B2B Magazine issue 94 June 2014

En garde with Apis B2BMAGAZINE.COM.AU

JUNE 2014

94

pg.16

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CONTENTS

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

The role of government

TIM BENSON Publisher

What is the role of government in society? Yep politics 101. Is it to make a profit and run the country like a business or is it to maintain democracy, the rule of law and stand up for minorities and the poor?

Let’s look at the government-as-abusiness model. Most businesses are not democracies. If you don’t like the boss, chances are there is no opportunity every couple of years to get rid of them.

Most businesses don’t operate a business model where they give away money and goods and services free and expect almost nothing in return. Chances are you wouldn’t be in business long with this sort of business model. And, by and large, most businesses don’t hold the poor and minorities as their principle customer or highest priority.

Now there are exceptions to the rule – but in my experience the ‘exception’ proves the ‘rule’. Also when times get tough most businesses stop spending, lay off staff, pay their bills late and sometimes even shut up shop and go into insolvency. Now if a government takes this sort of action when times are tough they just make it tougher for the governed. And the option of insolvency isn’t even on the table.

So why then does the Abbott-Hockey Government believe that cutting support to those that most need it and sacking public servants is the way to go. Does this really create a society that assists businesses to employ people and grow? Does it enable people to both live their lives and improve their situation? I fear not. But what can you do? Head down, tail up and get on with running your business - and stay optimistic.

This month’s cover story is all about Apis, a professional services firm specialising in project management, business process design, procurement, program evaluation and strategic planning. These professionals show that they can have fun and deliver an excellent result for their clients. Apis is the bull god in ancient mythology symbolising prosperity and foresight, providing trusted guidance on issues of change.

Send all comments to editorial@b2bmagazine.com.au

Photo: Andrew Sikorski

16 COVER STORY APIS EN GARDE WITH APIS

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CONTENTS

FEATURE

26 ESTATE PLANNING

06 Check the health of your business structures

What women need...superannuation!

By Certus Law

08 Switching gears – preparing for a

FAMILY LAW Selling or keeping the family home after separation

By Dobinson Davey Clifford Simpson Lawyers

Dobinson Davey Clifford Simpson Lawyers career transition HorizonOne Recruitment

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28 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

10 Hellenic Club and YMCA win

Trade mark – frequently asked questions

By Arete Group

Age Friendly Awards ACT Government

12 This year I’m going to meet new people and find someone special A Table For Six 14 What does the budget mean for business?

RSM Bird Cameron Chartered Accountants 20 End of financial year tips Tailored Accounts

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ONLINE MARKETING Measure ROI with digital media By nFlame Creative

30 PROPERTY FINANCING

It's that time of year again

By Loan Market RECRUITMENT How does your salary stack-up?

By Hays Recruitment

COVER STORY

31 WEBSITES

16 Apis – Government Business Specialists

5 must-have productivity apps

By Synapse Worldwide

21 ADVICE FROM THE EXPERTS A2B: ASSOCIATIONS TO BUSINESS

22 ACCOUNTING

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Key ingredients for an effective business plan

By RSM Bird Cameron Chartered Accountants

32 MINISTER'S MESSAGE Big pipeline of major infrastructure

BANKING Subdivide and conquer

By ANZ Mortgage Solutions Canberra Southside & Weston Creek

33 CANBERRA BUSINESS COUNCIL Federal Budget 2014-15

34 ACT & REGION CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY 2014 ACT & Region Indigenous Expo and Excellence Awards Dinner

23 BUSINESS ADVISORY

PPSA review to be wide ranging

By Vincents Chartered Accountants

35 ACT EXPORTERS

BUSINESS LAW Franchising code reforms

By Bradley Allen Love Lawyers

Budget brings relief to exporters

BUSINESS NETWORKING

24 CORPORATE ADVISORY

Acquiring a business? Do your diligence!

By MAXIM Chartered Accountants

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ISSN 1833-8232

36 B2B @ Chamber Dinner 2014

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Measuring what matters

By Australian Institute of Company Directors

37 B2B @ Hays Executive Assistant Networking 38 B2B @ Women Lawyers Association ACT Law Dinner

EDITOR

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F E AT U R E

Check the health of your business structures

By Phillip Davey

I

t’s that time of year again and prudent businesses will have already completed their tax planning for the year. In the lead up to the end of the financial year we should all take time to reflect on the past 12 months and commence planning for the year to come. It’s also a time to review and carry out a health check on our business structures to ensure that they meet our current needs and plans for the future.

I never cease to be amazed by the number of instances in which we discover that what clients thought was possible within their existing structures is simply not available to them. In other cases, documents have been found to be out of date; passed their use by date; or inadequate, having regard to the requirements of current legislation or the future needs of their family or business.

