Tell us a bit about your business?

www.Appliquette.com.au is an iOS and Android application developer. We specialize in building socially connected Games & Apps for Marketing and Creative Agencies, Publishers, businesses and  individuals.

Since launching in Nov 2011 we have been fortunate to work on some exciting projects, across a variety of genres ranging from Data Apps, Games & Handheld Training Tools/Simulations.

Why did you start up your business?

Locally the industry here is quite small with minimal opportunities for securing full time work. The combination of my professional experience & always feeling quite entrepreneurial, I felt it was a great opportunity to go for it.

What are the major hurdles you experienced when starting up your business?

Securing a decent amount of work was difficult at first, there was always enough to get by but not enough to effectively grow. Finding repeat clients in a world where often you are just developing 'one-off' products was also a major hurdle in finding a steady stream of fee for service work.

What tips can you give other SavvySME members that are thinking or in the process of starting up their business?

Try not to be too discouraged by perceived failures, I spent a large portion of 2012  networking &  pushing our services out there with little return at the time beyond faint glimmers of opportunity. I got to a stage where it felt like there was very little hope, but I kept persisting and suddenly everything just 'clicked' and I started seeing immediate growth.

What made you decide to take the jump and focus on your business?

I wanted to be in control, I wanted flexibility in my work life, and I knew that I could be successful doing it.

How did you family and friends react?

Thankfully I have had nothing but 100% support in the process.

How has your life changed?

There hasn't been too much of a change to my life, but through the business & networking I have opened doors to new people and new opportunities that I would otherwise not have had. 

Having the flexibility as a result of running my own business is also certainly a positive in my overall well being. 

What success have you experienced since starting your business?

Things have been very positive in the past 6 months, we have secured some longer term clients with running projects, and have had to bring in additional hands to manage the workload. We have also been fortunate enough to work on some projects for major businesses, and seeing the results of these advertised in magazines & papers, as well as seeing products in major grocery chains advertising the apps has been a great feeling.

What is the vision for your business going forward?

At this stage we will be continuing along with our current direction, with an eye to develop some more in-house IP, to remove the need of relying on 3rd parties for revenue streams.

What tips can you give other SavvySME about motivating yourself to push through the challenges that rise up while building your startup?

Set yourself short term goals along the way and celebrate the small wins, it is always a hard slog building a start-up so staying positive by achieving even the smallest success is important.