Salute to our Taspreneurs

ENTREPRENEURIAL spirit is nothing new to Tasmania. In fact it’s part of our DNA. There have been countless hardships and setbacks along the way, and we can’t skim over the fact we have a brutal history that carries a lot of shame.

Tasmanians have always had to work hard and adapt to advance themselves.

And, in the past decade, we finally found ourselves in a purple patch where we enjoyed a period of economic growth.

Before the coronavirus crisis hit, our economy was growing at about three times the national rate, Tasmanian businesses were some of the most confident in the country and residential building approval rates soared. Tourism and visitation had exploded and the government was incredibly optimistic about its budget position.

Our state still faced huge inequalities, especially in health, education and living standards.

But where in bygone years on a trip to the mainland admitting you were from the Apple Isle left you the brunt of a barrage of jokes, being Tasmanian became a badge of honour, and was more often met with remarks about how lucky you were to live in such a pristine and happening place.

That transformation has been the result of the hard work of too many people to mention, but the heavy hitters took significant risks and achieved feats most would have thought impossible.

AT A TIME WHEN BUSINESSES ARE DOING IT TOUGH, WE BELIEVE IT’S EXACTLY THE RIGHT TIME TO SING THEIR PRAISES AND CELEBRATE THEIR EFFORTS

Brand Tasmania, which exists to help Tasmanian businesses contribute to and share in what makes our state unique, describes our story as the quiet pursuit of the extraordinary.

Because Tasmanians are a humble bunch, we often don’t pause to celebrate our feats.

The most recent hurdle to our success has been the coronavirus crisis.

Yet, from the day the seafood industry faltered as COVID-19 strangled the Chinese markets, and we issued a call to arms for Tasmanians to help our locals and buy a cray, to the new Lark Distillery hand sanitiser or the rush to set up websites or apps to get produce to consumers, we’ve seen our nimble and resilient Tasmanians adapt.

At a time when businesses are doing it tough, we believe it’s exactly the right time to sing their praises and celebrate their efforts.

In today’s Mercury we shine a light on some of the Taspreneurs: the people we’ll all be barracking for to thrive in the post-COVID world.

And tomorrow we’ll look at other innovators who have adapted to respond to the crisis.

Finally, in Monday’s edition, don’t miss our 64page special feature, Home Grown, which is aimed at helping Tasmanian businesses promote their products and services to our audience.

Yesterday our state celebrated a huge milestone. Our top medical adviser, obviously cautious, can’t say with 100 per cent certainty that we’ve eradicated coronavirus, but with zero active cases and no new cases for almost a month — we’re happy to call the victory. Government has propped us up to get through the crisis, but its main job now is finding a way to get business moving.

Responsibility for all editorial comment is taken by the Editor, Jenna Cairney, Level 1, 2 Salamanca Square, Hobart, TAS, 7000