Simone Eyles is known all over Australia and a recognised leader of digital technology enablement. The global success of her 365cups app provided impetus for all the other ideas which have become realities. Originally trained as a graphic artist, Simone spent time in Alice Springs before returning to Wagga with her family.
“Wagga is a really inspiring place to live and work and the people here have so many ideas. What I noticed was many of these ideas couldn’t become reality as the digital platforms weren’t easily accessible or available”, Ms Eyles explained.
Her latest venture, Wagga in a Box was launched today, 1 December 2016, and provides entrepreneurs a one-stop service for their e-commerce, blogs, social media strategies and management.
“We have all the necessary skilled and creative people in our team who provide these essential services for businesses. So often, running an enterprise is time-consuming on its own but, marketing and promotions are essential to keep it going and growing. Basically, if you don’t have a presence on the web you are invisible and, for business, that is disastrous.”
“Yes, it is time-consuming to learn the technicalities of digital platforms but we are similar to an accountant, a doctor or a mechanic in that we provide a specialist fee-for-service.
One of the early participants, Bronte Mullins, said “For me, Wagga in a Box is an exciting new platform enabling producers of goods and services to promote and create a new buzz around their product or service and bring new light to the amazing goods and activities available in regional areas”.
This e-commerce platform can be duplicated to reflect the style and products from any location, enabling artisans and small-scale entrepreneurs to have a global audience.
- Ms Simone Eyles
Ms Eyles also is a partner with Dianna Somerville in the PitchFest movement where budding entrepreneurs develop their product pitch and present it in front of a live audience which participates as one category of judging. The original Pitchfest was in July 2016 in Wagga where five finalists competed for the $10,000 prize-money.
Last month, the first Australia Post PitchFest in Bendigo was held and the 2017 itinerary has been finalised so contestants in every state can submit their innovations.
“There is a wealth of information available for people wishing to participate in the digital economy and a virtual library of regional start-ups is at Silicon Paddock, an inter-active site” Ms Eyles explained.
“We’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg when we talk about the digital economy and the availability of open-source software means anyone, even children, can become active entrepreneurs before they get to high school. This is our commercial future and I love it”.