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 Businesses Technology Ian Jackson  View Video Case Study: Ian Jackson"Our only regret is that we didn’t make the move earlier" By 2001, the Jackson family of Frankston was facing a dilemma. Their home-based electronics business was outgrowing their home. Ian, his wife Dianne and their sons, Ross and Hal, had to make a move. Leasing a factory didn’t make fi nancial sense, so they looked, literally, for fresh pastures. They found them in the quiet Gippsland hamlet of Drouin West. Ian worked the business two days a week for two years while they built a 70-square house large enough for family and business. The octagonal shaped house (all eight outlooks are stunning) includes an office, workshop and research and development area. Alian Electronics is ideally suited to its provincial location, as much of Ian’s work involves consultation via phone, fax and email. Marketing is by word of mouth and the Alian website. Two local people are employed part time to assemble electronic control devices sold on to companies making electric golf buggies, pumps and forklift trucks. The family saves considerably on commuting to work although Ian, who had worked for Telstra for 17 years as a computer support technician, explained that they wanted to be within an hour of Melbourne CBD where he meets customers about once a month. His market is global and he travels to China to grow the business there. Meanwhile, Ross and Hal have had to adapt to a 35-minute school bus commute, but fi nd the country life more than makes up for the trade-off. They play chess competitively at school and on the web. A 20-metre radio mast keeps the family in touch with their ham radio friends locally and around the world. This hobby also takes the family away on 4WD camps as well as monitoring other radio club expeditions. A neighbour delivers eggs that really are farm fresh. Ian’s advice to anyone considering a move out of the big smoke is to make absolutely sure their source of income is not dependant on Melbourne. Apart from that? "Our only regret is that we didn’t make the move earlier." |
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