B2B in Canberra Jan 2011 (Issue 56)

CANBERRA’S BUSINESS & GOVERNMENT MAGAZINE

201 1 Business law Cassandra Emmett

Accounting Andrew Sykes

YOUR FREE BUSINESS PLAN

CONFUSED ABOUT YOUR IP?

Complete the one page template inside

Business names, domain names and trade marks

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JANUARY 2011

56

NEW YEAR’S

BUSINESS

RESOLUTIONS

Websites Sam Gupta

Elrington Boardman Allport Lawyers

RSM Bird Cameron Chartered Accountants

Synapse Worldwide

GADGETS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

UC HEADING TOWARDS AN ‘OMNIVERSITY’

WHEN CHOCOLATE ISN’T ENOUGH

Is business technology leaving you behind?

Connect with Australia’s third largest industry

Call Lifeline on 13 11 14

Family law Juliette Ford

Consensus Family Lawyers

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CONTENTS

I believe 2011 will be a great year to do

EVERY MONTH

FEATURES

06 UPFRONT Read about local business success

10 BUSINESS PLANNING SERIES

Canberra home for national writers organisation

business—so start planning. In this issue: Make these New Year’s resolutions

Sustainable skills training hub opened at CIT

Complete a one page business plan

Canberrans’ impact on earth is getting worse

And buy that new gadget.

Sometimes chocolate is not enough, when it’s not, call Lifeline

22 ADVICE Advice from business experts

Tim Benson

Accounting: ATO benchmarks

Publisher

Accounting services: understand SMSF borrowing rules Business coaching: create a client boomerang system

PUBLISHER I EDITOR

Commercial law: stigmatised property: can you rely on caveat emptor?

Tim Benson Liz Lang editorial@b2bincanberra.com.au 02 6161 2751

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES

Corporate governance: driving board diversity

Tim Benson 0402 900 402 advertising@b2bincanberra.com.au

Estate planning: newsagency will kits can cost more than you think

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Intellectual property: how to make sure your business IP is protected Management consulting: time to review service delivery processes Performance architects: gadget or not?

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Part Five: Procrastinate no more— put together your one-page business plan.

16 COVER STORY 2011 New Year’s Business Resolutions

Business law: Cassandra Emmett, Elrington Boardman Allport Lawyers.

Accounting: Andrew Sykes, RSM Bird Cameron Chartered Accountants Family law: Juliette Ford, Consensus Family Lawyers.

Websites: Sam Gupta, Synapse Worldwide 28 U2B: Universities to Business The University of Canberra outlines progress on its ambitious four year strategic plan

29 G2B: Government to Business Find out about the benefits of the ACT Government’s second trade mission to China.

30 A2B: Associations to Business Canberra Business Council ACT Exporters’ Network ACT & Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry CollabIT

36 BUSINESS NETWORKING See who was celebrating at the many Christmas functions across the region

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Visit www.cscc.com.au or call 6283 7200 now!

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LEGAL NOTICE 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.

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C

hief Minister and Minister for the Arts and Heritage, Jon Stanhope, recently welcomed the decision by the Australia Council for the Arts to support the establishment of a new literary organisation ‘Writing Australia’ in the ACT. “I applaud the decision of the Australia Council for the Arts to allocate $350,000 annually for the next three years to support a new national organisation for writers, to be based in the ACT,” Mr Stanhope said.

“Canberra provides an ideal location for the organisation which will add to the city’s long-standing reputation as a place of great Australian literature with a population that is engaged in reading and writing at levels amongst the highest in the nation,” Mr Stanhope said.

Writing Australia aims to promote and develop Australia’s literature sector through the delivery of national programs and partnerships.

Writing Australia will raise the national and international profile of Australian writers, and be a national advocacy body for literature. Writing Australia will augment the current work of the State and Territory Writers Centres.

O r g a n is a t io n

W r it e r s

NATI ONAL

FOR

HO ME

CANBERRA

UPFRONT

The ACT Government and the Australia Council have each contributed $25,000 to assess the feasibility of establishing the new organisation, including the development of a business plan to present to the Australia Council’s Literature Board.

“The new organisation represents an exciting new initiative for Australian literature and a firm basis to support writers further developing their art,’ Mr Stanhope said.

The Chief Minister acknowledged the efforts of Writing Australia’s working group which is made up of Directors of Writers Centres within the ACT, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria.

For further information contact ArtsACT on (02) 6207 2384.

Sustainable Skills Training Hub Opened At CIT.

A

Sustainable Skills Training Hub has opened at the Bruce Campus of the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT). The hub will help Canberrans to gain green skills through a range of new courses at CIT.

The new facility was built in partnership with the federal and territory governments with the Gillard Government providing $6.1 million and the remaining $3.1 million being funded by the Australian Capital Territory.

Dr Andrew Leigh MP, who opened the facilities on behalf of the, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, Senator Chris Evans, said the project 6

will offer students access to industry-standard equipment and facilities.

“We’re helping to equip Canberrans for the green economy of tomorrow,” said Dr Leigh.

“These new facilities give our students a competitive edge. Our students will have the advantage of training with the state of the art equipment.

“Students will be able complete a range of programs that will them set up for green careers. They will be able to work in areas such as renewable energy and environmental management. The hub will help students to incorporate sustainable practices in their work.

“The Government is committed to investing in infrastructure that improves vocational education and training to ensure Australia has the skills base we need for the

J A N U A R Y 2 0 11 B 2 B I N C A N B E R R A

future growth of our economy,” concluded Dr Leigh.

The $6.1 million grant for the Sustainable Skills Training Hub project was provided under the Australian Government’s Teaching and Learning Capital Fund for Vocational Education and Training, Training Infrastructure Investment for Tomorrow element which funds the purchase, construction, fit-out or refurbishment of facilities for vocational education and training.

The Federal Government’s investment in vocational education includes $2.5 billion to establish Trades Training Centres in schools across Australia, and more than $2 billion over five years for 711,000 new training places under the Productivity Places Program.

UPFRONT

Canberrans’ impact on earth is getting worse

A

report from the ACT Office of the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment (OCSE) has found the lifestyles of the people of Canberra are consuming more of the earth’s natural resources than they were ten years ago.

The 2008-2009 Ecological Footprint for the ACT which was prepared by Dr Chris Dey of the University of Sydney’s Integrated Sustainability Analysis research group, on behalf of the OCSE, reveals a steady increase in the amount of natural resources required to meet the lifestyle needs of Canberrans.

In 2008-2009, the average Canberran consumed 9.2 global hectares, 8% higher than 5 years ago and almost 25% higher than 10 years ago. The current ecological footprint was 13% above the national average.

“This is an alarming trend,” said Dr Maxine Cooper, the ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment.

“Our community is treading very heavily on the earth. “f everyone in the world lived in the same way as the average person in the ACT, we would need five Earths to give us enough land (and surface water),” she said.

“As individuals, businesses and families, we all need to look at the way we are consuming resources on a daily basis.

If we are to achieve a sustainable future for Canberra we have to look at the way we buy and use things. We all certainly need to learn to do more with less.”

The ecological footprint is a measure that helps us understand the link between lifestyles and our world’s resources.

“Using our natural capital faster than it can be replenished is akin to spending more than you earn,” said Dr Cooper.

“So the time to act is now. We simply can’t put it off to the future. The changes in behaviour must start now. And as a society we need to make some big commitments like becoming the leading region on renewable energy.”

Canberrans are being asked to provide comments and suggestions on how to reduce their footprint to the OCSE that will be included in the State of the Environment Report for 2011.

For more information about the ACT’S ecological footprint please visit the OCSE website at www.envcomm.act.gov.au

Sometimes chocolate is enough, when it’s not, call Lifeline

G

earing up for their 40th birthday celebrations in 2011, Lifeline Canberra has announced the theme for their Birthday Gala Ball to be held in August this year.

The Ball will be held at Hotel Realm on Saturday 13 August 2011 and guests are promised that it will be a night to remember!

“Lifeline Canberra started in 1971.

Coincidently, a very well known and much loved movie was also released that year.

“We are therefore happy to announce that the theme for our 40th Birthday Gala Ball is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” said Chief Executive Officer of Lifeline Canberra, Mike Zissler.

“Lifeline Canberra’s 40th birthday is a very special occasion. We wanted to ensure that

8

the theme was ‘fitting’ to such an important milestone.

Chocolate contains a phyto-nutrient that causes the brain to release endorphins—a hormone that makes you happy.

Lifeline often says ‘Sometimes Chocolate is enough, when it’s not, call Lifeline’,” Mr Zissler said.

Canberrans are spoilt with a variety of gala balls scheduled throughout the year, and Lifeline Canberra Community Engagement and Fundraising Manager Leah Busacker is confident that this event will be a spectacular and memorable occasion.

“The ball will be themed with ‘all things

J A N U A R Y 2 0 11 B 2 B I N C A N B E R R A

chocolate’. Without saying too much, this event will be something Canberra has never seen before.

“In fact, the Willy Wonka theme has never been done on such a large scale on the Eastern side of Australia,” Ms Busacker said.

“We are very excited about the ball and encourage people to keep an eye out for event details in the New Year”.

Lifeline Canberra welcomes any local businesses to contact them should they have an interest in becoming a sponsor of the ball or joining Lifeline Canberra as a corporate partner.

Anyone can call Lifeline anytime on 13 11 14 if they are experiencing an emotional crisis. For more information about Lifeline Canberra go to www.act.lifeline.org.au

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F E AT U R E

BUSINESS PLANNING SERIES

Don’t keep putting off writing the business plan for your business. It only needs to be one page. Andrew Sykes explains how.

Part Five: One page business plan

B

usiness planning as we mentioned at the start of this series is like a road map. You need to know where you’re going and how you plan to get there. The thought of writing a full business plan can be overwhelming. Sure, you can find online resources that will spell out all the sections and what they should contain, but none of the examples are going to match your business and your circumstances exactly.

