Ecotourism tour operator Aussie Wanderer provides visitors with a one-of-a-kind experience, with some tours accessing parts of Western Australia it says competitors do not reach. Aussie Wanderer caps guest numbers at 12 to allow closer interaction with its hand-picked guides and an improved customer experience. Starting as a solo operation just four years ago, owner Richard Young was inspired to go into business after informally showing around international exchange students who had been billeted by his mother. Targeting the student market, Aussie Wanderer operates from Albany to Broome and seeks to open new destinations in a safe and environmentally sustainable way. Fremantle-born and raised, Richard’s Aussie Wanderer is proudly West Australian. Tours range from one to 14 days and are promoted via its website, social media and word-of-mouth.

“We only employ local guides who have lived here most of their lives. Being a small company with small overheads, we keep our prices lower than our major competitors and our quality and service high.” – Richard Young, Owner.

Englishman Terry Collier launched recruitment firm Business Solutions (WA) from humble beginnings in a home office nearly five years ago. Terry brought 20 years of experience with him when he arrived in Australia. He now employs four staff from his office in Mandurah, servicing some of the biggest companies in Western Australia, including BHP-Billiton, Leighton and Water Corp. Business Solutions offers a one-stop shop for statewide, national and international recruitment services. While many employers find overseas recruitment to be a minefield, Business Solutions (WA) says the systems it uses to source, interview, process and re-locate candidates work seamlessly. Business Solutions (WA) also offers a complete recruitment campaign service for clients that don’t have a dedicated human resources department which can save customers up to 50 per cent on normal recruitment fees.

“All new and existing customers are treated with the same efficiency, courtesy and integrity.” – Terry Collier, Owner.

In 2005, four young men in their 20s with no capital started KAPP Engineering from a suburban bedroom. While competitors had their eyes on big resources projects, KAPP’s aim was to find and fill gaps for industrial automation and process control service in Perth’s metropolitan market. Five years later, this boutique Balcatta firm is managing a client base of 200 companies from its own premises, with 75 percent of its business coming from repeat customers. KAPP Engineering’s research found most of its potential clients often relied on the Internet to find expertise to solve process engineering problems. KAPP invested in its website and search engine optimisation to raise its marketplace profile. Reaping the referrals that a quality reputation brings, KAPP also partners with select alliance companies that share its focus on value to win new work.

“While most of our competitors were off working on remote mine sites chasing the ‘big bucks’, our emphasis was on servicing the neglected metropolitan market. It kept our team together and enabled them to go home to their families at the end of most working days.” – Peter Parlongo, Managing Director.

Founded in 2004, Claremont firm Pit Crew Management Consulting Services provides industry analysis, business and strategy development, communication and facilitation services to the resources, engineering and construction sectors. Pit Crew works with companies like Rio Tinto, BHP-Billiton and Chevron, with the majority of clients being referred or repeat customers. Before founding Pit Crew, founder Peter Dyball held senior roles with major construction, contracting and engineering organisations. That experience enabled him to identify a need for reliable labour forecasting data in industries that scope big projects. The launch of Pit Crew’s authoritative labour forecasting reports has won it widespread credibility and new business in its home state and Queensland. The Pit Crew modelling is also being used by the West Australian Government as part of its contribution to the National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce. The company now plans to expand its business model to the eastern seaboard.

“Clients say our labour data has contributed to strategies which have reduced project costs by tens of millions of dollars.” – Peter Dyball, Managing Director.

Understanding the concept of branding has paid off for Victoria Park gift shop The Good Store. Selling presents that are useful, functional, stylish and environmentally-friendly sets it apart. The Good Store’s owner and former broadcaster Marshall Martin, says Australia is a country of variety and curiosity and a gift shop should reflect that. He and his staff, mostly parents, work family-friendly, flexible hours and personally greet customers and serve them tea. The Good Store has $1 million turnover and an e-commerce operation that accounts for 20 per cent of this. The Good Store shifted two doors from its original Victoria Park location into one of similar size a year ago and its dominant, corner position makes it highly visible on one of Perth's two major eastern arteries. The Good Store’s marketing activity, including art-house cinema, metropolitan print ads and sponsorship of the annual WA Ausdance Awards Male Dancer of The Year, reflects its unique brand.

