B2B Magazine issue 116 June 2016 by B2B magazine

116 JUNE 2016

B2BMAGAZINE.COM.AU

BANKRUPTCY LAWS Take steps to avoid insolvency, RSM Australia (p.14)

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION Your right to know? Bradley Allen Love (p.26)

‘The one thing that’s constant in technology is change’ COVER STORY (p.19)

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PUBLISHER'S NOTE

85 PER CENT OF BUSINESSES AGREE …

When marketing anything, numbers are important. Be they statistics, percentages, milestones, growth, increases, size, projections - and most important dollars etc. They matter. Don’t kid yourself. They are the basis of all news stories. Young journalists are taught to ask ‘Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?’ and most importantly ‘How much?’. If you want to sum up what ‘News’ is then it has to have all of these elements. The most important element is the ‘How much?’. If you are trying to write a media release, article, blog, Facebook post etc. you need numbers to make it interesting, give it credibility and grab the attention of your audience. This can be as simple as a milestone ie anniversaries (1st, 3rd 5th,10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 75th, 100th – these work for me). But of course, they can be as short as the first: day, week, month, 100 days etc. So after the milestone the next most important news element is dollars. Journalists love dollars. Have you noticed that the same amount of space will be given to a story about a $500 donation to a local worthy cause (St Vinnies, Scouts, Refuge) as a $50,000 donation? People seem to have a voyeuristic fascination with the ‘How much?’ question. So use it. Talk dollars. Third best numbers are percentages. 100 per cent of things can be turned into percentages (see what I did there). And, not wanting to be too cynical but, how many of us go to the source to check whether percentages are correct and are actually factual – not many. My fourth most important set of numbers are lists. Lists give structure and form and credibility. They give a semblance that there has been much research, thought and review undertaken before the list has been produced … so, in summary, my list of top numbers to include in your marketing are: 1. Milestones 2. Dollars 3. Percentages 4. Lists Which brings me to the ‘Mannheim Steamroller’ of the Federal Election campaign. Slowly it is gaining speed and rising to the crescendo that will be election day. To illustrate the importance of my list of top numbers to include in your marketing I randomly Googled the federal election and the first article had all four. Check it here: Federal Election 2016: Turnbull, Shorten campaign in Brisbane (http://goo.gl/Lw9Rn7). Tim Benson, Publisher Send all comments to: editorial@b2bmagazine.com.au

3 Strategies to break through the hum-drum of business life Kristin Miller General Manager Smart Business Guardian Are you struggling to get through everything you want to do each day? Ever wonder how those ultra-successful people do it? Richard Branson swears by waking up early. Zappos founder Tony Hsieh bundles up all the emails he needs to reply to each day and hits them in one go. Winston Churchill would spend most of his morning working in his bed. Here are some strategies for the over-worked, over-burdened, and sometimes under-appreciated entrepreneur, startup or small business owner.

❶ Develop your own 'system' of working

Put together your own customised personal plan. Think about when you are most productive each day, where and how you like to work. Then stick to it!

❷ Take more breaks

Research shows we are more productive if we give ourselves time to re-energise throughout the day. Pausing will help you recharge and get back to your best.

❸ Break your work into smaller tasks

Once your strategy is set give your team the best chance of completing it by breaking the work down into smaller tasks. By doing this you will see progress. It's amazing how much more productive a team is when is motivated by momentum and results.

(02) 6162 1187 49 Phillip Avenue, Room C205, Watson, ACT 2602 smartbusinessguardian.com

CONTENTS FEATURES 05 “Setting up my small business in 2000 was one of the biggest, scariest, riskiest decisions of my life ...” (Advertisement) by Gai Brodtmann MP

06 Hear me out - Women’s experiences of seeking help for domestic violence in the ACT by DDCS Lawyers 07 Is a ‘candidate rich’ market for better or for worse? by PCA People 07 ESC Technology: celebrating 15 years of service by Tim Benson 08 Transformation or change? Working through complexity at Convergence

Australia 2016 by Redgrass Communications 10 Could Canberra become the ‘Strata Title’ Capital of Australia? by Tim Benson 12 Personal training without the expensive price tag by Tim Benson 14 Australia’s bankruptcy laws and steps for avoiding insolvency

by RSM 16 How does a strata-manager fit in the property industry? by Tim Benson

26 BUSINESS LAW Freedom of Information – your right to know by Bradley Allen Love Lawyers 26 BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY Make your building work to save you money by Actsmart Business recycling. energy. water. 27 FAMILY LAW The risks of self diagnosed legal advice by DDCS Lawyers 27 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Marathon: an event, a brand, a metaphor? by Arete Group 28 REAL ESTATE Buying your first home. Let’s look at the options by Maloney's Property 28 RECRUITMENT Salary increases unlikely to excite this year: Hays Salary Guide released by Hays Recruiting Experts Worldwide 29 STRATA MANAGEMENT Strata title is the way of the future by Vantage Strata 30 WEBSITES How to generate leads? by Synapse Worldwide

COVER STORY

A2B: ASSOCIATIONS TO BUSINESS

19 Leave i.t to us! by OPC i.t

32 CANBERRA BUSINESS CHAMBER Businesses will need to change because of climate change

ADVICE FROM THE EXPERTS

25 BOOKKEEPING Knowing your numbers is the key to your start-up’s success by Tailored Accounts

25 ACCOUNTING - CONSULTING Contemporary programme evaluation for modern government by RSM

G2B: GOVERMENT TO BUSINESS 34 CHIEF MINISTER'S MESSAGE ACT exports boom as work to diversify economy builds momentum 36 BUSINESS NETWORKING

ISSN 1833-8232 LEGAL NOTICE

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Man Bites Dog Public Relations (‘MBD’) owns the copyright in this publication. Except for any fair dealing as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 (Cwth), no part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written permission of MBD. MBD has been careful in preparing this publication, however: it is not able to, and does not warrant that the publication is free from errors and omissions; and it is not able to verify, and has not verified the accuracy of the information and opinions contained or expressed in, or which may be conveyed to readers by any advertisement or other publication content. MBD advises that it accepts all contributed material and advertisements contained in this publication in good faith, and relies on various warranties and permissions provided to it by the persons who contribute material and/or place advertisements. Those warranties and permissions include that neither the material and/or advertisements are misleading, deceptive or defamatory, and that their use, adaptation or publication does not infringe the rights of any third party, or any relevant laws. Further, MBD notifies readers that it does not, nor should it be understood to endorse, adopt, approve or otherwise associate MBD with any representations made in contributions and/or advertisements contained in the publication. MBD makes no representation or warranty as to the qualifications of any contributor or advertiser or persons associated with them, and advises readers that they must rely solely on their own enquiries in relation to such qualifications, and be satisfied from those enquiries that persons with whom they deal as a result of reading any material or advertisement have the necessary licences and professional qualifications relating to the goods and services offered. To the maximum extent permitted by law, MBD excludes all liabilities in contract, tort (including negligence) and/or statute for loss, damage, costs and expenses of any kind to any person arising directly or indirectly from any material or advertisement contained in this publication, whether arising from an error, omission, misrepresentation or any other cause.

“Setting up my small business in 2000 was one of the biggest, scariest, riskiest decisions of my life ...” By Gai Brodtmann MP

left my career in the public service – six months shy of long service leave – and decided to hang up my shingle, with just one three month contract. Some would say I was nuts. I would say they don’t understand what drives small business owners. Because I loved every minute of it. Sure, it was challenging. Absolutely, there were sleepless nights. But after a decade running that small business, with back to back contracts, I’d do it all again. Because I loved shaping my own future and I still love talking with other small business owners about how they’re shaping their futures through their ideas and hard work. It’s why I sing the praises of Canberra’s small business community every chance I get. It’s why I established the Small Business Caucus Group, to give my Labor colleagues a forum to discuss policy issues affecting small businesses in their communities. It’s why I’ve arranged for Canberra’s small business owners to speak to Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries and their Shadows – so they can discuss, face to face with policy makers, what improvements need to be made. And it’s why I set up the bipartisan Parliamentary Friends of Small Business so I could showcase the achievements of small business here in Canberra and throughout Australia. My background as a small business owner in Canberra gives me a little bit of insight into what small businesses really need. Canberra’s small business community is unique. It operates in an environment where government is often a client, and public servants are Canberra’s customers. We’re no government theme park, but a large

part of our economy is directly or indirectly linked to government. One of my frustrations as a small business owner was accessing long term government contracts, particularly panels. When I was tendering for a panel, I inevitably had to link up with a team of other small businesses or sub-contract to a prime, at a significantly lower fee than what was quoted in the tender. As any small business in Canberra knows, government procurement decisions are too often steered towards well established products and services and big names. This means that new technologies, innovation and the flexibility and new ideas offered by small business are often bypassed or don’t even get a look in. With Commonwealth procurement worth over $48 billion a year, we need to encourage government agencies to better engage with small business and drive innovation and new ideas. A Shorten Labor Government will trial an AusGov Challenge Platform to provide a single portal for government agencies to submit challenges for the public to respond. The challenges – essentially competitions – will be managed through a centralised online platform, with agencies setting reward funding or prizes on the basis of

the expected return to government from solving the problem. A Shorten Labor Government will invest $5 million to establish the online challenge platform and build capacity in agencies that choose to participate in the trial. If successful, the platform will be expanded and the procurement rules and processes amended to allow the challenge platform to grow and adapt. It’s a great idea and one driven by feedback from small business owners, including many here in Canberra. It’s a reflection of the conversations we’ve had with small businesses right around the country, who are crying out for a fair go. And it’s just a start. We need a government that understands there’s more to Australian business than the big four banks. That’s what Labor is offering. And I’m proud to be a part of it.

Authorised by Gai Brodtmann MP, 205 Anketell St, Tuggeranong, ACT 2900.