Traditionally business plans have been lengthy and all encompassing documents. Though there is a place for comprehensive business plans, they are however often a static representation of past history and future plans and tend not to be responsive to the modern business environment.

For this reason we focus on the development of a One Page Business Plan. It is a practical way to drive strategy in a business and assist with the implementation of actions. When I position the One Page plan with clients, I work through the consulting framework so that clients see how the plan fits into the overall change process. As part of this we consider both the short and long term.

Short Term Focus (Tactical focus) • Key issues — understanding the specific immediate issues which the business is facing and needs to address as a priority (otherwise there may be no long term) • Implementation — to quickly put in place strategies and actions to implement solutions that address the key specific immediate issues (e.g. products and services, marketing and sales, people, systems and processes, finance)

Long Term Focus (Strategic focus) • Vision — understanding the focus of where the business wants to be in the future by reviewing and assessing various strategic options and objectives (e.g. structure, culture, exit strategy for owners) • Strategies— to develop longer term strategies that address the broader strategic issues facing the business to get the business to where it wants to be in the defined timeframe Andrew Sykes is a partner at RSM Bird Cameron

A one page business plan is a great option, especially if you don’t need major financing 10

For information on business improvements contact our experienced team, 103–105 Northbourne Ave, Canberra.

T: 02 6247 5988, www.rsmi.com.au

J A N U A R Y 2 0 11 B 2 B I N C A N B E R R A

This process is linked to the continuous improvement cycle. First we establish your current situation - where are you NOW and then stop to determine WHERE you are going.

Once this is clearly identified you can develop strategies and action plans that outline HOW you are going to achieve the desired outcomes.

Over the page is our One Page Business plan format. This format can be used to: • Summarise the overall Business Plan • Cascade down from the corporate plan to the constituent divisional, branch or departmental plans • Develop a marketing plan or address other specific issues • Encapsulate your personal plan The advantages of the One Page Plan include: it takes only minutes to do, it can be updated quickly, it’s a control document for your business improvement process, it’s simple and easily understood by all, your employees, your bank, your strategic partners (and yourself). Where a partner, such as a bank, needs more detail, such as a market analysis or financial projections, these can easily be added by attaching them to the One Page Plan. It’s a good idea to put a date on the plan and to have a commitment to update it on at least a bimonthly basis. It’s usually only the action plans that need changing in the short term.

Using the template, have a go at writing your own one page business plan. Once you get the hang of using this tool you will find it can be used in all areas of your business. If you would like assistance with how to develop a one page plan please send me an email – andrew.sykes@rsmi.com.au.

Vision

P

Game Plan next 3 Years

Strategy Area Management

Sales & Marketing

Operations

Human Resources (People)

Finance

BUSINESS PLAN – STRATEGY INTO ACTION

Critical Success Factors (CSFs)

Action

DATE

Who

2008

Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA)

2007

Key Performance Indicators FINANCIAL

OTHER

When

2009

PROFILE

ALASTAIR Swayn.

Words By Liz Lang

ACT Government Architect

A

lastair Swayn is mindful of the large responsibility he carries as the ACT’s first Government Architect, appointed on 1 August last year.

“I am conscious that any decision I make about a building, or any advice that I provide to government, is going to have to stand the test of time,” Alastair says.

“The question that I’ll be constantly asking myself is, ‘What will people say about this building, or Canberra’s architecture in general, in 50 or 100 years time?”

One of the nation’s leaders in sustainable design and director in charge of the Daryl Jackson Alastair Swayn Canberra office since 1981, Swayn and his team have consistently undertaken award-winning architectural projects for universities and research organisations such as CSIRO, as well as the design of commercial buildings at Brindabella Business Park at the Canberra Airport.

Primarily funded by the University of Canberra as part of its contribution to Canberra’s Centenary celebrations, and through a unique partnership with the ACT Government, Alastair Swayn will provide leadership and strategic advice to the ACT Government and its agencies on architecture and urban design.

The position of ACT Government Architect is part-time.

Swayn has also been appointed as a Professorial Fellow in Architecture at the University of Canberra and will share his skills and expertise with budding student architects.

He is keen to engender a sense of pride 12

in Canberra’s architecture and to promote Canberra as a ‘city of design’ through his government and university roles.

“I think Canberra can achieve the ‘city of design’ mantle as we have a heritage of very good buildings and architecture. It is a question of making people aware of their surrounds and further developing some civic pride,” he said. “I think there is a Canberra psyche, and we are all guilty of it to some extent, where we don’t outwardly celebrate the positives of our city including its architecture.”

“If you go to other cities in the world such as Chicago or even Palm Springs, a town of 300,000 people in California, that has a fine array of 1950s housing, you are able to visit the local tourist authority, pick up a guide book, and then ago on a walking tour of the local architecture.

“This is exactly what I would like to see happen in Canberra – for Canberrans to be proud of their buildings and architecture and happily promote this fact to visitors, and for architectural walking tours to be available.”

Swayn refers to the new Gallery of Australian Design on the lake’s edge, formerly the National Portrait Gallery, which is being promoted by the University of Canberra, the Institute of Architects, and the National Museum of Australia, and is sponsored by his company.

“I would like to see the gallery become a centre for architectural tourism in Canberra where people can pick up information and explore the built environment.

“The gallery is in a wonderful location

J A N U A R Y 2 0 11 B 2 B I N C A N B E R R A

and the right setting for a future museum of design.”

When asked what he had in his sights, Alastair diplomatically responded that Civic will be the ‘first cab off the rank’ for his review.

“Civic needs a lot of tender loving care,” he says “London Circuit is our main civic boulevard which requires a lot of attention – as do the main public buildings on it and the open spaces surrounding it.

“If you looked at other cities in the world with comparable boulevards, London Circuit should be a reasonably ceremonial street.

As part of the advisory role of the ACT Government Architect, I will form a view and give guidance as to how London Circuit should evolve.”

Passionate about design and architecture after 30 years in practice, Swayn admits to still getting a ‘buzz’ out of seeing a building develop and emerge, whether it is a large or small structure.

One for good design, Alastair drives an Alfa Romeo because of some of the car’s appealing design features.

He surrounds himself with well designed items which he refers to as ‘little pieces of joy’ whether it is a cup, chair or light fitting.

As the first ACT Government Architect, Alastair Swayn will be remembered in history.

Canberrans will need to wait and see how his advice will shape the look and feel of our city.

PROFILE

“I think Canberra can achieve the ‘city of design’ mantle as we have a heritage of very good buildings and architecture. It is a question of making people aware of their surrounds and further developing some civic pride.”

B 2 B I N C A N B E R R A J A Photography: N U A R Y 2Andrew 0 11 Sikorski

13

PROFILE

JAS

Hugonnet

Words By Liz Lang

Manager, Gallery Of Australian Design

S

ited on the foreshore of Lake Burley Griffin, the Gallery of Australian Design (GAD) is a vibrant exhibition space bursting with big plans for the future.

Opened in May 2009, many Canberrans will remember the GAD space as one of the former homes of the National Portrait Gallery before it took up permanent residence next to the National Gallery of Australia.

GAD manager and curator, Jas Hugonnet explains that what sets GAD apart from other design galleries in Australia is its outstanding location within the parliamentary triangle in Canberra and its public billing as THE Gallery of Australian Design.

“Being a gallery, it is very different from the great design museums such as the Powerhouse in Sydney, the Helsinki Design Museum in Finland, and the Cooper Hewitt in New York – which are all collection based,” Jas said. “GAD is about showcasing design ideas to the public through an exciting program of eight exhibitions a year which run for approximately six weeks each. Unlike the large museums, GAD does not house a permanent collection of design items.”

Free admittance to the public, and not in receipt of government funding, the Gallery was established through a partnership between the University of Canberra, the Australian Institute of Architects, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and the National Museum of Australia.

The Gallery’s Patron is His Excellency Michael Bryce AM AE and the Gallery is run 14

by a governing council and advisory group.

The partnership between the four bodies creates unique opportunities in design learning experiences and research and enriches the gallery’s exhibition program.

In addition to showcasing great Australian design, the gallery will be incorporated into the University of Canberra design curriculum, with students given the opportunity to take a hands-on role developing exhibitions, including curatorial content and design.

“Through GAD, we want to bring the best of Australian and international design to audiences across all forms including landscape, architectural, industrial, and graphic design. We’re also interested in jewellery, ceramics, objects, fashion, textiles, glass – wherever design is involved.”

“Put another way, design equals ideas which equals our gallery program,” Jas said.

“We want people to come into the Gallery, soak up ideas, and be inspired by the ingenuity, creativity, and passion shown in the exhibitions.”

Jas visibly loves talking about design and has had an extensive career in the visual arts and design to match this passion.

Trained as an architect, he has worked in film and TV set design, owned a gallery in Sydney’s Newtown, spent six years as the curator of Craft ACT’s Craft and Design Centre, and is one of the three founding members of a local design collective called Obfunc which focuses on designing functional objects that possess clarity in terms of ideas, use of materials, and manufacturing processes.

J A N U A R Y 2 0 11 B 2 B I N C A N B E R R A

“The Gallery of Australian Design is here for the people. It is a not-for-profit organisation and another great cultural asset for Canberrans and visitors to Canberra,” Jas said.” If people are interested in GAD, all they need to do is subscribe on our website, and they will receive invites to our exhibition openings and events.”

GAD’s program for 2011 includes an exhibition by Daniel Armstrong—Abandoned Cubby Huts (09 Feb 2011-12 Mar 2011). Over a ten year period, Daniel Armstrong has been documenting a series of abandoned cubby huts which are located in a wild poplar forest in central Victoria. Armstrong has used a plastic toy camera to capture these images.

Squint Opera 09 Feb 2011-12 March 2011 Squint/Opera is a unique film and media production studio operating within the film industry and architectural practice.

The studio unites the efforts of directors, animators, architects, designers, visual effects artists, writers and music composers, resulting in a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to making short films about the built environment, installations, computer generated visualisations and other creative and broadcast content.

