issue eleven 2013

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Our house rulesIn the Willis family, it’s one in, all in

The receptive voiceDad, CEO, mentor, scholar – Sam Raciti’s life is an open book

The best ingredients

A class act

Getting the family–business mix just right

Indigenous entrepreneurs mastering the art of business success

IBA respects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and has taken care to ensure the contents of this publication do not offend.

WelcomeFrom the CEO, Chris Fry

The receptive voice: Dad, CEO, 03 mentor, scholar – Sam Raciti’s life is an open book.

Doing business law way: 05 explore your rights and responsibilities as a business owner.

Our house rules: in the Willis 06 family, it’s one in, all in.

A class act: Indigenous 10 entrepreneurs mastering the art of business success.

Good things in store: the 11 reopening of a town supermarket has locals smiling.

The best ingredients: getting the 12 family–business mix just right.

Making plans for home 15 ownership? our new online calculator may help.

Inside issue eleven

Production TeamEditor-in-Chief Zoë CravenEditor Bridie HenehanDeputy Editor Lucy McBride Designer Kylie Smith Design

Printed by Print Junction, Adelaide, an Indigenous-owned company.

The entire contents of Inspire are copyright and may not be reproduced in any form either in part or in whole without the written permission of the Editor-in-Chief.

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Cover image: The Willis family at home in Alice Springs.

September 2013

Welcome to issue eleven of Inspire.

Reading this latest issue, I am as always inspired by the energy, commitment and generosity of the many Indigenous Australians who are achieving economic independence for themselves, their families and communities.

And I am as ever humbled by how many of our customers seek to extend the benefits of their own economic, personal and professional achievements to their wider community.

In The Receptive Voice (pg 3), you’ll meet Dad, CEO, scholar and mentor Sam Raciti who is encouraging young members of his community to embrace their own personal and academic potential.

In Our House Rules (pg 6) Lee and Graeme Willis are using their business success to generate employment for Indigenous and non-Indigenous members of their Alice Springs community.

And in A Class Act (pg 10), 19 graduates of the Melbourne Business School’s MURRA Indigenous Master Class Program are likewise preparing to take their established business ventures to the next level, and generate lasting economic and employment outcomes for others.

It’s that vision and commitment that inspires our IBA team to likewise do everything it can to support the needs and aspirations of our customers. Having sought feedback from many customers about how we might improve our programs, processes and technologies, we look forward to piloting a range of changes to our service delivery model over the coming 12 months.

Meanwhile please take the time to enjoy these inspiring stories, and I look forward to sharing even more with you in issue twelve of Inspire.

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Who: Sam Raciti

From: Sarina (near Mackay), QLD

His story: A proud Kalkadoon man, Sam is the embodiment of the saying: ‘If you want something done, ask a busy person’.

A father to three young children, Sam is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Mudth-Niyleta Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation (Mudth-Niyleta) in Sarina. He also mentors Indigenous youth within his community, and is an active member on several boards and public reference groups across the Mackay region.

The recipient of an IBA Scholarship, Sam is also in his fourth year of study towards an accounting degree at Central Queensland University. His academic achievements were recognised by the NAIDOC Awards Committee, which named Sam its Mackay region Tertiary Scholar of the Year during NAIDOC Week 2013. He has also recently been invited to join the prestigious Golden Key International Honour Society, an organisation recognising consistent academic excellence.

Mudth-Niyleta provides economic, employment and health-related programs and services to Sarina’s Indigenous community. The corporation has recently expanded its services to the wider non-Indigenous community, fostering ongoing local reconciliation and community spirit. As CEO, Sam is responsible for Mudth-Niyleta’s overarching strategic and administrative management. He also shares his financial and accounting knowledge with other local Indigenous organisations, believing that encouraging professional and rigorous financial systems can assist those organisations to concentrate on delivering high-quality services.

And yes, Sam acknowledges much of the above is made possible by ‘my wife, my wife, my wife!’

The receptive voice

1. On finding his groove: ‘So I can say to kids, ‘be a tradie, be an academic, be both’ – but find something you love. I love Mudth-Niyleta, that’s my thing, that’s my groove’.

Study is like my sport, my hobby, and I want to do well at my sport... University study for me is a different experience as an adult learner. I don’t just want to pass; I want to learn, so I naturally put all this time and effort into learning.

Having recognition from other people is always wonderful, especially when it’s not asked for. I was surprised I won the (Mackay region)Tertiary Scholar of the Year Award, because there were

a lot of people nominated. It makes me realise what an accomplishment it is, what it is I have achieved.

This [study] is for me, but I try to share my story about study. So I can say to kids, ‘be a tradie, be an academic, be both’ – but find something you love. I love Mudth-Niyleta, that’s my thing, that’s my groove.

2. On helping others find their groove: ‘… it’s about coaxing out what is already there and having them believe in that too – helping kids find that authenticity of who they really are’.

The older I get, the more I understand that it really does take a whole community to grow a child, to support a child.

Sam Raciti, CEO of Mudth-Niyleta and an IBA Scholarship recipient.

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Every six months, I try to take a young person under my wing and support them to go forward from where they are. I work with their parents, and I can be a sort of uncle figure. Because what we find is that teenagers start to look beyond their parents for other role models and people from whom to get words of wisdom.

