In 2006, Jancauskas saw an opening in the men’s grooming sector, predicting that there was a need for male-focused hair, shaving and skincare products beyond what was offered in department stores. “When I started this journey into men’s grooming I could see there was room for improvement,” says Jancauskas. “So I borrowed $6,000 from my dad and started distributing four products. Now I’ve got over 60 brands onsite.”

After launching as an online grooming and e-commerce platform 17 years ago, Men’s Biz now operates four barbershops in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, with a team of 25 staff across both its online and physical experiences. It boasts a barbershop database of 50,000 customers and has sold over 500,000 orders.

Pictured: Nathan Jancauskas

“Initially growing the business online means we obviously need digital marketing,” says Jancauskas, who spends up to $15,000 a month on advertising through Google Ad services and Meta, all of which he pays for with his American Express® Qantas Business Rewards Card. With no pre-set spending limit, Card Members can access a dynamic line of unsecured funding¹ – a feature that Jancauskas says has probably saved him hours of his life. “When you have a lot of automated outgoings, like digital marketing, it’s helpful that you don’t have to be constantly moving money around and ‘topping up’ your Card,” he explains.

The barber stores were a crucial part of Jancauskas’ strategy as they stock products sold by Men’s Biz and give customers the opportunity to try the products at the hands of an expert. It’s a 360-degree approach. “There’s an art to delivering someone an elevated service. The barbershops complete this circle where people come in for a barber service or to buy a product and they receive professional advice along the way,” he says. The American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card helps to free up cash with up to 51 days to pay for purchases², which allows him to manage the cash flow of everyday expenses and helps him plan for those bigger investments. “When I was fitting out my shops it meant that I could keep paying my digital marketing bills without stress.”

The key to reducing business costs

When Men’s Biz was expanding its barbershops into Sydney, it was important for Jancauskas to be there on the ground. This meant regular flights from Melbourne to Sydney – so he used the Qantas Points he’d earned with his American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card. Card Members earn up to 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on everyday business expenses and 2 Qantas Points per $1 spent on Qantas products and services³, making travel more cost-effective. “I think that opening the stores was the biggest leap of faith. The amount of time and money that comes with going down that path made it really important to be there in person,” Jancauskas says.

Better cash flow helped this entrepreneur crack the wholesale market

Pictured: Christy Tania

At just 24 years of age, Christy Tania found herself at an unusual career crossroads. “I could either get an MBA and progress in my executive career,” says Tania. “Or see where my passion for baking was going to take me.”

Tania chose the latter and decided to learn from the best, enrolling in Alain Ducass’s École Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie before working at world-class institutions around the globe. These included the Ritz Paris and Vue de monde in Melbourne before opening up her own business, GLACÉ Dessert Artisanal, in Windsor in August 2017.

While her whimsically styled desserts were an instant hit, Tania knew that the wholesale market was key to her business. “When customers come into one of my stores, they pay for the desserts immediately, whereas wholesalers typically ask for 30 days credit. I needed to find a way to look after suppliers who wanted to be paid within two weeks or even on delivery,” she explains.

“That’s when I signed up for the American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card. Having up to 51 days to pay for purchases² on the Card gave us a lot of wiggle room. My suppliers got paid, while I could provide the wholesalers with desserts and still clear my Card’s balance when they paid. It allowed us to grow much faster.”

The Card also helps Tania earn 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on everyday business expenses like equipment, rent, supplies and 0.5 Qantas Points per $1 spent on government, utilities and insurance³. “I’ve collected over a million Qantas Points that way … and redeeming points for Qantas flights also saves the business money.”

A decade after Tania’s leap of faith, GLACÉ employs 15 staff and turns over more than $1 million annually. The American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card helped make 2022 the company’s biggest year yet, opening a third store at Melbourne airport. However she’s already looking at GLACÉ’s next evolution.

“We’re starting to develop non-perishable products that require some preparation at home and, over the next five years, we want to expand Australia-wide.”

The key to more efficient business travel

“Staying on top of the latest food trends means I have to travel regularly for work,” says Tania. “Fortunately, I can redeem the Qantas Points I earn on the Card for Business flights so I can travel in extra comfort. And if I’m flying economy, the Card provides two complimentary domestic Qantas Club Lounge passes each membership year⁴ so if I have an hour or two to kill after a meeting, I can go to the Lounge and do some admin work rather than losing the rest of the day to travel.”

