Nearly two years into remote working, Australia’s businesses are still facing barriers when it comes to meeting the needs of the workforce, with 40% of workers seeing no change in their productivity since working from home, and 14% seeing a decline in their productivity altogether. 

New research from DocuSign, titled The evolution of working from anywhere, finds that despite a majority of businesses embracing a flexible working model since March 2020, 74% of Australian workers admit that working from home still poses its fair share of challenges.

The survey of more than 500 Australian full-time senior business leaders, managers and employees, conducted in partnership with YouGov, finds that across the generations, barriers to successful remote working environments remain.

Millennial and Gen X employees find that they still lack the right technology support for their jobs (31%), compared to Baby Boomers (4%). Meanwhile, 7 in 10 Gen Zers find that they do not have the right tools to collaborate and communicate with their teammates, impacting their ability to learn and grow as the newest members of the workforce. 

In light of these barriers, more than half (52%) of Australia’s workforce, across all generations, feel that they are remaining stagnant or are falling behind when it comes to their workplace productivity.

“Our research shows that in this new work world, organisations need to continuously analyse and act to design the optimal workspace. In today’s workplace culture, employee needs are continually evolving, and as a result, businesses need to invest in innovative solutions to ensure their staff have the right support in their field of work. All the while remembering that in this new era, one size doesn’t fit all,” says Dan Bognar, DocuSign’s Group Vice President and General Manager for the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region.

Organisations that are leading the way out of this crisis are the ones accelerating the speed of their digital usage. But it is not just about moving faster. Rather, it is about investing in the right technology that can help support growth, processes, people and ensure the security of your business. The road ahead will be challenging. But there’s also hope because of the opportunities that a digital-first strategy can bring”

Looking ahead, the future looks bright. Since the start of the pandemic, 6 in 10 organisations introduced new tools to improve the workplace experience. In parallel, nearly half (49%) of Australian office workers agree that their business performance has improved since starting to work remotely. 

Technology has gone from being a part of the business to a business enabler. Digital tools such as video technology, collaboration platforms and eSignatures have become imperative to day-to-day operations – helping with onboarding, new clients and management — and the evolution of these tools will only become more critical as remote working culture evolves.

Experts from some of Australia’s most established and fastest-growing companies have joined forces to create a new business program with the City of Sydney and NSW Government to help small businesses, creatives, retailers and hospitality owners bounce back from the pandemic.

The City, in partnership with the State Government, is hosting a series of nine webinars that will guide businesses on how to sell online, create cost-effective branding solutions and use the big platforms to accelerate growth.

The Reboot 2022 Small Business Series kicks off on 29 March and will feature experts from some of Australia’s most successful companies including RedBalloon, Shop You, news.com.au and Eucalyptus. 

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the initiative will help support businesses to develop new, innovative ways of thinking and working to ensure they can prosper and grow post-pandemic.

“The past two years have been extraordinarily challenging for our retailers, businesses and the hospitality sector and recovery will take time, adaptability and the willingness to consider new ways of doing business,” the Lord Mayor said.

“We’ve engaged industry experts and developed a series of webinars that will help these businesses to upskill, learn and navigate a path forward in a post-pandemic world.”

With a focus on digital content skills and growing customers and brand, the webinars will provide inspiring stories and practical examples to help businesses learn, innovate and grow in 2022. 

The Reboot series is proudly supported by the NSW government’s Business Connect program which provides advice and support to help businesses get off the ground, adapt and grow.

Minister for Small Business Eleni Petinos said the partnership between the City of Sydney and NSW Government will expand opportunities for small businesses to access support through the Business Connect network.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of the economy, their importance in providing jobs and services to the local community cannot be overstated,” Ms Petinos said.

“Business Connect has helped almost 44,000 businesses since the program began in 2017. It provides a network of accredited business advisors who provide expert, professional and independent advice on how to run a small business.

“With webinars on topics such as driving growth and nailing your marketing, the Reboot series is highly relevant for small businesses as they move on from COVID-19 restrictions and the challenges of the past two years, including the recent floods.”

