Melbourne Business and Life

Car Leasing - Novated Lease in Melbourne?

2008-05-16T17:11:00.000-07:00

To lease or not to lease - that is a question!

I remember going for a car lease in 1996. It was my first lease and gladly I accepted the terms on that brand new red Ford. However when I received the first monthly statement - my logical part could not get it. The lease payment was so high that I could do much better using a portion of my home loan. I jumped out of that car lease the next day.

Things can be different for you.
Take the service offered by Fleet Partners - Australian car leasing company.

Based on serious money and even more serious car leasing expertise, they offer a range of solutions. Novated lease - is one of the most attractive one. Why - because it is a win-win for employees, employers and finance provider.
Employees win because they pay for the car BEFORE tax, employer does not need to worry about car maintenance and repairs, financial organization eventually makes money.

For those of us with mathematical skills I will tell that car leasing is less feasible than cash purchase. However without car lease we will never be able to drive a brand new car...

Premium Tea Wholesaler

2008-03-06T20:10:00.000-08:00

The "wholesaler" to me is something big.
You need to have funds, storage premises, stock, equipment, contracts etc.

Anna proved me to be wrong - she became a premium tea wholesaler in Australia just in 2 years with a very simple set up.

This beautiful young lady - another Melbournian full of ideas - has a thing about tea.
She believes in its power.

Anna says "Tea for Beauty, Tea for Health, Tea for Life".

To start with she read everything she could about tea. Then she traveled to China, to India and established business contacts. But that was not enough for her!

Anna decided to formulate special premium tea line of products.

She experimented with dozens of premium leaf tea combinations, worked on packaging, distribution and today she has an established line of premium leaf teas.

Her most exotic tea is "Blooming Green Tea"

Anna sells tea wholesale to restaurants, hotels and individuals who love tea.

Wanna cup of tea?

Taxi - Melbourne - Taxi

2008-03-06T19:44:00.001-08:00

You know it - Melbourne taxis are everywhere when you do not need them.
They undercut you, they speed they park in the spots where you are not allowed to.

When you need a taxi - they disappear.

That is not all. Very often drivers do not know Melbourne, taxi - stink, air-conditioner doesn't work and you are running late to the Melbourne airport.

This guy - Alex (he is a former motorbike racer) - wants change the state and reputation of Melbourne taxi.

He set up a business that has:
- ordinary taxis
- luxury taxis
- limousines

He acquired great national number: 1300 PickUp,
set up a website with the online SMS booking,
put signs on some big streets and offers this:
- luxury airport transfers (Melbourne) for the price of a general taxi
- baby seats on board - to cater for the families with kids
- company accounts for corporations

His taxi business is booming now!
he told me that his website attracted taxi bookings from Japan, New Zealand, Singapore.

I love to watch success of other good people, don't you?

Healthy Food Idea

2008-03-06T19:30:00.000-08:00

You have to be seek or have a health condition to start thinking about healthy food and healthy eating habit.
This guy - let's call him Mick - got a bunch of conditions and that was disturbing him because he is an astute business man and needs a lot of energy and time - every day.

Guess what - he decided to turn his health problems into health business.
Based on his knowledge of health condition, he started collecting the material, talking to right people, creating some interest in media.

As a result the Healthy Recipes website was created.

The business model is smart. Membership is free and gives you a discount in their online health shop. If you can spend $29.95 - you can get an annual VIP membership that entitles you to a 15% discount and 500 recipes. But there is more - each month you receive 10 additional healthy recipes.

Mick's website is very young but it already attracted hundreds of members.

I could not believe that there are so many unhealthy people in Australia.

Living in Melbourne

2008-03-06T19:11:00.000-08:00

Some people think that Melbourne (Australia) is a parochial town.
That might have been true even in early 90s.
Not any more.
In past 10-15 years this city went through dramatical development and now is attractive for the tourists, business people and .. romantics.

In fact this is the formula I came up with:
"Queensland is a fertile soil for crooks, Sydney is a city of pragmatic businessmen, Melbourne is the place where ideas are born!"

I lived in other big cities, but Melbourne life is different.
You live in a big city and feel its beat 5 days a week.
On the weekend - you relax (unless looking for another house), watch cricket or footy, have a beer or 2..

Thing that strikes me is: How Many Ideas Melbournians generate!

You are sitting in the cafe, or walking on the beach or having a kid's party - someone will tell you about another crazy idea that should turn the world.

Unfortunately, most of those ideas do not materialize.
You must live in Sydney to make the ideas work!

Of course I am kidding - check my posts for the business ideas, business cases and more.