Business has tripled since Andrew McGregor and Garry Smith left corporate careers to run eco-friendly, educational toy company Artiwood – and they’ve travelled to all corners of the world to make it happen.
Andrew McGregor and Garry Smith had been partners in life for almost two decades when they decided to hunt for a business they could work on together. “We wanted to get off the corporate treadmill, leverage our skills and enrich ourselves rather than shareholders,” says McGregor, who’d been COO of a global tech marketing company, while Smith was a senior business analyst in the financial sector.
In 2015, after a three-year search, they found their dream company: Artiwood, an importer and wholesale distributor of traditional and educational toys, whose founder was retiring. “All Artiwood toys are made from natural materials, such as wood, rubber, cork and organic cotton: no plastic, no batteries. It was a well-defined niche – sustainability and ethically sourced products – and had the right foundations for growth. The business today is more than three times bigger than when we acquired it.”
This growth has seen Artiwood relocate its warehouse four times and open a new showroom in Sydney but as McGregor reveals, success hasn’t come from staying put in the office...
“Personalised relationships is why we fly Qantas”
“Our toys are made by hand from natural materials. There are no assembly lines and plastic extrusion moulds. In the factories, the machines are merely tools. It’s the skill of the people involved that ultimately creates the value of these toys. With so much at stake, we regularly go into the factories to review them, always flying Qantas. It lets us see for ourselves that the toys are being produced ethically and the staff are well supported. Garry also advises Kinderfeets, our largest brand, on quality control improvements in its factories. By building these relationships in person, the factories look after us. They build our products with greater care because we’re not just names on an order. Our focus on personalised relationships is why we fly Qantas. On one China trip, in 2018, it was Garry’s 50th birthday as he flew home – the Business cabin crew noticed that and made him feel very special.”
Tip: As a Qantas Business Rewards member, you and your team can save up to 10% off the base fare of selected flights, plus up to 5% off Red e-Deals~
“We travel the world to grow our business. Qantas Business Rewards help us earn more points upgrades”
“Right before the pandemic hit, we attended the London Toy Fair and secured Bigjigs Toys, now our third-largest brand and growing. They were looking for a new Australian distributor and we gave them a presentation about how we would refresh their brand in the market here. They said it made such an impact that they couldn’t let us leave without appointing us. It was the fastest appointment they’d ever made for a distributor in their 37 years. Garry and I used points we’d earned through Qantas Business Rewards to upgrade our Business tickets to First for the trip home, which increased our baggage allowance from four to six. We filled three suitcases with Bigjigs samples so we could take them back to exhibit at the Australian Toy Fair a few weeks later.”
Tip: Use your business’ Qantas Points to upgrade your next flight with Classic Upgrade Rewards^^ directly from your Qantas Business Rewards Account.
“Booking flights through our Qantas Business Rewards Account means our team gets points and so does our business”
“We flew our team to Melbourne for the Reed Gift Fair in August. It’s the largest event we exhibit at and the first time we’d been able to be there in person since 2019. This was our most successful event ever. The value of sales we wrote was up 33 per cent over the 2019 fair, with orders from new customers up 54 per cent. For all of us, being able to connect personally with people and put a face to a name is invaluable. I book travel for all the staff together through our Qantas Business Rewards Account. As they are Qantas Frequent Flyers, they earn points individually as well as points for Artiwood. Plus, they get a Flyer Bonus of 250 points for every flight booked under our membership. We often use our Qantas Points to upgrade staff when they’re travelling interstate. It’s a simple gesture that acknowledges their value to the business and the impact travel has on their families.”
Tip: Your travellers earn an exclusive bonus of 250 Qantas Points per booking±, when they fly for work, on top of the points and Status Credits they already earn.#
“Upgrades and lounge access make work trips more productive for us as business owners”
“Earlier this year we flew to London for the Toy Fair and the following week to Nuremberg, Germany, for Spielwarenmesse, the industry’s largest international trade show. We go from morning to late at night for days on end. International trade shows are critical for us to meet our brand suppliers face-to-face, identify emerging global industry trends and assess the competitive landscape. We’ve flown the non-stop Perth to London route, which we love, but this time we included a weekend stopover in Singapore to help us adjust our body clocks. Because we know the dates of these events so far in advance, I set up alerts and when a great deal pops up, I’ll book Business tickets and immediately apply for an upgrade using points we’ve earned through Qantas Business Rewards. As business owners, we are usually working right up until we get in the cab for the airport, so the Qantas First Lounge is an oasis where we decompress and centre ourselves before we set off on another intensive trip.”
