CUSTODIAN

Bright outlook for businesses
By Di Bartok
NEWS
SURVEY
NORTH Shore businesses reported
a bright outlook, with neither an
impending Federal election nor
council amalgamations putting
much of a dent in their optimism, according
to a survey conducted by Chatswood Chamber
of Commerce,
The Chatswood Chamber Business
Survey, conducted by Maxumise Consulting
from October 2015 to April 2016, shows
a growing confidence in businesses in the
economy and their ability to improve profits.
While this is the Chamber’s first study,
Issues for Chamber to address
• Lack of parking.
• Traffic congestion.
• Road maintenance.
• Public toilets upkeep.
• Proper planning of Chatswood.
• Improve streetscape.
• Business networking.
results were “weighted” to give predictions of
an 11 per cent increase in optimism for the
next six months.
The survey of more than 40 diverse businesses
will give the Chamber an idea of the
concerns of businesses and how they can be
helped, President Stig Falster told NSBA.
“Having this survey gives the Chamber
more credibility so members can see we do
things for them,” Mr Falster said.
“We will use these results to compare with
the next survey in six months to see if the
outlook has improved or what other concerns
businesses have.”
In general, the impact of council amalgamations
was considered to be minimal with
some positive outcomes.
But there were concerns about local issues
such as planning, traffic management and
parking.
Overall, there was a small positive in capital
expenditure predicted and in profitability.
Organisations indicated there was a massive
potential to increase productivity.
However, companies did not expect to increase
their staff numbers in the next six months,
as they had done in the previous six months.
Growth seemed to be tied more to greater
profitability on current assets rather than
greater employment and capital expenditure.
www.northsba.com.au
WWW.WSBA.COM.AU
Comments on council mergers
• Reduced costs.
• Greater efficiencies. Largesse
of Willoughby Council “incredible”.
• Less bureaucracy.
• Minimal impact on business.
• Food inspection rules streamlined.
• Will lose personal contacts at
council.
This could change as a result of the incentives
in the Federal Budget, the report noted.
Eighty per cent of participating organisations
had less than 25 employees with 10 per
cent employing more than 250, indicating that
small and medium businesses rule the area.
Of the respondents, 49 per cent came
from Chatswood CBD, 20 per cent from
CBD surrounds with the rest from Middle
Harbour, Willioughby/Artarmon/Naremburn,
North Sydney/Mosman and Ku-ringgai
Council areas.
Nothing blue about work-life balance
By Di Bartok
MARKETING
THE brilliant blue of the Australian
sky signified a new beginning for
Deb Jeffreys and her family.
So when the former vet moved
with her family from Brighton England to the
warmth of Sydney’s northern beaches, there
was no other choice for the name of the internet
marketing company she started in 2009
“The sky out here is amazing, just brilliant
blue so that’s what I had to call my business,”
Deb told NSBA.
Brilliant Blue Digital Marketing Solutions
was born.
And the sky has been the limit since the
business opened in Frenchs Forest with plans
to move to Western Sydney later this year.
Deb is proud that she has been able to help
businesses achieve their best with a professional
online presence but is just as chuffed
that she has expanded the horizons of local
mums who have expertise and experience and
want to work from home.
For if there is something Deb Jeffreys is
passionate about more than internet marketing,
it is striking the right work-life balance.
“That is what led my husband, daughter
and I out here in the first place after I fell in love
with Australia by holidaying here,” Deb said.
“I was working long hours as a vet and was
not spending enough time with my family. To
me, family is number one
“I still work long hours but it is not the
same as looking after sick animals where you
have to be there all the time - I can work from
home, sitting beside my daughter, who is doing
her HSC this year, as she does schoolwork,
so I can help her when she needs that.”
Mostly, Deb works from her French’s Forest
office, with a small core team backed up by a
number of local contractor content writers,
mostly women looking for that work-life balance.
“They are local mums over the age of 40,
bringing with them skills and life experience,”
Deb said.
“They share jobs and may work 28 or 30
hours a week, in the office or at home.”
The permanent office staff of director
David Biddle and digital marketing managers
Alannah Nichols and Nicola Elkington work
with designers, programmers and content
writers to design and maintain first class websites
for a range of businesses.
They also enjoy the benefits of a familyfirst
workplace, while being part of a growing
enterprise.
Along the way, Deb has divorced and
repartnered with three step-daughters becoming
part of her happy life, yet that work-family
balance continues.
She cannot understand why more employers
are not flexible enough to attract family
women and men who can be productive while
working unconventional hours, or from home
at least part of the time.
“There are some fantastic people out
there who have dropped off the career ladder
because of family responsibilities who could,
with some flexibility, be a great asset to companies,”
Deb said.
“I know what it is like to have young children
and you want to go to their school plays
and sports days and you can’t get away.”
Passionate about business: Deb Jeffreys
Phebra collaborates with US firm
PHARMACEUTICALS
PHEBRA has announced a new collaboration
with US-speciality pharmaceutical
company Qrono Inc.
(Qrono), for the development of
NORTHERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS JUNE 2016
long-acting injectable (LAI) drugs to treat
psychiatric disorders.
The CEO of Phebra, Dr Mal Eutick, said
the company welcomed the opportunity to
work closely with Pittsburgh-based Qrono, in
developing slow-release injectables, to be used
in the treatment of serious mental disorders
such as schizophrenia.
“Phebra sees tremendous potential in applying
Qrono’s cutting-edge technology to develop
new medicines for the benefit of people
suffering mental illness,” Dr Eutick explained.
“We are excited that by combining
Qrono’s proven capabilities in long-acting formulation
development, with Phebra’s strong
track record of successfully commercialising
sterile injectable products, we will be creating
an opportunity for Phebra to extend our current
range of injectables and introduce a new
therapeutic option to psychiatric patients.”
Dr Eutick said the LAIs developed
through the collaboration with Qrono would
be produced locally at Phebra’s sterile manufacturing
plant at Lane Cove West in Sydney.
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