“The American Express® Qantas Business Rewards Card is the secret behind our family business. It helps us travel to customers and suppliers and earn Qantas Points to reward ourselves along the way.”
How big dreams and unwavering support helped this business duo take the Australian juice industry by storm.
Back in early 2014, Allie Szwarcberg-Poch noticed a lack of clean, tasty juice options on the market. So, she started creating her own. It wasn’t long before word got out and her friends and coworkers began putting in orders for batches of their own. It sparked a business idea.
One chilly winter morning, Allie decided to take a leap of faith and start selling her homemade juices at the Marrickville Markets in NSW. She was unsure if her cold-pressed juice business would be a good idea. But when the sun came out, Allie sold all her stock within hours. Eight years later, Allie's Cold Pressed Juices have grown from strength to strength thanks to her resilience, passion and total commitment. Today the business celebrates 1.5+ million bottles of juice sold, 1,200+ incredible stockists around Australia, and a whole lot of fruit squeezed—2,500+ tons, to be exact.
“It all started on my nan’s bench,” says Allie. “It was colourful chaos. But the long hours were always worth it.” Her humble business plan was simple: cold-pressed juices made from 100% Australian whole fruits and vegetables. “Back then, the Marrickville Markets were challenging and overwhelming. But my biggest win was meeting Braian Szwarcberg, who became my partner in both life and business.” Together they made it their mission to actualise the vision of Allie's Cold Pressed Juices.
“The next few years were a rollercoaster of some of the best and toughest moments of our lives, as many other business owners would have experienced,” says Allie. Keeping up with orders required constant problem-solving, with shifts starting at 6 am and often finishing at dawn the following day. “But we overcame each challenge and slowly our juices found their way into fridges and onto menus across the country.”
Juggling a business and a family was often stressful, but the American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card quickly became the secret behind their business success – along with hard work and determination. “Using the Card took away the bubbling financial pressure on our young family while supporting our small business.”
In the early days, Allie and Braian risked all their savings to invest in the supply they needed. “Creating a big purchase order can be a little scary! But now the Card helps take away any uncertainty and a lot of personal stress. It gives us a financial cushion so we can get fresh fruits and vegetables at better prices because we can purchase in greater quantities.” By choosing the Card that works for business, Allie and Braian enjoy up to 51 days to pay for purchases2.
The American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card also gives Card Members the purchasing power to continue scaling their operation, with the ability to access a line of unsecured funding across a 12 month period3. “It feels amazing to see the sheer amount of stock, drivers and trucks coming in and out of our warehouse. Every day our business is expanding, and inventory requirements keep going up – having the Card means we don’t have to worry about finance when growing our production,” says Allie.
Allie and Braian have come a long way since those early days at the markets, but their passion to make products of uncompromising quality has never changed. “Everything we do for the business, we do together as a family and for our family. And the Card supports us every step of the way.” Now with two young children, Allie and Braian use it to earn Qantas Points1 and reward themselves in the moments that matter.
“We love to accumulate Qantas Points and use them to pay for interstate flights to visit our customers and suppliers – it’s extra special when we get to travel as a family.” Thanks to the Card, Allie can earn up to 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on everyday business spend1.
To any aspiring entrepreneurs, Allie has a simple message: “In eight years, this company has given us so many wonderful, crazy, unpredictable moments. Don’t be afraid to start small.”
Important Information
American Express approval criteria applies. Subject to Terms and Conditions. Fees and charges apply. All information is correct as of 10 July 2024 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. A business must be a Qantas Business Rewards Member to earn Qantas Points for business. Membership and the earning of Qantas Points as a business are subject to the Qantas Business Rewards Terms and Conditions. Points are earned in accordance with and subject to the American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card Points Terms and Conditions. Your business will earn 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 of everyday spend, which does not include annual fees, late payment fee, 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. From 10 January 2024, once you have earned a total of 500,000 Qantas Points on your Card Account in a calendar year, your earn rate of 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent will change to 0.75 Qantas Points per $1 spent on everyday business purchases. All other earn rates (Qantas products, services and government, utilities and insurances spend) will remain unchanged. The points threshold is based on eligible Qantas Points earned during a calendar year and will be reset on 1 January each year. Qantas Points earned by all Card Members on a Card Account contribute to the 500,000 points threshold each calendar year. Bonus points earned from Acquisition bonus offers and marketing campaigns are excluded from the threshold.
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. 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.
Qantas would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the local lands and waterways on which we live, work and fly. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.