Here are just a few examples of the potential disasters which we have uncovered in the past 12 months: • In 1998, the directors of a corporate trustee purported to amend their trust deed to include the corporate trustee as a beneficiary of the trust. Distributions of income were then made to the corporate trustee each year following the amendment. A review of the trust deed revealed that it expressly prohibited the corporate trustee from becoming a beneficiary of the trust.

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• Upon the death of the family patriarch, a family discretionary trust was amended so that it became a fixed trust with three named beneficiaries. However, the Trustee continued to make distributions of income to the adult children of one of the named beneficiaries, as if the trust remained a discretionary trust. It appears that the accountants for the trustee had never been advised about the changes to the deed.

• A trust established in the 1980s provided for it to vest upon the 30th birthday of one of the named beneficiaries. That birthday occurred in 2009, however the trustee continued to administer the trust as if it had not vested.

• After the death of the sole director of a corporate trustee and the Appointor of the trust, it was discovered that the deceased attempted to give the trust assets away in his Will. There was no provision in the trust deed allowing for this to occur.

• A review of a self-managed superannuation fund revealed that it owned business real property, in this case a farm, without appropriate binding death benefit nominations which would ensure that the farming property ended up in the right hands.

At a time when many businesses are reviewing their financial performance and plans for the coming 12 months, we

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recommend that a review is also undertaken to ensure the structural health of all business and family entities. Regular business health checks will ensure that your business and family will not suffer unintended consequences which can readily occur when appropriate attention is not paid to these important matters.

DDCS Lawyers can carry out the review and provide you with expert advice in relation to all aspects of your business structures and succession planning. To make an appointment with one of our experts, contact us on (02) 6212 7600.

Phillip Davey is a Partner of the firm.

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

] n a l p s s e n i s [bu RSM Bird Cameron knows the vital importance of a business plan. A clear plan and vision can help you drive real business success.

Connect with us today and implement a game changing strategy for FY 2014-15.

We plan our lives, why not your business?

A business plan with a clear vision can help you drive success.

Don’t risk business failure, by not having an effective plan in place.

Connect with us today and implement a game-changing business strategy for FY 2014-15.

With RSM Bird Cameron you really are… Connected for Success.

Tel: (02) 6217 0300 | Lvl 1, 103 – 105 Northbourne Avenue www.rsmi.com.au

Bird Cameron

Chartered Accountants

F E AT U R E

Switching gears — preparing for a career transition

By Simon Cox

A

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re you thinking about a career change? Maybe your current career direction feels stale, your future prospects are uncertain, or you’ve taken a package and are ready for a change?

Current market conditions in Canberra provide some serious obstacles to those seeking a career transition. So how can you maximise your chances and get ahead of the game?

For local Canberran Natalie Simon, that time came during her 14-year career as a consultant and chartered accountant within large private sector consulting firms. Keen to explore opportunities within the public sector, Natalie enlisted HorizonOne to help her navigate the career transition waters.

What Natalie, and many others learn, is that there are a few key principles to keep in mind for a successful transition.

later, with the help of the HorizonOne team, Natalie landed a strong transition role at the executive level at DHS that allowed her to directly take advantage of her experience in the private sector.

Do your research Research is critical groundwork for a successful transition. Read as much as you can about your desired field – whether it’s online, books or magazines, or industry blogs.

Proactively engage with your network, dive in deep, talk to leaders in your desired industry, and speak with specialist recruitment consultants to make sure your expectations are in line with available opportunities.

Natalie was very organised about her transition. She considered her options carefully, started researching and networking, and prepared herself in advance for the potential shortfall in income. A few months

Be open to change Successful career transitions rarely happen without acquiring new skills, without taking some risks or eating some humble pie.

Natalie states: “My experience has been nothing but positive and I think this is a result of having a positive mindset and being open to challenges and different ways of thinking and doing things.”

You are likely to require more education or training, and you may end up reporting to someone significantly less experienced than you. Embrace the learning process and look at this time as an investment in your

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Be aware of what you may sacrifice While it may be difficult to reconcile yourself to starting a few rungs down the ladder or taking a pay cut, if you are serious about changing careers – you are very likely to have to pay your dues.

Natalie says the move from the private sector initially meant accepting a significant decrease in salary from a senior manager’s role in the Big 4.

“Given the economic climate and difficulty of getting into the public sector at the executive level, I was just really appreciative of the opportunity in front of me.”

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future. If you are serious about this change, you will be excited about the idea of learning something new.

Be patient Keep in mind that transitioning to a new role can be a long process. The greater the gap between your career goals and most recent experience, the more challenging this transition can be. We strongly recommend a phased approach in the current market through a ‘stepping stone’ position.

“After 18 months in the initial contract position, I was offered an EL2 position in another area. I recognise that this wouldn’t have occurred at all if I hadn’t made that initial move into the public sector.”

Despite her ‘near textbook’ transition, Natalie credits HorizonOne for helping her achieve her goal. “They provided me with sound advice, and mentored me through the public sector selection criteria interview process. I can’t thank them enough!”

