Outback Academy Australia’s (OAA) lead initiative, Follow the Flowers, is well underway with scaling up national production of honey and Australian Native Wildflowers with First Nations farmers across the country including NSW, VIC, SA, WA and the ACT.
Follow the Flowers connects First Nations and other regenerative farmers that share the same values to expand their national and international supply opportunities. The initiative commenced with honey, food including bush foods, and Australian Native Wildflowers for known buyers.
In partnership with OAA and supporting business development of Follow the Flowers farmers, honey, and wildflowers producers, IBA is working with OAA to further develop farmers and the supply chain opportunity under the national brand.
Neville Atkinson, OAA National Business Development Lead said, “Follow the Flowers farmers are committed to working together as an ethical, authentic and connected supply group, similar to Fairtrade. They are focused on viable supply chain business that will return economic, social and environmental benefits to the communities and regions where they are located.”
Also supported by the Murray Darling Basin Economic Development program (MDBEDP) for Murray Corridor farmers, and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) in WA, these farmers are being fast-tracked for capability building and business opportunities in agriculture, horticulture and linked industries such as tourism and environmental management.
Skills development includes shoulder to shoulder learning on farms with industry leaders in agriculture, environmental management, climate change and new technologies for waste, water and energy management.
There are currently 22 farms in the process of scaling up for this business opportunity with some scheduled as capability building bases for youth and others needing a hand-up into this sector.
Kelly Flugge, WA OAA Business Development Lead noted, “Capability building needs to reflect knowledge, including place-based traditional ecological knowledge, skills and technologies for now and a future where the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events are impacting on food sustainability and food security. Past agricultural practices have contributed to the state of the environment now. Our farmers are committed to repairing Country while doing business on their lands.”
Video celebrates the grand opening event for the IGA supermarket in Tennant Creek - the whole community was invited to participate in the celebrations.
Video done by Indigenous production company from Alice Springs NT called, Since 1788.
Mick Harding and his family business, Ngarga Warendj ('dancing wombat') showed over the weekend (10 April) on SBS Small Business Secrets, as part of IBA's 2022 partnership series to showcase Indigenous businesses.
Mick is a Taungwurrung Kulin man who is on a life-long journey to connect with his Indigenous heritage and culture. His authentic designs portray just that and we're lucky to have them in the world.
He started the business because he wanted to create authentic quality artwork that shares his culture with the world. He creates wood pieces like clapsticks and wooden boards as well as commissioned pieces like the four-metre shield he was finishing up in his workshop.
“I started by making Aboriginal artifacts, like boomerangs and shields. And then it grew to drawing and applying the artwork on all kinds of different items as giftware,” said Mick.
Although many of his pieces are hand-made, IBA supported the business recently with a loan/grant that helped him purchase a high-tech laser machine to expand their work. His wife can now take his designs and create manufactured pieces at lower cost to reach an additional market.
Find out more about IBA's Business Start-up Package. or check out the beautiful artwork at https://ngargawarendj.com/.
Read the article or watch the video below: "After rediscovering his Aboriginal heritage, Mick Harding now shares his art and culture worldwide" or watch the video link below.
PLEASE NOTE: Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that the below video contains images of the deceased. The pictures have been used with permission of the family.
Yamatji/Noongar woman Sharon Brindley shares the story of how her mob and her connection to Country is at the core of everything that she does in a segment with SBS Small Business Secrets . Sharon founded Cooee Café & Catering, then pivoted her business during COVID to launch Jala Jala chocolates with an Indigenous twist.
The segment is part of a partnership series with SBS where IBA showcases stories with strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses. Sharon's segment was the first in the 2022 series which featured on Sunday 3 April.
"Food is the way to everybody’s heart isn't it," says Sharon. “Cooee means come home, come back, it’s time for lunch or dinner. As a child out in the bush, we'd be off on our own. And we could hear the call from far away, so it really was something close to my heart."
