Maggie is the founder of the Australian Small Business Centre Pty Ltd. Throughout her lifetime she has been involved in various business ventures in family situations, partnership and on her own. The businesses she has had direct involvement in range from catering/delicatessen, gift shop, organic farm, children’s wear, market stalls selling various items from bread to trailer lights.

Since 1996 she has been involved in a teaching and administrative role in the Federal Government sponsored NEIS program and through that has helped over 1,000 people get started in their own business. These businesses have covered a vast variety of areas including manufacturing, clowning, artistic endeavours, fast food businesses, translation services and many more. She was a part time TAFE teacher from 1999 to 2005 when the Australian Small Business Centre needed more of her time. Her subjects at TAFE were business planning, resource management, financial planning, communication skills, marketing and promotion of business, record keeping and tax law.

She started her own consultancy in 1999 providing personal and business mentoring services under the name of Guardian Angels Consultants. In 2000 after the release of ‘Starting a Business in Australia’ the business was renamed The Australian Small Business Centre Pty Ltd as it more realistically reflected the activities and services provided by the business.

The second Edition of ‘Starting a Business in Australia’ was released in January 2004’. This book focuses on business start up, getting a business back to basics and business planning.

In January 2006 Maggie released another book called ‘Starting and Surviving in Business in Australia’ published by New Holland Publishers. This book looks at the issues a potential business person needs to look at prior to or soon after starting a business.

Listen to interviews on Dennis Routzou Breakfast Show 07-05-07 – Business Break with Maggie Richardson, her experience and helping startups

Maggie has also been interviewed:

• on Qantas radio for the inflight Business Show
• Dennis Rutzos on drive time radio, and
• on the David Koch Sky TV show Money Matters.

She is available as a guest speaker, writes business plans, runs workshops, seminars and courses for the centre and is the ‘coach of choice’ for long distance clients wishing to access help via Voice over Internet or phone. She is constantly working on new products and services to help people in business better manage their businesses, but takes time out to write the newsletter.

She is approachable and easy to talk to and is just as excited about expanding the services of the Centre as much as saying hello to each and every client. On a personal note her interests include singing, writing, internet, movies and spending time with her family and friends.