Fathers are Heroes too! was first published on Women in Focus.
Women in Focus is a website and initiative by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It is a place for women to be inspired, informed and connected with other women in business in Australia and around the world. Angela Vithoulkas, CEO of VIVO Cafe Group, will be the Guru on the Business Beat section and will be providing weekly articles on all things small business.
My father came from a culture where women were expected to do nothing more than learn to be great housekeepers, cook well and look after their families. Women were not expected to be financially independent or have a career. He never asked that of me, in fact he encouraged me to be the exact opposite of all my cousins and relatives.
He went into business with my mother under duress.
It was never his dream. He loved working outside and did a lot of excavation work when he first came to Australia from Greece. He never had my mother’s ambition or drive. But 50 odd years ago the unions weren’t as active as they are today and bad weather meant no pay and no pay wasn’t an option for my mother. So into the milk bar my father went. I imagine it hasn’t been easy dealing with 2 very headstrong women in the family – one he married without realizing it and the other he raised that way on purpose! He shakes his head a lot at both of us.
My Mother My Employee was first published on Women in Focus.
Women in Focus is a website and initiative by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It is a place for women to be inspired, informed and connected with other women in business in Australia and around the world. Angela Vithoulkas, CEO of VIVO Cafe Group, will be the Guru on the Business Beat section and will be providing weekly articles on all things small business.
Immigration, immigrants and small business are often talked about in the same sentences. It’s one of those subjects that sometimes can be politically controversial, especially these days. That wasn’t always the case. We used to discuss more freely what the “migrants” meant to Australia and their contribution to growing this country and of course the economy.
Both my parents migrated here from Greece, not as a couple. My mum came here as a young 16 year old girl, and my dad after he did national service. They have different perspectives of the early days and I know they handled being here differently. My father’s dream was to return to Greece one day with his family and somehow get back what he left. My mum never ever wanted to return, not even to visit. She always says she grew up and made a new better life here. We did return as a family, but trust me, that’s a book story, not a blog post.
Isolated as a Business Owner was first published on Women in Focus.
Women in Focus is a website and initiative by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It is a place for women to be inspired, informed and connected with other women in business in Australia and around the world. Angela Vithoulkas, CEO of VIVO Cafe Group, will be the Guru on the Business Beat section and will be providing weekly articles on all things small business.
We work hard; we dedicate ourselves to building our businesses, to looking after our families and finding that never ending search for balance. On this journey peppered with moments of elation, triumph, pain and a good pinch of ”ok what’s next?” there is a fair bit of loneliness. At least for me as a business owner that’s been the case. I’ve had nowhere to go to find information, to connect or discover things beyond my own experience. Nowhere to share or lessen my burden. Organisations and industry bodies were for unions and “professionals”, not for people like me. Thank goodness times have changed.
It’s not easy for others who aren’t business owners to understand what it’s like. Sometimes it’s hard for me to understand! I have been self employed for most of my entire life; I started when I was 17. I don’t know any other way of life. I never made friends at work since everyone at work has always been employees. I have been conscious of the line between friends, employees and customers. Early on I learnt my lesson after some experiences that really blew up in my face. There have certainly been exceptions to these self imposed rules which are a delight, but they remain exceptions.
New Startup Thrills was first published on Women in Focus.
Women in Focus is a website and initiative by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It is a place for women to be inspired, informed and connected with other women in business in Australia and around the world. Angela Vithoulkas, CEO of VIVO Cafe Group, will be the Guru on the Business Beat section and will be providing weekly articles on all things small business.
There should be a drum roll, a symphony written specifically for the unveiling of a new business, and fireworks. Definitely fireworks. Launching a startup should be something I’m used to, since I’ve been setting up new businesses for decades. But this is a very different story, a new chapter and a massive adventure that has had me breathless for 18 weeks. Wow, I even have that sick excited feeling in the pit of my stomach right now as I’m writing. #gulpdifficultyswallowing.
I’m going to share some of the journey of my new startup business up to launch day. Conception to launch is 18 weeks of nail biting moments, fantasy dreams, weird desires, work and friend conflicts, family and business dramas. I think my hands have been shaking the entire time. Of course I am simultaneously launching 2 businesses with 2 others on the drawing board and let’s not forget the existing business - my day job that pays the bills!
Small Business Truths was first published on Women in Focus.
Women in Focus is a website and initiative by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It is a place for women to be inspired, informed and connected with other women in business in Australia and around the world. Angela Vithoulkas, CEO of VIVO Cafe Group, will be the Guru on the Business Beat section and will be providing weekly articles on all things small business.
Your duty and role as a business owner - boss, head honcho, CEO, call it whatever you like, is to face and deliver the truth. The whole truth and nothing but the entire small business truth. Of course you do one or two other things occasionally that also impact on the business (I assume you can hear my sarcasm here?) but nothing more intuitive than seeing reality.
I spent many years as a “boss” assuming my job was to turn up and do stuff. That the rest just happened, and it did in many ways for many years. But to grow a brand, to take the next steps in building a bigger business requires some hard truths and tough decisions. Sometimes circumstances create the catalyst; sometimes we do it because we recognise the need. Sometimes we don’t and we can end up loosing a lot.