the magazine for home + internet business

fantastic!the power of red in graphic design

belinda vesey-brown tells of her business success

+ the google guys bare all

+ feng shui your office for success

+ single parent bible

lingo.net.au

MICHELLE HAMERMichelle Hamer is a consultant operating three businesses, Smart Advice Pty Ltd, Smart Women, PC Smart, and Smart Learning.

p22

TOC EDITOR: SUSAN KIRK

JOURNALIST: SUSAN KIRK

Publisher:LingoWritingStudioABN: 69 179 523 470PO Box 2357WELLINGTON POINT Q 4160F: (07) 3822 2135P: (07) 3822 2227M: 0414 645 953www.lingo.net.auAdvertising enquiries: 07 3822 2227

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GRAPHIC DESIGN: RED-iDESIGNPRINCIPAL DESIGNER: BELINDA VESEY-BROWN

170 Newmarket Road,Wilston Q 4054PO Box 2247KEPERRA Q 4054F: (07) 3856 6633P: (07) 3856 6677M: 0421 021 322www.red-idesign.com

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EDITORIALHow do you like the new look and name? Thanks to Belinda, Paul and the team at Red-i Design, I have what I think is a memorable brand name and a very slick looking magazine. It now also embraces the internet (clicks) businesses that operate from home.

The plus sign is positive and a sign of addition so that further down the track I can add other information, based on what you the reader wants. I have taken the magazine offline for a couple of reasons. Firstly, eventually I want to redesign the site and secondly I wanted you to be able to print this out and enjoy it somewhere else, maybe under a big umbrella by the pool or in the shade of a tree. After all this is one of the perks of working from home. Let me know what you think of the new look and format and if you have any suggestions for stories that you would like to see drop me a line. PS There are a couple of regular items missing this month but they will return for the December issue.

PPS I am still waiting for my web server to reinstall my forum which, as some of you know, was hacked last month. Hopefully it will be up and running soon.

Susanskirk@lingo.net.au

3 EDITORIAL

+FEATURES10 RED-I DESIGNDoes colour really matter? Learn how to develop a powerful brand.

8 DERRYN HEILBUTHFrom baking cookies to cutting edge design and communications.

16 SINGLE PARENT BIBLE Being a single parent is a great motivator for business success.

14 FENG-SHUIIf you re hankering to run the State try some Feng-shui.

+PROFILES18 CLICKS ONLYPaul Daniels tells us what its like to operate a clicks business, or two or three.

12 VISUALISATION Ellen Vasiliauskas of d-sipher pty ltd has a mantra for success

22 SMART WOMEN Smart advice for smart women.

+TECH NEWS6 GOOGLE GURULearn how to drive traffic to your website with Monte Huebsch from Aussie Web.

+SPECIALS10 ANNETTE SYM BOOK NO 5 LAUNCHNo 5 in the series Symply Too Good to be True was launched on lucky Friday 13th September.

+PROFILES

2 3

ADVERTORIALA CASE STUDY FOR PRMedia relations is an important part of PR

Publicity is the best and most cost effective form of advertising. There are a few crucial stages for small business to make the most of potential publicity. Writing press releases is a skill and being picked up by the media is, to some extent, determined by relationships with the media and exceptional writing skills. A consultant has relationships with people in the media and access to all newspapers, magazines; radio and television stations Australia wide, including their circulation and advertising rates. This helps with evaluative research for that important bottom line figure. You must know if a campaign has been successful.

What can Lingo do for you?

Employee relationsOutcomes: happy productive employees who promote the business; ensure your business is never short of skilled, professional staff.Customer relationsOutcomes: happy; loyal customers who support the business and provide word of mouth referrals.Integrated marketing communicationsOutcomes: Consistent; powerful;

messages in all of your business and marketing communication; events and promotions.Strategic partnershipsOutcomes: close ties with allies and competitors to achieve business goals.Media relationsOutcomes: Building credibility and reputation for your business; publicity; and promotion.Ideally public relation should be implemented right at start up; along with all of your policies and procedures, preparing you for future growth and putting you on the right track for continuous proactive PR.

The solution?

We have developed a simple and cost effective DIY public relations service for small to medium business. The difference between our product and our competitors is our commitment to help you implement your campaign. We provide continuous support and consultation. Why? Because we follow a code of ethical practice and we believe in what we preach - developing sustainable relationships with customers. Thats our guarantee!

CALL ME NOW FOR A FREE INFORMATION PACK 07 3822 2227 or 0414 645 953 or skirk@lingo.net.au

Toxic shock syndrome

At Denvers Childrens Hospital, a new public relations director made a plea to doctors and staff members to let her know if anything happened that might be considered news. She briefly explained to them what news was. A few days later a doctor sheepishly came to her with an item he thought might be newsworthy.

I think Ive discovered a new disease, do you think thats newsworthy? He asked the public relations director. After she told him it was, he continued.

I think Im going to call it Toxic Shock Syndrome. He wanted to announce it. She readily agreed but wanted to plan how to release the information so the hospital could get the maximum benefit from the exposure.