Manage your company travel in one place
Here’s how to use your Qantas Business Rewards Account to book travel quickly and easily, minimising paperwork and ensuring your business gets maximum savings and Qantas Points.±
Turn your business's points balance into your next flight
Search and book flights in one place to earn Qantas Points± and access flight savings~ exclusive to Qantas Business Rewards members. Plus, redeem Classic Flight Reward seats or request an upgrade using points directly from your Business Account. ~~
Manage your team’s flight bookings and unlock bigger benefits
The Qantas Business Rewards Account is the best way to keep track of your team’s flying activity, be notified of any flight changes and ensure both your business* and staff earn points.~ You’ll also discover ways to maintain or progress to the next membership level.
Save time on paperwork when booking travel
Store your team’s traveller names and Frequent Flyer details to save time and maximise benefits when booking flights. Plus, view your businesses spend across categories and easily reconcile monthly travel expenses.
Important Information
* A business must be a Qantas Business Rewards Member to earn Qantas Points for the business. A one-off joining fee of $89.50 applies, is inclusive of any applicable GST and may be varied by Qantas from time to time, without notice, in its absolute discretion. Membership and Qantas Points for business are offered under the Qantas Business Rewards Terms and Conditions and earning thresholds apply.
± Qantas Points earned on air travel are determined in accordance with the Airline Earn Table. A Member's ABN and traveller's Qantas Frequent Flyer membership number must be quoted at the time of booking to earn Qantas Points for both the business and the traveller. An eligible flight means a domestic or international flight which has a Qantas 'QF' flight number on the ticket that is purchased in Australia; has a ticket number commencing with '081'; and is booked and travelled for business on or after the date the business registers for Qantas Business Rewards. Exclusions apply. The number of points awarded varies according to the business’ flying Level. Subject to the Qantas Business Rewards Airline Reward Scheme Terms and Conditions, Qantas Points are earned for each segment travelled on Eligible Flights by a Qantas Business Rewards Flyer. A segment is a portion of the journey between two consecutive points listed on an itinerary. The number of Qantas Points earned in Qantas Business Rewards is calculated by applying the percentage Earn Rate to the number of Qantas Points earned by a Bronze Qantas Frequent Flyer member in each respective booking class (including cabin bonus and Minimum Points Guarantee if applicable and excluding any bonus Qantas Points which may be offered from time to time) as specified in the Qantas Frequent Flyer Categories in the Qantas Frequent Flyer Program, for the applicable travel date. A business must be a Qantas Business Rewards Member and registered for GST or be an Australian Public or Private entity or other incorporated company, and not be a travel agent or on a Corporate Deal with Qantas to earn Qantas Points for the business from flying.
# You must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member to earn Qantas Points. A joining fee may apply. Membership and Qantas Points are subject to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program Terms and Conditions. Qantas Points and Status Credits (where applicable) are earned on eligible flights with a Qantas or applicable oneworld® Alliance Airline or Airline Partner flight number on your ticket. Qantas Points and Status Credits may not be earned on some fare types and booking classes. See terms and conditions and the Airline Earning Tables for details on the conditions for the applicable airline.
~ Savings are available exclusively to Qantas Business Rewards Members on the base fare of selected fares only and do not apply to taxes, fees and carrier charges. Availability is limited. Member Deals are subject to the Qantas Business Rewards Terms and Conditions.
^^ Classic Upgrade Rewards are available on Classic Flight Rewards in Economy and Premium Economy and eligible paid and confirmed Qantas domestic and international flights, with a QF flight number on your ticket and from time to time on codeshare flights operated by another carrier that have a Qantas (QF) flight number on your ticket. Classic Upgrade Rewards are subject to capacity controls and availability is limited, and some flights may not have any Classic Upgrade Rewards confirmed. Classic Upgrade Rewards are not available from all fare types. See tables for details.
~~ A business can redeem Qantas Points directly from their Qantas Business Rewards Account on Classic Flight Rewards, Points Plus Pay bookings and/or transfer Qantas Points out of the Qantas Business Rewards Accounts into any individual’s Qantas Frequent Flyer account. In order to transfer or directly redeem Qantas Points from a Qantas Business Rewards Account for Classic Flight Rewards, the Business Account must have a balance of at least 3,000 Qantas Points. You must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member to earn, receive transfers and redeem Qantas Points as an individual. A joining fee may apply. Membership and Qantas Points are subject to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program Terms and Conditions. We recommend you consult your accountant or tax adviser to ensure you understand possible tax implications, for example fringe benefits tax (if applicable).
We acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, live and fly.
We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.