Sourcing talent is a science, not a sales game

Please contact Simon Cox, Director at HorizonOne Recruitment on 02 6108 4878 or simon@horizonone.com.au Level 1, 27 Torrens Street, Braddon www.horizonone.com.au

Responsive design it can make all the difference

I

t’s true, it can. If you’re thinking about a new website, then make sure you build one that has responsive design because it will deliver great results for your business.

WHY?

People lead busy lives today and want to access information quickly through their mobile devices such as tablets or phones. If your website is responsive, then customers will be able to do this, and either spend money on your site or gain the information they need, and leave with a positive impression about your business.

At Canberra Web, we like to use this analogy about business websites that don’t work well or are difficult to navigate using a mobile device. Imagine your business had a shopfront where ten percent of people could not open the front door because it

continually jammed and they had to stand outside trying to phone you to open the door!

IT’S A GOOD INVESTMENT

If your business invests in responsive design now, it will end up saving you money in the future. This is because responsive design enables a web designer to create a website that is attractive and functional at any screen size without having to create multiple web pages for the same content which speeds up development and ultimately saves costs.

And when a new device comes on the market with a different screen size, your business website will display correctly on the screen without having to have another expensive website built.

CanberraWeb

RESPONSIVE VS MOBILE WEBSITES

It’s important to understand the difference.

It used to be common practice that if a company wanted to display its website’s content effectively on a mobile device then a mobile version of the web site would be created. These webpages would automatically redirect visitors to the company’s website.

There are still some advantages to having a separate mobile website created.

For example, If your website needs to have different features or content displayed dependent on whether it is being viewed via a mobile or desktop site.

NAVIGATING YOUR WAY

Our team at Canberra Web can help your business with a responsive web site because it’s what we love to do.

Call us on 02 6223 2222 or drop into our office at U5 47 Vicars St, Mitchell for a chat. www.canberraweb.com.au.

F E AT U R E

Hellenic Club and YMCA win Age Friendly Awards

T

he Hellenic Club and YMCA Canberra were the big winners in the first ACT Age Friendly Awards announced recently at the ACT Chamber’s Annual Dinner.

The YMCA won the Employer category and the Hellenic Club was the winner of the Business Awards category.

The ACT Age Friendly Awards are a joint initiative of the ACT and Region Chamber of Commerce and the ACT Government. The awards recognise employers who go the extra mile to recruit or retain older workers and ACT businesses that adopt an ‘age-friendly’ approach to the needs of older customers.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Minister for Ageing Shane Rattenbury said, “Our society is continually improving the way it recognises the needs of older people in the community and these awards focus on two important aspects of this – older people as consumers of goods and services and as employees.”

“Employers and businesses have an important role to play in supporting this recognition of older people and I congratulate everyone who participated in the awards.”

The awards panel congratulated the YMCA of Canberra for its work on strategies to attract or retain mature-age workers including having no compulsory retirement age.

As one example of the YMCA Canberra’s commitment to employing mature-age workers, their health and fitness unit currently has 16 staff aged over 50 years, with one employee aged over 70 years.

The YMCA supports its staff to continue working after retirement through flexible working arrangements.

“This award recognises the Y’s commitment to engaging with the community and providing opportunities that are relevant, supportive and life enhancing, not only for older people, but for people of all ages,” says CEO YMCA Canberra, Jenny McCombe. “It also reflects the values of the YMCA that we provide an inclusive framework. The award affirms our vision for a community which is connected, inclusive and resilient.”

“Older adults make wonderful employees as they are so reliable and committed.

Corporate knowledge is very valuable

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and older employees contribute to the organisation in ways that younger people are unable to do,” she said.

The Business Awards category attracted a strong field of contenders from across the ACT business community including nominations from the service, lifestyle, tourism and hospitality sectors.

These businesses demonstrated a commitment to adopting an ‘age-friendly’ business approach through communication and marketing, customer service and loyalty and the development of infrastructure and business environments which consistently

Employers and businesses have an important role to play in supporting this recognition of older people and I congratulate everyone who participated in the awards. met the needs of older customers Category winner, the Hellenic Club is well known for its ‘age-friendly’ business approach including providing a range of tailored events, building layout to support people with mobility issues and financial contributions to organisations supporting seniors.

“At the Hellenic Club we work very hard to deliver a range of quality products and services for both our young seniors and older seniors, so we are very proud and thankful to be recognised by the ACT Government and the business community as the leading agefriendly business in Canberra,” said Hellenic Club General Manager, Patrick McKenna.

“The Hellenic Club provides affordable and high quality offers, which are very popular with our older members, including wine dinners, live entertainment and senior’s specials at our clubs and the Australian National Botanic Gardens. We also take great care to ensure a high level of comfort and accessibility at our venues.

“Older workers such as Dorelle, who bring a wealth of experience, a caring nature, and a passion for hospitality, provide the

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exceptional service that our members enjoy, as well as set an example to our younger team members at the Hellenic Club,” he said.