So I work out with that child what they want to do. Some kids have an idea where they want to go, but some kids wouldn’t mind trying a few different things. We talk regularly about how they are going and where they’re at personally. I can also get training packages or work organised through my networks.

It’s not about pandering to the kids, it’s more like coaching a football team – you want this, you do this. We had one fella who had tried different things … and then the idea came up about him being a boilermaker. I have seen how that has helped create who he is; I can see he has found his groove. For me, it’s nice to think we can explore that path with them.

It’s not about a formula for success; it’s about coaxing out what is already there and having them believe in that too – helping kids find that authenticity of who they really are.

3. On building strong communities: ‘… we are using our Mob to be the employees and to be trained to roll those services out, so that is real Indigenous advancement’.

I don’t take the mentoring journey by myself because if I did I’d never get anything done as CEO. I get other people involved – teachers,

job network members and so on – so they are taking responsibility too.

Employment is a big challenge in Sarina because it’s a little rural town. But we’ve been able to get a variety of job network members working out of the centre here. We make a couple of dollars from renting out the rooms, which keeps the centre facilities all nice and neat, but the biggest bonus is that our kids don’t have to travel all the way to Mackay to get these services. They can come to the job centre and talk to staff and get looked after.

The other thing is that the job network members provide services to the whole community. We have a lot of non-Indigenous people coming into the centre for the first time. We have also started an aged care program for the whole community.

So we are moving from a solely Indigenous focus to providing services for everyone. But we are using our Mob to be the employees and to be trained to roll those services out, so that is real Indigenous advancement. The centre provides a focus that Indigenous people are proud of.

4. On always being open to learning: ‘We are servants of our community; our community was here first … And they need people in that organisation to be good people, always bettering themselves’.

As CEO of Mudth-Niyleta, it’s a 12-hour day, but it’s not all slog, and I do it because I love my job. I love working with my Mob here and supporting the Indigenous cause and community. I’ve been here 18 years and that’s been my goal. And they haven’t sacked me – they like me hanging around!

It’s about joining the dots – keeping the pathways open. It’s about going beyond my job description, and how I can hit these partnership arrangements. I make time, I leave my door open, and I have an open office for when the mums and dads come in. That’s where my 12-hour days go. But I am just in the mix. The reason we have these jobs is that we have these specialist skills; building a community takes all those different skills.

Recently, Mudth-Niyleta had its 25th anniversary. Having been here 18 years, I did my speech and reminded people that Mudth-Niyleta wasn’t created to give us jobs. We are servants of our community; our community was here first, and our community needed an entity to be formed. And they need people in that organisation to be good people, always bettering themselves. That’s why I encourage my staff, share my study achievements and ask them what they are doing. I say just because you got this job doesn’t mean that’s the last part of your journey – you have to always be improving yourself; it’s just the beginning.

I want to encourage people to give the IBA Scholarship a go, even if you question the probability of being successful. Because I swear on the day I was lodging my application, I questioned whether to press ‘send’ on that fax machine. We can put limits on ourselves, or have a negative mindset and question the barriers, the likelihood – but it’s about throwing your hat in the ring, you have to be in it to win it.

Sam Raciti receiving his NAIDOC Award from entertainer and comedian Sean Choolburra. Images courtesy of the Police Citizens Youth Club, Mackay.

For more information about IBA Scholarships, visit: www.iba.gov.au/scholarships

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Doing business law way

R unning your own business can provide many personally rewarding experiences, and an opportunity to create a source of financial security for yourself and your family. However, business

ownership also brings financial and legal responsibilities.

It is vital that you understand and keep up to date with the business laws and regulations governing your chosen industry when you start, expand or exit a business venture.

How much do you know about registering for an Australian Business Number, Goods and Services Tax (GST) and other licences? Do you know which structure best suits your business? Do you understand your taxation obligations, and your responsibilities regarding superannuation, work cover and occupational health and safety (OH&S)?

What about intellectual property? Do you know how to protect your product or invention, and how to avoid mistakenly infringing someone else’s intellectual property?

Terri Janke has created Law Way: Indigenous Business and the Law to assist Indigenous business owners to understand the basic responsibilities, risks and obligations of operating a business in Australia.

Terri is the Solicitor Director of her own respected law firm in Sydney. Her company specialises in Indigenous intellectual property, trademarks and copyright, artist rights and licensing rights, and other business law.

Born in North Queensland, and with family connections to Cairns, the Torres Strait Islands and Cape York Peninsula, Terri established her business in Sydney in April 2000. She has experienced first-hand the challenges new business owners face when navigating the complexities of business law, administration and management.

Understanding legal jargon can be daunting and confusing. Law Way: Indigenous Business and the Law presents information in a visually engaging, practical and accessible way. As well as basic general legal advice, the booklet includes tips, case studies of existing Indigenous business owners, hypothetical scenarios addressing a variety of situations, and links to recommended resources.

‘Everybody has a story and a question on business law’, said Terri. ‘This booklet provides answers to the most common questions, gives tips on how to avoid typical mistakes and makes use of case studies to illustrate how other Indigenous people set up their businesses’.

The booklet covers topics such as structuring your business; selling goods and services; understanding the lending process and applying for a loan; leasing premises; employing staff; and safeguarding intellectual property.

