Lessons for the world from South Australian entrepreneurs

The founder of Zen Energy, now a serial entrepreneur, says in his preface, “The Essential Entrepreneur,” that “this is not a step-by-step ‘how to book,'” but Chapter 1 explains the method step by step. Validate and test your ideas until Chapter 17 on “Out of Business”.

And that’s a good thing he does.

“How-to” advice from entrepreneurs who have successfully expanded and sold three or more major businesses is the most valuable information in this latest release.

For South Australian entrepreneurs, Turner draws on his own experience and that of ex-SWEAT Flavia Tata Nardini instead of reading about Silicon Valley start-ups that have found great success in a completely different ecosystem. It is even more valuable because Fleet Space Technologies, Simon Haigh of Haigh’s Chocolates, and Kirsten Bernhardt, Investment Manager of Artesian Alternative Investments.

Their views and stories are presented as asides throughout the 187-page book, and serve primarily to reinforce the tips provided by Turner, but not the advice given by Bernhardt on “Preparing for Investment” in Chapter 11. and insights are invaluable to local entrepreneurs.

She points out that while venture capital is maturing in Australia and new sector-specific funds are emerging, the challenge is the lack of limited partners who are not superannuation funds. The challenge now is not ‘more money’ but getting more LPs into the market alongside superannuation funds.”

She continues with five insightful tips every South Australian entrepreneur should read, and concludes with sound advice for founders in need of VC help.

“We support great founders with a very scalable business model,” she says.

Turner provides most of the insight and the advice is very local, making ‘The Essential Entrepreneur’ a truly Australian book.

For example, Turner talks about how he launched the first family-owned Regency Food Service against the backdrop of “a trend happening in the US that’s also showing signs in the eastern states of Australia.”

This truly South Australian statement has to be one of the soundest second-hand advice in the entire book. Look elsewhere to find problems that eventually land (or can be built) in South Australia, adapting already available solutions to the local ecosystem.

Turner did this with his “Total Foodservice” business, allowing him to launch “the right product at the right time” and beat out competitors who were unaware of global trends. Next, by welcoming Raymond Spencer as ZEN Energy’s first investor, he highlights this strategy with an anecdote about how ZEN Energy got his five-year head start in lithium-ion battery storage. To do.

The batteries had yet to reach Australia, but they were essential to scaling the solar company.

Spencer was an early director of Greensmith Energy Management in the United States, where he saw ZEN’s potential and helped secure essential batteries.

The strength of the book lies in its very local tips, from anti-dilution clauses to places like the Australian Investment Council shareholder agreement template, and Chapter 13 on Trademarks and Patents is arguably the most informative.

Turner explains to founders why they want to protect their company’s intellectual property and brand, and provides detailed “how-to tips,” including average prices for hiring a trademark attorney.

He also guides readers through the five steps to patenting.

Turner concludes that the essential ingredients of being an entrepreneur are always learning from others and having great mentorship.

A good place to start for aspiring entrepreneurs is the larger offering in Turner’s digital toolkit for entrepreneurs. Here is a link to his website where all the tips from the book are referenced, and there is a ready-made network of South Australians willing to share their stories.

The $29.95 book is available in online bookstores and as a digital book on all major platforms.