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F E AT U R E

Hear me out

Women’s experiences of seeking help for domestic violence in the ACT By Di Simpson

omehow, in our thinking and talking about domestic violence, we’ve created a stereotype that only fits a certain kind of circumstance. We seem to revert to a mental checklist of what domestic violence looks like and what it doesn’t; of who “qualifies” as a victim and who doesn’t fit with our expectations. We’ve lost sight of the fact that no two situations are the same and all experiences are different. Women literally die each week in this country through murderous acts of domestic violence. And while we know a great deal about why and how domestic violence happens, it goes on. As family lawyers who work with women who have experienced domestic violence, our role extends beyond the court room and beyond a particular client. It is our responsibility to continue this conversation, wherever we are, to raise awareness of this far reaching and catastrophic problem. All of us in our different roles, must understand what domestic violence means and what it does – it may impact the woman at the desk next to yours; the child in class with your children; the friend you never see much anymore. The Women’s Centre for Health Matters (WCHM) published a report on 6 April 2016, providing insight into women’s experiences in seeking help for domestic violence (DV) in the ACT. The research conducted by Angela Carnovale has reiterated just how much work is still required to prevent DV and improve safety for women and children in both the ACT and by analogy, across Australia. The terrible statistics provided on page 9 of the report confirm the urgent need to do more to prevent and respond to domestic violence: • In Australia, a woman dies at the 6

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hands of a current or former partner almost every week; • 1 in 3 has experienced physical violence since the age of 15; • 1 in 5 has experienced sexual violence; • 1 in 4 has experienced emotional abuse by a current or former partner; • Women in Australia are 3 times more likely than men to experience violence from a partner; • Economic abuse is widespread but often not recognised as DV, including by those who are experiencing it. Through the stories of 17 women who shared their experiences of seeking assistance in the ACT, it is clear that a spectrum of violence requires a spectrum of responses, and these responses must ensure that victims feel protected, not punished. While many of the women who participated in the study spoke very highly of the support they received, there were others who spoke with despair and bewilderment of the failures. These included the bureaucratic burdens imposed upon them, especially when urgent housing and financial support was needed. It is particularly disturbing that women continue to report that there remained a pervasive and persistent view that domestic violence was only taken “seriously” if physical violence had occurred. There are a number of people in the community who are calling for specialist family violence courts to deal with all issues relating to the protection of victims and their children. Sadly but realistically, the cost burden of implementing that system, with all the good will in the world, is likely to see the idea languish. So where does that leave us? Strengthening the quality and frequency of training to those within the courts and

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providing frank feedback about how the courts (and key personnel) deal with those who have experienced domestic violence, is essential. In the ACT, asking the key Court personnel and police to read this Report would be a good start. In fact, every person interested in what we can do in the ACT, to prevent domestic violence and improve safety for women and children should read this report. From the stories shared, it is clear that there is still much work to be done. This must remain a priority as statistics are going the wrong way. The Domestic Violence Crisis Service (DVCS) received 21,361 calls for help in 2015, up from 16,270 the year before. The numbers are there and won’t change until we do more. Last year in our community, two women were murdered by their former partners and one woman was allegedly murdered by her then partner. In the ACT, we have a real opportunity to shape and model best practice responses to domestic violence. What is stopping us from leading the way?

Di Simpson is a partner and family lawyer of the firm. 18 Kendall Lane, New Acton, Canberra phone (02) 6212 7600 mail@ddcslawyers.com.au www.ddcslawyers.com.au

UPFRONT

Is a ‘candidate rich’ market for better or for worse? By Sandy Gibbs

ou’d think it would be the ideal for any employer, however, a candidate rich market can complicate the recruitment process. Worth noting quantity does not align with quality! Be it internal or external recruitment, it’s both time-consuming and costly to recruit. To manage this in a candidate rich market increases the difficulty - not only to secure that perfect candidate, but managing the process to get there! What to bear in mind in such a market: • Candidates may seek assistance for professional resume development to achieve a competitive edge. They can look great on paper only to find it’s been written for them – in every sense! • Being constantly knocked back, candidates may under-value their ability due to lowered self-esteem and may also apply for roles significantly below their level of capability. The perception can be “great value for money”, but what is the risk? • Candidates may interview with an increased level of pressure, many having

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been out of work for months. This in itself can skew the interview and you’re left wondering “was it nerves or wasn’t it”? Good people are valuable! If they look exceptional, why are they on the market? Take time to find out. Differentiate the genuine candidate: Beware of resumes in a third person style and look for specific detail, not subjective statements. Produce specific interview questions that are behavioural based, but more importantly aligned to the candidate’s resume claims. How much will it cost to employ an overqualified candidate only to find it was “until something better came along”! Take the time for second interviews, managing the gaps and putting pressure on, in relation to your concerns. Use references to identify how boredom is managed! Robust reference checking is even more important; more than ever before. Probe the referee and know why this candidate is on the market.

Is recruitment your forte - how much time and energy can you afford to work through the volume; what is the risk of missing that perfect person because you’re unable to do the process justice; could that one candidate you don’t see be the one you need? There are a number of ways for us to provide support for parts of the recruitment process, helping to keep traction when it’s essential. Remember, our consulting and support will cost you absolutely nothing until we find that right person! PCA People “let’s make things happen.”

Sandy Gibbs Branch Manager PCA People a division of DFP Recruitment

T: (02) 6257 1010 http://www.pcapeople.com.au/

ESC Technology: celebrating 15 years of service

SC’s Managing Director, John Falez, said that ESC Technology has gone from strength to strength over the past 15 years. “I’ve seen technology change substantially but customers are still looking for the same high level outcomes and standards of service. At ESC we’re continually striving to provide our customers with the most appropriate technology for the task with the best possible service levels,” John said. ESC Technology carries out equipment

servicing and repairs, manufacturer’s warranty for consumer level office devices, business and enterprise equipment and commercial and industrial equipment. ESC Technology was first established as Electronic Services Canberra in 1965. New ownership and a name change occurred in 2001 and 2004 respectively. “We are very keen to let Canberra businesses know about a new Epson multifunction-printer that can print 75,000 pages without changing inks,” John outlined, “This leads to a price far below the traditional laser based technology and colour A4 prints from as low as two cents.” John says that many small businesses setand-forget their office technology because they very busy multitasking themselves. “It’s worth your while giving me a call to have a quick chat about your current equipment to determine whether or not we can provide you with more efficient and cost effective solutions,” John stated. ESC is an authorised service centre for Oki, Canon, Brother, Samsung, Panasonic and Epson imaging products. They’re qualified and very experienced in the repair and servicing of inkjet and laser printers and multifunction

devices, A3/A4 copier/multifunctions, large format printers/plotters, projectors, electronic whiteboards and similar products. “I’d encourage businesses, schools or government agencies to speak to me before they commit to spending their budgets on less tailored solutions and technology that won’t be flexible enough to meet their future needs,” John said. ESC Technology is located at 52 Wollongong Street Fyshwick, where they undertake workshop repairs. They also have a mobile fleet that is available to carry out on-site servicing.

Contact John Falez, ESC Technology on (02) 6280 6498 or sales@esctech.com.au

1/52 Wollongong St Fyshwick ACT www.esctechnology.com.au

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UPFRONT

Transformation or change? Working through complexity at Convergence Australia 2016

e came. We engaged. We walked away more enlightened. Convergence – Optimising your organisational change - held in April 2016, was launched at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra to an 80 strong participant group from around the country. Created and funded by founder of Redgrass Communications, Sonia Irwin, the event drew together some of the top experts in Australia. From futurist Tim Longhurst opening the day asking us to be FLAWESOME – flawed and awesome at the same time – to the closing speaker, Cris Popp who challenged us on our understanding about resilience. Convergence achieved its intent to raise the bar on change management conversations. “Convergence was a fantastic day” said Sonia Irwin. “What was born out of frustration in that we were not achieving best practice with change management; I feel that we have now set a new benchmark and

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Virginia Haussegger, Dr Jane Gunn (KPMG), Lembit Suur (Finance), Barry Anderson (Tanner James) and Michelle Melbourne (Intelledox).

that we may be able to start to effect real organisational transformation. We have to help these large change programmes deliver on intended benefits. The resourcing cost is too high to not have these conversations”. Some of the key gems arising out of the day included hearing from the panel, facilitated by Virginia Haussegger. “We heard from Lembit Surr, First Assistant Secretary, Finance who reminded us that what we did previously was the best we could do at that point in time” said Sonia. “I think it’s an important lesson, as people often get stuck on why we need to change. Valuing organisational history and culture helps build transformation momentum”. “We’d like to thank Synergy Group, the Women in Information and Communication Network and the Change Management Institute for their support. A special shout

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out to both Kim Moeller (Synergy) and Jessica O’Meara (WIC) for their support and energy on the day” said Sonia Irwin. So what next for Convergence? “We started a conversation that is by no means over. Our participants on the day asked when Convergence is on again” said Sonia Irwin. “There is a real desire to keep the ball rolling, so we’re looking at sponsorship and speakers for next years’ event now and extending the event into the Asia Pacific region. We’re also about to launch the videos of the day for participants and subscribers, and host Convergence Intensive in early Spring with some of our popular speakers“. If you are interested in finding out more, go to www.convergence.com.au.

