Projects

Cultivating Entrepreneurship

Indigenous Business Australia (IBA)

In 2009 SES prepared and facilitated a planning and strategy workshop for IBA. SES Director, Kim Houghton also facilitated a meeting between Indigenous businesses owners and IBA.

World Bank Business Incubator Project

In 2007 SES Director Kim Houghton worked with the World Bank and its Business Incubator Program. Work included included writing and editing material for the Infodev website and the Incubator Manager's Handbook.

St Marys Business Support Centre

Client need: SES was commissioned by Delphin Lendlease to do a feasibility study and business plan for a Business Support Centre at their St Marys site in Western Sydney. This project was completed in late 2006.

Small Business Futures Workshops

In 2005 SES developed the 'Small Business Futures' Workshop. These workshops use the latest economic and social trends data (customised to the local context) and were developed as a means of engaging with small business operators on the future of their communities, regions and businesses.

Between August 2005 and March 2006, SES has delivered over 25 workshop across Eastern Australia to over 1,000 enthusiastic small business operators!

Over the next couple of months, SES will be presenting a further 20 workshop across regional Australia. Workshop dates and more information about Small Business Futures is available from www.smallbusinessfutures.com.au

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Iran Incubator Project: Strategic Planning, Review and Evaluation

In late 2005, SES was contracted by Isfahan Science and Technology Town, funded by the World Bank Incubator Program, to provided strategic planning, review and evaluation advice in regards to plans for Business Incubation and small business support services in Iran. SES Director, Kim Houghton took part in a three day review and planning session in Isfahan, Iran.

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Business Operators Still at School

This project was funded by RIRDIC with the objective of identifying ways of enhancing the business skills of young people, while at school, thereby increasing their communities’ economic, business and employment opportunities.

The project grew out of an idea that the development of business skills is central to the sustainability of industries and to the development of new, innovative businesses and business processes, in particular in rural and regional communities around Australia. The development of these skills at an early age may increase the number of new start businesses in Australia and at the same time increase efficiencies and decrease closures and failure rates.

The project consisted of a review of relevant literature, followed by trial and release of a national online survey of school students and series of focus groups. The findings from the primary research activities were analysed and compiled into a comprehensive report.

The project found that many school students do want to run a business as a career outcome, and that it is estimated that 4% of Australian students (53,000) are already running a business or conducting business-like activities. The project also found that businesses run by students are hard to define and that the school system is not connected in any formal way with business operators as a group, and does not see running a business as a recognised outcome for students. Business operators at school have strong similarities with their adult counterparts and have particular support needs. Schools therefore have a challenging role in supporting students running businesses.

The project identifies several models that can assist in developing the skills and the business success of young people while they are at school.The project was completed in late 2005.

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Incubator Manager's Training Program: Nepal

In Early 2005 SES was contracted by Nepal’s IT Professional Forum (ITPF), funded by a Planning Grant from infoDev (part of the World Bank) to run an Incubator Manager's training Program. The three day training course was held in Katmandu in April.

The workshop had some 25 participants from Government (Ministry of Science and Technology, National IT Centre, Ministry of Cottage and Small Industries) as well as from academia (Katmandu University and School of Engineering), as well as a representative from an NGO (Helvetas) and several private IT businesspeople who were members of ITPF.

Workshop Content
The workshop content was prepared by Kim Houghton from SES and Julian Webb from CREEDA Projects. The workshop covered:

  • International importance of small business
  • Understanding entrepreneurs
  • Engaging entrepreneurs and supporting business growth
  • Business incubation, definition and principles
  • Fundamentals of business incubation and international examples
  • ICT and incubation
  • Incubator outcomes and success factors
  • Incubator models
  • Incubator elements and activities
  • Understanding the market for incubation
  • Attracting good tenants
  • Entry and graduation policies
  • Importance of links and networks
  • Incubator business models
  • Incubator structure, management and governance
  • Boards and managers
  • Monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment
  • Incubator business plan for Nepal
  • Incubators influencing the enabling environment
The workshop was designed to be comprehensive, covering a wide range of topics essential in incubator planning and management. The workshop covered higher level issues – relating to the local economic and business environment, for example – as well as nuts and bolts topics like tenant graduation policies, manager duty statements and training needs.

A key feature of the workshop as it developed was extensive use of small-group activities to enable the participants to apply the material presented to the context in Nepal. These exercises were structured so that they covered the main elements of a business plan for establishing incubation in Nepal.

