B2B February 2012 (issue 68)

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS Time to evaluate last year's with Juliette Ford

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FALLING MARKET Lindsay Walker explains how it can save you or your kids tax

MEET UNIONSACT BOSS KIM SATTLER Find out what the local union movement is up to Canberra’S buSIneSS & GOVernMenT MaGaZIne

b2bincanberra.com.au

FEBRUARY 2012

68

beames & associates share their winning formula

t e r c e s p to

WESTPAC EXPLAINS FRANCHISING

WORKPLACE GIVING TO RSPCA

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Did you know franchising is worth $80 billion in Australia

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CONTENTS PUBLISHER’S NOTE Welcome back from a well earned break.

2011 was a pretty average year for many businesses and for some even tougher. But it is these times that give us the opportunity make sure that we are running as efficiently as possible and that our systems are working for our businesses and not against them. Of course, a close look at business practises in tough times pay off handsomely in the good times! Our cover story on Beames & Associates is all about living a culture of 'high performance' within your personal and business life. This philosophy says that being the best you possibly can and surrounding yourself with successful, positive people will be of great benefit to you and your business.

I'm also keen to give the RSPCA a plug. They are running an innovative Workplace Giving program that is very simple for you and your employees to take part in. Have a look on page 15 to see how you can get involved.

And finally, congratulations to Rhys and Monica on the birth of their baby boy Hugo.

t e r c e s p o t

TIM BENSON Publisher

UPFRONT 06 You better THINK... Canberra Be part of Canberra’s first ever street parade

OPINION 08 Juliette Ford, Director,

Consensus Family Lawyers discusses new years resolutions

photos by Andrew Sikorski

17 COVer STOry

beaMeS & aSSOCIaTeS SHare THeIr WInnInG FOrMuLa

CONTENTS

FEATURES 10 Your super and taking advantage of the falling market − RSM Bird Camerson tells you how

12 UnionsACT:

going through an exciting period of change

14 Franchising: an $80 billion a year industry

08

COVER STORY 17 Beames & Associates share their winning formula

28 TALENT SERVICES Where do you find “Talent”?

By Cantlie WEBSITES Improve your website in 2012

By Synapse Worldwide A2B: ASSOCIATIONS TO BUSINESS 30 ACT EXPORTERS NETWORK: ACT Export Awards Case Study: Recruitment Systems

23 BUSINESS LAW What would you do differently?

By Elringtons Lawyers

31 CANBERRA BUSINESS COUNCIL: Cordelta’s achievements honoured at Business Awards

24 BUSINESS RELOCATIONS Organisations on the move

By Allied Pickfords Business Relocations

32 ACT & REGION CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY: 2012 ACT & Region Indigenous Expo Education | Training | Employment

BUSINESS SERVICES Insolvency and growth – not distant relations?

By Kazar Slaven

12

MARKETING Give your brand some attitude

By Mary Curran, Brandnet

Westpac regional manager explains

21 ADVICE FROM THE EXPERTS 22 ACCOUNTING Securing Cash Injections

By RSM Bird Cameron

10

26 INTERIOR PLANTSCAPING Now’s the time to improve your plant life balance…

By Ambius

25 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Effective management of risk

By Australian Institute of Company Directors

BUSINESS NETWORKING 34 B2B @ RSM Bird Cameron Christmas Party 36 B2B @ CIT Momentum Exhibition 37 B2B @ Pixel to Paper Christmas Party B2B @ Canberra Business Council Christmas Party 38 B2B @ AbaF Gold Book launch B2B @ INO 10th Anniversary

ESTATE PLANNING The Relevance of the Order of Death

By Certus Law

39 B2B @ RBS Morgans Christmas Party

14 PUBLISHER I EDITOR

Tim benson editorial@b2bincanberra.com.au 02 6161 2751

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Manning Fell 0459 024 368 manning.fell@b2bincanberra.com.au

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UPFRONT

You better THINK … CANBERRA

The Bureau expands the THINK CANBERRA team in partnership with the ACT Government and the Australian National University. New funding from the ACT Government and the Australian National University (ANU) has resulted in Dr Pam Faulks joining the Canberra Convention Bureau’s THINK CANBERRA team.

THINK CANBERRA is an initiative of the Canberra Convention Bureau’s Research and Learning Institute Group (RALIG), established to encourage more high level and academic conferences to the city.

The Bureau has already secured a number of important national and international events through the RALIG’s THINK CANBERRA strategy including: • Asia Pacific Model United Nations Conference (AMUNC), 9-15 July 2011 • FutureGov Congress, 12-14 September 2011 • International Inorganic Bonded Cement Composites (IIBCC) Conference, 10-14 September 2012 X11 • International Symposium on Biomechanics and Medicine in Swimming, 2014 To support this important marketing strategy the Bureau is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Pam Faulks to the position of THINK CANBERRA Director.

“I believe Canberra knowledge assets are still not fully understood by conference organisers and I am looking forward to finding the conferences that will showcase what we do best in areas such as education, arts and culture, health and medical and information technology” Pam said.

“The locals know Canberra is a great city

and more and more conference delegates are figuring it out too. Recent research has highlighted that 40% of international delegates and 70% of Australian delegates attending conferences in Canberra intend to return within the next 5 years, and that is good news particularly as about 25% of delegates are visiting Canberra for the first time”.

Pam has a PhD in Management, holds a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, a Masters in Tourism Management, a Graduate Certificate in Asian Studies, a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing and a Graduate Diploma in Education. Pam’s most recent employment is as Manager of the ACT Exporters’ Network at Canberra Business Council. She has also worked for the Department of Resources, Energy & Tourism; the University of Canberra as lecturer and researcher; and at Government House as researcher and summary writer.

Pam joins Lyn Eiszele, THINK CANBERRA Manager, who will continue to oversee the RALIG activities.

Be part of Canberra’s first ever street parade Kokoloco Dance Studio is looking for participants in an all new street parade to be featured in the 2012 Canberra Multicultural Festival. KokoCarnival will be the first street parade inspired by the famous Carnival in Rio De Janeiro and has been something Kokoloco Dance Studio owner Becky Fleming has been dreaming about for over two years.

“Each year our studio is a big part of the Multicultural Festival and this year we wanted to bring a taste of the real Brazil to the city’s streets,” Ms Fleming said.

Ms Fleming, a renowned Latin dancer 6

FFeebb rruuaa rryy 220012 12

and performer, was the first to introduce Brazilian Samba to Canberra and is now inviting the community to come and be part of the parade.“You don’t need to know how to dance or have percussion experience to join and people of all ages are welcome. We’re looking for drummers, dancers and flag bearers.”

Participants will learn a fun choreography to traditional Brazilian Batucada (percussion) and get to perform as part of the Multicultural Festival.

“If you love the performances at past

BB22bb II n n C Caa n n bb eerrrr aa

Festivals then this is your chance to be a part of something really amazing for the first time ever.”

Kokoloco is looking for over 100 participants and no experience is needed to participate.

For more information please contact Becky or Mario at Kokoloco Dance Studio on 02 6248 9666 or 0421 798 490 or email info@kokoloco.com.au For more information on the studio go to www.facebook.com/KokolocoDanceStudio or www.kokoloco.com.au

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OPINION

Well, it lasted until February…

evaluating last year’s new year’s resolutions

By Juliette Ford, Director, Consensus Family Lawyers

O

ne important element of goal setting is looking back to see how many of your goals you achieved.

For us and most of our clients, 2011 was busy and fast-paced. It was easy to lose sight of the big picture and the need for self analysis and focus on the 1000 things that needed to be done by each Friday.