Make Golf at Federal part of your Business Plan

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+ Canberra Business Chamber

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+ Snowy Hydro Southcare Helicopter Service

+ Flexible Corporate Golf Day options

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F E AT U R E

Could Canberra become the ‘Strata Title’ Capital of Australia? By Tim Benson

his is the question posed by the President of Strata Community Australia (ACT), Chris Miller. Chris has a long history in property and strata management in Canberra culminating in recently becoming the Managing Director of his own strata management business, Vantage Strata. “I believe Canberra will become the ‘Strata Title’ Capital of Australia. We have an aging population, high property prices, largely professional or white collar workforce and young people that, on the whole, would rather be living life than mowing lawns and clearing leaves out of gutters and nature strips,” Chris mused. “Add to this the fact that Canberrans don’t really like to commute - 20 minutes is the other side of the earth - waiting in traffic is becoming more common, paid parking is thought to be outrageous and the weather … too hot, too cold, too windy …” According to Chris ‘a-perfect-storm’ has been forming leading to an explosion of strata communities in the ACT. “Strata communities are for everyone. They are becoming an ever popular choice for the young and old. For single people, couples and families,” Chris stated. So what is ‘strata title’? What is Strata Community Australia (ACT)? And what is a Strata Manager? Strata Title “Strata title is actually an Australian innovation in property law that has been copied around the globe,” Chris said. It allows individual ownership of part 10

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of a property (called a lot’ and generally an apartment or townhouse), combined with shared ownership in the remainder (called ‘Common Property’ e.g. foyers, driveways, gardens) through a legal entity called the owners corporation — or body corporate, strata company or community association, depending on your state or territory of residence and the type of scheme. The concept only came into being 50 years ago and there are now more than 270,000 such schemes encompassing more than two million individual lots across Australia. Developments that can exist under strata plans can be: • residential • commercial • retail • mixed use – i.e. retail and/or commercial and/or residential • serviced apartments • retirement villages • caravan parks • resorts. What is a ‘strata manager’? Strata managers are engaged by the strata scheme’s owners committee to manage the day-to-day affairs of the scheme. Strata managers provide services and advice on: • Financial management • Insurance • Clerical and administrative support and follow up • Ad hoc maintenance and contract support • Ensure requirements of the relevant legislation are met • Advise on the legal requirements

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concerning the operation of the strata scheme. “The role of a strata manager varies depending on the size and type of property and involves people management, someone who is organised and has the capacity to handle difficult clients,” Chris laughed. According to Strata Community Australia, the first thing to establish, when choosing a strata manager, is whether the they have a good working knowledge of the relevant legislation. “A lot of strata schemes choose their strata manager based on price but this is not necessarily the best way of choosing. If the building is going to be complex then it may be best to decide on experience instead.” Chris explained. SCA is currently introducing an accreditation program where members in each state will be able to gain a certain level of accreditation according to the training and experience they have in the sector. This will make it easier for strata schemes to determine if their strata manager has the appropriate qualifications and experience to manage their property. “By choosing an SCA accredited strata manager strata schemes are also choosing someone who adheres to a code of ethics and undertakes regular training,” Chris said confidently. Chris also said the legislation governing owners corporations and the compliance requirements are quite complex. Selfmanaged owners corporations are expected to perform the role of a property manager,

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with the expertise of a lawyer, valuer, insurance broker and accountant on tap. In addition, owners corporations are well advised to make short and long term plans for ongoing, periodic, routine and urgent maintenance management. “For owners who may have other jobs, getting to grips with all this can be daunting,” Chris said. “Strata managers are experts in the administration of all aspects of owners corporations. We work to ensure owners corporations are compliant with their legal responsibilities and strive to protect owner assets.” Strata Community Australia (ACT) Strata Community Australia (ACT) is affiliated with Strata Communities Australia and represents 85% of strata management practitioners in the Australian Capital Territory. It is the peak association supporting the strata sector in the Australian Capital Territory. SCA (ACT) works with unit owners and practitioners in the strata industry in the Australian Capital Territory to provide professional development for members, ensure professional standards are maintained, provide protection to consumers, and assist the resolution of disputes between members and their clients. “We have also created a standard agency agreement so that services and fees are clearly defined. Members are principally strata management firms and their employees. Owners corporations, and suppliers of products and services to the strata industry, are also welcome as members,” said Chris.

Photo: Tim Benson

Chris Miller President, Strata Community Australia (ACT)

Strata Community Australia Limited (SCA) is the peak industry body for Body Corporate and Community Title Managementin Australia. Membership includes body corporate managers, support staff, committee members and suppliers of products and services to the industry. SCA proudly fulfils the dual roles of a professional institute and consumer advocate. SCA has in excess of 3,300 members who help oversee, advise or manage a combined property portfolio with an estimated replacement value of over $1.2 trillion.

Strata Community Australia Limited (SCA) is the peak industry body for Body Corporate and Community Title Management in Australia. Membership includes body corporate managers, support staff, committee members and suppliers of products and services to the industry. SCA proudly fulfils the dual roles of a professional institute and consumer advocate. SCA has in excess of 3,300 members who help oversee, advise or manage a combined property portfolio with an estimated replacement value of over $1.2 trillion. Strata Community Australia Limited P +6209 1504 M +61 418 641 988 www.stratacommunity.org.au

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F E AT U R E

The Trick Fitness difference

“As a busy person working two jobs, both as an occupational therapist and pole dance instructor, Trick Fitness ensures that I’m always improving on my personal best. I can then help my clients take on new challenges.” Zoe Featonby

Personal training without the expensive price tag Words and photography: Tim Benson

f you’re a busy person that currently invests a lot of money in a personal trainer each week or someone that would like a personal trainer but baulk at the cost – then Trick Fitness is for you. Most personal trainers charge between $60 to $120 per session. At Trick Fitness you could train 10+ times a week with a personal trainer for a total cost from $52 per week - less than the cost of one session elsewhere. “Each week you book in as many sessions as you feel like and are then trained by a personal trainer during each session,” Andrew Thurling, Founder and Director at Trick Fitness, said. How does it work? Trick Fitness memberships run from 12 weeks. At the start there is an assessment

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to see what clients want to achieve during the 12 weeks. The assessment includes measurements and body composition testing (a readout of active muscle tissue, body fat as a percentage and hydration). “We set goals with the client and design a program based around those goals,” Andrew explained. At Trick Fitness there is a maximum of five clients per trainer. Each time you book a session you have a personal trainer. Another great feature at Trick Fitness is that they have a booking system to allocate enough staff so that the gym is never overcrowded. “People don’t usually like gyms because they don’t know what to do or how to use the equipment and therefore don’t get the results they are looking for,” Andrew offered.

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At Trick Fitness you can pay the cost of one personal training session per week (from $52 per week for 24 weeks) and receive the following: 1. assessment and goal setting session 2. personal program developed specifically to achieve your goals 3. progress assessment every month 4. unlimited training sessions per week; and most importantly 5. fully qualified personal trainer every time you train.

Who uses Trick Fitness? People are coming to Trick Fitness for many reasons including weight loss, rehabilitation, strength training and stress relief. • Weight loss. Let’s face it most people turn to a gym to assist with weight loss. Trick Fitness can work with people of all shapes and sizes to achieve their goals. Trick Fitness can also work with people’s diet and their understanding of food and how it can work with exercise to achieve their weight loss goals. They can also provide supplements to increase results at a greater rate. • Rehabilitation from injuries to shoulders, knees, hips and backs. Trick Fitness can work closely with physiotherapists and sports chiropractors. • Strength Training for people that want to put on weight and build muscle to keep up with their kids, get into body building and powerlifting or a particular sport. • Stress Relief is important for many people. “For some of our clients if they went to work and skipped their gym session they would risk exploding at work. They burn off their stress at the gym and go into work happy,” Andrew reflected. “TF is great for busy business people that feel they don’t have the time for fitness or training in the gym. A program can be developed to work around busy schedules and flexible training times. Any trainer can pick up your card and see your attendance and program and work with you appropriately,” Andrew concluded.

Make an investment in health today For individual and corporate training options, contact Trick Fitness Founder and Director, Andrew Thurling on 02 6288 0055 or info@trickfitness.com.au www.trickfitness.com.au

Mention B2B magazine to receive 10% discount Valid to new clients only.

John James Village - Canberra’s home-away-from-home for blood cancer patients. Please support John James Village by donating a tree online at www.jjvillage.org.au/plant-a-tree

getting a serious illness is not something most people want to think about. In Australia, 35 people a day - from infants to the elderly - are diagnosed with life threatening blood cancers such as leukaemia, myeloma and lymphoma. A diagnosis can mean adults must leave work and home immediately to start daily hospital treatment, often for months at a time. When children are sick, decisions can be even more complex.

John James Village is being developed with the Leukaemia Foundation to provide support services from their new facilities.

For those outside capital cities, the first question is often simply – ‘but where will I live while I (or my partner or child) get treated...’?

Now we need your help to make sure John James Village is Canberra’s best possible home-away-from-home for blood cancer patients.

People in the Canberra region will soon have a new answer to this question.

One way is to plant a tree for JJV. We want to plant more than 40 saplings to be part of a beautiful sensory garden at John James Village.

Canberra medical charity the John James Foundation (www.jjf.org.au) is building a new home-away-from-home for blood cancer patients, John James Village, at Garran.

The John James Foundation has funded the $7 million John James Village project. Blood cancer patients can stay with their family at John James Village for as long as necessary without charge.

Please donate online at www.jjvillage.org.au/plant-a-tree between now and August 2016. Then

come to the special Village planting day from midday on Friday 5 August (or let the John James Foundation plant it for you). A donation of $3,000 will fund one beautiful tree. Plant it in your name or the name of your business. Or get a group together and choose a special name. $3,000 is a lot of money. Then again, your tree will make a lot of difference in the life of a lot of people with blood cancer. Thank you.

DONATIONS OF $2 AND OVER ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. Visit the website www.jjvillage.org.au for more about John James Village and more ways to donate.