Gallery of Australian Design, 44 Parkes Place, Parkes, Southern foreshore of Lake Burley Griffin. T: 02 6273 1313 www. gad.org.au Open Wed-Sat 10am-4pm. Admission is free.

PROFILE

“We want people to come into the Gallery, soak up ideas, and be inspired by the ingenuity, creativity, and passion shown in the exhibitions.”

B 2 B I N C A N B E R R A J A Photography: N U A R Y 2Andrew 0 11 Sikorski

15

2011 NEW YEAR’S

BUSINESS

RESOLUTIONS Dear Reader, Each year at around this time I jot down on a piece of paper some goals for the year. Usually my list includes broad things like: 1. Eat less 2. Exercise more 3. Make more money. This year I thought it would help to get some targeted advice from those professionals that are key advisers to business ie accountants, lawyers and IT gurus. With some help from the professionals I have started off my personal New Year’s Resolutions List with the following: 1. Better cashf low management 2. Make a will 3. Review strategies to recover outstanding debts 4. Keep working on search engine optimization (SEO) 5. Promote and advertise my business consistently for year-round results.…

Read the suggested resolutions outlined in this feature and jot down a couple of ideas on the template on this page. Most importantly put a plan in place to implement them.

Tim Benson - Publisher, B2B in Canberra Magazine

INESS S U B S ’ R A E Y NEW R 2011 O F S N O TI U L O RES 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Accounting

NEW YEAR’S BUSINESS RESOLUTIONS

Resolve to improve your business operations in 2011 Andrew Sykes

T • • • • • • •

ake a step back from your business and think about your credit terms, ensure you get your invoices out to customers promptly and consider offering discounts to customers who pay promptly. significant actions or issues that will help your business performance improve in the New Year. Focus Improve your profit There are always ways to improve the financial state of your on the key areas below and you will reap the rewards. business.

Here are some examples:

Credit facilities Cashflow management Customer and supplier relationships Don’t assume that your customers are financially healthy Bargain with suppliers Improve your profit Lead your team and manage stress.

Credit facilities Businesses should consider their current level of financing and the possible need for further debt financing in the future. The opportunity exists for business owners to get closer to their bank. Keep your bank informed and give them plenty of notice if you’re in need of increased debt funding.

Cashflow management While profitability is important, it is cash that determines a business’s survival. Do you expect to have difficulty in meeting scheduled payments? The opportunity exists to negotiate your credit terms with your customers and suppliers. Management of inventory levels is also important in the control over cash flows.

Customer and supplier relationships In economic uncertainty or recovery, customers are likely to pay their bills more slowly and the liquidity of a business can be negatively affected very rapidly. Businesses who rely on only a small number of customers may find themselves at risk if one of their key customers falls into financial trouble.

Don’t assume that your customers are financially healthy

Increase the number of customers buying from you— implementing an effective marketing campaign focused on your core value propositions can bring more customers into the business. From there you need to work on your sales conversion rate.

Increase the number of times customers buy from you—you need to find ways to encourage customers to keep coming back.

Implementing a loyalty scheme, a regular newsletter, a seasonal sale program, or a quality service model that makes the customer feel special can all work. Sometimes it is even as simple as asking them to come back!

Increase the amount customers spend with you—once a customer has entered the business, effective cross selling, up selling and bundling techniques can dramatically increase the average dollar spend.

Improve the gross margin on each sale—cnce a customer has entered the business, effective cross selling, up selling and bundling techniques can dramatically increase the average dollar spend.

Leading your team and managing stress Focus on your workplace. Stress can be caused by poor air quality, poor lighting, high noise levels and poorly designed and uncomfortable office furniture. Including health tips in documents such as induction manuals may be useful. Regular exercise helps people cope with and minimise stress. Your employees should not feel guilty about setting aside time for relaxation, pursuing hobbies or sport. If both you and your employees keep an eye on stress, your workplace is likely to be a better, happier and more productive environment.

Andrew Sykes is a partner at RSM Bird Cameron For more information, contact RSM Bird Cameron’s experienced team, 103–105 Northbourne Ave, Canberra.

T: 02 6247 5988, www.rsmi.com.au

Businesses should be screening new customers very carefully and be selective of those customers who are offered credit terms. Any terms of trade should be formalised with customers. Among other things, you should actively follow up all debtors, formally negotiate B 2 B I N C A N B E R R A J A N U A R Y 2 0 11

17

Business law

NEW YEAR’S BUSINESS RESOLUTIONS

Business and Property Law Cassandra Emmett

E

lringtons provide a range of services to business and property owners in Canberra and Queanbeyan, and have built a reputation over many years for assisting clients to grow and protect their businesses and assets.

The firm has evolved and grown with the new century, through the acquisition of legal experts and systems that deliver results for our clients. Our reputation is that of a firm which takes seemingly complex problems and delivers extraordinary results.

With offices in Canberra City and Queanbeyan we have grown from an older practice into one of relevance for today’s clients. The firm is now defined as being a place of opportunity for our clients as well as for our lawyers and staff.

In the same way as we have grown into a new and exciting firm through thorough analysis of ourselves and the needs of clients, so all good businesses should review and renew regularly, to ensure that they are operating efficiently, cutting costs and maximising potential. The new year is a good opportunity to do this. The following checklist is not exhaustive but is a good start for a healthy new year audit of your business:

Is your business structure the most appropriate for your needs?

Do you have the most effective asset protection structure in place?

Are you maximising tax benefits? Should you have a trust ownership structure? If you have a family trust, are you up to date about whether this offers you adequate asset protection? If you are incorporated, are you fully aware of your obligations and potential exposure as a director?

What if something happens to you?

Do you have Powers of Attorney so that the appropriate people will make management decisions in your absence? Does your business plan offer certainty should an untimely event occur, and does it allow the appropriate people to manage the business if you are temporarily incapacitated, with minimal interference to your operation and cash flow? Do you have a Will? Who will take control, and benefit in the growth of your business, after your death? Do you know what assets and liabilities will form part of your estate (and therefore be dealt with in your Will)? Are you aware that superannuation does not automatically form part of your estate and may instead be distributed at the discretion of your fund’s trustee? This may mean that money 18

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which you planned to be available for business debts (or protected from business debts) will not be so.

Should you have a self managed super fund?

The advantages are that you will have greater control over your investments and a wider choice of assets in which to invest, however you need to ensure that the administrative costs are not going to outweigh the benefits. If you have one, you need to be vigilant about complying with legislative requirements (such as the sole purpose test of saving for your retirement) or you will attract penalties.

Do you own or lease?

Is your lease value for money, is it energy efficient? Is the landlord conducting appropriate renovations and repairs? Are you complying with your lease obligations? Have you allowed your business premises lease to lapse, putting you into a ‘holding over’ arrangement? If so, you are at risk of eviction. If you own your premises, is ownership the most effective structure for you?

Are you owed lots of money?

And should you be taking steps to recover outstanding debts?

Have you got efficient systems in place to chase your debtors? For example, you can have your customers sign payment agreements once a quote has been accepted which could include provision for up front payment, or payment of a deposit. Pursuing outstanding debts through the Court system can be managed effectively and efficiently on your behalf when customers refuse to pay, but having the correct systems up front in order to secure payment in the first place is even more efficient.

What shape are your borrowings in?

Do you have the best deal for your finance arrangements, the best rates and the best flexibility? Can you consolidate your borrowings?

Is your bank aware of exactly what your business does, allowing it to tailor its services to your needs.

Conduct a review of your employment contracts, your consultant contracts and your supplier contracts—these may be outdated, and employment contracts in particular may not comply with current legislation.

These are some key areas you should assess as part of your new year audit, and seek appropriate and skilled advice.

Cassandra Emmett is Special Counsel, Business Services. Contact Elrington Boardman Allport Lawyers: Canberra (02) 6206 1300 or Queanbeyan (02) 6128 1200 www.ebalawyers.com.au

Websites

NEW YEAR’S BUSINESS RESOLUTIONS

Keeping pace with WWW in 2011 Sam Gupta

L

et me introduce the elephant in the room. Last year Australia’s internet users grew to more than 17 million and approximately 9.5 million Facebook users. Eighty per cent of Australians are now using the Internet. More often than not, customers will check out your website before they do any business with you. But, when it comes to improving websites, we don’t always know where to start or what to fix. So, let me share my three golden rules for websites.

1) Websites: all for the users

1. Ensure your business is listed on Google Maps/local business centre

Always, always keep in the mind the users of your website. My favourite example is Intel. Although you never buy from Intel direct, the Intel website is designed for users, not the computer companies or wholesalers who buy their product.

The critical parts of your website are its navigation links and call to action buttons. Help navigate your visitors to the right pages. If you don’t do this in less than 8 seconds, then they are gone, possibly to your competitor.

Review website statistics, get customer feedback, try different layouts, and give users what they want. Without this strategy, even Google wouldn’t be Google.

2. Research and find out the most suitable keywords for your business/ website

2) If it’s not new, it’s boring

6. Find blogs and forums within your industry to engage with your potential customers

It doesn’t matter how pretty your website is, if I have seen it once, it’s boring. That’s how most users feel.

If you have regular website visitors, give them something new to look at each time. Put seasonal decorations on your site such as Christmas and Easter images. Constantly add content to your website.

Content is king on the web. It is also food for Google and other search engines.

By adding more content, you will not only keep your website fresh, but also increase its chances of being found on search engines.

3) Visibility on search engines

3. Make sure your website is well optimised and keep adding new content 4. Submit your website on a variety of search engines 5. Allow website visitors to share your web-pages on various social bookmarking sites

7. Build/exchange as many links as possible from other related websites.

You can also run Google AdWords, e-newsletter, and other campaigns but don’t just drive traffic. Convert traffic into profit—it’s a numbers game. Give your customers control, let them place an order, make a payment, look-up their order history. Engage with your customers and have fun along the way.

