B2B Magazine issue 117 July 2016

117 JULY 2016

B2BMAGAZINE.COM.AU

THINKING OF CHANGING PROPERTY MANAGERS Maloney's gives you 11 reasons (p.25)

IMAGINE A FUTURE EMPOWERED BY THE CLOUD BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM Put your head back in the cloud with Tailored Accounts (p.23)

Gillespie Group: trusted advisers to guide your financial decisions COVER STORY (p.17)

Helping you make critical business decisions with confidence.

OUTGROWN YOUR ACCOUNTANT? LOOKING FOR BUSINESS ADVICE AND SUPPORT, NOT JUST TAX If another year has passed that could have been better with more practical and timely advice and business support, then it’s time for a positive change.

Make critical business decisions with confidence, by working with us to help you with: Net profit improvement Cashflow maximisation Sales growth advice Asset protection Financial assistance to achieve work, life balance If you are sick of just hearing from your accountant once a year, speak to us and experience the RSM difference.

Call us today for a free confidential discussion on how we can help you and your business.

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

rsm.com.au/canberra

Liability limited by a scheme approved under professional standards legislation

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CONTENTS

ISSN 1833-8232

COVER STORY

17

Gillespie Group:

Trusted advisers to guide your financial decisions

PUBLISHER'S NOTE 5 The people have spoken...

by Tim Benson SMART BUSINESS TIPS 5 How much time are you spending on business administration?

by Kristin Miller UPFRONT 6 Professional scribing - it’s vital to successful placements!

by Kate Gunn FEATURES 8 Stuck in the middle: teachers, schools and family law issues

by Sage Leslie 8 Why Australian made is important for the property industry …

by Erik Adriaanse 10 Signs that you should not accept that job!

by Fiona Grimmer 12 Personal training without the expensive price tag 14 10 Things politicians can teach us about impression management

by Robert Holmes ADVICE 23 ACCOUNTING Six new financial year resolutions to help you nail this FY

by RSM 23 BOOKKEEPING Imagine a future empowered by the cloud business ecosystem

by Tailored Accounts 24 BUSINESS LAW Shareholder’s meetings – where the majority rules

by Bradly Allen Love Lawyers 24 BUSINESS SUSTAINIBILITY Actsmart business sustainability awards 2016

by Actsmart business recycling. energy. water.

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25 INTELECTUAL PROPERTY Running an event? legal issues to consider

by Arete Group 25 REAL ESTATE Thinking of changing property managers

by Maloney's Property 26 RECRUITMENT Will you be able to secure a permanent job in FY16-17?

by HAYS Recruiting experts worldwide 26 STRATA MANAGEMENT Unlocking the value in Owners Corporation assets

by Vantage Strata 27 WEBSITES Attention economy & marketing

by Synapse Worldwide A2B: ASSOCIATIONS TO BUSINESS 28 CANBERRA BUSINESS CHAMBER Budget suggests it is time for business to do it better G2B: GOVERNMENT TO BUSINESS 30 CHIEF MINISTER’S MESSAGE Act budget 2016-17: Building a strong and diverse economy for Canberra BUSINESS NETWORKING 32 B2B@Canberra Business Chamber and Servcorp for a Winter Wonderland evening of networking and drinks!

34 B2B@Introduction to Canberra Metro – the Light Rail Consortium

by Canberra Business Chamber 35 B2B@Launch of the 2016 ACT Chief Minister's Export Awards by Canberra Business Chamber

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EDITOR / PUBLISHER Tim Benson editorial@b2bmagazine.com.au 0402 900 402 02 6112 8175 PUBLISHED BY Man Bites Dog Public Relations ABN 30 932 483 322 PO Box 4106 Ainslie ACT 2602 b2bmagazine.com.au ADVERTISING B2B Magazine advertising@b2bmagazine.com.au 0402 900 402 02 6112 8175 EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Termeh Garmestani termeh@b2bmagazine.com.au 02 6112 8176 PHOTOGRAPHY

Andrew Sikorski: Art Atelier art-atelier.com.au DESIGN Kasra Yousefi kasra.com.au 02 61128195 Page 19 & 16 illustrations: freepik.com 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 b2bmagazine.com.au any other cause.

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PUBLISHER'S NOTE

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN …

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nother ‘Democracy Sausagefest’ is over and the people have spoken. At the time of writing this counting continues and the outcome of who is to form the next Federal Government is uncertain. What is certain is that this outcome is what our community wanted. I have been mightily amused by comments by all sides of politics such as ‘This is not what people voted for’ and ‘The people don’t know what they want’. I am even more shocked at the arrogance of some politicians that are continuing to campaign and advocate for policies that were clearly not given a mandate by the Australian people. Regardless of which major party gets to form Government they will do so with the slimmest of a majority or in a coalition with minor parties. So where does this leave us? Well, in my humble opinion. It leaves us in a good place. I believe the election has shown us that many voters would like to ‘cherry pick’ policies from the major parties and see them implemented. For example, I believe that business people would like to have healthy, well educated staff and a tax cut. I believe that many would like to see a more humane refugee policy and have our borders protected.

I believe that young and old would like to see more land released for development and changes to negative gearing. We would like to see policies to enable people to stay in the workforce longer and changes to generous superannuation tax breaks. It’s called a ‘mixed economy’ for a reason folks. The two major parties have supported and strengthened this concept for over 100 years – and you know what? It works. The Labor Party doesn’t want to nationalise the means of production and the Coalition doesn’t want to abolish the social safety net. They do want to tinker at the edges though. And I believe, if the truth be known, there are policies that either party would like implement that belong to their rival. So, I see the future as a positive one, where whoever gets to form Government, will have a strange and refreshing mandate to take a strong new path … dare I say ‘a third way’.

Tim Benson, Publisher

How much time are you spending on business administration?

Kristin Miller General Manager Smart Business Guardian The simple truth is that starting up and running a business should have nothing to do with administration in the early days.

Every spare moment should be spent creating great products/ services that provide value and then selling them to delighted customers.

To achieve this, you need to get the admin off your plate.

One option is to consider a professional service provider. When choosing someone there are a few things to look for:

• Verified skills

Confirm their experience, industry connections and membership of professional association. Ask how they keep their skills up-to-date. Check references and testimonials

• Reliable and clear communication

Look for someone that speaks to you in a simple straightforward way. Ensure they report back regularly and that you can rely on them to give you honest, objective and factual information.

• Team and culture fit

Work with people that are a good fit with your own team and your business culture. You want them to become integrated with your business.

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

Send all comments to: editorial@b2bmagazine.com.au

Management Guarantee: If after 6 months you are not delighted with our management service, we will reimburse those fees for that period.

This guarrantee applies to new clients as from February 1 2015.

Visit maloneys.com.au for full details.

Canberra’s Property Shop Pty Ltd T/A Maloney’s Lic Agent.

BSMalB2BInv

Maximise returns… minimise stress

“Maloney’s provide us proven, preferred & with seamless property now guaranteed! management service.

Their prompt and efficient attention to leasing and maintenance issues, together with timely and accurate accounting for 'The Griffin' Cnr. Giles & Jardine Sts, Kingston rental income are what we PO Box 5044, Kingston ACT 2604 p: 02 6232 0100 feel sets Maloney’s apart e: maloneys@maloneys.com.au from the others.” www.maloneys.com.au Michael Slaven B2B M AGA Z I N E.CO M . AU B 2 B I S S U E 11 7 5

UPFRONT

Professional scribing - it’s vital to successful placements!

By Kate Gunn

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id you know PCA People provide Scribing Services? Recruitment contains multiple layers, one vital element being candidate assessment and selection management. Our client’s needs are always varied with many different Scribing requirements. We understand this intimately and know how to make a difference, allowing you to focus on the core need – finding the right person.

We are able to provide a diverse range of Scribing and panel related services, tailoring a solution that is specific to your requirements at the time. Our services include: • A scribe panel brief with your PCA Scribing Specialist to ensure close alignment with expectations. This also ensures consistent management across bulk recruitment rounds.

• Long listing and short listing of applicants for interview.

• Scheduling of interviews, co-ordinating panel members, venues, testing and of course the candidates! This can be done by level and role, across simultaneous or consecutive rounds.

