Crowdfunding to help finance the design and commercialisation of their idea. If you're an inventor or entrepreneur you'll want to listen to this episode. For more information on the topics covered in this episode, we encourage you to visit the Invention Pathways website: https://www.inventionpathways.com.au
Hamish goes into the finer detail of how to create, choose and think about the subject of product brand naming. Some of the topics that Hamish discuses with Scot are over-creativity, the naming brief, how to choose a name, trademarking, how to manage availability, and what makes an efficient and marketable name. To download Hamish’s (Free) Brand Name Scorecards™ PDF go to https://www.hamishchadwick.com/name-creation
Scot has an interesting conversation with Belinda Vesey-Brown about Neuromarketing.
Scot talks with Belinda Vesey-Brown about business and branding.
Hamish explains what the three types of Brand Structures are and why it’s important for the entrepreneur and inventor to decide which structure will benefit them most before going to market.