Since then buttons have had a fascinating history and an important place in human adornment.

Renee in her studio

BUT IN OUR modern world of zips, snap fasteners and Velcro, buttons have taken a back seat. However, jeweller Renee Blackwell has re-discovered the button by creating attractive rings, pendants and earrings from a bewildering array of buttons from all over the world.

Renee has been designing and making jewellery for over 25 years, using a wide variety of materials in her work such as stones, gems, glass, clay/porcelain, metals and found objects.

Then she discovered the fascinating world of buttons

“On a trip to Buenos Aires a few years ago,” says Renee, “I discovered in an antique market a stash of beautiful, old buttons, and I felt they were so exquisite I might be able to use them in my work. Since that trip, I have been to Paris, Germany, New York City and San Francisco all in search of antique and vintage buttons. The metal antique buttons are all late 1800s and the vintage buttons are from the post WW2 era – the late 1940s. These buttons are mainly French, German and Czechoslovakian and made of glass.”

Renee is constantly in search of vintage buttons from the 1940s which she tries to buy on the original card.

In Paris, Renee discovers a box of "new" vintage 1940s French glass buttons. These buttons have never been off their original button card.

In Paris recently, Renee discovered an antique button dealer’s shop where she spent the entire day looking at, and buying buttons. The woman who owns the shop and her husband bought the business from his parents, who were button and trim suppliers to the world of Paris fashion designers in the 1930s-1960s.

“I set all the buttons as rings, earrings and pendants usually in sterling silver,” says Renee. “ For me, the button jewellery is so much more than “just another ring or pair of earrings,” she adds. “They become a piece of jewellery with a rich history – the ultimate reuse of objects made in another time and era.”

Renee Blackwell’s jewellery is stocked in about 85 jewellery stores and galleries right around Australia. Renee’s website: reneeblackwelldesign.com

Marlene Murray (third from right) with some of of the fifteen Maleny Manor award winning team.

THE HINTERLAND of the Sunshine Coast has consolidated its stake in the wedding industry judging by the results of the12th Queensland Annual Bridal Industry Awards (ABIA) held recently in Brisbane.

More than 1500 wedding suppliers were nominated for awards in 40 categories.

Hinterland businesses were finalists or winners in 13 categories. Maleny Manor was the winner of the Reception Centre category, and Wayne Wiltshire of Montville was the winner of the Live Band / Group award.

The ABIAs are much sought-after awards for Australian wedding suppliers as they are determined by the votes of past brides.

Relative newcomers to the Hinterland, Alan and Georgina Thompson of Flaxton Gardens said they were thrilled to have been finalists in both the Ceremony Venue and Reception Centre categories.

Georgina said that Flaxton Gardens was nominated for the ABIA based on the quality of product, quality of service, value for money and the attitude of the staff who serviced the bride’s needs, before, during and after their wedding day.

Maleny Manor was also a finalist in the In-House Wedding Advisor and Function Coordinator categories.

Host of Maleny Manor, Marlene Murray said, “the whole of the Hinterland is at the forefront of the Queensland wedding industry. Eleven years ago Maleny Manor was a B & B with a few weddings. Now we’re the leading venue here with 108 weddings for interstate and overseas couples a year.”

Local businesses estimate the wedding industry is worth about $12 million a year for Maleny alone, and the Sunshine Coast is now in the top eight of most popular places to be married in Australia.

WE’VE ALL seen those people who seem to get results faster than everyone else. They cruise to the front of queues for trendy bars, get the free upgrades on air travel, and manage to get seats at brand new restaurants long before the rest of us.

Well, I can’t help you with bars, travel or restaurants, but what I can help you with is fast-tracking your home loan application.

The first thing to do is to think of what the bank is most interested in – lending to people with a good credit record, being comfortable they have the income to make the repayments, and that there is an adequate level of security cover for the loan in the event that something goes wrong.

