 Meet Australia's top female entrepreneurs – they are smart, focused and generate more than $3.6 billion in sales. In a special feature to celebrate International Women's Day on March 8, SmartCompany has compiled a comprehensive list of 48 of Australia's best business women (see the full list here). The list, which includes Sussan Group chief executive Naomi Milgrom, recruitment industry leader (and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's wife) Therese Rein and Fernwood Women's Health Club founder Diana Williams, highlights a group of diverse and passionate entrepreneurs who have taken very different paths to the top. But despite their diverse backgrounds, a survey of these entrepreneurs has revealed that the majority believes it has become easier for women to start businesses. The SmartCompany top female entrepreneurs list is headed up by Jan Cameron, the founder of retail chain Kathmandu and the current owner of Retail Adventures, which owns discount retail chains Crazy Clark's, Go-Lo and Sam's Warehouse. The company turns over about $1 billion. In second place is Naomi Milgrom, owner of the retail empire Sussan Group, which operates the Sussan and Sportsgirl chains and generated revenue of $496 million in 2008-09. Recruitment industry veteran Julia Ross, chief executive and major shareholder of listed company Ross Human Directions, is next with $393 million in annual turnover. Perhaps the most famous name on the list is Therese Rein. The wife of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was forced to sell the Australian operations of her recruitment services business Ingeus prior to the 2007 Federal Election. However, the international business, which focuses on the British market, continues to perform strongly. According to estimates, the company's revenue is around $120 million. The list is dominated by entrepreneurs from the services sector, with a particular focus on personal services and the recruitment sectors. Retailers are also prominent, while 14 entrepreneurs have used franchising to grow their empires. Of the 31 entrepreneurs to complete SmartCompany's special survey, two thirds started their businesses from home, while just under 80% of the businesses on the list were launched with less than $100,000 in start up capital. Most of the women on the list said it has become easier for female business people to launch companies, thanks to improved access to resources and assistance and a sharp increase in the number of positive role models. "Women have made great inroads to earning credibility in the finance and business world, and so make it easier to be taken seriously in these once male-dominated areas," Fernwood's Diana Williams commented.  Symply too good to keep downCOAST celebrity chef Annette Sym has made a list of Australia’s top female entrepreneurs – partly because of her Madonna-like approach. In a special feature to celebrate International Women’s Day today, SmartCompany compiled a list of Australia’s best businesswomen. Ms Sym, whose business Symply Too Good generated $1.21 million in revenue last financial year, came in at 48 behind the likes of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s wife Therese Rein, Sussan Group chief Naomi Milgrom and Fernwood Women’s Health founder Diana Williams. Ms Sym has sold more than three million copies of her healthy low-fat recipe books in Australia, with her sixth self-published book due out next month. “I think it’s nice to be put with all those other amazing women, representing the Sunshine Coast,” she said. “If you look at the list, it’s honouring women who’ve stepped out of their comfort zones. We all love what we do and try to make a difference. “Every woman on that list has probably worked their tail off to get where they are.” Ms Sym said the most rewarding part of her business was the longevity. “There is something very rewarding to have that longevity in something you love to do,” she said. “The key to it is that I keep reinventing myself. Just like Madonna, I keep coming with something new to offer. “What I give to people they value, and it’s not just about making money, for me it’s about my passion to help others to be healthy.”
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