News Archive

UWA Business School
Five family businesses that were assisted by The University of Western Australia SIFE students won or finished as finalists in their categories at the WA Family Business Australia (FBA) Awards in May.

UWA Business School PhD student Daniel Schepis assisted both Bamboozle, a finalist in the First Generation category, and WA Cleanskin Cellars, the winner of the BDO Growth Award. National Corporate Training (NCT) was assisted by Arts/Law student Leigh Smith, and Mohsin Malik assisted both Unique Metals Laser and Brett Philips Ocean Industries.

Helping each company enter the awards took over a dozen hours. Daniel completed the award application forms after conducting interviews with company staff and owners. He particularly enjoyed the practical experience. ‘I got a great insight into two very different companies with unique product offerings, both of which are very successful,' he says.

The first WA Cleanskin Cellars store opened in 2004 in Subiaco, when Marie Cloughley realised that there was no convenient place to buy ‘a decent bottle of wine for under $20.' However, this was only after a long legal battle with Coles.

‘I lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in my legal battle with Coles, shed many tears and lost many nights' sleep,' says Marie. ‘I spent a whole day in a witness box being cross examined by their lawyers. If I knew now what I knew then, I probably would not have taken on the task.'

However, Marie persevered and her business has now achieved numerous milestones. On her list, she includes her first store, first million dollars in turnover, winning court battles against both Coles and the Liquor Stores Association, becoming the first liquor store to trade on a Sunday, and the opening of the first WA Cleanskin Cellars franchise.

Sometimes, however, it's the everyday things that mean the most. ‘I remember once leaving the warehouse and looking at all the trucks doing deliveries,' recalls Marie. ‘That's when I realised that we employ a lot of people, directly or indirectly, and this was a realisation for me. I am very proud of what we have built and how much we continue to grow.'

Of course, there will always be challenges in running a business. ‘Our most challenging part is expansion,' Marie acknowledges. ‘We have to generate the money to expand as we do not have any money to inject. This has been very difficult; however, we are very proud that we have gotten this far and we have not had to take on an investor.'

The awards application process proved to be a learning experience for both Marie and Daniel. WA Cleanskin Cellars has only recently joined FBA, but Marie praises the support it provides: ‘The symposium was fantastic and we have taken on board a lot that was said and implemented it into our business.'

Daniel, meanwhile, enjoyed the opportunity to put his business theory skills into practice. ‘The main challenge was that many of the application categories were either not previously considered by the company (such as succession planning) or they were not applicable to the company (due to the sizes). I worked with the companies to formally write up certain policies that were not previously considered,' he explains.

The practical skills, hopes Daniel, will help him with his research. And, of course, he's pleased to have helped improve the business practices of small businesses. ‘I was very pleased to hear that both of the companies I worked with did well. I obviously knew that they were both strong candidates for the awards; however, I had no idea of the quality of competition.'

Leigh Smith assisted National Corporate Training (NCT), the winner of the Second Generation category. Leigh is currently completing honours in Employment Relations, and has studied a wide range of topics, including the nature of work and organisations, and human resource management.

Leigh was keen to build on this theoretical base. ‘Participating in the [SIFE] program has allowed me to supplement this knowledge with a practical understanding of how a particular business operates. It also gave me the opportunity to put into practice many of the skills I have learnt throughout my time at university.'

In particular, Leigh enjoyed having the opportunity to assist a family business and the challenge of writing the application form. Leigh admits to being unsure of what was expected of the SIFE students. However, Leigh made extensive use of the template entry form and other guidance.

Leigh's dedication proved worthwhile, with NCT - which boasts nearly 9,000 student/courses enrolled each year in 11,000 certificates - winning its category.

For Leigh, however, the awards provided an invaluable opportunity to acknowledge the success of small business like NCT and WA Cleanskin Cellars. ‘From my brief time working with NCT, and attending the Family Business Awards ceremony, it is apparent that many family businesses place considerable effort in developing ‘best practice' policies designed to ensure their continued success. The awards provide a great opportunity for these businesses to be recognised for their efforts.'

Lorraine Willis, the Chief Executive of FBA, also recognises the efforts of UWA's SIFE students. ‘Calvin Coyles [vice-president SIFE UWA] did an outstanding job in representing the SIFE team on the day and many of our members have commented not only on his brilliant public speaking ability but also the connection between the SIFE team and FBA.'

The UWA Business School sponsors FBA, which allows the organisation to benefit from the advice and guidance of experts such as Assistant Professor Doina Olaru, who lectures in Management and Organisations.

FBA WA was established in 1998 as a tool to help strengthen local family businesses. In addition to annual awards, the organisation offers educational seminars, forums, businesses advisors and networking opportunities.

SIFE was originally established in the United States in 1975 by Robert T. Davis, a lawyer acting on behalf of the National Leadership Institute. Now, it operates across 2,000 campuses in 48 countries.

SIFE UWA is in its fourth year and has a current portfolio of seven projects. These include helping to educate school children, strengthen local family businesses, and assist indigenous communities to develop sustainable business practices. In 2008, SIFE UWA won the national SIFE championships.

Students wishing to participate in SIFE can contact Calvin Coyles