F E AT U R E

Australia’s bankruptcy laws and steps for avoiding insolvency Frank Lo Pilato and Jon Colbran RSM Australia

he Federal Government’s Bankruptcy and Insolvency Laws Proposals Paper proposes three changes to Australia’s bankruptcy and insolvency laws, with a view to encouraging entrepreneurship in Australia while simultaneously protecting the rights of creditors. Will these changes be beneficial? The proposals are: 1. Reduction of the current default bankruptcy period from three years to one year. 2. ‘Safe Harbour’ provisions for directors from personal liability for insolvent trading, providing they appoint a restructuring adviser. 3. Making ‘ipso facto’ clauses (where contracts can be terminated early due solely to insolvency) unenforceable in cases where the company is undergoing a restructure. In the sections below we provide some commentary on the proposals, and also outline five steps towards business recovery.

Frank Lo Pilato Partner, RSM Australia

Reduction of the default bankruptcy period Proposals made in the paper include: • Retention of the trustee’s ability to object to discharge, and extend the period of bankruptcy up to eight years in cases of misconduct. • That even after discharge, the obligations on a bankrupt to assist in the administration of their bankruptcy remain in place. • Separation of the obligation to pay 14

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income contributions from the default bankruptcy period. This means income contributions will be payable by a bankrupt for a minimum period of three years, even with the reduction of the bankruptcy period in place. • Reduction of credit restrictions on a bankrupt to one year, subject to any extension or misconduct. • Reduction of the overseas travel restriction by the bankrupt to one year, subject to any extension or misconduct.

“Businesses that admit they are in trouble and commit to turning the situation around are more likely to be successful than otherwise.” • Consultation with industry and licencing associations with a view to aligning industry and licencing restrictions with the reduced period of bankruptcy. We would question whether one of the stated objectives of this proposal, namely, to encourage entrepreneurial activity, is likely to be accomplished on implementation. Conclusion In our overall view the above proposals get the balance right, and should be supported. Safe harbour provisions and ipso facto clauses The government has indicated it intends to pursue the innovative approach of providing directors with a safe harbour option. This allows directors to retain control of the company, while receiving restructuring advice from professional advisers within a framework that provides for the interests of creditors.

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Background on Australia’s insolvency laws Prior to 1993, there was no statutory definition of insolvency. The insolvent trading provisions were amended in 1993 to implement the recommendations of the Harmer Inquiry. The amendments sought to address the identified criticisms of the then existing provisions. The criticisms included: • Failure to encourage directors to deal with solvency issues in a timely manner. • A failure to maintain records. • Directors were provided with a defence in cases where they failed to perform their duties with proper diligence, by omitting to take a sufficient role in management. • Creditors were given the right to prosecute the claim, in effect excluding the liquidator. Under the amendments ‘Voluntary Administration’ (VA) was introduced – which allows companies to continue trading even while at risk of insolvency, under the provison that they appoint administrators. The implementation of the current insolvent trading provisions was accompanied by a great trade off by the ATO. In this case the ATO surrendered its statutory priority for unremitted withholding taxes, and in return gained the director penalty notice regime to recover these taxes from directors in certain circumstances. The director penalty notice regime has been strengthened in recent years, but has failed to incorporate the GST. Insolvency professionals acting as company administrators are personally liable for debts incurred from the time of their appointment to a company, as well as any amount of GST involved. If directors are not prepared to try to turnaround a failing business with the defences available to them to avoid personal liability, it is little wonder that company administrators have little appetite to seek to implement creative and risky restructuring options with no defences available to them. Our insolvent trading provisions are often subject to strong criticism by various interest groups. It is claimed they discourage directors from attempting to implement restructuring

F E AT U R E

“Inventory should be kept in line with revenue, while an intense focus on customer service can also help to build revenue.” proposals to turn their businesses around, and that they bring about the destruction of value and job losses as a consequence of formal insolvency administrations. However, the prohibition on insolvent trading was introduced to protect creditors from directors disregarding the capacity of the company to repay when incurring debt. Is the safe harbour necessary? Australia’s insolvent trading regime is tougher than the UK’s wrongful trading regime. In addition, neither the United States nor Canada have a statutory insolvent trading regime. The Australian regime was implemented in conjunction with the director penalty regime and the VA process, to encourage directors to act in a timely manner to appoint an administrator. The object of the administration is the management of the business, property and affairs of the company. This is done with a view to maximising the chance of the company – or as much as possible of its business – continuing its existence. In cases where this is not possible, the aim is to at least provide a better return to creditors than would occur in the case of an immediate winding up. We consider that the VA process has not provided the opportunities for business restructuring that was hoped for by its creators. Reasons for this include the capacity of a secured creditor to appoint a receiver in certain circumstances, as well as the enforcement of ipso facto clauses and the personal liability of administrators. It is uncertain whether the safe harbour will meet the high expectations that its promoters promise either. An informal restructuring without statutory imposition of its terms on recalcitrant creditors can be very hard to negotiate, implement and administer. Conclusion Efforts by the legislature to encourage timely action by company directors to appoint an administrator, in order to maximise the prospects of a successful restructuring of the business and save jobs, have been frustrated by the practical impacts of ipso facto clauses, secured creditors retaining the right to appoint receivers, and

Jon Colbran Partner, RSM Australia

the personal liability of the administrator for debts including GST. Change is certainly required, but the safe harbour provision may not be the answer. How businesses can regain their financial stability Often when a business runs into trouble it can be a slippery slope. Without the cash reserves to invest in new staff or processes, the business could find it difficult to recover. However, it may be possible to do so as long as the business owner can take a logical, stepwise approach. RSM has identified five steps towards business recovery: 1. Attack the crisis early and head on Businesses that admit they are in trouble and commit to turning the situation around are more likely to be successful than otherwise. Business owners should assess their current situation, and make immediate changes that will have the biggest positive impact on cash flow and revenue first. It is vital to set objectives and develop a plan for achieving them – the key is to act decisively and quickly. 2. Get information immediately It may be possible to restructure or extend existing financial credit to ease financial stress in the short term. In light of this it is important for business owners to communicate with financiers and suppliers to get as much breathing room as they possibly can. 3. Communicate with customers If the business needs to make changes to invoicing schedules and payment

terms, it is crucial that they communicate directly with customers to maximise the value of any goodwill and encourage earlier payments. Business owners should consider offering aggressive discounts or deals to get cash flowing into the business as quickly as possible. 4. Hit the pause button on spending Businesses in trouble should only buy the minimum amount of inputs needed for the enterprise to operate. Inventory should be kept in line with revenue, while an intense focus on customer service can also help to build revenue. 5. Get help Organisations should seek professional advice to help them make the changes they need to make. Business and financial advisors can show companies how to restructure both their operations and their financial commitments effectively, in order to maximise their chances of getting back on their feet. By following the steps listed above, it may be easier for businesses experiencing a difficult patch to recover from their current situation and avoid insolvency and its consequences. However, it’s important to face the situation head on, to seek professional advice as early as possible, and to formulate a comprehensive recovery plan.

For further information, please contact: Frank Lo Pilato Partner, RSM Australia 02 6217 0348 frank.lopilato@rsm.com.au Jon Colbran Partner, RSM Australia 02 6217 0341 jonathon.colbran@rsm.com.au

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F E AT U R E

How does a strata-manager fit in the property industry? By Tim Benson

Photo: Tim Benson

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any new developments are currently sold off the plan. What that means is that a developer purchases land and, with the help of architects, designs a building that meets planning guidelines and restrictions. A strata management company is then often engaged at that early stage, to assist the developer in deciding how common property amenities can be built and managed. Strata Communities Australia National President, Erik Adriaanse says a strata management company plays a major role in providing estimates of the costs in running an owners’ corporation. “These estimates are based on quotes received from the suppliers of goods and services, including energy providers, cleaners, facilities managers, gardeners, pool maintenance and lift companies,” Erik says.

“SCA is the professional body looking after owners, managers and suppliers in the strata sector. We encourage our members to adhere to certain standards to ensure owners are not disadvantaged through underquoting.” “This can occasionally be a bit tricky because there is a possibility that levies arising from the cost estimates may be more than the developer or project marketer has anticipated”. “A developer may also seek alternative quotes using a tender process. This may be more palatable for the ultimate buyers than those provided by a strata management company, bringing the developer’s costs down and making the property more attractive to potential buyers”. “However it is important that these estimates are prepared for the developer and the eventual buyers in a commercial and legally defensible manner.” According to Erik, this means that, as well as being arguable, estimates need to be defensible in a potential legal dispute should a buyer not wish to proceed with the full settlement of the property. “To complicate matters further, there

F E AT U R E

“Prudent strata managers will update estimates and supply them to developers up until completion, to ensure the ultimate owners are aware of the costs of being part of an owners’ corporation.” is often a need to make a preliminary estimate of the unit entitlement before an accurate assessment can be made by a quantity surveyor. This is done using the value of the units across the value of the development,” Erik said. “Provided the plans are given Development Approval, the developer is then able to offer the units for sale. Units are often sold with a low deposit and full payment on settlement, enabling the buyer time to gather sufficient funds”. “A recent legal opinion by Stephanie lynch from Meyer Vandenberg Lawyers outlines significant risks to developers were identified if the budgets included in Contracts are not ‘based on reasonable grounds’ . These were: 1. The developer’s financier refusing to finance the development (given the risk of cancellation of the contract by the buyer; 2. Buyer actually pursuing claims for damages or cancelling their contracts prior to settlement; and/or 3. The Executive Committee increasing the budget either at or shortly after the first annual general meeting causing reputational risk and associated aggravation towards the developer on other matters including rectification of defects,” Erik said. “As the National President of Strata Community Australia, I want to highlight the importance of developers avoiding strata managers who underquote, because it will eventually be to the detriment of future owners and their investments,” Erik advised. “SCA is the professional body looking after owners, managers and suppliers in the strata sector. We encourage our members to adhere to certain standards to ensure owners are not disadvantaged through underquoting.” Erik says there may be circumstances where market conditions change and prices fluctuate irrationally, or there are extenuating circumstances that lead to cost overruns. “Legitimate cost fluctuations can occur

Erik Adriaanse (FCPA) (FPS) National President and Director Strata Community Australia Limited when a project takes considerably longer to come to completion and initial estimates become out of date,” Erik explained. “Prudent strata managers will update estimates and supply them to developers up until completion, to ensure the ultimate owners are aware of the costs of being part of an owners’ corporation.” This is just one of the many ways Strata Community Australia is working with all parts of the building industry to continuously improve standards in strata management and provide better outcomes for all involved.