The series includes:

Brand Building, Naomi Simson, co-founder, RedBalloon

29 March, 12pm–1pm  

If you want your business to stand out, building and managing its brand is fundamental to its success. In this noisy digital world, it is even more important for your brand to be memorable and have an impact. A brand extends far beyond a logo.

Getting financial fundamentals right – Melissa Browne, co-founder, The Money Barre 

5 April, 12pm–1pm

Managing money and finances in your business can make or break it. Learn how to manage your cashflow and finances, the financial implications of different business structures and some of the best financial planning and tools available.  

Create a winning online store – Kelly Slessor, CEO, Shop You 

12 April, 12pm–1pm

Technology can be extremely intimidating, with many businesses putting it in the too-hard basket. Learn which e-commerce platform is right for your business, the plugins that will help ‌grow your business and what combination of platforms and plugins will really drive results. 

Content that drives clicks – Lisa Muxworthy, editor-in-chief, news.com.au 

26 April, 12pm–1pm 

Creating content and getting your content out there is not easy. Learn to build an audience and create content that drives attention and customer conversions, which content drives the biggest click-throughs and how to pitch to media.  

How to create storytelling content that really connects – Wayne Quilliam, Aboriginal artist and digital creator  

3 May, 12pm–1pm

In a digital world, storytelling is the stuff high growth brands are made of. To stand out, a great brand, product or service is not enough. Learn the importance of stories in the digital world, how businesses create their stories and how to translate stories into imagery and video online to capture attention. 

 
Nailing your marketing mix – Sandradee Makejev, founder, St Frock, Kelly Slessor, CEO, Shop You and Sina Klug, founder, Nutie Donuts 

10 May, 12pm–1pm

To drive more sales and grow your audience, the guest speakers will give advice on which channels, content, and audience growth strategies they have used for success. Learn about some of the biggest challenges they have faced due to growth as well as some of their most successful campaigns. The speakers will share insights into how to grow followers that love you, which channels should you invest in and insights into conversion, content and paid advertising.  

The digital word of mouth: growth with Instagram – Mya Nichol, Instagram expert and coach  

17 May, 12pm–1pm 

Learn the secret of the Instagram algorithm and how to grow your social media channel. With the average person spending 142 minutes a day on social media, learn tips from the expert on how to accelerate your business. 

Driving growth with online search – Kelly Slessor, CEO, Shop You

24 May, 12pm–1pm 

Learn about search, Google My Business, search engine optimisation (SEO), driving traffic and generating more leads. Participants will also learn how to land the front page of Google, use free and paid digital marketing and how to improve visibility. 

Growth hacking – Tim Doyle, founder, Eucalyptus  

31 May, 12pm–1pm

Learn how Australia’s fastest-growing companies are accelerating their customer base and get insights on how to effectively market your business and grow your customer base quickly. 

“There’s no better time to start a business than right now because of the access to technology and customers online,” Kelly Slessor, CEO ShopYou said.

“As part of the Reboot series, we’ll share with businesses and start-ups the wealth of information and research online that can actually help make a business more sustainable and successful.

“The series has been curated to ensure that participants can learn practical tips and have a plan or ideas they can take away and implement. This is a great opportunity to learn from and interact with some great minds who have set up or worked in small business and worked their way through the challenges to success.”

For more details on the Reboot webinar series, visit whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced the launch of two global accelerator programs to help startups address some of the world’s most pressing challenges in healthcare, space, and sustainability while building successful, cloud-based businesses. Both accelerators are open to Aussie and New Zealand startups and entrepreneurs.

The accelerators announced today build on successful programs conducted in 2021, and include:

• The AWS Space Accelerator (in collaboration with AlchemistX) is open to space startups globally with innovative ideas for using the cloud to reimagine both government and commercial space missions. Startups that participated in last year’s AWS Space Accelerator have collectively raised over $359 million in VC funding since May 2021. More specific info here.

• The AWS Sustainable Cities Accelerator (in collaboration with Freshwater Advisors and Public Spend Forum) is open to mature clean tech startups globally that are working on micro-mobility, last mile-delivery, urban parking and route optimisation, EV charging infrastructure & applications, IoT transportation and traffic optimisation, or other solutions to promote sustainable transportation and mobility in fast-growing urban centers. Last year’s AWS Clean Energy Accelerator resulted in multiple commercial pilot deployments for participating startups. More specific info here.