“Our staff are paid well above award wages and are never jaded. It’s amazing how they love work and how nice they are to customers.” – Marshall Martin, Owner.

De-mystifying and removing snobbery from the enjoyment of wine is the business strategy behind Margaret River tour company Wine for Dudes. They provide fun, relaxed and informative daily tours and private charters that are environmentally-friendly and encourage responsible drinking. Their business targets Generation X and Y drinkers – groups that Curtin University studies showed were being largely ignored. Social media and dynamic website content allows guests to download photos of their trip and pass them on to friends, playing a critical role in the company’s marketing. The Wine for Dudes experience allows visitors to blend their own “custom” Cabernet Shiraz to accompany a gourmet picnic lunch. Wine for Dudes has plans to expand interstate and into New Zealand.

“We are innovators in our industry, leading the way for others to follow.” – John O’Connor, Managing Director.

Sourcing quality suppliers in China and improving product durability has given Osborne Park bamboo flooring company Bamboozle an edge in a small but competitive market. Managing Director Mark Hutchison decided to avoid cheap product at high volume when he set up in 2004, focussing on innovation, high quality and post-installation services. His company markets its own patented flooring product – Bamwood – which is resilient in even the harshest Australian conditions. Bamwood has captured 50 per cent of the local market share and Mark is exploring export opportunities. Bamboozle is the only bamboo flooring company in WA directly involved in the design and manufacture of the product it sells. A high finish and rigorous quality assurance program that tests each batch of imported bamboo, minimises post-installation warranty claims and keeps customers happy. Developing a new flooring system that uses locally-sourced timber has become a focus of Bamboozle’s expansion plans.

“We are now a big fish in a small pond and are researching new flooring products to bring to market to enable our growth to continue.” – Mark Hutchison, Managing Director.

Having highly qualified and the best-trained team in the industry was Nadine Breen’s vision when she set up Charisma The House of Beauty a decade ago. The range of skin and beauty treatments offered by her salons at Hillarys and Stirling includes simple cosmetic surgery procedures, anti-ageing therapies and cosmetic tattooing. Charisma’s partnerships with local doctors and the high level of specialisation offered by its staff are unique qualities. Nadine says Charisma is successful because it stays on top of industry trends. She and her staff attend trade shows locally and overseas to continue to improve their technical knowledge. Nadine also invests heavily in bringing interstate speakers and educators to Perth to benefit those working in the business. Nadine is now looking to work with plastic surgeons and offer free restorative cosmetic tattooing to women recovering from a masectomy.

“Extensive training is given to all staff in the customer service expected at each stage of client contact. We attract clients not on price but on offering exceptional service.” – Nadine Breen, Salon Director.

A withdrawal of large vendors from Western Australia created an opportunity for Electro Medical Group (EMG) when it formed in 2003. EMG provides medical equipment repair services to hospitals, laboratories, medical centres and home care patients. Avoiding the need to send vital bio-medical and scientific equipment interstate for repair is an attractive selling point. EMG invests extensive time in staff training so that its 24/7 team is familiar with a vast range of equipment. A client list that includes Joondalup Health Campus, the Department of Defence, Australian Red Cross and St John Ambulance is a measure of the reputation of this Belmont-based company. Its expansion into South Australia in 2008 was a significant milestone. EMG is the authorised service agency for a large number of national and international equipment manufacturers. It is also a sales agent for medical and laboratory equipment such as blood fridges, centrifuges and diagnostic devices.

“Key lessons we have learned are to always reinvest into your company. You need a systematic approach to staff training, IT systems and your processes.” – Mark Higgins, General Manager.