Strata Community Australia Limited (SCA) is the peak industry body for Body Corporate and Community Title Management in Australia. Membership includes body corporate managers, support staff, committee members and suppliers of products and services to the industry. SCA proudly fulfils the dual roles of a professional institute and consumer advocate. SCA has in excess of 3,300 members who help oversee, advise or manage a combined property portfolio with an estimated replacement value of over $1.2 trillion. Strata Community Australia Limited P +6209 1504 M +61 418 641 988 www.stratacommunity.org.au

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kasra.com.au -16-2

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COVER STORY

Leave

to us! “Our experience has taught us that there’s never a ‘one size fits all’ and we specialise in tailoring practical and workable IT solutions to suit all needs and budgets – be they fully on premise, fully in the Cloud or a hybrid of both.”

Brett Norton - Managing Director Cathy Norton - General Manager Clinton Henderson - Technical Services Director

PC i.t has been providing technology support to organisations throughout Australia for over 30 years. We know that at the heart of successful business is a robust, stable and efficient IT infrastructure. Managing it all can be time consuming, frustrating and costly and can divert you and your staff from more important tasks. With OPC overseeing your technology you can have the confidence to just ‘leave i.t to us’ and focus on your business. Our experience has taught us that there’s never a ‘one size fits all’ and we specialise in tailoring practical and workable IT solutions to suit all needs and budgets – be they fully on premise, fully in the Cloud or a hybrid of both. We are among the most highly skilled Drupal web developers and administrators in Canberra and deliver our services to a full spectrum of organisations.

Photos: Andrew Sikorski

We look after everyone! Local and Federal Government Education Corporates and Small Business Not for Profits Clubs OPC is proudly Canberra-based and family owned. We have a strong commitment to our community and to our three core objectives - Our Team, Our Company and Our Customers – because they are interdependent and cannot exist in isolation. For our team, our most valuable asset, we have worked hard over the years to provide a working environment that provides growth opportunities, and that supports and encourages them to achieve their potential in the most enjoyable surrounds possible. Our new premises is a synergy of many months of planning and we are really delighted with the new facilities. We have also become a • • • • •

recognised ACT Healthier Workplace and an Accredited actsmart Business Recycler! As a company we are committed to providing a highly professional end user experience in a profitable and sustainable manner. Our team is highly skilled across a broad range of technologies and maintains the highest accreditations to stay at the leading edge of the ever changing face of technology. For our customers this means we can consistently deliver on our promise of being a ‘true technology provider’ and can demonstrate real and measurable business value to their organisations. We measure our success on the level of pride and satisfaction our team has in delivering our services and in our customers’ belief in the true value of our partnership with them.

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OPC IT Pty Limited www.opc.com.au P: 1300 788 616 B 2 B I S S U E 11 6

COVER STORY

OPC has moved to our new purpose built office in Fyshwick. The busy hub of the office is our Service Desk, monitoring and coordinating ICT support for organisations throughout the country. Our sophisticated Remote Monitoring Toolset invariably will know before the end user if there is an Internet outage, disruption or technological failure of any form. These tools enable our engineers to interrogate IT systems and often times undertake remediation without attending onsite, keeping downtime and costs to an absolute minimum.

➜ Tailored support for your organisation • • • • • •

Account manager appointment ICT strategic planning Regular review & reporting Technical support beyond the office Priority support Fixed prices for easy budgeting

➜ Cloud services • • • • • • •

Office 365 Solutions Backup and Disaster Recovery as a Service Infrastructure and Software as a Service Cloud Migration Strategic Planning VoIP Solutions Unified Messaging On-Prem Cloud Hybrid Solutions

➜ Pro-active managed IT support • • • • •

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Server monitoring & management Emails services & optimisation Backups operational & tested Anti-virus solutions Firewall management

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COVER STORY

Photo: Tim Benson

➜ Customised Web solutions • • • • • •

Drupal CMS solutions GovCMS developers Graphic design specialists Mobile app development Accessibility services Webmaster services

➜ Web monitoring & reporting • • • • •

Managed Web support Remote monitoring & reporting Email & SMS alerts One TAP ticket creation Broken link checkers

OPC IT Pty Limited Unit 15, 26 Ipswich Street, Fyshwick ACT 2609 P: 1300 788 616 www.opc.com.au B2B M AGA Z I N E.CO M . AU

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COVER STORY

Companies thrive when they have a great team!

“We need to partner with like minded local companies and with the same commitment to professionalism that we pride ourselves on and OPC has been able to deliver that to us” Morgans Group

“Engaging OPC to take over responsibility for our ICT infrastructure has been the best decision we have made” Legal Aid Commission ACT

“Everything is going. Thank you for all your hard work; it has been a real pleasure working with OPC” ANU Sport

OPC IT Pty Limited Unit 15, 26 Ipswich Street, Fyshwick ACT 2609 P: 1300 788 616 www.opc.com.au 22

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Helping you make critical business decisions with confidence.

OUTGROWN YOUR ACCOUNTANT? LOOKING FOR BUSINESS ADVICE AND SUPPORT, NOT JUST TAX If another year has passed that could have been better with more practical and timely advice and business support, then it’s time for a positive change. Make critical business decisions with confidence, by working with us to help you with: Net profit improvement Cashflow maximisation Sales growth advice Asset protection Financial assistance to achieve work, life balance If you are sick of just hearing from your accountant once a year, speak to us and experience the RSM difference.

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Michael O’Hehir Principal, RSM Australia T 02 6217 0318 E michael.o’hehir@rsm.com.au

rsm.com.au/canberra

ADVICE ACCOUNTING-CONSULTING 25

Contemporary programme evaluation for modern government

BOOKKEEPING

Knowing your numbers is the key to your start-up’s success

BUSINESS LAW

Freedom of Information – your right to know

BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY 26

Make your building work to save you money

FAMILY LAW

The risks of self diagnosed legal advice

by Luke Williamson, RSM

by Harry Hoang, Tailored Accounts

by Mark Love, Bradley Allen Love Lawyers

by Andrew Bell, Actsmart business recycling. energy. water.

by Stuart Cameron, Dobinson Davey Clifford Simpson Lawyers

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 27

Marathon: an event, a brand, a metaphor?

REAL ESTATE

Buying your first home. Let’s look at the options

RECRUITMENT

Salary increases unlikely to excite this year: Hays Salary Guide released

STRATA MANAGEMENT

Strata title is the way of the future

WEBSITES

How to generate leads?

by Shaun Creighton, Arete Group

by Peter Maloney, Maloney's Property

by Jim Roy, Hays Recruitment Experts Worldwide

by Chris Miller, Vantage Strata

by Sam Gupta, Synapse Worldwide

ACCOUNTING - CONSULTING by Luke Williamson

Contemporary programme evaluation for modern government Developing and implementing effective public policy has become increasingly more difficult because of three reasons: 1. The obvious responses have been implemented - the most obvious policy responses that were readily achievable, did not require a lot of effort, and/or delivered substantial benefits, have largely been implemented; meaning that government must explore innovative policy responses to achieve further outcomes. 2. Increasing socio-economic complexity – a more sophisticated economy, with increasing integration and inter-connectedness of political, structural, economic and social systems means that design of effective policy responses must conceive and respond to this complexity. 3. Funding constraints – the current fiscal constraints means policy owners need to achieve outcomes in a more cost effective manner. To achieve outcomes policy makers are beginning to adopt more avant-garde, innovative and sometimes untested policy responses (a high profile example being the plain-packaging of tobacco products), and to enact these responses through new service delivery models, including engagement with citizens through digital and social channels, and partnering outside of government. At their core, policy programmes affect systems: collections of interconnected and interrelated elements that move or work together (directly or indirectly) to achieve a common goal. Systems have their own dynamics, and modern policy makers must design policy by considering ‘the system as a whole’. With increased complexity comes an increased risk of designing ineffective or inefficient policy, and also of unintended consequences. Programme evaluation has long been used as a tool for validating a policy programme’s performance, and given the challenges faced by today’s policy makers, it is more important than ever. However, the traditional approach to programme evaluation is ill-suited to the challenges of the contemporary policy environment because they often start too late and over-emphasize evaluation of programme inputs and outputs rather than focusing on the outcomes being achieved (or not). To help reduce the risk inherent in contemporary policy responses, modern programme evaluation must use a systems approach implemented holistically across all phases of the policy programme. RSM’s contemporary programme evaluation approach builds a thorough understanding of the programme as well as the system that surrounds it, to ensure the outcomes are robust, pragmatic, practical and ultimately sustainable. By adopting a systems approach, it asks policy makers and systems participants to think more broadly by engaging evaluators with diverse expertise including portfolio experts, economists, actuaries, process engineers and psychologists and is applied throughout the entire programme lifecycle, taking a holistic view, and is applied across policy programme planning and delivery.

RSM has developed this approach based on many engagements undertaking complex programme evaluation in the areas of Social Services, Health, Education and Taxation. More information on this approach and other RSM services and offerings are available at www.rsm.com.au. Alternatively, please contact Luke Williamson on luke.williamson@rsm.com.au or 02 6217 0300.

