The Official Business Owner Thread!
Jun 16th 2010, 1:21 pm
#16
Has left the building
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,079
Re: The Official Business Owner Thread!
Well it's sharing part of our dedicated server, we don't actively promote the hosting as a rule and normally keep it for existing clients or people requesting to us direct,
but yep - £35 to be on part of our dedicated server... we don't restrict sites on size or bandwidth etc as most clients are just small businesses with brochure sites, so they don't take up too much space and power
Jen
but yep - £35 to be on part of our dedicated server... we don't restrict sites on size or bandwidth etc as most clients are just small businesses with brochure sites, so they don't take up too much space and power
Jen
Jun 17th 2010, 12:44 am
#17
Decreased member
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Pere Lachaise Cemetary, plot 666
Posts: 1,381
Re: The Official Business Owner Thread!
Sounds like you know nothing about retail in Australia to me.
The structure of our sector was set up by the government a few years ago and is reviewed by the ACCC every 3 years - the publishers (News Corp, Fairfax) like it as their distribution costs are cut and we have to supply anyone in our territory (we currently have 7 subagents - some newsagents have up to 30!). This also includes home delivery which we are contractually obliged to perform for a set delivery charge. So it is a very structured, organised and efficient model.
Jun 18th 2010, 8:12 am
#18
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2007
Location: Wales, UK
Posts: 309
Re: The Official Business Owner Thread!
Sounds like you know nothing about retail in Australia to me.
The structure of our sector was set up by the government a few years ago and is reviewed by the ACCC every 3 years - the publishers (News Corp, Fairfax) like it as their distribution costs are cut and we have to supply anyone in our territory (we currently have 7 subagents - some newsagents have up to 30!). This also includes home delivery which we are contractually obliged to perform for a set delivery charge. So it is a very structured, organised and efficient model.
The structure of our sector was set up by the government a few years ago and is reviewed by the ACCC every 3 years - the publishers (News Corp, Fairfax) like it as their distribution costs are cut and we have to supply anyone in our territory (we currently have 7 subagents - some newsagents have up to 30!). This also includes home delivery which we are contractually obliged to perform for a set delivery charge. So it is a very structured, organised and efficient model.
Jun 18th 2010, 11:21 pm
#19
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 152
Re: The Official Business Owner Thread!
Thanks for the heads up!
I was looking at search numbers, and although it looks like there's more work to be had in Melbourne and possibly Sydney... nah the gold coast wins in my mind
I can always set up virtual offices or mini branches in those cities when over there!
We're very competitive, and as an idea we provide dedicated hosting for £35 per year. The server is UK based but i'm still not convinced server location makes any difference to search engine rankings (unless anyone has any evidence to show me lol).
Brochure websites with a content mangement system and a years free hosting are £295. Interactive features, on-site SEO and ecommerce stores tend to bump the price up, but we rarely go over £1000 so I think we're still extremely cheap... i just need to do more research about competition prices over there.......
We're also relaunching our site next week because we've been upgrading the web design service to offer more visually stimulating sites, and we're creating a .com.au to start promoting our services in Oz ready for the move! All exciting
Jen
I was looking at search numbers, and although it looks like there's more work to be had in Melbourne and possibly Sydney... nah the gold coast wins in my mind
I can always set up virtual offices or mini branches in those cities when over there!
We're very competitive, and as an idea we provide dedicated hosting for £35 per year. The server is UK based but i'm still not convinced server location makes any difference to search engine rankings (unless anyone has any evidence to show me lol).
Brochure websites with a content mangement system and a years free hosting are £295. Interactive features, on-site SEO and ecommerce stores tend to bump the price up, but we rarely go over £1000 so I think we're still extremely cheap... i just need to do more research about competition prices over there.......
We're also relaunching our site next week because we've been upgrading the web design service to offer more visually stimulating sites, and we're creating a .com.au to start promoting our services in Oz ready for the move! All exciting
Jen
Jun 18th 2010, 11:25 pm
#20
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 152
Re: The Official Business Owner Thread!
