The artful entrepreneur

JULIANNE DOWLING Anthony Ghattas has the life most people dream about: good wine, exceptional art, and friends in high places.

Film

US Army bomb expert says Hurt Locker based on him, and sues

A US Army bomb disposal expert who served in the Iraq war is suing the makers of The Hurt Locker, claiming the Oscar-nominated film's lead character is based on him and that they cheated him out of "financial participation" in the film.

Breaking through wine's glass ceiling

DANIELLA MILETIC More women are breaking into the male-dominated domain of wine appreciation to work as sommeliers.

A healing gift, born from one tiny heart

JULIA MEDEW A couple impacted by the Black Saturday bushfires invest their own money in a 'healing suit' for sick babies.

My little cupcake, you're so sweet

HELEN WESTERMAN The buzz around a top-rating MasterChef episode turned out to be a bonanza for Sydney cake decorators, Planet Cake, launching what they claim is the world' s first cake social networking site.

No dog day afternoon for this entrepreneur

LARISSA HAM Seeing her calmly trimming the furry legs of a pooch in her 'boutique' in coastal Queenscliff, it takes some imagination to picture Briony Sykes in her former career.

Victorian businesses rise from the bushfire ashes

PAUL BEST One year on, food producers and retailers crippled by the Black Saturday bushfires are finding their feet.

entrepreneurs

Little eateries find room to move as optimism grows

DANIELLA MILETIC Cafe owners are growing confident about the economy, writes Daniella Miletic.

Why aren't there more women in senior positions?

JULIANNE DOWLING Small business is one area where you can find a lot of successful business women - yet even here, the glass ceiling is real, two entrepreneurs tell MySmallBusiness.

Profile

From driver to florist

YVONNE NICOLAS A relationship break-up and getting dizzy going around in circles was enough to drive Ferdinando de Freitas from a career as a monorail driver to a florist.

Softly does it, with some help from friends

KELLIE HUSH Belynda Macpherson's cashmere design label, Banjo & Matilda have found their niche - thanks to support from a famous relative.

Entrepreneur

A fresh-faced approach to business

LARISSA HAM Samantha Molineux is probably her own best advertisement for her organic skincare range, Lily Loves Pearl.

Davids carves niche in fire protection

PHILIP HOPKINS Building industry regulations can be a moveable feast for any timber company. Regulation changes can play havoc with business plans.

Player swaps game of politics for real thing

ANNELI KNIGHT As the severance cheques are sprinkled around certain Opposition offices in Canberra, one ex-staffer who swapped the game of politics for the real thing is laughing all the way to the bank.

Groves warned on tax months before ABC collapsed, court hears

A public examination into ABC Learning has heard the senior taxation manager had warned company founder Eddy Groves that his business owed the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) nearly $15 million seven months before its collapse.

Float in the mix for biggest smoothie chain

CLARE KERMOND Australia's biggest smoothie chain, Boost Juice Bars, would consider a public float of the business, among other options.

From little things, given a Boost, big things grow

CLARE KERMOND Janine Allis laughs now at her modest plans for a small business.

Entrepreneur

Last drinks for the legend from Cairns

ELIZABETH KNIGHT Almost every part of the once billion-dollar pub and property empire created by the Queensland entrepreneur Tom Hedley is either in financial tatters or existing at the mercy of its bankers.

Red tape the clincher as fashion stalwart closes

JANICE BREEN BURNS One of Australia's top fashion designers says she is reluctantly being forced into shutting down her wholesale manufacturing and retail business.