Coopers is now Australia’s largest locally owned national brewer, following the takeover of Foster’s by SABMiller.

Shane Pettiona, one-time chief operating officer of Carsales.com.au, says he’s never been involved in a dotcom that has had such growth and been so warmly received.

Jetts Fitness founder Brendon Levenson says the financial crisis has shown that the 24-hour, no-contract fitness model can withstand dire conditions and indeed is pretty much recession-proof.

Jo Ucukalo noticed that she was good at handling complaints, and after taking on disputes for friends and family, Handle My Complaint was born.

Are there too many group buying sites?

Don’t discount: that’s the message from franchising guru Jim Penman. The Jim’s Group founder says service, rather than price, is what attracts and keeps customers. The group, which has about 25 divisions, is set to turn over about $400 million this year.

Naturopath Narelle Plapp started off selling muesli for clients; five years later, the company she founded, Food for Health, is turning over $3 million and selling 14 products.

From a background in fast-moving consumer goods, Corinne Noyes has managed to woo women and Woolworths with Madame Flavour, a specialty loose leaf tea company which is on track to double last year’s revenue of $2 million this year.