• Attendance at interview and formal scribe reporting. Providing a reliable, well-presented, and punctual team; our Scribes are skilled facilitators who can support, guide and convene your panels.

• Reference checking. We recommend utilising Scribes for reference checking to ensure consistent and comparable analysis, aligning associated reports effectively.

• Selection reports. Our Scribes are required to record the outcome of selection panel interviews, for both independent and comparative ratings.

We ensure that your panels have comprehensive, balanced and detailed candidate analysis according to your organisation’s needs.

• Report critiquing. Our Scribe Manager audits and critiques reports and references to ensure consistency and high standards are always maintained.

• Our Scribes are able to provide verbal or written candidate feedback on an “as-needs” basis. Many of our Scribes are former senior public servants (eg. EL2 or SES Band 1) and are skilled communicators.

Complementing standard services we also provide Panel Members, online skills and psychometric testing, as well as testing and meeting room facilities. We are able to make available all the necessary tools and data helping you achieve informed assessment, selection and placement.

At PCA we have a team of professional, experienced Scribes able to assist with your recruitment projects, in addition to management support and close communication through the co-ordination and liaison stages. You won’t need to do a thing, which is how it should be! Let’s make it happen.

Kate Gunn, PCA’s dedicated Scribing Specialist and Consultant

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

The right property and the right loan structure for you under one roof Scarlett Financial has specialist Finance Broking and Risk Management consultants that work collaboratively to help develop strategies to source the right finance to help create wealth, while protecting your assets.

At Scarlett Risk we take pride identifying your lifestyle and family risks, their characteristics & possible outcomes, to successfully manage & transfer the risk to an appropriate insurance policy.

We pride ourselves on being an independent, unbiased, and professional service that focusses on best outcome for our clients – allowing you to sleep well at night!

Working alongside the Risk business, Scarlett Finance will source you the most appropriate and cost effective loan to support your individual wealth creation and risk management needs.

By structuring the right loan we will develop a road map for you to pay your debt off sooner. Scarlett Finance want to rid you of your ‘bad debt’ as soon as possible so you can focus on securing your next investment and continuing to develop your asset base.

Scott Nash Risk Consultant

Justin Mcilveen Finance Consultant

At Scarlett Financial we have the skills and structures to manage you and your loved ones through the whole financial spectrum.

Call us for free 1 hour consultation An opportunity to diversify into shares and property

Canberra: 02 6169 4051 Sydney: 02 8249 8399 contact@scarlettfinancial.com.au scarlettfinancial.com.au

Helping you make critical business decisions with confidence.

OUTGROWN YOUR ACCOUNTANT? LOOKING FOR BUSINESS ADVICE AND SUPPORT, NOT JUST TAX If another year has passed that could have been better with more practical and timely advice and business support, then it’s time for a positive change.

Make critical business decisions with confidence, by working with us to help you with: Net profit improvement Cashflow maximisation Sales growth advice Asset protection Financial assistance to achieve work, life balance If you are sick of just hearing from your accountant once a year, speak to us and experience the RSM difference.

Liability limited by a scheme approved under professional standards legislation

Call us today for a free confidential discussion on how we can help you and your business.

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

rsm.com.au/canberra

F E AT U R E

Stuck in the middle: teachers, schools and family law issues

By Sage Leslie

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hich school should a child attend? Who can collect a child from school? Who can attend school functions? Who has a right to information about a child’s progress and attendance? These are just some of the issues schools and teachers often find themselves in the middle of when parents are involved in a family law dispute. It is not the role of schools to make these decisions, nor is it their place to mediate or adjudicate amongst warring parents. There are certain things parents involved in family law issues can do to help prevent educators from being “stuck in the middle.”

1. Make sure the school has a current copy of any Court Orders, including Domestic Violence Orders that might be applicable.

It is not the job of the school to enforce the Orders, but it is useful for staff to have some context if concerns raised by another parent, or to provide a starting point if an issue arises.

2. If there are going to be changes to the regular arrangements for your child, let the school know. This includes if a different

parent or family member will be collecting a child from school.

3. Keep the school informed of important developments. If you are concerned for your child’s safety, or your own, tell the school.

4. Understand that unless there are contrary Orders in place, both parents have a right to attend school functions and to receive school information. If this is problematic, your lawyers, or the Court, are the appropriate people to deal with this.

Teachers and school administrators are there to provide a safe, enriching space for children to develop and learn. School staff are required to follow protocols set down by their governing bodies. Parents need to understand and respect this, and be proactive in engaging with their children’s school if they have questions or concerns. If you’re unsure as a parent what your rights and obligations are, contact DDCS Lawyers to arrange an appointment with one of our experienced lawyers.

Sage Leslie is a lawyer of the firm.

18 Kendall Lane, New Acton, Canberra phone (02) 6212 7600 mail@ddcslawyers.com.au www.ddcslawyers.com.au

Why Australian made is important for the property industry … By Erik Adriaanse

Erik Adriaanse (FCPA) (FPS) National President and Director Strata Community Australia Limited

T

his recent Federal election was an opportunity for the $1.2 trillion Australian property sector to raise some issues relevant to the mantras run by the major political parties of jobs, growth and safety.

Strata Community Australia (SCA) is the peak industry body for Body Corporate and Community Title Management in Australia. SCA’s 3,300 members includes body corporate managers, support staff, committee members and suppliers of products and services to the industry.

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The major call SCA made on the major parties was to announce a ‘ban on unsafe building materials before, and in turn create thousands of new jobs by supporting Australian made products’.

“Australian property is suffering from the widespread use of dangerous, non–compliant building materials and their elimination would lead to more local jobs and economic growth, along with the protection of property owners and manufacturers,” Strata Community Australia National President, Erik Adriaanse said.

SCA is not referring to good quality imported building materials, but to cheap, substandard imports, and stopping their use must be a top priority for the Federal Government.

“Cost over quality is an unfortunate principle that too many within construction have taken on recently and it is costing property owners on one hand, and Australian manufacturers on the other,” Strata Community Australia CEO Kim Henshaw said.

“Beyond the obvious safety risks for property owners with flammable cladding, faulty electric cabling and asbestos laden concrete board widespread in construction, unsafe building materials are costing

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owners shocking amounts of money and it needs to stop.”

SCA understands first-hand what unsafe imports are capable of doing to strata property owners and the near extinction of locally made materials is a very ominous sign for our many thousands of stakeholders.

Recent reports paint a grim future for the steel industry in Australia, with the Arrium Steelworks in Whyalla teetering on the edge of collapse. If this is repeated across other industries, Australian property will struggle to safely house residents.

“Federal leaders have the opportunity to shut the door on dangerous products and open another that leads to home-grown job growth, so we call on the Federal government to consider the value of this action,” Erik concluded.

P +6209 1504 M +61 418 641 988 www.stratacommunity.org.au

kasra.com.au -16-2

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Doing everything by yourself doesn’t make you a hero Smart Business Guardian helps you rise above the details and focus on your success Let us do your bookkeeping and: > Compliance and reports > Payroll management > Payment processing

02 6162 1187 49 Phillip Avenue, Room C205, Watson, ACT 2602 smartbusinessguardian.com B2B M AGA Z I N E.CO M . AU

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F E AT U R E

Signs that you should not accept that job!

We ju war st nee d mb ody ….a !?!

By Fiona Grimmer

NO STRATEGY We take paper from that pile, process it and move it to the next pile

SLOPPY They seek to employ you without even interviewing you. Even if it is a contract role, is this unprofessional, or do they simply not care?

6 hour work week… The sky’s the limit!

The hiring Manager can’t clearly articulate the purpose of the role, where it fits in, or the vision for the organisation.

???

BOSS IS MIA OVERSOLD

UNDER-DEFINED

You get the feeling that the role is being ‘oversold’ to you and they are skimming over details of what the job actually does….Too good to be true can often be exactly that.

DISCONNECT

There is no duty statement, no clarity about reporting lines, and no competencies by which your performance will be measured. If this isn’t a startup organisation, chances are something is not quite right.

Wait, it's what time now?

