Access MQ

 
MTBI Newsletter Jan 2010


News

David Wright, MDThe new Access MQ Managing Director, David Wright, started early January. David is simultaneously the Director of MTBI.
David has recently relocated back to Australia from Silicon Valley where he managed the NICTA spin-out Monitoring Division Inc. He has a lot of experience in start-up companies. He has some exciting plans in store for MTBI in 2010 and will be coming around soon to say hello. Shortly a Morning Tea will be organised to give you an opportunity to meet him in person as well, if you have not had the chance already.

David’s contact details are as follows:
David Wright, Director, MTBI
david.wright@mq.edu.au
02 9805 3102
 

MTBI

Mercurien
Welcome to our new Neighbours; the boys from Mercurien. Andrew Murrie, Michael Graham and Philip Haynes are working on a web based car tolling and parking technology that could revolutionise the current system of e-tags and ticketed parking.
http://mercurien.com/Welcome.html


Macquarie University Hospital
You might be aware that ASAM will begin relocating to the hospital by March/April and thus opening up a lot of available space. If you’re interested in a bigger office, please let Casey know. If you know of someone who could be interested, again please let Casey know. 
 

GOVERNMENT

Business Masterclass by NSW Industry & Investment
NSWII has a Business Masterclass Program – it’s a structured program of 10 events, including seminars, workshops and site visits for businesses keen to expand, diversify or develop export capacity.
The 2010 Business MasterClass Program, from March to December 2010, also offers some fantastic networking opportunities to help NSW business owners and managers build their expertise and capabilities. 
 

Commercialisation Australia
Further to previous correspondence, Commercialisation Australia (CA) has put a Customer Information Guide up on its website. There are more details about the specifics of the grants and the payment details. In all cases the customer must contribute a matching amount of cash (excepting very early stage projects). CA has started accepting applications. Access MQ has put forward a tender to act as a Case Manager. If you wish to discuss these grants or any other grants please contact Casey.
 

NEW - Funding Available Now
TechVouchers
As previously promoted, TechVouchers is a $1.4m NSW Government pilot program that has been established to encourage collaboration between NSW small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and public sector research organisations (PSRO) located in NSW.
This program is being implemented by the NSW Government through Industry and Investment NSW (I&INSW) in conjunction with InnovationXchange Limited. TechVouchers will benefit both industry and the public sector research through initiatives that:

TechVouchers will provide up to $15,000 to eligible NSW based SMEs to access technical research infrastructure and expertise. This funding must be matched in either cash or in-kind by the applicant SME.

For more information please visit the website.  
 

INTERNATIONAL

Promising Australian technology companies seeking lower-risk entry to UK and European markets are being offered up to 12 months free accommodation and support packages in Welsh innovation centres in a new ‘try before you buy’ initiative. More information available on the EUCommerz website. 
 

EVENTS

MTBI Events calendar for 2010:

External events:

Venture Capital by Design (SYDNEY) EVENING PANEL EVENT
When: Tuesday 9 February 2010(6pm-8:30pm)
Where: Sydney venue TBA
Cost: $60 inc GST. Use the promo code EARLYBIRD to pay only $45!
Strictly limited to 100 attendees.

If you are serious about growing your business through venture capital or angel funding, Anthill is pleased to announce that it has extended the run of its sell-out event series, Venture Capital by Design, to include Sydney. This event is a MUST for any growing business with a desire to acquire and grow with the assistance of venture capital or angel funding. 

Anthill Magazine has partnered with MitchelLake, leading recruitment and advisory firm, to create an event that will educate and inspire Australian business builders. For this event, they have assembled four individuals who have raised capital, invested capital and built successful businesses.

ActionCOACH announces: Brad Sugars’ Business Is Booming Event on 23 February 2010.
In February 2010 Brad will be returning to Australia for a 7 cities tour to explain exactly why "Business Is Booming"

This is a limited FREE by invitation only event. To attend you must register with the Ticket Code BCS131 HERE.

Whilst most business owners were worrying over the current financial crisis, Brad and his team at ActionCOACH have experienced an entirely different run of events. Month on month, year on year, since long before the so called recession began, Brad’s company ActionCOACH, as well as the clients they service experienced continual growth. 


CLIENT OF THE MONTH

Get to know your neighbours - The second of our series of featured MTBI clients is one of the newest; Gratuk.