Armed with that perspective, you can then prepare the information you need to present to the bank. Some key aspects to include:

• Who is going to be the borrower? – personal names, your trading company/trust or a new entity.
• How much do you want to borrow? (make sure you take account of costs such as stamp duty when working this out).
• Income information – preferably you will provide the last two years’ financial statements and tax returns (business and personal).
• What debts does this income need to service? Provide details of all your loans (including credit cards). Preferably you will have the last six month’s loan statements, so the bank can see that repayments are made on time.
• A statement of personal assets and liabilities.
• What security are you offering? – Usually this  will be real estate. Detailed information could include a  purchase contract or contract note, rates notice and insurance certificate, etc.

The list might seem extensive but it should all be reasonably readily available. Don’t be concerned if it isn’t all at hand – start the discussions with what you have.

My experience is that the more information I get from a client, the better the job I can do for them. This particularly applies to the speed with which I can make a decision on the loan, but also makes sure the loan structure is best suited to the customer’s needs, eg. repayment arrangements, term, price, etc.

So a little bit of homework up front can save you time and hassle down the track and can mean a quicker response to your application.

Now, if anyone has any tips on how to get upgraded on air travel, please let me know!

BOQ - Your own personal bank
1 Maple St, Maleny
Phone 5499 9855

During 2003 the company they worked for was taken over and they opted to ditch the daily commuting lifestyle.

Phil and Judy purchased Montville Village News on the 15th of December 2003. They quickly learnt that this may not have been the best time to take over, with them struggling to learn the myriad of new tasks required, meeting the locals and being inundated with the Christmas visitors to Montville. One job Phil found particularly gruelling was his first solo paper run. He managed to turn a 2 hour job into 5 hours. Looking back now it’s quite amusing but the words used on that day were certainly not that.

As they settled fully into the business they got to know the “Locals”. They have had the pleasure of watching babies grow, going through School and on to teenagers and teenagers progress to adulthood and share their many adventures with sometimes anxious but mostly proud parents. Enjoyed the wonderful anecdotes across the counter, such as the singing cowboy who could not ride a horse and the home handyman who destroyed the septic, these stories could easily fill a book.

Unfortunately there have been many who have left the range due to changed circumstances and those who have lost loved ones that are dearly missed.

They have met many of the wonderful artisans that are proud to call the range home. Phil and Judy’s own home has been filled with many of the items produced by these talented people. They have been invited into homes for gatherings, shared many a social gathering in the local restaurants and attended community events like the “Carols” in Montville. This has allowed them to appreciate what a truly wonderful caring community they have been fortunate enough to have been able to serve and to be allowed to spend their future in.

Phil and Judy feel privileged to have been associated with the wonderful people they have met and become friends with, and are both looking forward to continuing these friendships into their future on the Range.

One thing I love about the Hinterland business community is the sense that we’re all in it together.

As owner of a somewhat untraditional small business, a bank branch, I really notice the support small businesses offer each other in our community.

I often hear great business management tips from other small business owners and find it useful to discuss the challenges and opportunities specific to owning a small business with other business owners in the area.

And being a bank manager, I find I’m in a pretty good position to be able to offer my small business clients a few tips about finance tools they can use to grow their business.

So, in the spirit of information sharing I’ve come to love about the Hinterland, over the next few months I’d like to share a few small business management tips for the Hinterland small business owners I haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting.

BOQ – Your own personal bank
1 Maple St, Maleny Phone 5499 9855

What does your shop front window say to the world? Is it engaging or just full of stuff because there was not really any other place to put it. It is literally your first window of opportunity to impress. Does it engage the person looking in. Less is always more. What is it they say about a cluttered mind?

Once a consumer moves inside your store they are a potential customer. You must make sure all the building blocks are in place to convert the sale.

Is your advertised product clearly displayed. Does it almost sells itself on approach? You have spent good money advertising it; give yourself the best possible shot by presenting it in an impactful way. Be creative.

What is your sales team’s opening gambit? A friendly and polite welcome always sets the mind at ease and opens the way comfortably for further dialogue. My local fruit and veggie shop staff always makes a point of asking me about my children, my little Aussie terrier or something else that they know is important to me but not intrusive. I get the impression they really care about me.

