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Let’s Talk Business
Web: www.b2bbs.com.au Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0451 184 599 1
Australia now has a new
Government and a new Prime
Minister, and Australian small
business has a new Small Business
Minister.
After six years in government, the
same amount of small business
ministers have come and gone – but
the Coalition’s likely man for the
job wants to change that.
Bruce Billson, who has been the
opposition spokesman for small
business for several years now, won
his marginal seat of Dunkley with a
3.94% swing to a two-party
preferred vote of 54.98%
It has to be a slightly nervous,
slightly exciting aspect for small
business.
Abbott’s government has promised
a strong mandate to focus on the
needs of small business and the
small business people in Australia.
COSBOA (Council of Small
Business of Australia) has already
stated that they are looking forward
to getting rid of unnecessary red
tape, confronting the issues of
bullying by the big landlords and the
damaging domination by the Coles-
Woolworths duopoly.
What we can say with confidence is
that we are all tired of listening to
the repeated rhetoric - from all sides
of government - about the immense
Let’s Talk Business Back To Basics Business Solutions - Support for Small Business
Issue 07 September 2013
importance of small business, the role
we play in the economy and the
number of people we employ.
But, says COSBOA “The last
eighteen months has seen many
positive changes and announcements.
After Julia Gillard appointed
Brendon O'Connor as the Small
Business Minister and also made him
a Cabinet member we saw a greater
emphasis placed on small business as
people. The Treasury department
created a Small Business Tax
Division and many other
Departments started to focus on small
business.”
But, there is no doubt in my mind,
that the lack of uncertainty, the
roulette wheel for Labor leadership,
the continued bickering within the
Government (and that’s on both
sides), was, in the end, not sustainable
and had a huge impact on the loss of
confidence from every-day
Australians.
For the sake of the economy and
Australia, change was almost
inevitable.
The coalition promised a root and
branch review of competition policy
as well as changes to contract
processes to make sure there is
transparency and fairness for the
small business person.
These reviews and changes should
not be sullied by interference from
the duopoly or the likes of the
Franchise Council of Australia and
the Shopping Centre Council, two
organisations that know the negative
impact of poor competition policy and
poor contract law but fight to
maintain unfairness and the capacity
to bully without recourse for the small
business person.
Too many people have lost everything
because they were optimistic and
trusting of the giants of industry.
It will be pleasing to see the
protection afforded these unworthy
members of the business community
removed.
However, the Sydney Morning Herald
reported earlier in the month (before
the election), that: “Small business
owners say the coalition's plan for
$1.1 million fines if price cuts are not
passed on once the carbon tax is
abolished is "ridiculous".
So, it is bound to be a slightly
nervous, slightly exciting aspect for
small business.
COSBOA (Council of Small
Business of Australia) has already
stated that they are looking
forward to getting rid of
unnecessary red tape,
confronting the issues of bullying
by the big landlords and the
damaging domination by the
Coles-Woolworths duopoly.
A New Government! What it Could Mean for Small Business
Let’s Talk Business
Web: www.b2bbs.com.au Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0451 184 599 2
Australians Enjoy
Pretending to
Understand News
Australians are
bombarded with information, and
nobody wants to look like an idiot. A
new study suggests most of us think we
know more about what's going on in the
news than our friends do. It also
suggests that sometimes we fake it.
People Really Do Walk
Underneath!
On a recent trip to Hong
Kong, Manager
Business Services at
Master Builders, Lyn
Cameron couldn't
believe her eyes. There before her was a
type of scaffolding she'd never deemed
possible, but she said it was everywhere
throughout Hong Kong.
"I only thought this was used for small
shacks, but it's also used for huge
developments," she said, amazed. "It is
secured with black plastic strips, and
most of it sits on the bitumen or concrete
footpath and in some cases the
scaffolding is also tied onto a traffic
light, signs (see the sign to the left of the
photo) or small railing for extra support.
"These are also busy thoroughfares, and
no-one thought twice about walking
underneath them."
From The Atlanta Daily:
SINGLE BLACK
FEMALE seeks male
companionship, ethnicity
unimportant. I'm a very
good looking girl who
LOVES to play. I love long walks in the
woods, riding in your pickup truck,
hunting, camping and fishing trips, cosy
winter nights lying by the fire.
Candlelight dinners will have me
eating out of your hand. Rub me the
right way and watch me respond. I'll be
at the front door when you get home
from work, wearing only what nature
gave me. Kiss me and I'm yours. Call
(404) 875-6420 and ask for Daisy.
Over 15,000 men found themselves
talking to the Atlanta Humane Society
about an 8-week old black Labrador
retriever.
Safety film - Report A company trying to
continue its five-year
perfect safety record
showed its workers a
film aimed at
encouraging the use of
safety goggles on the
job. According to the Health and Safety
Council News, the film's depiction of
gory industrial accidents was so graphic
that twenty-five workers suffered minor
injuries in their rush to leave the
screening room. Thirteen others fainted,
and one man required seven stitches
after he cut his head falling off a chair
while watching the film.
Sign in the Local
Watchhouse
On the noticeboard in
the dining room: “Will
the person who took a
slice of cake from the
Commissioner's Office
return it immediately. It is needed as
evidence in a poisoning case.”
