Mentorship is the most sought-after form of assistance for startups across Australia, with around 56% of founders revealing they received help from a mentor, according to the 2018 Startup Muster report. Understandably so, as although business owners often face similar challenges, dealing with them alone or without the right knowledge can make the process seem daunting.
Likewise, getting involved with community events and being part of a startup network can help founders overcome challenges and make smarter business decisions. Around 1 in 8 founders say “inspiration from direct contact with startups” was critical to getting their idea off the ground – this kind of direct contact is great for building connections, seeking out advice, and getting support and feedback.
Local startups are in for a treat, with an opportunity to hear from and connect with some of the world’s most well-known entrepreneurs, thinkers and investors, as part of the first-ever Startup Grind event in the Asia Pacific region.
Born in the Silicon Valley, Startup Grind has become a global community connecting over 1.5 million entrepreneurs in over 500 cities. It has described by Forbes as “a must for any professional in the startup industry” and been named as one of the top organisations for entrepreneurs.
Startup Grind’s mission – to make the startup journey “less lonely, more connected and more memorable”, is at the core of The Entrepreneurs Conference. The event, presented by MYOB, promises over 70 presentations and interviews covering a wide range of topics tailored to the startup sector, including how businesses can pivot and deal with change and what the future of payments and loyalty systems looks like.
The conference will feature startup royalty from around the world, with headline speakers such as Guy Kawasaki (Canva), Adam Nash (Dropbox) and Casey Fenton (Couchsurfing).
Justin Dry of Australia’s very own Vinomofo will be at the event for a fireside chat. He was awarded both the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the MYOB Business of the Year Award in 2014 and is looking forward to sharing some of the ups and downs of his journey as an entrepreneur.
“I’ll focus on a few key learnings around getting started, scaling, focus, courage and making good people decisions,” he said.
“Hopefully they can get inspiration and ideas about what worked to use in their own projects and also avoid some of the mistakes we’ve made along the way.”
The conference has been brought to our shores by MYOB, one of the leading cloud accounting software providers in Australia and New Zealand. The company supports startups and small business through pitch nights like the Female Founders Pitch Night, which gives women-led businesses the chance to access free desk space at One Roof Women.
It also hosts regular local Startup Grind events, though nothing on this scale.
“We are hoping to give Australian founders and future founders access to inspiration and learning with a global perspective,” MYOB marketing executive general manager Natalie Feehan said.
“Startup Grind represents a unique opportunity for Australia’s startup community to come together, collaborate and challenge their thinking with ideas brought by world leading entrepreneurs.”
“The event’s been hugely successful internationally and we’re thrilled to help bring it to Australia for the very first time.”
Startup Grind will be held at the Melbourne Convention Centre on December 6-7. Tickets are available on the event website and you can visit Startup Grind for more information on how to launch a local chapter of Startup Grind in your city.
We have partnered with MYOB to give away 10 double passes to attend Startup Grind APAC. To enter, tell us in 25 words or less how your startup could benefit from attending. Comment below or email [email protected] to get your entry in!
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