In the lead up to January 26th, we decided to sift through a bunch of interviews we’ve conducted with successful First Nations business owners and entrepreneurs to pick out the five best pieces of advice they've shared. Here, find tidbits on authentic branding, supporting Aboriginal-led organisations, scaling your biz and finding creative inspiration.

SHAUN EDWARDS – HOUSE OF DARWIN
Shaun is the brain behind the super-successful fashion label, House of Darwin. He shared heaps of handy tips for small-business owners, but we reckon the most important pearl of wisdom was this: in order to scale your biz, you need to get on top of all the boring stuff first, like accounting, legal, infrastructure and IT systems. “You need to focus on the foundations of the business, which is like your accountants, your books, making sure the business structure is set up right, getting the right systems in place,” he said.

Read the full story here.

NIYOKA BUNDLE – TAKA GIN CO
Niyoka is the director and co-founder of alcohol brand, Taka Gin Co. When asked for advice on starting a business, she recommended authenticity. “Be clear on your brand, who you are and what you want,” she said. “Being legit is the first thing people look for, so starting strong is your only option. With so much of our lives revolving around being online, your online presence is paramount!”

Read the full story here.

DENNI FRANCISCO – NGALI
Fashion designer Denni Francisco of Ngali shared a nifty tidbit on finding inspiration and unlocking creativity. “Most of my inspiration and learnings come from reflections on Country and within the First Nations space. So, not mentorship as such, but observation and finding quiet spaces to sit and reflect. I think that's where creativity comes from,” she said.

Read the full story here.

KIMBERLY ENGWICHT – K-RAE DESIGNS
Kimberly is the creative director of digital illustration and stationery biz, K-Rae Designs. Her number one piece of advice to other First Nations women who want to launch their own business was simple: just start. “Time and time again I've had sisters come up with a plethora of excuses, but all you need to do is jump into it and make a start,” she said. “You don't have to have all your ducks in a row – take small steps and take that leap.”

Read the full story here.

CORMACH EVANS – NGARRIMILI
Ngarrimili is an Aboriginal-led not-for-profit that supports thousands of First Nations businesses, creatives and entrepreneurs. Its founder and CEO, Cormach, encouraged businesses to uplift First Nations organisations by using their own resources and educating themselves. “As a professional or a business, you can donate your time, resources and expertise to support early-stage businesses. Or, you can provide a paid, hands-on learning opportunity to a young First Nations professional through our Youth Talent Pipeline,” he shared.

“It's super-important that allies are doing their own work and learning without adding to the cultural load of First Nations peoples. Common Ground is an awesome resource that I encourage everyone to check out.”

Read the full story here.

For more small-business stories like this, visit frankie.com.au/strictly-business, or sign up to our monthly e-newsletter. Have a small-business story you’d like to share? Pitch it to us.