The talents of young Western Australians will be highlighted with the launch of a free online directory promoting businesses owned and operated by people aged under 35.
The u35 Business Directory, run by the Department for Communities’ Office for Youth, in partnership with the Small Business Development Corporation, aims to provide exposure for young WA business owners and operators, to reward them for their integrity and innovation, and give them a boost which will assist them in achieving their business goals.
Youth Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich said the directory was an important initiative which would promote the talents and skills of WA young people to a wide audience across the State.
“Many young people who have taken a leap of faith and started their own business can do with some extra support to help boost their business, particularly in the early stages,” Ms Ravlich said.
“Establishing a business requires a great deal of effort and, in most cases, capital in the form of monetary investment.
“In some cases, there is little money available for promotion and marketing to ensure potential customers or clients are aware the business exists.”
The Minister said it was imperative that all young Western Australians involved in establishing businesses were able to access necessary support for their endeavours and new and creative ways of assisting young people to develop their businesses were provided to help them persevere through the difficult early stages.
Ms Ravlich said peer support was an important component in allowing young people to reach their full potential. The directory would be attached to the Office for Youth’s website, attracting many young people, as well as others, to this useful resource.
One business advertised on the u35 website is William Street’s Keith+Lottie, a retail and gallery space which aims to promote the work of local artists and designers, and showcase an exciting range of design and art based products from around the world.
Twenty-five-year-old owner Aimee Johns said the store sold everything from clothing to gifts, books and homewares, but was hard to categorise as it did not specialise in particular items but stocked many interesting objects.
The gallery space housed exhibitions by a variety of local artists and was an intimate space perfectly suited to solo exhibitions by young artists.
Starting her business at age 22 was a big step for Ms Johns, who was rewarded for her efforts with a 40 Under 40 business award this year.
After expanding her business to include a distribution company, the high achiever also founded the William Street Collective - a group of business owners who stage regular retail and art events supporting local creative talent while raising the profile of Northbridge businesses.
“The u35 Directory is a great resource for young business owners looking to get ahead,” Ms Johns said.
“Age is definitely no boundary when it comes to starting a new business and initiatives like this make it easier for young people to pursue their dreams because they know there is support out there.”
Young people can list their business name, logo, location, contact details and a brief description on the u35 Business Directory website.
To advertise online or for more information about the project, contact the Department for Communities’ Office for Youth on: http://www.childrenandyouth.wa.gov.au
Minister's office - 9213 6800 