Toxic Shock
Red-faced fire
fighters who
evacuated a
chemical plant in
Ludwigshafen,
Germany after discovering a toxic leak,
cancelled the alert when they discovered
the substance was red wine being
delivered to the staff restaurant.
Saving Water?
Sign in a toilet block in Bankstown
(NSW) shopping centre
Clever Advertising - Dental
Implants
Seen on the outside wall of a
bowling alley.
Who Do You
Feed?
Sign in a
small zoo just
out of
Sydney:
“Please do
not feed the animals. If you do have
food, please give it to the keeper on
duty.”
Let’s Talk Business
Web: www.b2bbs.com.au Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0451 184 599 3
Referrals: A Quick and Easy
Way to Market Your Business
Dennis Chiron Marketing Means Business
0451 184 599 [email protected] Skype: dennis.chiron2
Customer referrals are one of the
most powerful selling and
marketing tools available. In fact,
the best source of new business is
a referral from a satisfied
customer. According to recent
research 73 percent of online
shoppers read reviews before
buying. Other studies also show
that customers also say that
referrals are of the utmost
importance in determining who
they buy from and what they buy.
If you’re like most busy small
business owners, you’re always
looking for fast and easy ways to
market your business and get new
customers.
One of the fastest and easiest is
right under your nose: Your
existing, satisfied customers can be
a great source of referrals to new
business—provided you handle the
referral process right.
“Process” is the key word here,
because getting referrals
haphazardly and contacting them
without having a specific plan in
mind can be just as bad as not
getting them at all.
Yes, it will take a little work on
the front end to set up a referral
process, but it will ultimately pay
off in a continuous pipeline of
qualified new business. Isn’t that
every business owner’s dream?
Keep in mind the importance of
word of mouth as you focus on
making the buying process
effective and enjoyable – before,
during, and even after the sale.
Make sure you understand
expectations in great detail and
follow up after the sale to ensure that
your customers are seeing the results they
should expect. If the customer is pleased
with how they have been treated and
served, and with the value they've
received, they certainly will be more
willing to attach their name to you and
your solution. They will be proud to be
seen as the source of a great idea.
1. Firstly, you have to ask your
customers for referrals. So, develop a
system where you gather referrals at a set
point in the sales process.
Typically, you’ll want to do this after the
sale is complete and you know the
customer is satisfied. For a retailer, this
might be at the point of purchase, or you
might send a follow-up email asking for
a referral.
2. Get digital. Email and social media
make it easier than ever to ask for a
referral.
You can put requests for referrals on
your social media sites, ask for referrals
as part of your email outreach, or create a
contest for the customer who refers the
most people or the referral that generates
the most business.
3. Offer a reward. Speaking of contests,
we’re all more motivated to do
something if there’s a reward involved.
When developing rewards for referrals,
take into account the value of the referral.
If you’re asking a shopper on your
ecommerce cosmetics site to share a
friend’s information as part of the
checkout process, that’s pretty low-value.
Appropriate rewards could range from a
dollar-off discount code, to a free product
or service, to a percentage off the next
invoice. (Rewards can escalate in value
depending on whether the referred client
actually makes a purchase.)
4. Keep it simple. People want to
help you out, but not if it’s a huge
hassle.
Make referrals as easy as possible
with tools like prepaid referral
postcards customers can drop in the
mail, referral forms enclosed with
your invoice so they can mail it back
with their payments, a form they can
fill out while paying the bill at your
restaurant or a simple form on your
website they can fill out with a few
keystrokes.
5. Follow up in a timely fashion.
Once you get a hot referral, follow
up before it has time to cool off.
Two weeks should be the maximum
time you wait to get in touch. Build
the time frame into your referral
system, and use tools like CRM
software to set reminders of when
referrals should be contacted.
6. Deliver on your promises. Make
sure your interactions with the
referred customer are professional
and that, if he or she buys from you,
you provide outstanding service.
Otherwise, you could end up
embarrassing the person who
provided the referral, and not only
will you fail to land the new
customer, but you might just lose
the old one.
Remember; Your best source of new
business is referrals from happy
customers or clients. You cannot
receive a better lead than one that
has been sent your way with a
strong referral.
You cannot have a more motivated
prospect arrive in your store or
restaurant than someone sent there
by a devoted fan.
Let’s Talk Business
Web: www.b2bbs.com.au Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0451 184 599 4
Most meetings are a waste of time.
As a business owner or manager, have
you ever calculated the cost of meetings
in your organisation? Are you getting a
good return on investment for your
meetings?
Consider this: the average employee
probably spends four hours a week in
meetings of some kind. Based on a 40
hour work week, that's 10% of time
spent in meetings.
In actual fact it is 20%. While attending
these meetings, employees can't be
doing other productive work, or
someone else is doing their work for
them. So every hour in meetings is
potentially two hours lost.
Take four weeks for holidays out of the
equation, that's 48 weeks working times
eight hours in meetings per week; a total
of 384 hours in meetings every year.