Childrens Hospital in Denver is a major regional referral and research hospital for states in the West. It depends a great deal on its support from fund-raising efforts. (Source: Kyla Thompson, Non Profit Public Relations,

interview by Dan Lattimore, videocassette, Colorado

State University, 1986.)

Would you know how to deal with this important news item? Do you or your staff even recognise news?

BOOK LAUNCHSYMPLY TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

The food some of it prepared by Annette was delicious and the recipes came straight from book No.5

book NO.5

Annette prepares

Mango Chicken

4 5

GOOGLE GURUMonte Huebsch the Google Guru talks about what it means for a business to have a ranking in Google

Montes company, Aussie Web, specialises in creating strategies to maximise qualified buyers to a website. He is also one of only about 17 accredited Google representatives in Australia.

Monte, an architect, arrived in Australia from the States in 1988 to build a launch complex for The Cape York Space Agency at Cape York. He then went on to work as a consultant for the Pegasus network, one of the first email services providers in Australia.

I tried to persuade them to get into the web space and when they didnt, I did, said Monte. He began designing and developing websites.

Now he leaves the design to others and concentrates on developing websites that work. That is getting qualified traffic to a website enterprise.

There are lots of techniques for search engine optimisation (SEO) and while this can help there are no guarantees.Here are a few tips for getting your site indexed with Google:

Develop a site mapGet linked by other sites that are already indexed in GoogleGet a blog ( www.blogger.com, a Google initiative)

There is a lot of talk about site optimisation but according to Monte there is no control over organic listings.

Its about control and the ability to evaluate results.

For a look at what Aussie Web can do for your business contact (07) 3216 1001 or www.aussieweb.com.au

There is a myth that if you develop an internet space the customers will come.

Its not auto pilot, it takes work, says Monte. So while anyone can go and create a list of keywords and phrases for a Google ad campaign, it takes insight and hard work to find the hundreds of keywords or phrases that a searcher may use to try and find your business, including the not so obvious.

A website that gets ranked at the top of a list in a Google search is doing well. A search can list pages and pages of websites for a particular keyword or phrase and being at the bottom of those listings somewhere on page 156 can mean lost sales. 85% of people online are using Google as their main search engine.

Its about control

and the ability to

evaluate results.

6 7

FROM COOKIES TO CUTTING EDGE DESIGN AND COMMUNICATIONS

In a tough economic climate, during the late 80s Derryn Heilbuth, her husband and two young children migrated from South Africa to Wollongong in New South Wales and began the slow and emotional toil of living and working in a new country. Motivated by terror and a bank balance of $1,000 Derryn, a freelance journalist and TV reporter did what she had to do.

When a friend started baking caramel squares, Derryn volunteered to find a market and discovered her first valuable business lesson, if you want to survive you have to learn the art of making an offer.

Much to her surprise, she discovered she was good at it. Shed go to the cafes, fruit shops and delicatessens in Wollongong and persuade the owners to taste their fare. Before they knew it demand was such that Derryn was also baking.

Its a bit of a joke really, because it had never been one of my strong points. Id get home from the newspaper or television station and stand

Derryn Heilbuth has been involved in various forms of communication throughout her working life. Her cumulative expertise in newspaper, magazine and television journalism has been substantially augmented by corporate communications experience gained over more than a decade.

Before founding Businesswriters & Design in 1990, Derryn was Publications Editor at Westpac Banking Corporation. During this time Westpacs employee magazine, which had a monthly print run of 50,000 and was distributed to 27 countries worldwide, twice won an award for the best internal periodical publication in Australia.

Derryn is the author of a book on business, has published an academic article on journalism ethics and has taught both literature and communications at university and TAFE. She has an Honours degree in English and a Masters degree in journalism.

DERRYN HEILBUTH

till two o clock in the morning doing my share in the production of caramel squares, peppermint slices, gourmet cheese cakes, chocolate brownies and three-tiered carrot cakes.

One exhausted year later Derryn had saved enough for a deposit on a house in Sydney where she took on a role as the publications editor at Westpac to produce the staff magazine. The job proved to be invaluable, besides the production and management skills she picked up, hiring designers and printers gave her an insight into what clients are looking for when they contract home-workers or small business.

Firstly, they want delivery of services on time and within budget and the immediacy and responsiveness that someone small can provide.

They need to know that once theyve put the call through to you, they dont have to worry because they know you are reliable and will get the job done. According to Derryn If you want to earn money from home, first decide what market you are

going to service and then equip yourself to ensure you can do it efficiently.

Clients are looking for original ideas. When you are small and out there on your own, its easy to feel a little inhibited, so you play safe.

But it is the ability to create products, dream up new services and present facts and ideas like nobody else can that will ensure you make your mark.

Be bold and creative and have confidence in yourself and your ideas. Three years later Derryn left Westpac and on a shoestring budget, with only a computer, printer, answering machine and an expensive business suit, started Businesswriters & Design (www.businesswriters.com.au).

