Why Did You Start Your Business? Week of October 21st

For individuals that constantly view financial statements or business plans each business looks eerily the similar. Even sometimes the brands, logos and names make consumers scream for the days of uniqueness. Peeling back the skin of business, it is often the entrepreneur and business owner that makes a business unique. Each and every business has an entrepreneur and unique story for launching his or her business, and it is that story which make each business special.

1) To Make Lasting Keepsakes

Thanks to Caitlin McColl, Ragamuffin Pet Photography!

2) I Needed A Tool That Works

I started JOYA-Australia – importing and distributing the German made JOYA Massage Rollers – because I knew from my own experience how hard it is to massage myself or somebody else and I needed a tool that works. I wanted to help other health-conscious people to be able to relieve muscle tension and stress easily – even as a self-massage – everywhere and any time. I also wanted to help couples to connect with each other by swapping massages without getting sore hands. And last but not least I always thought it is not fair that massage therapists end up with painful joint complaints from bringing well-being to others – JOYA takes the strain of their hands even though they keep in touch while using the tool. Enhancing outcomes and improving health has become my mission.

Thanks to Ellen Bendin, JOYA-Australia!

3) I Knew I Would Make Money

As a passionate marketer, I started my own business because I knew I'd make more money owning my own company as compared to working for someone else. I founded Marketing Eye at the age of 25, which has grown to become Australia's leading marketing consultancy firm for small to medium-sized businesses. It's been hard work – I still get to the office at 6am every morning – but being a business owner has given me the freedom to do what I want, as I want. It's also given me the chance to follow my passion to be the best marketer without having any boundaries to hold me back from achieving my goals.

Thanks to Mellissah Smith!

4) To Have More Control

I started my business Social School to have more control over my future working life. I was passionate about finding a social and business network that would benefit parents of local schools. Being a working mum with a background in PR and management it was an idea that I have brought to life in the last 4 months only.

Thanks to Amy Miller, Social School!

5) To Control My Destiny

I started my business back in 1997 so I could take control of my destiny, so I could have flexibility about my working hours, so I could get rewarded for my work efforts and so I could get a much better work life balance than would have been possible if I had remained working for a larger organisation. After 15 years, so far so good.

Thanks to David Price, Price Advertising!

6) I Enjoy Great Ideas to Reality

I started my app development business (Crazy Dog Apps) because I had over 40 app ideas that I wanted to turn into reality. One by one, I started tackling each idea. To my surprised, my first app called iParkedHere hit no. 8 on iTunes and since then, I have launched two other apps that have been in the top 100. My latest app is called Gravityicons which is a unique game that allows you to flick around icons from popular apps like Temple Run, Foosball and VLC Streamer.I enjoy turning great ideas into reality and I am now also looking into starting another business when I come across a great idea.

Thanks to Brandon Cowan, Crazy Dog Apps!

7) Businesses Deserved Better

Businesses in Australia were being forced to pay large sums of money for very poorly designed branding and websites by people that called themselves designers. My wife and l studied design, branding and marketing at university and have spent collectively over 18 years in the industry helping businesses all over the world. It was painful to see what was being done to businesses in Australia and so we left the companies we were working for and started up Pixel Perfection. We have now helped hundreds of businesses fix and transform their design and branding to help better communicate with their target market.

Thanks to Luke Humble, Pixel Perfection!

8) To Do Things Differently

It was the desire to do things differently which inspired me to start Maximus International, a business consultancy specializing in leadership development, sales force development and organisational performance. After initially considering climbing the corporate ladder in a top-tier consulting firm, I found myself searching for a cultural style, level of innovation and client focus that would inspire me and also tap into my entrepreneurial streak. I also founded a technology business in 2006 called Imprint Global. We noticed that many of our clients were lacking effective systems to managing their talent. In response, we designed, developed and launched our own talent management software system, Imprint to enable organisations to effortlessly manage their people through the entire employee lifecycle to help identify, train and retain key talent. I realized early on what I wanted from my career and was willing to work hard to achieve it. I’ve never looked back and don’t think I could ever work for someone else again.

Thanks to Vanessa Gavan, Maximus International!

