“We’re all in this together” is a mantra we’ve heard countless times through COVID-19, and it’s one that’s always been true for Manly Food Co-Operative, a volunteer run bulk food store on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

In this episode of The Company You Keep, we hear from chairperson Sarah Weate on how the business has leveraged its culture of cooperation to get online and continue serving its 4,000 strong member base through the pandemic.

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COVID-19 has rattled the confidence of many business owners, even those in the business of teaching confidence to others. Meet Phil Allison, a behavioural change expert whose company, Corporate Edge, has taken a hit in the current climate.

In this episode of The Company You Keep, Phil opens up on what’s been a difficult start to the year. We hear about the importance of remembering your vision and get Phil’s tips for nurturing your team in troubling times.

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Business Australia

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For HSC CoWorks, COVID-19 has been an exercise in practicing what you preach. Managing director Jesse Gardiner operates on a vision and solutions focused philosophy, one that has been instrumental in keeping his business afloat in these challenging times. In this episode we dive into the importance of core values, the merits of a good mentor and how 100 push-ups a day can unlock some much needed clarity.

Other Resources

Business Australia

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Business Australia’s coronavirus resources

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COVID-19 has taken a wrecking ball to the sporting calendar for 2020, with major events being cancelled all over the world. With livelihoods anchored to these events, business owners have had to think quickly to adjust to the situation at hand — often in interesting ways. In this episode of The Company You Keep, we chat to Roland Dane, managing director of Triple Eight Engineering, about harnessing his team’s engineering prowess to keep them focused, motivated and making a real-world difference in times of crisis.

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Business Australia

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With beauty salons closed during lockdown, people have turned to DIY pampering for a bit of self care. Nobody knows this better than CanGro co-founders Felecia Tappenden and Belinda Robinson, whose online beauty business has seen a staggering 450% increase in sales during COVID-19. In this episode we hear how the dynamic duo are growing their business, keeping up with demand and finding some much needed balance in these uncertain times.

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Business Australia

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Business Australia’s coronavirus resources

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COVID-19 has been a journey into the unexpected for many businesses, but for Sydney’s Young Henrys brewery, a knock on the door from the local police added a whole new surprise to the mix. In this episode of The Company You Keep, we sit down with two of the company’s directors, Oscar McMahon and Dan Hampton, to hear how this beloved boutique brewery is pulling together, giving back and staving off a pandemic sized hangover.

Other resources:

Business Australia

www.businessaustralia.com/

Business Australia’s coronavirus resources

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Lital Green, Director of Inspire CoWork, wife and mother of two young kids, shares the exponential growth of her co-working business in Southern Sydney – an idea that grew from a personal need, to a successful business in a matter of months. Listen for practical advice on being flexible with your business plan and not being afraid to roll up your sleeves and get dirty when your business needs it.

Caique Ponzoni is the Founder and Owner of Naked Foods. Brazilian born, Caique originally moved to Australia to live out the Aussie dream, surf and learn English. But he ended up making a home here focusing on his passion for sustainability and zero waste. Starting out at local farmers markets, Caique founded wholefoods retailer Naked Foods in 2012 and has since expanded to more than 20 stores nationally. But it hasn't always been easy, tune in to hear from Caique about how to overcome major business mistakes and scaling up a big business venture without any experience.

Greg Welsh, Director and Co-founder of WINYA Indigenous Furniture shares the inspiring story of how he makes an impact in the indigenous community with furniture – an idea that evolved out of his passion to provide more indigenous employment opportunities. Listen for practical advice on how you can establish long term partnerships to help other businesses achieve their corporate social responsibilities and why you should actually address your mistakes head on, rather than shy away from them.

Allan Dall, CEO of tech consulting firm The Glue, talks to Janice about how attracting valuable customers is only one part of growing your start-up. He reveals how a unique customer experience is the answer in even the most saturated of markets, and why it's important to back yourself even in those early days. Tune in to hear from Allan about how to adjust your approach as you grow and to address problems such as staff retention through data.