The Capital Chemist Group was a finalist in the business category. It was recognised for the Group’s consistent approach to the needs of older customers, an exemplary approach to customer service and agefriendly considerations that are associated with the design and layout features of their pharmacies.

The Southern Cross Health Club was also recognised for its commitment in ‘going the extra mile’ for older clients in the context of designing innovative health and fitness programs that achieve good outcomes for an aged demographic.

Age-friendly Canberra The ACT has been an active member of the World Health Organization’s Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities since 2011.

In October 2013, the ACT shot to prominence on a national and international level by hosting Australia’s first National Conference of Age-friendly Cities and Communities, which was attended by representatives from more than 40 local governments, five state governments and academics from across Australia and overseas, to discuss ideas and concepts that would create more age-friendly communities and cities throughout Australia.

The facts speak for themselves. In a decade from now, it’s expected that one in four people in Australia will be aged sixty years and over. In two decades from now, that ratio is likely to be one person in three.

As Australia’s population continues to age in the decades to come, this ‘silver market’ will significantly increase in size and in terms of its net value to the business sector, increasing growth and prosperity and strengthening the Australian economy.

Canberra’s business sector has immense opportunities to reap the benefits of the ‘silver market’. Canberra also has the opportunity to grow and develop as a fullyfunctioning, diverse and vibrant age-friendly city.

Photos: Hot Shots Photography

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F E AT U R E

This year I’m going to meet new people and find someone special…

W

ith nearly half the year gone already how are those New Year’s resolutions going? If you thought this was the year to get out and meet new people or find someone special to share your life, take some time to check how that’s working so far.

A Table for Six is helping bring singles together among the Canberra restaurant scene and invites you to join in the fun. It provides an opportunity to meet a new circle of friends in a relaxed, safe environment while savouring delicious food and wine over dinner.

You have the chance to chat with new people over a meal. You’re not seeing a photo that could be outdated or an email that’s false, as can be the case with internet dating.

It’s the real person.

It’s not about selling yourself in five minutes and moving on to the next person as in speed dating. It takes time to get to know a person. So get out from behind your computer, and mingle with other like-minded people.

The option of meeting people face-toface with no pre-conceived ideas is very 12

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It takes time to get to know a person. So get out from behind your computer, and mingle with other likeminded people.

of beverage) and great conversation is the best opportunity to interact and get to know them.

Men, there are lots of ladies ready to meet you at dinner. Your next partner is out there right now waiting to meet you. You may not meet them at the first dinner you attend, but they may be attending a dinner very soon.

A Table for Six gives you the opportunity to make new friends, it all depends on your attitude and the choices you make.

It’s a safe, discreet and most of all fun way to meet others and you get to enjoy Canberra’s fine restaurants in the process.

The hard work is done for you by Jenny who personally meets all members, arranges the dinners and keeps track of who you dine with to ensure you are always meeting new people – all you have to do is turn up and enjoy the evening. You don’t have to give out your details – contact with other parties following dinner is made through Jenny when both parties agree.

Dates, mates, meet and greet According to Table for Six’s research, spending an evening with potential singles over a meal, a glass of wine (or your choice

To find out more: visit www.atableforsix.com.au call Jenny for a chat on 0408 451 476 or email info@canb.atableforsix.com.au

appealing. Society is changing and more people are feeling disconnected. A Table for Six Canberra is a way for people to connect through social interaction with others of similar age and interests.

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CANCER COUNCIL ACT

CANADA DAY

FUN RUN Great local community family-friendly event 10km and 5km run Pancakes with maple syrup Jumping castle & glitter tattoos Fire Truck for the kids Music from The Method 5 Inspirational 80s running music

Sunday 29 June 2014, 10.00am Stromlo Forest Park Register at www.actcancer.org Or on the day from 8.30am

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F E AT U R E

What does the budget

L

ike many governments in their first year, the Federal Government has introduced a tough Budget, which involves increases in tax.

Pain was the buzzword surrounding this Budget particularly for small business. While the government is attempting to return the Budget to surplus its sense of urgency seems to be at the expense of long-needed broader reform to the tax system.

Changes to social security for both older Australians and middle income families, the new deficit levy and fuel excise tax increases, along with the proposed scaling back of depreciation instant write-off allowances are all going to hurt small business.

If small business and its customer base are taxed more heavily, the government may end up reducing employment and economic activity and, ironically, the debt burden can become heavier.

The era of entitlement is over and from that perspective, Australia’s 2.3 million SMEs may face a more even playing field. However, as the lion’s share of government largesse in recent years has only indirectly benefited small business, which shoulders the bulk of Australia’s employment growth and cost of doing business, expecting SMEs to ‘share the pain’ is a tough ask.

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F E AT U R E

mean for business?