For those of you tech-savvy or organised enough to be able to find last year’s “New Year’s Resolutions” list, the review of that list might be a matter of a few ticks, a few crosses, and mostly goals you forgot about in or around February last year, but will definitely appear on this year’s list again.

One commonly named resolution – and one that seems to pop up year after year - is to ‘sort out finances’. This might be as simple as saving more money or consolidating debt.

Alternatively, it might not be. Understanding the significance of a properly drafted Will and Estate Plan, as well the effect for you of a Binding Financial Agreement (BFA), can play a huge part in protecting your financial future and your financial health.

Last January we wrote an article encouraging people to include, ‘seek advice about Will/BFA’ in their list of new year’s resolutions. Many people did - BFAs (or prenups) are becoming increasingly common.

Others didn’t, and the lamentable words, ‘I wish we’d had a pre-nup’ remain some of the most repeated in family law firms and Courts around Australia.

From our perspective, 2011 was an interesting year. With increasing prevalence and legal recognition of defacto relationships, including same-sex relationships, we see a huge range of different relationship problems.

They include blended families, many involving

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new relationships where both parties bring children from previous relationships, increasingly complex financial situations, the reduced usefulness of Family Trust asset structures, self managed super, issues with the tax office – the list goes on.

Interestingly, many of our clients who seek advice at the start of, or during, a new relationship are returning clients. The benefit of hindsight, and the experience of an emotionally and financially draining property settlement is a good incentive to take whatever steps you can to avoid a repeat of that first unpleasant experience. Talking to your new partner about how assets would be treated in the event of a separation at the start (or at any stage during) your relationship enables you to have that discussion without the angst, resentment or hostility of a recent separation. Contrary to popular belief, any agreement you reach can be drafted into a binding and enforceable agreement in a relatively efficient and inexpensive way.

For example, take Jack and Jennifer. Jack and Jennifer are a young couple, who have a small asset pool. One or both of them might have wealthy parents. They may or may not want to have children. They may or may not be high income earners, small business entrepreneurs, conservative or high-risk investors. The future is uncertain for Jack and Jennifer, their relationship, and any ensuing property settlement if their relationship breaks down.

Most people are surprised to hear that many agreements are so simple as to provide; whatever assets are in Jack’s name will be Jack’s, whatever assets are in Jennifer’s name will be Jennifer’s, and any assets in joint names will be divided equally (or in some other

B2b In Canberr a

proportion). If they so decide, the Agreement might cease having effect after five years, when they marry, when they have children, or never.

They should also discuss each of their Wills and Estate Plans, which extends to powers of attorney, superannuation beneficiaries, and guardianship of children.

The options available to them are almost unlimited. At this stage in their relationship they do not have the burden of Jack having started a new relationship with his colleague or Jennifer having spent $20,000 after separation on the racehorses. They are able to have a calm and reasoned discussion about what a fair settlement is in the event they separate in the future. It has (accurately) been described as relationship insurance.

One wonders why most Canberrans insure against house fire, whereas very few against relationship breakdown. Our preliminary investigation shows relationship breakdown is a bit more common than house fire!

We offer our congratulations to all those who set and achieved goals in 2011. Losing weight, getting fit, saving money, reducing your golf handicap – all are difficult things which require a lot of hard work, but will result in huge benefits in the future (well, all except the golf). We again encourage you to consider ‘improve financial state of health’ amongst the goals you set personally and for your clients in 2012. Including a properly drafted Will and seeking advice about a BFA is a key element of making that goal a ‘tick’ in January next year.

For an Out of Court Solution contact Consensus Family Lawyers, 17-21 University Avenue, Canberra T: 02 6290 9898 or www.cflaw.com.au

Certainty, security and stability for your future.

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F E AT U R E

Take advantage of the falling market

By Lindsay Walker, Certified Financial Planner, RSM Bird Cameron

For those of you who have superannuation investments in shares the last few months have seen a return to the doom and gloom of GFC times. However, those with a high taxable element in their fund who are eligible to have pensions in their fund should take note.

F

alling asset values can save you or your kids tax. The trick is knowing how to go about it.

Generally a member’s superannuation interest is made up of what they call taxable components and tax free components.

The taxable components are, to put it simply, made up of employer or personal deductible contributions otherwise called concessional contributions and the earnings of the fund whilst it is in accumulation phase. The tax free components are made up of non concessional contributions.

When you pass away the tax payable on death benefits will depend on whether the recipient is a dependant for taxation purposes. Do not confuse this with a dependant for Superannuation purposes.

Superannuation dependence determines who can receive the payment and tax dependence determines how much tax is paid on the payment.

The following table identifies how much tax is paid by whom.

Component

Dependant

Non-dependant

Tax Free

0%

0%

Taxable

0%

16.5%

Generally your mature age children will be non dependants and as such they will pay 16.5% tax on the taxable components of your super when you pass away if it is paid out to them.

When a superannuation fund interest is in accumulation phase, that is, not providing a pension to the member, all increases and decreases in asset values get allocated to the taxable component.

For those who are presently taking pensions this means that you can take advantage of the falling asset values to reduce your taxable components within your fund. It may come at a cost of some income tax but the long term benefits should be weighed up against the short term costs.

Lindsay Walker is a Certified Financial Planner with RSM Bird Cameron Financial Services Pty Limited, Australian Financial Services Licence No: 238282 and can be contacted on 02 6247 5988

F E AT U R E

How do you achieve this?

The opportunity arises due to the proportioning rule. This rule was introduced as part of the simpler super reforms from 1 July 2007 and now applies to all superannuation fund pensions.

This rule means that when you start a pension, the tax free and taxable components are fixed percentages for the life of the pension based on what their amounts were when the pension started. This means any increases or decreases in the value of the assets supporting the pension are allocated to tax free and taxable components in the same proportion.

However, if your superannuation interest is in accumulation phase, the decrease gets allocated only to the taxable component. Therefore, if you have a pension with a high taxable component, then in the event of a declining market you may be better off converting back into accumulation or isolating those shares that have performed poorly in recent months back into accumulation.

So how does this help?

By moving back into accumulation mode the decrease in value of the shares will only decrease the taxable component within your superannuation fund. So rather than having the decrease allocated across both the taxable and tax free components, if you have a self managed superannuation fund pension account, you can stop the pension, take lump sums to get by if needed, and then have all the decrease in share values impact on the taxable component only.

You can even just move the really poor performers out into accumulation and leave the high income earners in pension. When the shares start to increase in value again start a pension with the poor performers again to lock in the lower taxable component.

What are the costs?

Initially the cost will be a loss of the income tax exemption for those assets you put back into accumulation. However, you should not discount this. If you only move the really poor performers into accumulation and still have a pension with some of the assets this may only have a slight impact on the tax payable by the fund.

What should I watch out for?

If you move assets back into accumulation to take advantage of this you will need to be mindful of any non-concessional contributions you intend to make. If you are going to make these types of contributions, especially large ones, you may want to wait until all the assets are back in pension to avoid mixing the tax free and taxable components together.

F E AT U R E

“ Unions ACT

The face of the trade union movement is going through a huge process of change with more than half our members now women. This is also reflected in the gender balance of the leadership of many unions and is a clear reflection of our members wishes. Unions in Australia are extremely active on-line and through social media both nationally and internationally now and the way we do “business” is very different to the last few decades. It is an exciting time to be involved in the industrial relations arena and we are always looking at new ways of effecting change for the better in Australian workplaces.

