This year Dynamic Business was fortunate enough to participate in the Young Entrepreneurs’ Unconvention at the Sydney Convention Centre.
I’ve spoken with a lot of entrepreneurs during my stint at Dynamic Business but this event is one of the largest gatherings of the best business minds in Australia.
This is what I got out of the day.
I walked into the Convention Centre not knowing what to expect. The attendees ranged from first-timers, like me, through to Unconvention veterans who have been there since it first started. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an enthusiastic bunch in the one space.
Everyone was eager to speak to one another and throw their business ideas around. It’s definitely a great way to make connections for those wanting to start a business.
What fascinated me was the number of people who had left their stable jobs to pursue their entrepreneurial dream.
I spoke with an accountant who was looking to turn her fashion blog into a business. She was looking for connections to get her ideas going. Everyone was at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey. I met a director of a business worth millions, but unlike the fashion blogger, he wanted to learn ways to improve his time management.
The most memorable part of the event would have to be listening to the personal journeys of inspiring speakers. We heard from Katherine Sampson, founder of Healthy Habits. She spoke to us about her first baby hair bow business through to selling her successful sandwich franchise.
A BRW Young Rich List entrepreneur and founder of DKM Blue, Dorry Kordahi shared with us his journey starting from his garage. Petar Lackovic, entrepreneur and business coach, gave us a highly informative presentation on increasing sales to drive profitability. Jack Delosa, founder of the Unconvention, also revealed to us his seven tips to entrepreneurial success.
We also learned about entrepreneurial developments. A new term I learned was ‘kidpreneur’. When they mentioned young entrepreneurs, I didn’t expect them to be so young.
Kids these days are learning how to make a profit. Thinking back, at that age I was only learning my times table. A girl at the conference was selling cards to raise money to go to the States for a competition. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Here are some of the priceless quotes and tips I’ve gathered from the conference.
Katherine Sampson gave the follow advice:
- “Get the foundations right”
- “Act as if” – simply, if you want to form a quality in yourself, you have to start behaving as if you already have that quality in you.
- “Never underestimate the work you’ve done”
- “Respect customers. Exceed their expectations”
- “Employ people smarter than you”
- Be consistent with your branding
- Seek a coach or mentor
Here are Jack Delosa’s seven steps to entrepreneurial success:
- Lean start-up: discover quickly what works and what doesn’t
- Branding: develop a brand that compels people to do business with you
- Business Development: create leveraged ways of generating business
- Online strategy: aim for market leadership online
- Management: implement efficient management that enables growth
- Capital raising and acquisition: know how to raise money and buy businesses
- Exit strategy: Build significant value and sell for the highest possible price
If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, Young Entrepreneurs’ Unconvention is an event to put on your calendar. Dynamic Business will be posting about these events, so please keep an eye out for them!
