#Shark Tank
New HR tech platform Shortlyster raises $5M seed round to shake up traditional recruiting methods
Shortlyster, an intelligent hiring optimisation platform, that helps companies make better and more informed hiring decisions, has today announced it has successfully completed a AUD $5 million capital raise. The seed round was led by Deepbridge Capital, an investment fund specialist in the technology, life sciences, and renewable energy sectors, with participation from Shark Tank’s […]
Three things to watch out for before your startup partners with an early-stage investor
A lot of start-up founders I’ve met believe that if they can raise money from professional early-stage investors such as The Sharks from Channel 10’s Shark Tank or a Venture Capital (VC) fund, then they’re guaranteed success, a large exit, and early retirement. But this is dangerous thinking. These investors are almost always only investing […]
“Run on the smell of an oily rag”, ONTHEGO faces no boundaries to its growth, says CEO
When Mick Spencer entered a lucrative contract to produce 500 cycling jerseys, five years ago, his fledgling sportswear startup was operating with little more than an old screen printer. There was, he admits, an element of ‘fake it until you make it’. Today, ONTHEGO is a rapidly growing e-commerce company with an enviable customer base […]
What to know about raising capital
When GO1 raised our first seed round I went into negotiations knowing next to nothing about raising funds. But on the other side of the table, the investors that I spoke to did this every day. And that makes it dangerous. One of our first investors turned out to be a shark. Fortunately for us […]
Yes, leadership isn’t rocket science… but who said rocket scientists make effective leaders?
Leadership is a skill that everyone should learn. Saying “everyone is a leader” sounds like a platitude, but it’s true: you don’t need to be a manager to be a leader. If you do manage a team, however, being an effective leader is even more important. Good leadership is probably the single most important skill […]
“We have a huge way to go”: Why Sleeping Duck declined to share their mattress with a shark
The engineers behind rapid-growth mattress startup Sleeping Duck dived into the Shark Tank this week, but surfaced without a deal, after knocking back offers, worth half a million, from both Andrew Banks and Steve Baxter. As they told Dynamic Business, the ‘deal breaker’ wasn’t the equity each shark demanded; rather, they weren’t convinced either could […]
Steve Baxter reveals how he saved his first start-up, SE Net, $700k networking interstate
In my first business, SE Net, I balked at going to industry conferences interstate. They were expensive, there was no airline competition – Adelaide-Sydney on special was $700 return and you HAD to stay a Saturday night due to local tourist board subsidies! And in general, whilst I had a hand in helping the local Internet […]
Fashion start-up in court over allegations of unlawful internships and underpayments
Her Fashion Box, an online fashion start-up that secured funding on the second season of Shark Tank, has been taken to court over allegations it ran an unlawful unpaid internship program and underpaid three workers more than $40,000. The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action in the Federal Circuit Court against the subscription box […]
When pitching your start-up to Steve Baxter, don’t use the word ‘give’ or you’ll p*** him off
‘Give’. It’s the four-letter word that makes Steve Baxter’s blood boil when he’s being pitched to by a start-up in search of capital. The investor, tech entrepreneur and Shark Tank star discussed his pet peeve at Intuit QuickBooks Connect Sydney 2017, earlier this month, during an entertaining and candid interview with event MC Rove McManus. […]
Business plans will be obsolete in 2017
Yes, you read that right. It’s time to ditch that 30-page document and put it in the bin where it belongs. Professionals agree that writing a formal business plan is not the best strategy, most especially for SMEs that have limited time and resources. Not having a business plan doesn’t mean you’re going to spend […]
A great business idea is only the beginning
There are plenty of people out there with brilliant ideas and concepts.You hear about them every day, pitching to investors or trying to get funding to make their startup dream happen. You see them on TV shows like Shark Tank, trying to convince the judges their idea is the next Uber of… you can fill […]
Should you innovate? Listen to your market
Innovation without a market is like cooking a meal for one – you can still feel satisfied, even if no one else would eat it. But what happens when you start serving your cuisine du jour to others? The decision to innovate can be a difficult one, as innovation typically involves a longer term commitment of […]
Three cheers for Friday Beers: the ‘true brew’ Aussies serving drinks to your desk
Friday afternoon drinks – it’s the great Australian ritual that brings workers together so they can celebrate the week’s successes and recover from its trials. But there’s always been one catch: some poor fool has had to go on a bottle shop run. Not anymore… enter Friday Beers. The brainchild of ex-corporates Keegan Sard and […]
5 Investment lessons from the TV show Shark Tank
While there are certain things that reality television shows have in common – the vast majority of them seem to keep us glued to our seats while, at the same time, make us cringe at some of the things people do or say – not all reality TV shows are created equal. Some are little […]