Kim Sattler, Secretary, UnionsACT

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B2b In Canberr a

F E AT U R E

UnionsACT

going through an exciting period of change

U

nionsACT is the peak body of trade unions in the ACT and represents 24 affiliated unions and over 33,000 members in the ACT. We are also an affiliate of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). We are a representative voice for workers on a number of government committees including the Work Safety Council, the Procurement Board, ACT Joint Council, the ACT Leave Authority, and the Construction Industry Training Council to name just a few. We are about to join the ACT Property Council.

We have a keen interest in representing our members in all these forums to ensure that the voice of working Canberrans and particularly union members is heard at all levels in our community. Industrial relations is a robust environment and we regularly provide advice and research to our members to assist them in the collective bargaining they undertake with 100’s of employers in the ACT. I am the current elected Secretary of UnionsACT and am in my second term of four years. I am the first woman elected to this position in the organisation’s history. As well as leading the peak body I also manage a registered training organisation called WorkWatch which delivers Occupational Health & Safety Training to workers and managers in the ACT. We train over 700 people each year and also provide an advice and support service to our members, Health & Safety representatives and managers from both the public and private sectors. The new harmonized Federal legislation provides an opportunity for all businesses. UnionsACT also generates income as a property owner with 7 tenants residing in our building located in Mitchell along Flemington Road.

Negotiating the new Fair Work Act has created a huge increase in our workload and our members can often be simultaneously negotiating between 5 and 30 individual enterprise agreements each. There are approximately 85 union officials based in the ACT and that number grows each year as

more people join unions. Union membership has grown by 3.6 % in the last 12 months and this has been a general trend since 2004.

Membership growth is occurring in nearly all unions but is strongest amongst, nurses, public servants, building workers and teachers. One of my roles is to co-ordinate joint union bargaining for 10 unions with the ACT Government Agreement which covers 20,000 employees here in Canberra.

Our main activity as union officials is

“

We have a keen interest in representing our members in all these forums to ensure that the voice of working Canberrans and particularly union members is heard at all levels in our community. resolving problems and sorting out disputes before they escalate into a problem and this is what most officials are doing on a daily basis. We enjoy good working relationships with many employers in the ACT and region who seek to be good employers and are keen to maintain healthy workplaces with a high satisfaction level and low turnover. We also play a key role in tackling bad or poor employers about whom we receive persistent complaints from both union members and ironically non-members. The most common complaints are about underpayment of wages, excessive working hours, bullying and harassment, non-compliance with the Fair Work Act and threats to union members which may include denial of access to the workplace.

All our officials appear regularly before Fair Work Australia and many run their own matters or with support from local industrial law firms. Injuries in the workplace and poor OH&S practices are a common issue that we deal with at all stages. Recent accidents and fatalities on the job and incidents involving dangerous substances such as asbestos have taken up a lot of my members’ time in the past 12 months. Many unions offer a wide range of services to their members ranging from benefit schemes, free legal advice, financial counseling, welfare support,

Words by Kim Sattler, Secretary, UnionsACT photo by Tim Benson

training and advocacy with insurance companies, employers and health or rehabilitation services. The workplace is a very dynamic environment and keeping abreast of all the developments in technology, productivity, economics, health and safety and human resource management is a challenge for all of us and our ability to develop good working relationships and networks is the key to maintaining a good industrial relations environment.

My members undertake regular training to improve their skills and deal with this new environment and our role is often to arrange this training by request. We are an active player at the national level of the union movement through our participation in the ACTU and other national union campaigns such as the recent Qantas dispute and the Secure Jobs campaign.

Our affiliates actively lobby politicians at a local and national level on issues of concern to their members. These lobbying efforts optimally involve alliances with employers in that industry.

This was most recently illustrated by the joint efforts made by the ASU and several key community sector employers which prompted the recent commitment by the Gillard government to fully fund the Equal Pay outcome from Fair Work Australia.

We are very proud of union backed policy achievements in recent times including the Paid Parental Leave Scheme, changes to the Superannuation Guarantee legislation, the new harmonized OH&S legislation, the Carbon Price legislation and offsets, the new portable long service leave schemes for cleaners and community sector workers and the proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme.

All of these changes contribute to the improvement of the working lives of many Australians and I am pleased that UnionsACT and its members have been active in contributing to these significant policy changes!

P (02) 6247 7844 F (02) 6247 2349 www.unionsact.org.au

F E AT U R E

FRANCHISING: an $80 billion a year industry *Rohit Lakhotia, Westpac Local Business Banker, Tony Lai, Breadtop Executive Pastry Chef and May Ng, Manager Breadtop Civic.

*Rohit Lakhotia, Westpac Local Business Banker can be contacted on 0459 828 845

F

ranchising is one of Australias fastest -growing business sectors, worth an estimated $80 billion a year. There are around 850 different franchises with more that 60,000 outlets. You might consider buying a franchise as an alternative way of getting into business, something other than starting a business from scratch or buying one that’s already running.

The franchise retail concept was introduced to Australia in the 1970’s by McDonalds and KFC. We now have more franchise systems per head of population than any other country. Franchised businesses have a higher success rate than other small businesses and are typically more profitable from the outset. But any business is risky and demands intensive research before you part with your money.

What is franchising When you buy a franchise, you buy into an established network with an established name and established systems. Franchising relies on the principle that there is strength in numbers: being part of a larger group allows you to benefit from a strong brand and economics of

scale (this means you get better deals because there are more of you).

The “franchise” is actually an agreement where the parent company ( the franchisor) sells the legal right to use its brand name and business concept to an individual operator (the franchisee). The franchisee pays an initial fee and an ongoing royalty for the right to conduct business under the name of the franchisor.

While the main advantage to buying a franchise is the fact that you have the expertise of the franchising “mother ship” to guide you, the set up costs are high, there are fees and royalties to be paid, you may have a contractual obligation to follow the systems and procedures laid down by the organisation (even if you discover you disagree with these systems) and you business could be affected by the performance of other franchise owners operating under the same brand.

Is Franchising for me?

Take a good hard look at yourself in the mirror. Are you an enthusiastic decision maker? Are you a positive person? Are you prepared to work hard? Can you handle

success? If you aren’t confident enough to start your business from a scratch, then a franchise may be the solution.

It can give you a toe in the water, and if you don’t like it ,you can get out. But you will have to get over the initial hurdle of being accepted by the franchisor.

Franchisors are looking for Franchisees with: 1. Have previous business experience 2. Have worked in sectors such as banking, insurance or government, 3. Understand risk management and have insurances in place 4. understand that sales don’t mean profits 5. have a financial planner to help out, 6. Who are not necessarily using their own home to help out 7. Who understand issues around, staff, cash flow, accounting, legal and compliance In the ACT and Queanbeyan, Westpac have a number of Local Business Bankers accredited to complete Franchise lending.

Greg Castle Regional General Manager Westpac Banking Corporation

WORKPLACE GIVING It’s as easy as 1 – 2 – 3...

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It really is that simple.

Workplace Giving results in regular, reliable income and makes a REAL and LASTING impact on RSPCA ACT and the work we do.

It ensures vital services and programs continue.

Australian workers, helping all local creatures great and small – every payday.

RSPCA ACT | 12 Kirkpatrick street Weston ACT 2611 | www.rspca-act.org.au | rspca@rspca-act.org.au

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t e r c e

s p to

COVER STORY

high performance culture

high performance results

Does your business have the winning edge? photos by Andrew Sikorski words by Peter Beames

H

igh Performance Culture (HPC) is constantly striving to be the best you can possibly be. It is about having the vision, the passion and the plan to perpetually improve and develop; to constantly be at the forefront of whatever it is that you do. HPC applies to successful individuals, it certainly applies to successful elite sporting teams, and it definitely applies to successful business.

Look around at your competitors and peers, what separates the star performers from the also rans? More often than not it’s a High Performance Culture.

