At 19, she started her first company.

06 November 2015 Author :  
In today's Herald Sun, there is a story about a young woman who started her first company at 19 years of age from her mother's kitchen table. 

Today, almost ten years later, she has started another, but this one is worth more than $231 million, and used by 5 million people. Melanie Perkins is more than a "$200m Start-up Wunderkind", she is a woman on a mission and age has never been her barrier. 

Creating more than 35 million designs, Melanie's company Canva has just raised another round of capital, making this under-30 year old, a very rich woman.

Her journey is classic of anyone who just goes out there and has a go and proves that age is no barrier and that sometimes you can just learn on the job from your mistakes.

I founded my first company at 25 years old, and back then, that was quite young to own a professional services firm. I made more mistakes than I care to talk about, but there were a few things that I learned on the job that are particularly important:

  • Being a perfectionist is great, but don't expect everyone else to be the same. 80 per cent will still ensure that your business is successful.
  • Networking is imperative to success. I met more people when I was young than I do now, and those people have stayed with me for my entire journey. 
  • The people you meet going up, are the same people you will meet going down. While I have never gone down, someone once said this to me earlier on in my career and it is an important reminder of how you should treat people no matter where you meet them in the lifecyle of your business. I have seen many people become full of themselves as they became more successful and burnt those around them, only to find out a few years later that they have gone backrupt. All of a sudden they need the people who they weren't so nice to.
  • People are everything. If you can try and work this out early on, you will be successful much younger.
  • Technology will help your business grow leaps and bounds and early adopters often benefit more than those who come on later. Don't be a person who puts technology investment to the wayside. It helps your business, saves money long term and improves customer engagement.
  • Always ask the question of people that you are looking to employ: "Why do you want to work for me?" It is very important and the answer will be telling particularly as to whether they are a stayer.
  • Business plans and marketing plans are mission critical. If you want to be successful, you have to have both and they need to be aligned.

If you are interested in being one of our young startups in The World Incubator, please contact us before November 30, 2015 through this website.
The World Incubator

Mellissah Smith is the Chairperson of The World Incubator, a not-for-profit business incubator in rural Queensland. Currently the incubator is situation in Wherry House in Charters Towers, North Queensland and houses 10 startups. The World Incubator is host to North Queensland’s largest entrepreneurs conference with all proceeds going to helping rural and regional startups and farmers. Book tickets on www.nqecon.com.au.

Comment

  • Robyn Neilson Robyn Neilson Friday, 06 November 2015

    Is this project still happening? I'd like to learn more about it please? I have a base in Charters Towers though I travel a lot.

    Regards
    Robyn

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