You don’t get to meet your new Manager. The major reason that people leave their jobs being because of their Manager. Is not meeting them before you commence working with them a risk you are willing to take?

eed We n swer n a your OB….

by C day! r yeste

PUSHY PEOPLE

ALL OVER THE SHOP There is a big disconnect between what the employer says and what the hiring manager says. Or, you meet two people in the organisation each with a completely different take on what the job entails.

Your interview has been rescheduled more than once…..chances are there is a crisis or someone who does not prioritise other people’s time behind it. Caution!

Whether it is the recruiter or a hiring Manager, forcing someone into a quick decision is simply not on. A new job is a major life change. Rushing it can lead to poor choices and resentment.

Sourcing talent is a science, not a sales game

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Please contact Fiona Grimmer at HorizonOne Recruitment on 02 6108 4878 or fiona@horizonone.com.au Level 1, 27 Torrens Street, Braddon www.horizonone.com.au

John James Village - Canberra’s home-away-from-home for blood cancer patients.

Please support John James Village by donating a tree online at www.jjvillage.org.au/plant-a-tree

getting a serious illness is not something most people want to think about.

In Australia, 35 people a day - from infants to the elderly - are diagnosed with life threatening blood cancers such as leukaemia, myeloma and lymphoma. A diagnosis can mean adults must leave work and home immediately to start daily hospital treatment, often for months at a time. When children are sick, decisions can be even more complex.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The John James Foundation has funded the $7 million John James Village project.

Blood cancer patients can stay with their family at John James Village for as long as necessary without charge.

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

come to the special Village planting day from midday on Friday 5 August (or let the John James Foundation plant it for you).

A donation of $3,000 will fund one beautiful tree. Plant it in your name or the name of your business. Or get a group together and choose a special name. $3,000 is a lot of money. Then again, your tree will make a lot of difference in the life of a lot of people with blood cancer. Thank you.

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

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F E AT U R E

Personal training without the expensive price tag

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f you’re a busy person that currently invests a lot of money in a personal trainer each week or someone that would like a personal trainer but baulk at the cost – then Trick Fitness is for you.

Most personal trainers charge between $60 to $120 per session. At Trick Fitness you could train 10+ times a week with a personal trainer for a total cost from $52 per week - less than the cost of one session elsewhere.

“Each week you book in as many sessions as you feel like and are then trained by a personal trainer during each session,” Andrew Thurling, Founder and Director at Trick Fitness, said.

How does it work?

Trick Fitness memberships run from 12 weeks. At the start there is an assessment to see what clients want to achieve during the 12 weeks. The assessment includes measurements and body composition testing (a readout of active muscle tissue, body fat as a percentage and hydration).

“We set goals with the client and design a program based around those goals,” Andrew explained.

At Trick Fitness there is a maximum of five clients per trainer. Each time you book a session you have a personal trainer.

Another great feature at Trick Fitness is that they have a booking system to allocate enough staff so that the gym is never overcrowded.

“People don’t usually like gyms because they don’t know what to do or how to use the equipment and therefore don’t get the results they are looking for,” Andrew offered.

“TF is great for busy business people that feel they don’t have the time for fitness or training in the gym. A program can be developed to

work around busy schedules and flexible training times. Any trainer can pick up your card and see your attendance and program and work with you appropriately,” Andrew concluded

"Trick Fitness isn’t just for body builders and dance instructors. It’s for your average busy business person such as myself. Andrew and his team have developed a personal training program that has helped me to sustainably lose almost

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

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20kg and greatly improve my health and fitness. All this has been done at my pace based around my busy lifestyle. Achievements so far include: losing weight, stopping blood pressure medication and being fitter for snow skiing.

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

The best things about training at Trick Fitness are: price, professionalism and convenience. I highly recommend them."

Tim Benson Publisher B2B Magazine

F E AT U R E

10 Things politicians can teach us about impression management Robert Holmes - RSM Australia

W

hat comes to mind when you think of Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton? I’ll wager the images and thoughts you have are very different from Malcolm Turnbull or Bill Shorten! Both Trump and Turnbull are independently wealthy, that’s for sure. But would a man like Trump ever be taken seriously in our political landscape? I’m not sure he would. Hilary and Shorten both have policies, but I’m not sure Clinton’s would gain much ground if she were over here either.

Why compare these four? Because almost everything about politics, business and life is about image management. Spin doctors earn a lot of money because they can actually change perception about facts and truth. Let’s unpack five things you should avoid, and five things you can work on so you can create fantastic first impressions. Or perhaps I should say, be a winning campaigner instead of an also ran.

An introduction to image One wonders what the Australian comedy drama ‘Utopia’ would make of today’s politics in America?

My first bet is they’d make a play on the change in Donald Trump’s hair colour. Back in November 2015 it was a cheesy, Dorito kind of colour. Today it is steel grey and serious, just like Turnbull’s. How did that happen? Was it the stress of the campaign trail, or was it (like everything else Trump does) part of the marketing machine? You can bet it was a well-crafted decision to make Trump appear wise and be taken seriously.

What about Clinton’s missing emails back in October 2015? State Department, FBI and NSA have all been unable to recover them as yet. Yes of course I’m interested in whether she should be impeached, but I’m much more interested in how she used a diversion tactic and subject change to make the public look away. Brilliant stage craft, befitting a magician.

One of the most powerful stagecraft tips we can take away from observing politicians is their body language – both good and bad.

Bad Body Language It’s easy to get body language wrong, even when you know what to do. I was at a seven day training event practising my moves and I was going for a “power” image. After two days the convener came to me saying one of the speakers really felt like I was distant, stand offish and perhaps angry with her. That isn’t exactly what I was going for!

You should practice any body language changes you want to make, in low stakes environments so you can gauge the effect, learn and adapt them for next time. Watch people more closely, especially in restaurants or work environments and see how their behaviour affects the people they are with. Here are five watch outs to manage your body language better.

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1. The eyes have it. Do not look out the window or at the ground when people are speaking to you. Look your conversation partner or interviewer right in the eye (or look straight into the camera).

But don’t get creepy and stare, look away from time to time “Don’t nod constantly for a few seconds. This way in agreement. People you will appear engaged.

2. Yes sir, yes sir, three bags in authority and with full. Don’t nod constantly personal power hardly in agreement. People in authority and with personal ever smile or agree power hardly ever smile or with their prospect.” agree with their prospect.

When presenting you can smile and be warm but again, careful on that nodding behaviour.

3. Don’t fidget. Any form of fidgeting will be perceived as insecurity.

Bob Hawke and Julia Gillard both used to fidget, and their personal trainer got them to stop. Hilary Clinton did this all the way through the March 12, 2016 press conference. This includes playing with your hair, jiggling your leg, licking your lips, biting or cleaning your fingernails, touching jewellery and other kinds of self-grooming (Casserly, 2012).

4. Take nothing with you! Consider very carefully whether props of any kind are necessary. Take no bag, no folder, no pen and no coins. We often use these as a barrier or defence against others. If you play with anything while you’re speaking, you’re done for.

5. Treasure chest. Sitting at absolute right angles to someone is perceived as confrontation. Instead, feather your chest away slightly even by just 5 degrees. Sit straight up (slouching is lazy) and lean slightly forward (it shows interest). Leaning back shows disinterest (Navarro, 2008).

Good body language We have the opportunity to make first impressions every day.

Much of the time those impressions are not important, but in many environments, like a job interview, the stakes are high. Our highly evolved brains make rapid fire judgments in 1/100 of a second. It takes about 7 seconds to confirm that judgment then quietly re-evaluate over the next 30 minutes (Willis & Todorov, 2006).

Influence is a very subtle thing. It’s a range of behaviours related to presence – a ghost like trait researcher’s find hard to pin down. Some influence rests in verbal cues, some in non-verbal ones. Trump is a classic with his shoulder shrugs to avoid questions or smirking and eye rolling to dismiss his opponents. Let’s look at five things you can selfmanage to create a winning first impression.

F E AT U R E

“Influence is a very subtle thing. It’s a range of behaviours related to presence – a ghost like trait researcher’s find hard to pin down. ” 1. Arrive early! Get to all your appointments in Goldilocks time. If you are too early you may fret and become anxious. If you arrive late you will form a bad impression in the minds of those waiting for you and arrive without grace and poise.