Sam Gupta is the Synapse Worldwide’s managing director. Contact Synapse Worldwide, 5/3 Tooth St, Mitchell, T: 1300 785 230 www.synapseworldwide.com

Increasingly customers are looking for products or services on the web. Here are some DIY SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) tips, to help you get better rankings on search engines.

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Family Law

NEW YEAR’S BUSINESS RESOLUTIONS

Do you have a Will?

A pre-nup?

Juliette Ford

N

ow that the excitement of Christmas and New Year has passed and we all get back into our daily routines its time to reflect on those important ‘New Years Resolutions’ that we promised ourselves we would keep this year.

What was yours? Spend more time with the family, get fit, lose weight, quit smoking? These are some of the most popular. For many people it’s getting finances in order that comes top of that list.

Getting your finances into order is about more than starting up that share portfolio or consolidating those credit card debts. What about the other important documents that can play a huge part in your financial future —your Will and a Binding Financial Agreement.

Thinking about the possibility of a separation is something which most people do not like to consider. When faced with the reality of a relationship breakdown it is very difficult to negotiate a financial separation through the many emotions and practicalities of a break up.

The pain and stress of a break up can often leave both parties feeling anxious about their futures and create a heated environment for any discussion of financial matters.

Most people want to avoid expensive and lengthy litigation to sever their financial ties. Unfortunately more often than not parties who can not agree about how to separate financially are pushed towards the uncertainty of having their matter decided by a Judge who knows nothing about them before their hearing day.

The best way to avoid undesired litigation is by entering into a Binding Financial Agreement with your spouse. More commonly known as a ‘pre-nup’, a Binding Financial Agreement can set out how you and your partner want to divide your assets and liabilities in the event that you separate. A Binding Financial Agreement provides you and your partner with certainty and the peace of mind knowing that in the event of your separation there will be no need for difficult negotiations or litigation.

As the Family Court now has jurisdiction to deal with the assets of de-facto parties who live in the ACT in the event that they separate, entering into a Binding Financial Agreement with your de-facto partner is just as important for married couples.

If you have begun the New Year with a new relationship (married or de-facto) then a Binding Financial Agreement can cover the assets and liabilities that each of you have brought into the relationship to ensure that these early contributions are recognised. However, there are no time limitations as to when you and your partner can enter into a Binding Financial Agreement. They can be made by de-facto and married couples before or during a relationship.

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In order to ensure that your Binding Financial Agreement is ‘watertight’ and excludes the jurisdiction of the Family Court to divide your and your partner’s assets, the Agreement must satisfy certain requirements. One of the most important of those requirements is that the Agreement includes a statement for each party saying that each of you has been provided with independent legal advice from a legal practitioner about the effect of the Agreement and its advantages and disadvantages. Finding a legal practitioner experienced in the drafting of Binding Financial Agreements is paramount to ensuring that all of the requirements are satisfied and your Agreement remains ‘watertight’.

Obtaining a Binding Financial Agreement is becoming more and more popular. Especially with people who are entering their second or third relationship and have experience with the alternatives of not having an Agreement in place.

Young couples are also becoming more interested in obtaining the peace of mind that a Binding Financial Agreement brings. Even Prince William and Kate Middleton are rumoured to be having one drafted!

The other important document to have on your New Year’s Resolution list is a Will. If you don’t have one, it’s time to get one. Even if you do have one from years ago its important that you dust it off and revisit what it says about the division of your assets. Circumstances change as do your finances so it is important to keep your Will up to date so that it does its job in the event you don’t make it to next year’s New Year’s Eve party!

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

ADVICE

How does your business compare?

by Tracey Nicholls

ACCOUNTING

As part of the 2010-11 compliance program, the Australian Tax Office (ATO) is comparing tax returns and Business Activity Statements lodged by small to medium sized business to similar businesses in a search for unpaid taxes.

The benchmarks show key business ratios for more than 100 industries reporting within high, medium and low turnover ranges. By comparing your business to the benchmarks for your industry, you can assess your business performance. Businesses that report outside their industry benchmarks will attract the attention of the ATO and could be selected for an audit or review. There may be good reasons for these variances and as such it is advisable that you compare your results to the benchmark.

The ATO has developed three types of benchmarks for small business: • Performance benchmarks provide key business ratios for different industries (eg cost of goods sold to turnover, cost of materials to turnover, labour to turnover, rent to turnover). These have been developed using information on income tax returns and activity statements.

• Cash sales benchmarks show the ratio of cash sales to total sales.

These have been developed using information reported on activity statements and data provided to the ATO by banks.

• Input benchmarks show an expected range of income for tradespeople based on the labour and materials they use. These have been developed using information provided to the ATO by industry participants and trade associations.

Business categories include: • Building and construction trade services • Education, training, recreation and support services • Food services • Health care and personal services • Manufacturing, professional, scientific and technical services • Retail trade, transport, postal and warehousing services.

It is therefore important that the business industry code used on your business tax return and ABN application accurately reflects the industry you are in. This may be difficult where your company operates in more than one industry. In this case, the dominant industry should be applied or where possible, a Business Schedule should be prepared for each business within your tax return.

For more assistance in understanding the industry benchmarks, contact our team at RSM Bird Cameron.

Tracey Nicholls is a manager with RSM Bird Cameron. For more information, contact RSM Bird Cameron, 103-105 Northbourne Ave Canberra, T.6247 5988, www.rsmi.com.au

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SMSF borrowing rules

by Brett Billington

ACCOUNTING SERVICES

In years gone by, as a general rule, self managed superannuation funds were not allowed to borrow, albeit subject to a very limited number of exceptions.

Following the introduction of the instalment warrant borrowing exception in 2007, for the first time SMSFs were allowed to borrow for investment purposes, as long as a set of specific criteria could be satisfied. Unfortunately, this new borrowing exception resulted in a degree of uncertainty which led to differing industry views and practices.

Less than three years later, in July 2010, new legislation was passed replacing the instalment warrant borrowing exception. Referred to as Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangements, this current borrowing exception provides greater clarity and certainty, while focusing on reducing the risks faced by fund trustees.

While there are some important differences between the old and the new borrowing rules, the basic principles that allow an SMSF to borrow for investment purposes under both rules are very similar.

1. An SMSF borrows money from a lender whereby the loan is of a limited recourse nature. Under the new rules the rights of the lender, or any other person, against the superannuation fund are limited to the rights relating to the asset purchased with the borrowed funds (or a replacement asset).

2. The borrowed money is applied to the purchase of an asset. Under the new rules borrowed money must be applied to the purchase of a single ‘acquirable asset’ which is defined in legislation.

3. The asset purchase must be an asset the fund would otherwise be allowed to acquire directly, having regard to the usual superannuation investment rules. There are no changes between old and new rules.

4. The asset purchased (or a replacement asset) is held in trust for the superannuation fund, with the superannuation fund holding a beneficial interest in that asset. Under the new rules circumstances where a ‘replacement asset’ will be allowed are defined in legislation, and are much narrower.

5. The superannuation fund has a right to acquire the asset following the fund making one or more subsequent payments. There are no differences between the old and new rules.

Clients rely on professional advisers to ensure their financial strategies achieve the outcomes intended. This can be achieved with the right advice, particularly when the client’s accountant and adviser work closely together integrating taxation and wealth management advice.

Hillross Wealth Management Centre Canberra – providing professional wealth management services to clients of our alliance partners.

Brett Billington is a financial adviser at Hillross Wealth Management Centre Canberra.

Level 7, AMP Building, 1 Hobart Place, Canberra City, T: 02 6263 9200, info.wmcc@hillross.com.au, www.hillross.com.au

ADVICE

Client boomerang system

by Wayne Bolin

BUSINESS COACHING

As you may have heard, it’s at least six times easier (and more profitable) to get an existing customer to do business with you again, than it is to attract a new customer.

However, many business owners spend all their time focusing on advertising to get new customers. A large majority of their marketing budget goes in that direction. Their sales people focus all their attention on getting new business too. With that, they don’t have time to build relationships with their existing customers. Nor do they do anything to generate repeat sales.

It’s little wonder then that their existing customers feel neglected and many head for the competition. Funnily (or perhaps frighteningly) enough, the BIGGEST opportunity for generating repeat business is the one that is the easiest to do and the most overlooked as well. Making it a habit to re-book your customers for their next appointment will significantly increase your retention rate.

Some business owners become concerned that asking their customers to re-book is being too pushy, but in actual fact customers really appreciate it – it’s one less thing that they need to remember to do themselves!

Two ways to make this re-booking strategy work in your business: 1. Develop a script to use at the end of your appointment.

Here’s a sample re-booking script: “[name], I’m going to recommend that you come and see me again in X weeks time. Our appointment book is filling up fast as this is a really busy time of year. So we can ensure you can secure an appointment when you want one I recommend re-booking. So how does [date] work for you [name]? And what time of day suits you best?”

2. Create a system that ensures that customers are asked to re-book every single time they do business.

It’s vital that your re-booking strategy is systemised, not simply ‘remembered’, as inevitably, when a client is rushing or a phone rings, customer service staff can forget to ask a client to re-book. A great way to ensure this is a systemised process is to have a reminder pop up on your point of sale program to jog your staff’s memory.

Important tips to ensure your clients attend their next appointment.

1. Provide them with an appointment card on the spot.

2. Send them out a reminder email/text one week in advance.

3. Call them with a reminder two days prior to their appointment – alternatively you might want to send an SMS (many CRM systems can do this automatically for you).

For help implementing a client boomerang system of your own, please call me on 02 6295 9811.

Wayne Bolin is the principal at Bolin Accountants and the 10X Canberra South owner.

For more information, please visit Unit 3/71 Leichhardt Street Kingston or visit www.10x.com. au/canberrasouth

Stigmatised property: can you rely on caveat emptor?

by Maurice Falcetta

COMMERCIAL LAW

‘What is stigmatised property?’ you may ask. This phrase can be used to describe property burdened with a stigma owing to events associated with it. These stigmas range from the occurrence of multiple murders, sexual assaults or apparent paranormal activity to the previous occupation of the premises by criminals or some other opprobrium.

