Bond University Council and Senior Management held a joint strategic planning day on 10 March to consider a ten-year vision for the university.

The Business Council of Australia this week released a report entitled "New focus needed on business innovation", that questioned the 'workplace-readiness' of Australian University Graduates. To read our Chancellor's response to the issues raised in the report, click here.

The Chancellor also recently addressed the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), sharing his insights into 2006 in a speech titled "Bull or Bear?". To read the speech, click here.

Chancellor Trevor Rowe AM hosted a lunch in Sydney yesterday, where Adjunct Professor The Honourable Richard Alston was the guest of honour. There were many high profile leaders from the worlds of finance and business in attendance.

After successfully turning his hand to careers in graphic design, hydroponic farming, stockbroking and jewellery design, Austrian-born Peter Heitzinger is now taking the hospitality world by storm, thanks to his innovative Spoon Deli Café chain.

After selling his jewellery business in Tasmania, Peter enrolled in the Executive MBA program at Bond University. He, his wife and two young children decided to move to the Gold Coast for one year while he completed his studies.

Peter says his Bond MBA gave him the tools and confidence he needed to apply his entrepreneurial streak in a way that keeps him sane.

"Coming from a small business background, it was certainly challenging. I was also setting up a new business in Surfers Paradise at the time, so I was on a very steep learning curve," Peter said.

That was in 1996. Ten years later, Peter’s family is still lapping up the Queensland sunshine, and Peter’s company – Chala Management Services – has established five Spoon Deli Café outlets, with more to come. Peter plans to have 20 stores under license in south-east Queensland within the next three years.

He says in planning the expansion of the business, he and his business partner Scott Anderson considered a number of options to develop ownership within each store.

"We had a look at all sorts of business models, including franchising, partnering, and employee share plans, before deciding on licensing.

"We think it’s a dynamic model that will allow our business owners to retain their individual entrepreneurial skills, while allowing the wider company to benefit from those skills.

"However, the downside is that we are working with a fairly loose template, so we will need to see if it works in the marketplace," he said.

Peter puts the success of his business idea, which started "like all good ideas – on the back of an envelope", down to the innovation quality in the food and store premises.

"When Spoon started three years ago, there wasn’t much on offer that was leading edge in the café industry.

"Spoon’s unique point of difference is just that – it’s unique. It has got an energy and vibe that people want to be a part of.

"We’re not just another café that serves food and coffee. It’s the ambience, our products, the place, the service – it’s the total package. It’s a social place where people can come and enjoy quality food.

"Every location has its own personality that is quintessential to its suburb. For instance, unlike our other stores, we wanted West End to have a lounge-feel and a night-life element, which we created through our lighting and upholstery. Lots of time and planning goes into ensuring each store’s look and feel befits its location’s culture."

Peter says his challenge now is to "develop the business’s long-term sustainable competitiveness and drivers" to ensure Spoon retains its unique competitive advantage.

"To be successful in business, you really have to believe in what you are doing and stand out from the crowd. To have a competitive advantage, you have to give people something that can’t easily be repeated elsewhere. We try to empower staff to achieve that."

For further information about Spoon Deli Cafés, or to contact Peter, visit www.spoondeli.com.au. Current Spoon locations include Mount Gravatt, East Brisbane, West End , Paddington and New Farm.