For over 15 years, AWS has worked with startups to provide the tools and resources necessary to launch and scale their businesses. These accelerators leverage the experience of an AWS startup team comprised of ex-founders, VCs, technologists, product leaders, and subject matter experts to provide focused support and fuel innovation in specific areas.

AWS is committed to supporting startup innovation and providing the tools and mechanisms for startups to collaborate with the wider ecosystem, and leverage the latest cloud technologies to deliver solutions to transform customer experience and address some of society’s biggest challenges. Today’s announcement also follows the launch of AWS Startup Ramp in India, ASEAN, South Korea, and Japan, a program for early-stage startups building solutions in health, digital government, smart cities, agriculture, and space technology is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs as they build, launch, and grow.

You can learn more about the announcement here and how AWS helps startups succeed here.

Epson has developed an industrial 3D printer that can use commonly available third-party materials to produce strong, accurate industrial parts of various sizes and functions. 3D printers with these features will have uses in a far wider range of applications, including in the production of parts for final products, and will enable users to mass-customise their goods in support of small-batch production.

3D printers can be used to fabricate a wide variety of goods in small quantities in a short period of time. Manufacturers have responded to this promise by accelerating the development and launch of 3D printers for the industrial market, which is expected to expand rapidly in the future. However, conventional industrial 3D printers require the use of special modelling materials. Moreover, they are not well-suited to the production of objects that offer both strength and accuracy, so their use in industrial parts for final products has been limited.

Epson’s newly developed 3D printer employs a unique material extrusion method that is achieved using a flat screw (an inline screw with a flattened configuration) like that found in Epson’s precision injection moulding machines. This extrusion method enables the printer to be used with a variety of common third-party materials, such as resin or metal pellets, which are generally available at a lower cost than other materials, environmentally considerate biomass pellets, and PEEK materials, which can provide high heat resistance.

In addition, the amount of material injected is precisely controlled by regulating the pressure within the head and by regulating the action of a valve in concert with the modelling speed. The temperature at the surface of a piece being printed must also be controlled in order to obtain the required strength.

Epson employs a unique mechanism to precisely control this temperature and achieve both strength and accuracy. This 3D printer is thus engineered to manufacture strong, accurate objects with commonly available materials, facilitating printer use in the production of industrial parts for final products. It is ideally suited to mass customisation, as it can produce small batches of parts tailored to customers’ needs with higher quality, shorter lead times, and at a fraction of the cost of traditional manufacturing processes.

Epson is aiming to commercialise the printer after first making needed refinements while utilising it internally to volume-produce certain parts for commercial and industrial equipment.

This 3D printer will be available in Australia at a future date.

In addition to industrial 3D printers, Epson seeks to innovate manufacturing by co-creating flexible, high-throughput production systems that reduce environmental impacts.

According to Cam Northway, founder of ATYPICAL, values have changed, what’s deemed important has pivoted. Read on for the 5 hotel industry trends for the consumer today, and beyond.

The past two years inflicted monumental changes, challenges, ups, and downs. Nonetheless, today’s hospitality trends are different from years past. It was neither complete doomsday nor recovery – we, as an industry – adjusted and made the most of the situation, which is all we could do, aside from a mental breakdown here and there. With periods of disruption come change and innovation, new strategic pillars are brought into focus as a direct response from how we, as humans, are navigating the world.

5 hotel industry trends

1. Holistic Hospitality
Over recent years, the wellness industry has transformed into a booming trillion-dollar market, and hospitality operators are well-positioned to take a piece of the pie by incorporating health and wellness experiences to their business. Outside of spa amenities and in-house holistic offerings, a key part of this emphasis is providing a gateway for guests to feel connected to nature, allowing them to be calm, grounded and rejuvenated. From interior design being more raw and organic to indoor-outdoor recreational areas and dining options to have a more conscious approach to your restaurant food and drink. In the past, a substantial section of the hospitality industry with hotels was made up of unhealthy food and drink, however, there has been a cultural shift with consumers becoming more aware of the things they are putting in their bodies, leading to an increase in demand for healthier, organic options. Operating more holistically is about connecting with all the senses, and nourishing the body and soul.