Stigmatisation is a Pandora’s Box that gives rise to a plethora of questions: ‘Is a stigmatising characteristic a latent defect in title that a vendor or real estate agent is obliged to disclose to prospective purchasers?’

‘Do stigmas lapse with time? Is the vendor or real estate agent under any obligation to disclose events that may stretch back for decades or centuries?’

‘If the stigma is purely psychological, is there an objective means of discerning if it warrants disclosure?’

‘What effect, if any, does stigmatisation have on the value of a property?’

In Hinton & Ors v Commissioner for Fair Trading, the issues of agent and vendor disclosure requirements in relation to stigma were raised when it was held that the real estate agents should have notified the purchasers that the property for sale was the site of a notorious multiple homicide.

This case involved the sale of the Sydney home, where Sef Gonzalez had murdered members of his family, to Buddhist purchasers who felt unable to reside there as a result of their religious beliefs.

Inevitably, this verdict has fuelled debate in Australian academic circles concerning whether or not the infamy of stigmatising events has a material impact on a property’s value and whether vendors or real estate agents are under the onerous obligation to take the idiosyncrasies of every purchaser into account when deciding if the stigma should be brought to their attention.

While the Hinton decision confirmed that real estate agents have a duty to disclose material facts under Trade Practices and Fair Trading Legislation, there is still some degree of uncertainty as to whether this extends to vendors.

Given the fact that the law has been evolving to redress the traditional imbalance of information between vendors and purchasers of real property, one may be understandably concerned about the implications this may have for a vendor who otherwise takes the view of caveat emptor (buyer beware).

Considering the complexities, if you are the vendor of a property that carries a stigma or perhaps even more importantly if you are a registered or licensed agent, it is strongly recommended that you seek legal advice.

Maurice Falcetta is a partner at Trinity Law. Trinity Law is a boutique firm which is focused on providing business and corporate legal services and is motivated by long term business relationships. www.trinitylaw.com.au

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ADVICE

Driving board diversity

by Phil Butler

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The past 12 months have seen a number of improvements in board diversity. My column in January last year set out our range of measures aimed at increasing diversity on Australian boards. These measures have been delivered as promised, contributing to significant gains.

In 2010, 58 women were appointed to ASX 200 boards, compared to only 10 in 2009. A total of 27 per cent of appointees were female, compared with five per cent in 2009. The proportion of female board members is now 10.6 per cent, whereas this was just 8.3 per cent at the beginning of 2009.

While more progress needs to be made, the numbers speak for themselves—indicating that our initiatives, together with those taken by the ASX Corporate Governance Council and others are having an effect.

One such example is our Chairmen’s Mentoring Program. Introduced in April 2010, the program is believed to be the largest of its kind in the world, involving 56 senior listed company chairmen and directors mentoring 63 women over the course of 12 months. It has been extremely successful, providing mentors with exposure to a select pool of talented female directors available for board positions and providing mentees with the opportunity to enhance their skills and networks with influential business leaders. We are pleased to announce that we will be running a mentoring program again this year.

Further, we have been overwhelmed by the response to our Board Diversity Scholarship program which, assisted by the Australian Government’s Office for Women, offers 70 full-fee scholarships to high performing board-ready women to undertake our world-leading director education programs. Nearly 2,000 high-calibre applications have been received from across urban and regional Australia from women representing a variety of sectors and backgrounds.

From this month, the ASX Corporate Governance Council Principles and Recommendations on diversity come into effect, requiring companies to report on gender at board and senior management levels.

While the ASX Principles only apply to listed entities, the changes ‘set the bar’ for organisations, including government and not-for-profit organisations, trying to attract and retain the best staff.

The Australian Institute of Company Directors is hosting a briefing on 3 February to discuss the benefits of board diversity, including our range of initiatives. It will include an overview of the changes to the ASX Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations and how to incorporate a working and measurable diversity policy into your organisation with a particular focus on the notfor-profit, private and public sectors.

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

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Newsagency will kits: they can cost more than you think

by Stephen Bourke

ESTATE PLANNING

Like anything in the DIY market—sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. If you do your own electrical or plumbing work, it may save you some money but only if it works.

The same applies to a $30 will kit.

In late 2006, Australian racing legend Peter Brock died leaving three wills. The first will was a lawyer-made will. The second was a will kit which left the gift clauses blank and the third was another will kit that left a portion of his estate to the children and the remainder to his new partner but it was never completed.

The first will was valid but revoked by the second will. The third will was his latest will but it was unsigned. The question for the court was which will is valid.

After a year with thousands of dollars in litigation fees, the court found the second will kit was the valid one. That will revoked the first will. It gave nothing away because the gift clauses were left blank. In essence, although Peter Brock had drafted a will, the failure to include a properly drafted gift clause in the will meant that he died partially intestate in which case it was unclear as to who the beneficiaries would be of his estate.

Planning your estate is one of those manana tasks—it is easier to put it off until tomorrow. And tomorrow never comes. Where you have a blended family (Peter Brock had one of these), the decisions are often magnified because of the complexity of the relationships between the different parts of the family. It is therefore preferable that the preparation of your estate plan be conducted in a collaborative and integrated manner.

The financial goals should be considered in conjunction with the legal obligations. Making or updating your will should not be a topic that is put in the too hard basket. Involving the beneficiaries will avoid expensive disputes about your will and estate.

It has been our experience that most family provision or estate disputes are caused by poorly written wills, especially will kits.

The simple fact is that a lawyer is trained to sniff out any potential problems. So make sure that your will and estate plan are as insulated as possible to prevent those problems occurring. The greatest single factor for Peter Brock in devising his will was the issue of his blended family.

Legal fees for tax advice on your will can be tax deductible. But think of legal fees as a type of insurance premium. No one likes to pay them but your family will certainly regret it if you do not.

Stephen Bourke is a director of the boutique firm, Certus Law, which specialises in superannuation, trusts and estate planning. Visit Cetus Law at Level 5, 28 University Avenue, T: 6268 9090, www.certuslaw.com.au

ADVICE

Help us help you

by Jono Willis

Business names, domain names and trade marks. Do you know the difference?

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Do you recall the $125,000,000 NASA Mars orbiter that crashed on Mars in 1999? One engineering team used metric units while the other used English units for key spacecraft operations.

This simple error caused a massive problem. Everybody thought they had done the right thing until the moment it crashed on the surface of Mars.

It was a costly mistake — but makes for a nice analogy when talking about briefing a design studio.

I’ll let you in on an industry secret — and it’s something that will save you money. The information you give to a designer is the foundation on which the entire design will be built.

If you tell us you’d like a spacecraft that will get you to the moon, we will build it for you — and it will rock! But when we’re spray painting the fuselage and applying the decals it’s too late to tell us that you actually needed it to take you to another galaxy. The whole design was based around the size of the fuel tanks! Needless to say there will be extra costs to remedy the situation.

A small piece of missing information at the start can make an entire project crash at the end.

But enough of the analogies — let’s put this into practical terms.

Say that you’d like us to design your Christmas card. You’re tired of the sizes you’ve used over the last 10 years and tell us you’d like this version to be fairly large. In fact you insist on it being an awkward size despite our advice.

Everything goes extremely well. You love the design, the colours, the price and the printed product. It’s a dream job!

We are patting ourselves on the back when all of a sudden the phone rings. It’s you and you’re not happy. The Christmas cards need an envelope but there are none available large enough to fit your illustrious size!

There are numerous examples of design orbiters crashing. In the end it all comes down to good communication between you and your designer.

We promise to come up with the best design for your needs.

Think long and hard about what it is you want. We will work with you to extract key information. We need to listen to you and you need to listen to us.

It can be the start of a beautiful working relationship.

Jono Willis is a senior designer and writer.

For creative design solutions, contact Paper Monkey Graphic Design, 72 Townshend St Phillip, T: 6285 2400, www.papermonkey.com.au

by Shaun Creighton

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Do you know that the registration of a business, company or domain name gives you no substantive intellectual property rights in law?

Many businesses operate under the belief that the registration of a business, company or domain name gives them the exclusive right to use that name and provides a form of immunity against infringement proceedings brought by owners of registered trade marks. This belief is erroneous, and results in a large number of businesses defending trade mark infringement proceedings or being forced to re-brand (and without the intellectual property protection they thought they had).

Trade marks, business names, company names and domain names are four distinct systems of registration. Only trade mark registration provides a proprietary right in a mark, or an exclusive right to use that mark in respect of specified goods and services.

The registration of business names, on the other hand, is a largely administrative procedure aimed at providing a mechanism by which consumers and traders can identify trading entities.

We recommend any business operating with a registered trade mark check to ensure they are not inadvertently infringing 3rd party rights.

This is cheaper and more convenient that being forced to re-brand.

Specialist Trade Mark Attorney firms, like ARUNA, can provide cost effective searches and associated advice.

Businesses with a registered business name, but without trade mark protection, would be wise to formally protect their intellectual property.

Trade mark registration can provide monopoly style rights in a brand.

Trade marks can be recorded as valuable assets on balance sheets and are capable of being licensed, sold and even used as security in commercial transactions.

Like the business and company name systems, there are no proprietary rights in a domain name. Although there are threshold criteria for the registration of certain domain names, registration does not involve a check to see whether the domain name is identical or similar to the registered trade marks of other traders. The registration of a domain name therefore does not amount to any proprietary right in that name, nor immunity from infringement of registered trade marks.

The law relating to trade marks can be difficult to navigate and often requires specialist services and advice.

ARUNA Trade Mark Attorneys provide a full suite of trade mark related services, including providing trade mark strategies, conducting pre-filing searches, filing Australian and international applications (noting trade mark rights are on a ‘per country’ basis), attending to trade mark prosecutions / oppositions and enforcing rights in your brand.

Shaun Creighton is a director of ARUNA Trade Mark Attorneys.