The desire, drive and commitment to deliver quality in everything you do is synonymous with successful business’ who have a HPC. It’s not about luck, it’s more than just hard work, it’s all about producing the best outcome possible.

Some would say that business success comes with a lot of luck, I say the harder you work at something, the more luck you have.

The more a business challenges itself to improve, the greater likelihood it will produce a different and better result.

If you want your business to have

the success that comes with a High Performance Culture then the starting point is leadership: the ability of the business owner and senior management to set the example, create the trend, and change the culture.

Such leadership comes naturally and is driven by the passion and vision to achieve best practice standards in your industry in everything you do.

Leadership with passion and vision will inspire teamwork in your workforce that wants to constantly improve, develop and become the future leaders in your business.

Suite 7, Football House 3-5 Phipps Close, Deakin T 6282 9500 F 6282 9200 beamesandassociates.com.au

COVER STORY

Peter Beames, Director, Beames & Associates

James Watt, Director, Beames & Associates

A

t Beames and Associates, having a High Performance Culture is mandatory. Every staff member on every job for every client strives to deliver the best possible outcome.

In doing so standard approaches are challenged through innovation and new ideas are generated. We train to do this by

C

regularly arranging for business luminaries and consultants to address our staff and challenge our industry paradigms.

Culturally we target our advice to clients to identify their business’ potential as a result of implementing a High Performance Culture and provide guidance on what actions to undertake.

Anecdotally business’ with a High Performance Culture achieve results that are at least double industry averages.

If your business could benefit from implementing a High Performance Culture consider the following checklist and identify the steps and actions required to improve your business’ success:

pro-fit corporate health

hris Males, founder and managing director of Pro-Fit Corporate Health runs a boot camp at 6.30am every Saturday for this close knit group of regional business leaders with a High Performance Culture. Chris says it’s not hard to keep the group motivated.

“As individuals they are highly motivated and competitive which shows in their training as it does in most aspects of their lives. But they need stimulus, they need variety, they need challenges. And importantly they thrive in the 18

David Rae, Director, Beames & Associates

support network of the group of highly successful people,” says Chris.

Regular testing is critical to monitor progress.

“We focus on periodically measuring and reducing the biological age of each member of the group. We undertake physical tests and health assessments through blood tests to calculate a biological age at the start of a training block. The group undertakes three to four months of focused training before retesting.

Some guys in the group in their late 40’s and 50’s have biological ages in the low 30’s and 40’s. That

adds up to living actively for longer which is something money can’t buy,” Chris said.

Chris says it is well worth getting up on a Saturday morning at 6:30am to train this group of regional business leaders.

“It is an effort, but it’s worth it. I provide them with direction in an area of life where they aren’t experts. In return I benefit greatly from the ideas and suggestions shared by the group in areas where each of them are market leaders.

And above all, the banter, the jokes, camaraderie and mateship make it a lot of fun,” Chris said.

t e r c e

s p to

COVER STORY

high performance culture business owners’ checklist yes

You are off to a great head start

NO

Identify what personal life changes you need to make and consider engaging a business coach or mentor to assist you

Does your Management Team have a High Performance Culture?

yes NO

You have a key ingredient to achieve your business’ potential

Does your business annually document its vision and a strategic plan that targets industry leading performance?

yes NO

Your business has the road map for high performance results

yes

The hard work will contribute to the achievement of high performance business results

NO

Implement actions to increase and improve the work ethic. If necessary evolve staff and replace with new employees with the necessary attitude

yes

You will be constantly stimulated by new ideas you can incorporate in your business to help achieve High Performance Results

NO

Join or organise a business networking group where interesting ideas of what is driving success can be exchanged

yes

Then your team has the High Performance Culture required to constantly improve its results

NO

Then your business’ performance will most likely plateau or have plateaued as you and your team are accepting of the status quo

Do you have a High Performance Culture?

Does your business have a strong work ethic?

Do you have a social network of successful people?

Do you constantly challenge you and your team to personally improve your business’ performance?

Business’ with a High Performance Culture invariably have an owner with a High performance Culture in all aspects of their lives; their sports, their hobbies, their

Provide HPC training for your management and engage business leaders as presenters and mentors to assist their development.

Undertake a strategic planning process and document a strategic plan with actions, allocated responsibilities and time frames

relationships, their personal affairs.

It’s almost certain that this is why “Success breeds Success” and for the high performers it becomes a habit. Should you require any

To see a YouTube video ‘B2B @ Pro-Fit Peak Performance Training Session for Beames & Associates’ point your smart phone camera or iPhone QR Code Reader at this QR code.

guidance or assistance in implementing a High Performance Culture in your business the Directors of Beames and Associates would be only too pleased to assist you.

Suite 7, Football House 3-5 Phipps Close, Deakin T 6282 9500 F 6282 9200 beamesandassociates.com.au

Our Country Connected.

Almost 90 years. That’s how long RSM Bird Cameron has been an Australian accounting icon. In that time, we have developed a unique national firm with 26 offices and around 900 staff. More importantly, our heritage means we truly understand Australian business trends and conditions, including key regional issues.

We’re connected to Australia. And as one of our valued clients, you can be assured we will be equally connected to you.

Connected for Success www.rsmi.com.au

Assurance l Business Advisory l Corporate Finance l Risk Advisory l Tax l Turnaround and Insolvency

ADVICE 22 23

ACCOUNTING

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BUSINESS RELOCATIONS

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BUSINESS SERVICES

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

25

ESTATE PLANNING

26

INTERIOR PLANTSCAPING

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MARKETING

28

TALENT SERVICES

28

WEBSITES

Securing cash injections

by Mitchell Herrett, RSM Bird Cameron

BUSINESS LAW What would you do differently?

by Cassandra Emmett, Elringtons Lawyers

Organisations on the move

By Gary Green, Allied Pickfords Business Relocations

Insolvency and growth – not distant relations?

By Tony Lane, Kazar Slaven

Effective management of risk

By Phil Butler, Australian Institute of Company Directors

The relevance of the order of death

By Stephen Bourke, Certus Law

Now’s the time to improve your plant life balance…

By Jon Elphick, Ambius

Give your brand some attitude

By Mary Curran, Brandnet

Where do you find “Talent”?

By Keith Cantlie, Cantlie

Improve your website in 2012

By Sam Gupta, Synapse Worldwide

ACCOUNTING

by Mitchell Herrett

Securing cash injections

With the relative ease of setting up a corporate entity and the limitation on liability, it is no surprise that the corporate structure is the most favoured vehicle with which to operate a business in Australia.

According to the ASIC statistics, there were over 2,600 new company registrations in the ACT during 2011 and there are currently over 32,000 companies registered in the ACT alone, with over 1.8 million company registrations nationally.

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IDE NTI TY THE IS YO UR COM FT: PAN Y AT RIS K?

Most small and medium enterprises (“SME”) will need a cash injection at some stage during the business cycle to setup the business, expand the business, or get the business through a tough cash-flow period.

The corporate structure in most cases is a suitable vehicle to operate businesses of all sizes and in all business sectors, from the most complex mining business down to the local takeaway shop. One of the key benefits of operating a business through a corporate entity is the limitation of liability for shareholders.

Most small and medium enterprises (“SME”) will need a cash injection at some stage during the business cycle to setup the business, expand the business, or get the business through a tough cash-flow period. Cash injections in SME’s are usually funded through bank loans or through loans provided by directors, shareholders or relatives. Banks will only loan funds if they are provided sufficient security by the SME. The most common form of security a bank will take is a fixed and floating charge over all the assets of the SME. In situations of insolvency or an inability by the SME to pay the bank loan, the bank has a priority entitlement to be paid first from the realisation of the assets covered by the fixed and floating charge.

