Smart50 rank: 26
Revenue: $5,290,256
Growth: 75.48%
Founders: Nicole Kersh, 27
Head Office: New South Wales
Employees: 11
Industry: Information technology
Website: www.4cabling.com.au
Nicole Kersh was working in her parents cabling company when she became fed up by tardy service providers by the sector’s wholesalers. So, quite simple, 4Cabling was born.
Starting out as an online wholesaler, Sydney-based 4Cabling has now moved into the design, manufacture, import and distribution of end-to-end cabling products, and surpassed revenue expectations to bring in $5.29 million in 2010-11.
Twenty-seven-year-old Kersh says while being a young woman in a male-dominated industry was difficult at first, meeting suppliers and explaining the business won people over.
“Always sell products with pride and conviction because impressions definitely last, and in highly competitive industries you need to make a good impression,” she says.
The company faced a potential disaster when its key supply suddenly cut off supply after being threatened by one of 4Cabling’s larger rivals. But this episode had a silver lining as it prompted 4Cabling to take control over the supply chain and production.
With a new microsite and branch expansion planned for Melbourne and Brisbane, Kersh says her goal is world cable domination – or at the very least, for 4Cabling to become the largest online wholesaler in Australia in an increasingly competitive industry.
“I'm always thinking of the next step and how we can be better at what we already do. And I'm very conscious of my competition because people will very often bastardise your ideas into their own, so I always have one eye open to make sure what we have worked so hard is protected,” Kersh says.
