Resilience during COVID-19 has many faces. Transforming opportunities can be an important part of the process.

Lyn and David McPherson bought The Ark Clothing Company, more than four years ago and have six stores in Victoria, stores in Sydney and Adelaide and an online store. The company is ethically accredited from Ethical Clothing Australia and the designs are all Australian made.

When COVID-19 hit, The Ark’s retail and manufacturing was significantly impacted. Yet Lyn and David saw an opportunity to expand on another part of their business model, Thread Group Australia, established in 2020 to provide healthcare, hospitality and corporate industries with Australian made apparel for businesses. Thread Group Australia was able to utilise the expertise, skills and strategies of The Ark Clothing Company.

“We were quick to move to making fabric masks for community usage with surgical masks being prioritised for frontline healthcare workers,” says David. “This ability was wholly reliant upon the transferrable skills of our amazing Ark staff, from design to pattern-making to production. We tested a number of different styles and feel we have perfected a comfortable, three-layered, WHO compliant design.”

This was met with encouraging success, leading to an opportunity to fulfil orders for the Victorian state government along with a number of other local manufacturers. Thread Group Australia also produced PPE apparel for hospitals, aged care facilities and respiratory clinics. Creative Spirit, an Indigenous packaging supplier, was enlisted to provide boxes for mask and PPE orders. The Ark Clothing Company continued to make beautiful fashion pieces that were available in store and online.

Support and guidance from IBA as part of the Business Relief Package enabled The Ark Clothing Company and Thread Group Australia to continue to manufacture fashion pieces, community masks and PPE for Australians when they needed it most during COVID-19. David and Lyn are grateful to IBA for reaching out and for the provision of skilled assistance and encouragement to navigate the challenges of the pandemic.

Eventually, it will be back to business as usual for The Ark Clothing Company but until then they are living by the motto, “Survive to Thrive”.

Find out more about The Ark or Thread Group.

IBA’s Performance Bond Trust has assisted contractors across the country to participate in a wide variety of contracts including mining, civil works, construction, facility upgrades and renewable energy construction by guaranteeing their capacity to complete projects while requiring minimal security.

One of those contractors was Hicks Civil & Mining Pty Ltd - a 100% owned Aboriginal business providing civil construction services and equipment hire throughout the Pilbara region in WA. Through the IBA Performance Bond Trust, they were able to successfully tender to the Koodaideri iron ore mine and have delivered earthwork and drainage works for the project to date.

Hicks Civil and Mining Director, Caitlin Hicks Forshaw says, “We are now focusing on finishing off this project strong and leaving a reputation that will be put down in the history books for Aboriginal Contractors and be the example of showing that Aboriginal Contractors have the capacity to deliver such projects.”

“While we have both our onsite and offsite management teams – it’s the people and organisations that surround us that have also assisted in this project. IBA have been a massive contribution to our business and I have to thank them immensely.”

Through their hard work and success, Hicks Civil & Mining have been able to give back to their community supporting initiatives such as funding school pick-ups and sponsoring local events.

Since inception in 2018 the IBA Performance Bond Trust has now supported over 170 bonds worth $12 million, supporting contracts valued at nearly $202 million. Bonds totaling $167,600 have been returned due to successful completion of projects, many of which have been in regional and remote locations.

Find out more about our Performance Bonds.

“Aboriginal people have been dealing with technologies for thousands of years. These newer technologies that we’re linking into shows that we’re bridging that gap and that Aboriginal people have always been in that technology space. It’s been crucial to their survival.”

That’s what Arrernte man Peter Renehan, CEO at the Centre for Appropriate Technology (CfAT), said in this beautiful video that shows the ground station build in Mparntwe (Alice Springs).

This multimillion-dollar facility is the first Aboriginal-owned commercial satellite ground station in Australia – tracking earth from space via a unique partnership with global satellite communications company Viasat Inc.

Built, project-managed and owned by Indigenous companies – CfAT and its subsidiaries Ekistica Ltd and CfAT Satellite Enterprises, as well as Ingerreke Commercial who laid the concrete foundations in December 2019.

Peter goes on to say, “We can develop programs that can help and assist land management and ranger programs, carbon farming, monitoring of fires and all sorts of things; so it’s pretty significant and important...If you think of the breadth right across Australia, whether it’s our land or our seas, to be able to provide that access to that information and data from Alice Springs is a feather in our cap. I think Central Australia and Alice Springs should be really proud of this sort of development.”

This video captures the technology in action. IBA worked with local Indigenous videographers Since1788 Productions to create the time lapse of the project which ends with the night sky.

In partnership with The Guardian Labs, IBA developed a series of articles on the impacts of home ownership on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The last of the series featured two strong Indigenous women and how their families have blossomed through their experiences.

Kylie and Naomi share their stories from budgeting to education to how their kids now see home ownership as an achievable dream.

Read more at The Guardian Labs - IBA: Building Communities.

Helen Martin is an Arrente woman with a passion for Aboriginal tourism and what she and her husband Trevor have created on Bremer Island is not to be missed! With permissions from the local Yolngu community, Helen and Trevor run a beautiful eco-retreat on a pristine island off the coast of Arnhem Land.