The café was hard hit by COVID but created new opportunities through their online business and expansion into chocolates with an Indigenous flavours like finger lime and lemon myrtle. Sharon also invests in the importance of the wider Indigenous community by selling their wares in her shop.
IBA supported Sharon with business capability and planning resources. She also received a start-up loan/grant combination to help her new ventures with Jala Jala. Find out more about IBA's Start-up Finance Package.
Sharon has sold more than 2.5 tonnes of chocolate so far and is exporting to the Asian region with big plans to grow further. Check out the delicious chocolates from Jala Jala and Indigenous owned and created products on the Cooee Café & Catering website.
Read the article or watch the video below: "Sharon's bush food business shares a taste of native ingredients with the world".
PLEASE NOTE: Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that the below video contains images of the deceased. The pictures have been used with permission of the family.
We proudly partnered with The Guardian Australia to share a series of articles about Indigenous home ownership and why it benefits everyone.
The articles below all appeared on The Guardian Labs.
New research shows funding Indigenous Australians’ home ownership benefits us all
Supporting home ownership for Indigenous Australians addresses not only the issue of housing but also the financial security, social engagement and wellbeing of the whole community. It can make a difference to many critical issues facing both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
The ripple effect: How supporting Indigenous home ownership drives a strong economic future for Australia
Indigenous Australians who own their homes feel safer, more positive about the future, and more engaged in work and school, according to recent research from Deloitte. Figures show Indigenous home ownership can create a better and more prosperous Australia for everyone.
Home ownership was a game-changer for these two Indigenous women's families
Meet Kylie and Naomi, who are great examples of how Indigenous home ownership changes lives long after the SOLD sticker goes up. The ability to buy a home and pass it on to the next generation has been shown to greatly enhance pride and empowerment for Indigenous Australians.
For Civil Road and Rail (SX5) Pty Ltd, leasing products through IBA and investing in technology is what allows them to not only grow their business but also to ‘make Country feel better’.
SX5 is an Aboriginal owned contracting company in Eastern Guruma country in the Pilbara of Western Australia. Company directors are Ralph and Cherie Keller of SX5 Group, and Kenzie Smith, of the Eastern Gurama group. They’ve earned trust with the majority of the local traditional land-owners of the Pilbara region of which Kenzie Smith is a respected senior elder.
They provide services to companies in the Pilbara and have many offerings such as mine site building, manufacture and installation, mobile concrete batch plant operations and mine site rehabilitation closure.
Mine site rehabilitation is a critical aspect of the business. Co-director Ralph Keller says:
“In years gone by, mining companies could leave the site abandoned. People plunder the lands and many mine sites will never be rehabilitated.”
Ralph explains the importance of mine site rehabilitation from an Aboriginal perspective. “We’re making things green again, making Country good again. We’re making Country feel better.”
While the company had been growing successfully throughout the years, in 2020, after several years of economic downturn, the income of the business dropped. The business needed to invest in a substantial project in order to kick-start its operations. However, it was only able to secure the required contracting opportunities if it was able to provide a performance guarantee and unfortunately the business had no luck obtaining a performance guarantee from the banks.
That’s when SX5 approached IBA.
IBA was able to provide a performance bond of 10 per cent of the contract value, as required. “This gave us great confidence and the ability to grow the business,” says Ralph.
It was then that the business learned about IBA’s leasing solutions. IBA provides tailored leasing solutions by leasing plant, equipment, machinery and/or vehicles, which Indigenous businesses need in order to grow.
IBA’s leasing team was able to help the business by leasing two bulldozers and an excavator via a chattel mortgage. The new equipment has stepped up the production and quality of work that the business has been able to achieve, by using equipment that is purpose built for the task.
“The introduction of this new equipment allowed us to further develop our engineering,” says Ralph. “Which then is delivering greater quality at less cost. And that’s our commitment – better quality at better price.”
