Running a successful web development business from the shores of an idyllic beach location is a dream beyond the reach of most people. For Bianca Board, it’s an everyday reality. Bianca is the woman behind Web123, a web design company that specialises in high-quality, professional websites for small businesses on a small budget. Having spent almost eight years developing custom websites for clients under a different brand, Bianca realised that it was virtually impossible for small businesses to project their online presence in a profitable but cost-effective way. How could small business ventures match the look of a big business without their financial advantage? Bianca knew that there had to be a better way to offer small businesses their best chance in the online market – and from that, Web123 was born. What usually took six weeks is now accomplished in just a day. The company has doubled each year, with clients benefiting from fully supported, big business CMS websites at a fraction of the cost. But getting to this point has not been without its challenges – particularly for a businesswoman starting out in a regional area. When Bianca moved back to her hometown of Wagga to start her first business, she was told that there was no market for the work in which she specialised. “Little did they know, that was like holding a red flag to a bull,” she says. Bianca used the small community of her hometown to spread news about her company by word of mouth. She then continued to make a name for herself through greater network such as through mentors in Canberra and the Australian Business Network.
“I’ve formed some great partnerships through the Australian Businesswomen’s Network and gotten quite a lot of business, says Bianca. “It helps give me confidence to put myself out there as a woman in business.”
Bianca says that it is important to make networking a priority when starting out. Social networking sites have now given those working out of regional and remote areas the most powerful tool to stay connected no matter where they are. Today, Bianca works from her office in Airlie Beach and communicates with staff over the phone and through Skype. Most of her clients are spread all over Australia and Bianca says that, with the aid of technology, “You really can work from anywhere.” The flexibility of today’s technology allowed Bianca to reach out to mentors in Canberra and through the Australian Businesswomen’s Network.
Bianca Board was interviewed as part of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s ‘Beyond the City’ initiative, which highlights the achievements of women in regional and rural Australia. You can read more profiles here. And, for more information on you can connect, learn and grow, regardless of your location, learn more about the benefits of membership.