She worked on her own for 12 years writing speeches for executives, company magazines and annual reports, and juggling the demands of a business and being available at home for her two children. In 2001, after years of turning down work, her husband, who

was editor-in-chief of the Readers Digest decided to join her. Her sister-in-law soon followed, and she converted another room in the house into an office. Eighteen months later the three, plus Derryns sister, moved into leased premises. The company now employs nine people and has an office in Melbourne and Sydney.

The majority of Businesswriters & Designs work comes through referral. Marketing was always a challenge, but remember you are only as good as your last job.

Building up her business with staff Derryn works hard at encouraging a non-corporate environment. Creative human resource management; and quality and service are the hallmarks of the business. We hire people that have come out of a city corporate environment.

There are certain things they expect from employment as creative professionals. We create a fun working environment. We sit down to lunch together every day and we go on one major conference a year. This year the team recently returned from Shanghai. Derryn strongly advocates creative skills for small business. Writers and designers need to push the creative barriers.

Pricing is extremely important as is competitive analysis. A unique offer is a competitive advantage. We tell ourselves and our customers that we produce beautiful design and fabulous copy and we do.

Thats value the competitive advantage in a service business. Take every opportunity. You never know what the outcome will be. Derryn made this her mantra after attending a conference for Women in Publishing and five years later, obviously impressed with Derryns communication skills, an editor from Choice Publications approached her to write a book on home business declaring her refreshing and inspiring.

Derryns book, Earning Money from Home is packed with useful advice and told in a creative, anecdotal way that is charming and insightful. If you would like to purchase Derryns book its available from www.choice.com.au for $15.

Her final piece of advice for those who want to earn money from home is to be realistic and honest about your strengths and weaknesses. Why are you doing it? What do you want out of it?

8 9

RED-I DESIGNTHE POWER OF RED

The Power of Red the colour of success for Graphic Design Studio Red-iDesign

Looking back through history the colour red was symbolic and magical. Kings, cardinals, judges and executioners were the exclusive wearers of red robes, announcing their power over life and death. It was the preferred colour for a brides dress in the 18th century indicating love and fertility. Even today Greek, Albanian and Armenian brides still wear red veils.

Belinda Vesey-Brown has an attraction to the colour red, even as a little girl her favourite piece of clothing was a bright red jumpsuit. As an adult the fascination continues. She owns a classic Fiat, red, of course, that she used to park in her lounge room because it was too special to park outside.

It was the colour of her choice when she began to brand her business Red-i Design which she started in 2002 at her home in Upper Kedron. The business has grown in the past four years and the business employs two full time degree qualified designers and has since moved out of the home office into a studio at Wilston.

business, not just buy into a job.What sets her business apart in a fiercely competitive industry?We are not just creating design solutions that look good, we are creating measurable marketing tools that relate to our clients business goals and target market.

We are all degree qualified graphic designers and I know this gives us an edge. If youre a manufacturing business and you want to hear more about the value proposition contact Belinda or Paul on 3856 6677 or e: belinda@red-idesign.com.auor www.red-idesign.com

Reference: National Gallery of Art, Artists

Pigments : A Handbook of Their History and

Characteristics. http://webexhibits.org/

pigments/indiv/color/reds2.html

Belindas husband Paul, who is also a graphic designer, works in and on the business and looks after website design, invoices, quotes and much of the vital business administration. He also sits on the Australian Graphic Design Association board so that he can contribute to promoting professionalism and regulation within the industry.

Belinda started her career as a graphic designer and marketer with the international lighting manufacturer, Intralux Australia. This gave her exposure to designing for manufacturers. Her current clients include Australian Hardboards, Abgal Pool Liners and Covers, ShuRoo, Versalite Window and Doors and QSW. Because of her expertise and knowledge of the industry the business is focusing on developing services for this market.

We have devised a value proposition for manufacturers that will save them thousands of dollars a year on print and production costs, said Belinda.Belinda is using signage, her website and networking to spread the word about her business. She is a member of Networx and Womens Network and tries to regularly attend events. The business advertises its services in the Yellow Pages online and also runs a Google

Adwords campaign. Yellow pages and Google adwords is by far the best source of leads from cold prospects. She also uses signage on all staff cars offering another point of promotion for the business website. Referrals are another successful form of generating new business. We are now implementing a referral rewards program, said Belinda.

Since moving out of the home office Belinda says she enjoys working from a professional office with room for meetings and enough space for the business to grow. Its good to go home at the end of the day and close off from work for a little bit.

When I get home I can relax and I am not as tempted to keep on working. However she is trying to organise a day where she can work at home on business development as there is less interruption. I know the staff can now survive a little without me and I am only a phone call away, she said. Belinda is a firm believer in professional development as she says if you dont invest in you, how can you grow?