“We’re so glad we could support SX5 to grow their business and regenerate Country through leasing with IBA,” says Alex Ferndandez, IBA’s Senior Manager, Cashflow Finance. “Leasing helps businesses to acquire critical capital equipment without tying up a lot of cash that is needed to cover the operating costs of the business, and there are options for ownership at the end of the lease. In SX5’s case, we also helped to improve profit margins, as leasing the equipment is far more cost effective than hiring it.”
Ralph is keen to emphasise the importance of leasing the new equipment to SX5, as an Indigenous business: “It allows SX5 to have continuous improvement and gives the ability for SX5 as Aboriginal people to achieve our goals sooner than later and become leaders in this area of mining business.
“SX5 is a thinking company that looks at where it is, where it would like to be and what that looks like. We’re very fortunate and honoured to be on this journey.”
SX5 made an application to IBA for another performance bond so they could project manage Rio Tinto’s build of transit facilities for miners to help their health and wellbeing. The new facilities will mean that miners can shower and rest after coming off the mine, before they travel home.
Ralph is passionate about growing the business and creating opportunities for improvement. “We’ve always been a great believer in technology,” he says. “What makes us different is SX5 continues to reinvent itself every day. It’s all about technology. That’s how you achieve excellence and how you mitigate risk.”
The company is deeply committed to being a leader in Aboriginal business, and to the local community. In 2022 Ralph predicts the business will employ more than 60 people, 30% of them Indigenous.
“The most important words to us, is promote and foster development,” says Ralph. “The more business we have, the more work and employment we can give.
“This has been a great opportunity for SX5 to undertake and deliver these large-size projects.
“And making Country feel better is so beautiful and special to the Traditional Owners.”
Learn more about Leasing with IBA
Final article in a series of three. Reproduced from The Guardian Labs. First published 9 March 2020.
Meet Kylie and Naomi, who are great examples of how Indigenous home ownership changes lives long after the SOLD sticker goes up.
The ability to buy a home and pass it on to the next generation has been shown to greatly enhance pride and empowerment for Indigenous Australians.Home means something different to everyone. It can be a place to relax, a fortress of solitude or a lively community hub. But for Indigenous homeowners, the impacts reach far beyond this, as Kylie and Naomi have discovered.
Before Kylie moved into her own home, she was missing a place of belonging. She and her partner wanted a place to call their own, but coming from a place of hardship meant their financial history wasn’t a good fit for a mainstream bank.
“I didn’t have a clean past,” Kylie says. “I had outstanding debts. Putting it all down on paper, we had a lot of hard work to do.”
Kylie was able to secure financing through Indigenous Business Australia (IBA). After she was first rejected, IBA helped Kylie understand how to bolster her application and get it over the line.
“It was around budgeting, financing, a lot of things that were really foreign,” Kylie says. “It was structured and about IBA walking with us every step of the way: this is what you need to do first, this is what you need to have in the bank. All that stuff we didn’t understand. At first it seemed really daunting, but IBA just pushed through.”
For Kylie, this restored hope for a life she never thought she would have. “I felt like somebody believed in me,” she says. “It made me feel like achieving this dream is really within reach.”
As well as having a place to call her own, Kylie has gained financial literacy skills that will help her stay ahead for the rest of her life. She says IBA helped her learn a “new language” to better manage her money.
“It’s been an educational process as well,” she says. “We know what it is to be saving. I’ve started looking at what my super projection is, how I can have a really nice retirement fund. We’re doing renos, and we’re going to redo our financing on the house. We’re doing all these things that make everything worthwhile.”
“Now my kids will go on to get an education and know they have a place."
The impact of home ownership flows into Kylie’s work. She’s a community development manager, working with rough sleepers and people who are marginalised. She says having her own home gives her a place to recharge, so she can be great at what she does, and that helps everyone.
