By Sigrid Tornquist

Q: How have you helped your staff prepare for their new management responsibilities?

A: About a year and a half ago we accessed some government money to put a number of our people through management training. The training was optional but for those who chose to participate, they graduated with Certificate IV in Frontline Management, a qualification that is recognized nationally. The training will help them here and with future job prospects.

Q: Can you identify what has contributed to your company’s recent growth in staff and revenue?

A: After I’d completed that first trip away in 2005, I had an opportunity to use some government funding to put an advisory board in place. I was at the stage where although I’d evolved the company structure to include stronger managers, I was still an owner/manager on my own with a smallish sized company that had essentially done the same thing for 15 years. The people who ran the program asked me what my areas of weakness were, and what my vision for the company was—and they put together an advisory board that could help me address those needs. By the end of the two-year period, we decided we could triple the company within five years—and we achieved it in two. Most of the changes revolved around changing our accounting and management practices.