2. Workcations
A hybrid of business and leisure, the ‘bleisure’ boom has created an opportunity as consumers are increasingly seeking experiences that allow them to work remotely. Hospitality operators and hotels are doubling as make-shift offices for not just travellers, but locals seeking a change in the work environment too, enabling space to capitalise on the trend and adapt their offering to meet the needs of this emerging segment. As a starting point, F&B venues can introduce a more relaxed approach to dining during the day with a cafe-style menu, specific set-ups designed for meetings and remote working, fast Wifi and ample power sockets.

3. Luxury Essentialism
There’s a new luxury consumer in town – they’ve shifted away from the wasteful extras that traditionally have filled hotel rooms. Gone are the days of mini, plastic everything – this luxury essentialism is seeing guests prefer a stripped-back approach with the philosophy of creating a higher degree of satisfaction by offering less, but better. From artisan bottled cocktails in the mini bar, in-room gourmet snacks from local suppliers and high-quality brands.

4. Creating Purpose
A new hospitality trend defining the future is that tomorrow’s consumer is opting to choose hotels and businesses that have a purpose. Not only are people becoming more aware of the impact of consumption and travel, but they are becoming increasingly interested in investigating the roots of their destinations and locales too, opting to funnel their spending into businesses that do good. From supporting minority groups, charities, the local community and promoting company culture, F&B operators should seek to invest in local suppliers and initiatives that are aligned to these values. From celebrating themed events on-site for various cultures and demographics such as Black History Month, International Women’s Day and Mardi Gras, to food donations and commercial partnerships with female-founded or local brands. Corporate philanthropy should be an ongoing part of your strategy.

5. Sustainability Matters
All around the world, consumers are becoming increasingly concerned with environmental issues and sustainability – having complete transparency on how your business is behaving ethically is no longer a nice to have, but a need to have. Examples of this include restaurants promoting their zero-waste philosophy, incorporating vegetarian and vegan options, making use of smart light bulbs and smart heating to save energy, eradicating plastic and using more sustainable materials. Operating sustainably is all about having the right mindset from the very beginning – from the architecture, design and humanity of how you operate – sustainability should be an integral part of the entire process and not something you “add on”.

With a solid understanding of the emerging 5 hotel industry trends, you’ll be better prepared to play a successful part in the future. Get a head start and begin to implement some of these trends at your hotel today.

New research from Savvy reveals consumers’ experience surrounding the no jab no job mandate. We surveyed 1,000 people to better understand how supported they are in their workplaces and their comfortability surrounding booster shots, lockdowns and expectations as new Covid-19 strains come out.

• 56% of Australians say it is the responsibility of the government to enforce workplace vaccines and uniform the law across all states
• Under half of respondents support employers mandating vaccines
• 35% of unvaccinated employees feel respected and supported in their decision
• 13% feel vaccines should only be mandated for high-risk industries
• More than half say it should be their choice to get vaccinated, not no jab no job
• 68% of Australians believe using incentives to encourage people to get the jab is bribery

Australians generally support no jab no job in the workplace

Although the workplace mandates have caused great divides across the country, many Australians do agree with the no jab, no job policy. Under half (37%) say they support employers who need to mandate the Covid-19 vaccine for staff and workplace health and safety.

Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory show the highest support at 48%, followed by New South Wales and Victoria (40%).

25% of the respondents are positive and confident about the policy, saying it is the most practical way to reduce the risk of disease transmission and reach herd immunity. Only 8% are somewhat positive, while 13% believe it should only be mandated for high-risk industries or settings where staff have to get the flu jab. These include health, disability and aged-care workers, miners, school and early childhood education teachers, and quarantine and transportation staff.

7% are extremely reluctant with the no jab, no job mandate and would rather lose their job than get the vaccine.

Vaccines are now the main battleground in beating Covid-19 disruptions. Currently, 45% of all respondents are triply jabbed. Victoria (54%) and New South Wales (47%) have the highest number of people who are up-to-date with their vaccinations.