IBA actively supports initiatives and resources that enhance the knowledge, confidence and capabilities of the Indigenous business sector. We are proud to have funded the development, design and artwork, and printing of this important resource. The booklet was designed and printed by Indigenous-owned and -operated companies Gilimbaa in QLD and Print Junction in SA respectively.

Whether you are seeking entry-level business and legal knowledge, or just looking to update your existing knowledge, Law Way: Indigenous Business and the Law could make all the difference to your business.

Image courtesy of Terri Janke and Company.

‘It is best to keep well-informed and know your legal responsibilities when you go into business. If you are aware of the legal risks of running a business and understand your responsibilities law way, this is likely to save you a lot of time, money and stress later on. It is better to prevent legal problems in the first place, than deal with them when they come up’.

– Terri Janke, Law Way: Indigenous Business and the Law

Disclaimer: IBA does not warrant the accuracy of the content of Law Way: Indigenous Business and the Law. IBA advises that the information contained in Law Way: Indigenous Business and the Law has been prepared as a general guide, without knowledge of your specific situation. You should consider how appropriate the information is to your own situation and needs, and seek your own legal advice before making legal and financial decisions.

To obtain a copy of Law Way: Indigenous Business and the Law visit: www.iba.gov.au/about-us/news-publications

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A lice Springs is not the first place you’d associate with rush-hour traffic, but in that Northern Territory town it’s a twice-daily occurrence for the Willis family.

As Lee and Graeme Willis sit down to share their story one afternoon, they’re not deterred when our chat is frequently derailed by the bursts of activity accompanying the end of their children’s school day. Their daughter Monique phones mum to say she’s missed the school bus (“Oh, and by the way, today’s netball practice has been moved forward an hour”). A few minutes later, twins Bailey and Bryce burst through the front door and make a beeline for the fridge. Meanwhile the youngest, two-year-old Zane, is removing the head of his action figure on Mum’s knee.

‘Welcome to our world’, laughs Lee. ‘There’s no sugar-coating our life’. Spending time with Lee and Graeme as they juggle the needs of five children, two careers, a couple of dogs, a mortgage and a profitable business, it’s clear they wouldn’t have it any other way.

‘What’s right for our family’ is a phrase Lee and Graeme use often when discussing the choices they’ve made over the past decade as they have pursued financial and personal independence for their family.

In 2004, the couple were living in Townsville where they said they faced limited financial and employment prospects. ‘We had the odds stacked against us’, said Lee. ‘Pregnant teenage couple, four kids under the age of five … to look at it on paper, you would think “that’s not going to work”’. But Lee and Graeme were determined to beat those odds and provide a stable, healthy and culturally rich environment for their young family.

In 2008, lured by the prospect of steady employment for Graeme, the couple sold most of their belongings and moved 2,000 kilometres from Townsville to Alice Springs. ‘When we first got here, we stayed at a resort where Graeme was working as a cultural dancer’, said Lee. ‘All six of us stayed in one hotel room. We went from a nice clean house in Townsville to a hotel room with nothing. I had a frying pan [and] the Esky was our sink! We lived for

Our house rules The Willis family at home. Above right: The Governor-General, Her Excellency the Honourable Quentin Bryce AC CVO with the family at their Subway store, August 2013.

Image courtesy of Government House, Canberra.

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‘That was a big push for us wanting to own our own home’, said

Lee. ‘We were so tired of moving. We had gone from never moving [back in Townsville] to having to

move all the time, and literally sometimes not even unpacking

before we moved again.’

six or seven months like that. We’d just gotten married and, four weeks later, we sold up and came here for a fresh start. We just wanted something new and different’.

After applying for a loan through IBA’s Indigenous Home Ownership program and being placed on the [then] waiting list, the family moved into rented accommodation. However, in an uncertain rental market, the family had to move several times. This made Lee and Graeme even more determined to achieve home ownership.

‘That was a big push for us wanting to own our own home’, said Lee. ‘We were so tired of moving. We had gone from never moving [back in Townsville] to having to move all the time, and literally sometimes not even unpacking before we moved again.

‘It was such a great feeling when we got the call [from IBA]. I was at work [Lee had by now trained as a tutor and then teacher’s aide] and I made a big noise, so all the students were looking at me asking, “Are you alright Mrs Willis?”’.

Having experienced the effects of an unstable home environment, Graeme says he is proud to have broken with the past. ‘I lived everywhere [as a child] – I went to about 15 different state schools in Queensland between Years 1 and 7. I am the first person in my family to have bought a home, and Lee is the second in hers. It felt so good buying that home, and now making the payments. I am meeting my responsibilities, and going to work, and I’m proud of that’.

Buoyed by the financial security of home ownership, Lee and Graeme then began considering other avenues for achieving financial independence for their family. Returning to her job after the birth of their fifth child, and becoming increasingly dissatisfied, Lee decided to make a career change. ‘I wasn’t happy and I didn’t like waking up being a dragon with the kids. I always say, if you are not happy with something in your job then do something about it. It’s your life, do something about it’.

Attracted by the idea of being their own bosses and using Graeme’s experience and reputation as a cultural performer, Lee and Graeme considered starting a tourism-focused business venture. However, after some investigation, they decided the local tourism market was too unpredictable to guarantee the income their family needed. ‘We would need to put our home on the line’, said Lee, ‘so we needed to make sure we knew what we were doing’.