2. Watch the way you walk in. Again take the Goldilocks path. Don’t mince in quietly and don’t stride in overconfidently. This goes for the space you take up as well: do not be a turtle (shrinking down) and do not be a bear (taking up the whole space).

3. Watch your contact points. The handshake is probably the only time you will make physical contact with a person first time round. It should not be too light or loose (you’ve heard the proverbial fish in the hand-shake) and not too tight or tough. Put hand moisturiser on in the morning so your hands are soft but not sweaty. Keep them in your pockets. Warm hands are perceived well.

4. Do not answer questions straight away. Overly agreeable people seem weak-willed. Do not agree all the way through the questions either. Being over eager is annoying. From time to time wait a full two seconds before answering a question (Fox-Cabane, 2014).

That’s harder than you might think.

5. Use your voice to your advantage. Your voice is a very subtle tool and sometimes the first time a person meets you is over the phone.

Lower pitch voices are perceived better than higher ones (again both Hawke and Gillard got coaching in this area). Watch your use of slang like saying “like” a lot, or “cheers mate” and “you blokes.”

All in all, have fun observing others, and becoming more aware of your own image and body language!

References • Casserly, M., (2012) “10 Body Language Tics that could cost you the Interview,” Forbes, Entrepreneur section.

• Fox-Cabane, O., (2014). “The Charisma Myth.” Chapter 1.

• Navarro, J., (2008). “What Every Body is Saying,” Torso Tips, pp 88-89.

• Willis, J. & Todorov, A., (2006). First impressions: Making up your mind after 100 ms exposure to a face. Psychological Science, 17, (7):592–598.

Dr Robert Holmes, Manager at RSM Australia in their Consulting division, works in the people & change space. Please feel free to contact Robert on 02 6217 0300 or Robert.holmes@rsm.com.au should you wish to discuss anything raised in this article.

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COVER STORY

Gillespie Group:

Trusted advisers to guide your financial decisions

By Tim Benson

Photos by Kasra Yousefi

John Gillespie, director and founder of the Gillespie Group, started the business in 1989 after six years at ‘big four’ accounting firm KPMG

G

illespie Group is a Canberra based accounting and financial planning firm that is dedicated to providing services tailored to their client’s individual needs. The team of focused, friendly accountants, financial planners and mortgage brokers available at Gillespie Group offer a wide range of expertise and experience in the world of business, taxation & accounting, wealthcreation-and-protection and finance.

After establishing, and growing, the business in Queanbeyan for 10 years, John moved the group to its current location, in Phillip, in 1999.

“We have always been a holistic advice practice providing financial services to small and medium businesses, and family members associated with those businesses,” John explained.

Gillespie Group were one of the first accounting practices that expanded into financial planning, risk insurance and mortgage broking advice.

The business has grown from John to a team of 10 today. The 10 are made up of five accountants, three financial planners (two of which are qualified mortgage consultants) and two administrative staff.

“Many of my founding clients are still clients and were from my time at KPMG. Many of these relationships have become more than just business. Clients have become close friends. We have always focused on being the trusted financial adviser to our clients. With some of these clients we are working with the third generation,” John said proudly.

John is keen to let the Canberra community know about three key recent senior appointments at Gillespie Group.

These are Michelle Williams, Stuart Howard and Ken Johnston.

According to John, these three new key staff members share an overriding principle of valuing the relationship with the client.

"If you focus on the relationship and work out how to assist clients to make informed

“If you focus on the relationship and work out how to assist clients to make informed financial decisions then it is a win for them and a win for us.”

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John Gillespie

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COVER STORY

“The Gillespie Group are receptive to enquiries from suitably qualified people who, are looking to be part of a growing and vibrant firm, and that share our policy of ‘relationships over the long term’ leading to being ‘trusted advisers'”

Ken is the newest member of the Gillespie Group and is excited to be working with his new team.

Ken Johnston Senior Manager

“I’ve enjoyed a very warm welcome from all the team and, although it’s only been a few weeks, I’ve already found my feet and have hit the ground running,” Ken said enthusiastically.

After 30 years in public practice with both large and small professional service businesses, Ken brings a diverse range of skills and experience to the group.

“I’m impressed with how quickly we can make decisions and then enact them almost instantly,” Ken explained.

Ken says an example of this is

John Gillespie

financial decisions then it is a win for them and a win for us. Ultimately the client has to live with the financial outcomes of that decision making process,” John explained.

The addition of Michelle, Stuart and Ken to the Gillespie Group is an important step in the firm moving to the next level, where it is not only based on John’s strong client history and relationships, but on a philosophy and culture that he has developed and instilled in the firm during the last 27 years.

“We recently obtained our own AFSL (Australian Financial Services Licence) and ACL (Australian Credit License) which allows us to be independent of investment and insurance product providers,” John announced.

The Gillespie Group provides ‘fee for service’ for financial planning. On the mortgage side they are commission based , but John looks forward to, and supports, a fee for service option in this industry.

“We plan to grow and attract more clients with our current skill base and with the independence of our new AFSL and ACL,” John stated.

John is optimistic about the future of the Gillespie Group.

“I think we will grow with the assistance of our new senior staff, the independence licensing will provide and the acquisition of like-minded practitioners,” John explained, “I would be interested in talking to practitioners that may be looking for a safeharbour for their clients to be handed over to as they move into retirement.”

The Gillespie Group are receptive to 18

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Michelle joined Gillespie Group two years ago with almost twenty years experience in the industry, both in Canberra and overseas.

Michelle Williams Senior Manager

“I came in to do a project and two years later I’m still here. I love the fact that we are a boutique firm and we can all share our expertise with each other,” Michelle said.

Michelle has extensive experience in working with both small businesses and individuals to help them manage all aspects of their tax and financial management, with a particular interest in tax consulting and self-managed superannuation.

“Having worked with business

Over the last 18 years, Stuart’s career as a financial planner has been diverse, enjoying various roles within large corporations and boutique style establishments both in the United Kingdom and Australia.

Stuart Howard Financial Planner

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Stuart was a business owner in the UK and came to Australia to marry a girl he dated when he was 16.

“Our friends from the UK believe that, in Australia, the sun shines every day, there are kangaroos everywhere and that we all live on the beach,” Stuart laughed.

“Throughout my career I have

COVER STORY

that a decision was made one morning to brief clients on an issue and by the afternoon correspondence had been drafted and emailed to all clients.

He also shares Gillespie Group’s philosophy of regularly engaging and communicating with clients.

“I know that when speaking with potential clients, one of the first things I’m told is how their current accountant won’t return phone calls or emails. As we’re in a service industry this isn’t good enough.

I like to take a hands on approach with clients and regularly visit with them whenever possible,” Ken stated.

As a former business owner Ken knows how important it is to understand

the issues that confront other businesses.

“Often business owners focus on the amount of tax that they may be paying. I like to believe that if we turn the focus to the success of the business and strategies to grow business value, revenues and profits, the tax will then take care of itself.”

One of the great innovations over the last few years has been cloud accounting.

“It’s really exciting to see the number of our clients that have embraced this change and the opportunities that it now brings for us to shift the focus away from tax compliance,” Ken reflected.

Ken enjoys good rapport with his clients.

“In fact I’m still looking after some of the same clients that I first worked with when I joined the industry. This is a great honour that they have place their faith in me for such a long period of time,” Ken concluded.

Ken has been married to Bronwyn for 19 years and has three children, Isabelle, Zachary and William. He enjoys home renovations, watching sport, holidaying and the coast.

owners over many years I am aware of the many issues they face and legitimate concerns they may have,” Michelle reflected.

Legislation changes impact Michelle’s clients continually and it is often hard for them to keep up to date.

“It is critical that I keep my clients up to date with the impact that legislative changes will have on them and their businesses, how to manage this impact, and then implement any changes required,” Michelle outlined.

“Accountants are a misunderstood lot - most of us do this job because we like helping people. I spend my time assisting my clients to plan for retirement or pay their debts. At the end of the day we are

helping people.”

Personal growth and continued professional development are very important to Michelle.

