Supporting PNG-Australian Enterprises Reach for Optimal and Operational Growth
Partnering with investors, institutions and diaspora-led businesses to unlock opportunity, achieve aspirations and progress PNG-internal and connected economies
Bridging the Gap
Papua New Guinea has over 800 languages steeped in deep relational knowledge, community accountability and informal systems built on long-term relationship ties. Australian markets by contrast expect documentation, governance, regulatory literacy and formal structures. The gap is not one of capability or ambition - it is a difference in systems, expectations and how we do business here in Australia can be different to other parts of the world.
Midire & Co works at this intersection between cultural knowledge and Australian - PNG institutions to close and connect the regulatory gap. Whether in PNG or Australia, diaspora businesses are capable and values-driven but are often constrained by conforming to regulatory requirements or government expectations. Micro and SME businesses can engage in structural systems without diluting their identity, ownership or values adhering to cultural ties. This includes supporting business owners to articulate their governance, decision-making, enterprise structure, standards, their branding or marketing in ways that respect and promotes your provinces whilst meeting formal market requirements.
Cultural Competence brings about awareness that is required to be ethical in your procedures and processes to uphold your values and yet still be highly productive and efficient to meet market demands. It is not about compliance for its own sake but to ensure prosperous and quality outcomes and protecting long-term enterprise value. Enabling a structure to grow with people, proper processes, procedures and policies will bridge the gap for PNG Diaspora Business to gain work to sustain their international or national business goals. When cultural competence and commercial systems are connected, enterprises are better connected and positioned to sustain constant improvement, retain their control and build trust across borders.
About Susanne
Susanne's work is guided by a strong belief in life long learning and the transformative power of education. She is especially passionate about all women having the connection and capacity to be financially literate and gaining financial independence to make key economic decisions.
Born and raised in Kimbe, West New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea and later living and working in Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Australia, Susanne brings a cross-cultural understanding of the deep relational ties between Australia and Papua New Guinea connections and way of life. She is a PNG Diaspora Business Council of Australia Trade and Investment Delegate and attends Foreign Business Trade Forums in connecting and growing PNG-AUS Diaspora Business.
She believes being curious brings forth many aspirations and inspirations once being your search whatever the topic. It is in the searching that we find ourselves and find the answers. Susanne believes the process to finding solutions was a catalyst for developing the systems she implemented for her first business. The relentless drive to find solutions beyond the scope, is where she thrives and determines the most reliable solutions.
She is passionate about writing and after completing her Freelancers and Writers training last year, she published her first short story 'Broken Pigeon' and in which she hopes to write more short stories in the near future. She enjoys the connection that writing can portray and invests in province-led narratives of people, place and product.
About Midire & Co
Midire Advisory & Co is founder-led initiative focused on building strategic partnerships that strengthen Papua-New Guinea-connected and diaspora-owned enterprises and build operational readiness through connectedness. Through partnerships across business, education, government, industry to bridge informal activity with structured compliant frameworks that are commercially viable.
Midire & Co offers partners a unique value proposition: cross-cultural insight, enterprise experience and a strengths-based approach that moves beyond deficit models and tokenistic engagement. Partnerships are designed to create shared outcomes in women's economic security, MSME capacity building, financial literacy and inclusive connected PNG-AUS internal economic growth.
Papua New Guinea presents significant manufacturing opportunities through its abundant agricultural, natural, and marine resources. While PNG exports substantial volumes of raw materials, there remains a critical gap in local value-added processing and manufacturing that can provide connection for PNG Diaspora business.
Midire & Co identifies this gap as both an economic challenge and an opportunity for inclusive enterprise development. Midire & Co proposes exploring models that transform PNG raw materials into finished and semi-finished products to connect domestic and Australian markets. Strengthening local economy to create employment, support women-led enterprises, and a bridge from informal production with compliant, market-ready manufacturing across PNG and Australia, has potential to connect PNG Diaspora people-to-people business.
Through strategic partnerships, Midire & Co seeks to develop culturally grounded and commercially viable initiatives that contribute to economic diversification, SME capability building, and sustainable development within PNG and diaspora-connected markets.
A Founder's Story
In 2005 Susanne in partnership started a steel fabrication and steel sales company with one truck driver, a truck, a leased shed and three employees and a small line of credit. The minimal turnover in the first year generated more stock to order and increased a regular customer base. Susanne facilitated and implemented the computer systems, software, recruitment and managed all the employer obligations, compliance and procedures to follow.
In the following years, with healthy gains, she reinvested into purchasing a block of land in 2007 to build an industrial shed with an overhead crane system. The business expanding to eight employees and she implemented substantial computer systems, processes and procedures, fleet management, insurances, tax compliance, payroll processing, plant and equipment purchases and the business quickly became a multi-million dollar company.