Searching online, Lee found that the Alice Springs branch of the Subway sandwich shop franchise was for sale. Having worked at Subway in Townsville as a teenager, and with a sister who had managed a store for many years, Lee had some knowledge of the franchise set-up. They once again took their plans to IBA and, through its Business Development and Assistance Program selected a business consultant (Wendy Davidson of Wendy Davidson Enterprises), to help them explore the viability of the venture and their personal readiness for taking it on.

‘Probably the best thing was that because Subway is a franchise, we had facts and figures to look at’, said Lee. ‘It wasn’t something new where we wondered “is this going to

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Drawing on the confidence, knowledge and clarity they have gained over the past decade, Lee and Graeme recently made another important decision for their family. After considering whether to purchase a second Subway store, they decided against the idea. ‘We have worked really hard in the last ten years to get where we are and it has not come easily. So we did the sums, we scoped out the area and we just weren’t confident it would be successful’, said Lee. ‘So we decided to err on the side of caution and keep the one shop for the moment… We have the house and that’s our collateral. With five kids, we can’t afford to take risks with that. And money doesn’t count for much if everything isn’t right at home. With two teenagers going into senior year at school, they need us here; a second store would leave us running around twice as much, and that’s not what they need’.

Meanwhile, Graeme says he looks forward to the day when taking on a second business is what’s right for the family. ‘I’m proud knowing that as well as this company, we can own another business if we want. So I’m still looking at my cultural business and dance, and I’m thinking there’s a choice that down the line I can do that full time, forever – even as an old man! And I feel proud knowing that other Indigenous families from the kids’ school; they know our story, how we arrived here in Alice with the kids, our clothes and 2,000 kilometres [from home]. Thinking about it, and where we’ve come from …’

‘… we were nuts!’, chimes in Lee.

work?”. We could see what was working, what wasn’t, and how to fix it. We really got lucky in choosing Wendy as our consultant. She has an understanding of how to work with Indigenous people, and an understanding of how Indigenous families run, and what’s important and what’s not’.

With their initial business plan completed, IBA assisted Lee and Graeme to negotiate a tripartite franchise contract with Subway. ‘It was a long process’, said Lee, ‘but it made us very aware of what we were doing. We learned heaps in the first six months before we even bought the business, before we even knew if we were approved. Then we had to go through Subway’s three-week compulsory training course in Brisbane. We had to pass the course too; if you didn’t pass, you couldn’t buy – it wasn’t about how much money you had’.

Lee and Graeme took ownership of the Hartley Street Subway store in July 2011, and have turned it into one of the most profitable Subway franchises in the Northern Territory.

Wendy Davidson, whose business mentoring role with the couple has recently finished, credits Lee and Graeme’s clear vision and willingness to learn as being key to their early success. ‘In the early part of the feasibility study we were not necessarily certain it would work’, she said. ‘Lee would have a millisecond of disappointment and then would say, “Okay, how can we fix or change that?” ... And once she had the keys to the shop she blossomed. She took firm control and used her sense of fun and humour to “ring in the changes”. The business vision was to create a long-term opportunity for the family, and the first step was complete. She exudes positive energy and it shows in the shop. Graeme is quieter, and I can see a great sense of pride in him as a businessman. He has a vision for his family, and Subway is a key part of that’.

Of that vision, Graeme said: ‘It’s not about money; it’s about growing your young ones up in the proper way. We wanted our kids [Monique and Mason] to work in the business, but we didn’t want other staff to see that just because they are our kids that they have it easy. So they had to apply for the jobs and go through an interview process!’

Extending employment and economic opportunities to other members of their Indigenous community is important to Lee and Graeme. Since 2011, they have taken on several casual and part-time staff. Lee said: ‘I think coming from having nothing makes us better bosses because we know what some of the staff are going through, what their issues are. But I don’t hire friends or family, apart from the kids. I am a boss and at the end of the day, I need to pull people up and hire and fire without that emotional tie. But I also don’t ever ask staff to do things I’m not willing to do myself, so I’ll be on my hands and knees scrubbing the floor. Some staff are uncomfortable with that, but it means that if I ask them to do it, I’ve already done it’.

Striking a balance between running their business and attending to their family’s needs has been one of the couple’s biggest challenges. ‘We wing it a bit’, said Graeme, ‘but the kids are on board and they remind us about netball or soccer that they need to go to. And they see their parents busy and working hard’.

‘So from 6am to 3pm it’s the business, then home to look after

the kids and then paperwork until past midnight. People don’t see that side of it;

they think sandwich shop, that’s easy. But there’s the paper trail and wanting

to build the business, thinking through new ideas. We don’t want

to be second in this town!’

Asked about leaving business behind at the end of the day, Lee laughed: ‘You don’t; there’s always something happening, something is broken or burned, staff are sick. You have to be available around the clock ... So from 6am to 3pm it’s the business, then home to look after the kids and then paperwork until past midnight. People don’t see that side of it; they think sandwich shop, that’s easy. But there’s the paper trail and wanting to build the business, thinking through new ideas. We don’t want to be second in this town!’

To find out more about IBA’s home and business ownership programs and services visit: www.iba.gov.au

8 issue eleven 2013

Lee and Monique Willis at work in the family’s Subway store, Alice Springs.