8) I Needed A Special Product

It all started when I realized I needed a special kind of soap for my son’s eczema. I worked long and hard, researching the methods of soap making, including goat milk soap and glycerin soap. My family and friends were my very supportive and willing guinea pigs! Once I got the recipe right, I started experimenting with designs. Word-of-mouth spread after the amazing results that everyone experienced when using my homemade soaps. I couldn't believe the difference in my son’s skin and I swore I’d never by those harsh and horrible bars of soap ever again.

Thanks to Rachel De Pauw, Soapy Suds Soap!

9) Because I Wanted to Do It My Way

I started my own business in 2004. I was running a divison of an architectural practice and I had a boss who I knew would not support me in developing the clients and relationships I had built up to that point in my career. I could see that I was at a turning point and decided to step out on my own. I started with just myself renting a desk in another architectural practice  The first project I undertook was a museum for Qantas in the domestic terminal of the Sydney airport. This was a pretty significant project i.e.: to be trusted with the brand and heritage of such an iconic organisation and it was an illustrious start for my practice. The business ran successfully and profitably for almost 7 years before I merged with another practise. I am now one of 2 directors and owners and we are 20+ people in Melbourne and Sydney undertaking important workplace, education and hotel projects across Austrlaia, NZ and Asia.

Thanks to Angela Ferguson, futurespace!

10) To Support Small Business Owners

I evolved my business, Bauhinia Solutions from teaching small business owners how to use their computer software, to supporting them in their administration needs because many of my participants were asking for assistance and then passing on my details to their friends, who were also in business. I soon realised that small business owners were doing it all by themselves. They didn't want to or need to hire full time help, but they did want some help on a flexible basis. Today, Bauhinia Solutions is a creative, professional virtual support firm with a team of enthusiastic, dedicated and experienced personal assistants and business administration specialists.

Thanks to Nicole Graham, Bauhinia Solutions Limited!

11) I Had Adrenaline

I recently finished a charity rally that took me a couple of months and gave me a motherload of adrenaline. I became addicted and upon returning to “normal life” I couldn't cope with the corporate life. I decided this would certainly be a fantastic experience and roller coaster of emotions. No shortage of adrenaline there.

Thanks to Frederic, In Marketing We Trust!

12) To Be Myself

It was time … E E Cummings once wrote, “To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.” You cannot be yourself when you are working for The Man.

Thanks to Karl Castan, SEO Interactive!

13) To Scratch My Own Itch

I launched GoodMigrations after my own challenges finding an international mover when relocating from New York City to Sydney, Australia. There wasn't a trustworthy resource available to determine which movers were among the good, the bad, and the ugly. The cost of picking the wrong mover can be substantial and there are plenty of horror stories about price gouging, lost or damaged goods, and delayed delivery. It's amazing that you can find more online about the track record of a restaurant, where a meal might cost $30, than you can about an international mover, whose service costs thousands of dollars.

Thanks to Adam Vagley, GoodMigrations!

14) I Couldn't Find Boots that Fit Right

My husband and I started Bennetts Boots when I couldn't find boots to fit my calves. Starting and running a business was all about fitting in. Me fitting into boots, fitting in a family, fitting in the finances and fitting in the lifestyle we wanted to lead. Its not easy but worth it.The decision to start and run a business was not taken lightly.We started for money and lifestyle and although there has been times one or both of these is limited but overall we are much better.

Thanks to Amanda Bennetts, Bennetts Boots!

15) I Realized How Lonely It Was…

I had just qualified as a life coach and had a baby and was all set up in my study ready to work when I realised how lonely and isolating it was – running a home business and being at home with a new bub. I decided there must have been others out there like me so organised a lunch for mums in business to connect. There were more than a few! I now run events all across Oz and the UK for mums like me to get connection, advice and a little sanity!

Thanks to Alli Price, Motivating Mum!

16) Because People Were Learning to Accept Poor Work & Service

Plumbing is what I do and what I love. With over 20 years experience, and many certifications and qualifications in the field, I spent a number of years working overseas. When I returned to Australia in 2004, I took a job at a residential plumbing firm. Almost instantly, I realized that the level of technical ability that the plumbers in the area had was sub-standard, as was the level of customer service that residents received. So I wasted no time founding Pipe Perfection Plumbers.

