The founder of one of Ballarat's unsung business successes will offer international students the benefits of his experience in developing a venture as part of a state government program to reinvigorate the student sector.
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Alex Power established food delivery platform Delivr after finishing his studies at Federation University in 2017. The company, which started in his bedroom with just $200, is now notching sales in the millions and is, he says, the only profitable business of its kind in Australia, if not globally.
Taking on Uber Eats, Menulog and DoorDash without massive venture capital is a brave step, and while Mr Power says the road to success is not easy, he's keen to share his stories.
"It's really about my experience, starting Delivr, sharing advice for budding entrepreneurs," he says.
"The setbacks, the things I wish I knew when I started, because let me tell you, I've made my fair share of mistakes. It's been a long road; we've been doing it for about four years,
"But at the end of the day, if it was a race to profitability, we'd win here. We don't have a billion dollars worth of venture capital that we're pumping in, hoping that it works out, like other platforms. The way I like to think of it is, while everyone's on the battlefield, fighting it out, we're just kind of on the side taking our shots. But we're hitting every single shot we take, if that makes sense."
Mr Power will offer his business insights on May 17 at the Future Founders Program, backed by the State Library of Victoria.
Costing $500,000, the program is part of the Victorian Government's $33.4 million International Education Short-Term Recovery Plan. Acting Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy Jaala Pulford said the Future Founders program will play a critical role in supporting the recovery of the international student sector in Victoria, hit hard by COVID-19.
"The pandemic has had an enormous impact on international students and the sector, and programs such as this enhance the experience of international students and Victoria's offering as an innovative, safe and welcoming study destination," Ms Pulford said.
Alex Power says one lesson in starting a business is being on the front line, and he goes out on deliveries with his drivers. While Delivr is part of the gig economy which has been criticised for low rates of pay, he says the company attempts to gives its contractors the highest return per delivery.
"The entire idea was to try and create an ecosystem where drivers can actually come out and earn a good money and be respected and have all the support they can," he says.
The Future Founders Program is free at the Ballarat Library on Monday May 17 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Book at https://startspacehq.com/futurefounders/#roadshow