If an SME is to source its cash injections from a director, a shareholder, or a relative, then strong consideration should be given to taking some form of security for the loan. The most practical form of security in such a case would be to take a fixed and floating charge over the assets of the company. Failing to take any form of security will result in the loan only being unsecured and in an insolvency situation the loan will only rank as an unsecured claim and not receive any priority.

The future of any company is uncertain even in the best economic climate. Unforseen accidents, equipment failures or bad debts can literally lead to the demise of an otherwise profitable company in a short period of time. So when loaning funds to your company, always hope for the best but plan for the worst and ensure that you secure your cash injections.

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If you would like more information on this subject he can be contacted on (02) 6217 0346 or mitchell.herrett@rsmi.com.au.

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57

BUSINESS LAW

What would you do differently?

Another year has passed – an opportunity for businesses to pause for thought and self-examination. What would you do differently if you could live 2011 again? It’s time to make changes to your business so that 2012 is bigger and better.

Let’s look at Wally and Sally who commenced a landscaping and equipment hire business in 2011: • The business operates from new premises owned by Wally and Sally in Queanbeyan near the river.

• They take on landscaping jobs based on handwritten quotes, with no funds up front or written terms of agreement.

• The business owns machinery and equipment that they hire to people under a basic hire contract.

• The business uses a grader that is registered only in Sally’s name.

Ownership structure The ownership arrangement means that Wally and Sally run the business as a partnership. In 2011 they had equal incomes and had to pay income tax on all business income (after expenses). Because of their business structure they couldn’t offset any rental expenses against their income.

The only expenses they could offset were in maintaining the premises but these were minimal because it was new. In 2011, had they sought professional advice, they may have set up a company or trust ownership of the business, to enable them to retain income and/or stream income to minimise tax and protect their personal assets from business creditors. Wally and Sally, as the land owners, could quarantine that asset from business risks. If it was mortgaged they could still cover interest payments with deductable rent from the business entity.

Premises insurance In 2011 their premises flooded. Even though they knew they were susceptible to flood, they did not closely examine their insurance policy and ascertain that “flood” was excluded. With the right advice, the insurance would have been adequate and the insurer would have paid for the repairs.

Debtor control In 2011, 3 customers refused to pay for landscaping jobs for various reasons, all up worth $48,000. Wally and Sally are pursuing them in the

by Cassandra Emmett

courts, but legal fees are mounting and the cases are being fought based on competing oral accounts of their agreement because there are no written contracts. Out of court settlements for much lesser amounts are likely. One customer is counter-claiming because Wally burst a water pipe which “Dial Before You Dig” did not disclose. Wally and Sally should have had a lawyer draw up an agreement to use with their customers, recording works, prices, terms and conditions and containing disclaimers to minimise any liability for damage to utilities.

Security for equipment hire In early 2011 we reported that the Personal Property Securities regime was coming. All businesses who lease equipment should now ensure that their equipment hire agreements contain carefully worded clauses to allow registration of a security interest on the new PPS register, and registration should be arranged early in 2012. If Wally and Sally don’t properly register their security interest in 2012, the liquidator of a customer may seize an item of their equipment and they may have no recourse under the new regime.

Business control In late 2011, Sally flew to England for one month to be with their daughter. While she was away, Wally received a good offer on their grader which would allow him to upgrade to a better one, but he couldn’t sell it because Sally was the registered owner and needed to sign.

Sally and Wally should have had powers of attorney in place to allow each of them to run and control the business if the other is away or incapacitated.

The moral to this story is See Professionals. Lawyers, accountants financial advisers, mortgage brokers, insurance brokers, the financial benefits of calling on experts early can greatly exceed the minimal outlay that you spend on the advice.

Cassandra Emmett Special Counsel & Manager, Business Services Contact Elringtons T: (02) 6206 1300, Level 7, 221 London Circuit, Canberra City visit: elringtons.com.au

B 2 b I n C a n b e r r A F e b r u a r y 2 0 12

23

BUSINESS RELOCATIONS

by Gary Green

Organisations on the move

We’ll get your business and your people set up, in place and ready for work on time.

Total Solutions For You We have expertise in professional relocation management and commercial relocation services. We understand the wider issues, the need for careful planning, detailed project management and clear communication with your staff.

Our experienced team takes total responsibility for your relocation, leaving you to concentrate on the day today running of your business.

Whatever the scale of your business relocation and challenges we have the expertise and resources to make your relocation successful.

Everything You Need We are able to do it all for you, whether a small office or a major corporate relocation.

Allied Pickfords have the people, systems and specialist equipment on hand to have the best practicable office relocation.

The Allied Pickfords Project Management Team has the experience to oversee and direct each stage of your move. From dismantling workstations, through to safe handling and transport of computer equipment, using our specialised equipment.

Our Project Management Team leaves nothing to chance we work with you every step of the way to make for a successful relocation.

Getting Back To Work Our aim is to minimise your downtime and should you wish to take advantage of our nightshift or weekend services, it’s often possible with proper planning and implementation, to finish work one day in your existing location and start back the following day in your new location.

No fuss, no panic just a fast efficient and totally reliable service.

Not An Office Not all businesses operate within the office environment and Allied Pickfords has the experience and knowledge to assist in these relocations. Our people understand the practicalities of moving machinery, specialised equipment, materials and stock. We have experience in relocating, Libraries, Laboratories, Hospitals, Factories and Warehouses, Hotels, Universities and Schools.

Services We have a full suite of services designed to make your relocation quicker and easier. Packing, Asset Relocations, Internal Relocation Services, Handyman Services, Storage, Security Destruction, Paper Recycling, Refurbishment Programme, FF & E and Computer Disconnect and Reconnect. We can also assist with the relocation of staff locally, interstate and overseas.

Organisations on the move are moving with Allied Pickfords Business Relocations.

Gary Green can be contacted at Allied Pickfords Business Relocations on 0423806702. visit: www.alliedpickfords.com.au

24

F e b r u a r y 2 0 12

B2b In Canberr a

BUSINESS SERVICES

By Tony Lane

Insolvency and growth – not distant relations?

Late last year in this column, I speculated about the effect of the carbon tax on the Australian economy, combined with declining consumer sentiment, declining economic growth in Europe and increased compliance activity by the ATO. Since that time, we have witnessed further growth forecast downgrades in Europe, a further tightening of the Federal Government’s fiscal policy, weak Christmas retail performance and the first of what is anticipated to be a number of RBA cash rate reductions.

In the world of insolvency these markers are generally viewed as pointing towards an increase in business and personal insolvencies over a prolonged period.

In a recent paper I delivered for the ACT Law Society, I presented anecdotal evidence from both pre and post-GFC and highlighted that despite the recession-like conditions, the main drivers of insolvencies appeared intrinsic rather than extrinsic – poor cash flow management, poor financial management and poor strategic management.

In the coming months the major banks have signalled their intent to ‘de-couple’ mortgage lending rates from the RBA cash rate. This may be bankers code for a re-tightening of credit terms and is unlikely to provide the bump in consumer confidence and spending that many businesses may hope for. Hence, businesses may once again need to examine alternatives of funding, both internal and external.

Those businesses that are experiencing growth in the current climate must ensure their fundamentals remain strong. Poor cash flow management during growth cycles can lead to illiquidity and place pressure on internal sources of funding. Strong balance sheets continue to yield insolvencies due to the inability to generate sufficient cash to pay debts as and when they fall due. Financial agility in business cannot be overlooked or underestimated.

