BETTER BUSINESS
STEVE MARX Island TV antennae man, Steve Marx, has gone ‘troppo’. Or something like that. Steve just happens to have a magnificent yacht that he uses from time to time for treks up and down the Australian coastline. Well, we can tell you he has recently headed off again, and will be away for about two to three months. Anyway, his advertisement is still in the magazine and he wants to keep it that way, because he will be back sooner rather than later. Good bloke Steve, and he is very good when it comes to TV antennae and TV entertainment system setups. ADVERTISING SUCCESSES Many of our advertisers keep telling us how successful advertising is in the pages of our Friendly Bay Islander. We called in to Namaste Witches the other day on Macleay Island and were confronted with a shop full of ladies browsing and buying. Owner of Namaste Witches, Lisa Brookes, told us advertising in The Friendly Bay Islander has been ‘the best thing I have done’ in establishing the exciting new business. Similar story from Travis Place, who has just established SMBI Car Keys on our islands. “I have been inundated by calls. I was shocked at home how many calls I had to catch up on.” He has, of course, and reckons the FBIslander is ‘pretty damned good’. Another good story comes from Bay Islands Car Share. Owner Aaron Pipkorn has used the columns of the FBI to encourage islanders to make their mainland vehicles available to his popular car share business. He has now added 50% more available vehicles to his fleet of cars, a huge result. If your business is not advertising in the pages of the Friendly Bay Islander or the radio waves of RadioFBI then you need to get in contact with us via editor@thefriendlybayislander.com or phone 0400004373. NEW BUILDERS ON RUSSELL ISLAND Our Bay islands has a new, local home construction company. Canaipa Construction is the brainchild of two well known islanders, licensed builder Peter Cabout and Dane Jefferies. The two have extensive history in the building and construction industry and Canaipa Construction offer a range of building services. Not only are they keen to build new homes on Russell Island, but also can assist with home and commercial alterations, renovations, deck building and contract supervising. Canaipa Construction are fully licensed. To find out more please phone Peter 0410 328 257 or Dane 0402 814 726 or email petercabout@bigpond.com RAY ENGINEER The Island Engineer, Ray Saunders, is a busy man who has a number of feathers to his cap. Not only does he have an extensive island engineer tin business as the Island Engineer, but also island soil testing and foundation design services. He has also introduced a new business that focuses on mainland operations called Redland Structural & Civil Engineering Design. If you wish to know more about any of his services, you may phone Ray on 0409 586 794. ISLAND REAL ESTATE REVIEW Russell Island Real Estate has released a ‘review’ of island real estate now the financial year has come to an end. It reveals that last financial year was a steady year for sales of houses and land on Russell Island. “As a result, stock levels for the real estate is low at the moment compared to previous years. This year the enquiry level did slow for a time due to the Federal Election and the end of the financial year. There has also been an impact from recent home loan interest rate rises. We are finding enquiries are picking up again and continue to strengthen. Thinking of investing in a rental property? We have properties to show you that would attract good tenants, and with rentals in short supply on the island, now might be the right time to consider this option,” the report says. If you are thinking of listing your property, contact Russell Island Real Estate for an appraisal. COMMUNITY SERVICES ON OUR ISLANDS Bay Islands Community Services (BICSI) provide a large range of services, activities and events for our island communities. BICSI recently organised a wonderfully hilarious event - the Quirky Fashion Parade on Russell Island at the Bowls Club. With 80 attendees and 27 involved in the program plus the Russell Island Bowls Club staff, feedback was that it was one of the funniest things they'd seen in a long time. We hold many different activities like Bingo, Garden Clubs, Ukulele, Yoga, Pilates, Line Dancing, Rhythm Dancing, Indoor Bowls, Seniors Morning Teas and much more. They have two op shops, a nursery, cafe and Centrelink agency, our Companion Line, CAN DO and the Lady Caroline Club. We supply emergency relief and are the first port of call when help is needed. All of these activities and services we provide to the community take a lot of manpower. While we currently have a volunteer group of 112 strong we still need more help. The islands have had a huge growth in population which equates to an increase in the needs and activities requested by the community. If you have a heart or desire to help us we would greatly appreciate your time. We have several big events coming up in the last half of the year including the Kids Xmas Party, an event called 'This was Your Life', Spring Concert and Volunteers Xmas Party. You can ring Angela the manager of BICSI on 3409 1177 and have a chat with her. Angela's door is always open to the community. Come and have a cuppa with her.