Ross Greenwood meets the stars behind WiTH Collective, a successful start-up company

As the NSW start-up company of the year, you would imaginethat Justin and Dominique Hind thought deeply about their corporate structure.

Justin Hind runs an award-winning digital marketing company WiTH collective but tells Ros

As the NSW start-up company of the year in last year’s Telstra Business Awards, you would imagine - correctly - that Justin and Dominique Hind thought deeply about their corporate structure.

The husband and wife digital marketing team spent 15 years working for big advertising agencies, but felt they could give a better and more flexible service for clients with a smaller team around them.

Because they were confident their business, WiTH Collective, would grow to become a mid-sized agency in a relatively short-time, their tax lawyer and account gave them three pieces of advice even before they started.

They were advised to create a Pty Ltd company “because companies will be taken more seriously by your clients.”

They were also advised that a private company would provide more legal protection for them and that a trust company incorporated within the company structure would provide tax planning benefits.

“We know at some time in the future there could be an investment in the business or a transaction (we want to do) and we knew we wanted a vehicle do this, even before we’d opened the door,” says Justin.

Already the agency’s client-list includes big names including Cisco Systems, Colonial First State, Symantec and Pfizer.

There’s also another advantage for the couple, who now have one child.

“Though we have been motivated by the business opportunity, we also recognised that existing big agencies might not have afforded us the flexibility for a work-life-family balance that we are seeking.”