With the new year on our doorstep, have you made the resolution that you will do what you love? Will 2016 be the year to start your own business, call the shots and live your passion day to day? Before you take the plunge, have a read about how four ordinary people made 2015 the year they brought their idea and passion to market and achieved amazing success.
Gauri Vohra and Apoorv Sahani missed the traditional Indian chai that they grew up with when they moved to Melbourne. After making some for themselves at home, they realised there was a gap in the market, for a real traditional chai where the spices are ground and kept separately from the tea leaves and decided to sell their chai, starting their retail days at the Queen Victoria Market. In 2015, The Original Chai Co. got a little rebrand, some shiny new tins and branched out into online retail and sold out of product before the Christmas!
Gauri: Listen to the experienced, no matter how innovative or out of the box their ideas are; as a new business owner, one can learn and plan around the mistakes and suggestions made.
Apoorv: Surround yourself with a great team, that works with you on every level
This year, So 9, a design-led Vietnamese eatery, opened up in Waterloo, a suburb transforming from an industrial park to chic suburb. So 9 features family style, authentic flavours, with stations throughout the restaurant where you can see the different types of food being made, in a refined, yet welcoming Scandinavian aesthetic. So9 was listed in the Fave 5 new restaurants for 2015 by Urban List.
Kim Tran: Love what you do. Keep your goals realistic and expect to work hard.
The mission is simple, bring 100% natural and fresh coconuts to everyone, wherever and whenever they need them. We’ve tried them ourselves, they’re simply some of the best drinking coconuts we’ve ever had (and we don’t say that lightly). Whilst Cocofix coconuts have started appearing on fruit stands around town, in 2016 expect a subscription delivery service and Cocobikes delivering the goodness at the beach and at festivals.
Steve Wilson: Surround yourself with positive people. Don’t try to do everything yourself. Think big and be brave!
Delhi Streets brought flavour filled, accessible and fun Indian food to the Archway in the CBD, from freshly made naan bread, to curry platters giving you a taste of everything. From opening, Delhi Streets has been well received, and was awarded The Age Good Food Cheap Eats Award for 2015; showing that Indian food can be relevant and fun.
Charan Singh: Follow your passion, not the money! If you’re happy doing what you love, money will follow you. You will make mistakes, but if you learn from them, you’ll never fail!
Make 2016 the year your big idea gets off the ground, click here to see how…