Level 3, 54 Marcus Clarke St, Canberra T: 1800 705 680 or 02 6221 9555 www.aruna.com.au

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ADVICE

Time to review your service delivery processes

by Oliver Giles

MANAGEMENT CONSULTING

During this turbulent time a strong message is being sent to managers that it is time to review and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery processes.

This comes at a time when the impact of the Global Financial Crisis has coincided with a strong political focus on promoting a culture of efficiency in government organisations.

Many business owners and managers, in particular those going through significant organisational change, will also admit that they do not have sufficient understanding of the process drivers and breakdowns of all the costs involved in the delivery of the goods and services they produce.

Managers need to be aware of the issues that customers believe are critical to the quality of your product or service. A review of business processes can provide you with essential information as well as a greater understanding of how to meet your client’s needs.

A review could include data on a number of steps including the process cycle time, the effectiveness of current performance controls, the cost of delivery, the overall performance of the process and the viability of continuing without change.

These reviews are best undertaken by teams involving subject matter experts who have an understanding of your organisation. Making sure that there is early communication and discussion with stakeholders can also help the process run smoothly.

Resistance to change amongst staff is a major risk to any business review, or improvement project, and it is important to recognise this and start measuring and reporting your progress early. Doing this can assist in keeping minds open during the process and helping with bigger issues.

It is important to remember that with any process improvement, skills gaps may eventuate. In these cases you should try and develop staff to be able to handle new requirements. Consulting with an external party to help with the process and training can be very beneficial to the overall process.

Throughout your business review, or improvement project, ensure you have quality assurance oversight and communications strategies for each milestone achieved. It is also vitally important to have the right people involved who will help you manage the process and move forward after completion.

MAXimusSolutions can help you with every step of your process change from project management to staff training and development.

Contact us to see how we can facilitate your business review or improvement.

Oliver Giles is an senior consultant at MAXimus Solutions.

MAXimusSolutions offers a range of strategic consulting and support services.

T: (02) 6295 9044 or visit Ground Floor, 27 Murray Crescent, Griffith www.maximussolutions.com.au

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Gadget or not?

by Andy Gregory

PERFORMANCE ARCHITECTS

If you are anything like most business managers, myself included, you are frequently intrigued by new and emerging technologies but have little hope of ever realising their genuine potential.

Too often I am satisfied to be dazzled by the way younger generations intuitively use and understand new gadgets.

In reality, new technologies are providing innovative streams of light in the formerly dim corridors of business communication. Tools such as Ipads, Iphones, Smartboards, web conferencing and media are revolutionising the way business is done. These advances are pioneering a new breed of worker.

No longer just for entertainment, ‘gadgets’ such as these make sense when applied to tasks such as: supporting point of sales process; enabling demos, meetings and consultations at a distance and reducing travel; not to mention the literally thousands of business specific applications already available at a low, low cost. The employee who can operate these tools effectively is the modern MacGyver of effective business.

Staying abreast with contemporary business communication is the leg up many businesses can use to get ahead and stay there. Your prospective customers are searching for you on their Ipads, downloading your businesses application on their Iphones, joining your Twitter account and signing up for a demo to be delivered online all before having the pleasure of even needing to speak with you.

Making sure you and your business can accommodate this recent development is crucial. The opportunity this technological dexterity can provide is exponential.

The now never sleeping market place gives the ability for companies of all sizes to have constant exposure beyond previous thinking and expectations. Effectively deciphering what technologies are right for you is one of the effective ways to maximise your impact.

Every tool out there has a use just waiting to be discovered that can revolutionise your workday and your business. Let’s be honest, using emerging technologies is just as effective as it is fun. We could all stand to enjoy what we do just a little bit more.

So, charge up that Iphone, order that Ipad (or maybe wait for the talked-about February 2011 release), download that application, dust ofF that Smartboard and get ready to work.

Gadgets are not just for downtime in airports any longer.

Andy Gregory is chief executive and a founding director of Yellow Edge. He has extensive leadership experience in both the public and private sectors. andy.gregory@yellowedge.com.au.

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UNIVERSITY TO BUSINESSS

“UC’s international students (and their friends and relatives) contribute an estimated $50 to $60 million annually to the local economy.”

Maintaining connections with business and industry P R O F. J O H N H O WA R D

Pro Vice Chancellor, Development, University of Canberra

Tertiary education is one of Australia’s most important sectors. IN 2009 education services ranked third behind coal and iron ore as Australia’s largest exports— worth $15 billion annually.

For further information, please contact Professor John Howard at the University of Canberra on (02) 6201 5111 28

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s we begin 2011, University of Canberra (UC) has reached the halfway point in its ambitious four year strategic plan, The Thirty Nine Steps. The University is engaging with business and industry in innovative ways, strengthening relationships for mutually beneficial outcomes.

Tertiary education is one of Australia’s most important sectors. In 2009 education services ranked third behind coal and iron ore as Australia’s largest exports—worth $15 billion annually.

At a local level, the University of Canberra contributes to the region in more ways than one.

UC is one of Canberra’s largest non-Government employers, employing over 1,000 staff. The campus itself is a micro economy, with conferencing facilities, food and beverage outlets, banks and retail stores.

UC has undertaken large capital works using local companies, and spent almost $7.7million in 2009 on consulting and contracting services— the majority of which was sourced locally. Importantly, UC attracts over 2,000 international students each year, which has flow on effects for the local economy, including for tourism, retail, and entertainment.

UC’s international students (and their friends and relatives) contribute an estimated $50 to $60 million annually to the local economy.

UC is well positioned to take an active role in the Capital Region’s future development, and is already implementing a number of innovative programs and initiatives to that end.

UC is exploring the concept of an ‘omniversity’— the idea of an institution that facilitates lifelong learning. Planning is underway for the development of a UC Polytechnic, which will focus on tertiary education in vocational and technical areas, offering sub-degree qualifications that can articulate into bachelor degrees.

UC recently established permanent links with two local high schools, now known as UC Senior Secondary College at Lake Ginninderra and UC High School Kaleen. The unique relationships these schools will have with UC will help school kids prepare for higher education and also help UC’s student teachers gain valuable teaching experience.

Recently the Vice-Chancellor held a breakfast for the Canberra business community where the progress and achievements of 2010 were highlighted and the University’s vision for the future

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was outlined.

Guests came to the new Ann Harding Conference Centre where they were joined by University staff and industry representatives for a presentation from the Vice-Chancellor that outlined the important role UC plays in the Capital Region as a contributor to the economy, facilitator of innovation and link between business and government as well as the challenges that lay ahead for tertiary institutions in Australia.

This was an opportunity to demonstrate that the University is an important player in the region that can help to address some major issues.

Skills shortages, regional and low SES education outcomes, creating pathways and flexible

Tertiary education is one of Australia’s most important sectors. IN 2009 education services ranked third behind coal and iron ore as Australia’s largest exports—worth $15 billion annually. articulation arrangements for entry into tertiary education, and maintaining international student numbers in the face of the rising Australian dollar are all issues affecting the economy nationally, in the ACT and the University of Canberra.

The University has embarked on a number of innovative collaborations with key stakeholders which will enhance teaching and research. For example, Memoranda of Understanding with businesses and industry groups such as the Master Builders Association, the Australian Council for Private Education and Training, ABC Canberra, Aspen Medical and the Illawarra and Riverina Institutes of TAFE. Through these relationships, organisations are helping to shape course structure and content, guide research and determine its application, and host workplace learning. With business, industry, government and the broader community appreciating the importance of UC as a training ground for the future workforce and places of innovation and discovery, we can engage with our environment more effectively and remain a leading player in the Capital Region’s growth and development.

G2B

GOVERNMENT TO BUSINESS

The aim of the second mission in September was to promote and brand Canberra as Australia’s education capital and to generate tangible outcomes for educational institutions through provision of opportunities for future development and exchange between Chinese and Australian educational institutions.

T

Canberra’s education credentials on show in China

rade delegations are an important element of the ACT Government’s business development program. They are a highly focused and effective way of introducing local companies to overseas opportunities, and in return, these exporting companies energetically tell Canberra’s story to the world in ways that governments and brochures simply can’t.

In the latter half of 2010, the ACT Minister for Education and Training, Mr Andrew Barr MLA led an education-themed trade mission to Shanghai. This was the second trade mission to China for 2010, leveraging the ACT Government’s involvement as a Silver Sponsor of the Australian Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo.

This mission followed on from the very successful July 2010 mission to Beijing and Shanghai, led by the Chief Minister and broadly themed around the ACT’s business innovation capability which generated both immediate and medium ACT EDUCATION ORGANISATIONS ON term trade opportunities.

TRADE MISSION TO CHINA The aim of the second mission in September was to promote and brand Canberra as Australia’s education Minister for Education and Training, Mr Andrew capital and to generate tangible outcomes for educational Barr led a delegation of organisations to China in institutions through provision of opportunities for September 2001, culminating in VIP events as part future development and exchange between Chinese and of the ACT Government’s Silver Sponsorship of the Australian educational institutions.

Shanghai World Expo. The organisations were: A mission highlight was a VIP education themed • ACT Education and Training Gateway dinner held in the Australian Pavilion. This was the third • ACT Centre of Professional Studies business event as part of the Territory’s Shanghai Expo • Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AEI) Silver Sponsorship entitlements. The dinner was a focal • University of Canberra (UC) point for the mission participants in Shanghai, as it • Department of Education and Training (DET) • Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) provided an opportunity for ACT government and private education representatives to showcase Canberra to Australia’s Commissioner General of the Pavilion, Lyndall Sachs and Minister for Education and Training, Andrew Barr in the Australia Pavilion.

Background: Microscopia, Warren Langley’s work in glass and light. Photo by Anna Willett.

prominent representatives from Chinese educational institutions and relevant business organisations.

Minister Barr’s presence in Shanghai was also an opportunity to launch the new Chapter of the University of Canberra’s alumni network for East China University of Science and Technology MBA Graduates, in recognition of 10 years of cooperation in the region.

