South West Life

Perhaps it’s the little boy inside me but I still get a kick out of watching kids play the “whoopee cushion” prank on some poor unsuspecting soul. Another trick that never goes stale is the good old plastic spider. When I was a kid, a visit to the joke shop was top of the list when we had that extra “Christmas money” from the grandparents but I hadn’t been in a party shop for years until last weekend when I stumbled across Parties and Gifts at Nine in Donnybrook.

If you own a business and you feel like you’re trapped in a 50-70 hour working week then perhaps it’s time for a shift in perspective. No one would argue that owning a business is not hard work, it is. However, does that mean you have to burn yourself out on the road to success? The people from the Ferguson Valley Marketing and Promotions Inc would argue that it doesn’t.

The Margaret River Wine Region’s status as an essential destination for gourmet foodie enthusiasts has been confirmed with yet another accolade. The Australian Traveller Magazine today published its 100 Greatest Australian Gourmet Experiences with two Margaret River operators making the prestigious list. 

Give your business the wide exposure it deserves by entering the 2010 South West WA Small Business Awards. Previous entrants have achieved enormous success and recognition not only on a local level but also on a regional, state and national level.

Japan Oil, Gas and Metals Corporation (JOGMEC) recently announced a $2million joint exploration agreement with WA Company Doral who operate a mineral sands mine near Burekup.

Like many men I have an aversion to shopping ... except when it comes to hardware. I could spend all day and most of my credit-card limit in a hardware store with un-nerving ease. So when I heard reports of a new hardware and garden centre being launched in the neighbourhood my interest was piqued and I just had to check it out.

A close call for Yallingup resident Ray Datodi has inspired the development of an innovative bushfire warning system for use in the home.  The system uses satellite, then VHF radio transmissions and GPS technology to trigger household alarms in fire risk areas.

There are great ways to spend your evening and I’d found one of them. Sitting with my parents who I don’t see as often as I’d like, I was drinking in the ambience of a Cafe’ and talking about nothing in particular. The owner came to check we were enjoying the fare, and we got talking about business. Turns out that as well as a cafe, Chris owns and runs “Rural Cinema”.

Ever driven past those large blue signs and wondered what the Tourist Radio was all about? Barry Green was such a person. One day while driving he spotted the tourist radio sign and thought "why not tune in and have a listen?

It's kind of neat to find a story of a guy who finds things, distils the essence of what he wants, and then goes about making it happen. I've come round to talk to the guy who basically IS Totally Sound, and found not only a great business story but a few snapshots about the way the guy lives his life.

Western Australian olives are achieving major success at National shows.  That looks pretty good, we said, let’s tell that story. Of course to get to the story it became necessary to speak to a producer, and as you might have guessed, there’s more to a bottle of fine olive oil than meets the eye.

Sooner or later someone had to recognise the opportunity we have to accommodate people in the South West and teach in our relaxed and attractive culture, and they did. David and Jenny Byatt  opened the West Coast College of English in Bunbury.

You can't help but be impressed when someone just picks up a skill because they like doing it, and keeps on plugging until they understand how to be really good at it and then make it into a business.

The Margaret River Wine Industry Association has signed a formal agreement with the Federal Government’s AusIndustry (Department of Innovation, Industry, Science & Research) for a Small Business Online grant.  This funding will support the Association’s ‘Uncorking the Web for Wineries’ project, designed to assist grape growers and wine producers to deliver best practice eCommerce.

Originally the Old Goldfields Orchard property was, as it's name suggests, involved in the Donnybrook gold rush of 1898/99. One of the earliest and most exciting finds happened right where the orchard is today.

The story of Steve and Sue Collis is the kind we have grown to love here at South West Life. Giving up jobs and an established life in Perth, they moved to the south west and set up what is now a successful and unique small business.

The South West is one of the great places in the world to live. We love it for the people we meet, for the relaxed lifestyle that comes from being away from capital cities, and we love it for the natural environment.

Like many big business arrangements, there are a lot of factors that decide how and where you actually realise the dream, and it’s a testament to his faith in the Southwest that in the face of some very stiff competition, Australian Renewable Fuels still managed to build their second bio diesel plant in Picton.

Dan Depiazzi is in the garden when I ring, and there are voices in the background.  “I can hear other voices there, have you got a moment to talk?”  It turns out that Dan is doing something that he likes more than most things, he’s weeding in the garden and listening to the radio.

Some time back I had need of a weekend away.  Not being immensely cashed up, I looked around for something pleasant, that would be different from every other moment away I’d had, and not break the bank. Checking out the local directory introduced Yelverton Eco Resort.

It's amazing that a really important thing can be happening right in front of you, but if it's a fairly quiet undertaking, you hardly notice.

The Dunsborough Bakery is one of the oldest remaining businesses in Dunsborough, having been set up by a guy called Anthony Curtis in 1941. Anthony was known as "Nanty", and would prepare his doughs at home and then transport them to the bakery by horse and cart.