Business Experts Offer Bird’s-Eye Perspective to Help Small Businesses Flourish
Two Australian small business owners are ready to take their businesses to new heights following a unique Business Class mentoring experience with high-profile experts, Mark Bouris and Abbie White.
As part of their ongoing partnership to support small business, American Express and Qantas Business Rewards teamed up on a mentoring initiative which paired competition winners with business gurus.
The recipients were American Express Qantas Business Rewards customers, Jenny Daniher, co-founder of Garlicious Grown (partnered with Abbie White, founder of Sales Defined) and Mark Langlands, owner of L&W Sports Communications Pty Ltd (partnered with Mark Bouris, Executive Chairman of Yellow Brick Road Home Loans).
The small business owners enjoyed a day of Business Class Qantas flights, lunch in the Qantas Melbourne Business Lounge and expert mentoring.
Promoted through the American Express Business Class website, which aims to provide knowledge and resources to small business owners, the competition gave two American Express® Qantas Business Rewards Card holders the chance to transform business challenges into opportunities and get feedback on their growth strategies from the experts.
The initiative highlights the value of travel and face-to-face engagement for business owners, as well as spotlights the ongoing need to back small businesses with effective products, tools and resources.
Recent findings from American Express Business Class research reveal that 77% of small business owners say personal travel positively impacts their outlook and ability to run their business, with 72% believing travel enables them to bring fresher thinking to their business to help them innovate and grow, with 26% citing increased creativity.1
Speaking about the experience, Jenny Danniher said: “As a small business owner, this mentorship experience was invaluable. With Abbie’s guidance, I was able to look at my business from an outsider's perspective and explore different ways to expand our business' sales channels. Selling a niche product like black garlic means that thoughtful consideration of our marketing and target audience needs to be made and this experience has allowed me the opportunity to put in place actionable steps towards growing my business.”
Mark Langlands said: “Expansion into the United States is a big priority for our business moving forward and the American Express and Qantas Business Rewards mentorship experience provided me with the tools and expertise that is required to successfully do so. Mark Bouris was able to lean into his previous ventures to guide me through the next steps for my business. The experience was very rewarding, the service was exceptional, and it has provided me with extra incentive to push forward with my business. I am excited to implement the advice I received into L&W Sports Communications.”
Emily Roberts, General Manager, Consumer and Commercial Services at American Express, said: “We’re pleased to collaborate with Qantas Business Rewards on this initiative and support the growth of small business owners as they play a critical part in the business ecosystem, the economy and our communities.
“We’re delighted to hear that Abbie White and Mark Bouris shared invaluable advice with Jenny and Mark and look forward to seeing how they apply this knowledge to help their businesses succeed.”
American Express and Qantas Business Rewards continue to champion the growth of the Australian small business community through their ongoing partnership, including through the refreshed American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card which offers no pre-set spending limit 2 and up to 51 days to pay for purchases 3.
About American Express
American Express is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.
Learn more at americanexpress.com.au and connect with us on www.facebook.com/americanexpressaustralia, instagram.com/amexau, linkedin.com/company/american-express, https://twitter.com/AmexAU, and youtube.com/americanexpressau.
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About Qantas Business Rewards
Qantas Business Rewards is Australia’s largest airline SME loyalty program, with over 400,000 Australian businesses, offering the opportunity to save on flights, earn Qantas Points for business and additional points for travellers when flying for work.
Plus, businesses can earn Qantas Points with over 50 partners on expenses like fuel, hotel, car hire, credit cards and office supplies, simply for running their business.
About the business experts and Qantas Business Rewards members: Mark Bouris and Abbie White
Mark Bouris is the previous host of The Apprentice Australia and built his reputation as a finance specialist. He is widely recognised for his ongoing mentorship of small business owners across Australia.
Founder of Sales Redefined, Abbie White is one of Australia’s most in-demand sales experts. As a leader in the field of high-performance sales, Abbie’s approach is based on cutting edge developments in neuroscience and psychology with her tried-and-tested, authenticity-based sales success formula having helped supercharge the performance and profits of hundreds of Australian businesses.
About the American Express Business Class research
1The research was commissioned by Ogilvy PR on behalf of American Express and was conducted by Lonergan Research in accordance with the ISO 20252 standard. Lonergan Research surveyed 517 Small Business Leaders in Australia aged 18+. Surveys were distributed throughout Australia including both capital city and non-capital city areas. The survey was conducted online amongst members of a permission-based panel, between 6 and 13 June 2022. After interviewing, data was weighted to the latest population estimates sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Age groups are defined as Gen Z (ages 18-24), Millennial (ages 25-39), Gen X (ages 40-59), and Baby Boomer (ages 60+). Small business owner/manager is defined as someone who owns or manages a business with up to 19 employees.
About The American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card
2 No pre-set spending limit does not mean unlimited spending. Your purchases are approved based on a variety of factors, including current spending patterns, your payment history, credit records, and financial resources known to us.
3 Extend your cash flow by up to 51 days: depending on your method of payment, when you make a purchase, when your statement is issued and whether or not you are carrying forward a balance on your account from your previous statement period. If you pay by direct debit, your payment will be processed 10 days after your statement is issued.
American Express Continues to Back Small Businesses
American Express continues to back small businesses through its initiatives like Shop Small. Shop Small is a national movement founded by American Express to ignite passion for small businesses, highlight the valuable contribution they make to their communities and the economy, and to encourage shoppers to support them.