The impact of the Federal Budget will be felt by many local businesses; some of these measures are outlined below.

Fringe benefits tax The increase in the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) rate from 47% to 49% is in line with the introduction of the deficit levy (tax).

The 2% “Temporary Budget Repair Levy” (a tax) commencing from 1 July 2014 for income over $180,000, is no surprise. What did surprise some of us is that the levy is not that “temporary”: it will be with us for three years.

To prevent high income earners from avoiding the levy using fringe benefits the FBT rate will increase by 2% from 1 April 2015.

However, this increase will not be restricted to employees earning more than $180,000 per annum.

If not passed onto the employees, this will result in additional costs to businesses.

Businesses should review their salary packaging arrangements with their staff to limit the impact of the additional cost. In relation to employees on packages under $180,000 per annum, it may be beneficial to provide remuneration via salary and allowances rather than fringe benefits which will be taxed at 49%.

For example, where employers provide benefits such as paying for an employee’s private health insurance, the employer could provide additional salary (grossed up at their marginal rate), which would be taxed at a substantially lower rate than 49%.

Superannuation The pausing of the superannuation guarantee (SG) rate at 9.25% for 2014-15 and 2015-16 has been removed and will now increase to 9.5% from 1 July 2014.

The Government has backpedalled on its previously announced freeze on the proposed SG rate increases and has provided some much needed certainty for employers. From 1 July 2014 the SG will increase to 9.5%, and will then remain at this rate until 1 July 2018.

Rates will then increase by 0.5 percentage points until reaching 12% in 2023.

While the move to reinstate the SG rate increase this year may be seen to be positive, the resulting freeze until 1 July 2018 is two years longer than originally declared in preelection announcements.

A surprise but welcome announcement in the Budget was that the inequitable and punishing excess non-concessional contributions regime has come to an end. While relief on excess concessional contributions has been provided for in previous years, excess non-concessional contributions remained an expensive error to make. Under the current system, any non-concessional contributions made to superannuation that exceed the cap of $150,000 a year (or $450,000 using the three year bring-forward rule for under 65s) are taxed at 46.5% per cent. For example, an extra $1,000 contribution made in the wrong year may have a domino effect on contributions in subsequent years, resulting in individuals facing tax bills in excess of $40,000.

The proposals announced in the Budget will remove this issue. From 1 July 2013, any individuals who exceed the non-concessional contributions cap will be offered the option of withdrawing the excess from superannuation.

In addition, any earnings on that excess contribution will also have to be withdrawn and taxed at the individual’s marginal tax rate.

Details on how the earnings rate will be calculated, or how the regime will be administered are yet to be decided. This may be an area of concern as it could possibly lead to complicated calculations being required and higher costs for superannuation funds.

Despite this, the proposal will be welcome news for franchisees who contribute to superannuation.

Asset write-offs Its proposed scaling back the current $6,500 instant asset write-off for depreciating assets to $1,000 from 1 January 2014.

If enacted this means that franchisees will not be able to write-off as much for depreciating assets, which may affect purchasing decisions for new equipment needed to run the business.

Proposed scratching of the instant initial $5,000 write-off for motor vehicles will once again potentially have an impact on purchasing decisions.

Fuel excise As announced before the Budget, the Government will re-introduce from 1 August 2014 biannual indexation of excise and exciseequivalent customs duty for all fuels except aviation and off-road fuels. The Excise Act 1901 will be amended to ensure the amount spent on road infrastructure funding is greater than the net revenue from the reintroduction of indexation on fuel excise and excise equivalent customs duty.

There are no proposed changes to the diesel fuel rebate therefore the rebate will apply to the increased excise amount.

The increase in excise will impact all businesses. It will mean that transporting goods will cost more and travelling for the business will cost more. Businesses may need to assess their pricing structure to ensure that their profit margins remain intact.

Company tax A cut in the company tax rate to 28.5% for companies with taxable income below $5 million but a 1.5% per cent tax increase on large companies to fund the Paid Parental Leave scheme.

The Treasurer stated the Government remained committed to its election promise to cut the company tax rate by 1.5 percentage points (to 28.5%) from 1 July 2015, which is encouraging. However, the Budget papers themselves were silent on this reduction, along with the proposed 1.5% levy on big business (companies with taxable income in excess of $5 million) to fund the paid parental leave scheme.

Bird Cameron

Chartered Accountants

For more information, please contact: Andrew Sykes, Director RSM Bird Cameron Andrew.sykes@rsmi.com.au 02 6217 0300 rsmi.com.au With RSM Bird Cameron you really are... Connected for Success

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COVER STORY

COVER STORY

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ifteen years since its establishment, a small Canberra based business has been quietly growing and building into an agile, dynamic professional services firm specialising in the business of government. This month, Apis reaches a “mini-milestone” of 50 people, and is relaunching its brand, image and website in readiness for a very busy 14/15 financial year under the direction of business partners, Anthony Honeyman, and Nigel Nutt, and Tim Ryan.