“It gives me this intense level of gratitude,” she says. “Having a place means that I turn up to work every day. It means I’ve been employed. I’m valued in my field of work. I work alongside my community, and I get to go home and turn off and realise how lucky I am, because that was my story not too long ago.”
But for Kylie, the happiest outcome has been having her kids at home with her. As research from Deloitte shows, this has lasting flow-on effects. One-third of Indigenous homeowners surveyed said their children had become more interested in further education.
“Now my kids will go on to get an education and know they have a place,” says Kylie, whose son recently finished high school and has been accepted to university. Kylie was able to attend his orientation, to see him on his way into the world.
“We would not have had this if we didn’t have IBA,” she says. “All that stuff, it’s because I have a place of being. Now I’m a role model.”
In her job, Naomi, a proud Aboriginal (Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay) and Torres Strait Islander (Erub/Darnley Island) woman, encourages her staff to engage in the IBA home ownership program and helps them apply. “We know it is a game-changer,” she says. “We know it makes generational change.”
Naomi has seen the value of the program first-hand. She says she had previously been pre-approved for a vehicle loan, but when she went into a branch and was asked about her Aboriginality, the loan application was declined. Banks didn’t feel like a safe place for her. “It made me afraid to deal in the mainstream.”
She found out about the home ownership program through her parents. Unlike the banks, IBA treated her “like family” throughout the application process.
“I remember getting the advice that we’d been pre-approved and could look for a house. It almost makes you feel like you’ve won the lottery. There was support for what to look for in a home and the kinds of things that would need to happen when we found it. It was a really helpful, holistic process.”
Once the application was finalised, Naomi bought her first home. This came with a sense of equity and self-determination, something she says has had a huge impact on her as an Aboriginal person, and on her wider community.
“It gave me a sense of security – my children are going to be OK.”
Current and intergenerational wealth increase as households enter into homeownership and are able to grow equity in their homes.
Deloitte’s research confirms Naomi’s experience: the vast majority (84%) of Indigenous homeowners surveyed said home ownership had helped them feel safer for themselves, and 87% felt more confident about the future. Given the generations of trauma and exclusion forced on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, there is extra meaning in coming home.
“Being an Aboriginal homeowner helps us to help our extended family. To help them with accommodation for short or long periods and help them to empower themselves. It extends beyond our children – to our extended family and friends. It enables us to be there for others and to enact and enable greater change,” Naomi says.
Thanks to the program, Naomi’s kids now talk to her about their own future homes. It’s become normalised for them, something they feel is their right. “I love that Aboriginal children can engage in dreams for houses, dreams for jobs and dreams for hard work,” she says.
“As a dispossessed people, having a home, as opposed to having country or a place to be, there’s safety and stability there. You can be safe and free. We can really challenge the intergenerational traumas attached to Aboriginal people just through stability and safety and a place to be that’s yours.”
And, Naomi says, the impact will continue for generations to come: “It is the legacy that we pass on to our children.”
Read other articles in this series.
Housing security not only builds generational wealth but the flow-on effects are good for all Australians - the numbers speak for themselves.
Home ownership is crucial to fostering a safe, healthy and prosperous community. Indigenous Australians remain overrepresented among financially vulnerable Australians, but new research from Deloitte shows that owning a home leads to significantly improved social outcomes.
Supporting home ownership for Indigenous Australians addresses not only the issue of housing but also the financial security, social engagement and wellbeing of the whole community. It can make a difference to many critical issues facing both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
To support their resilience and ingenuity in their aspirations for home ownership, the Indigenous Home Ownership Program (IHOP), facilitated by Indigenous Business Australia (IBA), has been helping Indigenous Australians to buy their own homes for more than forty years. The Deloitte report shows the incredible impact home ownership outcomes facilitated by IBA have had on individuals, their families and their communities.
Indigenous Australians have historically faced greater than average barriers to home ownership. Until at least the 1967 referendum, they were deliberately excluded from participating in the economy: they were not legally allowed to move freely, control their own children or own property. Even now, home ownership rates are only 38% for Indigenous households, compared to 66% for the overall population. And this figure drops by around half in regional areas, 18% home ownership rate for indigenous households, compared to 57% for the overall population.
