CCBR Business Review

12 B U S I N E S S B R I E F S Iland co. – from market stalls to online retailer Iland co. founder Jodie Minto Jodie Minto was looking for a way to combine her love of fashion and market- ing with a business idea to free her from corporate life. On holidays in Sri Lanka, almost nine years ago, she came up with the concept of iland co. - a range of ladies resort wear that’s vibrant, colourful and carefree. Returning to Dubai, where she lived with her husband and two children, she started dabbling with products and ideas. Despite a number of false starts, she eventually developed her signature design - a Western take on a kimono and Abaya, inspired by living in the Middle East and being exposed to lots of different cultures, and beautiful fabrics. Designed to be one-size-fits-all to make selling online easier, she experimented with different fabrics, prints, shapes and lengths. Initially, she juggled a corporate career and weekend markets to build her brand, eventually deciding online was where she wanted to dominate. In 2014, Ms Minto put her energy into mastering online ecommerce and digital marketing for over two years before build- ing her online store – iland co. Within three years, the online business. was turning a healthy profit and her suc- cess was being noticed in the ecommerce fashion space. “ “We have grown 300% in revenue this year, hitting the seven figures. With over a million dollars in revenue this Financial Year this is a big achievement,” Ms Minto said. This growth has enabled Ms Minto to expand her team, hiring a full-time employ- ee to assist with customer service, order fulfillment and social media management. Mid COVID-19, she hired a second cus- tomer service coordinator part time and an inhouse fashion designer one day per week. In August Ms Minto moved the business to a commercial office and warehouse space. The growth of iland co. in the past twelve months has resulted in Ms Minto moving into a commercial office and warehouse space at Erina. Kwik Kopy Gosford 2021 Kwik Kopy Gosford has been crowned winner of the 2021 Kwik Kopy Franchise of The Year Award. The award recognises operational excellence in centres across the country each year, ranking centres according to a series of benchmarks including sales, growth and profitability. Kwik Kopy Gosford Director, Peter Clarke, opened Kwik Kopy Gosford 15 years ago and has built it from the ground up. As a greenfield site, the business started with zero customers. Today, Kwik Kopy Gosford has a seven figure turnover and over 1,100 customers. David Bell, Managing Director at Kwik Kopy Australia has described Mr Clarke as an innovator, people person and an ideal example of what a franchise owner should look like. “He is smart, he is innovative, he is a problem solver and he has high emo- tional intelligence which has enabled him to build amazing relationships of trust with his customers and staff. Many of his top customers have been with him for over ten years.” Commenting on the award, Mr Clarke said, “This award is a testament to my wonderful team. They are the business’ greatest asset. Their skills and knowledge base have allowed us to be very agile and meet customer expectations.” He has been a member of Kwik Kopy’s Performance Group 5 since its inception over 10 years ago, which brings together high-performing, digital-minded franchisees. Franchisee of the Year Kwik Kopy Gosford Team with Peter Clarke (far right) Big award for All Fired Up (l to r) AFU Certification and Technical Director Andy Mortlock, Managing Director Craig Doyle with HR and Administration Manager Donna Bevitt , and Operations Manager Craig Ralston Erina based fire services company All Fired Up have been announced 2021 winner of the Fire Protection Association Harry Marryatt Company of the Year, 1-49 Employees Award. “Winning this National Award is a pres- tigious honour that serves to recognize the best of the best in the Fire Protection Industry Nationwide,” said Managing Director and Partner Craig Doyle. All Fired Up were recognised in the top 5 companies nationally, for the second time running. The first nomination as a finalist was in 2019. The award was presented to the All Fired Up team at a black-tie gala held at Darling Harbour Sydney in May. “All Fired Up celebrates our fabulous team and thanks to everyone for their hard work and expertise that’s lead us to being an award-winning company. We wish to acknowledge our clients and suppliers,” said Mr Doyle. All Fired Up marks 10 years in business this December. Receiving such a prestig- ious award acknowledges our dedication to excellence in our industry. This Award enables us to highlight our industry whilst showcasing our region. CENTRAL COAST BUSINESS REVIEW JULY 2021