Partner and Director Anthony Honeyman explains: “Unlike many of our competitors Apis prides itself in being a permanent employee model, where from partner down we work directly with our clients to support them, deliver and achieve positive outcomes.

We recognise that through the recent Commission of Audit recommendations and the Federal Government’s budget announcements, there is increasing pressure on government agencies to deliver on the Government’s commitments while also realising substantial internal efficiencies.”

Anthony says, “It is for this reason that government is looking to work with mature organisations who bring real delivery experience to the table and maintain a commitment to the achievement of good outcomes.”

Now, more than ever, Apis is positioned to support government through the provision of core service offerings: project management, business process design, procurement, program evaluation and strategic planning.

Apis is proud of the track record it has established in supporting the delivery of major government initiatives. “We’re

playing a pivotal role as a service provider to government in the delivery of a number of policy initiatives of national significance,” Honeyman explains, “and these are progressing rapidly over the coming months.”

One example is the $200 million My Aged Care program. Apis has a team leading the business design and procurement, and supporting program management within the Commonwealth Department of Social Services. Last year, the program delivered a national contact centre and new My Aged Care website. In 2015, further capability will be delivered, including a central client record and standardised assessment framework for aged care services in Australia.

“It’s a big part of the Australian Government’s changes to the aged care system,” Anthony says. “It’s about giving people more choice, more control and easier access to services. We have worked across the sector, engaging with consumers and service providers and state and territory governments in designing the system.”

For the past several years, Apis has also actively supported the Department of Health in the delivery of Australia’s national electronic health record system which today spans thousands of registered health organisations with more than one and a half million registered participants. Apis’ involvement stretches from implementation planning through to establishing and running the program management office and supporting the procurement process for the engagement of system integration partners.

“Most of our work is delivered on-site,” Anthony says. “We work alongside client personnel, generally in blended teams. The culture we’ve instilled in the organisation has

been about focusing our efforts on delivering high quality outcomes. We don’t believe in being a slave to methodology; we’re all about fit-for-purpose approaches to project delivery.

We recognize that project delivery requires the management of risk and we work with our clients to respond to emerging issues, while remaining focused on the achievement of outcomes.”

Recipe for continued success “Despite the national profile of projects with which we are affiliated, historically Apis has shied away from seeking industry accolades. We don’t market ourselves as actively as perhaps we should, because we have succeeded in building business from referrals and repeat work, founded upon our growing reputation for successful delivery” says Apis partner Tim Ryan.

“Our success reflects the skills, qualifications and professional dedication of our staff. It’s a bit of a paradox that people with the breadth of backgrounds of Apis consultants can bring such a consistent business culture and work ethic to all our assignments,” Ryan observes. “Our company includes people with backgrounds in health, IT, science, technology, engineering and senior public sector management, many with PhDs, MBAs and other post graduate qualifications. The common thread here is a desire to make a difference, work on large and challenging projects, problem solve and help our clients to succeed in delivering.

All of this is underpinned by pragmatic and government focused approaches and techniques in which all our people are trained.”

Facing page L-R Anthony Honeyman, Tim Ryan, Nigel Nutt Photos: Andrew Sikorski B2B M AGA ZIN E

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COVER STORY

COVER STORY

“

We are a dynamic professional services firm specialising in the business of government.

Prior to joining Apis, the three partners came from very different backgrounds. Nigel had a successful career in engineering having completed a PhD at Oxford University and subsequently working on major international mining and offshore projects for BHP. Tim spent a decade as an officer in the Australian army before embarking on a management consulting career in Melbourne, with a particular focus on financial services and logistics. Anthony was previously a senior executive in government, having worked in policy, service delivery and central government agencies.

“As a partnership group we are very close.

We share the same values when it comes to running a professional services firm, which is first and foremost about exceeding the client’s expectations,” Anthony says. “While we are respectful of each other’s views we constantly challenge each other to ensure the advice we provide and the directions we take best place the client to achieve good outcomes,” Tim added.

Importantly Apis also strives not to take itself too seriously. “We have a mature workforce who are highly motivated to succeed, have a track record for delivering, and genuinely enjoy the company of their colleagues and clients. This creates a positive environment in the workplace, keeps morale up and ensures that we celebrate success together along the way,” Anthony says.

Why are the Apis partners using fencing swords in this story? Nigel Nutt laughs, “The photos are a little corny, but we had a lot of fun at the photo shoot. There are a number of messages reflected in the use of a fencing sword as a prop. Firstly, we’re an active contributor in the community, notably as a primary sponsor to the Australian Fencing Championships held in Canberra for the past three years. We place importance on staying connected to the Canberra community through supporting numerous sporting and charity initiatives”.

“The sword also reflects that we’re an organisation of people who are up for a challenge, not just in the work place,” Nigel says. “Within the company we have lots of people with a wonderful array of talents, each a high achiever in their own right, whether it be in sports like fencing, cycling, triathlon, golf, skiing or marathon running, or in the arts, academia or other pursuits.