Further, poor financial controls and systems lead to the downfall of many businesses regardless of their stage in the business cycle. Businesses experiencing growth must ensure that their systems remain able to adequately manage and report the information needed in a timely manner. Pressure from growth necessarily leads to an increased demand on a business’ resources and cost management and control is essential to maintain financial viability.

Finally, growth often presents new opportunities and so strategic harmony in growing businesses is essential. On many occasions a divergence of goals and directions in management drives insolvency events.

Kazar Slaven can assist in reviewing these areas of a business to put in place measure to guard against worst case outcomes

Tony Lane is a senior manager at Kazar Slaven and provides advice to clients in the areas of insolvency, business risk and financial conflict and dispute resolution.

For more information, contact Kazar Slaven, Level 3, 11 National Circuit, Barton.

T: 6215 8405 F: 6215 8450 E: admin@kazarslaven.com.au W: www.kazarslaven.com.au

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

by Phil Butler

Effective management of risk

Welcome to a New Year, however reading the early 2012 editions of the financial pages, one could be forgiven for quickly losing the festive cheer and focusing on the gloom and doom. While the economic numbers out of the USA are looking better, the news out of Europe continues to be grim. In such difficult times, companies need to be very good at managing risk.

Effective control of risk is at the core of good governance, however it must be recognised that risk is a critical element of our whole economy and it is only by taking sensible and controlled risks that our society can progress.

Effective control of risk is at the core of good governance, however it must be recognised that risk is a critical element of our whole economy and it is only by taking sensible and controlled risks that our society can progress.

As directors and owners of businesses, how can you manage risk effectively while still being innovative?: 1. Ensure that you understand what business you are in and what is the risk appetite of the owners/shareholders. Director/Owners can usually have a greater risk appetite as they are in control of their own funds. If, as a director, you are the steward of other people’s money you need to ensure the strategic direction of the organisation is true to its purpose of being.

2. Ensure that the culture of the organisation reflects its risk profile.

There is no point having a set of rules and policies only to see that management ignores them or simply uses them as ‘traffic humps’ to be avoided 3. Understand that we live in a very complex world of interrelationships. The risks that you are prepared for are probably not the ones that will eventually harm you. Be prepared to take a wider view of the world when analysing your risk matrix, and keep asking the difficult questions to ensure that you’re are not being blind-sided.

Most importantly, however, recognise that mistakes will continue to be a part of the world, so ensure that your organisation has a culture to not penalise mistakes as long as individuals can learn from such mistakes.

Such a culture can be difficult to maintain in difficult times, however those companies that “get it right”, generally will prosper over the long haul.

Phil Butler is state manager of the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ ACT Division. For more information about AICD ‘s course programs and events, T: 02 6248 5954.

ESTATE PLANNING

by Stephen Bourke

The relevance of the order of death

It is a sad reality that during this time of the year when many are travelling with their families on holidays that we often hear of at least one tragic story where some are killed in an accident.

The nature of sudden death can often give rise to unforseen and often intricate problems. Take the following example. John aged 49 and has Wife Jane aged 45 are travelling with four children (Jack, Jill, Jeremiah and Jennifer). Jack and Jill are from Jane’s first marriage. The family are involved in a car accident travelling to Batemans Bay which kills both parents as well as Jack and Jennifer. Jack has recently become a father. It is uncertain in which order John, Jane or Jack die. Jennifer dies 20 days after the accident.

The nature of sudden death can often give rise to unforseen and often intricate problems So what happens to John’s estate?

In the ACT, the Administration and Probate Act 1929 provides that if it is not clear who died first then it is presumed the benefactor (the person whose estate is in question) died after the beneficiary. As Jane is treated as dying before John, he effectively dies without a partner. Their principle asset (their home which they were both paying off) was in John’s sole name.

Scenario 1 – John dies intestate (no will).

As an intestate, the estate is divided according to the provisions of the Administration and Probate Act 1929. Jeremiah is John’s “issue” and therefore he will receive 50% of John’s estate. Jennifer’s estate will inherit the balance which will also be subject to the laws of intestacy. Jill is not John’s “issue” so is not a beneficiary. Neither is Jack’s child.

Scenario 2 – John dies with a will leaving everything to Jane then equally between all four children. The will does not make provision for any surviving grandchildren.

In the ACT, a beneficiary must survive by 30 days however this does not apply to all jurisdictions. As Jane and Jack predeceased John his estate would be divided equally between Jill and Jeremiah. Jennifer’s estate is not a beneficiary as she did not survive by more than 30 days.

Scenario 3 – John dies with a will leaving everything to Jane then equally between all four children expressly excluding the requirement that a beneficiary survive by more than 30 days. The will does not make provision for any surviving grandchildren.

As Jane and Jack predeceased John his estate will be divided equally between Jill, Jeremiah and the estate of Jennifer. The above three examples are not uncommon. They highlight the importance of considering a range of scenarios when preparing your estate plan. You should always expect the unexpected and plan for all eventualities.

Stephen Bourke is a director of the boutique firm, Certus Law, which specialises in superannuation, trusts and estate planning.

Visit Certus Law at Level 5, 28 University Avenue, T: 6268 9090, www.certuslaw.com.au

B 2 b I n C a n b e r r A F e b r u a r y 2 0 12

25

INTERIOR PLANTSCAPING

by Jon Elphick

Now’s the time to improve your plant life balance…

by Mary Curran

Give your brand some attitude

Plants don’t just bring freshness and colour to an office, but also help to elevate mood, productivity and performance while improving overall health and wellbeing.

This is reinforced by a recent Newspoll survey of office workers in Australia that showed that two thirds would prefer to work in an office that has plants. More than half the workforce surveyed felt that offices with plants have cleaner air and that they feel more positive at work with plants around them.

"The brands that consumers like best, are spirited, inventive and really stand out from the herd". BRW May 2011 So now that you have your brand working for you - you need to make sure that its personality is delivering a message that will keep your clients coming back for more.

What do you think of when you see the Marlboro Man? This iconic brand started out as a woman's cigarette due in part to its early introduction of filters. When the rest of the industry, not wanting to

Cleaner air leads to happier workers

Many businesses preoccupation with their product is a mistake.

The key to a successful marketing strategy is to focus on your client's priorities and desires. You don't find clients to buy your product, you build an attitude that naturally attracts fans.

One in three went so far as saying they have more energy at work when plants are around and they’re certain plants help them work more productively. Jon Elphick Ambius Business Manager Canberra, comments that the results are not surprising. “We have been noticing the trend towards workplaces designing creative plantscaping into corporate fit out for some time now, as employers become more informed about the health and wellness benefits that indoor plants bring to workplace productivity.”

Professor Margaret Burchett and her colleagues at the University of Technology Sydney have measured how effective plants are at removing pollutants from the air and give foliage “two green thumbs up”.

“Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emitted from plastic or synthetic materials in office furniture, fittings, computers and printers can cause headaches, loss of concentration and eye, nose and throat problems, while carbon dioxide (CO2) has been linked to drowsiness,” Professor Burchett said.

“Our research has proved that office plants can reduce VOCs by 80 percent and CO2 by up to 25 percent, so the health benefits are significant”.

Employers take note. Cleaner air leads to happier workers with clearer thinking, promoting greater productivity and efficiency. Office plants can cut down staff sick leave by up to 60%.

Professor Burchett said a leafy office relieves stress and reduces negative mood states by up to 60% and just one plant is enough to make a positive difference in the workplace.

The Nursery and Garden Industry Australia (NGIA) has responded to the recent Newspoll survey on workplace plants, by creating a new facebook page which includes ideas for top performing workplace plants, how to keep them alive, games, and a host of relevant information can be found on a new fan page at: www.facebook.com/plantlifebalance.