Average full-time earnings in Australia
were $69,165 per annum in 2012
(according to the Australian Bureau of
Statistics). That amounts to an hourly
rate on average of just over $33. $33
times 384 hours is $12,672 of costs
associated with meetings per employee
on average.
Let's say that you are working in a
SME of 150 employees. Based on
these figures meetings are costing your
organisation $1.9M a year.
If that expenditure was a line item in
the balance sheet as a sub-heading
under payroll, any manager worth his
or her salt would question that item on
the basis of whether the company was
getting a good return on investing in
meetings.
What's the answer?
Well there are two possible answers,
or a combination of the two.
One is to reduce the number of
mindless meetings in your department
or organisation.
Another answer is to make sure that
those who run these meetings have the
necessary skills to make the meetings
as productive as possible.
However, making meetings productive
is a misnomer. Meetings themselves
cannot be productive.
It is what happens between
meetings that counts.
Many employees send emails on
issues that should be discussed in
meetings. And many meetings are a
procession of reports that could be
communicated via email.
Anyway, the bottom line is that we
all attend too many meetings, that
the meetings often add little value
and are often poorly run.
You are probably reading this
article between meetings, or worse
still, during a meeting.
As a business owner or manager, I
suggest you have a serious look at
the meetings you have in your
organisation as means of increasing
productivity.
I have to scoot, I have a meeting to
attend ...
Dr Tim Baker
Managing Director
WINNERS AT WORK Pty Ltd
www.winnersatwork.com.au
www.about.me/tim.baker
Telephone. +61 7 3899 8881
Editor’s Note:
Tim is an international consultant, successful author, keynote speaker, master trainer, executive coach, university lecturer and skilful facilitator.
In a nutshell, he has conducted over 2,430 seminars, workshops and keynote addresses to over 45,000 people in 11 countries across 21 industry groups.
MINDLESS BLOODY
MEETINGS
Photo from smh.com.au
Let’s Talk Business
Web: www.b2bbs.com.au Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0451 184 599 5
Times are still pretty tough out there
but now is the time to steal market
share from your competitors. After all
we survive in spite of politicians,
economists and the media, not because
of them.
Firstly, real success is sustainable and
happens in any economic climate, in
spite of external influences. Businesses
that survive and thrive the tough times
are those who adopt an attitude of
discovery rather than resistance. More
importantly, they focus on their
customers
With the global economic crisis, the
media is predictably focussing on the
negative. Negative stories sell
newspapers, but they do nothing for
people’s confidence.
Negativity creates a sense of resistance,
and while resistance to unpleasant
situations is an expected human
response, it also stymies a business
owner’s capacity to focus. The reality
is that in tough times there are just as
many opportunities as there are in good
times – maybe even more.
A lot of it has to do with mindset and
education. You must start with a
clearly defined goal in sight and
remember the cost of education is
always going to be cheaper than the
price of ignorance.
Here are some suggests to help you
focus on what is important in your
business in the current climate.
They focus on how you attract, retain
and develop your relationships with
your clients, and obviously need to be
looked at in conjunction with the othe
major areas of your business such as
retaining profitability and cash flow,
strengthening your supply chain and
looking after your people. However,
there are some very valid points
here:
Put your efforts into your existing
clients – Relationships are
everything
It sounds obvious, but losing clients
through neglect or sloppiness is
especially painful in tough times.
The cost and difficulty in replacing
them is greatly increased.
Regardless of the economy, your
client list and prospects are your
greatest asset.
Even more important is your
relationship with them and what
you’re known for.
The truth is that most businesses fail
because of an inability to keep
customers coming back, rather than
an inability to attract customers,
Grab your customer’s attention –
Be innovative
Most people in business have
unreasonable expectations about the
results they will achieve with plain
vanilla advertising and marketing.
The one thing your clients and
prospects won’t put up with is being
bored.
Your advertising must get
people’s attention
If you can’t make a compelling case
in your advertising to choose your
business over your competitors, you
have no business spending a cent on
advertising.
Here is the five step test you
should put all your marketing and
advertising through.
Does it:
Get attention;
Arouse interest and emotion;
Tell an interesting story in a
believable way;
Offer an incentive to take
action now; and
Ask for action and make it
easy to do what it is you want
them to do.
Make appropriate adjustments
to services, payment options and
products
David Ogilvy, one of the greatest
advertisers of all time said ‘All
advertising should be news. Find
ways to present what you do, the
services you provide, or the
products you sell expressed as
news.’
Find ways to use what is in the
news and on their minds about the
economy to your advantage. This
does not necessarily mean slashing
prices. It may be message related
or it may mean arranging better or
more financing options.
Better still, focus only on the
products and services you sell that
produce the bulk of your turnover,
and then do it better.
Only run offer-based advertising
– Accept change
There is little point of advertising
without an offer to respond to.
Contrary to many famous
advertising and copyrighting gurus
who maintain that the headline is
the first thing you write, I suggest
the most important thing to create
is the offer.
The reason the offer is important,
is that it breaks down the major
barriers to business – lack of trust
and scepticism. In tough times you
can’t afford to be boring.