BOOKKEEPING by Harry Hoang

Knowing your numbers is the key to your start-up’s success Last week, I caught up with a successful Canberra-based sportswear retail entrepreneur. When sharing about the challenges we faced as business owners, I was glad that my counterpart had learned the importance of bookkeeping and understanding the numbers in his business. One of his biggest mistakes was to hire a low-cost bookkeeper and to outsource all finance-related matters to the bookkeeper, thinking that it wasn’t his job to know and understand the numbers. This is a common pitfall among most entrepreneurs. Yet when they start to track and understand the numbers, many entrepreneurs see a rise in their sales and profits. It doesn’t matter which stage your business is at, planning ahead helps your business to chart a course for the achievement of goals. And a good business plan depends on numbers to make it concrete, because some things can’t be explained with words alone. When writing up your business plan, start by throwing all the essential numbers in a spreadsheet and determine Don’t try to grow sales rapidly if you are able afford the start-up costs with your current financial status. at the expense of your margins, Entrepreneurs tend to underestimate the costs involved. Be conservative there are serious consequences start-up about the actual costs that will be incurred and put in place a system to that will follow if your track and review your weekly or monthly income doesn’t keep up with financial status. For start-ups that are already in your expenses. business, the focus is on knowing the actual numbers and comparing them with the expected numbers, which will help to inform decisions on the changes or improvements needed. At this stage, entrepreneurs should be clear about their margins and stick to them. Don’t try to grow sales rapidly at the expense of your margins, there are serious consequences that will follow if your income doesn’t keep up with your expenses. My sportswear entrepreneur friend successfully raised over $600,000 for his business a few days ago, and the key to his success was knowing his numbers, which added clarity to his business proposal and ultimately convinced the angel investors to invest in his business. Investing in a start-up is after all a risky affair so investors need to go through the nuts and bolts of your business and be assured that you are in control of your business finances. Most investors expect a healthy growth of your business, so a forecasting model that is robust and correlated with the actual performance of your business is also crucial. If you are start-up entrepreneur and are struggling to understand the numbers in your business, why not reach out to us and we can have a chat about your business plan. We have good working relationships with many entrepreneurs and start-ups, and who knows, we might also recommend you to the right person or a highly experienced mentor to assist you in your startup journey. To read the full version of this article, visit us at: http://tailoredaccounts.com.au/bookkeeping-and-business-news/financialservices-for-start-up.

Harry Hoang is Tailored Accounts Executive Director M3 Building, Level 1, Suite 127, 24 Lonsdale Street, Braddon ACT 2612 Australia T: 02 6169 5196 | M: 0434 196 607 E: info@tailoredaccounts.com.au | www.tailoredaccounts.com.au

BUSINESS LAW

BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY by Mark Love

Freedom of Information – your right to know

Make your building work to save you money

Have you ever wanted to know what goes on behind the closed doors of Government agencies and a Minister’s office? You might be surprised to realise that the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (the Act) grants you a fundamental legal (and democratic) right to access that information, The Government can only subject to certain exemptions such as confidentiality or national interest refuse your request if it has considerations. Equivalent statutes exist at the State and Territory levels. Such a clear basis for exemption access can be invaluable when it comes under the Act. to doing business with Government, or contesting a Departmental decision. The rationale behind freedom of information can be summarised in four points: 1. it allows any individual to see what information the Government holds about them, and to correct it where inaccurate; 2. it assists in making Government policy and decision-making more transparent; 3. a better informed community can participate more effectively in democratic processes; and 4. information gathered by the Government at public expense is a national resource and should be widely available to the public. The Act applies to a wide variety of materials (in written, audio, visual and electronic formats). Where such information is in the possession of a Government agency or Minister, it may be subject to a freedom of information request. You have different rights to different types of information. Government documents can be accessed and inspected, while personal information can be corrected (if it is wrong or misleading). You can exercise your access rights by submitting a written request to the relevant agency or Minister and your request can be specific to a single document, or made broadly by reference to a particular event, person or issue. The Government can only refuse your request if it has a clear basis for exemption under the Act. These exemptions exist to protect sensitive information, such as documents relating to national security, defence or international relations, law enforcement and public safety and any Cabinet documents. Additionally, key intelligence agencies are automatically exempt from freedom of information requirements. It is not always necessary to make an “FOI request” to gain access to Government information. Often, a Minister or agency will provide you with the information directly, bypassing the formality of the FOI process. If this proves unsuccessful, you can make an official request under the Act. There is no charge if you request access to your own personal information; however, a fee may be charged for other documents. If your access request is denied, you can apply for a review of the decision. If you need information held by a Government agency, remember that it’s your legal right to access it and – in principle – all you have to do is ask.

Mark Love, Legal Director, Business Law 9th Floor, Canberra House, 40 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT 2601 E: mark.love@bradleyallenlove.com.au T: 02 6274 0810 | www.bradleyallenlove.com.au

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by Andrew Bell

With winter just around the corner, now is the time for businesses to consider how to save money on heating costs and improve the comfort of their workplace. The good news is that Actsmart can help. If you operate a business (outside the home), have fewer than 10 full-time equivalent staff or electricity bills under $20,000 (incl GST), you may be eligible for the Actsmart Business Energy and Water Program. Actsmart will conduct a FREE energy and water assessment and give you a tailored report on how to save money. Better still, Actsmart offers a rebate of up to $5,000, on a 50-50 cost basis, to help you upgrade your building to save energy and water. There are some simple and effective ways you can make your building envelope (including walls, roof, windows and doors) work to save you money: Actsmart will conduct a FREE Draught proofing is a simple, cheap and effective way to reduce bills. Draught energy and water assessment proofing involves sealing small (and and give you a tailored report sometimes not-so-small) gaps to keep the heat inside during winter and the on how to save money. Better hot air out in summer. Apply weather material to your external doors, still, Actsmart offers a rebate stripping seal skylights at the ceiling level and of up to $5,000, on a 50-50 caulk window architraves, cornices and skirting boards. Insulating ceiling spaces keeps cost basis, to help you upgrade warm air inside the building in winter your building to save energy and hot air outside in summer. The void between the ceiling and sloped roofing and water. is generally easy to insulate but buildings with flat roofing may need the metal panels to be lifted to gain access. False ceilings commonly found in buildings can have insulation installed above the ceiling tiles. Shading windows that have the direct sun on them in summer can prevent unwanted heat building up in your premises. Removing the shading in winter allows the sun to help heat your building. Shade can be in the form of an external awning, a deciduous tree, or even a vertical roll down blind that can be rolled up when the sun is not on the glass or in winter. Reflective film is a good alternative if you can’t provide effective shading for the window, but does prevent the lovely winter sun from heating your premises for free. Double glazing windows is an effective way to reduce heat loss in winter and heat gains in summer. Double glazing may be cost effective if you are renovating, upgrading, or just need new windows. For more information about how your business can get involved in the Actsmart Business Energy and Water Program visit actsmart.act.gov.au or contact the Actsmart team on BusinessEnergy@act.gov.au or 13 22 81 (Access Canberra).

For more tips, information and resources visit the Actsmart Sustainability Hub (actsmart.act.gov.au) and follow us on: Facebook: Actsmart – Canberra Twitter: @SustainableCBR Contact number:13 22 81 Email: actsmart@act.gov.au Actsmart – helping your business make changes for a sustainable future.

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FAMILY LAW

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY by Stuart Cameron

The risks of self diagnosed legal advice

by Shaun Creighton

Marathon: an event, a brand, a metaphor?

We live in the Information Age, where access to previously unobtainable information is available at the stroke of a key. We look to the world wide web to answer every question and now with the rise of YouTube and video blogs, we can be experts in just about anything. A very common example of this, one I am sure we are all guilty of, is self-diagnosing. When we are sick, we are more likely to Google information about the symptoms and come up with our own diagnosis, before attending upon our trusted GP. This same mentality applies when confronting a legal issue. There are a range of websites, blogs and social media platforms available Being able to access that provide access to information about information freely on the every legal issue imaginable. In the context of family law matters, internet can be useful, but the proliferation of legal “advice” on relying on it at the exclusion the internet has increased substantially in recent years. The average citizen of good legal advice has experiencing a relationship breakdown can easily access information on the numerous risks. internet that purports to explain the Court process, assist drafting legal documents and providing “tips” on how to represent yourself at a trial. Having access to this information can be both beneficial but also dangerous. It can be a source of empowerment for the individual, yet it can also create false expectations or misrepresent what options are actually available. The family law information available on the internet comes from a range of different sources. Anybody from an experienced family lawyer, a legal academic or a lay person can freely post whatever opinions they consider worthy. There is often no way of checking whether the advice being offered is accurate, reliable or appropriate. This can have dire consequences if the reader relies on that advice, particularly in the context of making sensitive post-separation decisions, that could have substantial consequences for the future. In a forum where the voice of a disgruntled family law litigant can speak with the same authority as a member of the Judiciary, there are always risks associated with filtering the information shared. Deciding what is reliable is a task beyond the average citizen. Relying on that information when making significant decisions can be fraught with danger. With any legal dispute, receiving good legal advice at an early stage can provide a strong platform from which to resolve the dispute amicably and efficiently. Being able to access information freely on the internet can be useful, but relying on it at the exclusion of good legal advice has numerous risks. In the same way that turning to the internet to diagnose a medical condition has its shortcomings, relying on publically available legal information can be just as perilous. DDCS Lawyers aims to provide a strong overview of family law matters on our website, so that our clients and future clients understand what may be involved before meeting with us. It’s an exciting time to explore information and learn, but make sure you confirm with an expert before diagnosing your legal needs.