The composition of this delegation included three companies operating in the education sector and three institutes (see panel). The delegation then travelled to Tianjin to follow up on some activities from the July mission and then on to Guangzhou to participate in the China International SME Fair (CISMEF). This year Australia was the sole co-host country for CISMEF, giving the mission participants the opportunity to be part of the largest Australian themed SME fair in China. The ACT had a significant Education exhibition space with booths populated by the Canberra Businesses and Institutions including DET, UC and CIT. At CISMEF the delegation was grouped under the branding message of See Yourself Learning in Canberra, leveraging the See Yourself logo and tag line originally developed by ACT Tourism and now utilised extensively by the Live in Canberra program and Business and Industry Development in promoting investment and Skilled and Business Migration activities in the Territory. This branding has been established as part of the ACT ‘s International Education Strategy supported by the Canberra’s key education stakeholders.

As with all ACT Ministerial led missions, the ACT Government sought Austrade’s assistance to organise a visit program for the mission—including setting up individual market visit programs, at least one networking event in each of the cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou city, and in-market briefings.

The Shanghai World Expo saw its final visitors on 31 October 2010. Warren Langley’s Microscopia, the large glass artwork commissioned by the ACT Government as part of its Silver sponsorship of the Australian Pavilion, will now return to Canberra to be installed in the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital located at the Canberra Hospital.

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“For Canberra having the ideas is easy, getting agreement to make them happen is a different matter...” Charles Landry

Canberra — the next evolution CHRIS FA U L K S

CEO Canberra Business Council

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harles Landry is a noted international authority on creativity and its uses in shaping the futures of cities around the world. Last year, he spent a week in Canberra, examining our culture and infrastructure, hearing the views of knowledgeable locals, and stimulating discussion and thought around the creative transformation of our city into one which more fully realises its potential. The results of his deliberations have been released in his report Canberra—The Next Evolution.

For those who have lived in Canberra for any length of time, much of what the report finds will not come as any surprise. A central part of the report is the Creative City Index, which distils creative urban dynamics into ten key indicators.

Canberra scores highest in the ‘Liveability & wellbeing’ (7.5/10) and ‘Talent and learning landscape’ (7.4/10) measures, attributable to our bush capital lifestyle, and our many world-class learning and research institutions.

However in most of the other measures, such as ‘Entrepreneurship, exploration & innovation’ (5.5/10) and ‘Communication, connectivity and networking’ (5.4/10), the scores are average at best. The score which struck me as the most telling was the 3.4 out of 10 given for ‘Strategic leadership, agility and vision’, the lowest score out of all the indicators.

As Mr Landry points out in the report: “For Canberra having the ideas is easy, getting agreement to make them happen is a different matter...

Canberra knows how to discuss things, the issue is more how to get joint agreement to get things done and a pathway to get there.” In essence, we can talk the talk, but often fail at walking the walk.

Yet even our strengths have potential for improvement. For example, while noting that per capita Canberra is one of the most innovative places in Australia, Mr Landry is quick to highlight that commercialisation of such knowledge is our Achilles heel. Similarly, our love of Canberra can lead to a resistance to change, engendering a sense of self-satisfaction which discourages innovation and

creativity in favour of a conservative status quo.

This stifling of creativity and a perceived lack of vibrancy can lead to many talented young people leaving Canberra in search of more dynamic cities, which actively works against retaining skills, thus undermining our knowledge-based economy.

A central recommendation of the Landry Report, which Canberra Business Council strongly supports, is: [F]or an alliance of Canberra forces to be launched in order to overcome the gridlock and to create the next evolution of Canberra, that is sustaining in every sense, that provides a rich and varied experience, that pleases the senses and emotions and that combines ‘ordinary’ with interesting surprises that make its urban experience extra-ordinary.

We have ample opportunity to put this recommendation into action. The recent Canberra 2030 - Time to Talk public consultation by the ACT Government was one such initiative, a small but important step in the right direction. The ongoing Centenary of Canberra projects, culminating in a celebration of our city in 2013, is another major step.

There are many other opportunities which can and should be seized upon by business and Government to work with the community in shaping the future of our National Capital.

The Landry Report is a timely reminder that Canberra’s future prosperity is as much about cultural and creative considerations as it is about physical infrastructure and the economy.

Charles Landry delivering his creative scorecard for Canberra in November.

Principal Members ACTEW Corporation, ActewAGL, Bank West, Blue Star Printing Group, Canberra International Airport, Cre8ive, Elite Sound & Lighting, Ernst & Young Services Trust, eWAY, Hindmarsh, HolisTech Pty Ltd, KPMG (Canberra), Master Builders Association (ACT), Medibank Health Solutions, National Australia Bank Ltd (Turner), National Museum of Australia, NEC Australia Pty Ltd, Staging Connections (ACT), The Village Building Co, Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems Australia, TransACT Communication

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Fitness Trails: a micro-business built on passion BRENT J U R AT O W I T C H

President ACT Exporters’ Network

Fitness Trails web site is www.fitnesstrails.com.

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

M

embers of the ACT Exporters’ Network continue to enjoy success in the world of exporting, as they enter new markets and expand their activities in existing ones.

Fitness Trails, a member of the ACT Exporters’ Network, is a local business and export success story that is the result of a life-long passion for health and fitness and demonstrates the benefits of patience and persistence.

Neil Gray, Fitness Trail’s Principal, has spent most of his life involved with sport and fitness as both a participant and a professional, including as Director, Marketing and Communication at the Australian Sports Commission and the Australian Institute of Sport.

Mr Gray says that the success of the Fitness Trails concept is that not only is it physically beneficial, but the systems are safe, durable, attractive, environmentally friendly, sustainable, easy to maintain and value for money.

Mr Gray first saw the Fitness Trails concept in the USA in 1983 and brought the concept back to Australia. From a business point of view the breakthrough for Fitness Trails came in 1988, Australia’s Bicentenary year, when not only was a ‘Fitness Trail’ circuit installed at Parliament House, but AGC sponsored the construction of 200 fitness trails around Australia. This Bicentenary legacy and community project proved to be the trigger for export opportunities and since then more than 100 Fitness Trails systems have been installed in USA, New Zealand, the UK, Fiji and Japan.

Fitness Trails has had a long relationship with Japan, with JETRO (Japan’s external trade organisation), initially helping them to identify an agent in Tokyo. But Japan has also proved to be a challenging market for Fitness Trails with Mr Gray noting “one thing I’ve learnt is to look at the customs and protocols in different markets” as,

But Japan has also proved to be a challenging market for Fitness Trails with Mr Gray noting “one thing I’ve learnt is to look at the customs and protocols in different

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

markets” as, even with a long-term agent in Japan, there can still occasionally be misunderstandings due to language and cultural differences.

Fitness Trails ‘Exersite’ installed in La Jolla High School, California.

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even with a long-term agent in Japan, there can still occasionally be misunderstandings due to language and cultural differences.

While working in different markets Mr Gray, like other exporters, has been able to take advantage of the expertise of Austrade staff both in Australia and around the world and is a great supporter of the services provided by Austrade. In particular, Fitness Trails has benefitted from Austrade expertise in Chicago, Manchester and London.

Mr Gray has also benefited from Export Marketing Development Grants (EMDG) over the years, with the grants assisting him to attend conferences to promote his product, develop local contacts and prepare market-specific stationery collateral in Japan, UK and USA. Fitness Trails has also participated in trade missions to both the UK and the USA, both of which have led to contracts to provide Fitness Trails systems. Fitness Trails’ success in the USA is also closely linked to the annual National Recreation and Parks Association Conference, which to date has generated US$100,000 worth of business. Recent contracts in the USA have included two systems for the US Army, one of which will include dual use equipment that is suitable for those confined to a wheelchair and will be located at a Veterans Hospital in San Antonio.

As a member of the ACT Exporters’ Network and the Network’s Sport and Fitness Cluster Mr Gray said that both groups provide valuable assistance and gives him the opportunity to “connect with a like-minded group of people with whom you can share experiences and valuable knowledge” and as a bonus it puts you in touch with relevant people and programs for exporters

J A N U A R Y 2 0 11 B 2 B I N C A N B E R R A

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

“Tom Ramsay is an ambassador for the many young Canberrans whose skills are the building blocks of our economy, but first and foremost he’s a landscape horticulturist. And a very good one at that.”

Canberra Skillaroo shines T R E VA R CHILVER

Director – Employment, Education and Training

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

Associates and Affiliates Retail Traders Association, Australian Industry Defence Network Foundation Member Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry 34

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ne of Canberra’ young tradesmen will get the chance this year to show the world what he can do. Tom Ramsay is a landscape horticulturalist who won the ACT World Skills competition in 2009, and came 4th in the national competition in Brisbane last year. This year, he is part of the Skillaroos team representing Australia at the World Skills International Competition being held in London this October.

Fifty-two countries are represented every other year at the World Skills International Competition, or Skill Olympics. The competition which gives them the opportunity to see how their best young apprentices and trainees compare to their counterparts around the world, as well as providing opportunities for them to encounter new technologies, techniques and materials for their practice. At the last two International Competitions, held in Japan and Canada, Australia ranked 5th in the world. The thirty Skillaroos heading to London are all members of a vocational skills elite who have come through regional and national competitions to be chosen for this team.

The Skillaroos will be competing at London’s enormous O2 Arena in Greenwich, a major venue for the 2012 Olympics, built inside the Millennium Dome. But the imposing venue is not likely to be as daunting as facing their colleagues from around the world. Tom says he’s never sweated as much as he did in the regional and national competitions, and that’s probably true of the rest of the Skillaroos, who are about to face even greater pressure as they compete against the world’s best skilled workers in London.

Tom compares the World Skills competition to his experience of playing competitive football, and says the experience is better; it builds greater confidence and develops a commitment to quality that he has brought back to his job with Urban Contractors here in Canberra. And that commitment stretches beyond the quality of his work to the industry itself. Tom says he has no plans to move on from Landscaping, and the World Skills competition has been a big part of his apprenticeship. His involvement in the competition has given him confidence in his own ability, and has also brought him recognition from colleagues and clients.