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ANZABI Case Studies

In 2004 SES worked on preparing a book of around 80 pages profiling Australian small business incubators and their impact. The book profiles 10 incubators, as well as incubator tenants and graduates. The Australia New Zealand Association of Business Incubators (ANZABI) obtained funding for the book from AusIndustry, and engaged SES to research, write and desktop design the book.

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Business Incubator Feasibility Studies: Riverland, Frankston and Heburn.

SES has worked closely with CREEDA Projects on the development of feasibility studies for Business Incubators in Riverland (SA), Frankston and Heburn (Vic). In each of these projects, SES undertook comprehensive market demand assessments through analysis of desktop economic information as well as local economic conditions, surveys, interviews, consultation and focus groups, analysis and input into the final reports. The Riverland project was completed in 2004, the Frankston and Heburn Projects were completed in 2005.

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Business Support Services in China

In 2002/03, SES Director Kim Houghton was one of a small team, coordinated by the ANU’s consulting arm ANUTech, working with authorities in two Chinese cities to develop small business support services. The cities of Harbin and Qingdao were selected as the sites for this pilot project, funded under Ausaid’s China Capacity Building Program.

The project involved visits, consultations and presentations in the two cities and Beijing, a major survey of impediments to small private business growth in the two cities, and specialist training in Australia and China.

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Perth and QUT and Palmerston North High Tech Incubator

SES has worked closely with CREEDA Projects on the development of feasibility studies for High Tech Business Incubators in Perth, Palmerston North (NZ) and at QUT.

These concepts focused on commercialising R&D from within the universities as well as from surrounding areas.

In each of these projects, SES undertook comprehensive market demand assessments. This included Intellectual property audits of the institutions in conjunction with looking at local economic conditions, surveys, interviews, consultation and focus groups. SES also provided analysis and input into recommended business models and the final reports. The Palmerston project was completed in 2001. The QUT and Perth projects were completed in 2003.

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Kitchen Incubators: South Australia and Northern Rivers

SES has worked closely with CREEDA Projects on the development of feasibility studies for Kitchen Incubators in South Australia and the Northern Rivers area of NSW.

These projects focused on gathering information from growers, food producers and other potential users of the incubators.

In each of these projects, SES undertook comprehensive market demand assessments. This included desk top audits in conjunction with looking at local economic conditions, surveys, interviews, consultation and focus groups. SES also provided analysis and input into recommended business models and the final reports. The SA project was completed in 2002 and the Northern Rivers Project was completed in 2003.

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Epicorp High Technology Business Incubator

Client Need: R&D institutions in the ACT have been working for several years on broadening the range of support for small businesses that are spinning-out of commercialisable R&D. CREEDA was invited to prepare a detailed business plan for a high technology small business incubator for the Region, and asked SES to help with market analysis and plan preparation.

SES undertook comprehensive market analysis that included extensive consultations with R&D institutions in the Region, a telesurvey of the private sector and benchmarking of innovation and commercialisation in the Region against activities in other areas. The feasibility study was complemented by a detailed business plan setting out necessary structures and financial arrangements.
The two documents underpinned the successful bid from the Region for funding under the Commonwealth’s Building IT Strengths (BITS) program, a bid which resulted in a grant for $8m from the Federal Government to help establish the facility.

During Epicorp's Establishment phase, SES Director Kim Houghton acted as Company Secretary: setting up the company structure, inviting board members and establishing Epicorp's first Board and overseeing inaugural board meetings. The project was completed in 2000.

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Environmental Technologies Small Business Incubator

Client Need: CREEDA selected SES to develop a concept for a small business incubator specialising in environmental technologies.

SES prepared a discussion paper covering two concepts: a seed fund combined with specialised value-adding skills to be available in the Capital Region through

CREEDA’s existing incubators; and a package of support for business incubators in other states to help them provide better service and seed funding to their environmental technology business clients.

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Business self assessment kit

Client need: The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) saw a need to help indigenous people applying for funding through its Business Development Program. The Commission identified a specific need for a handbook helping applicants assess the viability of their business idea.

CREEDA Projects asked SES to prepare a Business Self Assessment Kit Good Business – or Just a Good Idea, a booklet designed to help intending small business people see if they might be able to run a successful business. The Kit was prepared for ATSIC and has been written in straightforward language with an easy-to-use style. The Kit includes:

  • an interactive quiz – are you ready to run your own business?;
  • a quick assessment of the viability of the business idea;
  • step-by-step business and financial planning; and
  • extensive contact lists for help.

The Kit was launched to ATSIC’s State Commercial Units at their national meeting in Rockhampton on 5 April 2000 and is currently in its third printing.

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