Avoid blame – You are the
answer
Geoff Butler FAIM AP, MAITD MACE
Principal/Business Improvement & Implementation Specialist
Business Optimizers
Mobile: 0414 943072
Fax: 3036 6131
Email: [email protected]
Skype: business.optimizers1
The Recession Survival Kit
Let’s Talk Business
Web: www.b2bbs.com.au Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0451 184 599 6
This is a tongue-in cheek-rant. It’s
been written with people in business
in mind, however it could apply to
many areas in life, such as sports,
personal development and more. I
hope you enjoy it and would
appreciate any feedback or
comments .
If you have had the pain of having a
Business Partner, Coach or Mentor
involved in your business affairs, I’m
sure you will relate to this rant!
“7 Reasons Why NOT to Have a
Business Partner, Coach or Mentor”
1. You’re constantly wondering
about things like “Is my activity
being productive” or “What actual
results am I aiming to get, currently
getting and did I finish up with?” It
can be really annoying constantly
thinking about whether or not you're
wasting time!
2. They’re always, constantly, never-
endingly asking for a score of some
sort! Like a Profit & Loss, or a Cash-
flow Forecast, or the number of
inquiries that converted into sales.
JEESH! Although these things don’t
take long to tally up (once they’re set
-up), it still forces you to look at
“The BIG Picture” (in whiny
groaning voice).
3. It makes it really hard to distract
these people with
personal emotional
stuff. It was much
easier to divert
attention from the
real issue (especially
my spouse) when I
could use emotional
excuses like “I know
I should have, but Johnny was on
school holidays”. It’s annoying
not being able to cloud the real
issue with personal life stuff!
4. Then there’s the cost! If you
don’t do what you said you’ll do,
you still have to pay for their
time! It makes much more sense
to just not have that accountability
at all and the added bonus is
there’s one less bill to pay. It’s
pretty simple really. Just like
working more hours in the
business to reduce the wages bill.
Duh!
5. They never seem to let the
small stuff go! Like insurance,
intellectual property protection,
putting money aside to pay an
upcoming tax bill, etc, etc, etc.
It’s like they have this list that
they never forget and keep
bringing your attention to until
you do it! Seriously, it can bug the
heck out of you!
6. When you have a bad day, the
WORST of the bunch seem to have
this 'Jedi Mind Trick'. They just let
you get it all out and then when
you're finished they ask for a
positive way to solve the problem!
Now, that might seem to make sense,
BUT the problems give you
something to stress about and this in
turn makes you feel like you’re
doing something. So it may seem
like they’re being helpful but it
makes it really, really hard to have a
pity-party!
7. They can give you different
options and ideas from their way of
life, personal experiences and
network of connections. This makes
you think outside your box which
sucks because it feels so good to be
the smartest person in your business.
Do you seriously have to ‘open your
mind’ (in over-exaggerated whiny
voice).
Rant over.
Dan Buzer
Profit Mechanics
Dan Buzer
Profit Mechanics
0414 567 188
www.profitmechanics.net/
“7 Reasons Why NOT to Have a
Business Partner, Coach or Mentor”
Let’s Talk Business
Web: www.b2bbs.com.au Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0451 184 599 7
We should value complaints and use
information from them to help us
improve our services. If something goes wrong or you are
dissatisfied with the service or product
that you purchase, you have every right
to complain about it.
What is a complaint? A complaint is regarded as any
expression of dissatisfaction about an
action or lack of action, or about the
standard of service provided to you that
you are believe is not as it should be or
of a lower standard that it should be.
What can I complain about? You can complain about many things
such as:
failure to provide a service
the standard of service you might
receive
dissatisfaction with a service you
receive
treatment by or attitude of a
member of staff
Your complaint may involve more than
one of service.
Factors affecting complaints
In considering why people complain,
there are a number of factors to take
into account.
It is easy to complain. Organisations
are more accessible nowadays making
it easier for their customers to
complain, whether it is in person at a
guest relations desk, via the Internet, or
by telephone.
On the subject of telephones research
overwhelmingly indicates that the area
that generates the most customer
dissatisfaction is the frustration of
dealing with call centres, and the
automated menus. When, in 2011
Service Science asked 200 randomly
selected people what is the one area of
customer service that frustrates them
the most, the most common answer
(38%) was about the difficulty of
getting to speak with a human being
on the phone.
The media tell us we should complain.
The increasing number of consumer
watchdog programmes on television
have educated the public in the art of
complaining and sticking up for their
rights.
The ease of global travel. People’s
expectations increase as they get
exposed to more and more instances of
good practice in customer care. This
has lead to a cultural change, and the
demise of the timid Briton who,
although unimpressed by his meal
replies “Lovely, thank you” when
asked by a waiter if he/she is enjoying
it.
Whether you're a large company or
small business, you’re likely to have to
deal with a customer or client
complaint at some point. It’s not
always a reflection on your business
approach; if you’re juggling several
clients at once, the odds are that there
will be at least one person who isn’t
completely satisfied at any one time.
While it's easy to play the blame game
when things go wrong, if you want to
keep the client the best thing is to
remain professional and tackle
problems quickly and methodically.
Solving a problem effectively can also
be a great opportunity for your
business to create happy clients and
perhaps even generate new
referrals.