T hrough its Business Development and Assistance Program, IBA aims to support Indigenous Australians across all stages of the business ownership cycle. Our Into Business™ workshops

assist new and aspiring Indigenous business owners to acquire the knowledge and confidence to navigate the early years of business ownership.

IBA is committed to supporting established Indigenous entrepreneurs to build on their success, by developing their high-end skills, knowledge and capabilities. By doing this, we can foster the growth of a vibrant, sustainable Indigenous business sector.

MURRA Indigenous Master Class Program

Through a partnership with the prestigious Melbourne Business School (MBS), IBA is proud to support the MURRA Indigenous Master Class Program (MURRA), an innovative education and mentoring program for established Indigenous entrepreneurs.

The MBS Asia-Pacific Social Impact Leadership Centre designed and delivers MURRA. The program provides Indigenous business owners and managers with a graduate-level education to equip them with the skills and knowledge to take their already successful business ventures to the next level. It covers the latest research, trends and practices in business strategy, finance, marketing, negotiation, organisational leadership and procurement.

Drawn from industries as diverse as mining, hospitality, and media and communications, this year’s 19 participants share a desire to use their business ventures to generate lasting economic and employment opportunities for their communities. In doing so, they hope to inspire and empower other Indigenous Australians to pursue their own personal and professional potential.

As a MURRA program partner, IBA provides financial support to enable participants – some of whom live in regional centres and remote communities – to attend the required study modules in Melbourne.

Fostering networks

In addition to delivering world-class education, MURRA aims to build strong networks between Indigenous entrepreneurs so they can share knowledge, provide social and emotional support, and form potential business partnerships.

Darryl Pearce, a 2013 MURRA participant and Managing Director of Thirntu, said: ‘A key outcome of MURRA is the number of Aboriginal businesses that have started to talk to each other about how they can cooperate on different projects and opportunities. There is a growing understanding that collaborating with existing businesses, whether Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal, is a part of our future’.

On 3 August, the class of 2013 joined community, business and academic leaders to celebrate their graduation from the MURRA program. In her opening address to the graduates, Professor Marcia Langton AM, Foundation Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Melbourne, spoke about the increasing number of corporate and government agencies across Australia that are seeking to engage and procure the goods and services of Indigenous-owned and -operated businesses.

She encouraged the graduates to pursue and maximise such opportunities for growth and engagement, and said: ‘Intergenerational wealth has been denied us because of history but it is also the basis of our future development. These are challenging economic times but businesses that are able to survive will grow and prosper’.

A class act Graduates of the 2013 MURRA Indigenous Master Class Program. Photo by Jorge de

Araujo, courtesy of Melbourne Business School.

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Many Australians living in urban or regional centres can duck out to their neighbourhood grocery store, supermarket or produce market whenever they want fresh, high-quality and affordable food.

However, for the past two years the 400-plus residents of the WA town of Laverton haven’t been so lucky. The temporary closure of the town’s supermarket has meant either a 150-kilometre trip to a grocery store in Leonora, or a four-hour drive to the closest major supermarket in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

IBA is committed to closing the gap between the living standards of Indigenous and other Australians. We seek out investments that provide financial and economic development outcomes and, wherever possible, broader social and cultural benefits for our Indigenous partners and local communities. Investing in retail stores, in particular, offers opportunities to provide communities with food security, and families with access to nutritious, reasonably priced produce.

Giving people access to a choice of healthy, high-quality produce is crucial in reducing the high rates of infant mortality and preventable, diet-related illnesses – such as diabetes and renal and heart disease – that are prevalent in remote Indigenous communities.

Having acquired the Laverton Supermarket in July 2013 through its Goldfields-based investment vehicle (the Leonora Investments Trust), IBA entered into a partnership with local and state governments to refurbish the property. The renovations – which included extensive electrical repairs, and the upgrading of fittings, fixtures and refrigeration – were funded by equity capital from IBA and grants from the Western Australian Government and the Laverton Shire Council.

In August 2013, the store reopened, bringing smiles to the faces of local (and not so local) residents of the Goldfields-Esperance region.

Regional Merchandising Solutions is managing the Laverton Supermarket. The company specialises in managing remote

Good things in store

Graduates will now be offered support from the MBS alumni – which includes some of Australia’s leading business practitioners – to receive one-on-one mentoring to assist them in applying their new skills and knowledge to growing their businesses.

The learning will extend outside the classroom, with MURRA Program Director Dr Michelle Evans recently receiving two grants from the Australian Research Council. The first grant will enable MBS and some of its program partners to gauge the effects of the education program on graduates’ business leadership and growth. The second grant will enable Dr Evans and 2013 MURRA participant Kimba Thompson – a filmmaker,

[L:R] Mrs Wendy Duncan (Member for Kalgoorlie); Peter Hunt, (Laverton Supermarket Manager), Christine Dragisic

(IBA Senior Manager, Retail & Community Enterprise Portfolio), Robert Loughnan, (Managing Director, Regional

Merchandising Solutions) and supermarket employees Tiarra Isaacs and Kasey Hedlam. © Kalgoorlie Miner.

community stores, and is currently running IBA’s Leonora Supermarket. To maximise the social and health benefits of the investment, food pricing policies will be structured to encourage shoppers to make healthy food choices.