The atmosphere in your store will influence your sale rate. Have you ever walked into a supermarket or department store and, in an effort to save on their power bills, they have every second light switched off? Does it not create an unwelcome feeling? It’s hot outside and you have not had your air conditioning unit fixed. Comfortable shopping conditions equate to pleasant shopping experience.

Last month I discussed bankruptcy generally and noted that rather than being the easy way out it does have many disadvantages that could possibly be avoided by considering alternatives. The first alternative I discussed was a cooling-of period or moratorium where the person contemplating bankruptcy is given seven days to consider his or her options whilst creditors are prevented from taking action to recover their debts.

The following are further options that can be considered:

•Informal Agreement

Sometimes creditors are able to agree to the debtor paying off the debt over time on certain conditions. It is important to note that informal arrangements will only be binding on those creditors who agree with them. For informal arrangements to be effective it is also essential that the agreement be entered into as a written deed between all the parties.

• Part IX (9) Agreement

This is a formal agreement between the creditors and the debtor whereby the debtor pays off the debt or even only part of the debt in a certain manner. The effect of such an arrangement is that the debtor is released from their debts once they complete the agreement as if they had been discharged from bankruptcy. This agreement is publicly recorded. However this type of agreement is only available for unsecured debts under around $77,000.00 and where the assets of the bankrupt are valued at less than $77,000.00.

• Part X (10) Agreement

This is similar to the Part IX Agreement except that this type of agreement has no monetary upper limit. 75% of creditors (based on the value of the debt) must agree to the agreement. The main reason why creditors chose Part X Agreements is that it will probably cost them less than if the debtor was forced into bankruptcy.

Presenters at the Maleny Sharemarket College seminar: Derek McGrath, Sales & Business Development Manager, Karen Amor and Matt Cuttler, Solutions Partner

REPRESENTATIVES of Brisbane-based Sharemarket College presented a seminar in Maleny recently to introduce people to the concept of share trading and investing professionally.

Many people are anxious about becoming involved in what they see as a volatile share market. However, Karen Amor, a Solutions Partner said that Sharemarket College has 14 years experience of giving sharemaket advice throughout Queensland. “We’re the market leader in educating into the sharemarket”, Karen told the Hinterland Times.

Sharemarket College has online and face-to-face mentoring and is licensed to give advice on setting up your own self-managed super funds.

“We train all ages,” says Karen. “Our youngest member is 13 and our oldest is 83. Once you take out membership we have people to mentor you and coach you all the way through,” Karen added.

To contact the Sharemarket College email Karen: Karen@smc.edu.au For more information: www.smc.edu.au

If you’re thinking about climbing onto the property ladder it can seem extremely daunting, so it can be easier to break the process down by asking yourself a few simple questions to help you on to that first rung.

1. What kind of property?

Do you need a family home, or are you a single, or a couple who want the low maintenance of an apartment?

2. How much?

Most advisors will tell you to budget about one third of your pre-tax income in loan repayments but I would urge caution, particularly in the current interest rate environment. The best way to work out what you can afford is to sit down and do an extremely detailed budget of your current expenses, keeping in mind that unless you fix your interest rate, your repayments may rise. But if you don’t have any savings, the first thing you will need to do is put in place a rigorous savings plan to help you build your deposit and also save for everything from legal fees to moving costs. Also, if you’re a first home buyer, you may be eligible for a government grant.

3. Who to borrow from?

There are a number of considerations to keep in mind while looking for your home loan. These include the interest rate, fees, as well as the service or relationship element. The trap many people fall in to is to base their decision solely on rate. While securing a competitive rate is important, it’s also vital that you compare fees, and service.

4. Buying the property!

Once you’ve found the property that you want to buy, and your building and pest inspections are all clear, it’s now time to do the deal.

Remember:

• It pays to negotiate
• Don’t be rushed or feel pressured
• Arrange for a solicitor or conveyancer to do title or body corporate searches, draw up the contract and exchange it with the seller
• Enjoy the process, it’s an exciting step and shouldn’t be too stressful
• Relax in the knowledge that you are making a great commitment to your future personal wealth!

BOQ – Your own personal bank
1 Maple St, Maleny
Phone 5499 9855