Our Melbourne Ambassador Kerry-Ann Bartle flew the flag at the Women in Focus Business Outlook Breakfast held last week.

Thank you to the Women in Focus team for the wonderful Business Outlook Breakfast 2013 in Melbourne on the 14 February. The event was very informative with guest speaker CommSec Chief Economist Craig James, who made a normally dry topic light and interesting. Not to mention a beautiful Valentine’s Day breakfast enjoyed by all the ladies. With an early 7.30am start, it was greatly appreciated.

“As the Business Analyst in the Women in Focus team I get to help shape our dynamic online environment and, as a self-confessed economics fanatic, I also manage our economic and finance insights space”, said Craig.

He joked about the fact that it’s easy to be an expert on the Australian economy if you remember the one word, China.

Key take-outs:

• Australian businesses are very well equipped to provide China and India’s growing middle class with new products and services, especially education.
• Another key trend connected to China and India is outsourcing.
• Social media is changing the way businesses interact with the market and a shift in people’s values emerges as visible key consumer trends.
• Consumers are increasingly seeking new products that are aligned to their values and ethics, which increases the opportunity for the socially conscious businesses to capitalise on this movement.
• Finally, group buying sites, price cutting wars in supermarkets, the emergence of Aldi and couture fashion now being available at Target are putting downward pressure on prices. Not only are consumers now better informed, they are more price conscious.

To finalise the event, Kate Morris, Founder and Director of adorebeauty.com.au and Carolyn Viney, Deputy CEO of Grocon, joined Craig to discuss their approach to social media and how they have embraced this amazing interactive tool to enhance their businesses.

Rebecca Howse (pictured above) owner of mother’s fashion business Hows That Fashions said the event was well presented and informative. She endeavors to embrace some of the insights she heard today to help enhance her business.

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