Rockhampton businesswoman flying local flag in Singapore

Ms Fenech has been in business in the Central Queensland region for 15 years offering website design, marketing and graphic design services to local businesses, with a high sector of agribusiness.

She said there was nothing more important than regional business owners taking opportunities to network both locally, nationally, and especially internationally.

It was because of this that she packed her bags and headed to Singapore – for what became a trip of networking, professional enlightenment, and opportunity. 

”Initially I thought ‘why am I going’, because it was for the defence delegate after the Singapore Army signed a 25 year contract in Shoalwater Bay for training,” she said. 

“As a young female business person that’s passionate about CQ, I was fitting for the role and it’s good for our region, and for myself.”

She said the delegation of 20 people was made up of businesspeople like herself, local mayors from Townsville, Charters Towers, Rockhampton, and Yeppoon. 

The take-away for Ms Fenech was the incredible opportunity the Singaporean market was for Queensland producers. 

“Singapore especially important 90 per cent or more of their food because it’s an island essentially – they don’t have the room to grow their own food,” she said.

“There are such amazing agribusiness opportunities. 

“They want our food, our meat, our pork, our fresh fruit and vegetables – they want our food and we can give it to them.”

She said when she quizzed a Singaporean businessman on what he was looking for in import opportunities – it wasn’t the price, it was the quality and the story. 

“It’s all on the story you are telling,” she said. 

“It’s all about the story, because if you have a great story they want to know about it. 

It’s not the matter of simply having a kangaroo logo or the Australian made badge – that’s what everyone does. They want your story, and our local producers have great stories to share.”