Through GFC and Covid the company thrived with the reinvestments and tight cashflow controls and cash flow management. Under her Executive Director and Administrative leadership, the operation facility scaled to maximum capacity with over 20 workers, increased equipment load. Susanne was successful in grant applications, tendering and facilitating business tools for seamless operations for nearly two decades.
After nearly two decades of involvement, Susanne formally concluded her role in the enterprise in 2022 and she subsequently embarked on an independent professional pathway, drawing on her extensive experience in business operations, compliance frameworks, systems development, and enterprise leadership.
Susanne founded Midire & Co as an independent platform dedicated to supporting emerging enterprises, MSMEs, and PNG–Australia diaspora-connected businesses. Her work focuses on translating lived operational experience into practical frameworks for sustainable business growth. Through Midire & Co, she is committed to strengthening enterprise capability, empowering founders—particularly women—and contributing to long-term economic development across Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Areas of Engagement
Enterprise Capability & Structuring
- Micro and SME business structuring and documentation
- Governance and operational frameworks
- Business planning and systems development
- PNG–Australia enterprise positioning
Compliance & Financial Capability
- Financial literacy education and enterprise tools
- Record-keeping and operational processes
- Understanding regulatory and compliance environments
- Enterprise readiness and risk awareness
Storytelling & Market Positioning
- Founder and enterprise narrative development
- Provenance-led storytelling and brand identity
- market-facing communication
- cultural enterprise development
Leadership & Industry Experience
- Manufacturing and industrial operations
- Executive leadership and enterprise management
- Cross-border business environments (PNG–Australia)
- Diaspora engagement and enterprise development
Emerging Focus Areas
Midire & Co is developing advisory capabilities to support PNG MSME enterprises to build economic strength and PNG Diaspora-connected businesses operating in Australia.
Business Growth
Midire & Co is supporting enterprise capability frameworks to support Papua New Guinea micro and SME enterprises to strengthen governance, compliance and operational systems. The focus is on enabling enterprises to transition from informal economic activity to structured, compliant and market-ready business models within PNG and Australian regulatory environments.
Through partnerships and strategic collaboration, Midire & Co seeks to contribute to stronger enterprise foundations, improved accountability and sustainable growth pathways for PNG-connected and diaspora businesses. Strengthening compliance capability is positioned as a key enabler of internal economic development.
Storytelling Collaboration
Midire & Co is exploring provenance-led storytelling and enterprise positioning as strategic tools to support PNG entrepreneurs and diaspora businesses to articulate their identity, value and market relevance. This focus area recognises storytelling not only as communication, but as a mechanism for strengthening articulation of brand credibility, cultural identity and market engagement across PNG–Australia contexts.
Through collaboration with enterprises, cultural stakeholders and digital platforms, Midire & Co aims to support enterprises to articulate their people, products and purpose in ways that strengthen commercial positioning and partnership potential. Authentic storytelling is positioned as a bridge between cultural identity and market-facing enterprise development.
Financial Literacy Education
Globally, a significant proportion of start-up businesses do not survive beyond their early years. Studies indicate that more than 60% of small businesses fail within the first five years, with failure rates often higher in emerging and informal market contexts. Common contributing factors include inadequate financial management, limited planning, weak business systems and restricted access to capital.
In Papua New Guinea, these challenges are often intensified by informal economic structures, limited access to financial education and constrained institutional support. Strengthening financial literacy is therefore critical to improving enterprise resilience, internal economic development and long-term sustainability.
Midire & Co recognises financial literacy as a foundational capability for enterprise development and is developing education pathways tailored to PNG and diaspora contexts. Through strategic partnerships, Midire & Co seeks to co-design financial literacy initiatives that support PNG entrepreneurs and diaspora businesses.
WE ARE TAKING SURVEYS IN FEBRUARY 2026 TO ASSIST IN PROVIDING FINANCIAL LITERACY EDUCATION. CLICK BELOW. THANKYOU!
Business Start-Up
The Midire & Co Micro or Small Business services can provide advice and consultation about starting your business. Market Research is one of the most time consuming exercise however it is one of the most important aspects to start your business.
Entreprenuers must consider practical steps such as choosing the right business financial practices, registering the business, understanding legal and tax obligations, and establishing sound financial practices. Conducting market research, setting realistic pricing and managing cash flow are essential for sustainability. While challenges are inevitable, building strong systems, staying adaptable, and maintaining a long-term vision can help transform a simple idea into a resilient and successful enterprise.
A strong focus on customers and community can also contribute significantly to business success. Understanding customer expectations, delivering consistent quality and building a professional communication can strengthen reputation.
Get in Touch
Please send an email using the form below to get in touch with Midire & Co