Once you receive a complaint,
don’t leave it. Reply to the letter,
email, phone call, blog post or
tweet as soon as possible, no
matter how outrageous you might
think it is.
Try and be open-minded and
understanding about the situation.
Write down anything you feel is
important and ask questions.
Regardless of your opinion,
offering some form of apology
can help. While in some cases it
may not be legally advisable to
apologise, you can still say ‘I’m
sorry you feel that way’, ‘I’m
sorry that wasn’t our intention’,
or ‘I am sorry for your
inconvenience’. This shows your
sympathy and may help to calm
the situation.
Be composed: In high stress
situations it’s easy to become
irritable, but if you allow this to
happen you might say something
you regret which could have
repercussions for the business. If
find yourself becoming irritated,
suggest that you’ll call the client
back and try to take some time
out for yourself to calm down.
Think of your business: Whilst
you are dealing with a complaint,
show genuine concern. This
could help turn the situation into
a positive outcome, helping with
future business dealings and
ultimately aiding your reputation
as a company.
How Do You Handle Customer Complaints?
Peter Athey
Specialized Management Services
0405 318 449
www.specializedmanagement.com.au
Let’s Talk Business
Web: www.b2bbs.com.au Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0451 184 599 8
Over the last three years I have
mentored about 195 small business
owners in my role as a Small
Business Mentor for the Qld State
Government.
If there be a common denominator,
owners of small enterprises need
someone to talk to over their issues
and, then be provided with advice
that is practical, can be clearly
measured, and most importantly be
affordable.
Finance never comes easy to most
small business owners (including
me).
Yet, the most important thing that
any business can do is to have a
close working relationship with their
accountant.
My observations from the mentoring
work I have done and, my career as a
consultant shows you HAVE to
understand how your business is
performing by a number of fiscal
KPI’s.
Owners have to realise that business
is about making a profit. It is not
about “feeling free” or being your
“your own person”. That quickly
passes as the realities of being self-
employed are gone usually within
days of the business coming into
being!
Nonetheless, it can still be fun and,
loving what you do plays a big role
in being self-employed.
Putting in place dashboards that
allow you to measure the business
is vital.
Your accountant will no doubt give
you the key ones that the banks like
to see and, help you better
understand how you are travelling.
My belief is that gross profit
retention is the cornerstone of a
good business.
Many people I have mentored have
misunderstood Gross Profit (GP)
versus mark-up. Calculate GP by
various profit centres. Once you
understand what products are
returning good GP then you can
start to drive your business. With
costs rising almost daily (especially
electricity) the erosion of your GP
can be done by stealth. This is why
GP has to be monitored.
Recognising the tight markets we
all have to contend with I have
begun to try and analyse how some
of these issues can be mitigated.
It is an over simplification but I
have been taking my clients
through the basics of selling and; it
is working. The last decade or so
has been one of the most bountiful
we have known in Australia.
I think we are in a tough time and it
will get tougher before it gets
better. Most businesses have
experienced organic sales; that is
customers have been reasonably
plentiful. Not many business
owners drive their sales. A website,
social media, and other digital tools
are simply that, they are tools.
It is persuasive selling messages that
talk of benefits that are needed in
face to face calls and copy on
websites and, social media.
Little effort is spent on developing
selling techniques. Knowing the
difference between features and
benefits is a core culture that has to
be developed.
The suites of marketing tools at our
disposal (Websites, Facebook,
Twitter, Emails etc.) have no doubt
helped many businesses grow as
money was around and these low
cost tools have helped commerce
like no other time in history.
However, the current market needs
more persuading, the market is
bombarded with choice. The market
is cynical. Therefore, the old adage
of “you must inform in order to
persuade” has never been more
relevant. You have to work harder to
get your share.
Ask yourself these questions.
Do I monitor my GP by product
groups monthly?
Do I speak about my products in
terms of benefits?
Do I write my website content in
terms of benefits?
Do I really sell or just represent?
Hope this helps.
YOU HAVE TO INFORM IN ORDER TO PERSUADE
Peter Nicol
Wisdom Marketing & Management Services
0417627097
www.wisdommarketing.com.au
Let’s Talk Business
Web: www.b2bbs.com.au Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0451 184 599 9
Everyone has their own values and
beliefs, which is why we don’t always
see things the same way as others.
When you have a mental health issue
this can be exacerbated as sometimes
the person can over-feel their
emotions.
The first part of the article is directed
to employers and their Managerial /
Supervisor staff.
Do you have anyone working for you
with a mental illness?
Are you aware about the different
types of mental illnesses?
Do you think that you should care if
your staff member has a mental
illness?
A most important fact to remember is
that there are discrimination laws out
there to protect people with mental
illnesses.
Let’s look at depression since I can
talk about this from personal
experience. I have major depression
but I run a business and I am studying
full time in my second Bachelors
degree.
Just because a person has depression
or a mental illness doesn’t mean that
they can’t be an effective employee.
Many people with depression get
turned away from jobs. I personally
believe it is because the illness is
misunderstood.
