Suzi Dafnis' Success

Well-Developed

Dafnis says her background has been very handy in her business, and combining marketing and technology has been her strategy from the beginning, and one she says is often copied by other businesses. Attending a marketing conference in 1998 about the secrets to online marketing, when the internet was still in its infancy, was a godsend. "We were one of the first organisations to introduce email marketing, online newsletters, to get our website up and happening and to establish an online store. At the time it was very new and revolutionary. We could send out an email and fill a seminar room."

It’s not like that now, because it’s not new, which means they have to continually try different methods. She embraces new technology, and says this is where small business wins over the bigger organisations, especially in terms of flexibility in new technology take-up. "Technology allows small business to do what was only available to big business before."

And through the ABN she’s helped put together a new mentoring program—MentorNet—to be delivered online through podcasts and blogs. "There’s a huge learning curve for how to deliver online learning across Australia, so each project has its own learning curve." Building a customer database, which most organisations do now, was a new tool Dafnis employed before much of today’s software became available. In fact, she got her first start with managing databases after approaching the ABN for theirs in the early years.

She needed to reach a lot of business people to attract to her seminars, so in 1995, when she was bringing a speaker to Melbourne, she needed a local database of potential customers. The ABN was based in Melbourne, so it seemed the right fit. That initial contact was all she needed to be offered the chance to run ABN’s Sydney office, although she admits she felt like a fraud. "I’d only been in business for six months!" Then, when the role of national chairperson became available some time later, she took on the role, expanded the network, and has been running ABN ever since. She now volunteers about half her time to grow the network to support other businesswomen, and expects this role to involve even more time down the track.

She is currently putting an application together for a grant to develop public policy and advocacy. "I really want the ABN to do more representing for women in small business," Dafnis says. "I feel it’s my responsibility to develop a way to further be the voice for women and represent their small business issues." Dividing her time between all these roles is one challenge, but it’s quite another when you add an overseas base to the mix. She now divides her time between her base in the US and trips back to Australia every couple of months. "I have a lot of frequent flyer miles!" This is where technology again comes in handy, although she admits she still misses bouncing ideas off staff face to face.

And her base in the US has its advantages. For example, from a market research perspective, she says it’s like "heaven", and she can adapt offerings depending on market changes in either country. The constant travel plays havoc with her health and well-being, so she plans to spend more time in Australia this year. She can recall one year when she spent more than 80 percent of the year in hotel rooms. Even now, though, she admits she doesn’t have a secret to avoiding burn out. "When I was at my most successful I had the worst health. I did not manage it well," she says. "I’m a serial entrepreneur and sometimes I still feel burnt out.

"I don’t believe in balance: I have one life," she says. "Sometimes I’m working really hard, and sometimes I’m in New York playing with friends. Do whatever you’re doing at 110 percent, that’s my philosophy!" Although she still works very hard, she recognises warning signs and eases up when she needs to. But no matter where she lives or what she’s doing, whether organising or attending seminars, adding to her portfolio of product offerings or presenting online development tools to the ABN, learning and education will feature in her future. "The area of personal development education is what I want to keep doing, whatever the format might be."

These days, Dafnis is often recognised for her stint on the Dragon’s Den television show, an experience she describes as "invigorating". And although no longer an active venture capitalist, she still gets a kick out of receiving prospectuses from small businesses looking for a leg up, and sharing advice and experience. "I don’t go out to try and be an inspiration to people, that’s not my job. My job is to just keep growing as a human being. In that, if I can impact on people in a good way, then that’s great."

Lessons From Suzi Dafnis

• Never give up. Persist when it really matters to you.

• Know when to stop. Cut your losses and move on.

• Business is the greatest personal development experience. Enjoy the journey.

• Be passionate about what you do. Your personal mission will get you on track when you stray.

• Integrity is everything. Keep your word and do what you say you will do.

• Trust your instincts. You know what is right for you. Use mentors to inspire and validate.