“I was out of my depth. I simply didn’t know what to do. Luckily, Chris & Ross at BEC Welshpool were right there with me, every step of the way. Otherwise…?”

~ Ibrahim Al-absawi, Ravensthorpe Pharmacy

Ibrahim Al-absawi, the hardworking owner of Ravensthorpe Pharmacy, freely admits he didn’t know much about the business when he took it over midway through 2008.

Imagine his shock then, when just six months later, BHP Billiton pulled the plug on the local nickel mine, throwing almost 2,000 locals out of work & threatening the very viability of the community.

“I had become frustrated working in the Pharmacy at one of Perth’s major hospitals,” recalls Ibrahim.

“I wanted a change for myself & my family; a new start, a better life,” he says.

“I had all the qualifications as a Pharmacist…. but I didn’t have a clue how to run a business.”

That was September last year. Ibrahim had bought the business & purchased a copy of MYOB. But he was struggling.

“I was so busy, working long hours in the Pharmacy, I had absolutely no idea whether we were even making money,” says Ibrahim.

“Fortunately, I got to know about BEC Welshpool through a Community Newspaper advertisement and I made contact with Chris Gray, the Executive Officer at BEC Welshpool,” he says.

“Chris and the BEC Accountant Ross Ludwig CPA, sat down with me for an hour, free of charge and we went through everything, from top to bottom.”

BEC Welshpool, through its team of experienced professionals, prepared Ibrahim’s first BAS & generated a wealth of business information, including preparing a Cash Flow Budget, again at low cost.

“To tell you the truth, I wanted to ensure the information I received was accurate and up to date,” admits Ibrahim, “so I took the paperwork to an accountant who specializes in the Pharmacy industry.”

“He was impressed. He said the work was first class & I’ve been relying on BEC Welshpool ever since,” he says.

“When the crunch came in January, naturally I was worried. But I was also supported every step of the way.”

Six months on & despite the mine closure, coupled with the worst economic crisis in 50 years, Ibrahim’s business is thriving.

At BEC Welshpool, we stand ready to help any start-up or existing small business, anywhere in WA.

We provide services in Accounting, Taxation, Finance, Business Planning, Legal Matters, Mentoring, Advertising, Marketing & much more. And we’ll work personally with you to improve your bottom line.

To summarise, here’s what we can offer your business:
• Hands-on support & advice on all aspects of running a business, or starting a new one
• As a not for profit organisation partially funded by the Australian Government we provide a range of low cost services
• We're part of a national network of 110 Business Centres around Australia, we have an enormous wealth of expertise to call upon

Our help is only a phone call away on 1300 368 986.

Chris will meet with you personally for an hour ~ at NO CHARGE ~ & we'll move forward from there.

Do it today. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.
Regards

Kym Bidstrup,
Media & Marketing Consultant, BEC Welshpool