Wangkatha Elder Shaneane Weldon delivered the Welcome to Country and said she believed the reopening and the accompanying smoking ceremony marked a healing of the past and a new beginning for the township.

In addition to promoting positive health and social outcomes, investing in well-managed retail stores with stable ownership can assist members of local and surrounding Indigenous communities to find jobs, and access training and development opportunities.

Since the reopening, four local Indigenous residents have been employed at the supermarket, and IBA is exploring further training and development opportunities to benefit the local Indigenous community.

Applications for the 2014 MURRA Program are now open. To find out more about the Program, email apsilc@mbs.edu, or telephone 03 9349 8394.

To find out more about IBA’s Business Development and Assistance Program visit: www.iba.gov.au/business-ownership

arts consultant and Director of Sistagirl Productions – to explore how Indigenous youth can better use digital technology to share stories and connect with their culture.

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ingredients and flavours with innovative, contemporary Australian cuisine.The recent NAIDOC award, she says, has been the icing on the cake.

Family businesses account for approximately 70 per cent of all Australian businesses and employ around 50 per cent of the nation’s workforce¹. A family business can provide economic independence, steady employment, and a platform for expressing a family’s personal vision, culture and values.

However, mixing family and business can be problematic when those same personal values and family relationships push up against commercial processes and objectives.

In navigating their path to success as a family business, Jo and Aaron say they have learnt much about the need for open and honest communication, mutual respect for and trust in the other’s skills, and the importance of keeping their business vision front of mind.

Bandu took shape in 2011 when Jo and Aaron each found themselves at a personal and professional crossroads. Jo was about to leave full-time work to take on caring for

A lthough she’s more accustomed to working behind the scenes at a gala dinner, proud Dhanggati woman Jo Donovan was enjoying being waited on at the recent ACT NAIDOC

Business of the Year Awards. Her relatively new family company Bandu Catering (Bandu) was nominated alongside several more established businesses, and Jo did not expect to make an acceptance speech. She was wrong.

‘I stood there, and for the first time in my life I was lost for words’, said Jo, describing her surprise when Bandu took out the inaugural ACT Government (Economic Development Directorate) Indigenous business award.

It was only two years ago that Jo took the leap to turn her hobby into a business. She left a 36-year career in administration with the ACT and Commonwealth Government Public Service to form Bandu Catering with son Aaron Devine, a talented and qualified chef.

With daughter Jessica, also a qualified chef, recently joining Bandu (which translates to ‘food’ in the Dhanggati language), Jo is relishing working side-by-side with her children to deliver high-quality food that mixes native

The best ingredients (L:R) Jessica Devine, Jo Donovan and Aaron Devine of Bandu Catering.

12 issue eleven 2013

‘There’s a lot of work that IBA requires you to do during the workshops, but I didn’t mind’,

said Jo. ‘To me, if you are committed and you want it, you will go hard and make it happen’.

her mother, who has dementia. Aaron, meanwhile, was working in the hospitality industry in Queensland. With 14 years experience behind him, including a role as Head Chef at a Canberra restaurant, he was ready to take on a new professional challenge. Each realised there was an opportunity to meld their passion for food, industry experience and networks into a business venture that would also accommodate the needs of family.

‘Everything was lining up’, said Aaron. ’I had finished up in Queensland, and I was ready to move on. We hadn’t decided on the actual name or concept of Bandu at that stage, but we thought “let’s cater”. I said to Mum, “what you do as a hobby and I do professionally, let’s turn that into something”. So with Mum leaving work, Nan being sick and needing more care, and me being ready to make the move back, everything just aligned’.

While Aaron planned his move back to Canberra, Jo attended IBA’s three one-day Into Business™ workshops, which tested both her business idea and resolve to take it forward. ‘There’s a lot of work that IBA requires you to do during the workshops, but I didn’t mind’, said Jo. ‘To me, if you are committed and you want it, you will go hard and make it happen. The first part of getting our business together was to do the IBA business course. But then came getting a business plan together, and with both of us catering at the time for Bandu, we didn’t seem to have the time so this really dragged on. Finally we had to stop and say, “OK, we’ve got to commit a week to doing this business plan or we won’t get anywhere”’.

With their plan in place, Jo and Aaron secured a small loan for a customised and branded delivery van (which they have now paid off in full). They also received mentoring and support from a business consultant through IBA’s Business Development and Assistance Program.

The start-up costs for a catering company – which include equipment, marketing, legal and industry registrations – are significant, and required Jo and Aaron to invest some of their savings. For Jo, that included putting her hard-earned superannuation on the line. But trust in their own expertise and shared commitment to making Bandu a success made those investment decisions easier.

‘I had the know-how as far as cooking goes’, said Aaron. ‘And Mum had the administrative know-how as far as the books are concerned. So we threw everything (financially) we had into it for the first six months. But that’s what you do if you are committed; you throw everything you have in knowing it will pay off. There was no reason not to go for it’.

A particular strength of family-owned businesses is the passion, loyalty and deep sense of ownership they can engender among family ‘employees’. However, it is not uncommon for concerns to arise when additional family members join the business at a later, more established stage. This was the case for Bandu when Jessica, who is also a qualified chef joined the company in February 2013.