This typifies the Apis consultant, and the high motivation our people bring to the workplace, on site with clients.”

But the company doesn’t rest on its laurels, and there is a strong focus on responding to the emergent challenges faced by many of its government clients. While economic conditions remain tight, Nigel believes that organisations will come under growing pressure to deliver on their core services within their cost base. “Increasingly

this will demand assistance from professional services firms like ours to support the re-engineering of business processes and provide disciplined approaches to project management across the organisation”.

“For this reason, we’ve just gone through an internal process of business improvement ourselves, strengthening our capabilities, deepening the skills and qualification of our staff, recruiting more talented people and broadening our service offerings. This will be displayed for all in June and July with an upcoming relaunch of our website and refresh of the Apis logo.” Tim explains. “We’re confident that Apis will continue to deliver a great offering to the government sector into the coming years.”

Apis is a professional services firm specialising in project management, business process design, procurement, program evaluation and strategic planning.

Contact A4/18 Bentham Street, Yarralumla ACT 2600 T: 02 6206 000 | www.apisgroup.com.au

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F E AT U R E

End of financial year tips

By Harry Hoang

E

nd of financial year can be a stressful time. But think of it this way—you’re running a marathon, it’s not far from the finish line, you just need to push through to achieve your personal and business goals.

Here’s a quick checklist to help you get your financial affairs in order before the 30 June deadline. For your taxation obligations, please consult a registered tax agent.

1. Undertake analysis to see if you will achieve your budget in the last quarter. If you haven’t made budget, consider what you can do? Cut costs? Improve sales? Or lower your expectations?

2. Review your financial performance from July to end of financial year. The best report in any accounting software is multiple period profit and loss. This report compares monthly performance so you can see which month is the best and which one is the worst.

It also helps you to monitor recurring costs and highlights if costs have spiralled in any particular month.

3. Cash is king! Review your cash flow to include big ticket items so you don’t get any surprises towards the end of the financial year. Make sure your cash flow includes last quarterly BAS; last quarterly super; FBT; company tax return; personal tax return; accounting and/or auditing costs.

4. Business plan Review or prepare your business plan for the next year and 5 years.

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Review your budget and cash flow for next year and 5 years.

Assess your goals. What do you want to achieve in the next five years? Retire? Achieve $1M turnover or just slow down?

How much do you want in your super fund when you retire? Make sure you include your family or partner in the plan.

“Now is a great time to review your personal and financial goals.

Make an appointment with your accountant to discuss what you can do better in 2014-15.”

5. Book an appointment with your accountant Now is a great time to review your personal and financial goals. Make an appointment with your accountant to discuss what you can do better in 2014-15. As management accountants, we are trained to help you achieve your business and life goals.

If you are a businessman who has been running a business for 40 years, we can help you plan for your retirement.

If you are a start-up, we can advise you on how to secure funding and what’s the best company structure to get your project successfully deployed. If your business is experiencing rapid growth, talk to us about monitoring your financial and business activities so that you don’t get any unwelcome surprises.

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Planning for your future is important. It’s about running a well-paced race which will bring you happiness and prosperity.

Tailored Accounts has been proudly serving the Canberra business community since 2009. We provide a wide range of management accounting services including outsourcing accountants and CFOs and consulting and training. Tailored Accounts was one of the first accounting firms in Canberra to use Xero and one of three Xero Gold Partner bookkeepers in town.

Harry Hoang is Tailored Accounts’ Executive Director Glebe Park Apartment Ground Floor - 186/15 Coranderrk St, Canberra ACT 2601 E: info@tailoredaccounts.com.au P: 02 6169 6763 M: 0434 196 607

ADVICE 22 22 23 23 24 24 26 26 28 28 30 30 31

ACCOUNTING

Key ingredients for an effective business plan

by Young Han, RSM Bird Cameron Chartered Accountants

BANKING

Subdivide and conquer

by Tania Vidovic, ANZ Mobile Lending

BUSINESS ADVISORY

PPSA review to be wide ranging

by Tony Lane, Vincents Chartered Accountants

BUSINESS LAW

Franchising code reforms

by Mark Love, Bradley Allen Love Lawyers

CORPORATE ADVISORY

Acquiring a business? Do your diligence!

by Ben Weber, Maxim Chartered Accountants

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Measuring what matters

by Phil Butler, Australian Institute of Company Directors

ESTATE PLANNING

What women need... superannuation!

by Stephen Bourke, Certus Law

FAMILY LAW

Selling or keeping the family home after separation

by Stuart Cameron, Dobinson Davey Clifford Simpson Lawyers

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Trade marks – frequently asked questions

by Shaun Creighton, Arete Group

ONLINE MARKETING

Measure ROI with digital media

by Damian Schroeter, nFlame Creative

PROPERTY FINANCING

It’s that time of year again

by Peter Spooner, Loan Market

RECRUITMENT

How does your salary stack-up?

