Women's business tips from down under: inspirational overseas business success secrets from Sue Ismiel.

In the early 90s, Sue Ismiel was a married mother of three young daughters working as a medical records keeper in a Sydney hospital in Australia. Her primary goals were to provide a loving, helpful environment for her family and to help others as much as she could.

When Sue's daughter Natalie was a young girl she had dark hair on her arms that caused her embarrassment. All the depilatory products on the market hurt Natalie's sensitive skin, so Sue became determined to create a natural product for her, based on a traditional Middle Eastern method called 'sugaring.' She spent almost a year experimenting with and concocting different formulas from products she had on her kitchen shelves, and using her husband's legs to road test her recipes.

Finally she had a product that worked--a pleasantly scented green goo containing lemon juice, sugar and water among other ingredients. The amazing gel did not need heating or chemicals to work. While it was only designed with her daughter in mind, after trying it on other family members and her colleagues at the hospital, Sue was convinced to share it with the general public.

Naming the product Nad's Natural Hair Removal Gel after her oldest daughter Nadine, Sue started with her immediate neighborhood and before she knew it, her green-hued wonder formula became the most popular natural hair removal product in Sydney and then in Australia--a distinction it maintains today.

Nad's enjoyed great success around the world--especially in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada and here in the United States, where it still maintains a loyal following among consumers. Meanwhile, Sue and her team have developed a whole line of Nad's related products that are helping women (and men and children!) throughout Australia--and as of recently, the United States.

Like her many products, Sue is all about solving peoples problems--lovingly, but effectively. Having been named to the Australian Businesswoman's Hall of Fame and as the Sydney Business Review's "Businesswoman of the Year," Sue is also always ready to share business success tips with her fellow woman entrepreneurs. She offers some unique advice below:

* Surround yourself with good people

It requires more of an investment of time and capital, but loyal, knowledgeable, trustworthy, enthusiastic people are not hard to find if you share with them the same respect you expect in return. Investing in such team members is ultimately going to be one of the foundations of your success. Help your employees to see the big picture and you will have greater buy-in for your business goals from all participants. I still have people with me that started when I was mixing product in my kitchen!

* Give back via philanthropy 

I do believe that with success comes obligation. Being a business success is one thing, but remembering to give something back to the communities you serve will keep you grounded and generate tremendous goodwill among your constituents. Pick a cause you are passionate about and find out what you can do as an individual and as an organization to help the betterment of that cause. For me, donations to children's charities and an Australian organization called the Jean Hailes Foundation to help fund important medical studies regarding women's health and well being have been causes I'm proud to support.

* Know that the world is your stage and think and act globally

I started my business in Sydney with an eye toward providing products to the people I knew as a part of my family. Once neighbors and friends found out about my natural waxing technique, they all wanted to try and I realized I had a potential business that could spread far beyond Sydney, and even Australia. The trick is thinking outside the box and exploring all your possible options.

* As with any good recipe, use quality ingredients for your products

It may sound obvious at first, but applying ethical business practices, and if manufacturing, utilizing quality ingredients with respect for the environment can go a long way. It's easy and sometimes even cost effective for the short term to utilize ingredients that are not the best, but focusing on natural quality ingredients is an investment that will pay off great dividends in the long run. It also shows the greatest respect for your customers, who will appreciate that your brand is of high quality.

* Nothing quite pays off like hard work

Year in and year out, I've watched hard work pay off for employees who have accomplished great things for us and have grown to be leaders at our company.

* Be positive

Attitude really is everything. An upbeat, can-do attitude makes a world of difference in both how we feel and how we're perceived.

* Love your work

Most successful entrepreneurs don't start their businesses until they're anxious to do it--if you jump in earlier than that, the time, energy and pain of running a business may not be worth it to you. You have to have passion. If you find something you care about for your career, then working hard will have its own payoffs.

* Don't be afraid to ask for help

I didn't have formal business training when I started my business, but I overcame this by soaking up information where I could get it. I sought out the right people who could give me good advice. While at one level my lack of formal business training was a handicap, the positive side of it was that I wasn't straight-jacketed by sticking to conventional ways of doing business.

--Be proud of who you are and be proud to be a woman in business

I'm very proud of my middle-eastern background, but probably the biggest challenge I had starting out was my cultural heritage. I come from a background where women are not encouraged as leaders or businesswomen--their role is as mothers and wives. My parents would never have envisioned for me the life I have carved out for myself. I am proud that I have achieved business success while still maintaining a strong bond and support from my family--particularly my parents, my husband and my children.

Sue Ismiel is President and CEO of LifeSource Functional Wellness, headquartered in Sydney, Australia.