In a rapidly changing environment its important that the business keeps up with the latest trends. Besides I want to learn everything about running a

Above Ground Liners Inground Liners Exotic Colours

3. MediterraneanMarble

2. Light Blue

5. Caribbean

1. Antique

6. Maldives3. Costa Rica 4. Casablanca

1. Dark Blue

1

23 4

5

6

23 4

5

1

2. Coral Sand

4. Pacific

5. Capri

2.4 COLOUR SCHEME

Specific corporate colours have been chosen

to create the corporate mark. Colour values

have been included in both CMYK and PMS

(universal colour matching system).

BLUE TO AQUA GRADIENT

PMS Reflex Blue

to

PMS 326

C:100 M:73 Y:0 K:2

to

C:87 M:0 Y:38 K:0

BLUE

PMS Reflex Blue

C:100 M:73 Y:0 K:2

AQUA

PMS 326

C:87 M:0 Y:38 K:0

style manual content-managed website price lists and tearsheets

tradeshow displaysbrochure suite

packaging

posters

logo + stationery

newslettersphoto manipulation multimedia packaging

OUT SMART YOUR COMPETITORS!SELLING A PRODUCT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET?

RED-i Design is a graphic design studio who works primarily with Queensland Manfacturers that are selling products with national & international distribution.

This is what we can do for you >>

170 Newmarket Road Wilston Qld 4051 Phone 07 3856 6677 www.red-idesign.com10

VISUALISATIONSPATHWAY TO SUCCESS she set up her previous employers home office in 1997 (a transfer from Canberra to Noosa).

There are many benefits operating from home, but also a few challenges.

The convenience and relaxed atmosphere are beneficial but the isolation is a definite challenge.

I make a point of keeping up my networking which is fun and stimulating at the same time.

Ellen used a combination of networking with potential clients and colleagues, attending business events, industry conferences and of course market research to build her business.

I focused on building my personal and company profile and reputation.

People need to know that you are there and have the skills they are looking for.

Ellen also keenly observed what other similar small consultancies were doing and quizzed her role models.

In 2005 the Australasian Evaluation Society (AES) awarded Ellen the Evaluation Development Award for her work on the

innovative design, development and application of evaluation in the Noosa Community Governance and Planning project.

The project featured community governance, community involvement and the development of strategic plans to 2015. The AES is the pre-eminent professional evaluation organisation in Australia and New Zealand whose aim is to improve the theory, practice and use of evaluation in the public and private sectors.

In what was a highly competitive field, Chair of the Judging Panel Dr Jenny Neale (Associate Professor at the Victoria University in New Zealand) congratulated the winners, Noosa Council and d-sipher pty ltd, saying the Committee considered the nomination a fine example of quality evaluation processes that have been applied to local government planning and community involvement.

Ellen believes that pro bono work is important and is a way to contribute to your local community. She acts as a mentor for several colleagues and local businesses as well as participating in local mentoring programs offered by Noosa High School.

Visualisation and affirmations as a pathway to success

Sitting at a desk in the public services sector some 25 years ago Ellen Vasiliauskas had a thought which motivated her into action, I could be sitting here in another 20 years, still in my safe public service job and tied to my mortgage. She realised that she would never discover her true potential. The solution was to leave - but HOW? The barriers seemed too high and unconquerable.

Using an affirmation of I will work for people who appreciate me, in a pleasant environment and be well paid and refusing to dwell on any negative thoughts a job offer too good to refuse landed in her lap.

Qualified in education with psychology and arts majors in education Ellen went into a job in private sector consulting. After five years she left to start her own business, d-sipher pty ltd, offering services in market and brand research; community consultation; focus group discussions; customer and staff surveys and reviews and evaluations.

Ellen has lots of experience in working from a home office

She is also part of a local business group called Noosa Innovation Industries (NII) which is a network of knowledge economy businesses who meet to network and discuss how Noosa might be the next Silicon Valley.

Ellen works with businesses to help them develop new insights into products and services often through workshop and customer consultation.

Knowing whats important to your customers and what drives their purchase decision gives businesses their competitive edge in an undifferentiated market ie where all apples look the same.

She is now building an extension to her home office and says there are no plans at this stage to move into leased premises.

A final word of advice from Ellen Each day life presents us many new opportunities if we expect them we will see them.

For more information about Ellens services contact:

Ellen VasiliauskasDirectord-sipher pty ltdph: 07 5471 1330fax: 07 5471 1360mob: 0414 295312

12 13

PATHWAY TO SUCCESSFeng Shui is all about allowing positive energy to work for you. It is also about directing what you want into your life and clearing out dated energy that does not serve you.

Good energy flow is important in all areas of your life - it is essential in your office. This is a place where you want to draw positive energy, attracting customers and money.

You will need to eliminate stale energy, clutter, disorganization, and create a comfortable atmosphere for yourself, your business associates and your customers. When your office runs smoothly, your Feng Shui is working. But only you know exactly how well it is working.

The Desk

Is your desk placed so that your back is to the door? Are you facing a blank wall or worse a notice board littered with things to do? What messages are you giving yourself and others? That you are beating your head against the wall or have too much to do?