Now in its sixty-first year, World Skills is a

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worldwide leader in workforce development. The competition extends well beyond the traditional trades, and promotes not only the development of skills, but also a respect for skills development itself that is often lacking in general discussion of vocational education and training. By celebrating excellence in skills development, World Skills helps to promote a culture of respect for the achievements of our skilled workers, and in so doing, develops our talent capital.

There are over five hundred different apprenticeships available in Australia. From mechanics to nail technicians, the students who emerge from our vocational education and training sector are often thought of as the driving force of our economy. In Canberra, though, this sector often doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. Far from being a poor cousin to an academic career path; vocational education and training, whether in the context of apprenticeships and traineeships, or in straightforward skill development, is a major contributor to the talent capital we need, and the World Skills Competition is a great way to demonstrate the importance of this resource.

Tom Ramsay is an ambassador for the many young Canberrans whose skills are the building blocks of our economy, but first and foremost he’s a landscape horticulturalist. And a very good one at that.

The Education and Training Adviser at the ACT Chamber is Jo Powell. Jo supports the regional World Skills competition here in Canberra by working with competition organisers, as well as supporting ACT businesses with their education and training needs.

If you would like advice on the Australian training system, whether you want to upskill your staff or take on an apprentice or trainee, get in touch with Jo on (02) 6283 5200 or email jo.powell@actchamber. com.au.

There are over five hundred different apprenticeships available in Australia. From mechanics to nail technicians, the students who emerge from our vocational education and training sector are often thought of as the driving force of our economy...

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

A2B

“A classroom without a teacher is not an option. When a teacher calls in sick, a replacement must be organised as quickly as possible...”

CollabIT: Celebrating local innovation for local business When a teacher calls in sick — a clever solution The Catholic Education Office (CEO) of the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn working with Alacrity Technologies have come up with a clever solution to finding a relief teacher for when a teacher calls in sick.

A classroom without a teacher is not an option.

When a teacher calls in sick a replacement must be organised as quickly as possible. Historically this task has fallen to senior teachers, which In turn adds to their existing heavy workloads. Modern HR systems provide detailed information regarding suitable relief staff but it still requires a person to pick up the phone (often many times) to communicate the vacancy details and then confirm the replacement.

The Catholic Education Office (CEO) of the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn provides quality education through 56 Catholic schools across the Archdiocese. Extending from Eden on the south coast, to Crookwell in the North, through to the western point of Lake Cargelligo, the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn covers both the ACT and NSW, a total of 88 000 square kilometres. The 56 schools in the Archdiocese consist of: 4 secondary colleges, 5 central schools and 19 primary schools in NSW: 4 secondary schools, 24 primary schools and 2 early learning Centres in the ACT. Additionally, there are 3 Congregational schools located in the ACT. The system educates 20,590 boys and girls. 1308 teachers work across the region supported by 80 Catholic Education Office staff.

The technology challenge SMS allows automated notifications to be sent, informing staff of a vacancy but the limited capacity and non-real time nature of the medium failed to adequately meet the challenge. Mobile phone applications provide the desired functionality to a select group of staff that have a particular type of phone but did deliver the universal access required by the CEO. The solution Alacrity Technologies was engaged to deliver a tailored solution that would automate the casual relief process while building on the existing human resources infrastructure. A key requirement was to deliver process improvement without limiting access to the end user. The Closed Loop Environment for

Wireless (CLEW®) process was selected as the basis for the system as it met all of the key requirements while at the same time reducing costs. CLEW works natively on the mobile phone browser; this means that the system is accessible to more than 95% of staff without the need to download an application prior to use. It works on all carriers and network types making it ideal for a user base across both metropolitan and regional areas.

The benefits The CEO is now using the system full time. The system includes integrated reporting that tracks all parts of the communication process. This includes details of each staff member contacted for each position, who accepted and who declined work.

This allows for the system to be finetuned to ensure the best results in every instance. The response information is fed back to the HR system allowing the scheduling and payment processes to be completed without administrator involvement. The system has also been configured to automatically alert the administrator when the position is filled; this allows full ‘walk away’ functionality of a process that was previously very labour-intensive.

The CEO of Canberra and Goulburn has now freed-up their staff from making more than 1,000 phone calls each month. The phone calls have been replaced by a simple button in the HR system that fully automates the end to end process of finding and confirming casual relief staff. The system is delivering hundreds of hours in time-savings across the casual relief staffing process while saving thousands of dollars in telecommunications costs annually. The technology also assists staff retention by providing casual teachers with a system that is both flexible and fair.

Alacrity Technologies A Canberra based company that specialises in automated communication solutions for government and business clients. They have been working for over a decade to deliver solutions to a number of business challenges including: remote authentication and authorisation; two way, real time secure communication; public information, marketing and survey systems; mobile financial transaction systems both pre and post paid; and mobile fulfilment T: 02 6253 9333; contact@alacritytech.com.au

NANETTE RICHERT

ACT Branch Manager

CollabIT is an engagement and business development initiative that links small and medium sized companies with multinational corporations and other stakeholders in the ICT sector.

CollabIT is a joint initiative of the ACT Government and the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) and is delivered under contract by the AIIA. To learn more about CollabIT’s activities visit the website: http:// aiia.com.au/pages/collabitact. aspx or contact Nanette Richert, ACT Branch Manager, via the AIIA National Secretariat on P; 02 6281 9400

Grnd Floor, 39 Torrens St Braddon ACT 2612 T: (02) 6281 9400

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B2B @ ACT CHAMBER WOMEN IN BUSINESS COCKTAIL PARTY THE DECK, REGATTA POINT

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1. Clara Blinksell, Janelle Ruston, Mirriam Miley-Read and Fiona Tregoning 2. Janine Yokan, Toni Friend, Jo Madsen and Sam Andrewartha 3. Laurie McDonald, Kerri Dickman, Lesley Richards and Anne Farrell 4. Deborah Meehan, Sharlene Whatman, Lynne Daquino and Natalie Shkolar 5. Kristen Risby, Catherine Bowyer and Andrea McCann 6. Sally Lisle, Kylie Wedrat, Natasha Vanzetti and Kim Adey 7. Erin Moss, Kalista Pakkiyaretnam and Megan Henley 8.

Donna Chalmers, Kate Prior, Julie Allard and Mook Clifford

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2

1

3

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B2B @ MOLONGLO FINANCIAL SERVICES CHRISTMAS DRINKS THE PARLOUR, ACTON

1. Michael Schaper, Nadine White, Lance Prior and Peter Strong 2. Brian Brown, Nicole Pryor and Nikos Kalogeropoulos 3. Jenni Lawton and Viola Kalokerinos 4. Mili Dukic, Terry Campese, Marija Tokic, Jayson Hnder, Ann Dalton and Martin Shafron 5. Terry Campese and Tim Benson 6. Tim McGrane, Graz Sienko and Simon Maddox

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2

3

1

B2B @ SMALL FISH CANBERRA LAUNCH CANBERRA GL ASSWORKS, KINGSTON

1. Richard Everson, Tony Ozanne and Jon Dale 2. Scott Bolton and Thomas Kaufhold 3. Des Linehan, Jon Dale and Robyn Rowe 4. Richard, Mathias, Evelyn and Katja Everson 5. Sofia Majewski, Craig Starr, Craig Painter, Steve Hazad, and Castaly Lombe 6. Stacey Ozanne, Jason Ross, Jon and Tony Ozanne, Renee Perfontaine and Madi Ozanne

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B2B @ CHRISTMAS CONNECT WITH THE BRUMBIES NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA 1. Julian Salvi, Josh Valentine, Chris Faulks, Mark Thompson, Nick Smith 2. Sandy Forbes, Michael Hooper, Robert Forbes 3. Jerry Yanuyanutawa, Lesley Roberts, Ken Roberts 4. David Holmes, Jill Slattery, Rob Slattery 5. Verity Blackman, Natasha Murphy, David Meers, Darleen Barton 6. John Hindmarsh, David and Shirley Segrott, Lincoln Hawkins

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B2B @ QUEANBEYAN BUSINESS COUNCIL CHRISTMAS DRINKS FARRER PL ACE, QBN

2

1

3

1. Andrew Cole, Bill Baker, Mike Kelly MP, Jeremy Wyatt and Graham Coddington 2. James Cregan, Lydia Teodorowych and Ken Ineson 3. Maria Taylor, Brian Brown and Tracy Lamont

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B2B @ PIXEL TO PAPER CREATIVE, XMAS DRINKS BINARA ONE, CIVIC

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B2B @ AICD TWILIGHT NETWORKING NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS

1. Ashley and Olivia Bartlett, Alexandria Benson and Kasia Dzielinska 2. Howard Lee and Carly Olsen 3. Alyssa Dominioni, Sarah Flynn, Rebecca Flynn, Jon Shirley, Tara Richards and Kat Davies 4. Sarah Flynn, Tara Richards and Rebecca Flynn 5. Roddy ‘Hot Rod’ Boyd, Nathaniel Wieriks and Hayden Johnston 6. Chris Fusca, Phil Thompson, Scott Lynch and Matt Weickhardt 7. Marj Russell, Chris Lee-Steere and Kim Hocking 8. Tim Hull, Alexandria Benson, Karen and Chris Tazreiter

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SETTLE FAMILY DISPUTES OUT OF COURT It’s hard enough when a relationship ends. So the last thing you need is soaring legal costs, protracted, public court proceedings, and your personal affairs being determined by a judge.

Consensus provides a better alternative to the Courts.

We use collaboration, arbitration and negotiation between the couple to find open-minded solutions that work.

It’s discrete. It’s fair. And everybody leaves in agreement.

For a new style of dispute resolution which puts you back in control, turn to Consensus.

Canberra ACT 2601 T 02 6290 9898 F 02 6257 4382 info@cflaw.com.au www.cflaw.com.au