‘Aaron and I had been running this business, had built it from the ground up for 12 months’, said Jo. ‘But I could see us getting bigger and I didn’t want to open it up to strangers. I wanted the family to be part of this great experience, and we needed someone reliable. So we rang Jessica and talked to her and asked “Do you want to be part of this”. As a mother I didn’t mind her launching straight in. But I suppose as a business person and an original stakeholder, Aaron was a little concerned about it. So he was saying, “Yes, it’s absolutely fine having my sister come and be part of it”, but he wanted assurance that all the money and the sweat he had already put into the business would be appreciated and matched. And of course Jess is very committed to Bandu and has shown that already with all the extra hours she’s done, and by accepting a little bit less money working for Bandu than she could make working at an established restaurant’.

For Aaron, communicating such concerns was not easy, but provided a valuable lesson in the need to separate family and business. ‘It’s communication that’s key for

The family with their ‘business card on wheels’, a customised and branded delivery van.

issue eleven 2013 13

‘It’s communication that’s key for sure’, he said. ‘And it’s difficult

having to tell a family member about concerns like that. But it was

about saying, “When we are at work, yes you’re my family, but you’re also

my workmates and I need to be able to say these things”’.

sure’, he said. ‘And it’s difficult having to tell a family member about concerns like that. But it was about saying, “When we are at work, yes you’re my family, but you’re also my workmates and I need to be able to say these things”’.

Jo and Aaron say that having Jessica join the company has in fact provided a timely opportunity to clearly define previously informal job descriptions within Bandu. ‘It had been an unwritten thing until then’, said Aaron. ‘The clients would call or email Mum via the website and request catering. Mum would complete order forms and I would buy the ingredients and start cooking. We had to define those roles a bit more when Jess joined us because she’s a good, qualified chef as well and has her own ideas. We’re both quite opinionated and initially we’d clash. So we’ve agreed that, with my longer experience in the industry, it makes sense for me to run the day-to-day kitchen operations. We all bring our individual strengths to Bandu though, and we’d be lost without each other, there’s no two ways about it’.

Jo agrees and says that although as a mother she is sometimes tempted to play her “because I said so” card when it comes to controlling day-to-day operations, she knows that respect for her children’s skills and experience is what gives Bandu its strength. ’It’s our decades of personal, industry and government connections, and what we personally bring to the business that adds strength to that’, she said. ‘My strength is administration, and that’s all I have known my whole adult working life. Being a chef, that’s basically

all Aaron has known; and now Jessica is on board with her skills and new ideas. We are running with that knowledge, and we have grown that knowledge’.

Jo and her family know that constantly exploring new ideas in business, food and service delivery are vital to ensure Bandu – with limited human resources – continues to grow, innovate and compete against larger, better resourced catering companies. However, the smaller family structure has its own advantages too. For example, new business ideas and opportunities can be explored and actioned quickly without needing to consult multiple stakeholders.

The family with their 2013 ACT NAIDOC Business of

the Year Award.

14 issue eleven 2013

Making plans for home ownership?

Many Indigenous Australians share the dream of owning a home where they can create a secure and stable environment to raise and nurture a family, avoid the uncertainties of renting and create a source of financial security and independence for current and future generations.

Since 1975, IBA has assisted over 15,750 individuals and families to make their home ownership dream a reality through its Indigenous Home Ownership Program.

In 2012–13, we had a record-breaking year of lending, approving $172.9 million worth of loans that enabled 664 customers to become home owners.

IBA recognises that many Indigenous Australians face obstacles when pursuing

home ownership, including affordability, low household incomes and limited savings. Many also have limited experience approaching financial institutions and understanding lending processes.

Our Indigenous Home Ownership program provides a package of concessional housing finance and after-care support to (in most cases) first home owners that cannot obtain all their loan funds from a commercial lender, such as a bank, credit union or specialist lender.

The amount that can be borrowed depends on your income and capacity to repay the loan. Applicants on higher incomes may be required to source a portion of their funds from another home loan lender.

In these situations, our Split Loan product can help meet deposit requirements, and bridge the gap between the amount you can borrow from a commercial lender and the purchase price of your home.

Getting ready for home ownership

Buying a home is one of the most important and expensive purchases you will ever make. We already provide information on our website – including Getting Ready for Home Ownership, the Additional Costs of Buying a Home and Managing Your Housing Loan – that can assist you to make an informed

choice, including ensuring your decision suits your current personal and financial circumstances, and your plans for the future.

As part of our commitment to providing customers with contemporary products and services, we have also developed a new online Housing Loan Planner. This new tool can help you calculate and review your borrowing capacity and housing loan repayments. To determine the specific terms and conditions of your IBA housing loan, we will first need to assess your eligibility and Application for Loan form in accordance with our program policy and procedures.

straightaway when I got up to speak was my kids, Aaron and Jessica, and the long hours they’ve put in; getting up at 1am, working tirelessly in the business. I think it’s great that we have our patrons out there in the community who support us, who respect us and acknowledge the quality of work, the hard work that we do... We know we work really hard because we are so exhausted at the end of the day; and then we wake up and do it again, and do it again... It was the awards night that brought it all home, just what we have achieved, what we can achieve. And we have some big plans, big ideas for this business...’

