Do you have ambition to set up your own business? How about in a country where you don’t speak the language?

At 18, Guven followed his father to Australia, unable to speak English. At 25 he set up his own business selling authentic Turkish coffee in Burwood.

“When I was in Turkey, I worked for a man who owned 5 or 6 cafes, a fruit market and a meat market, yet he didn’t mind cleaning the bathrooms or doing the cooking. When you learn from someone like that, it inspires the passion in you. By the time I came to Australia, I decided I wanted to do it for myself, to run a business and give back to the community.

I went to an intensive English language school and bought a coffee cart in Burwood and slowly, bit by bit, turned it into a café. It was really difficult to break into the local trade as customers get used to the businesses they know, and initially when I bought the site, the business didn’t have a kitchen or running water.

The hardest challenge is starting from scratch with no money. To open a business, you need money and it’s a tall order to get it together. Then once you get it, you have to keep spending it to grow the business.

If I could give two pieces of advice for any prospective small business owner, I would say know what you are selling! Whatever you are selling, you have to be able to make it yourself. Secondly, give to the community. You have to give to the community to see that goodwill returned, otherwise if you don’t you aren’t a community.”

Guven is now owner and manager of successful local business, Eurofresh Café.

The Government is busy helping small and family businesses, just like Guven’s, to get off the ground with our 2015-16 Budget which gives all small businesses an immediate tax deduction for any individual assets they buy costing less than $20,000.

Next time you are in Burwood, get along to Eurofresh Café, Railway Parade, Burwood, to ‪#‎ShopSmall‬ and support local business.