Husband and wife team, Carol and Graham Baker, bought their gourmet biscuit and slice manufacturing company For The Coffee Table in 2005. It was a good fit – Carol loved cooking and Graham wanted to leave corporate life. From the start their goal was to produce the best quality products without artificial preservatives or flavours. In five years they have doubled sales while keeping staff levels consistent. Working in retail and wholesale, For The Coffee Table says it supplies every five-star hotel and banquet centre in Perth. During a resources boom when higher paying jobs were on offer, Carol and Graham retained staff by maintaining their family business feel and shared culture of wanting to produce only the best. Constant improvements in marketing, product presentation and market segmentation ensures For The Coffee Table targets customers effectively and maintains a strong flow of new business leads.

“We have introduced a number of new biscuits in response to changing customer requirements and special functions. We have avoided moving outside biscuits and slices into cakes or associated lines, and stick to what we do best.” – Graham Baker, Proprietor.

Intellect Systems is a dynamic engineering firm that grew from small beginnings in 2005. Directors Jason Monzu and Chris Kane were in their late 20s when they launched their shared vision of an electrical and control systems engineering firm that was customer-driven and bound by the core values of integrity, innovation and excellence. In 2009, they debuted in BRW’s Top 100 Fast Starters and featured in Westpac’s Smart Company awards top 10. Despite some turbulence during the global financial crisis, Intellect Systems retained its eight staff and kept on track. Their ability to deliver first class engineering solutions has resulted in strong affiliations with some of the industry’s largest vendors. Innovation permeates every aspect of the business through customised software and hardware solutions that streamline engineering processes and increase project profitability. The company is currently developing a tool for industry to measure and monitor their own carbon emissions.

“One factor that has driven our success is our simple and efficient approach to problems. We place utmost focus on working intimately with our clients to better understand their requirements and deliver a tailored engineering solution.” - Jason Monzu, Director.

A re-usable, portable and easily installed partitioning system that can be changed at whim is making a mark for Quicklock Partitions in the competitive office fit-out market. Quicklock Partitions opened in 2004 and uses its own patented modular system to create “real walls you can move”. Owner Michael Worthington recognised the old plasterboard wall construction method was wasteful and bad for the environment - so he invented his own. The key is a simple locking system and the use of environmentally-friendly MDF boards. Quicklock started as a one-person venture in a 50 square metre office in front of a hay factory. It now operates its own state-of-the-art plant and boasts six staff. Compared to plasterboard, Quicklock’s system reduces installation time by 75 percent, meaning reduced office disruptions and expense. Disposing of broken plasterboard partitions at the landfill every time an office is re-configured is a thing of the past for Quicklock customers.

“Two of our core company values are: ‘We are all ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen' and 'We can't force innovation, but we must create an environment for it to occur'.” – Michael Worthington, Owner.

Assetivity is a hybrid management and engineering consulting organisation that helps clients improve their asset management. Founded in 2000 after owner Sandy Dunn was made redundant from a senior management role, its consultants work with leading resource and utilities companies, in Australia and overseas. Improving engineering, production, maintenance and supply management processes is just part of the company’s story. Assetivity’s 21-strong consultant team focuses on transferring knowledge and skills to their clients, embedding continuous improvement programs that remain long after they’re gone. Assetivity has offices in Como in Western Australia and Milton in Queensland and has bold expansion plans to extend overseas. Since its foundation, Assetivity has grown at a compound annual rate of more than 50 per cent and has been listed in BRW’s Fast 100 on three occasions. Word-of-mouth and an Internet search put Assetivity in touch with one of its biggest customers, leading to a multi-million dollar contract.

“We combine high level strategic thinking with practical, hands-on assistance right down to shop-floor level. This unique combination generates tangible, sustainable change at all organisational levels.” – Sandy Dunn, Director.

A reputation for excellence – even in extreme conditions in north-west Western Australia - underpins the success for family-owned and operated surveying company Handley Surveys. Handley Surveys was started by then-sole operator Henry Handley in 1976 and the business maintains perfect health, safety and environmental records. In a discipline where accuracy is paramount, most Handley Surveys clients are repeat customers or referrals. Steady growth has brought the company to the point where it employs 28 full-time staff and annually turns over more than $8 million. From its Karratha base, Handley Surveys supplies some of Australia’s most important resources projects and focuses on modular LNG processing plants. It recently acquired a major contract for Woodside/Foster Wheeler Worley for the world's first complete modular LNG facility. Handley Surveys has provided 10 surveyors to fabrication yards in Thailand and assembly sites in Dampier, WA, where accuracy of the construction process is required down to the millimetre.