It takes hard work and resilience to run your own business but the rewards can pay off. Watch this weekend's episode of SBS Small Business Secrets on SBS World News, Sunday 7am or 5pm AEST, as they explore the stunning Banubanu Beach Retreat.

Read the article, 'The Indigenous-owned resort offering visitors a taste of Aboriginal Australia' or watch the segment below.

#ideasinvested #strongwomenstrongbusiness #aboriginaltourism

Liandra Gaykamangu is a Yolngu woman who balances a business, Liandra Swim, with a growing family and believes that empowering women empower women further. We couldn't agree more!

Her SBS Small Business Secrets segment is breaking records with views of over 500,000. She's a talent who opened the Pacific Runway as her first ever show and the only Australian designer. Her latest swimsuits are made from recycled ocean plastic and packaged in biodegradable plant material.

Liandra is also on the representative group for Futures Forum where our young people are creating a map for culture to influence business in the future. She hopes to show other young Indigenous mothers that anything is possible.

Read the SBS article, 'The Indigenous fashion designer making swimwear from recycled plastic',  or check out the full segment on video.

#strongwomenstrongbusiness #futuresforum #ideasinvested

The ingenuity of Indigenous business owners is something to be celebrated all year round. In partnership with SBS, IBA is proud to showcase a series of segments with strong Indigenous businesses.

On Sunday 19 January, Robert Dann talks about how he expanded his Kimberley Cultural Adventures Broome business to new ventures with Bindam Mie where he transforms boab nuts into tea, oils and powder.

Watch on SBS World News this Sunday 19 January (7-7.30am and 5-5.30pm AEST) and again on Saturday 25 January at 2-2.30pm AEST.

Read the article or watch the video here.

This segment covered Bianca Stawiarski's business Warida Wholistic Wellness and a touching story of how equine therapy helped transform a young girl's life after a traumatic experience.

As firefighters and victims struggle with the impact of catastrophic fires, Bianca says therapy with horses can help first responders and accident victims overcome a range of traumas. She is a strong women with a gentle way.

We love seeing Indigenous businesses excel and this is a great example. Watch for the next episodes each weekend on SBS Small Business Secrets and check out the video for Bianca's series below or read the article, 'The Indigenous therapist working with horses to help people heal trauma'.

The series runs each weekend on SBS World News (7-7.30am Sundays, 5-5.30pm Sundays, and 2-2.30pm Saturdays) from 12 Jan through 8 Feb.

#ideasinvested #strongwomenstrongbusiness

When Gavin Kelly, a Girudala man from Queensland, came to IBA with Smart Syphon, we knew it was something special. Through hard work and determination, Gavin and his team had created the technology to finally allow cotton farmers the ability to move away from the onerous hand syphon system to an automatic water-irrigation system that can be turned on with the click of a button from anywhere in the world.

'Smart Syphon is a system that allows the farmer to automate his irrigation of cotton, improving the efficiency of water use and reducing the cost,' Gavin said.

Like so many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people all across Australia, getting the much-needed working capital to bring Smart Syphon to life was near impossible, until he engaged with IBA.

'The difference with IBA and a normal bank is that they don't have a prejudice,' Gavin said. 'We could demonstrate that there was a desire for what we were doing and we go their support.'

'If you can back yourself and prove that you can deliver, IBA will support you in where you want to go.'

IBA is thrilled to have been a part of Gavin's journey and to have played a small but vital role in bringing this idea to life.

To find out more about Smart Syphon, please visit https://islex.com.au/smart-syphon.

[This story is reproduced with permission from indigenous.gov.au (1 April 2016)].

Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) has long been in the business of supporting Indigenous Australians to achieve economic independence. IBA has supported people to own businesses, purchase homes and invest in commercial ventures that provide strong financial returns.

Now, IBA has taken it a step further with its new Remote Indigenous Home Loan (RIHL), designed to help Indigenous people in remote Australia achieve the dream of owning their own home. RIHL includes a concessional interest rate loan, as well as additional grants to meet related costs.

One person who has taken advantage of RIHL is Jamie Miller, an Aboriginal woman from Narrabri, about two hundred kilometres north-west of Tamworth in northern New South Wales.

Jamie says that she learnt about the loans through word of mouth.

'I was talking to an auntie in Tamworth who suggested that it would be a good idea for us,' Jamie said.

'My partner and I had been looking at buying our own home for a while but we didn’t think we could afford a home loan, so when I heard about IBA I quickly organised a meeting with them in Narrabri.'

Like many Australians looking to buy a home, Jamie worried that her financial situation meant the mortgage repayments would be more than she could afford.

'We were worried about biting off more than we could chew with the loan, but IBA helped get our finances in order and gave us tips on where we could save in our weekly budget so we could afford the loan,' Jamie said.

'There’s also a low deposit requirement with IBA, which really helps.'

The home loan wasn’t the only thing that helped Jamie’s dreams become a reality. She qualified for a grant from IBA for $20 000 to pay for any housing repairs or renovations during the life of their loan, ensuring that the move into home ownership is as stress free as possible.

Jamie’s life has changed significantly since that day her auntie told her about IBA but she said the biggest change is the emotional difference home ownership has made to her and her family.

“There’s such a big difference between owning and renting a house,” Jamie said.

“Now that I own my home I feel much more positive about the future.”

Find out more about IBA's Remote Indigenous Home Loans.