Celebrating success at StartNorth
Published on 13 March 2024
Since opening in 2019, StartNorth has continued to deliver support to local startups, entrepreneurs, and small businesses in Hume City.
The growing coworking space now has over 90 members, offering flexible and affordable membership plans that give members access to all the key amenities they need to work efficiently and grow a successful business.
Recently Hume City Mayor, Cr Naim Kurt toured StartNorth to view the six new recently completed private offices, all of which sold out within minutes of being released such is the popularity of the space.
Mayor Kurt had the opportunity to chat with members from a wide mix of businesses spanning industries including marketing, legal, recruitment, construction, mortgage lending, finance and more.
One success story shared with The Mayor focused on the journey of Wish Support Group.
Founded in December 2022 by Dilek Dee Sakranlioglu, Wish Support Group provides NDIS support coordination services to NDIS participants and has achieved industry recognition within the NDIS support coordination sector.
As a mum to a child with special needs, Dilek’s motivation to develop Wish Support Group was fuelled by a passion for ensuring community members have the supports they need.
After identifying the importance of advocacy and independence for all disabilities, Dilek wanted to use her experience as a NDIS support coordinator to provide support to vulnerable individuals.
Walking into StartNorth without clear business goals, Dilek found that beginning her journey at the workspace was crucial in helping her develop her business.
The professional, collaborative spaces and valuable resources at StartNorth have enabled Dilek to achieve business growth milestones such as expanding the client base, gaining service accreditation, forming strategic partnerships with allied health services and mainstream health services, developing collaborative networks, empowering staff to perform at their best and attaining financial growth.
In a sign of how far the support has taken her, in March 2023 Dilek hired her first employee and by the end of January 2024 the Wish Support Group had officially outgrown StartNorth.
The business will be moving to its own office, and Dilek now leads a dedicated team that is passionate about empowering individuals with disabilities through quality support coordination.
With a growing team, the business is excited about the potential to expand their range of services within the NDIS scheme.
Apart from providing coworking spaces, private offices and networking opportunities for members and businesses such as Wish Support Group, StartNorth also provides startup and entrepreneur support to the entire community through masterclass events and small business training.
Masterclasses, programs and workshops on offer throughout the year are all aimed at helping locals start or grow a business.
Residents of Hume City Council can get involved in the first masterclass of 2024 on “Starting a Side Hustle”, with registrations open 20 March.