How big? ‘If it’s anything to do with food, we can do it’, said Aaron. ‘And the more I think about the business, the better it feels – the position we are in, it’s so cool’.

For more information about the Indigenous Home Ownership program visit: www.iba.gov.au/home-ownership

To find out more about Bandu Catering’s products and services visit: www.banducatering.com.au

¹ Family Business Australia, www.fambiz.org.au

One business innovation underway for Bandu is developing an online shopping cart, which will streamline the quotation and ordering process. ‘We’re working on a new website, and looking at having a shopping cart where people can go online and look at what we have to offer. We’ve got a more extensive range of food coming, and customers will be able to look at an item, choose how many people they are having at their event, see what dollars they will need to spend. The system will automatically add up the order... And the client can send it through to us. That will mean I’m not up at midnight working on menus and costings for jobs, which is just so tiring, especially as I am juggling the business with providing a lot of care for mum’.

The family is also looking at developing an online blog to capture the positive feedback and testimonials received from their extensive list of clients – which includes IBA.

It’s those testimonials, and a reputation for delivering innovative food and high-quality service that has helped turn Bandu into an award-winning business.

Reflecting back on the recent awards night again, Jo said: ‘I was just so humbled... and what came to mind

issue eleven 2013 15

Helpful and friendly IBA staff are located Australia-wide. Find your local office below, use our online locator tool at www.iba.gov.au/contact-us/locator, or FreecallTM 1800 107 107.**

Australian Capital Territory National Office Street: Bonner House East, 5 Neptune Street, Woden ACT 2606 Postal: PO Box 38, Woden ACT 2606 Phone: 02 6121 2700 Fax: 02 6121 2730

Northern Territory Darwin* Street: Jacana House, Level 4/39–41 Woods Street, Darwin NT 0800 Postal: GPO Box 9820, Darwin NT 0801 Phone: 08 8936 1080 Fax: 08 8941 2085

Alice Springs Street: Jock Nelson Building, Level 2/16 Hartley Street, Alice Springs NT 0871 Postal: PO Box 111, Alice Springs NT 0871 Phone: 08 8958 4290Fax: 02 6246 6300

South Australia AdelaideStreet: Level 7/44 Waymouth Street, Adelaide SA 5000 Postal: PO Box 10414, Adelaide SA 5001Phone: 08 8307 8900 Fax: 02 6246 6277

New South Wales Sydney Street: Level 9/300 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Postal: PO Box K363, Haymarket NSW 1240 Phone: 02 9207 6350 Fax: 02 9212 4398

Coffs Harbour* Street: 17 Duke Street, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 Postal: PO Box 1335, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 Phone: 02 5622 8890 Fax: 02 6246 6589

Grafton Street: King Arcade, Shop 9/22–26 King Street, Grafton NSW 2460 Postal: PO Box 266, Grafton NSW 2460 Phone: 02 6643 5944 Fax: 02 6643 5077

Tamworth* Street: Unit 2/180 Peel Street, Tamworth NSW 2340 Postal: PO Box 684, Tamworth NSW 2340 Phone: 02 5712 9090 Fax: 02 6246 6290

Wagga Wagga Street: 70 Baylis Street, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650 Postal: PO Box 786, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650 Phone: 02 6932 3330 Fax: 02 6932 3339

Queensland Brisbane Street: Level 13/144 Edward Street, Brisbane QLD 4000 Postal: PO Box 10906, Adelaide Street, Brisbane QLD 4001 Phone: 07 3008 8300 Fax: 07 3211 0399

Cairns Street: 59 McLeod Street, Cairns QLD 4870 Postal: PO Box 2499, Cairns QLD 4870 Phone: 07 4048 8480 Fax: 07 4031 0766

Rockhampton* Street: Level 1/36 East Street, Rockhampton QLD 4700 Postal: PO Box 550, Rockhampton QLD 4700 Phone: 07 4837 0090Fax: 02 6246 6594

Townsville* Street: Level 4/235 Stanley Street, Townsville QLD 4810 Postal: PO Box 2018, Townsville QLD 4810 Phone: 07 4417 1090 Fax: 02 6246 6296

Tasmania Hobart Street: Hobart Corporate Centre, Level 3/85 Macquarie Street, Hobart TAS 7004 Postal: GPO Box 1236, Hobart TAS 7001 Phone: 03 6270 2252 Fax: 03 6270 2223

Victoria Melbourne*Street: Level 10/460 Bourke Steet, Melbourne VIC 3000 Postal: GPO Box 4512, Melbourne VIC 3001 Phone: 03 9920 6009 Fax: 02 6246 2641

Western Australia Perth Street: Level 7/140 St George Terrace, Perth WA 6000 Postal: PO Box Z5271, St George Terrace, Perth WA 6831 Phone: 08 9229 1400 Fax: 08 9481 3815

Broome* Street: 1 Short Street, Broome WA 6725 Postal: PO Box 613, Broome WA 6725 Phone: 08 9138 7890 Fax: 02 6246 6302

* Denotes offices co-located with an Indigenous Coordination Centre.** Calls to 1800 numbers from your home phone are free. Calls from

public and mobile phones may be timed and charged at a higher rate.

From Monday 30 September 2013, the Brisbane office will be located at Level 14, 300 Queen Street, Brisbane QLD 4000. Our PO Box details, telephone and fax numbers will remain the same.