Australian Centre for Business Growth

01/06/2026

What does it take to scale a workforce from a garage start-up to a global enterprise? Or build a thriving company culture over 25 years? 🚀

Theory is great, but when it comes to hiring and structuring your team for scale, nothing beats real-world experience.

Next week, as part of the 2026 ANZ Australia Business Growth Webinar Series, host and Growth Expert Sarah Curtis-Fawley is sitting down with two leaders who have successfully navigated the complexities of building growth-ready teams:

Jason Ruth (COO of Southern Design Group): With over 25 years of experience leading people development, business, and culture, Jason has mastered the art of helping talented people do brilliant things (and knowing when to nudge them toward a well-earned coffee break!).

Chris Procter (Growth Expert and Former CEO of Sealite): Chris knows firsthand the capability challenges of scaling up. He successfully oversaw Sealite's expansion from a humble garage-based start-up into a world-renowned, international manufacturer of marine and aviation navigation aids.

If you are a business owner looking to bypass the theory and get practical steps on how to define roles, lift team capability, and hire right, this free session is for you.

Secure your virtual seat for Thursday 👇
https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/news-and-events/register-growth-ready-employees-building-capability-before-you-scale/?utm_source=fb_page&utm_medium=Australian+Centre+for+Business+Growth&utm_campaign=publer

📅 Date: Thursday, 4th June 2026
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM (AEDT)
💻 Location: Online via Zoom (Free)

29/05/2026

Are you selling more but making less? 📉

It is a common trap: believing that increasing revenue automatically equals success. But as the old saying goes, if you are selling pants for $1 but losing 25¢ on each pair, the more you sell, the faster you go broke. To win in business, you need both a good offence (sales) and a strong defence (profitability).

In our latest article, we are busting seven major myths about revenue, profitability, and business growth, including:
❌ "My accountant can worry about the profit."
❌ "Being profitable means we are ripping off customers."
❌ "There’s a silver bullet to fix my margins."

Read the breakdown and discover how small marginal changes can boost your bottom line.👇
https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/news-and-events/busting-seven-myths-revenue-profitability-business-growth/?utm_source=fb_page&utm_medium=Australian+Centre+for+Business+Growth&utm_campaign=publer

26/05/2026

Are you leading a South Australian business with international expansion as a goal? Or that deserves to be recognised for its achievements innovating and driving growth and jobs forward in SA? 🚀

Nominations for the 2026 William Buck Impact Awards are officially open! As a Gold Sponsor, we are incredibly proud to be backing the state's best companies to reach for the skies!

Since 2015, Impact Awards have celebrated the visionary leaders making a real difference in South Australia. The judging process itself delivers actionable expert feedback. And winning opens doors to brand exposure, global networking, and the exclusive Ambassador network to help accelerate your company's growth.

To be eligible, you must have:

☑️ A South Australian head office
☑️ A minimum 3 years of trading history
☑️ A demonstrated growth trajectory and national/global competitiveness

If this sounds like your business, or a business you know, don't miss this opportunity.

Nominate a business, or apply for yourself 👇
https://theimpactawards.com.au/nominate/?utm_source=fb_page&utm_medium=Australian+Centre+for+Business+Growth&utm_campaign=publer

25/05/2026

Are people issues becoming your biggest growth blocker? 🛑

As your business scales, your team needs to evolve just as fast as your revenue. Hiring the wrong people, misaligning roles, or failing to lift your current team's capability can slow your momentum down to a crawl.

Join us for the next session in our 2026 ANZ Australia Business Growth Webinar Series: Growth-Ready Employees: Building Capability Before You Scale.

Hosted by Growth Expert Sarah Curtis-Fawley, this free session features real-world insights from Jason Ruth (COO of Southern Design Group) and Chris Procter (Growth Expert and former CEO of Sealite).

They will dive into practical steps to build a workforce that actually supports your growth, from knowing exactly when to hire, to spotting the early warning signs that a team structure just isn't working.

Register for free and learn how to scale your team without the growing pains! 👇
https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/news-and-events/register-growth-ready-employees-building-capability-before-you-scale/?utm_source=fb_page&utm_medium=Australian+Centre+for+Business+Growth&utm_campaign=publer

📅 Date: Thursday, 4th June 2026
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM (AEDT)
💻 Location: Online via Zoom (Free)

22/05/2026

How do you take a highly sensory in-store retail experience and successfully translate it into digital sales? 📈

For Gewürzhaus, early success was built on the incredible aromas and conversations inside their physical shops. But as retail shifted online, Co-Founder Maria Konecsny realised they were missing a crucial piece of the puzzle: a clear digital strategy and a deep understanding of their core customer profiles.