“The need to accurately match survey construction on one side of the world with near perfect re-assembly on the other side means we must lead our market in the uptake of new technology.” – Alex Handley, Operations Manager.

Giving managers and selected employees a stake in each of its branch offices is one of the ways Peard Real Estate does things differently in the Perth real estate market. Starting in 1997 with one office, Peard Real Estate has grown to nine that dot the west coast from Mindarie to Mandurah. Head office provides centralised marketing and administration which streamlines everyday operations. Last year, Peard Real Estate averaged property sales of almost $2.5 million a day. Responding to a decline in enquiries from newspaper advertising, Peard Real Estate developed a mobile phone-ready website with SMS functionality, and an iPhone application. The iPhone app was a first for an Australia real estate agent and significantly boosted vendor exposure in an increasingly busy channel. Peard Real Estate is also active in online social media.

Traffic Management South West (TMSW) is a complete traffic management safety solutions business that offers consultancy, design and planning, traffic control, training, hire equipment and safety auditing. Established in December 2006 by Managing Director Erin Studsor, TMSW has won major government contracts for traffic management services for some of Western Australia’s biggest road projects. Working on a high-risk worksite where staff were exposed to 23,000 vehicles a day, TMSW has been recognised for its quality with the awarding of government contracts. Customer service and timely response to requests for quotes are a backbone of TMSW’s office support operations. Employing nearly 40 people, TMSW is based in the Halifax Area of Bunbury with a 4000 square metre depot operating 14 light vehicles.

“We believe our customer service sets us apart from competitors by a long shot and is continually worked on and monitored at all times. We also provide internal rewards to personnel who go beyond the call of duty.” – Tegan Studsor, Operations Manager.

Bamboozle’s commitment to innovation has been at the heart of its success. Knowing that one reason many bamboo floors fail is due to low moisture content in the boards, it introduced an oven-baking test procedure for each container of the imported wood it handles. If moisture is at an unsafe level, the batch of boards is not installed. This reduces warranty claims, keeps customers happy and avoids time-consuming repairs. Bamboozle has patented its own product, Bamwood, which uses a cross-engineered centre layer. Bamboozle has used science to refine its manufacturing and installation process to deliver what it considers to be superior product and service. A finished product that’s durable and looks good has given this Osborne Park business a point of difference in a very competitive market.

“We analyse every inch of our business to seek improvement. Just as we employed scientists to work on our unique Bamwood product, we sought out researchers to help us review our customer service system to increase our conversion rates.” – Mark Hutchison, Managing Director.

North Fremantle environmental science experts Ecoscape (Australia) say innovation is at the heart of everything they do. Providing landscape architecture and spatial planning services, they work for clients in natural resource management, urban development, mining and resource development, infrastructure and tourism. Their range of projects takes in both the private and government sectors. The Ecoscape brand is about the twin planks of science and design. The company recently began using its spatial planning section to deliver three-dimensional models of project outcomes. Ecoscape says this makes complex outcomes easier for clients to digest. The company has also adopted a Balanced Score Card process which it says enables all staff to play a part in company decisions. Junior staff with an aptitude for management are incorporated into the Young Ecoscape Staff Input (YETI) process which gives them a voice in strategic planning.

“Innovation is part of everyday thinking and we review our innovative capacity as part of our client feedback process at the end of each project. The way we see it, science + design = innovation.” - David Kaesehagen, Managing Director.

Providing companies with simple-to-use Managed Business Systems is what has helped Fortix grow from shoestring budget beginnings in 2004, to an international organisation with divisions in Australia and Europe.

Innovative solutions, such as Fortix Freedom, use online “software as a service” applications to streamline all company workflows and information. Fortix's varied clients include a storage retail chain, a mulching company, an HR company, a sign-making franchise, a talent management business and a smoke alarm servicing company.