Thanks to Darren Clancy, Piper Perfection!

17) There Was A Gap In The Market

I discovered Moissanite whilst looking for earrings for my wedding in 2004. I could only find diamonds or Cubic Zirconium and wanted neither as they were either too dear or not good enough. When I heard of Moissanite, I began my search and whilst it was available in over 70 countries  I realized it had not arrived in Australia yet. I knew my sister and I had to be the ones to fill the need in the marketplace. We quickly became the exclusive distributors of Moissanite in Australia and after just 5 months of seeing Moissanite for the first time we opened our flagship store in Sydney's iconic QVB. Moissanite is the most brilliant jewel in the world, and offers exceptional value and we love to make beautiful design with this unique jewel.

Thanks to Lauren Chang Sommer, Moissanite!

18) Because I Got Tired of Paying Countless Fees

After receiving yet another expensive eBay bill for charges to sell my son's preloved baby gear, I turned to Facebook and created Adelaide Baby Bargains. I wanted to offer a free way for local mums to buy & sell their baby & kids gear online. Since then, we've grown to over 49,000 members and now operate in every city around Australia.

Thanks to Belinda Jennings, Baby Bargains!

19) Because I Left With Few Money Management Skills

I started my business, Millionaires Academy, because I left my marriage with few money management skills, although I had been running my own retail businesses for many years. My husband used to manage all our finances, and I focused on the sales and marketing. I had to learn in my 40's how to get loans, mortgages, stock market accounts, do my taxes, budget, and invest. So many people i met asked me to help them create more wealth from their businesses, that I decided to write a book about it and create an online training course at the same time and learn from the most successful people I could get access to. I interviewed 100 successful entrepreneurs and by the time I had written two books on the topic my own way of thinking had changed for ever. Now clients hire me to help them build more profit into their businesses and we aim for a 10 times the return on what they pay us. It's worked out wonderfully, and although there h ave been some ups and downs along the way, I love my business and am grateful for all the experience that has honed me into the expert I am today.

Thanks to Cydney O'Sullivan, Millionaires Academy!

20) Because My Husband Was Diagnosed with Kidney Cancer

I started my business because my husband was diagnosed with kidney cancer and had to be on a low sodium diet. We switched to using more and more herbs and spices for flavor as a result and I realized that I could actually offer something as there aren't that many people that know much about spices and what to do with them. Two years later it's paying off. Not only do I give advice on the culinary use of spices but I now run regular spice blending classes and these are proving very popular. And I am continuing to challenge myself and learn more about the medicinal side of using such powerful ingredients. I haven't had a cold in 5 years and I believe it's due to the powerful properties that spices have.

Thanks to Vicki Taylor, Red Hot Chili Pepper!

21) I Needed to Find A Way to Make Money

I started my business about 5 years ago when I was engaged to be married. The reasoning was that eventually I would be a mum, and for me – that always meant being a stay-at-home mum at least in the early years of my children's lives. It also meant that I still had to find a way to make money as these days there is so much pressure on a single income family. As a result, Street Fresh Digital Media was born.

Thanks to Mireille Salloum, Street Fresh Digital Media!

22) Because I Am Passionate

I started my small aged care business following a redundancy in investment banking operations. I had been caring for others as a sideline for a long time and the timing was right. I worried that if I didn't take the risk someone else would! We specialize in non-medical care which I think is a growing field. Ultimately all logic aside I think I started this business because I am passionate about aged care and I knew that my business idea was a winner and that with my business and care background I was the right person to do it.

Thanks to Ricarda Atherton, Elder Assist!

23) I Had Children

Having children is what led to creating this computer education service for the early childhood sector seeking to combine IT skills with a better timetable for family life. Have successfully operated the business with my husband since 1996. The computer education model we created utilized technology training skills, creativity and imagination combined with a great sense of fun to create a unique learning opportunity for preschool children that is highly acclaimed by parents and educators alike.

Thanks to Edilia Ford, Tech Know Kids!