Glenbrook resident Russell Bolden had a problem that begged for a solution.
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Mr Bolden lives in Brook Road that looks west over the Mountains for as far as the eye can see. Visitors would often stand on their back deck and ask "what direction is Katoomba from here" or "where's Euroka Clearing from here".
He decided he needed a direction plaque, like the ones at Mount Portal and Anvil Rock.
Mr Bolden thought Google Maps might help get the necessary data he needed to create one but then thought to create a way that anyone can easily design a direction plaque for their home. This led to the development of www.mapwheel.com, a site where anyone can design a direction plaque.
"You simply add your points of interest and then our online MapWheel builder interfaces with Google Maps and does the rest," Mr Bolden said.
"The idea is that you design it yourself and then we make it for you by laser engraving the image in a range of beautiful Australian and other exotic timbers."
Mr Bolden is what he calls "all in" as he has quit his day job and taken on his nephew Jesse Little, another Glenbrook resident, as a co-founder.
Mr Bolden said: "Jesse brings some youth and brains to the business which is what is seemingly needed in the tech space these days. Jesse spotted the potential right away and was really enthusiastic about the product."
Mr Little has taken a semester off from his marketing studies at UTS to focus on increasing the business quickly.
"What I like about the concept is that a MapWheel can be a great novelty and conversation piece for anyone, in any location. They look great on outdoor tables and coffee tables and you don't have to be looking out to a view like Russell's place. On mine for example, I've got Kalgoorlie where I lived for five years, my grandparents place at Oberon and the Colosseum in Rome because I'm just going to get there one day."
The business launched in October and while they wanted to contain sales to Australia until they ironed out any bugs, they have already taken orders from the US, Germany and New Zealand.
"It's hard to contain things on the world wide web, but who's complaining," Mr Bolden said.