Arriving in Australia a decade ago with $100 capital, Managing Director Paul Faix is proud that his original customers are still with him. Employing nine people from its Maylands head office, Fortix has been selected as one of eight global case studies to promote Adobe’s Business Catalyst website management solution.

“We often say to our clients they should forget for a minute what is technologically possible and concentrate on what they are trying to achieve. We will take care of the rest.” – Paul Faix, Managing Director.

Combining backgrounds in professional wedding album production and software development inspired Suzanne and Tyler Crosbie to launch online photobook service My Reflections in 2005. The Crosbies sold their home and used the capital to develop a downloadable software program that integrated with bound albums. My Reflections was ahead of the game, enabling customers to create book pages by a simple drag-and-drop system. My Reflections still differentiates from competitors with its easy-to-use, personalised customer service, high-standard finished product and fast fulfilment. The customer software is in its third edition and offers unique features including a Customer order archive to encourage repeat business. Search engine optimisation and Internet marketing play the biggest role in the company’s continuing success in the face of competition from department stores and larger online brands. Its website consistently figures in the top-three of Google rankings. Word-of-mouth is another contributor to My Reflections’ continuous growth. With three fulltime staff, My Reflections is looking to licence its software globally.

“You need to constantly innovate in this market. Great customer service is paramount.” – Suzanne Crosbie, Marketing and Product Development Manager.

Many companies claim their products are revolutionary. Malaga office fit-out specialists Quicklock Partitions, say reduced landfill and lower customer costs proves their claim to be an innovator. Their modular partition system, Quicklock, uses environmentally MDF instead of plasterboard because it’s a sustainable product, doesn’t crumble and is re-usable. This dramatically reduces landfill, helping the environment. Quicklock’s patented locking system cuts installation time by up to 75 per cent by doing away with traditional steel studs. The system is also very portable, making re-configuration a breeze and minimising office disruption. Company owner Michael Worthington started Quicklock Partitions with just $300 in 2004. His system has saved clients untold dollars since then. Quicklock is now developing a product for the residential market where wall thickness and insulation present unique challenges. Quicklock’s goal of making its product the industry standard has the potential to change the face of residential and commercial fit-outs forever.

“The Quicklock system allows clients to change layout as the need arises. Re-using the system brings savings and means there’s no need to dump old walls at the tip.” – Michael Worthington, Owner.

Hosting its own festival for unsigned or self-published authors and introducing an in-house writing coach are two ways Mt Hawthorn bookstore- café, The Bodhi Tree, is bringing innovation to its business. “A Celebration of Writing” is a community-based event to inspire and celebrate literary creativity and targets writers not catered for by the Perth Writers Festival. The Bodhi Tree started as an online bookshop for titles about self and professional development in 2004 and opened a bricks-and-mortar cafe five years later. Former leadership consultant Karen Kotze serves vegetarian, additive-free food, organic and fairtrade coffee in a tranquil environment. Her aim is to raise personal and community self-awareness in an environmentally-sustainable way.

“The business idea came to mind during a holiday in 2003. The name was chosen to encapsulate the intention of the business - The Bodhi Tree is a symbol of wisdom and inner peace, and of the potential that lies within us all.” – Karen Kotze, Owner.

Mt Hawthorn bookstore The Bodhi Tree aims to provide worthwhile services to the community that raise consciousness and well-being. Two of the ways it says it is doing this is serving healthy food without additives and co-hosting a philosophy course for a local not-for-profit group. Charities The Bodhi Tree assists include The Prosperous Future School in Zhao Jue, China, an orphanage established by Perth chiropractor, Dr Bernadette Poynter. Local sporting clubs and schools also benefit from donations. The Bodhi Tree is a business but is more about making a contribution to community wisdom and inner peace. Staff receive a manual which outlines The Bodhi Tree’s commitment to environmental sustainability practices and principles, and how it’s incorporating this thinking into every aspect of its activities, products and services.

“We believe that social and environmental contribution is essential for the development of human consciousness. True happiness is derived from serving others and this philosophy lies at the foundation of The Bodhi Tree.” – Karen Kotze, Owner.