Unlock the possibilities for your business. Earn 150,000 Qantas Points⁵ with the American Express® Qantas Business Rewards Card.

Learn more at americanexpress.com/australia/acuity

Minimum spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first two months of your approval date. New American Express Card Members only. Offer ends 8 August 2023. T&Cs apply. 

_{American Express approval criteria applies. Subject to Terms and Conditions. Fees and charges apply. All information is correct as at 1 June 2023 and is subject to change. This offer is only available to those who reside in Australia. Cards are offered, issued and administered by American Express Australia Limited (ABN 92 108 952 085). ®Registered Trademark of American Express Company. 1. No pre-set spending limit does not mean unlimited spending. Your purchases are approved based on a variety of factors, including current spending patterns, your payment history, credit records and financial resources known to us. 2. Extend your cash flow by up to 51 days: depending on your method of payment, when you make a purchase, when your statement is issued and whether or not you are carrying forward a balance on your account from your previous statement period. If you pay by direct debit, your payment will be processed 10 days after your statement is issued. 3. A business must be a Qantas Business Rewards Member to earn Qantas Points for the business. Membership and the earning of Qantas Points as a business are subject to the Qantas Business Rewards Terms and Conditions at www.qantas.com/au/en/business-rewards/terms-and-conditions.html. Points are earned in accordance with and subject to the American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card Points Terms and Conditions at www.americanexpress.com/content/dam/amex/au/staticassets/small-business/pdf/services/card-terms-and-conditions/american-express-qantas-businessrewards-card-point-terms-and-conditions.pdf. Your business will earn 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 of everyday spend, which does not include annual fees, late payment fee, and fees and charges for foreign currencies. Your business will earn 0.5 Qantas Points per $1 spent at participating merchants classified as “utilities” including gas, water and electricity providers; “government” including the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Postal Corporation, federal, state and local government bodies; and “insurance” excluding insurances offered by American Express. Industry-specific earn rate may apply when you use a payment account, payment aggregator, services of a third party or online retailers that sell goods for another merchant. For example, a payment made to Local Government bodies processed through a payment aggregator may earn rates at the government earn rate. Your business will earn 2 Qantas Points per $1 spent on the following Qantas Products and Services purchased on the Qantas merchant account (i.e. directly from Qantas): Qantas passenger flights (with a QF flight number), Qantas Holidays, Qantas-branded non-airfare products, and Qantas Frequent Flyer and Qantas Club membership joining and annual fees. Excludes Jetstar. For the full list of exclusions, please refer to the American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card Points Terms and Conditions at https://www.americanexpress.com/content/dam/amex/au/staticassets/small-business/pdf/services/card-terms-and-conditions/american-express-qantas-business-rewards-card-point-termsand-conditions.pdf. 4 Receive two domestic Qantas Club Lounge Invitations each anniversary year of Card Membership once your business makes an Eligible Qantas Purchase on your American Express Card during that year. Eligible Qantas Purchases are Qantas passenger airfares with a QF flight number purchased directly from Qantas Australia that appear on your Card statement, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Qantas Business Rewards or Qantas Club membership, joining or annual fees. Excludes purchases from Jetstar. T&Cs apply, visit website at https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/the-qantas-club/terms-conditions.html for more information. 5. 150,000 bonus Qantas Points: Offer only available to new American Express Card Members who apply by 8 August 2023, are approved and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases on their new Card in the first two (2) months from the Card approval date. Eligible purchases do not include Card fees and charges, for example annual fees, interest, late payment, cash advances, balance transfers, traveller’s cheques and foreign currency conversion. Card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any other Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited in the preceding 18 month period are ineligible for this offer. 150,000 bonus Qantas Points will be awarded to the eligible Card Member’s Account 8-10 weeks after the spend criteria has been met. Subject to the American Express® Qantas Business Rewards Card Points Terms and Conditions at www.americanexpress.com/content/dam/amex/au/
staticassets/small-business/pdf/services/card-terms-and-conditions/american-express-qantas-business-rewards-card-point-terms-and-conditions.pdf. $450 annual fee applies. This advertised offer is not applicable or valid in conjunction with any other advertised or promotional offer.}