Interested in this area? For more information call Ambius on T: 02 6241 1451 or visit the Ambius website: www.ambiusindoorplants.com.au .

26

MARKETING

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fall into the same trap, started extolling the technical virtues of filters Marlboro sought to capture its consumers in a different way - through the marketing of attitude. By creating the iconic image of the Marlboro Man they elevated their brand above the product and started selling a state of mind.

Many businesses preoccupation with their product is a vital mistake.

The key to a successful marketing strategy is to focus on your client's priorities and desires. You don't find clients to buy your product, you build an attitude that naturally attracts fans. This is why social media is such an important and successful tool for many businesses today.

Airlines realised years ago that their product of lumpy seats, long waits and bad food was a no win so they cleverly refocused their marketing, realising they were not in the air travel business but the adventure business! More recently Virgin took it up a notch, with their flight attendants voted the 'hottest hostesses', they used this in their well known James Bond style campaign, providing their customers a window seat for the ultimate adventure. Controversial? Yes. Effective? Very.

Attitude? In spades!

The primary message, when injecting your brand with some attitude, should always be about your client - not you. Mixing the right promotional product with a sassy message will create greater impact and costs no more. A local hairdresser gave out caps to its clients with 'in case of emergency put this on and call (their number) immediately', simple yet effective. Another item used was a calendar magnet with the words 'your hair has expired' printed every six weeks. The fans loved it!

So give your clients something to talk about. Be bold, be proud, be brave with your brand and you will no doubt be successful!

Mary Curran is the business & brand manager at Brandnet.

P 02 6123 2990 F 02 6280 9966 W www.brandnet.com.au E mary.curran@brandnet.com.au

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Course details

02264_11

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Enrol now t:1300 764 633 or visit companydirectors.com.au/foundationsofdirectorship

TALENT SERVICES

by Keith Cantlie

WEBSITES

Where do you find “Talent”?

2012 has got off to a flying start so it is a critical time to ensure your organisation has the right mix of “talented individuals” to meet the demands of the year ahead. With skill shortages still prevalent across a range of areas particularly with highly specialist skills it is critical that organisations continue to build their talent pools as well as develop targeted, talent sourcing strategies.

Through targeted engagement and search strategies, Canberra businesses can attract professionals from across Australia or where appropriate from overseas.

28

by Sam Gupta

Improve your website in 2012

Happy New Year. While we are all busy trying to get back into the routine, we can’t escape the importance of setting goals for our businesses in 2012. Below are five main areas to look at, if you want to improve your business via your website.

Just get your team together and go through your website for each of these areas. Gather all suggestions and then prioritise them based on your overall business goals.

Whilst Canberra does provide a diverse range of talent the availability of a broad range of skills is limited. Hence organisations are needing to look a lot further afield to source the right skills and competencies to meet their organisational needs and objectives.

This is where organisations find it quite challenging as they, themselves may not have the resources nor market knowledge to know where to target in order to find the specific skills they require.

Through targeted engagement and search strategies, Canberra businesses can attract professionals from across Australia or where appropriate from overseas. Cantlie has supported a number of local businesses, government, education and not-for-profit organsiations to source individuals with the right skills and expertise who are keen to move to Canberra. Outside of Canberra these candidates have come from interstate but also from some prevalent international markets such as England, Ireland, North America, India and South Africa.

Targeted search adds significant value to the traditional recruitment strategies. It is about identifying specific candidate markets and engaging with those individuals who may not necessarily be actively looking for a new role but who have the right skills and expertise for your organisation. Through effective search, selection and assessment processes you have the opportunity to engage with individuals who have the right skills. Therefore it is critical the engagement process is clearly thought through as it is not just about the role that will attract individuals; it is also about the organisation, future career opportunities and the Canberra lifestyle. By considered planning and execution of the targeted search process organisations will experience a more successful outcome that is both time and cost effective.

To find out how you can utilise targeted specialist search strategies in your organisation please contact Keith Cantlie, Managing Director or Angela Cusack, General Manager on 02 6239 7755 or email keith@ cantlierecruitment.com.au or angela@cantlierecruitment.com.au.

Refresh the look and feel If your website design is more than 18 months old, you should consider refreshing it. Fresh colours and new design can help you retain more visitors for longer.

Optimise better for Search Engines If your website is not ranked amongst the top five website for your primary keywords, you should get your website optimised. Remember, finding and selecting the right keyword is very important. Aim for better ROI when selecting your keywords. Don’t be greedy for traffic. Choosing a good, balanced optimisation strategy is the key.

Sell Goods or Services Online No matter what you do, Sell online if you can! Be it goods or services.

There is never going to be a better time for this. It is not hard to setup. If you are a small business, it may sound scary at first, but it can make your life easy in the long run. Talk to a good web-developer to find out the best way forward for your business. You could discover one of the easiest ways to grow your business this year.

Manage Customers Online It is important for any business to be able to manage their customers and leads online. No matter how small or big your business is it makes a lot of difference when you have the right tools in place. Use a centralised and integrated system with your website.

Automate Business Processes Streamlining your business process is one of the best investments you can make in your business. Be it customer support or regular tasks, you will discover a new life when you automate your business processes using an integrated approach. Such automation can lead to less errors, better productivity, happier customers and more efficient teams.

Just get your team together and go through your website for each of these areas. Gather all suggestions and then prioritise them based on your overall business goals. Let me know if I can be of any help. Give me a call on 1300 785 230 or send an email to admin@synapseworldwide. com. I wish you and your business the very best for the year ahead.

Keith Cantlie, Managing Director Corner Flinders Way and Murray Crescent, Manuka ACT 2603 T: 02 6239 7755 | keith@cantlierecruitment.com.au

Sam Gupta is the managing director of Synapse Worldwide. Sam would love to hear your thoughts on this advice column.

Please contact him on 1300 785 230 or admin@synapseworldwide.com

F e b r u a r y 2 0 12

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Recruitment Systems: Celebrating 10 years of business and continuing to win recognitions as a successful business model in the Australian Capital Region

ACT Export Awards Case Study: Recruitment Systems

DIRECTOR Inland Trading Company

For more information on the ACT Exporters’ Network visit actexportersnetwork.com, or contact the Network’s manager, Pam Faulks, on 0400 090 452, pam.faulks@ canberrabusinesscouncil.com.au.

The ACT Exporters’ Network is proudly sponsored by the ACT Government, Canberra Business Council, the Centre for Customs & Excise Studies, AusIndustry and The Canberra Times.

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C

elebrating 10 years of business, Recruitment Systems continues to win recognitions as a successful business model in the Australian Capital Region. Among the accolades it won this year include the 2011 ACT Chief Minister Export’s Awards Finalist and Small Business Category Winner, as well as the Canberra Business Council’s Finalist for Business Excellence. These awards reaffirm the company’s status as a top exporter in the region.

Recruitment Systems Pty Ltd is a software development company founded in 2001 by CEO Neil Bolton. As a startup company, it has heavily invested in research and development to build its flagship product-- the TRIS Recruitment CRM. Officially launched in 2008, TRIS became the first CRM in the global recruitment industry.

TRIS is a fully integrated software used in sourcing talents. It provides solutions to recruitment agencies and human resource executives across all industries to automate and manage staffing.

Recruitment Systems has forged partnership with major job boards such as SEEK, MyCareer, CareerOne, and other online boards which are integrated into TRIS, along with Microsoft Word and Outlook to manage hiring procedures and track communications. TRIS has resume parsing tools to scour all documents across all industries enabling recruiters to identify and shortlist candidates far easier.

