Passionate pursuits
MANY YOUNG AUSSIES WANTING PURPOSE IN WORK ARE CONTEMPLATING STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESS IN A COMPLETELY NEW FIELD
Money really isn’t everything for many Australian workers who would willingly forgo one-third of their pay to pursue a career of passion and purpose.
This is according to nationwide Project Resolution research from GoDaddy, which also found only half of Aussie workers are happy with their current job, and one in 10 actively dislike what they do. After a year of not just job but life uncertainty, one in three people surveyed are considering starting a business in the pursuit of purpose this year.
Of these aspiring entrepreneurs, more than three-quarters say their business would operate in a different industry to their current employment.
And with more consumers than ever sourcing their needs online – of the nine million households that bought online in 2020, 1.36 million made an online purchase for the first time, according to Australia Post’s latest eCommerce Industry Report – businesses without a web presence are cutting themselves out of a growing market.
Australia Post acting group CEO and managing director Rodney Boys says the increase in online engagement last year resulted in web-based purchase rising by almost 60 per cent from the same time the previous year.
“Though 2020 was a year full of challenges, it was also one brimming with opportunity for Australian retailers,” Boys says.
“While businesses had to pivot early and quickly change how they continued to serve their customers, research conducted by Deloitte Access Economics found those that invested in eCommerce were significantly buffered from the impacts of COVID-19, limiting overall revenue losses to 7 per cent between March and August 2020.”
GoDaddy Australia managing director Tamara Oppen says nailing an online presence is crucial for any business, new or established.
“Out of this crisis, there will be a wave of particularly young people wanting to make a difference and choosing careers and starting businesses that facilitate this,” Oppen says. “Australia is seeing huge growth in eCommerce sales with more consumers moving online, they want to be able to buy what they want, when they want it. “As a business you need to be where your customers are, and your customers are shopping online therefore, if you want to remain competitive and relevant having a website is critical to your success. Selling online will allow you to reach consumers outside your local area, expanding interstate and even overseas.”
When Lou Lou Pie Creative director Elaine Nakhle was made redundant last year from her design job of 17 years, she poured her time and energy into her side hustle, rather than seeking further employment.
“To be honest, I feel like I was ready and I had wanted to do this for such a long time but I just kept fighting paranoia and fear about the possibility of it all crumbling,” she says. “It’s a whole new ball game but it is my dream and being a mum, I really wanted to be home for my son who is now eight and at an age where he really needs me to be.
“There was a pay-cut to weigh up but this way, I’m proud I can be there more for my son and still earn an income. It’s also a beautiful thing for me to help clients I resonate with.”
Nakhle says her business growth and success relies on word-of-mouth and uses her online presence as a portfolio for new and potential clients. “Having a website makes a massive difference because I can always refer people to it so they can all see my work and get an idea of what I can offer them,” she says. “I’m always updating the website, it’s easy to do.” VANESSA CROLL
Australia is seeing huge growth in e-commerce sales with more consumers moving online