Home ownership plays a critical role in providing stability, security and safety, and is key to building economic independence - through the ability to build wealth over time and freeing up time and resources to focus on other aspects of their lives. And as the Deloitte report shows, becoming a homeowner has a drastic impact on the lives of
Indigenous Australians, providing measurable outcomes in personal wellbeing, education, income and employment.
The vast majority Indigenous Australians surveyed (84%), say home ownership has helped them to feel safer for themselves.
Deloitte’s research found that home ownership resulted in improved physical health in nine out of ten Indigenous homeowners. Most also said their physical comfort, self-esteem and overall happiness have improved. When asked to use their own words to describe their experience, some of the most popular responses were ‘stable’, ‘security’ and ‘safe’.
The Australian Institute of Family Studies shows wealth in the home is a principal way for parents to provide for their children.
Deloitte’s survey also found homeowners feel less reliant on others for help, both on their friends and family and the government. More than half (53%) report their household income has increased since they bought their house.
Gaps in learning, income and employment are improved by home ownership: those surveyed feel more focused at work (68%) and almost half say they have planned, begun or finished further education for themselves since becoming homeowners. Owning a home also sets families up for the future: one-third of those surveyed say their children have become more interested in further education.
People living in their own homes are more likely to engage socially, and 70% now have more confidence in social interactions. An overwhelming 87% say they are more confident about the future.
Across the board, in Australia, home ownership is in decline. It’s expensive, there’s a shortage of suitable dwellings, and it’s tricky to secure finance. Only 66% of us own our own home, and less than a third own it outright – a drop of 10% over the past 20 years. Rising housing costs have amplified the inequality between those on high incomes and those who cannot afford to buy into the property market.
In supporting Indigenous Australians to become homeowners, IBA buoys the economy. In 2017-18, it saved $2 million in government rental assistance and $370k in avoided homelessness.
Since its inception in 1975, the IHOP program has generated an average of 29 full-time equivalent jobs per year, and $483 million in economic activity. Through health, education, employment and community engagement, it has created $895 million in social and economic outcomes for Indigenous homeowners over more than forty years.
Having a secure home is a powerful tool to drive generational wealth and stability. When you are no longer struggling to fund your family’s basic needs it allows you to put your mental and emotional energy into other areas of your life and reap the rewards this provides. It benefits family and community groups alike, whether it’s through better access to education and providing a stable and consistent home environment to raise your kids or by promoting better job outcomes and contributing to the growth of the Australian economy. By supporting Indigenous Australians to become homeowners, IBA generates significant, direct economic and social benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their families, and in turn, the wider community.
IBA CEO, Rajiv Viswanathan, says ‘Home ownership should be accessible to all those that are ready and is a critical step in creating equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.’
‘While demand for IBA’s home loan offering continues to grow at unprecedented rates, we are committed to investigating as many ways as possible to grow available funds to assist more people to get into home ownership, building on the tremendous success of the Indigenous Home Ownership Program,’ Viswanathan says.
‘Home ownership is one of the most important things our customers do. We know when we approve a home loan for someone, we change their lives and their children’s lives.’
The power of one simple tool - funding Indigenous home ownership - to solve multiple obstacles to building generational wealth, education, employment, health and wellbeing, is indeed a cause for optimism, for all Australians.Find out more about the IBA Indigenous Home Ownership Program.
Read other articles in this series.
Figures show Indigenous home ownership can create a better and more prosperous Australia for everyone.
Indigenous Australians who own their homes feel safer, more positive about the future, and more engaged in work and school, according to recent research from Deloitte.
And the benefits are far-reaching. Work undertaken by Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into home ownership has a positive economic impact on the economy and all Australians, the research shows.
