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UWA MBA student Abby Page is about to launch her own start-up, enabled by skills she learnt in a scenario planning course.

Last year, Abby enrolled in Scenario Planning and the Art of Strategic Conversation , run by AIM+UWA Business School Executive Education, as credit towards her MBA .

Now, she is turning her passion for business and love of flowers into a challenger brand in an attempt to disrupt the industry. Together with long-time friend and co-founder Leah Pooley, based in Melbourne, Abby is just two months off launching an online marketplace bringing together florists and consumers.

“I took the seed of an idea that I had been working on for a couple of months into the Scenario Planning course and my group used this as our case. I then continued to work on the idea, and it is now coming into fruition,” Abby said.

“The Scenario Planning course helped greatly by encouraging structured, big picture thinking. The process forces you to think not only about best case scenarios, but what might go wrong, so that you can try to de-risk as much as possible. George [Burt] is a fantastic facilitator and really challenges your thinking.

“My business, Flowerfox , is about simplifying the flower buying experience for customers and, empowering local bricks and mortar florists to compete and adapt in a digital age.

“Bricks and mortar florists are dropping like flies; many can’t afford their own online store and those that can find it difficult to successfully promote it against the big online players. We want to support local businesses and bringing the artistry back into floristry.”

Scenario Planning and the Art of Strategic Conversation is delivered by Professor George Burt, Director of the Centre for Advanced Management Education, and Director of the Stirling MBA at the University of Stirling Management School. Professor Burt has worked in the UK and internationally with organisations such as World Bank, Shell, ProRail Holland, PETRONAS Malaysia, and PayPal

Media references

Karen Della Torre (UWA Business School)                                          (+61 8) 6488 8538
Verity Chia (UWA Business School)                                                   (+61 8) 6488 1346