MARATHON. What is it? Well, it depends who you ask. It is an event? Yes, of course it is. Just ask the thousands of people who run 42.195km in events conducted through the streets of most major cities each year, or the athletes preparing to run the Olympic marathon. It is a brand? Yes. A search of the Australian trade mark register shows it is a registered trade mark (brand) for a range of owners in relation to a wide range of goods including tyres, watches, heaters, petrol, furniture and confectionery. That’s before you add other words or logo elements that include the word marathon (including trade marks for specific marathon events). It is a metaphor for life? Yes. Oprah Winfrey, who is famous for things other than marathon running, is quoted as saying a marathon is a great metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it. I agree. So what’s all this got to do with an article on intellectual property law? Well, there’s a few things. I love talking about marathon running, and I love talking about intellectual property law, so this is an excuse to talk about both. From an IP law perspective, it provides a good example of some specific concepts in trade mark law. These include: 1. Rights in a registered trade mark are limited to specified goods / services: I was surprised at just how many different proprietors own a registered trade mark for the word marathon. This highlights how registered trade mark rights are limited to claimed goods / services (or similar / closely related goods / services). Section 44 of the Trade Marks Act (the Act) will only prevent registration of similar marks if there is an overlap of goods / services. Further, infringement under section 120 of the Act only applies for similar marks with an overlap of goods / services. Accordingly, when filing a trade mark application, careful consideration needs to be given to the classes of goods / services, and the description of those goods / services. 2. Descriptive trade marks: None of the registered trade marks for the word marathon (on its own) are registered in relation to services associated with conducting running events. That is because section 41 of the Act prevents one party from having monopoly rights over descriptive words that other traders (without mal-intent) should be permitted to also use. Marathon does not, for example, describe tyres or furniture. 3. Rights are jurisdiction specific: Trade mark registrations are granted on a per country basis. I was not surprised, therefore, to see trade marks for marathons conducted in other countries appearing on the Australian trade mark register. We can assist with overseas trade marks being registered in Australia, or Australian trade marks being registered overseas. If you would like to discuss trade marks, intellectual property law, or indeed marathon running, please contact Shaun Creighton on 02 6162 1639 or shaun.creighton@aretegroup.com.au

Stuart Cameron is a Senior Associate of the firm 18 Kendall Lane, New Acton Canberra City ACT 2601 T: (02) 6212 7600 E: mail@ddcslawyers.com.au www.ddcslawyers.com.au

Contact us on 02 6162 1639 or shaun.creighton@aretegroup.com.au for a no obligation and free of charge initial discussion about your possible legal requirements.

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REAL ESTATE

RECRUITMENT by Peter Maloney

Buying your first home. Let’s look at the options All of us have been brought up with the goal and hope of buying our own home. We have this discussion in the office on a regular basis, when, where and how to go about it. Naturally opinions vary as personal bias comes out. The first part of the process is to look at your 5-10 year plan. This affects your purchase in deciding the style and location of your property. If you intend to live in the property for an extended period of time your location might vary. You may also look at a new home in a newer suburb which will benefit your eligibility for the first home buyers grant. Be sure to thoroughly research and understand how you qualify for the first home buyers grant. These grants do not apply to established properties. It’s vital to have your finance approved so you know exactly what you can realistically afford. Where to consider buying? As Canberra continues to expand, I would suggest researching the following options when looking to purchase. Experience tells me that demand for larger blocks in established suburbs will increase. Suburbs such as Kambah, Wanniassa and those in Weston Creek offer larger blocks with potential for renovating or rebuilding. These locations are close to amenities like schools, transport, local shops, When looking at apartments factors which are becoming increasingly be sure to consider established important for lifestyle. Many government departments are already in complexes. Established residence in Tuggeranong adding to the apartments continue to offer up area’s attractiveness for quality tenants. Across the lake the suburb of Casey great value, buying in the right is performing well and is serviced by the Barton Highway for easy access to location means a refurbishment inner Canberra or a run to the airport. beauty of this suburb is the quality is not going to over capitalise. The of home within 2 minutes of the CBD. The new market centre for Casey by all accounts is going to be a major feature of the area and very attractive for younger families who are drawn to this area. This suburb is proving popular with tenants who also appreciate the style and quality in a very handy location. Apartments are your other option. There is certainly plenty of exciting choice when it comes to new apartments be they in Braddon, Campbell or the inner south Kingston. When looking at apartments be sure to consider established complexes. Established apartments continue to offer up great value, buying in the right location means a refurbishment is not going to over capitalise. Apartments on Giles Street Kingston at Wentworth Court are a great example as they have good sized bedrooms and underground parking. The location is accessible to both the foreshore and established Kingston. As the new complexes are developed on Eyre and Dawes streets these established properties will offer a great lifestyle for the shrewd investor or occupier. The most important factor when buying your first home is to be fully informed and do your research. Seek advice from professionals and go into the exercise with your eyes wide open and prepared for this very rewarding purchase.

Contact Maloney’s on 6232 0100 maloneys@maloneys.com.au www.maloneys.com.au

by Jim Roy

Salary increases unlikely to excite this year: Hays Salary Guide released Business activity and permanent headcounts may be rising, but according to our 2016 Hays Salary Guide, released this month, they are not translating into salary increases. With employers for the most part unwilling to loosen the salary purse strings, be prepared for employees to take matters into their own hands. Our guide includes salary and recruiting trends for over 1,000 roles and is based on a survey of 2,752 organisations, representing over 2.6 million (2,686,179) employees. We found that just 22% of employees can expect a salary increase of 3% or more in their next review. Instead the 41% of employees say they’ll vast majority of workers (66%) will ask for a pay rise in their next receive an increase of less than 3%. The final 12% will receive no increase. review. Another 25% are as yet Professional services followed by financial services and construction, undecided about popping the property & engineering employers will be salary question. Meanwhile staff at the front of the small group offering the biggest increases. turnover has already risen 2% Meanwhile during the last year 16% of employers offered no salary increases. year-on-year to 29%. Those who did receive a salary increase found that their wallets were not that much heavier. 58% received an increase of less than 3%, 20% saw their pay increase from 3 to 6%, and a lucky 6% received an increase of 6% or more. Clearly employers remain reluctant to offer substantial increases unless absolutely necessary to secure a candidate with skills in short supply. But we shouldn’t become complacent, because employees are starting to take matters into their own hands. 41% of employees say they’ll ask for a pay rise in their next review. Another 25% are as yet undecided about popping the salary question. Meanwhile staff turnover has already risen 2% year-on-year to 29%. In other key findings, 64% of employers experienced increased business activity over the past 12 months, with 70% expecting further increased activity in the year ahead. Staff levels are up too, with 39% increasing permanent headcount during the last 12 months. This outstrips the 21% who decreased it. Meanwhile 40% intend to increase their permanent headcount in the year ahead, far exceeding the 13% who expect to decrease it. Yet 60% say skill shortages will impact the effective operation of their business or department. So with organisations adding headcount and business activity rising, candidates are aware that skill shortages will intensify anew, particularly for highly-skilled professionals, and they want their salaries to increase accordingly. Get your copy of the 2016 Hays Salary Guide by visiting www.hays.com.au/salary, contacting Hays in Canberra or downloading The Hays Salary Guide 2016 iPhone app from iTunes.

Jim Roy, Regional Director 5th Floor, 54 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra T 02 6112 7663 | F 02 6257 6377 E canberra@hays.com.au

STRATA MANAGEMENT by Chris Miller

Strata title is the way of the future

Six months ago I began writing this column on strata management in B2B Magazine. I had just commenced as Managing Director of Vantage Strata and was six months into my role as President of Strata Community Australia (ACT). I said that my mission was to ‘do nothing short of rewriting the book on strata and building management in Canberra’. We are well down this path and I know that the strata industry our new way of strata management is turning out to be very popular in isn’t perfect and that there the ever growing strata community in the ACT. are many issues that we as One of the best assets is experience. an industry can do better. But Vantage Strata is the result of a long collaboration over many years between Paul Powderly & Rupert Cullen (Colliers), in saying this there is no-one Peter Maloney (Maloney’s Real Estate) more committed than me to and myself. Just to recap, in the last six issues continuously improving the of B2B Magazine I have written the standards, professionalism and following columns: 1. Welcome to a service in our industry. This $1,000,000,000,000 industry 2. Strata meetings: is there a column is part of that process. better way? 3. Seek advice when investing ‘sinking funds’ 4. Unlocking value in the air 5. What if we train our staff and they leave? 6. Strata – more than just a temporary job All of these articles are still available free on the B2B Magazine website at www.b2bmagazine.com.au . I will continue writing this column during 2016. Strata title is becoming the option of choice for many Canberrans and it is important that developers and owners alike have a greater understanding of the benefits and challenges of building strong strata communities. I know that the strata industry isn’t perfect and that there are many issues that we as an industry can do better. But in saying this there is no-one more committed than me to continuously improving the standards, professionalism and service in our industry. This column is part of that process. One example is that, when it comes to strata meetings, a major problem is a lack of attendance. To address this Vantage Strata has held multiple meetings on a Saturday. Meetings can also involve more than just the strata manager, providing a higher level of service to our clients. We will continue to grow and develop the strata industry, by being as flexible and innovative as possible. Therefore, if you have an issue or an idea that you would like to discuss with me please don’t hesitate to give me a call.

For further information, please contact Chris Miller, Managing Director M 0400 376 208 or 1800 878 728 The Griffin, Corner Giles & Jardine Streets, Kingston PO Box 5044, Kingston ACT 2604.