Reduced pressure on the wider economy
Nicki Hutley, a partner at Deloitte and leader of Deloitte Access Economics’ Urban Advisory practice, says the benefits of home ownership are multidimensional. “Social policymakers understand that a housing-first approach to dealing with social issues is so important,” she says.
Hutley has driven research on IBA’s Indigenous Home Ownership Program (IHOP), a government initiative offering financial assistance for Indigenous home ownership. In 2017-18, it reduced reliance on rental assistance by $2m, and saved $370k in avoided homelessness.
The avoided costs of homelessness is valued at $7 million in total for the period of 1975-76 to 2017-18, and $370,000 for 2017-18.
Source: Deloitte Access Economics.
The avoided costs of homelessness due to the IHOP program is valued at $7 million in total for the period of 1975-76 to 2017-18, and $370,000 for 2017-18. Source: Deloitte Access Economics.
These statistics are impressive, but the real impact of IBA’s work is much broader. IBA’s work not only reduces government expenditure, but also helps free up social housing, making it accessible for others who would otherwise be facing homelessness, making a better life for more families, and their communities.
Watch video: Why Indigenous Home Ownership Makes a Difference to us all
Economic injections that would not otherwise happen
IBA chair, Eddie Fry, says economies are flatlining as people become more nervous about how they use their money. But that makes people think less about themselves and more about how we can all do better.
“I think when we get into the same boat, people tend to think more broadly about the wider community,” he says.
Supporting home ownership for people who would otherwise not have access stimulates financial activity. Hutley says it injects new funds into the economy, both at a federal and local levels.
“As a result of more stable employment and better education outcomes, the next generation gets to have better employment opportunities,” she says. “That doesn’t only help avoid social transfer payments to people who are unemployed; it actually generates greater taxation revenues to government.”
These revenues come from income tax, payroll tax, and higher GST collections because people with higher incomes are spending more. This increased government revenue can be used for the benefit of all Australians.
“This [IBA] program enables investment in housing that wouldn’t otherwise occur and actually adds to the amount of economic activity that’s happening,” Hutley says.
Improved overall wellbeing
IBA’s work supporting Indigenous home ownership outcomes generates further ripple effects that benefit all Australians and the broader economy. Deloitte’s research shows Indigenous homeowners feel less reliant on others for help. That feeling of agency is reflected in general wellness: those surveyed said they felt more motivated about work, were earning more and encouraging their children to further their education. All these factors stimulate local economic activity.
“But then it also generates additional benefits in terms of better social outcomes, including health, education, employment, safety and self-esteem,” Hutley says. Financially, Hutley says, IHOP has delivered almost $895m in social and economic benefits over its lifetime.
Home ownership is an important economic indicator of wealth and saving, and is positively related to employment and income indicators.
Home ownership is an important economic indicator of wealth and saving, and is positively related to
employment and income indicators.
Fry agrees that the combination of outcomes is significant. “The focus on Indigenous home ownership is so important for the nation,” he says. “Home ownership leads to sub-text outcomes that make up the wellbeing of a family unit.”
It also improves the wellbeing of the wider family network, he says. “And that extends into the non-Indigenous sector.”
Home ownership creates long-term generational wealth
In Australia, home ownership is critical to creating long-term wealth. The Grattan Institute reports that, in an ageing population, property contributes the majority of total net wealth, while the figures from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute show those of us who inherit property wealth will be able to invest more, and in areas with greater capital growth.
Hutley says: “We know that Australians use home ownership as a primary means of generating wealth. We also know increasingly that if you retire without owning your own home, you are much more likely to be living in poverty.”
Indigenous Australians have faced decades of intergenerational disadvantage, which Hutley says is among the most difficult challenges they face. But programs such as IHOP help to break that cycle. “You’re not only taking the current generation potentially out of poverty by building an asset for them,” she says. “You’re then able to pass it on to future generations.”