Placing your desk so that it faces the door, preferably with a solid wall behind you, puts you in a position of power. You are able to see your customers and employees enter and your back is

protected. This position gives the subtle message that you are the person who is in control. Think of some successful people their desk is always placed in the power position!

If you dont have a lot of room it is still possible to use a power position, place your desk so that it is easy to see the door at a quick glance, you should not have to turn your whole body around!

Your desk can be barrier between you and others, depending on your position and the size of your office, make sure it is not too large or small for your requirements.

For example a counselor could have a smaller desk and an area for informal discussion to create a safe and welcoming space for clients, whereas a person who manages many people may wish to use a larger more imposing desk. The purpose of your business and your role are important considerations.

Clutter and Disorganisation

This is a pretty sure sign that things are chaotic in your business and that you need to put procedures in place. Clutter has a negative psychological impact on you, your employees

and your customers! Who is going to trust you with their important business if you cant organize yourself?

Clear out and archive finished files

Put systems in place to eliminate time wastage

Repair or throw out broken items Empty your garbage. Use colour for folders and files.

Colour coding is an effective organisational tool and it brightens up your work space

Reduce the impact of electrical cords and power boards by keeping them out of sight as much as possible

Your desk should be organized and clutter free. Tidy it up at the end of the day. Use the end of the week for filing

Your computer screen

When you log on to your computer, what is the first thing you see? Take the time to analyse this. It has a strong psychological impact on you. Do you have a mountain range or hill on your screen could this represent that you feel you have lots of obstacles to overcome? Or, is your screen a picture of a solitary island in the ocean, a representation perhaps that you would rather be any where other than in this office?

Your screen and screen saver should be up lifting and optimistic. Do everything you can to increase your own personal energy.

Here are some ideas:

sunrises new beginnings,

waterfalls or ocean waves represent abundance flowing toward you.

Forests representing growth and abundance.

Your office environment

Everyone feels better and will be more effective in a comfortable working environment.

Consider: Colour. Is your office environment

drab and colourless? Colour energy has a psychological impact all of its own. Yellow for example is a colour that assists with clarity. It is uplifting, sunny and positive.

Is your office environment airy

and clean? You may wish to try the following things use plants to keep the air fresher. Crystals such as smoky quartz help protect you from computer emissions and clear quartz clusters help energize your environment.

Conflict and stress, leave a residue of negative energy in your office. Have you walked into a room where there has been conflict and you sense that something is amiss? Look into ways of clearing out this energy. A traditional way is to use a smudge stick made from white sage, or incense such as sandalwood. At the very least, throw open the doors and windows and let nature help you clear the air.

Are you ready to enjoy consecutive terms of success? If so give Feng Shui a try and notice the subtle and sometimes not so subtle positive changes that come to your business.

Article courtesy of Feng Shui Consultant, Coby

Edmunds of Renewal Life Solutions. www.

renewallifesolutions.com.au

inviting energy into your home office Feng Shui produces good energy flow which is important in all areas of your life. It is essential in your office where you want to draw positive energy.

Some Quick tipsThe deskMake sure your desk is placed so that your back is not to the door

Clutter Not a good indication of organisation who would trust you with their business if you are surrounded by chaos

ComputerReduce radiation by placing crystals next to your computer. Make sure you analyse any screen savers. Try a forest for growth and abundance.

Queenslands Premier employed a Feng Shui consultant in his office at the beginning of his first successful political campaign. Like him or not he has been here for successive terms!

FENG-SHUI

14 15

BIBLE

Parenting is challenging and single parenting more so, team that with running a business and you probably have the three most difficult challenges anyone could face in their lifetime.

Tina Shaw faces these challenging but rewarding tasks every day as the mother of a four year old son Zac and the editor publisher of an online magazine, The Single Parent Bible [www.singleparentbible.com.au] and two other clicks businesses, www.singleparentsinbusiness.com and www.singleparentdom.com and the author of three books.

Tina started her career in journalism working for Queensland Country Life where she sold classified ads and wrote advertorial. Her copywriting talents were revealed and she

On getting sponsorship she suggests that you should always give more value dollar for dollar than the sponsorship company.

Tina lives on the Sunshine coast with her son and the advantages of working from home in this environment and as a single parent require no explanation. Her advice for anyone considering setting up a business, Dream Big and do it for less than $100.00, I have.

Tina is conducting a Single Parenting Successfully Seminar in Maroochydore, Queensland on Wed 15 Nov. from 9.30am 2pm. Go along and listen to some keynote speakers including Tracey Wickham, former Olympic swimmer who will be speaking out for the first time about her own life as a single parent and giving some insight into how to balance parenting AND work.

In addition Bronwyn Marquardt author and parenting specialist

will be speaking on - parenting through a divorce, Annette Sym healthy cook book guru and self made millionaire -speaking on - wellbeing and the importance of looking after yourself and Tina herself on life as a single successful parent and business owner and budgeter extraordinaire.