In the early stages of my diagnosis I
was seeing a psychiatrist and even
though my employers had a meeting
with him and me about my illness, they
bullied me in the workplace. My
psychiatrist had to write them a letter
but the bullying did not stop. Then I
was made redundant from the
Queensland Government. My previous
employers had made my depression
worse. It took some time to get where I
am now emotionally.
The reason I am talking about this, is
because on Friday 13th September is
the annual R U OK day. Take the
initiative to ask your employees are
they OK. I can imagine that none of
you would like to make someone’s
mental illness worse.
There is also a great organisation called
Beyond Blue http://
www.beyondblue.org.au/. They have
some great information on their website
to download.
The most important thing to remember
is to communicate openly and honestly
with your staff (whether they have a
mental illness or not). Encourage them
to explain how their mental illness
might (if at all) affect them at work.
Depression can be described as being
crippling but if you have the support of
your employer then it can be less
crippling.
Some tips: Avoid words such as
“you’re useless” if you are not happy
with their work. These words should
never be said to anyone.
Try something like this:
“Janelle, I have noticed that you didn’t
do any ‘up selling’ with that last
Janelle Macpherson BBusInfMgt, DipMgt, Certified NLP
Practitioner , Cert MHSS, Accred Life Coach.
Business Owner/Life Coach/Consultant
emPOWERful Solutions
Sub Company – Express Life Coaching Brisbane North
ABN 76 594 335 474 Blue Card: 1161688/1
0409728579
“Janelle, I have noticed that you
didn’t do any ‘up selling’ with that
last customer, why was that?”
“Janelle I noticed that you put the
product on the shelf but in the wrong
place, are you aware that you did
this?
These two examples are being
factual but non threatening. If a
person feels like they are being
attacked then they will get defensive.
Imagine you said this—” Janelle you
are useless, you put the product up in
the wrong place” or “Janelle how
many times have I told you to up
sell”?
There would be a big difference in
how the employee will respond and
at least with the first examples you
were being professional and
maintaining both your and your
employee’s dignity.
Now to the employees who may be
reading this article.
If your mental illness is being
affected by your work then you owe
it to yourself and your employer to
tell them. Organise a time to discuss
your issues with them. Have some
information booklets handy so that
you can give them more information.
Most importantly keep taking any
prescribed medication!
People with mental illness can be
functioning members of society. As
like most employees, you treat them
with dignity and respect and you will
get great productivity out of them .
Anyone who has done a Leadership
course will tell you:
“People leave managers, not
companies.”
©Janelle Macpherson 2013.
Mental Health Issues and the Workforce
Let’s Talk Business
Web: www.b2bbs.com.au Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0451 184 599 10
In all businesses we must have
something called team work weather
we know it or not, the fact remains
team work is very important to
achieving targets.
Do we really know how to build a team
or even know the difference between
having a group of people or a team
working with us?
The difference between a team and
group
What is a team, and what makes it
different to a group? A group of people
become a team when the members:
have a common purpose
have specific performance goals
cooperate to achieve the common
purpose
are accountable to each other.
In the 1950’s, better education for
workers, greater access to information,
competition, customer expectation and
a greater understanding of human
motivation led to the decentralisation
of management and the growth of
teams.
All team members need to believe that
the team has a worthwhile purpose,
and team members need to know what
is expected of them.
The purpose of the team is the reason
why the team is together in the first
place. Goals describe what the team
want to achieve.
Often a goal may be broken down into
objectives that are shorter-term
achievements and serve as clear
measuring posts as the team progresses
towards the ultimate goal.
Effective teams require
goals that are clear, significant and
embraced by all members.
A popular way to remember what
should be in your goals and objectives
is to use the SMARTT method:
Specific and concise (the goal is
not long-winded, that is, people
can understand it)
Measurable (there's a way of
knowing whether or not we've
achieved the goal)
Achievable (the goal is do-able,
that is, it's possible with the
resources we have available)
Related to results (to the overall
department and organisational
goals, that is, the goal is part of a
bigger picture)
Time-framed (we know when the
final date for the goal is)
Trackable (we can easily monitor
how we're going — daily, weekly
or monthly)
Some groups have common goals but
do not necessarily work together to
achieve them. They might have
common interests and ideas, but not
necessarily objectives.
For example, many management
teams are seldom groups because they
work independently to achieve their
objectives. At some workplaces where
teamwork is not a focus, people will
interact with one another during
meetings, but will have apparently
different goals.
Group or team?
It is normal for people with common
interests to form groups. Such groups
might form due to necessity — a goal
or objective that requires the
contribution and support of a number
of people – or because it is socially
enjoyable to get together with like-
minded people.
In other words, groups act to assist
people in fulfilling their needs.
Early in human history groups of
people cooperated in order to fulfil
basic needs.
It was apparent that a group was more
efficient at food gathering, providing
water, security and shelter than
individuals on their own; hence the
eventual evolution of towns, cities,
states and nations.
Within these large groups today are
smaller groups to which people
gravitate for various reasons.
The need for belonging, developing
relationships and for social
interactions that support self-esteem
and, to a certain extent the desire to
reach full potential can be catered to
by belonging a group or to different
groups.
Groups might be culturally-based,
have a religious foundation, be related
to sporting or political interests, work
or hobbies, friendships or family
interactions.
