ExpatWomen's Interview with Virginia Anderson

Virginia Anderson and her husband Chris, arrived in Australia from New Zealand in 1991, with a AU$1400 loan and the dream of a better life abroad. Today, the couple are worth AU$35 million and are ranked 29th on Australia’s prestigious Business Review Weekly (BRW) Young Rich list – higher than both famous Australian actress, Cate Blanchett (30th place), and former world number one tennis player, Lleyton Hewitt (31st place).

ExpatWomen:   Virginia, you and your husband, Chris, left New Zealand to live in Australia. Can you tell us a little more about when you left and why you left?

Virginia:   In August 1991 we returned to our small home town (Whakatane) in New Zealand after living in London and travelling for two years. The economic situation was bad and we were unable to find any work. I eventually started as a cleaner at a local hotel and Chris got a job picking up pinecones for seedlings. Not too many prospects there!! In addition to that we found it difficult to settle back into small town life after being exposed to such a different lifestyle in London and some really broadening experiences whilst travelling. Chris’ Dad came to the rescue with a contact in Brisbane who had carpenter work available.

We didn’t hesitate – Chris left in January – he flew in on a Sunday and started work in the 36 degree heat (a little more than we were used to) the next day. I followed Chris over in April, and commenced work in an office position within a week. Even then we could see the potential here – there was so much activity and growth all around us.




ExpatWomen:  New Zealand and Australia seem quite similar, in terms of the language, the people and the geographical location. What do you remember as the biggest changes for you in changing the country in which you lived?

Virginia:  Given the similarities between the two countries, there were no major changes for us. The lifestyle was a little more ‘laid back’. The economic situation was a lot better than New Zealand which created a more positive atmosphere, and a lot more opportunity within the property industry.




ExpatWomen:   Did you feel like an 'outsider' when you arrived? Do you still feel like an 'outsider', several years on?

Virginia:   We met a lot of people through work and quickly became part of the community. There was also a large community of expatriate New Zealanders living over here. I think the similarity between our cultures and the friendliness of the people made it easy to feel ‘at home’ straight away. Since then we’ve never looked back. All of our sons have been born here, many of our family and friends followed us over from New Zealand and we have built our lives here. Australia is now our home. Given the proximity of the countries we are lucky to be able to return to New Zealand regularly for holidays.




ExpatWomen:   Flash to the future... You and Chris are now on Australia's Business Review Weekly (BRW) Young Rich List. An amazing achievement for a couple that came to Australia in 1991 with only AU$1400. Can you tell us more about how you and Chris transformed your lives and/or whether you had a ‘plan of attack’ when you first arrived to Australia?

Virginia:   From the day we arrived we started to formulate our goals. We were very excited by the property activity and opportunity all around us and started to change our ‘mindset’ to become motivated self-starters. Chris was a qualified carpenter so this gave us some advantage and made the property industry the natural choice. Our first foray into the property market was when we bought a ‘spec’ home off the Builder that Chris was working for. We intended to keep it for a year and with the market growth on sell it at a profit. That one didn’t quite go to plan – we sold a year later, but at the same price we bought it for. It was a good lesson. After that we realized that we would have to build the house ourselves. We got together with a partner and built our first spec home. This time the profit was minimal, Chris really only made wages, but we had the know-how and experience, which was invaluable. From there we formed our first building company, Rosewood Builders, and progressed to building ‘contract’ homes for other people. Chris and I were a good team, he had the construction ‘know how’ and I took care of the accounts. We both had an ‘artistic flair’ which was useful when choosing color schemes and designing the layout of the plans. We didn’t have specific roles in our business but rather developed our basic strengths and utilized them in the property industry. We are continually increasing our industry knowledge and learning new skills every day. We have continually reinvested the profits and grown the business at the maximum speed possible (financially). Wefocus on acquiring a ‘market share’ rather than trying to pick the ups and downs of the market ie. We do more for less.




ExpatWomen:  Where did you and Chris draw your motivation and what sacrifices did you make along the way?

ExpatWomen:    What would be your advice for women moving overseas and wanting to succeed as entrepreneurs?
      
Virginia:   Professionally, we [Expat Women] face the same challenges as any other business. Staff issues: including roll adaptation; retention; and motivation. As a fast moving business we often encounter challenges getting financial institutions and other professionals to keep ‘up to speed’ with our constantly changing horizon. Personally the one of the main challenges I face is that of balancing a growing business and a growing family of four sons. The biggest obstacle is always ourselves. Whenever we reach a ‘comfort zone’, personally or professionally, we force ourselves to step outside and continue growing.




Virginia’s Top 5 Tips to Entrepreneurs:  

1. Research the market you intend to move into.
   
   
2. Ensure that the market will support your expectations.
   
   
3. Train yourself to be a ‘motivated self starter’ who is unwilling to accept failure.
    
4. Surround yourself with a positive support network, and
   
   
5. Choose your partners carefully.

Virginia:   Don’t waste any time, do it, give it your best and don’t look back.




ExpatWomen:   Thank you very much Virginia, we wish you all the best.