For bookings (essential) P: 0432 478 152 (Torresa) or www.singleparentbible.com.au

SINGLE PARENTwon awards for copywriting and layout from APN newspapers. Tina admits she has a talent for sales.

She then went on to become a marketing manager for a retirement resort followed by a similar role with a property developer with whom she formed a relationship. Unfortunately that job lasted as long as the marriage and Tina found herself pregnant and unemployed. After her son was born she did some freelance writing and started a column about her life and parenting. I realised then that this was my thing. I was doing something I truly loved.

She got a job with a fledgling magazine called Kids on the Coast and became their columnist; beauty and fashion writer and womens business writer.

This job pretty much gave me the credibility and profile I was looking for and because Im a bossy person and like to run my own show, the idea of creating my own magazine came about, said Tina. She also liked the idea of working from home to be there for Zac.

A girlfriend, who later became an intregral part of the business, a sounding board and cheer squad, was the catalyst in starting The

Single Parent Bible. She was a single parent and thought it was a great idea.

Tina sent out the idea to about a 1,000 people asking what they thought about it. The response was overwhelming.

I approached a few publishers but in the end my girlfriends brother who was a web designer put it online for me. The editorial vision for the magazine is support through information and entertainment. She now has over a million people logging on annually and such is the illustriousness of the magazine she has no trouble interviewing celebrities, including, Ita Buttrose, Super Nanny and of course, her favourite, the Wiggles.

Contributors to the magazine include Annette Sym the million dollar publisher of the cookbook series Symply Too Good To be True and Noel Whittaker, financial adviser and author of dozens of titles, including Making Money Made Simple.

An advocator of networking she stresses you cant build a successful business without it. She also relies heavily on sponsorship and does extremely well.

16 17

PAUL DANIELS TELLS US WHAT IT IS LIKE TO OPERATE A CLICK BUSINESS

CLICKS PLUS

Q. What was the inspiration behind your home-based business?A. Quite simply I didnt find myself feeling at all comfortable with the 9-5 regime.

Q. How did you get started? Did you start your business for economical, emotional or what other reason?A. Being in the IT industry I saw a lot of people frequently working well into the night to complete jobs, but not paid accordingly and not given those hours off. I concluded that if I was to be a slave to the IT world I may as well do it from the luxury of my own home. Another reason was to avoid legal issues with respect to intellectual property. Typically when you work for another person any/all work you do both during working hours and outside becomes the property of your employer.

Q. How much did it cost you to startup?A. I originally took a small loan from my parents to purchase a single computer, that was all, perhaps $1200 AUD at the time. It was ample for the task at hand.

I worked on an old kitchen table sitting on a plastic garden chair pushed up against the bed so I could work in the comforts of an air-conditioned room (summer temperatures here persist beyond 40 degrees c).

Q. Do you have a website?A. Yes, several -http://pldaniels.com - The primary business web sitehttp://xamime.com - The website for the promotion and sale of Xamime (email content filtering software)http://nqrc.com - Model aircraft related sales

Q. Any advice on setting up a website?A. Keep it clean and fast loading. Even with todays broadband connections a complex site can be most annoying. Consider the simplicity of Googles search page. It contains only relevant information. Learn to read/write HTML. Even if you dont do your own WWW pages its very useful to know.

Q. How much does it cost in terms of website maintenance and upkeep?

Q. Your full name, the name of your business and its location?A. Paul Lawrence Daniels, PLDaniels Pty. Ltd. Charters Towers, QLD

Q. What is your business?A. Originally it started out to support the development of an email filtering software product, however since then the business has branched out to cover many other business aspects including model-aircraft parts resale, model-aircraft design and electronics design.

Q. When did you start?A. I started as soon as I left school, my first real contract was developing electronics kits for the physics department at School. More recently, PLDaniels Pty.Ltd. was formed on my return from Africa in early 2001.

Q. Your qualifications?A. Officially, I only hold a secondary school senior exit certificate. I never quite finished my University degree (despite having only 6 months left). I hold various minor product-specific qualifications in IT.

Currently all the webpages are being hosted on a dedicated server that was purchased (simple machine, nothing fancy). The machine is being housed at a local ISP for about $120/mth. Since the site and subsequent upkeep are performed by me theres no costs involved.

Q. What kind of professional development do you undertake or have undertaken to develop the skills necessary to run a business?A. Obtaining a good grasp on accounting and legal practices is paramount. Generate a relationship with both an accountant and a lawyer (assuming you are not already one yourself) as these are most certainly two areas that are better left to the professionals.

Q. What are some of the challenges you have overcome in operating a home-based business?A. Learning to outsource. Learning to avoid procrastination. When youre a single-person business its often difficult to let go of a lot of the processes involved in running your business. Often you can waste a lot of time attempting to save money by doing it yourself when in fact outsourcing the job may cost more upfront but has a better return on investment overall.

Q. How do you go about marketing your business?A. Most of the time its done by

immersing myself into the forums and community of the target market. Its a lot cheaper than traditional advertising and also develops stronger relationships before the first sales even begin. This helps a lot when it comes to the inevitable conflict resolution situations.

