“Quicklook” Assessment of Greater Adelaide's Assets & Challenges ...

• The fun is in being a generalist. “To get good people, you need interesting work”
they are getting access to high profile jobs like work for WB.
• Now the fee for service is a way to get cash for retirement funds
• They have turned their weaknesses into a strength – the remoteness has
provided a strength for the company. They are dedicated to staying here in
Adelaide.
• They are trying to lobby the government is remote technologies. They need
infrastructure so that they have high-speed access. SOHO in London is a concept
for Heinligh street…want to have ‘character’ in setting up here
• They are growing slowly. Spent seven years earning revenue – have not
borrowed money
• Need a community of companies here in order to synergism. Heavy lobbying to
the government for supporting infrastructure to give people the ability to work
remotely out of this town. Need to put conduit down in order to give the ability to
run the networks. Make sure that every new project includes networking abilities
• Great lifestyle area – very convenient to live here. Opportunities are limited here
currently. Need to develop exciting projects.
• Most of their company is 25 or younger – if they weren’t here they would have to
go to another city.
• Lots of people here have talents that can be used. Less competition for talent
here.
• Next strategy is to take out large advertisements in the right type of people.
• Small employment pool is a problem
• Town needs better education to this industry, but until there is somewhere for
them to go, they will keep leaving. Their challenge is trying to get people back
here “Center of Excellence program might help to define curricula – need to look
at subsets of multimedia applications.
• People with families like it here. “Family life here is second to none”
• Projects can tend to be huge “save the world” projects.
• Their problem is how to get people to not kill themselves at work. They are
moving to creating products as a way to relieve their workers from such a heavy
workload and decrease their working hours.
• A town like this needs to deal with venture capital. They have chosen to take 6 yrs
of growth – but it was important to them to grow organically.
• People are still open to venture capital, but a few people were burned lately, -
they didn’t investigate their product enough and in the long run, they product
wasn’t viable. The presumption that people providing VC investigated the product.
• Spin offs: if possible they like to take ownership of part of their product. They are
trying to set up projects that might allow them to own part of the project. No spin
offs yet – they encourage entrepreneurial spirit in their company. They only have
20 people in the company – hope to grow to 45 people. People who have set up a
business have not worried about infrastructure to start – this could be a problem
for launching. Adelaide needs to encourage the growth of the companies that are
here. Offering tax incentives for other companies coming here encourages a
mercenary attitude. Otherwise the temptation is that the new company will leave.
Critical mass of companies starting here will encourage more.
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