WEBSITES by Sam Gupta

How to generate leads? Unless you are selling via your website, be it products or services, the most crucial function of your website is likely to be lead generation. Even if you are selling online, lead capturing is still the second most vital function of your website. If you are a business that is spending money on any kind of advertising or marketing, your aim is simple; to generate leads. What people don’t realise is that there is a science behind attracting and capturing quality leads. If you are a business looking to grow, don’t leave lead generation to a chance. Understanding lead generation is the first step. So, let’s get started with basics. What are leads? Leads are in essence the contact details of a potential customer who may be interested in your product or services. However, just because someone is interested in your product or service, doesn’t mean they are ready to buy from you. This is where quality of lead comes into play. Obviously, the hotter the lead, the better the quality. This is where most businesses go wrong. They let go of their cold or even warm leads and simply focus on the hot leads; i.e. the ones who are ready to buy now. The problem with that is that it’s exhausting in terms of both money and efforts to generate hot leads all the time. The alternative is simple. Use the hot leads for sales and other leads for educating and grooming them till they are ready to buy from you. What is lead generation? Well, I have kind of answered part of the question above but it’s important for you to understand the process of lead generation, so please allow me elaborate. Lead Generation is simply a method of customer acquisition; the step before your sales. You are already doing this in your business. All you need to do is replicate it online. Typically, a sales cycle would go something like this. Your business would advertise for two primary reasons – brand promotion or service/product offering. When you offer a product or service, the interested potential customers either call you directly (hot leads) or visit your website or a specific landing page for discover further about your offering. Depending upon your landing page, some of them would submit an enquiry form with their contact details (i.e. a lead). You can then discuss further details with the lead and if they are happy with your offerings, they will buy. This completes a typical sales cycle. Businesses often forget that those who didn’t buy from you, could still be a potential lead in the future – especially if they haven’t bought anything or if the product life-cycle is relatively short. This is where the opportunity lies. Marketing Leads vs Sales Leads There are two types of lead generation; Marketing & Sales. If you imagine a leads funnel, Marketing leads sit on the top (wider) part of the funnel, and sales leads sit towards the bottom (narrower) part of your funnel, ready for a sales decision. Most businesses act proactively towards converting sales leads into sales, however fail to do the same when converting marketing leads in to sales leads. To generate a steady supply of sales in your businesses, it is important to focus on both types equally to even out the ebb and flow of sales in your business. Just like anything else, you may not get it right the first time. The key is to commit yourself to constantly improving it, one step at a time. If you are looking to improve your lead conversion, email me for a free 1-hour consultation: admin@synapseworldwide.com.

Sam Gupta is the managing director of Synapse Worldwide. Sam would love to hear your thoughts on this advice column. Tel: 1300 785 230 Email: admin@synapseworldwide.com Web: www.synapseworldwide.com.

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I NEED SOME MUSIC WHO DO I CALL? Peter Funnell has over 40 years of local knowledge in bands and entertainment. In one phone call your music and entertainment needs are easily taken care of.

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A2B

A S S O C I AT I O N S T O B U S I N E S S

Businesses will need to change because of climate change ROBYN HENDRY

CEO CANBERRA BUSINESS CHAMBER

he recent CSIRO reporting of 400 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been making headlines across the world. It made headlines as it is a key indicator of global warming with the next major thresholds of 450 parts per million representing the mark for a 2.5 degree rise in global temperature. The threat of climate change can be seen in the carbon reduction policies announced by the major political parties during the current federal election. The result of climate change in the Canberra Region is being seen through longer drier summers and more intense storms. In March of this year, the ACT had its second longest stretch above 30 degrees Celsius on record. We had a maximum temperature of 31.1 degrees on 6 April – normally long after my heater has been turned on. The ACT Government released a Draft ACT Climate Change Adaptation Strategy earlier this year to provide the community with a chance to provide feedback on what the ACT needs to do to reduce our vulnerability to existing and future impacts of climate change. It is now preparing a final strategy. The necessity of adapting presents opportunities and challenges alike for businesses in the Territory. ACT is a leader when it comes to acting to mitigate climate change. The government has a vision for Canberra to be a carbon neutral city by 2060. It plans to achieve this through ambitiously reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, shifting to renewable energy sources, and enhancing the resilience of our people, our city, our environment and our economy through effective adaptation measures. This is in line with Canberra Business Chamber’s Destination 2030 plan, which prioritises resilience and liveability. Part of the Chamber’s goal was for Canberra to achieve status as one of the 32

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The result of climate change in the Canberra Region is being seen through longer drier summers and more intense storms. world’s 100 Resilient Cities. Due to our small size this program has not yet recognised us, but there are still ways we can be involved. Through this program, the ACT will be able to access a platform of services to support strategy implementation and monitor our success as a resilient city. For businesses, adaptation will create demand for new services or products that they can take advantage of if they are prepared. For example, people are already demanding sustainable housing with high energy ratings. The ACT Government is providing financial incentives to encourage more environmentally sustainable commercial buildings. Infrastructure needs to be designed and constructed to withstand wear and tear from predicted future environmental events. By 2030, the researchers estimate, the cost of climate change and air pollution are forecast to rise to 3.2% of global GDP. The climate change economy is growing rapidly. According to the Climate Change Business Journal, climate change was a $300 billion U.S. industry in 2013, and worth $1.4 trillion worldwide. The size of this market indicates that there are market opportunities for companies that find innovative ways to respond to climate change. In CBC ‘s Destination 2030, one of the opportunities identified was for the development of incentives for businesses which develop innovation in renewable technologies. Other opportunities exist in climate and environmental data. In the US town of Asheville, where the National Centers for Environmental Information is headquartered, 15 to 20 companies have opened in the past five years to turn climate and environmental data into products and services.

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Today consumers are choosing to support businesses with strong green credentials and companies doing their bit for the future can use this as a marketing tool. It is expected that government tenders in the future will make sustainability a key item. People will make different decisions in coming years about what they spend their money on and where they spend it. We believe, for example, how people travel around the city will change as commuters choose public transport over private cars. Renewable energy and environmentally friendly products, such as LED light bulbs, will become more commonly used. As the community adapts and has new needs, local businesses will need to innovate to meet this change in priorities. The likelihood of climate change and its economic impact means businesses will also need to take into account the impact of climate change on their own operational capacity. Infrastructure investment, for example, will need to take into account the increasing climate extremities. A changing climate affects us all and we all have a role in preparing our region. I urge businesses to think about how they will adapt and what opportunities they can pursue to help the community.

Climate Change: Business Opportunities DATE: Tuesday 28 June 2016 TIME: 5.00pm VENUE: Canberra Business Chamber, 216 Northbourne Ave, Braddon COST: Free

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G2B

CHIEF MINISTER’S MESSAGE

ACT exports boom as work to diversify economy builds momentum ANDREW BARR

CHIEF MINISTER | TREASURER | MINISTER FOR URBAN RENEWAL MINISTER FOR TOURISM AND EVENTS

n the 1990s the Liberals sacked thousands of Canberrans and the city went into recession. They’ve done the same again in recent years, but the damage has been contained. The city is still moving ahead. There are cranes on the skylines and customers in the shops. In fact, despite massive job cuts, we have the lowest unemployment of any jurisdiction according to the most recent data. Exports are also booming according to new international trade figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The ACT Government has had a clear plan for growth in this area and these Canberra’s smart people are figures show the success we’ve had in delivering it. In the 2015 calendar year, the ACT’s total bringing in big dollars. The growth service exports increased by 16.2 per cent in the sector of more than 1000 compared with the previous year to $1.6 billion. ACT’s education exports increased by 10.3 per cent shows that while some The per cent to $451 million, accounting for 28.3 per cent of total service exports. International governments might talk about tourism exports increased by 5.1 per cent to an ideas boom, in the ACT we’re $208 million, which was 13 per cent of the total. Other significant exports highlighted by the ABS actually delivering one. included business travel ($124 million), research and development (also $124 million), and technical, trade-related and other business services ($165 million), such as engineering services. The trend figures over the longer term are even more interesting. International exports (Source ABS) ($’ m)

2001

2015

% growth

Education

113

451

299%

Tourism

208

160%

Technical, trade-relatedand other business services

165

346%

Business travel

124

300%

Research and developement

124

1278%

ACT - Total

555

1,595

187.4%

Australia - Total

34,613

66,162

91.1%

Over 15 years our export growth has been more than double the rest of the nation, creating a secure footing for our economy to withstand external shocks, like our biggest employer laying off thousands of people (without any of the assistance other cities have been given when a similar thing happens, in the car industry, for example). As Australia’s longest-serving tourism minister, it’s great to see the how the tourism and business travel sectors have flourished thanks to smart investment in targeted marketing, but that is not the most encouraging part. Anyone who has heard me speak publicly in recent years will be familiar with my emphasis on playing to our strengths as Australia’s knowledge capital. We have world class universities in our city. We have the nation’s most educated population. This is the city that invented Wi-Fi. 34

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Anyone who has heard me speak publically in recent years will be familiar with my emphasis on playing to our strengths as Australia’s knowledge capital. We have world class universities in our city. We have the nation’s most educated population. This is the city that invented Wi-Fi. My government has invested in policies that help our universities grow and attract international students and as a result we’ve seen enormous growth in education exports – that is international students choosing to come to one of the world’s top 20 student cities. What is most satisfying of all is the stellar growth in research and development. Canberra’s smart people are bringing in big dollars. The growth in the sector of more than 1000 per cent shows that while some governments might talk about an ideas boom, in the ACT we’re actually delivering one. The next stage is even more exciting. We know smart innovative businesses follow smart innovative people. In other words, if we make our city somewhere they want to live, a cool capital that is already the world’s most liveable city, we will attract more investment and the companies of the future. Initiatives like putting a hospital on a university campus, making the city simple to get around with an integrated transport network of light rail and better buses, raising the payroll tax threshold to save small businesses money, securing international flights and cutting red tape for companies and individuals all contribute to this. These plans, together with our engaged and collaborative private sector, should keep those impressive export figures moving in the right direction.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

The ACS Canberra Conference is expecting to attract over 300 ICT professionals this year, making it a great opportunity to expose your organisation to a diverse audience of industry professionals in federal, state, and local government, senior manager, executives, and students. You can still get involved and be a sponsor. With DRONES, DROIDS, and ROBOTS as the theme, this year’s conference is set to be the biggest and best yet. Contact ACS Canberra Event manager, Jenalle.Wei@acs.org.au or call 02 6143 5503 for a copy of the “Conference sponsorship prospectus”. This year’s sponsors Gold

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