Q. What computer software do you use to run your HBB?A. Almost everything runs on Linux. The general reliability and stability improvement obtained by

switching to Linux means less time is wasted trying to fix software problems. Some applications have needed to be purchased (video editing suite, CAD and some other minor utilities). Web development and software coding is all done using a plain text editor (vim - http://www.vim.org). Browsing is done using Firefox ( http://www.mozilla.com ).

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Q. What do you think is the most important equipment and supplies for a HBB?A. A reliable computer with good backups and a decent internet connection. When I say good backups, you should be able to slot in the backup and be running again in less than an hour. For an online-store (such as what is run here), low cost stationary and packing supplies are imperative. The amount of money lost or saved from stationary and packing can drive your business either way.

Q. How do you manage your money i.e. cash book, software?A Custom written web-based front-end to a SQL database. The front-end simply captures all the income and expenditure records into the database. For the periodic (quarterly) summaries its a simple matter of pulling out a query rather than attempting to do things by hand.

Q. Most useful website?A. Google.

Q. Most useful piece of advice? A Dont stress (too much). Business (life!) has its ups and downs, stressing too much about it only strips away your energy that you need to ride through the downs.

Q. Did you consider buying an established or franchise business?A No.

Q. Your interpretation of entrepreneur?A Not me. Someone who is suciently focused on a target that

they can make choices and decisions that would normally leave people with their stomachs knotted.

Q. What method did you use to work out your pricing?A Surveyed what the current market pricing was for similar products (if applicable) and if possible came in under that even if its only for a short term in order to gain a foothold into the market (Introductory pricing). From the other end, ensure that youve got a grasp on what your fundamental costs are for a given product, add what you want to make on top and add tax. Q. Most useful government agency?A. Australian Customs. Theyre surprisingly friendly and prompt with their service.

Q. What professional services do you use ie accountant, solicitor, graphic designer, PR rm and why?A. Accountant, theres simply too many things that you arent aware of when it comes to tax. Q. Who is your role model and why?A. No one specically though various people do have traits that one takes in piece-meal.

Q. What sort of information is useful to HBB?A. Find out every possible concession, discount rate or otherwise that you can apply for both when purchasing from other businesses and with government

services. Things like getting a massive 60% o when you purchase bulk (100) lots of shipping boxes/bags from Australia Post or applying for a commercial rates account from online stores like DickSmith Electronics. 10 or 20% doesnt sound like a lot at the time but its 10 or 20% less that you have to work to get the same item.

Q. The advantages of working from home? the disadvantages?A. Flexible hours are both an advantage and disadvantage, generally you end up working a lot more hours but the intensity of the contact is lower. Stronger family contact, by being at home its a lot easier to handle many of those everyday family events before they fester into something larger. There is the downside that its very easy for periodic small events to disrupt your workow though I dont consider this any worse than a typical cubical situation where youve got stragglers stopping by for a quick 5 minute chat all the time.

Q. Whats next for you?A Larger onsite premises (kitted out ISO sea containers). Expanding out the newly added electronics division.

Q. Anything you would like to add?A. Dont expect to get out more than you put in. You often hear great overnight success stories but rarely do you hear that the people had to toil away for a decade or two living by the skin of their teeth.

+ receive introductory half price advertising e: skirk@lingo.net.au

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SMART ADVICE ON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

SMART WOMEN

My major formal qualifications: Masters in On-line Education 2006, University of Southern Qld Graduate Diploma 2001, Australian Institute of Company Directors(AICD) Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training 2001 Certificate - Trust Administration 1989, Executor and Trustee Institute Associate Diploma in Business (major - computing) 1981, Qld Institute of Technology

Since 2002 I have tutored students at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Management and Organisational Skills, and Strategic Management.

My professional development:I see personal development as an essential on ongoing commitment. In addition to tertiary studies undertaken over the last 6 years, I attend AICD seminars, the Sunshine Coast Business Womens meetings and at least one business development workshop a year.

Inspiration behind home based business and why:I never specifically intended to

establish a home based business. My intention was to have a business which supported me on my return to the Sunshine Coast after working in the head office of a national financial business in Sydney (which is where I resided when I decided to start PC Smart).

My inspiration for PC Smart was two fold: for several years I had provided (Saturday) computer training for the Sheraton Hotels (in QLD) before being relocated to Sydney with Perpetual Trustees, so a computer training business was a natural thing for me to do.

Why on the Sunshine Coast? Well I had been going out with a gentleman (who was located there) for eight years, so we decided to give our relationship a go, and I packed my bags in Sydney and moved north to start PC Smart. (I am happy to report we are still together today.)

Being a home-based business as I mentioned was never the intention. I moved the business several times before I rested at home three years ago. In 1995 the image presented by

Michelle Hamer is a consultant operating three different businesses, Smart Advice Pty Ltd, Smart Women, PC Smart, and Smart Learning.