35% have had their first jab and are booked in for their second, while only 11% have received both. 2% are waiting until there is more information about the risks and effectiveness of the vaccines before they get it.

In regards to the support Australians are receiving, 35% of unvaccinated staff say their employer has respected their decision and put measures in place to support them. However, 21% have not received any help from their workplace.

Despite the no jab, no job policy being implemented across high-risk industries, 12% of respondents say they have had adequate support and consultation, including options to work from home. This provides the unvaccinated or those who are still weighing up their options alternative work arrangements before losing their job.

Three vaccine doses rule expanded state-wide

Western Australia became the first Australian state to mandate Covid-19 booster shots in December. Only recently, the requirement has expanded state-wide to everyone over the age of 16. Australians will now need three vaccine doses to be considered up-to-date.

States such as South Australia and Victoria have already made the three jabs mandatory for workers in high-risk sectors like health care. 47% of respondents surveyed in Victoria feel very comfortable about mandating booster shots for all workers, while 13% of all respondents are not comfortable at all.

In Western Australia, 42% feel comfortable with Australians needing three jabs, 23% are somewhat comfortable and 15% are not at all happy about the decision.

Up until this mandate, being fully vaccinated has meant two Covid-19 jabs. Boosters have only been encouraged unless you work in a mandated industry in Western Australia.

But having two jabs won’t cut it anymore. 

Given the new rules, the term ‘fully vaccinated’ is shifting to ‘up-to-date’ with the current vaccines. This change in definition has left millions of people bumped into the “partially vaccinated” purgatory if they do not get their booster shot within six months of their last Covid-19 jab.

Whose responsibility is it?

Naturally, this has sparked debates about whether it is the employer’s responsibility to make Covid-19 vaccinations, including boosters, a workplace requirement or if it should be enforced by the Federal government.

56% of the survey respondents say only the government can take responsibility for making a vaccine mandatory. This would make the law uniform across all states.

21% think employers should exercise their own judgment and enforce it as necessary, while 17% believe it should be a state-by-state decision.

Workplace health and safety during Covid-19

When it comes to working with the virus, Australians seem supportive of their employer introducing tough safety measures. Whether it is vaccine requirements, tracking tests or vaccination status and regular temperature checks, the majority are on board.

Double vaccinations (or three in some states) is the top measure introduced in workplaces at 66%. Monitoring and maintaining social distancing between staff and visitors (64%) and providing staff with necessary PPE equipment (57%) are also actions employers are using to avoid risking their staff getting sick.

Only 29% are conducting regular temperature checks, while 10% of respondents say no safety measures are being used.

New South Wales (7%), the Australian Capital Territory (7%) and Victoria (8%) are the regions most behind in workplace safety policies, with staff saying no measures have been taken to transition to new ways of working post-pandemic.

Remote work becomes part of the permanent employment landscape

Remote work is now a permanent fixture in the corporate world.

Although the pandemic did not start the Work From Home (WFH) initiative, it has transformed how employers view flexible working environments and the benefits for businesses and employees. In these times of chaos, uncertainty and risk, WFH arrangements have helped staff be more motivated and happier.

Fully and partly remote work has increased as an effective safety measure. 37% of employers have allowed flexible arrangements and are experimenting with the hybrid model to balance the benefits of working from home with face-to-face collaboration. In the last 12 months, 33.5% of employees aged 35 to 44 have been working from home full or part-time.

47% of all respondents plan to keep working from home for at least part of the week once the pandemic is over if their employer allows it. Only 11% say their employer is not willing to support WFH arrangements now restrictions have eased, while 32% will continue to work from home full time.

Overall, employers have been encouraging remote work. 26% have asked staff to work from home where possible to ensure safer practices for all.

Research suggests a mixture of home and office work can actually be the best for productivity. Yet according to a study by The Economist in January, many managers still prefer people to be back in the office.

What happens when Australia reaches the 90% ‘fully vaccinated’ target?

