The Australian entrepreneurial scene continues to flourish with vigour as year after year, new hopeful start-ups emerge with great gusto and innovation. From security to design and convenience to parenting, the following four businesses exemplify the wide-ranging and inspiring Australian start-up landscape that can be found in 2014. Read on to discover their unique stories and visions.
Kinderloop
The most successful business ideas often stem from identifying gaps in the market or creating your own demand. How do we do this? By analysing our everyday lives and what we know best. Dan Day and Dan Walker did just this. As the working parents of young preschoolers, these two Australian Dads felt that they were missing out on the precious moments that surrounded their children’s development. The solution was Kinderloop, a software application that allows preschools and day care providers to provide parents with interactive updates through video and photo-capturing technology. Accessed via a password-protected channel, Kinderloop’s updates come at a very affordable price and a 30-day free trial is currently being offered on the business’s website.
Your Digital File
Spearheaded by founder Jamie Wilson, http://www.yourdigitalfile.com/ is a Brisbane-based business that is set to revolutionise the way we store our files online. After the unexpected death of his father, Wilson was surprised and frustrated to discover how arduous it was to collect his father’s personal documents. Wouldn’t it be great if there was one, secure place for all our official and confidential documents? Thanks to Wilson’s inability to accept the status quo, there now is. After three years of building and testing, Your Digital File has been unveiled as a cloud computing storage system that provides a new, unmatchable level of online security using its very own Cryptoloc technology. Other great features include easy usability, the ability to recover documents if your password is lost and optional auto-sharing in the event of a tragedy. The product is being touted as a must-have for industries and professions that deal with a high volume of confidential documents, but is also available for individual use.
Skwibl
Riding the ever-expanding wave of technology, graphic design is an increasingly popular profession, while outsourcing is now an established, viable option for many businesses. Enter Skwibl, an Adelaide-based business that combines these two concepts by providing a space where designers and clients can work in collaboration. Remember that red pen your English teacher whipped out for essays? Using cloud technology, Skwibl is an online platform where users can interact in real time, letting you leave your own red-marked corrections, including notes, comments and drawings on images and video frames. It’s time to leave behind complicated, time-wasting email threads and embrace the future.
Pocketbook
Looking around the app marketplace, it’s easy to recognise that many products are designed to make our lives that much easier. Pocketbook, a financial management app from Sydney duo Alvin Singh and Bosco Tan is no different. Already well on the path to success with an estimated 50,000 users, Pocketbook uses cloud technology to securely access bank accounts and other personal information, providing an overview of spending and budgeting. The app also allows you to categorise your budget into sections such as groceries, shopping, petrol or dining and sends through notifications regarding goal achievements, due bills and bank fees.
Are you an aspiring entrepreneur? Or have you recently established a start-up business? Comment below and share your thoughts, tips or personal stories.