Many groups develop around special
skills, roles, responsibilities or beliefs.
The evolution of society is mirrored
by the formation of groups of
remarkable distribution, size and
diversity, each intended in some way
to help fulfil human needs.
These needs are usually depicted in an
order of prioritisation with the basic
needs of food, shelter and water first,
followed by the need for safety and
security, and then belonging, self-
esteem and finally, self-actualisation
(reaching full potential).
Ron Court,
AMC Dip (Funerals) MQJA JP
OH&S Advisor
0419679619 [email protected]
Promote Team Effectiveness
Let’s Talk Business
Web: www.b2bbs.com.au Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0451 184 599 11
A new way for Australia is about to
unfold with a new federal government
but what does it mean for you? Will
things improve for businesses and
families?
Red Tape
One thing we small to medium business
enterprises (SME’s) know about is
regulation and compliance. From being
unpaid tax collectors for GST revenue
to administering the distribution of
superannuation guarantee contributions
for each employee, compliance with
Federal, State and Local governments
often on the same issue (eg the
environment), to the over-regulation of
industries such as the food and finance
industries, our economy wilts under the
weight of over and mindless regulation.
Each regulation may not seem
unreasonable and politicians usually
frame changes this way. It is the
cumulative effect of regulations. It
reduces the time that can be spent on
business and time people can spend
with their families.
It raises costs of providing goods and
services which simply raises the cost of
living, reduces productivity and
prosperity.
Stability
Families and businesses need stability
to plan for and invest in the future.
When ‘knee jerk’ reactions from
governments are carelessly
implemented, there are ramifications in
the real world. My colleagues in the
motor vehicle leasing industry tell me
that there has been a dramatic reduction
in the purchase of lease vehicles
particularly from relatively low paid
community workers who stand to lose a
substantial part of their salary package.
We were told that only greedy BMW
driving business owners would pay but
clearly that’s not right.
Hopefully this amongst many other
damaging regulations will be repealed
which will also save many
manufacturing jobs
Roll of the Reserve Bank (RB)
My view is that RB governor Glen
Stevens has been out of synchronisation
with the real world since the start of
2008 when he raised interest rates three
times in a row at the beginning of the
biggest economic downturn since the
Great Depression, then was forced to
reduce only to increase rates in 2010
only to be forced to reduce them again
in 2011/12. This created a lost
opportunity to support the economy
(particularly manufacturing) facing
significant headwinds. The result is
many Australian manufacturing jobs
have been exported. In defence of the
RB they had little help from the federal
government who expected the RB to
shoulder the responsibility. That said,
Paul GILLMORE DFS
Founder and Director
Southern Cross Financial Services
07 5429 5561
0402 685 032
for the RB to increase interest rates
in the 2007 election AND reduce
rates in the 2012 election is a
blatant political move from an
organisation who should be
apolitical is nothing short of
reprehensible.
My view of interest rates is that we
remain in a low rate environment
because of rising unemployment
and sluggish economic activity
with perhaps another rate cut to
come later this year or early next
year.
Confidence
Hog tying SME’s with mindless
regulations, telling us that the
economy is ‘honky dory’ when we
know it’s not, failing to support
Australian industry, allowing
manufacturing jobs to be exported,
rising unemployment and the
closure of over 700,000 businesses
since 2008, ill-conceived, knee jerk
policy changes for nefarious
reasons are all reasons that
investors and business people have
lacked confidence. In fact, it broke
many people’s hearts.
A change of government creates
the opportunity for all this to
change. We, the small businesses
of Australia, are the engine room
and the drivers of employment and
economic prosperity and it will be
up to us to get things going again.
My message to the incoming
government is to make it easier for
us to do what we do best, to grow
Australia’s prosperity, to care for
our families and to be careful of the
environment in which we all live.
New Government – what does it mean?
Let’s Talk Business
Web: www.b2bbs.com.au Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0451 184 599 12
What is the cloud?
Have you ever heard about "the cloud"
and wondered what it meant? Although
relatively new, it's not too hard to
understand. In fact, you've probably
used the cloud many times without
knowing it.
The cloud is where you can put all your
data, all your files and even your
software so you can access it all from
any computer or device, anywhere,
anytime.
With cloud computing you can write,
edit and share documents online. You’re
not limited to using the office computer
- you can use any computer, or even any
mobile device, anywhere, anytime.
When you watch videos on the web,
they’re actually stored in the cloud, so
people all over the world can access the
same video, at any time, from any
device.
Using cloud based software means you
can invite any number of people to login
and access the same data, from any
device, anywhere in the world.
All the emails you have been sent via
webmail are stored in the cloud. This
means you can access your emails, even
when you’re away from your desktop
computer.
When you’re using the cloud, you have
direct access to your financial data
online. You can pay immediately and it
can be effective in real-time.
Cloud Computing
What is it and how can small business utilise it?
Like the Eagle we see the Big Picture
MIMBEE MULTIMEDIA (est 2002)
Online Business Website Consultants
Miriam Battersby,
dip Multimedia, International Webmaster Certifica-
tionWoorim , Bribie island
ph 3410 1071
http://www.online-biz.com.au
CLOUD COMPUTING IS HERE TO STAY SO WE
HAD BETTER GET TO KNOW AND LIKE IT!