The survey reveals 26% of Australians are quite comfortable with the Government’s legal ability to initiate a lockdown, despite some states already reaching the 90% fully vaccinated target. But since ‘fully vaccinated’ means different things for different people and areas, there is still uncertainty about expectations.

26% are quite comfortable with more lockdowns, while 16% are not comfortable at all. Only 19% are very comfortable and 23% are feeling neutral.

When push comes to shove

Vaccine hesitancy is still a very real problem for many Australians.

52% of respondents have strong beliefs about freedom of choice and say getting the Covid-19 vaccine should be an individual choice, not a requirement. Queensland, New South Wales and South Australians feel the most strongly about this.

37% are hesitant because they are concerned about the long-term side effects, risks and effectiveness of the jab. Some Australians do not believe it works (17%) while 20% have admitted a strong mistrust of the government, preventing them from getting jabbed.

Although pressure has worked for some, as life gets more limited for those who refuse, 68% say using incentives to get the jab for work is bribery. Cash grabs paid leave, gift cards and other lures have been rewarded by employers to compliant staff. Tax credits are also a motivator, with 5% admitting it would prompt them to get jabbed. 19% remain undecided.

What comes next

More people are coming to grips with the fact Covid-19 is not going away any time soon. As Australia opens up and new, more transmissible variants emerge, it is essential the population receive boosters to enhance protection.

Other safety measures will also remain. 50% say they expect mask-wearing inside and outside to take place, while 40% want restrictions for only those who are not up-to-date with their vaccines. 21% expect snap lockdowns and social gathering restrictions, but 24% say it is time for Australians to learn to live with the virus without any mask-wearing or limits.

Employers can continue to support their employees by:

• Allowing paid time off to get vaccinated
• Supporting them with access to reliable and current information about the risks and effectiveness
• Explore other options for alternative work arrangements for employees who choose not to be vaccinated or are not able to be vaccinated

As COVID-19 continues to put pressure on sourcing staff, more than 79 per cent of Australian businesses are using new ways of working to create a more inclusive environment to attract and retain female talent, according to Grant Thornton International’s Women in Business Report which surveys senior leaders from 5,000 businesses across 29 economies.

In the early days of the pandemic, few could have predicted the lasting effect COVID-19 would have on traditional ways of working. But now as we move into living with the virus, and the workforce manages hybrid working conditions, businesses are recognising that change was needed, and the march toward more inclusive working practices continues.

At 57 per cent, over half of Australia’s business leaders agree they have seen external pressure increase from stakeholders – including customers, regulators, suppliers and investors – on their organisation to achieve and maintain gender balance as a result of COVID-19. This is good news for women looking to either advance their careers or to get into new roles.

Greg Keith, CEO Grant Thornton Australia, said: “With International Women’s Day just around the corner on March 8, it’s important to bring local and global strategies to the forefront that will assist women to increase workforce participation and fulfil more senior roles across all industries. These strategies may include extended paid parental leave, flexible working conditions including working from home and working from overseas, and internal mentoring programs and built-in coaching to support gender equity – all of which we actively have in place at Grant Thornton Australia. Through the pandemic, we’ve continued to expand and deliver on our Gender Equity Action Plan and will be focusing on several new initiatives over the coming months.”

Here at home, 75 per cent of Australian respondents expect the impact of COVID-19 will continue to benefit women’s career trajectories long-term as new ways of working become the norm. This could be an indication that a step change is on the horizon but in the meantime, the number of women in senior management positions in Australia continues to sit at 32 per cent in 2022, the same as in 2021. While any progress is positive in light of COVID-19, this figure has grown by only ten percentage points in Australia over the past eight years, showing that while progress is being made, it is at a sluggish rate.

“To create more opportunities for women in senior leadership roles, business leaders need to champion the cause of gender diversity and create inclusive cultures in which a wide range of voices are listened to. Leadership from the top is key to driving change as is setting clear diversity and inclusion goals against which progress can be measured. It’s important that business leaders are in it for the long term, and vocal about what they are doing to drive change in their own companies so that others can learn from their experience – collaboration is fundamental to successful outcomes,” Greg Keith continued. 