In addition, as Fry explains, the program supports lateral wealth generation. As Indigenous home ownership grows, loan repayments are used to support further loans for other families.
As a program that is financially sustainable in its own right, Fry hopes support for it will continue to grow, commensurate with the overwhelming demand that IBA experiences from customers who are locked out of accessing mainstream lending options for home ownership because of lower incomes, lower savings, lack of credit history and limited experience with loans.
“Acceptance by society is when society realises everyone’s pulling in the one direction,” he says.
“We don’t want to forget the past, but we want to be looking out the front window. That’s where the demand is, and that’s where we need to be putting all of our strategic thinking.”
Find out more about the IBA Indigenous Home Ownership Program.
Read other articles in this series.
When Adam Wooding, a proud Yorta Yorta man, and his wife Carmel reached out to IBA, they were ready to bring their new business idea to life. After participating in the Accelerate with IBA program, they decided to take a completely different road and created something better than they first imagined.
Accelerate with IBA is designed for Indigenous entrepreneurs to take their business to next level. It combines formal training and practical skills development with highly respected advisors and connected mentors to transform businesses into the most effective version it can be.
Adam and Carmel are the owners of Empower Digital, a business specialising in e-commerce on the Shopify platform. Adam & Carmel's key focus is empowering small and micro businesses to take control of their digital presence by giving them the skills to build and manage their online stores.
When they signed up for the program in 2019, they were in the early stages of planning their first business venture. They came into the program planning to build an app, but after the first week of workshops, they discovered there might be a better direction to go in.
All participants were faced with some challenging questions that got them thinking about what was at the core of what they wanted their business to be and what they wanted to achieve.
Challenged to think about the bigger picture, Adam and Carmel realised that their business idea wasn’t aligning with their end goal and their values, so they took this as an opportunity to pivot in a different direction.
“We went into this thinking ‘we know this is the right business, this is what we’re doing’ and but it turns out it wasn’t, and that was a challenge.”
“We thought that changing our business idea to something completely different might be a problem, but our mentors were really supportive. They said, ‘if this is what is right for your business, then go for it.’”
“So, we put in the extra hours to get back on track with the program and created a business idea that was true to our hearts,” said Adam.
“But adding to that, even though we’re now doing what we love, and it all worked out, I think it’s important for future participants to know that the process was confronting. It’s uncomfortable to question your business idea, but in doing so, you’ll create something more aligned with your values,” Carmel added.
Adam and Carmel say that Accelerate with IBA gave them the confidence they needed and that their business is thriving since finishing the program.
“IBA customised the program to each participant, so we were able to focus our individual needs, which was really valuable.”
“One of the most valuable things we took away from the program was the networks that we made. We became really close with everyone else in the program. We still all catch up regularly to yarn about our businesses and share ideas.”
“That also gave us the confidence to network beyond that. One of the reasons our business has done so well is that now, we are confident enough to go to networking events and talk about our business. We’re not doubting ourselves, or who are or what we do.”
Since the program, Empower Digital have continued their relationship with IBA. They’ve accessed a busines start-up loan, participated in several business skills workshops and grown their network with other IBA customers.
Empower Digital has now moved on to a new phase of their business after experiencing substantial growth over the past year.
“We’re now able to be selective in the work that we take on, we’ve found that balance of having enough work that we can only take on jobs that are true to the service that we offer. We’re doing things that really excite us.”
When asked if they’d recommend Accelerate with IBA to other Indigenous entrepreneurs considering it, Carmel had no hesitation saying, “do it! We are huge advocates of the program. Don’t question whether you are good enough. If you want your business to happen… it’s just worth doing.”
Are you tuning in to the Black Magic Woman Podcast Series?
Adam and Carmel recently had a yarn with Mundanara Bayles on the Black Magic Woman podcast as part of our partnership series based on a variety of topics including housing, business, youth, women, investing, financial literacy, economic development and COVID-19 recovery.
Listen to the podcast episode here.