Gratuk’s business is aimed at developing products for the equine, canine and feline veterinary markets. There are a number of conditions that are common to horses, cats and dogs which significantly reduce their quality of life.
The Gratuk Advantage: The researchers at Gratuk have been producing protein based products for human use for 15 years and have produced most of the proteins described for this project in human cell lines, which is considered the most difficult species to work with. Gratuk Technology products make use of the animals own biological signals (known as cytokines) to encourage the animal to repair itself.
They have an extensive knowledge not only of what is required scientifically but also the regulatory requirements and IP protection needed, as well as skills in negotiating licensing deals and making production facilities.
Gratuk’s goal is to more effectively treat the more common conditions faced by horses, cats and dogs to reduce incidence of major injury in race horses and extend the lives of companion animals. By improving the quality of life that these animals have, Gratuk intends to increase the return on investment to business people and improve the lives of the beloved pet.


ADVERTISING

The most recent MTBI advertising efforts include:

Macquarie Business Directory – Summer 2010, page 4
Gumtree


TIPS & HANDY HINTS

10 sensible tips for business success in 2010. The New Year is a great time to take stock and prepare your business to gear up for a new operating environment. Westpac’s Sian Lewis provides the following New Year’s resolutions to kick-start your business for the year ahead…

1. Plan for success
Daily pressures of running a small business mean business owners rarely get time to take a step back and look at the bigger picture and plan for the future. Your business plan should be as fluid as the environment you operate in to retain your business’s competitive edge. Look over your business objectives and ask yourself: ‘Am I on track to achieve my goals? Are my objectives taking my business in the right direction in today’s market?’

2. Assemble your people power
If you are gearing your business up for growth, consider your current staffing levels and their ability to assist this growth. Do you have the right balance of senior staff and supporting staff to facilitate your business growth strategy?

3. Check in with staff morale
A team that’s pulling in the same direction will put your business on the path to success. The global financial crisis created a lot of uncertainty, so it’s important to check in with your team to make sure there is a high level of staff morale and commitment — sometimes the simplest measures can go a long way to boosting spirits and creating a team that’s working toward one goal.

4. Fill up the business pipeline
January can be a notoriously quiet period for many businesses. Use this time to identify potential clients to attract or retain for the year and develop strategies to approach them. If you can hit the ground running with a solid business pipeline in January, you can use the rest of the year to convert those leads into revenue.

5. Concentrate on cashflow
Kick-start your business in 2010 by accelerating its cashflow cycle. Cashflow is the backbone of every business and is an essential component to monitor. From a day-to-day perspective, offer your customers incentives to pay early or use electronic transfers so that you have quick access to cash inflows, then stagger your approach to spending so that you can manage your cash outflows.
If you have the knack for cashflow and find yourself with a surplus, make any extra cash work harder for your business. For a short-term option allowing you quick access to your cash, consider a high-interest saver account.
If you don’t need quick access to your surplus, consider investing it for the long term, potentially adding strength and security to your business.

6. Spend smarter
The start of the year is a great time to assess your spending. Glance down your profit and loss statement and consider cutting back on any unnecessary expenses. For the expenses you can’t avoid, shop around with your suppliers to ensure you’re getting the best deal without compromising on quality. Find out if your business is eligible for bulk-buying discounts or loyalty discounts for using multiple services from the same provider.

7. Explore expansion opportunities
Identify the gaps in the market and consider potential opportunities for your business to fill them. What does your market need that would extend your business offering and generate new revenue streams? As an exporter, are there new countries you could branch out to? As a café owner, could you implement internet facilities?

8. Secure the right type of financing
If you’re looking to grow your business in 2010 you will need to explore the various financing options available. In today’s environment it is essential for your business to secure the ideal finance mix. Ask yourself, what are you seeking finance for and what is the best option available to your business? Are you taking advantage of the convenience and flexibility a business overdraft can provide or do you need to consider asset-based finance to fund a new piece of equipment?
Careful consideration must be made on your business’s debt-to-equity ratio to ensure your business maintains a healthy cashflow.

9. Seek professional advice
As with any important decisions, the best advice will come from professionals. When it comes to your business, you want the right advice from someone who knows your business well. Make an effort to develop a good relationship with your accountant and local business banker to ensure you receive tailored advice to help you grow your business.

10. Celebrate your business success
It’s easy to get caught up in the everyday stress that comes with running your own business. Don’t forget to step back and assess your milestones — recognising and celebrating success is an important part to running your business that is often overlooked.
 

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