A Cereal Business Entrepreneur

Using Australian produce wherever possible, Creswell says the drought has been devastating at times. Not only do ingredients become more expensive, it’s also tough dealing with quality standard requirements. In fact, she had to act quickly when she recently found a batch of the product not up to her usual standards. “We pulled it off the shelves to protect our brand, and that was the right thing to do.”

Home & Away

No matter how messy things get, the 33-year-old mother of two knows she needs to balance her work and home life. “I’m really conscious of having to leave work at 5.30 and go home,” she says. “And I think I’m better at work because of that.”

A finalist of Ernst & Young’s 2007 Entrepreneur of the Year awards, Creswell is called regularly to speak publicly about running a family-friendly business. Disarmingly modest, she laughs when referred to as a motivational speaker. “I don’t go out to be a motivational speaker, people just ask me to come out and tell my story. I try to talk to people about thinking outside the square and recognising opportunities.”

While the public speaking gets the Carman’s brand “out there”, so does the time she spends in overseas markets, promoting the product. Having recently returned from the United States, she is now trying to launch the product there, and in India and the Middle East.

Next in her plan is a new range of products, possibly including biscuits, 100 percent fruit bars and gluten-free muesli and bars. “We think we could go into other healthier products in other areas. That’s the plan.”

Creswell advises exporters to insure their product for the entire length of the journey. “There’s a lot of risk with export,” she says. Exporters should expect the unexpected, because products can be delivered to the wrong address or disappear altogether. Credit insurance is also a necessity, she adds. “Halfway around the world it’s really hard to chase your money, so it’s really important to protect your money.”

Creswell believes the secret of Carman’s success, which has taken her by surprise, lies in a commitment to quality and using Australian ingredients in a century-old recipe. “I only ever planned one or two years at a time, I never imagined it would be this big,” she says. “It’s amazing that a little company from Australia can be competing against the biggest players in the world and holding our own.”