She is currently studying for a Diploma in Financial Planning to be able to offer a more holistic service to her clients. In addition to this, she is also studying towards a Graduate Diploma in Applied Tax Law. Working part-time gives Michelle the flexibility to manage family and work commitments.

“I appreciate that I have been able to set my own agenda. John (Gillespie) has been very flexible enabling me to work school hours. My clients have my mobile and they can call me anytime they

need me. This has worked out extremely well for both me and my clients,” Michelle concluded.

She fills her time outside of work with her husband and three active children.

Apart from being a supporter on the sidelines watching her children play sport, she enjoys camping, reading, photography and knitting.

Michelle is very involved in her local community and volunteers for a number of community organisations.

Given a choice between tea and coffee, Michelle will choose tea every time.

been fortunate to build long standing relationships with clients from all walks of life, including high net worth individuals and successful business leaders,” Stuart said.

He was attracted to the Gillespie Group because the role on offer was a more varied role than a traditional financial planner.

Stuart’s scope of advice has been wide ranging, from simple savings plans to sophisticated retirement, pre-retirement and investment strategies.

“At Gillespie Group, my job description is quite simple - to work with clients to manage and improve their financial situation,” Stuart stated.

Often working closely with the

accounting team, Stuart says the focus is on strategy rather than simply “product placement” and that clients respond well to having both their financial planning and accounting needs satisfied in one place.

“We also have our own Australian Financial Services Licence rather than being tied to one particular provider.

Being an AFSL holder we are certainly able to bring more options to the table.”

Specialising in "fee for service advice”, Stuart endeavours to uphold the highest levels of integrity and ethical behaviour.

As a Financial Planner Stuart believes these are core requirements to maintain the trust and confidence of his clients.

“We have a strong client base that are very loyal to the group. We take our

clients very seriously and understand the importance of our services to their lives and life plans.”

“Due to an ever changing industry and set of regulations to work within, I like to see my clients regularly through a robust review system to help keep them informed and on track,” Stuart concluded.

As an avid golfer Stuart still isn’t used to seeing kangaroos on fairways and signs saying ‘Watch out for snakes’. He is also still not that keen on huntsman spiders.

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COVER STORY

“Over the next four years we are planning to double in size and continue to expand services and the skill base of people within the organisation”

John Gillespie

enquiries from suitably qualified people who, are looking to be part of a growing and vibrant firm, and that share their policy of ‘relationships over the long term’ leading to being ‘trusted advisers’.

From an employment perspective Gillespie Group are family friendly and accommodate flexible work hours. This is greatly assisted through the use of technology, especially applications that 20

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are cloud based.

“For the right motivated person, that matches our culture and philosophy, we will find a way to make it work for our mutual benefit,” John explained.

John also has some ambitious plans for growth.

“Over the next four years we are planning to double in size and continue to expand services and the skill base of people within the organisation,” John said.

John has been married to Anita for 30 years and has three children, Rebecca a senior consultant at KPMG, Robert studying physiotherapy at University of Canberra and Ben who is completing year 12 at Marist College.

“I am passionate about my family and kids and helping them achieve their goals and aspirations,” John said.

He is a long term supporter of senior and junior rugby union within Queanbeyan and Canberra. John has served on the boards of Queanbeyan rugby, Tuggeranong rugby, Marist rugby, ACT Junior Rugby Union and the Brumbies.

John is also involved in the Marist Foundation as a board member (the Marist Foundation educates disadvantaged

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young men that could benefit from a Marist education).

“We have the golf day coming up for the Marist Foundation and are looking for local sponsors for the event,” John concluded.

Phone: 02 6260 4994 68-70 Dundas Court Phillip ACT 2606 gillespiegroup.com.au

SE ASON 2016 Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Nicholas Milton celebrating his tenth year with the CSO. The ActewAGL Llewellyn Series exemplifies the breadth of human emotion and experience, while the Saturday Series features diverse programs with popular appeal.

ACTEWAGL LLEWELLYN SERIES

11 & 12 May

6 & 7 April

NIGEL WESTLAKE: Cudmirrah Fanfare SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 7 in B minor—Unfinished BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9 in D minor

/01 MOZART Benjamin Northey Conductor Virginia Taylor Flute

MOZART: Symphony No. 31 in D major—Paris JONATHAN DOVE: The Magic Flute Dances—Concerto for Flute and Orchestra NIGEL WESTLAKE: Out of the Blue TCHAIKOVSKY: Suite No. 4 in G major—Mozartiana

/04 TCHAIKOVSKY

Stephen Mould Conductor Soloists from Opera Australia

Nicholas Milton Conductor

17 & 18 August

/03 DVOŘÁK

Nicholas Milton Conductor Artistic patronage ActewAGL

Indira Koch Violin Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt Cello WEBER Der Freischütz—Overture BRAHMS Double Concerto for Violin and Cello in A minor DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7 in D minor

cso.org.au

2 & 3 November

/02 BEETHOVEN

CSO Direct (ticketing) 6262 6772

Artistic patronage ActewAGL

Kristian Chong Piano

NIGEL WESTLAKE Shimmering Blue RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4 in F minor

SATURDAY SERIES Saturday 20 February

/01 SHELL PROM PICNIC CONCERT

Saturday 2 July

/02 ICON WATER OPERA GALA In collaboration with Opera Australia 7.30pm, Llewellyn Hall, ANU Stanley Dodds Conductor Soloists from Opera Australia Saturday 8 October

/03 CANBERRA WEEKLY MATINEE MAGIC BEATLES IN SYMPHONY Saturday 8 October 2.00pm, Llewellyn Hall, ANU Guy Noble Conductor

With support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands 5.00pm, Grounds of Government House. Gates open at 3.45pm Marc Taddei Conductor Alan Vivian Clarinet

/canberrasymphonyorchestra

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@cbr_symphony

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ADVICE ACCOUNTING

23

Six new financial year resolutions to help you nail this FY

BOOKKEEPING

23

Imagine a future empowered by the cloud business ecosystem

BUSINESS LAW

24

Shareholder’s meetings – where the majority rules

by Michael O'Hehir, RSM

by Harry Hoang, Tailored Accounts

by Mark Love, Bradley Allen Love Lawyers

BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY 24

Actsmart business sustainability awards 2016

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 25

Running an event? legal issues to consider

REAL ESTATE

25

Thinking of changing property managers

RECRUITMENT

26

Will you be able to secure a permanent job in FY16-17?

STRATA MANAGEMENT

26

Unlocking the value in Owners Corporation assets

WEBSITES

27

Attention economy & marketing

by the Actsmart team, Actsmart business recycling. energy. water.

by Shaun Creighton, Arete Group

by Peter Maloney, Maloney's Property

by Jim Roy, Hays Recruitment Experts Worldwide

by Chris Miller, Vantage Strata

by Sam Gupta, Synapse Worldwide

ACCOUNTING

BOOKKEEPING

by Harry Hoang

by Michael O'Hehir

Six new financial year resolutions to help you nail this FY

Imagine a future empowered by the cloud business ecosystem

The start of a new Financial Year is a time to reflect on the past year and to look ahead, making sure your business is in-shape and ready for the next 12 months. It’s important you finish the Financial Year strong, but also ensure you kick off the next year on top.

1.Review your business story How has your business changed in the past year? As your business matures and evolves, consider any developments you’ve made and if this has now changed you goals. How can you meet these goals? Often, businesses forget to look at their systems and processes. Whilst a tedious task, the long-term benefits is a business win.

2.Implement Success Measures How do you measure your wins and losses? You and your accountant can set up measureable, key performance indicators (or KPIs) for your business to help you be specific about your goals and help you track your progress throughout the year. For example, rather than having the goal of “business growth”, set a measurable KPI of “increasing profit by 8%”.

3.Punch above your weight You’re probably already keeping an eye on your competitors but consider competing with larger businesses. This will depend on your business position, but if you decide to try and level the playing field, you can implement strategies by either appearing bigger than you are, or selling how you are different to the big brands.

4.Cashflow is still king Did you get your invoicing right this Financial Year? If cashflow wasn’t where you wanted it this past 12 months, consider your invoicing methods. A good system can send out automated invoices and track where your accounts are up to. If your customers have been slow to pay, look at increasing your focus on chasing up debtors.

