Peter Hurst founded www.roadiii.com to showcase great Australian festivals, cultural events, wineries, and distilleries. He talks to us about starting the business and his mission is to get more Aussies out on the road.
Show Notes
Peter Hurst from founded www.roadiii.com to showcase more of the great Australian #festivals, #culturalevents, #wineries and #distilleries that don't get the media limelight, are off the #beatentrack or are actually #huddengems.
His mission is to challenge Australians to get out #ontheroad. He started www.roadiii.com about 3 years ago (and 2 weeks before Covid19).
Originally trained as a #schoolteacher but spent 20 years working with companies including General Motors and Nylex
He's also been heavily involved in #lifesaving around Australia. and his first small business (he's still got it) was Surf Safety Australia that supplies safety products to lifesaving clubs in Australia and overseas, particularly the UK.
In our discussion we talk about;
- how Google driving him to distraction drove him to start #roadiii
- how his design approach for the website was driven by wanting to spend more time more time on the road and less on the computer
- the philosophy of his UX approach being to get people out into the regions to do road trips and to take in more than just the traditional tourism options
- making #holidays richer and more fulfilling
- launching 2 weeks before Covid19 and adapting
- combining something that's a passion of yours with a business (and a business that can be run on the road)
- lessons learnded - being open because you are never quite sure where opportunity comes from
- being a massive believer that a small business should be founded on passion and interest
- how small business can be tough and very often it's that idea of 1% inspiration 99% perspiration. So if you're gonna work that hard, and soak up your spare time, you've got to love what you do.
- how his commercial experience also tells him that you've got to be pretty analytical as well and try to avoid wasting time and wasting money
- having a realistic expectation of what you want from that small business
- why it doesn't have to be, you know, a million dollar a year business to be something that can be viable and enjoyable and sustainable
- going into business with a customer mindset, looking for things that you enjoy and that people want, then that's the basis
- taking small risks, and taking them one at a time, and understanding what you might lose.
- how three wins and one loss can give you a basis for building a business
- #smallbusinessheros
- #IanKiernan from @CleanUpAustraliaDay - an inspirational endeavor, shows you what's possible from an idea, shows you what's possible from a bit of perseverance and also a bit of support from those people that should support the creatives, the individuals that, try new ideas out
- Also a secret admirer of the owners of the Sir George Hotel, and the Long Track Pantry in https://www.sirgeorge.com.au/ #Jugiong #NSW in the middle of amazing country, but surrounded by nothing but farms - incredible success out of a rundown hotel
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