On a global scale, nearly two thirds (57 per cent) of mid-market leaders expect the skills shortage to be a major constraint to their businesses in the year ahead. Grant Thornton’s Women in Business Report research shows that in response, 95 per cent of mid-market business leaders from all over the world are now taking action to foster staff engagement and create an inclusive culture as businesses strive to attract and retain a more diverse talent pool.

At only 27 years of age, entrepreneur Davie Fogarty has built himself an eCommerce empire that has generated over $270 million in revenue and landed him a coveted spot on the AFR Young Rich List. However, success for the founder behind The Oodie, Calming Blankets and Pupnaps didn’t happen overnight. Davie endured several challenges and business failures, but his perseverance and hunger for results have seen him amass an enormous amount of digital skills and knowledge. Now, he shares his best tips and tricks for fledgling digital entrepreneurs looking to achieve the same levels of success.

For Davie, the key to building a successful business has been all about trying, testing, and endless learning. Some months, Davie Group makes more than $20 million a month, a far cry from the $500 a month the business earned in the early days.

Davie says: “The real secret behind any kind of success is to remain intellectually curious and always be prepared to learn something new. Even the smallest pieces of knowledge can potentially unlock another path or opportunity.

“Particularly in a fast-paced and heavily saturated eCommerce market, it is important to be able to take these learnings and adapt your business idea, model, or strategy quickly, and learn from the mistakes of those around you to build something better. One of my goals is to share my learnings from my eCommerce journey to give other young entrepreneurs the knowledge and advice they need to create a successful business.”

Below, Davie shares 6 top tips for fledgling digital entrepreneurs in 2022.

1. Get on board TikTok – with an organic strategy. The rapid growth of TikTok’s base, recently surpassing one billion users, has allowed brands to reach huge audiences fast and with minimal effort. Yet many businesses still underestimate the platform’s value. The Oodie TikTok account grew to over 100,000 followers over a very short period of time, and even Davie initially underestimated how much impact the platform was having on their sales. TikTok doesn’t require financial investment and is great for raising product awareness or even developing a personal brand. To be successful, Davie recommends capitalising on current TikTok trends use trending sounds, asking questions in the captions to increase engagement, posting regularly and committing to the strategy. Most importantly – he recommends brands keep content simple, but creative, witty, and/or controversial so that it has the potential to go viral.
2. Use post-purchase attribution surveys. Get feedback from customers after they have made a purchase from your business. Davie says that one of the most important questions to be asking your customers is “Where did you see us”, as it is crucial to understand where your customers are coming from to focus your marketing activities accordingly. It also presents an opportunity to ask customers other questions about their opinion of your brand’s service, such as why they didn’t buy or what competitors they looked at. The answers to these questions will inform marketing activities to optimise ad spend and ensure a greater chance of success. Davie recommends tools such as HotJar or Acquire, which can be added to the confirmation page after the customer orders on Shopify. HotJar and other platforms such as Klaviyo can also be put into the post-purchase flow to ask the customer to rate their experience.
3. Most customers prefer email communication: Davie says most consumers prefer email marketing over any other form of marketing, as long as it is from a brand they trust and love. Davie strongly recommends setting up email marketing for your eCommerce business before driving ads. It will lower customer acquisition costs by converting more customers that have visited the website. Increasing customer retention increases customers’ lifetime value, so a brand doesn’t always need to search for new customers to survive. To set up an effective email marketing strategy, know your business objectives, study your competitors’ design and email copy to ensure you are creating something unique and, finally, find an email marketing provider. Davie recommends Klaviyo for eCommerce businesses.
4. Analyse your success. Davie recommends analysing a constant stream of data to ensure smooth sailing. Using tools such as Klipfolio to build dashboards around key performance indicators (KPIs) can help show deeper analytical insights into customer behaviour and the success of digital tactics. Expand your dashboards beyond sales and marketing into customer satisfaction, and compare advertising spend per channel with sales.
5. Optimise your time. For busy entrepreneurs, learning to optimise time is essential.Davie uses the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80-20 rule, whereby 20% of an individual’s work creates 80% of their results. Davie says it is important to try and identify which activities are in that 20% and focus on them to create more results in less time.

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