5.Know your stuff from 1 July The government has announced that from 1 July 2016, the threshold for a small business will increase from $2m to $10m. To be eligible as a small business entity the turnover of the business, and other business entities connected to your business, must be less than the threshold in the below circumstances: • For previous FY • Projected income as at 1 July 2016 • Actual turnover for the FY 6.Government co-contributions The new financial year is a perfect time to think about your future nest egg. This year, the government is chipping in up to an extra $500 per $1,000 contribution for both employees and self-employed taxpayers, depending on your taxable income.

A lot of businesses make the mistake of using their accountant as someone they talk to 1-3 times a year. At RSM, we pride ourselves on providing more than just tax advice.

It is a great time for small businesses in Australia. With further tax deduction and booming cloud business solutions, small business owners can better achieve their entrepreneurial goals. In this article, I would like to share a few useful cloud business services for small businesses and discuss how we can best benefit from using them.

The most prominent issue faced by most of our everyday heroes in local businesses is the struggle between time and control. Business owners want to have better control of their business activities, but the more control owners possess, the more effort and time they have to devote to the business. Fortunately, with a little help from cloud solutions such as Vend and Receipt Bank, business owners can free themselves from endless paperwork and focus on growth and opportunities.

Local business owners can customise cloud solutions to meet their business needs and environment. For example, Vend has become a popular "Whilst cloud technology Point of Sale choice among local retail businesses because the software is offers significant benefits to straight-forward and very easy to learn.

First-time users are able to get oriented small business owners, keep to the system within a day. Additionally, in mind that when choosing with functions such as product register, stock management and sales recording specific cloud business integrated into the “Vend HQ” interface, business owners can have better control services, you also choose the of their retail performance whilst saving ecosystem they represent" hours of work from data merging.

Receipt Bank is another application that many local business owners love. Collecting and sorting receipts can be a nightmare during tax time. Receipt Bank could save hundreds of hours by eliminating the hassle of digging out receipts left in car trunks and shoe boxes. Simply upload photos of receipts or invoices using your mobile phone, and Receipt Bank will extract and process the key information. The information is subsequently published to your cloud accounting services (e.g., Xero or Intuit QuickBooks).

Whilst cloud technology offers significant benefits to small business owners, keep in mind that when choosing specific cloud business services, you also choose the ecosystem they represent. Just like preparing dinner for an important guest, your decision to have steak as the main dish will significantly influence your choice of wine as well. When choosing a cloud business service, make sure the ecosystem behind it aligns with your business ambitions.

For full information on cloud service integration, please check out our website at http://tailoredaccounts.com.au/

To discuss any of these strategies relative to your business, please contact Michael O’Hehir, Principal at RSM Australia, on michael.o’hehir@rsm.com.au or call 02 6217 0318.

Harry Hoang is CEO of Tailored Accounts "The Accounts Department of Small and Medium Business" www.tailoredaccounts.com.au

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BUSINESS LAW

BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY

by Mark Love

Shareholder’s meetings – where the majority rules

Actsmart business sustainability awards 2016

Directors are not the only decision makers regarding the operation and direction of a company’s business; shareholders also have a lot of power. By being entitled to vote on key resolutions affecting the company’s future, its directors and strategic goals, shareholders can be crucial to a company’s success and expansion. Shareholders exercise their powers through general meetings - but who has the right to call these meetings, and what resolutions can be considered by the shareholders?

Under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), such meetings can be called by either a company’s director(s) or its member(s), where the shareholders hold at least 5% of the eligible votes and make the appropriate meeting request to the directors.

Before a meeting can be held, a notice must be issued to shareholders, detailing the proposed resolutions.

Shareholders can also propose ordinary resolutions from the floor, if they meet Shareholders exercise the minimum threshold requirements their powers through (5% or 100 members). Ordinary resolutions require 50% majority general meetings - but support to be adopted. Generally, these resolutions relate to the daywho has the right to call to-day business of the company, such as the appointment of directors or these meetings, and what auditors. Special resolutions require resolutions can be considered a higher threshold of 75% support which is reflective of their importance. by the shareholders?

These decisions are often sensitive or controversial and could have a big impact on shareholders, whether by amending the company constitution, introducing more shareholders or uprooting existing shareholders’ rights.

Generally shareholders cannot overrule a Board decision, but in extreme circumstances they can apply to a Court to prevent the Board from carrying out a decision if deemed ‘oppressive conduct’. This occurs where the conduct of the company’s affairs is either: 1. contrary to the interests of the members as a whole; or 2. oppressive to, unfairly prejudicial to, or unfairly discriminatory against, a member.

The Court has broad powers to grant relief to oppressed shareholders, including by placing the company into liquidation, appointing a receiver/ manager, granting injunctions and, importantly, allowing a buyout of shareholders. These powers should act as a deterrent to rogue company boards who act in a manner contrary to the best interests of their shareholders.

So while a Board may hold the management prerogative, it should never forget its duty and responsibility to its shareholders, nor their capacity to wrest control from the directors by inserting themselves, or the courts, into the decision making process.

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

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by the Actsmart team

The 2016 Actsmart Business Sustainability Awards celebrate Canberra businesses that have ramped up waste management and recycling and improved their energy and water use. What is amazing about the businesses at this year’s awards is their diversity, proving that any business in the ACT can get smart with sustainability and save money at the same time.

There are 12 winners across eight categories with five businesses highly commended for 2016. We toast them all and share the results from a few winners to show what is possible.

A joint winner of the Energy and Water Star Awards is the Spence Family Bakery. Its 25 year-old oven was eating up profits and adding to the $1,500 per month energy bill. The bakery used its $5,000 Actsmart rebate to buy a new oven. Seeing the benefits, the bakery also upgraded 20 fluros with LED lights and replaced an old chest freezer. The new oven alone is saving this small business about $3,000 a year and more than nine tonnes of CO2 a year.

The other winner of this award, the Smith Family in Woden, received a $5,000 rebate which they put towards an upgrade of the heating and cooling system, More than 1000 businesses saving $6,500 a year on energy bills and more than 20 tonnes of CO2 a year. have already signed up to Celebrating recycling is big at the Actsmart programs, kicking big Actsmart awards and that includes at the festivals Canberra embraces. These goals for the environment and types of events attract thousands and create heaps of waste. Proper recycling the bottom line. is therefore key and hats off to the two events that won awards for recycling.

The Canberra Balloon Spectacular attracted 40,000 visitors and hosted a big breakfast. The recycling figures over the event’s nine days are staggering—714 kilograms of mixed recycling, 153 kilograms of organics, 148 kilograms of cardboard and 30 litres of cooking oil. The CBR Hottest 100 Beach Party, held on Australia Day, also won in this category, attracting 300 visitors and recycling 511 kilograms of organic and mixed recycling that would have ended up in landfill.

Small businesses were also applauded, including Eden Hair and Beauty in Dickson, which was highly commended for leadership by Minister Simon Corbell, Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, ACT Government. The salon is dedicated to reducing waste by recycling. They stretch even further with clever thinking, like sweeping up hair creating ‘hair blooms’ for use in cleaning up oil spills.

Actsmart offers a range of free programs to support businesses to recycle and decrease their energy and water use. More than 1000 businesses have already signed up to Actsmart programs, kicking big goals for the environment and the bottom line. There are thousands more businesses operating in the capital that need to get involved.

Why not? It’s a win-win.

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

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

REAL ESTATE

by Shaun Creighton

Running an event? legal issues to consider What a great time of the year. Olympic Games, Wimbledon, Tour de France, football codes getting closer to finals. I love major sporting events. Competing in Olympic and Commonwealth Games were highlights of my “former life” as an athlete. Working as an in-house lawyer on the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the Volvo Ocean Race are highlights as a lawyer.

Events don’t just happen. There is a considerable planning and effort associated with organising an event. Potential risks need to be identified, considered and mitigated. The risk profile will vary depending on the nature of the event. That’s where a lawyer familiar with the operation of events comes in. Examples include: Name of an Event: We have been involved in disputes over rights to the name of an event. The solution is to register trade marks to protect event branding. This also assists with other agreements, as the event organiser has a proprietary right from which it can grant licences.