TRIS made its first overseas market record in 2001. Recruitment Systems now works with 300 recruitment clients in 20 countries. About 3000 individual recruiters in these firms use TRIS Recruitment CRM to substantially improve their everyday work flow.

Recruitment Systems has been focused on revolutionising the way the recruitment industry works. As a strong point of difference in the marketplace, Recruitment Systems used to generate profits on a cash-up-front basis-- that is by selling licences. In 2010, the company came up with a subscription model to trigger revenues.

So instead of selling perpetual licences for the software, Recruitment Systems sells solutions by subscriptions. This model has proven to be effective.

The company survived the Global Financial Crisis, although it did negatively affect its cash flow and profit performance in the early years.

B2b In Canberr a

The GFC hit the global staffing industry hard.

The official figure in Australia is that one-third of companies left the industry, which lost half of its personnel. Recruitment Systems was able to grow revenues marginally over those two years on the back of a strong recurring revenue base which covers non-discretionary expenditure.

On revenue, Recruitment Systems devotes approximately 40 percent to adopting leading edge technologies to improve the system. For example, TRIS was originally developed as a client server application. In 2010, the company released a hosted version, which means that clients do not have to maintain servers on site and that both domestic and overseas offices can access the same single database.

In 2011, the company has started working on an iPad version, while also enhancing security for the system.

Indications are that these two latest developments will be the world’s first and significantly build TRIS brand in the market.

The company succeeded in exporting TRIS to the USA, Thailand and Vietnam recently. It also saw some steady growth in traditional export markets - New Zealand, UAE and Qatar. TRIS has also maintained its existing exports to the UK despite the continuing economic difficulties in this market.

Singapore is now the single largest export market with over 100 new users taking up the system in 2010-2011.

Neil Bolton, CEO of Recruitment Systems, with Andrew Kubenk from the Commonwealth Bank, Awards sponsor

M A R I TA COrra

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Stakeholders will meet together in one place to showcase their innovative and creative solutions producing benefits for employers and jobseekers.

2012 ACT & Region Indigenous Expo Education | Training | Employment LOUISE De buSCH

PARTNERSHIP BROKER Ready Program

T

he 2012 ACT & Region Indigenous Expo is an opportunity to draw attention to Indigenous education, training and employment across the ACT and surrounding areas. The Expo will bring together business experience and expertise as a key focus for 2012. It is being hosted by Habitat Personnel in conjunction with the Indigenous Business Chamber of Australia and the ACT & Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

The reinvigoration of the Indigenous Business Chamber of Australia (IBC) in Canberra who are partnered with the ACT & Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry which aims to provide a resource for Indigenous business people and others with an interest in business.

Corporate Sponsors ACTEWAGL, 104.7 / Mix 106.3, Prime TV, The Canberra Times, The Good Guys Tuggeranong, Duesburys Nexia, Synapse Worldwide, B2B in Canberra.

Associates and Affiliates Retail Traders Association, Australian Industry Defence Network Foundation Member Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry

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The reinvigoration of the Indigenous Business Chamber of Australia (IBC) in Canberra who are partnered with the ACT & Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry which aims to provide a resource for Indigenous business people and others with an interest in business. This partnership supports opportunities to create business relationships. The IBC aims to create a platform by strengthening and building effective partnerships across all education and training sectors. This arrangement with business and industry sectors will develop effective pathways for young people and job seekers across the wider community to make the most of their education, training and employment opportunities. The IBC approached Dr Chris Bourke MLA to take on the role of Patron; which he accepted.

To ensure the success of the IBC partnership arrangement we are inviting businesses and industries of all sizes to become involved in this vision.

The Expo has been developed to enhance the effective partnerships between the Federal Government, Local Governments and other B2b In Canberr a

sectors. The Expo will demonstrate the important nexus between the employment and training of Indigenous jobseekers, corporate business, industry, Education and Training Institutions, school leavers and the wider community. These important stakeholders will meet together in one place to showcase their innovative and creative solutions.

Through this collaboration the real opportunities for jobseekers will produce significant benefits to employers.

You are invited to attend the official opening ceremony on Wednesday, 21st of March 2012 at 11am – 12pm held at the Hedley Beare Centre for Teaching and Learning, ACT Education and Training Directorate in Stirling ACT. Alternatively, if you are unable to attend the opening ceremony you are welcome to visit the Expo exhibitors between 10am and 3pm.

Further to this, you are invited to attend the ‘Celebrity Dinner’ prior to the Expo being held on Tuesday, 20th of March 2012 at 6.30 pm to 9.00 pm for high achieving Indigenous students, CEO’s from various sectors, including special guests – Venue (to be confirmed). Should you wish to attend please contact Louise De Busch on 02 6283 5200 or email louise.debusch@actchamber.com.au.

If you wish to be involved in the Expo as either a sponsor or exhibitor could you please contact Louise De Busch on 02 6283 5200 or email louise. debusch@actchamber.com.au.

The Expo is currently being proudly supported by: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), Habitat Personnel, Indigenous Business Chamber of Australia (IBC), ACT & Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry, National Disability Coordination Office DEEWR, Regional Development Australia ACT and Southern Inland, Capital Region BEC, Canberra Institute of Technology Yurauna Centre, ACT Education and Training Directorate, Reconciliation Australia, National Australia Bank, Rotary Club of Canberra City, Motor Trades Association and Charity Computers Australia.

For more information contact ACT & Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry T (02) 6283 5200 F (02) 6282 2436 louise.debusch@actchamber.com.au www.actchamber.com.au

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B2B @ RSM BIRD CAMERON CHRISTMAS PARTY WATERS EDGE B2B was pleased to attend the RSM Bird Cameron Chartered Accountants end of year Christmas Party held at one of Canberra’s best restaurants Waters Edge.

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B2B @ CIT MOMENTUM AT KINGSTON BUS DEPOT MARKETS CIT Creative Arts recently held a three-day three-night showcase at the old bus depot markets called “momentum”. B2B attended the CD Launch on Tuesday night of “momentum”.

B2B @ PIXEL TO PAPER CHRISTMAS PARTY AT THE LIGHTHOUSE PUB B2B would like to wish our designers at Pixel to Paper a very Happy New Year!

We look forward to working with you again in 2012. PS Sorry Roddy is not in the networking photos.

B2B @ CANBERRA BUSINESS COUNCIL CHRISTMAS PARTY B2B looks forward to continuing our close relationship with the Canberra Business Council in 2012. B2B is an active sponsor of the CBC networking events Connect.

B2B @ INO 10TH ANNIVERSARY GALLERY OF AUSTRALIAN DESIGN B2B would like to congratulate Valia Palmer and her great team at ino on a fabulous ten years in Canberra. We look forward to working with you during the next ten.

B2B @ AbaF GOLD BOOK LAUNCH GALLERY OF AUSTRALIAN DESIGN B2B is a great supporter of the arts and Australian Business Arts Foundation and attended the launch of the Gold Book 2011.

B2B @ RBS MORGANS CHRISTMAS PARTY AT OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE ROSE GARDENS B2B would like to thank Matt and Marita Reid for a great afternoon at the RBS Morgans end of year, family friendly, Christmas function in the Rose Gardens at Old Parliament House.

Manuka 16 BougaInvIllE STrEET Eight strata titled commercial units to be sold individually. Ideally positioned in Canberra’s premier boutique shopping and eating village. Built in 1991 and architecturally designed around a leafy, central garden atrium. Ideal investment for your SMSF or alternatively you can become your own landlord. The units range from 63m2 to 70m2, each reverse cycle air conditioned and with their own facilities and off street car parking. Please phone for further details.

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