Business Advisory Services

Working with Alice and the whole team at CEA was like having a secret agent on the inside of a confusing and terrifying new adventure. Building a business from scratch can be so daunting and I know I was constantly overwhelmed with the amount of options and avenues, knowing which to take can be impossible. Alice guided us through the first steps of business and really helped us find our feet. We are now a Pty Ltd with four years experience, a talented and dedicated team and our business is growing daily! Thanks to the guidance from the CEA team.

Lauren Panrucker 

Creative Producer of Tide Production

•  Awesome service as always, lots of good ideas, on my way to the drawing board to implement! Great Job
• It has been a great first session where I learned a lot about how to develop a strategic plan and represent then brand
• Helped us to consider approaches and avenues that we had overlooked. Very genuine and professional
• It was great to get a better understanding of how to start a business. Very helpful advice.
• Received great advice and a caring attitude, enthusiasm to my proposed business – personal thanks.
• Thank you – Challenging me but also empowering.
• Every SME should take advantage at least once.

Address at the Australian Small Business Advisory Services (ASBAS) Conference, Sydney

Minister McCormack Speech reference:
Sprout Artisan Bakery

“Take, for instance, Sprout Bakery in south Brisbane.

It’s quite a story.

Lutz Richter grew up in Germany. It was there that he learnt the secrets to making delicious sourdough bread. And he got pretty good at  it.

So good, in fact, that he took his trade to Ireland, where his bread was served at the famous Clarence hotel — which was then owned by U2’s  Bono and The Edge.

In time, Lutz made his way to Australia and found himself in Queensland.

Lutz found it difficult to get a foot in the door and in 2014 was relying on Newstart.

Eventually, however, Lutz and wife Rebecca were introduced to the team at the Greater Brisbane Small Business Advisory Service. And everything began to change.

With the service’s advice, Lutz and Rebecca decided not open a shopfront — something with high overheads — and instead focused on the farmer and producer-market scene.

Two years later, and they’re sending about 1,000 baked items to the Brisbane Farmers Market every Saturday — as well as supplying bread to cafes and restaurants all over Brisbane.

Their success is also being tracked on social media — another part of their business that ASBAS helped them develop.

And with that success baked-in — and their passions ignited — Lutz and Rebecca are now ready to commit to a shopfront, and write the next chapter of their small business story.”