Isn’t cloud computing just the internet?
You use the internet to connect your device to the cloud, but the internet is
just the connection – the cloud is where your data lives.
Isn’t it possible to lose your data in the cloud?
Your data is actually much safer in the cloud than on your computer. Your
computer can be stolen or corrupted quite easily, but cloud companies spend
millions on systems and experts to protect your data.
See the difference the cloud can make in how you work, communicate, sell and buy, bank,
file, and store.
Let’s Talk Business
Web: www.b2bbs.com.au Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0451 184 599 13
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Traditional Banking
Your financial data is only available at
the bank.
Internet Banking
Your financial data is available any-
time, anywhere, on any device.
Traditional Mail
Your correspondence is only available
at the post office.
Web Mail
Your email is available anytime, any-
where on any device.
Traditional Shopping
Your business is only open at limited
times and places.
Online Shopping
Your customers can shop anytime,
anywhere on any device.
What else is moving to the cloud?
Software (eg. MYOB, Microsoft,
Adobe), music, movies, education,
books, photos, accounting, payroll,
taxes, healthcare...
Uses in Small Business
BACKUP SOLUTIONS
gives you peace of mind that your
data is safe, secure and restorable.
When working in the cloud always
have a plan ‘B’. Outages do occur. If
your working life relies on cloud-
based systems and services, it's proba-
bly shrewd to have an alternative in
place such as as having a local file
store synched to your cloud storage,
and another method for accessing
your email.
Finally, be aware of what computers
you're logged into. Browsers will often
ask to save your login information
and keep a login session alive as long
as the browser is open. If you log in to
Facebook or your e-mail account on a
friend's laptop and then leave, you'll
likely still be logged in to those sites.
If they're trustworthy, that may not be
a problem. But what if you're using a
public computer? Stay logged in to
one of those and anyone could gain
access to your account. Unless you're
using your own computer, remember
to log out and never save your pass-
word and user information.
Security Concerns?
The beauty of cloud
computing lies in the easy
access you have to your
data using any Internet-
connected device.
But without proper
security precautions, you
could be leaving yourself
open to trouble.
Reusing passwords -- or using weak
passwords -- makes you an easy
target for identity theft.
Remembering multiple passwords
can be a pain, but there are Web
services that can help.
Use different passwords for different
sites. Make absolutely sure you don't
repeat a password across sites that
have your credit card information.
Your e-mail password is the most
important. Keep it secure and don't
use it for any other sites.
Use difficult to remember passwords.
The best passwords combine letters,
numbers and symbols into an
unusual configuration. Once you
have a good password, don't’ spread it
around.
Back up your data. A power surge,
faulty hard drive platter, robbery or
other unexpected system failure
could happen when you least expect
it, and if your data isn't backed up
you'll beat yourself up over it for
weeks.
Protect your computer from virus,
spyware and malware. Internet
hazards like viruses are, mostly easy
to avoid. Shady Web sites usually
look shady; e-mail attachments
from spam addresses are never worth
opening. Antivirus software is always
a smart precaution, but smart
browsing is an even greater ally.
What does this have to do with
protecting your data in the cloud?
Make sure the site is trustworthy.
Let’s Talk Business
Web: www.b2bbs.com.au Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0451 184 599 14
Brisbane Career College Pty Ltd, 180 Logan Road, Woolloongabba
Web: www.brisbanecollege.edu.au Email: [email protected]
National Code: 32303 ACN: 143 846 093 ABN: 96 143 846 093
Our services are primarily for small business owners and their staff who wish to complete training whilst still on the
job. So our service involves coming to your place of work, and providing training and assessment in conjunction with
daily work practices, which allows us to keep our rates highly competitive.
What is Recognised Prior Learning (RPL)
Having formal qualifications increases your knowledge and skill potential. But why waste time studying what you
already know? Brisbane Career College recognises the skills and experience you have gained through work and life
experience - reducing or even eliminating your study time.
We can help you and your staff gain a qualification, taking into account the value of your skills acquired outside of
formal learning, through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process.
Our programs combine work with a structured training program, developing an employee's skills and knowledge as
well as providing them with a Nationally Recognised Qualification. Our qualifications may entitle the employer to
State and/or Commonwealth government incentives and rebates to help offset or pay for the cost of training.
Brisbane Career College also provides a number of short courses in business and management, designed to equip you
with subject specific skills that you may need at different times in your career and to assist with your professional
development.
These business courses are short, ranging from a half day to full week training programs and are available in Brisbane
and Sydney, both as part of our general training delivery, and through customised in-house corporate deliveries.
Approved Qualifications
CODE TITLE
BSB40207 - Certificate IV in Business
BSB40807 - Certificate IV in Frontline Management
BSB50207 - Diploma of Business
BSB50407 - Diploma of Business Administration
BSB51107 - Diploma of Management
BSB60207 - Advanced Diploma of Business
BSB60407 - Advanced Diploma of Management
Specialist Training for Small Business Owners and Their Staff