Can anyone point me in the direction of a good hosting company? I freelance in Web Design and SEO and have people asking if I do web hosting all the time - I have resisted because my clients are both in the UK and Aus. But I'd consider it if I could fine a solid reseller package that works well in UK and Aus - like allows you to buy .co.uk and .com au domains.
Cheers
Cheers
Jun 19th 2010, 1:49 am
#21
Harrip
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 495
Re: The Official Business Owner Thread!
Can anyone point me in the direction of a good hosting company? I freelance in Web Design and SEO and have people asking if I do web hosting all the time - I have resisted because my clients are both in the UK and Aus. But I'd consider it if I could fine a solid reseller package that works well in UK and Aus - like allows you to buy .co.uk and .com au domains.
Cheers
Cheers
Jun 19th 2010, 6:01 am
#22
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 62
Re: The Official Business Owner Thread!
Hi,
What are the potential business opportunities for ecommerce developers in Australia for SMB or even retail sector. I'm an expert in ecommerce development, however I seldom write coding since there are many products for that nowadays.
How much does it cost to bring a retail shop online? for example, groceries or computer shops etc, how do they charge there. anyone on the boat?
What are the potential business opportunities for ecommerce developers in Australia for SMB or even retail sector. I'm an expert in ecommerce development, however I seldom write coding since there are many products for that nowadays.
How much does it cost to bring a retail shop online? for example, groceries or computer shops etc, how do they charge there. anyone on the boat?
Jun 20th 2010, 2:15 am
#23
Decreased member
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Pere Lachaise Cemetary, plot 666
Posts: 1,381
Re: The Official Business Owner Thread!
There is certainly more room for 'independents' in the retail sector in Aus. Although the national chains dominate the larger, regional shopping centres(Westfield, Centro etc) local shopping centres provide opportunities for individuals. Franchises seem to be a very popular way into retail for unexperienced potential business owners as they provide help in all aspects of setting up and running an operation (although they also take a large slice of the profits).
I have never been comfortable sucking corporate dick and compared to UK I feel Aus has a leveller playing field for independents to make money as well as the national / international chains.
Sep 21st 2010, 2:31 pm
#24
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Sydney St Ives, previously Burnham, Bucks
Posts: 122
Re: The Official Business Owner Thread!
I answer to the OP's question:
we moved to Sydney on a 163 visa. We found customer contacts through a targetted ad on Linkedin (very cost efficient). Our offer was to provide 3 month's consultancy for free, and if they liked it they would sign up for a year's contract at the end of the 3 months. We are now fully booked a year ahead with the security of knowing we will make our turnover target for the visa. Obviously this meant being in a financial position to support ourselves until we were invoicing and being paid, meant having cash on reserve and one glorious day when we exchanged at a rate of 2.7
We have just got our first glowing customer reference (more requested, so hopefully more to follow). The free offer was a risk, and expensive for us, but looking back I wouldn't have done it any differently if we had to do it again as it was a surefire way to get people's attention.
we moved to Sydney on a 163 visa. We found customer contacts through a targetted ad on Linkedin (very cost efficient). Our offer was to provide 3 month's consultancy for free, and if they liked it they would sign up for a year's contract at the end of the 3 months. We are now fully booked a year ahead with the security of knowing we will make our turnover target for the visa. Obviously this meant being in a financial position to support ourselves until we were invoicing and being paid, meant having cash on reserve and one glorious day when we exchanged at a rate of 2.7
We have just got our first glowing customer reference (more requested, so hopefully more to follow). The free offer was a risk, and expensive for us, but looking back I wouldn't have done it any differently if we had to do it again as it was a surefire way to get people's attention.
Sep 22nd 2010, 12:18 am
#25
snɐןɔ ʎʇıuɐs
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 6,558
Re: The Official Business Owner Thread!
If you are hosting in the UK (eg a UK IP address range) and use a non .au domain name, then you will be much lower down returns from google.com.au than more local sites, and might not even appear on 'Pages from Australia'.
Basically Google needs something to know where you are, and it uses IP address and domain name to do it. It also likes to promote local sites in returns, on the basis that they are more likely to be valuable to the searcher.
Although there are other ways to rectify this, its best to ensure one or other is true.
Oh, and the latency in communicating back to a UK server can be extreme - even LA based would be better.
