Meet Blair Quin, the small business owner of Boab Community Partnerships, an Indigenous technology development company based in Perth, Western Australia
Meet Blair Quin, the small business owner of Boab Community Partnerships, an Indigenous technology development company based in Perth, Western Australia. With the help of his business, Blair partners with businesses and community organisations to design and develop software solutions that improve the outcomes and opportunities for Aboriginal people.
“Many Rivers business coach, Debera’s support and business advice were crucial for getting my business off the ground and making it grow. She’s not just a mentor; she’s also become a great friend. The financial guidance and strategic planning were especially valuable because they can either make or break a business. So, in short, everything they provided was useful, but the financial advice was the most important.”
Read more about Blair’s business journey so far:
Blair’s Business
BoAb Co is an Indigenous Technology development company based in Perth, WA. My company partners with other businesses and community organisations, designing and developing software solutions that improve outcomes and opportunities for Aboriginal people.
I’ve been running my business for the past three and a half years. Right now, I’m in the process of relaunching it with support and guidance from Verity at the Waalitj Hub. This involves redesigning and developing the website, as well as doing direct marketing through presentations and networking with other companies. I’m using a targeted marketing approach based on our business strategy, which includes a new logo, a fresh website, a strategic marketing plan, and a communication plan. I’m prepared to elevate our client engagement to a higher level and have the capacity to work with more clients at one time.
Through my business, I aim to improve economic advancement and social equity for the Aboriginal people and communities by converting data into knowledge. By developing software solutions, we can help everyone by Closing the Gap in key demographics based on data sovereignty.
As a software development company, we have the capability to design and develop a range of bespoke solutions to support business needs.
Working with Many Rivers
Before I reached out to Many Rivers, I was honestly doing my best to run my business with the knowledge and experience I had gained in the past and leveraging my networks. I also enrolled in an undergraduate degree program to gain a deeper understanding of business management to set myself up for success.
I was referred to Many Rivers by Indigenous Business Australia (IBA).
My professional experience led me towards starting this business as I have worked in the resource sector in the past. I was always curious about understanding and studying the utilisation of community-based data as I wanted to understand consumer needs at a community-based level. Unless you properly understand the consumer needs, you cannot meet the demand, break down the barriers or give them the required support that they need. Focussing on employment outcomes through training, education, business development and support services by understanding and catering to the individual and advancing the community at the same time.
My business coach, Debera provided valuable assistance with my business. She helped improve my client service, gave insights into our overall business strategy and vision, and worked with me on managing my cashflow and predictive analysis to plan for the business’s future. I feel comfortable reaching out to her because she’s consistently available to answer my questions and provide guidance. We regularly meet to discuss our business growth plans, cashflow, and exchange ideas.
“My business coach from Many Rivers, Debera’s support and business advice were crucial for getting my business off the ground and making it grow. She’s not just a mentor; she’s also become a great friend. The financial guidance and strategic planning were especially valuable because they can either make or break a business. So, in short, everything they provided was useful, but the coaching to understand management finance was the most important.”
Did you get a loan from MR?
No, I didn’t get a loan from Many Rivers.
Do you have any current employees?
Managing the business by myself and I have support from within my network, with a technology development team that supports design, development and deployment of software systems.
Biggest Challenge
The biggest challenge I’ve faced so far has been getting the right support and securing funding for my business. I have reinvested any revenue that I have earned back into the business. Funding has been a significant obstacle, so I have spent a lot of time working on strategies and financial projections with my business coach, Debera. We did have a successful pilot, and there’s an opportunity to offer specific software products. We also looked at the training needs within our community and identified gaps. Then, we conducted a community-based analysis and narrowed our focus. The challenge is how to consistently translate our holistic approach and community analysis into tangible results that demonstrate positive change.
Biggest Success
My biggest success so far has been, proving that my software works, creating a report that shows the community analysis and connecting it to corporation strategy and operational outputs. A true justification for the business startup proving the concept works. Utilizing the data analysis assists in flagging trends of ‘risk’, aligning strategic objectives report on KPIs and/or indicate the need to create new KPIs.
Biggest Change
The biggest change for me and my family since I started my business has been helping them understand that the outcomes, we’re aiming for are more important than the time invested into the business. I’ve had to devote a lot of time and resources to the business to make ends meet, which has made it challenging to balance family and work. Now, I’m consistently working from home, and this has brought about a significant lifestyle change. I’ve set up an office space at home to make it all work.
Future Goals
In the short term, my focus is on developing a strategy to secure funding so I can re-launch my business. I have several projects in the pipeline, including rebranding, creating a strategic marketing plan, and relaunching my website. This wouldn’t have been possible without Verity from the Waalitj Hub driving the marketing support. My aim is also to secure contracts within the next six months, particularly with 10% of Aboriginal corporations in Western Australia and key Government departments.
My long-term goal is to expand my reach to corporations not only in Australia but also globally. It is a software development company, and my intention is to use my software as a vehicle for positive change and empowerment. This software can benefit government departments, job search agencies, commercial businesses and training organizations. I see this as an opportunity to make a meaningful impact and drive positive change. Moreover, I am also working on resource planning for the next five years of my business.
Thank you, Blair, for sharing your business journey with us. We wish you the best of luck with your future endeavours and business success.
If you would like to stay updated with Blair and his small business, follow Boab Community Partnerships on social media:
Website: https://www.boabco.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoabCo/
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