After years of working alongside small business operators, it's safe to say that many are doing more than the average load. According to a recent Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, the average owner operator works 60% longer than those in paid employment [1].

But, that's not what you set out to do, is it?

So, how did it happen and how do you change it?

Tim Brosnan has a knack for taking a struggling restaurant and turning it into a dining hot spot.

The Melbourne-based restaurateur and owner of Hawthorn establishment Once a Tailor, said he and his team, who come from a retail and accounting background, buy up restaurants on the decline and convert them into profitable establishments.

“Once a Tailor has been going for three years and we stepped in on the 30th June this year and put a new management team in place to turn it around from decline,” he said.

“Within twelve weeks of takeover we fixed the cracks and mended the place into a money-making establishment which is turning a profit each month.”

A berry bright idea on Bartercard

Founder of Tasmanian Gourmet Sauce Company Tim Barbour has created a honey pot for international markets, seeing a boost of 400% in coach visitation and 300% in export of his label overseas in the past three years.

Conserving $15,000 on a current expansion through Bartercard has opened the door to new initiatives, including brand new packaging that’s taking a bigger bite of the overseas market.

The local condiment purveyor has launched a slick new Tasmanian Devil box that holds a single jar in two sizes and comes flat-packed so visitors can easily take it home as a souvenir for family and friends.
Tim said it’s a simple solution that’s elevating the brand through a combination of overseas appeal and convenience.

When dental practice owner, Parisa Javady, joined Bartercard in 2011, she had no set strategy in
mind as to how she might make use of it.

The business was doing well and not in dire need of
additional patients. Parisa simply loved the concept of bartering – and her love hasn’t faded.