I did a Google search on how many businesses survive for 10 years or more. The first reference I found was an American study that said 96 percent of businesses fail before their 10th birthday. Not a great start – surely the numbers are better in Australia? A similar Australian study found that 50 percent of businesses fail within the first 5 years and 66 percent of those remaining fail before they hit the decade mark.

A slightly more positive way of saying that Lighthouse celebrating its 10th birthday is a rare thing. And we aren’t done yet!

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I can say with a hint of smugness that I have survived 10 years (well close enough) running my own business. Before I tell you about some of the challenges, let me just say that I love what I do, I do it well and I do it with a fantastic business partner. What makes our business relationship so strong is that we are both women of a certain age with similar life values, who have kids, aging parents and a range of other commitments we need to squeeze in and around running our business. I have heard it all before about having it all – sure you can but eventually something has to give and it’s usually sleep and the time to just sit and be still.

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The Yogie Awards recognise, celebrate, promote and reward outstanding practice in working with young people in the ACT and surrounding area. The Yogie Awards are an initiative of the Youth Coalition of the ACT and supported by the Community Services Directorate, ACT Government .

Lighthouse Business Innovation Centre (Lighthouse) received a Certificate of Commendation for the Teen Start-Up program in the Innovation in Service Delivery Category.

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A good school education matters, but is it enough?

Schools can only cover so many things in the curriculum, but research shows that many of the secrets for living and working successfully in the 21st Century are qualities rather than skills – persistence when things get tough; the confidence to put forward ideas and try new things; the willingness to put aside preconceived ideas and think outside the box; resilience to try again when you fail; and the tolerance to look at things from different perspectives before deciding which option to follow.

The Teen Accelerator is an initiative of Anna Pino and Candice Edye from Lighthouse Business Innovation Centre. They have combined their psychology backgrounds with their passion and experience supporting Canberra’s entrepreneurs to develop a 6-week after school program open to teens from Year 6 to 12.

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As the year starts to ramp up, we thought it was time to take a breather and share some of our experiences from 2015 - experiences that most start up and early stage growth companies can or will relate to.

Last year we did two pretty challenging things – we negotiated a deal with an investor and we pitched for an innovation grant. Something we advise and mentor on every day, but when the shoe was on our collective foot – it was a whole new experience.

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For entrepreneurs a good idea can be everything! Even though the chance of success is minimal, these ideas give them something to aspire to (not to mention, some of these ideas make people obscenely rich!) If you're waiting for the ingenious idea to inspire you, some good advice is to dumb it down!

This month we thought we would welcome the festive seasons with a few laughs – here are a few (what seem like) ridiculous ideas that came with even more ridiculous success! Maybe you'll be inspired?

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Whether your content is being consumed via social channels or on a website, visual content remains a powerful tool in marketing – but only if done and used correctly.

November's challenges look closely at developing content for marketing, particularly how visual content can enhance your message.

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Developing new products or modifying existing products so they appear new is important to keep up with changing customer needs.

There is nothing simple about the process – it requires keen attention to competitors, knowledge of changing customer needs now and in the future, the ability to finance prototypes and manufacturing processes, as well as a creative marketing plan!

October's challenges look at the process of product development.

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If in 2015, you are looking to work on your business (not just in it), check out our weekday posts that get you thinking differently about your business.

September's focus is on the not-for-profit sector. 

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If in 2015, you are looking to develop your business, check out our weekday posts that get you thinking differently about business.

August's focus is on retail. Whether your store is bricks or clicks, established or a retail newbie; this month's challenges will get you working on your business and not just in it.

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