Event Organiser Agreement: The law does not recognise ownership of an “event”. Rather, the law recognises ownership of a range of different rights, which together constitute an event. Where multiple parties are associated with the operation of an event, an agreement should detail who owns what rights, and how other parties can deal with those rights.

Sponsorship Agreements: Many events would not operate without a sponsor. It is important that a sponsorship agreement clearly details the scope of the rights and obligations of each party, including any exclusive aspects.

Venue Hire Agreements: A venue hire agreement is critical when organising an event. For major events, this agreement often links with the sponsorship agreement in relation to signage at the venue, catering arrangements etc. Liability and indemnity positions [ie who is contractually accepting risk for use of the venue] are often heavily negotiated and should be considered in conjunction with public liability insurance.

Conditions of Entry: Conditions of entry are sometimes displayed at a venue, sometimes on a ticket, and sometimes both. They often cover liability issues and detail any prohibited conduct at a venue (such as ambush marketing activities). These need to be considered in conjunction with a venue hire agreement and obligations to sponsors.

Broadcast Agreements: These agreements are becoming increasingly important due to the changing nature of communications technology.

Note, broadcasts attract their own copyright protection. Consideration needs to be given to any exclusive rights granted and whether they are platform specific.

Equipment Hire Agreements: When working on the legal team for the 2006 Commonwealth Games, we hired everything from temporary seating at venues to portable toilets (which of course could be deemed temporary seating in its own right). Issues of title / risk plus delivery / collection obligations need to be considered when hiring equipment.

ARETE Group lawyers have extensive experience in providing legal services associated with conducting events. We act for a number of event organisers around Australia. Contact us to discuss how we can assist with your legal requirements.

by Peter Maloney

Thinking of changing property managers Why choose Maloney’s After 20 years in property management I would like to point out why I think we lead the way in property management.  We are a company big enough to be systemised, organised, structured and well resourced, however, small enough to care about our clients  Our website has a major focus on property management and is a very powerful and time saving tool for both you and your tenants  Our exclusive on-line portal provides investors with convenient 24/7 access to all your properties details  We contract only professional photographers to deliver better representations of your property that are showcased on a range of marketing media to maximise your returns  Flexible property income options allow you to decide when and how your rental income will be paid to you  Our property inspection reports are thoroughly completed and supported by photographic evidence of the inspection’s assessment. These reports and photos are available to you on our website  Direct debit arrangements take care of your tenants payments and minimise rental arrears  Our dedicated management team ensure that each property and tenant receives maximum attention which gives you the freedom of continuous leasing  Tenants can apply quickly for your property online with easy no fuss applications  We maintain and grow a strong and active database of diplomatic and executive tenants looking for quality properties  Our complete property management coverage and advice means that you can invest with confidence in the Canberra market.

If you would like to chat about how to transfer your property to Maloney’s please give me a call on 0418 797 71

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

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

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STRATA MANAGEMENT

RECRUITMENT

by Chris Miller

by Jim Roy

Unlocking the value in Owners Corporation assets

Will you be able to secure a permanent job in FY16-17?

Forty per cent of employers expect to increase their permanent staff levels in the coming year, with engineering, IT, HR and distribution departments tipped to see the biggest job growth, according to findings in our 2016 Hays Salary Guide.

This far exceeds the 13% of employers who expect to decrease their permanent headcount.

Engineering professionals will be the biggest beneficiaries of this job creation, with 52% of employers indicating they will increase permanent headcount in their engineering department.

IT (47%), HR and distribution We all now need to recognise (both 45%), operational management that with permanent job (44%), project management (43%), and sales (41%) departments will also see vacancies increasing the skill permanent headcount growth. So too will 37% of purchasing/procurement, 36% shortage will intensify anew, of marketing and 26% of accountancy & particularly around highly-skilled finance departments.

With 70% of employers expecting professionals. business activity to increase in the year ahead, the addition of permanent headcount growth could explain why 60% say skill shortages will impact the effective operation of their business or department.

The number of temporary and contract jobs will also continue to rise in the year ahead. In fact, 21% of employers expect to increase their use of such staff over the next 12 months, which more than exceeds the 12% who plan to decrease their use of temporaries and contractors.

The greatest increases in temporary and contract job numbers will be in engineering departments (where 31% of employers plan to increase their use of such staff), followed by IT (29%), project management (25%), operational management and purchasing/procurement (both 23%), distribution (22%) and HR and sales (both 20%).

Meanwhile 15% of accountancy & finance and 10% of marketing departments will increase their use of temporaries and contractors.

The Hays Salary Guide also shows that while 31% of employers never or rarely use temporaries and contractors, 46% use them for special projects or workloads, and the final 23% use them on a regular ongoing basis.

All this shows that the financial year ahead will certainly be one where the resilience of our recruitment market is on display.

We all now need to recognise that with permanent job vacancies increasing the skill shortage will intensify anew, particularly around highlyskilled professionals.

This will lead to salary pressure when recruiting, but more notable pressure will come from existing employees who are aware of the positivity and want to see their salaries increase accordingly.

Get your copy of the 2016 Hays Salary Guide by visiting www.hays. com.au/salary, contacting Hays in Canberra or downloading The Hays Salary Guide 2016 iPhone app from iTunes.

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

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It is sometimes said that the law is an ass. In the case of strata legislation the most pervasive issue is usually lack of rigor and prescription around how an Owners Corporation should go about its affairs.

Pleasingly in the ACT we have seen great improvement on that front since our jurisdiction upgraded its strata laws in recent years. Although there are a number of areas that require more fine-tuning, broadly speaking we have comprehensive legislation to guide owners, committees and managers in the dayto-day running of a Units Plan.

However, occasionally in the pursuit of lighting the path for owners, legislation takes a step in the wrong direction, becoming too narrow or unnecessarily restrictive. When it comes to an Owners Corporations ability to generate passive income from the use of building infrastructure and common property, I think our laws have it wrong.

Section 71 of the Unit Titles Management Act forbids an Owners Corporation from “carrying on business” with the exception of generating income from sustainability infrastructure.

For example, if the corporation has solar panels on the roof they can credit income generated from this infrastructure against the cost of electricity. This is however the only exception.

The nature of modern strata titled buildings combined with the needs of the wider community in urban areas creates significant opportunities for an Owners Corporation to make commercial use of its assets, potentially unlocking tens of thousands of dollars in annuity income.

For example, in developing areas such as Gungahlin or Tuggeranong, telecom provides may require additional infrastructure in the form of small transmitting towers.

The best position for this infrastructure is on the roof of a multi-story building, and many telco’s are prepared to pay significant sums of money to lease this otherwise unused space.

Sadly, under the current regime this opportunity is not available to an Owners Corporation. In my opinion, there is no good reason for this, and we should take steps to review and amend the legislation accordingly.

As our market develops and our buildings become more sophisticated, the opportunities available to an Owners Corporation will increase exponentially.

Unused parking spaces could be made available to people working in the area; secure storage boxes could be installed for parcel deliver in foyers; concierge services could be delivered for the added amenity of residents and owners; other services that we can’t yet imagine will come to the fore, and our legislation must not serve as a barrier to taking advantage of these opportunities.

In recent times we have seen the advance of a “shared economy” made possibly by new technology.

We should be proud of the foresight shown by the ACT Government, who led the way in our nation with sensible and measured laws for car share services such as Uber.

I am hopeful of tapping into that same spirit of forward thinking as I take this issue up with our legislators. I would welcome any feedback or opinions from owners and committees who have their own perspective and I encourage you to contact me directly to discuss.

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

WEBSITES

by Sam Gupta

Attention economy & marketing We are living in the age of Attention Economy! If you are still measuring your digital marketing success with the number of clicks, you are doing it wrong. Our (human beings) average attention span is about 8 seconds, which is shorter than that of a goldfish. An average page visit lasts less than a minute.

On a mobile device, it’s even less. We are being continuously overloaded with information and attention is now a scarce commodity. Simply put, if you can’t keep someone’s attention on your website for more than 8 seconds, you have lost them, possibly to a competitor.

The digital and social media wave has changed the traditional marketing landscape significantly. There is a lot of noise out there. Many businesses are competing for the same audience. Our is to cut through the noise and grab Attention can only be measured by job the audience’s attention.

