While the Australian beauty and aesthetics industry is wide-ranging, there is one thing ABIC’s varied membership has in common; they are Australian. Tracey Horden reveals how ABIC is dedicated to being the largest and strongest voice in the beauty and aesthetic industry in Australia and an active element of that mission is to advance Australian businesses to directly benefit members, their businesses and the wider Australian economy.
ABIC’S goal is to represent the Australian beauty and aesthetics industry as one united, powerful voice to government, as well as to act as an advocate for benchmark industry standards, effective self-regulation, and to support the advancement of our Australian industry at every level.
ABIC facilitators can guide members with specialist advice from experts in Australian business development, team management, HR, marketing and Australian law. While the members specialties and needs may vary, members are all striving to succeed in a uniquely Australian society, with its own laws and high industry expectations.
ABIC secures government recognition for the beauty and aesthetics industry sector. One recent and extremely important achievement by ABIC in 2022 was to see that beauty therapy and all aligned industries has finally – after many years, made it onto the National Skills Priority List. This all-important government recognition of the beauty and aesthetics industry as a whole — and the contribution the industry makes to the Australian economy is a major achievement.
By identifying what occupations are experiencing labour shortages, industries can lobby governments and other relevant bodies to identify and implement solutions. The beauty and aesthetics industry is now better placed to address these concerns from a more informed and acknowledged position.
ABIC is very much an “umbrella organisation” according to Stefanie Milla, ABIC’s CEO. “We represent the whole industry, all the different segments of the aesthetics and beauty industry, from lash and brow bars to beauty therapists and the newer dermal and medical aesthetics sector such as injectors.
The industry is very diverse, with multiple sectors, but ABIC’s mission is to represent the whole of the Australian aesthetics and beauty industry,” explains Milla.
Given that the world is hyper-connected today with the world of products and services increasingly at our fingertips, ABIC actively supports Australian-made products and businesses for a variety of persuasive and logical reasons.
So, what exactly are the advantages of supporting Australian beauty and aesthetics businesses? Listed below are some — but not all — of the benefits gained by supporting our fellow entrepreneurs and workers in the broad, but increasingly connected local industry.
Made to our high Australian standards
It is no surprise that Australia has some of the world’s most stringent safety and quality control standards, as well as strict labour and business practice laws. Due to these high standards, when you buy Australian- made products or employ an Australian service provider, you know you are contributing to an Australian business that uses high quality materials that produce world-leading, quality goods. You also know that by supporting an Australian business, the workers are paid and treated fairly.
Guaranteed quality, plus accessible warranty and service options
Under the Australian Consumer Law, when you buy any Australian product or service, these services or goods are automatically guaranteed to meet the advertised standard of performance.
Additionally, many Australian companies also offer further warranties and guarantees on their products and services than are the minimal required by law. In summary, you simply don’t have the consumer protections that are guaranteed in Australia with goods and services sourced that are from other countries.
We’ve all heard the horror stories of scams and sub-quality products that have been ordered online. It can be almost impossible to guarantee an optimal outcome when your only point of contact is a far-flung, overseas website. And if you are ordering expensive goods, especially technology products, it simply is not worth the financial risk, let alone your peace of mind.
More reliable supply chains and lower delivery costs
We’ve all heard about the disruption of supply chains in the wake of the pandemic — but by keeping your business dealings and orders within Australia this means that you can rely on your orders arriving in a more predictable and timely manner compared with ordering goods from overseas.
As well as greater reliability, your delivery costs should be significantly lower than the increasingly high rates currently charged for overseas shipping. Add to these clear advantages of buying locally is the decreased impact on the environment. Buying Australian made products also helps to reduce the energy consumption used to transport products, which in turn, importantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Improved customer service and the advantages of high-quality Australian products
If you require professional customer service for your products or services, these needs can typically be met more promptly and efficiently within Australia. Additionally, as Australian goods are renowned for their high quality and durability this means that these products will typically last longer, resulting in a greater return on investment and less products ending up in landfill.
Supporting the Australian economy
When buying Australian-made products, you are first and foremost; helping to keep money within Australia. This will maintain and support local employment, boost local businesses, increase taxation dollars as well as adding to growth in related Australian industries.
According to research published by the Industry Capability Network, for every one million dollars of Australian manufacturing business generated in Australia, there is $713,400 worth of gross value added generated for the Australian economy with $225,300 worth of tax revenue collected and six full time jobs created.
Read our summary of ABIC’s 2023 Educational Conference here.
This article first appeared in the January-February 2023 print issue of Professional Beauty.
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