50. Watts Next – StartupSmart

Founder: Sue-Ellen Watts

Revenue: $284,793
Year: 2007
Head Office: Queensland
Industry: HR & recruitment
Employees: 6
Website: http://www.wattsnext.com.au

Sue-Ellen Watts was working as the internal HR manager in a medium-sized business, supporting a group of team leaders, when she was struck by a problem: What do small business owners do when they have staff issues or need to recruit, or need to keep up with changing workplace legislation?

After trying to answer her own question, Watts decided to launch a business that could act as an external HR manager for a small business.

But instead of just focusing on HR services, Watts decided to create actual products in order to show her SME clients value.

“I learnt very quickly that people find it difficult to understand HR and definitely find it difficult to know what they are going to get at the end of the project, so I focused on developing a way to present our service to our prospects in a tangible product format,” she says.

“By doing this our prospects can see what they are going to get in hardcopy but where we really make the difference is in the support and culture change that comes from us implementing the product.”

The business, which is based in Queensland, now has six staff. Watts says this is the best part of creating her business.

“The best part of my business is when I look at my team. I am so proud of them all and how engaged and passionate they are about what we do and our potential.”