After completing the ANZ Australia Business Growth Program, the team refined their strategy, brought digital in-house, and focused heavily on customer connection. The results speak for themselves:

💰 36.1% growth in online sales
📈 25.5% increase in overall growth
🛒 45% increase in their store footprint

Read the full case study to see how Gewürzhaus blended data-driven digital engagement with their in-store experience to scale sustainably 👇
https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/case-studies/gewurzhaus-spice-house/?utm_source=fb_page&utm_medium=Australian+Centre+for+Business+Growth&utm_campaign=publer

21/05/2026

Are you the Territory's next top small business? 🏆

Nominations for the 2026 Northern Territory Export and Business Awards are officially open!

Last year, we were absolutely thrilled to watch our 2024 Growth Modules graduate Neill Carberry and his team at NC Electrical & Air-Conditioning take home the Excellence in Business (Small Business) Award. This year, we want to see even more of our incredible alumni step into the spotlight and showcase their success.

To support the incredible work happening across the NT, we are incredibly proud to officially sponsor the Small Business Award category for 2026.

Behind every Territory business is a story of resilience, innovation, and hard work. Nominating is a powerful way to pause, reflect on your growth, boost team morale, and benchmark your success against the best in the NT.

Nominations close on 12 June 2026.

Don't miss your chance to be celebrated alongside the NT's top business leaders. Submit your nomination today! 👇
https://exportawardsnt.awardsplatform.com/?utm_source=fb_page&utm_medium=Australian+Centre+for+Business+Growth&utm_campaign=publer

Chamber of Commerce Northern Territory

18/05/2026

Why do many businesses fail to scale? Usually, it is because their leadership simply didn’t evolve fast enough to match the demands of growth.

Growth Expert Lee Munro breaks down a hard truth for founders: the exact skills that helped you survive the startup phase won't necessarily work as you scale.

Drawing from his family's journey building Munro Footwear Group, Lee explains why true growth requires bringing in external expertise and fundamentally shifting your focus from doing the work to guiding the team.

Read the full blog to discover why your ability to adapt is the ultimate decider of your company's long-term success 👇
https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/news-and-events/evolving-leadership-makes-the-difference/?utm_source=fb_page&utm_medium=Australian+Centre+for+Business+Growth&utm_campaign=publer

14/05/2026

What a brilliant night it was with the Northern Territory business community at our Business at Sunset event! ✨

It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with local business owners, MDs, and CEOs and talk all things business growth 📈 on the deck at Wharf One Food & Wine.

We are so grateful to everyone who attended this celebration of the Territory's vibrant business sector 🙏

To top off the night, we were so excited to have the Hon. Robyn Cahill OAM MLA MBA launch the prestigious 2026 NT Export and Business Awards. We are incredibly proud to sponsor the Small Business Award at these awards! If you are doing great things in the NT, we highly encourage you to become involved, celebrate your hard work, and submit a nomination at: https://chambernt.awardsplatform.com/

A huge thank you goes to Glen Hingley and the entire team at the Chamber of Commerce Northern Territory for their incredible support in putting together such a successful evening of networking.

13/05/2026

Meet Sarah Curtis-Fawley, one of our amazing Growth Experts. 🎉

Sarah brings an incredible mix of hands-on founder grit and boardroom strategy to our programs. She successfully built, scaled, and exited her own company, earning recognition as a 'Woman of Influence' in her home town of Portland, Oregon along the way. Now, as a Scale-Up Board Director and university lecturer, she uses her extensive experience to help SME leaders navigate their next phase of expansion.

Discover how Sarah uses her hands-on founder experience to help CEOs scale successfully. Read her full profile here 👇
https://centreforbusinessgrowth.com/people/sarah-curtis-fawley/?utm_source=fb_page&utm_medium=Australian+Centre+for+Business+Growth&utm_campaign=publer

12/05/2026

For many founders, passion and purpose are what spark early success. But what happens when instinct is no longer enough to scale? 📈

In a fantastic new article published in Food & Drink Business, Gewürzhaus co-founder and Managing Director Maria Konecsny opens up about the challenges of taking their highly successful, sensory-driven retail business to the next level.

As they looked to expand, Maria realised that while their mission was solid, they lacked a clear, commercially-focused strategy. She highlights how participating in our year-long ANZ Australia Business Growth Program helped their leadership team step back, redefine exactly who their target customer was, and map out a strategy to bring their unique in-store connection to the digital world.

The results speak for themselves: a 36.1% jump in online sales and a 45% increase in their store footprint!

A massive thank you to Maria for sharing such a clear look at what it takes to grow and scale in the super competitive food retail sector.

Read the full story on how Gewürzhaus defined their strategy for sustainable growth 👇
https://www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au/news/a-spicy-success-story-defining-strategy-to-scale?utm_source=fb_page&utm_medium=Australian+Centre+for+Business+Growth&utm_campaign=publer

For many growing businesses, passion and purpose are what spark success in the early years. But as a company expands, instinct alone is no longer enough. Sustainable growth requires a clear strategy, ...