Her office is located on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

Q What is your Business?Smart Advice is the company behind each of the businesses: Smart Advice provides face-2-face business development workshops for women owning / managing small to medium businesses. Smart Women provides an eight month on-line business development program for women owning / managing small to medium businesses. PC Smart provides face-2-face computer training on 11 major PC desktop applications and consultancy services aimed at establishing optimal computer environment, workflow and document management systems.

Starting times: PC Smart May 1995 Smart Advice October 2003 Smart Women May 2006

a home-based business was not sufficiently professional and I had established myself in a commercial building where I stayed for approx 4 years. I then moved the business into premises adjacent to a family members business, and eventually moved into a serviced office for three years. In 2004 I moved the office home and now could not be happier working from home.

Cost at startup:I had done my homework on this and had a cash reserve to support me for 6 months assuming no income in that time. I also arranged a bank loan for the capital costs for the necessary hardware and software to run a computer training company. What I didnt consider in my budget was the cost of my business attire considering I was moving from a financial corporate world where suits were the everyday attire to business attire of smart casual for the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane market!

Website:I have a web site to support each business:www.pcsmart.com.au www.smartadvice.com.auwww.smartbusinesswomen.com.au

Advice on setting up a website:Yes. Before engaging someone to develop your site (and if this is not a skill of yours dont make it a skill you have more important

things to do) find 6 sites you like and dislike, and articulate what it is about these sites. Then engage a developer you can communicate with and that will hand over the proprietary code (have an understanding of copyright laws) when the development is completed. Also be very clear as to who updates the site as regular updates are important to keep the site looking fresh.

Cost of website maintenance:There are both tangible and

intangible costs. The tangible costs include hosting, domain names, an auto-responder site, the web developer (I budget for approx $60 per month for the developer). The intangible cost includes my time for locating material for the blog which is the backbone of smartbusinesswomen.com.au. I do the web updating via a content management system for PC Smart and Smart Advice, and I update the blog for www.smartbusinesswomen.com.au.(continued on next page)

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Challenges in operating a home-based business:A lot of these I have ironed out but some that I see colleagues have are: Having a shared home and oce phone line, I suggest you need 3 lines home, business, ADSL/fax Separate entrance, this way people are not coming into your home and your home life is separateOne that I still struggle with is having team members coming into my home when I am not there (which is frequently for me as I regularly work at client sites) but this is a trust thing you have to have.

Marketing business:There are many options to market ones business but I focus on building and maintaining a client relationship. Each of my businesses has been built on word of month. The only paid advertisement is my sponsoring one of the categories in the Sunshine Coast Business Womens Awards. And yes, I do have a listing in the yellow pages but it is just a listing.

The software I use: Lotus Notes for email and CRM Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, IE Quickbooks Aweber internet auto-responder (just getting the hang of this one now)

Most important equipment: External backup system (100gig USB unit) Dial up solution for when ADSL / Router / Service provider has problems (!!!) Second PC (my laptop) Licensed and up-to-date software (maybe one version behind)

Manage Money:Weekly there is no excuse.

Useful Website:Well I will say www.smartbusinesswomen.com.au as I have found the blog solution an excellent way to catalogue information, so I am in the process of cataloguing all of the information I have collected for the last 10 years. I also use www.ato.gov.au and www.qld.gov.a u to either nd information or link me into the appropriate place for the information.

Useful piece of advice:Have an advisory board. The board should be made up of challenging people and not yes men. You should report to them quarterly or half yearly.

Buying an established or franchised business:No - I never considered either of these options.

Your interpretation of entrepreneur:Re-inventor of a business to meet a need.

Method for pricing:I use two options to assist here competitor analysis and what the market will bear. Again it is important to watching this as you can get too settled with your pricing.

Useful government agency:None in particular but I use the state and federal governments portals to access information.

Professional services I use:Lawyer, accountant, nancial advisor (who is not my accountant I dont like the roles being mixed up), graphic designer (who is attached to my printers), photocopy house (for production of training manuals), PR company for the release of the Smart Women sharing Smart Advice CD, copywriter. Why I am very conscious of my skill set and that I do not have the time to do it all,

so I surround myself with the very best to ensure that I provide a professional service to my clients.

Role model:There is no-one in particular. My personal network is made up of exceptional business people, so I use them to help shape what and how I do things.

Useful information to home-based businesses:Dont do it all. Surround yourself with challenging and helpful people.

Advantages and disadvantages of working from home:Major advantage I dont have to travel to the oce to change les before going to the next client. Disadvantage room (but we are building an extension to which I can transfer the oce so it will be totally separate to the house).

Whats next?Next - making www.smartbusinesswomen.com.au a resource for business women who need to take the next step with their business and taking Smart Advice on the road (I love to travel).

Anything you would like to add?Love what you do or get out, and take holidays.

Listen to Zo Sparks, Managing

Director, Travelworld Mooloolaba

sharing some smart advice from

the new CD, Smart Women, Sharing

Smart Advice available online at

www.smartbusinesswomen.com.au

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO Zoe Sparks

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