Sophie Venz

Edinburgh, Gold Coast, Melbourne

Writer and Editor at Freelance

usually asleep, confused and/or lost

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Articles

Election wishlist: Small business owners reveal their top priorities

1 month ago | smartcompany.com.au | Sophie Venz

New research from OnDeck Australia has shown eight out of 10 small business owners have cost of living as their top concern this election season. It’s the key issue that will shape voting preferences, the research shows, but it is not the only concern on the minds of Australian small businesses.
Why Sweat isn't scared of fitness trends like Hyrox and run clubs

Mar 4, 2025 | smartcompany.com.au | David Adams |Eloise Keating |Morganne Kopittke |Sophie Venz

Australian workout platform Sweat is not threatened by fitness racing brand Hyrox or the exploding popularity of run clubs, says CEO Adam Koch, despite industry trends taking exercise out of the home and into the streets. Founded by Adelaide personal trainers Kayla Itsines and Tobi Pearce in 2015, the Sweat platform and its at-home workout plans surged in popularity through the COVID-19 pandemic.
How the founders of Sheet Yeah! got their laundry detergent sheets in 800 Woolies stores

Feb 12, 2025 | smartcompany.com.au | Morganne Kopittke |Sophie Venz |Mrinaal Datt |Marion Rae

For the founders behind Queensland-based business Sheet Yeah! it all started with a need for a truly sustainable and skin-friendly laundry product, which could help eliminate single-use plastic from Australian households at the same time. Today, Todd Windley and Jacque Markie are making good on their mission, with the cleverly named brand securing shelf space for its laundry sheets in 800 Woolworths stores across Australia.
From weeks to hours: Linen House speeds up store openings with Lightspeed

Feb 5, 2025 | smartcompany.com.au | Rachel A. Beard |Sophie Venz |Mrinaal Datt

After more than 30 years in home decor, Linen House is no stranger to adapting to a hyper-competitive retail space. With a booming national presence, the team realised their legacy point-of-sale (POS) system could no longer support their ambitions. In 2021, they partnered with Lightspeed, a unified POS and payments platform, to power their growth. Today, Linen House manages 23 stores with ease, saving plenty of time and money along the way. Here’s how Lightspeed transformed the company’s operations.
Catch: A business timeline, in their words

Jan 29, 2025 | smartcompany.com.au | David Adams |Sophie Venz |Mrinaal Datt

The Catch story is drawing to a close, as current owner Wesfarmers pledges to wind down the business it acquired for $230 million in 2019. It is a story of innovation, hardship, “intrapreneurs”, and self-described ‘chutzpah’, which co-founders Gabby and Hezi Leibovich, and some of their key partners and lieutenants, have outlined over the years. Here is a timeline of key moments in the Catch story, in the words of the Leibovichs and those who played a role in their entrepreneurial journey.
Heaps Normal lands on Whole Foods shelves in 'slow and steady' US expansion

Jan 27, 2025 | smartcompany.com.au | Morganne Kopittke |Sophie Venz |Mrinaal Datt |Marion Rae

Slow and steady is winning the race for non-alcoholic beer maker Heaps Normal as the brand continues its venture into the US, with co-founder and CEO Andy Miller confirming the team is “just taking it one small step at a time in the US right now”. As of last week, one of those steps includes landing on the shelves at 140 Whole Foods stores in the Bay Area in California.
Revealed: The Australian state with the best-performing economy

Jan 27, 2025 | smartcompany.com.au | Abe Maddison |Sophie Venz |David Adams

Australia’s largest state has held off a fast-finishing Queensland to remain the country’s best-performing economy in the latest CommSec State of the States report. Now in its 16th year, the quarterly report tracks eight key economic indicators and compares the latest data with decade averages to rank Australia’s six states and two territories.
Rivers: Discount apparel retailer to close its last 136 stores

Jan 22, 2025 | smartcompany.com.au | David Adams |Rachel A. Beard |Sophie Venz |Mrinaal Datt

Historic Australian retailer Rivers will close its remaining 136 stores, resulting in 650 job losses, after the receivers for parent company Mosaic Brands failed to find a buyer. Receivers KPMG on Thursday said all remaining Rivers stores will close by mid-April, with the precise date of each closure depending on stock levels at each location. “Unfortunately, a sale of Rivers was not able to be achieved,” said KPMG turnaround and restructuring partner David Hardy.
I shouldn't have to switch off my phone to get a break from work

Jan 21, 2025 | womensagenda.com.au | Sophie Venz

In mid-2024, I made the difficult decision to leave my job as the deputy editor for Forbes Advisor Australia in order to pursue a freelance career. While I’ve freelanced here and there over the years as my time as a journalist in Australia, I had never been interested in freelancing fulltime. I’m someone who doesn’t do well in the face of uncertainty, and the idea of not having a known annual salary each year absolutely petrified me. But in July last year, freelancing became a necessity.
Ruslan Kogan claims e-commerce giant tried buying Catch

Jan 21, 2025 | smartcompany.com.au | David Adams |Sophie Venz

Australian e-commerce pioneer Ruslan Kogan claims his business attempted to buy long-time competitor Catch from Wesfarmers, calling news of its closure a “sad” end for the business. Wesfarmers on Tuesday announced it will “wind down” the Catch business, rolling its fulfilment centres into the Kmart Group while dispersing its digital capabilities into its other retail divisions. Around 190 roles will be made redundant, with a further 100 moving into the Kmart Group business.