Just getting attention is not enough the next action taken by a user; though. The problem with Attention is that it’s not a very measurable activity. If which could be as simple as a someone says they are paying attention, decision to stay on a webpage and doesn’t actually mean that they are paying a full attention. So, attention can read what it has to offer. only be measured by the next action taken by a user; which could be as simple as a decision to stay on a webpage and read what it has to offer. This is why attention is only the first step; the second piece of the puzzle is Engagement.

Attention and engagement go hand in hand. After successfully getting someone’s attention, you then need to keep them engaged to really make it worthwhile. Out of the millions of hours of free videos available online, the average length watched is only around 2.7 minutes. How long can you keep your users engaged?

After doing all that work, the battle is not yet won. The third piece in the puzzle is Retention. Once you have grabbed the attention and engaged them with your message, you must repeat this a few times before they buy from you. Traditionally, it use to take a Many businesses are competing for minimum of 7 contacts for someone to buy your product or service. This the same audience. Our job is to number is more like 12 or 15 now a cut through the noise and grab the days depending upon the market you are in. The problem is most audience’s attention. businesses give up after the 2nd or 3rd contact with their prospective audience and then they are back to square one.

Prepare your business to stand out from the crowd. Learn to catch attention of your audience. The more attention you get, the richer your business will get.

Good thing is, not many people are doing it. So this is the time. Don’t wait.

Be awesome!

Sam Gupta is the managing director of Synapse Worldwide.

Sam would love to hear your thoughts on this advice column.

Tel: 1300 785 230 Email: admin@synapseworldwide.com Web: www.synapseworldwide.com.

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

Budget suggests it is time for business to do it better ROBYN HENDRY

CEO CANBERRA BUSINESS CHAMBER

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f you were in Canberra and anywhere near a radio, newspaper or television on 7 June then you probably know the ACT Government handed down its 2016–17 Budget – much to the interest of the media and public.

All government budgets are intensely scrutinised, but perhaps none more so than an election year budget due to the inferences that can be drawn about the policies the incumbent will take to the electorate and how far they are confidently looking ahead.

When it comes to business, this year’s ACT Budget is fairly forward looking, although the Chamber would have liked additional strategic growth measures to have been unveiled.

An increase in the payroll tax threshold from $1.85 million to $2 million is welcome.

This is good for all businesses, especially small business. This will exempt 40 businesses and reduce costs for many others.

However, one of the overarching goals of the ACT Government is to return the Budget to surplus and our analysis of the figures presented last month suggests this could be a challenge. According to the Budget’s expenditure and revenue trends, the ACT Government – whichever party that might be next year – will, at a minimum, have to keep spending at current levels.

Retaining spending at current levels is difficult. Spending tends to go up each year, even if only because it has to reflect an increase in the price of goods, services and payroll expenses. To keep it stagnant, or even reduce it, can be tough.

Therefore, it is important to find ways to deliver high quality government services in the most cost-effective way. One way this might be achieved, is by letting the private sector use its expertise and innovation to discover better ways to do things.

The Government is looking for measures to make service delivery more efficient, for example it is focused on digital efficiency.

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When it comes to business, this year’s ACT Budget is fairly forward looking, although the Chamber would have liked additional strategic growth measures to have been unveiled.

The Chamber believes there are further efficiencies that could be gained by outsourcing service delivery functions to the private sector where it can be demonstrated this would be more cost-effective.

The 2016–17 ACT Budget contained a number of initiatives funded over coming years that will help diversify and strengthen the local economy.

This Budget contained around $700 million in new infrastructure investment, bringing the total over four years to $2.9 billion.

A key infrastructure investment is upgrading Pialligo Avenue. With international flights and the accompanying air freight opportunities only a few months away, we need to focus on facilitating entry into the export fray and removing the barriers to export growth. Road connections like Pialligo and other infrastructure investment will be vital.

Infrastructure investment creates construction and jobs and helps the ACT strive towards the livable city the Chamber envisions as part of its Destination 2030 – A Vision for Canberra.

Investment in tourism marketing and events will help bring more visitors to the national capital. The additional $8.8 million in this Budget is a move in the right direction, but Canberra Business Chamber believes this needs to be almost doubled to bring the ACT into line with spending in other jurisdictions – jurisdictions we compete with when it comes to attracting tourists.

The Chamber is disappointed other measures from its Budget Submission have been overlooked. It was seeking support for ideas to strengthen relationships between the business, education and training sectors

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to build our future workforce and to increase trade opportunities.

While the Chamber would have liked to see the measures it proposed included in the Budget, the ACT Government must be commended for its commitment to working with business in other ways to identify and secure trade opportunities.

The ACT Chief Minister’s Export Awards are now open. This is a great forum to celebrate the achievements of local businesses and it provides a chance for applicants to access support and advice from export professionals and make new connections.

If you are a business who is proud of its export successes, please consider entering the Awards. The application process lets you reflect on all you have accomplished and think about next steps. Being part of the Export Awards can help a business increase brand awareness and generate marketing opportunities. To learn more, visit: actexportawards.com.au

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN For the 2016 ACT Chief Minister’s Export Awards The ACT Chief Minister’s Export Awards are the Territory’s most prestigious business awards. They acknowledge the innovation, hard work and success of businesses, large and small, in reaching new global markets.

Visit actexportawards.com.au to APPLY NOW!

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CHIEF MINISTER’S MESSAGE

Act budget 2016-17: Building a strong and diverse economy for Canberra

ANDREW BARR

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

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new facilities and services for Canberrans, create jobs and boost activity in our economy.

The ACT Government is also supporting the continual diversification of our economy, with a $10.1 million investment over two The ACT Government took proactive years to support local business, innovation and targeted action and investment. to support economic The 2016–17 ACT growth in the Territory The ACT Government took Budget includes $7.3 during the deep cuts million over four proactive and targeted action to the Commonwealth years to promote made to its jobs and Canberra as a support economic growth in the spending over the last tourism destination Territory during the deep cuts the few years. This strategy in key domestic and has worked and our international markets.

Commonwealth made to its jobs and economy is rebounding.

Tourism delivers $1.7 Service exports, retail billion in domestic and spending over the last few years. trade and building international overnight This strategy has worked and our approvals are all rising visitation expenditure and our unemployment to the ACT economy economy is rebounding. rate is the lowest in each year and employs the Australia.

14,700 Canberrans.

The strong economy means our budget This initiative will support VisitCanberra position is improving—with a $300 million to promote Canberra as a leisure tourism improvement in the budget and a return to destination in key domestic and priority balance in 2017–18 as identified in previous international markets through its One budgets. We are returning to balance Good Thing After Another campaign. It not by slashing jobs and services, but by also supports direct international flights to investing in our community and diversifying Canberra through the development and our economy. implementation of co-operative marketing This Budget invests $2.9 billion in a fourcampaigns with Singapore Airlines that target year infrastructure program. This will deliver both consumer and trade partners in priority uilding a strong economy that continues to grow and create jobs is one of the ACT Government’s highest priorities—and the 2016–17 ACT Budget continues to do just that.

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Photo by Tim Benson

markets. This will hold us in good stead for the commencement of direct international flights in September.

This Budget also continues the ACT Government’s tax reform agenda, to make the Territory’s taxation system fairer, simpler and more efficient. Insurance tax will be abolished from 1 July 2016 and payroll tax has been cut—with the threshold rising from $1.85 million to $2 million in this Budget.

Stamp duty will also be cut in this year’s Budget, delivering on our promise to reduce this highly inefficient tax. The buyer of a $500,000 home will save $7,040 in stamp duty compared to before tax reform began in 2012.

The 2016–17 ACT Budget is a budget for an even better Canberra. The Budget delivers more services today and in coming years and builds on our plan to secure a better future for Canberra.

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Their prompt and efficient attention to leasing and maintenance issues, together with timely and accurate accounting for 'The Griffin' Cnr. Giles & Jardine Sts, Kingston rental income are what we PO Box 5044, Kingston ACT 2604 p: 02 6232 0100 feel sets Maloney’s apart e: maloneys@maloneys.com.au from the others.” www.maloneys.com.au Michael Slaven

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