by Jim Roy, Hays Recruitment

WEBSITES

5 must-have productivity apps

by Sam Gupta, Synapse Worldwide B2B M AGA ZIN E

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ACCOUNTING ACCOUNTING

BANKING BANKING

KeyKeyingredients ingredientsforforanan effective effectivebusiness businessplan plan

by Young

by Young Han Han

'Failing 'Failing to plan to plan is a plan is a plan for failure' for failure' this this quote quote attributed attributed to Benjamin to Benjamin Franklin Franklin and and Winston Winston Churchill Churchill among among others others is stillis being still being spruiked spruiked today. today.

Perhaps Perhaps the reason the reason for its forlongevity its longevity is that is that the statement the statement ringsrings truetrue for so formany so many aspects aspects of our of our lives.lives.

We plan We plan holidays holidays and and weddings, weddings, home home projects projects and and eveneven grocery grocery shopping. shopping.

So why So why would would you you risk your risk your business business to fail tosimply fail simply by not by not having having an effective an effective ‘plan'‘plan' in place? in place?

WhyWhy is a plan is a plan important? important?

Despite Despite the long the long history history of itsofexistence, its existence, the fundamentals the fundamentals of of the business the business planplan havehave beenbeen remarkably remarkably stable. stable.

It is aIt tool is a tool to plan, to plan, manage manage and and navigate navigate a business a business by detailing by detailing a strategy a strategy to achieve to achieve the the business’s goals. business’s goals.

Today’s Today’s brilliant brilliant business business ideasideas can can become become outdated outdated tomorrow. tomorrow.

People People do not do not havehave timetime to read to read overover hundreds hundreds of pages of pages of a of business a business plan,plan, so itso is important it is important thatthat youryour business business planplan changes changes in line in line withwith youryour business business needs. needs.

So what So what should should the the planplan looklook like?like?

A business A business planplan is a written is a written description description of business’s of business’s present present and and future. future.

It is aIt document is a document thatthat describes describes goalsgoals and and strategies strategies you you planplan to to implement implement to achieve to achieve youryour objectives. objectives.

ThisThis will vary will vary depending depending on your on your business business life stage, life stage, industry industry and and ultimate ultimate goals. goals.

An effective An effective business business planplan has the has greatest the greatest emphasis emphasis on strategy. on strategy.

The The heartheart of the of plan the plan comes comes fromfrom asking asking (and(and answering) answering) the following the following questions: questions: • Who • Who are we? are we?

• What • What do we dodo wereally do really wellwell (and(and not not so well)? so well)?

• Where • Where do we dowant we want to goto(goal go (goal setting)? setting)?

• What • What challenges challenges and and obstacles obstacles are in arethe in way? the way?

• How • How do we doovercome we overcome challenges challenges and and get to getwhere to where we are we going? are going?

Milestones Milestones andand goalgoal setting setting Goals Goals without without scheduled scheduled achievements achievements and and activities activities are just are just vague vague statements. statements.

Strategies Strategies needneed to consist to consist of dates, of dates, budgets budgets and and KPIsKPIs and and reviewed reviewed and and updated updated on aon regular a regular basis.basis.

A common A common guide guide to goal to goal setting setting is toiskeep to keep it S.M.A.R. it S.M.A.R. T. T. S This S This is theis who, the who, what, what, when, when, whywhy and and howhow of the of goal. the goal.

It should It should be be easilyeasily understood understood and and accepted. accepted.

M How M How will you will you know know if you if you havehave achieved achieved youryour goalgoal – set–relevant set relevant KPIsKPIs and and indicators. indicators.

A What A What resources resources are needed are needed to achieve to achieve the goal. the goal.

R Set R realistic Set realistic milestones milestones thatthat enable enable you you to track to track youryour progress progress and and performance performance in real in real business business terms. terms.

T Smaller T Smaller goalsgoals withwith shorter shorter timeframes timeframes allowallow for regular for regular review review and and milestones milestones thatthat are more are more easilyeasily achieved achieved and and will boost will boost morale morale along along the way. the way.

Bird Bird Cameron Cameron

Chartered Chartered Accountants Accountants

RSMRSM Bird Cameron Bird Cameron has ahas number a number of business of business advisors advisors that can thathelp can help you build you build an an effective effective business business plan. plan.

For more For more information information contact contact Young Young Han on Han6217 on 6217 0327 0327 or email or email young.han@rsmi.com.au. young.han@rsmi.com.au.

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By Tania

By Tania Vidovic Vidovic

Subdivide Subdivideandandconquer conquer

Some Some properties properties seemseem idealideal for subdivision, for subdivision, but but it’s difficult it’s difficult to know to know untiluntil you you startstart digging digging intointo the details. the details.

Subdividing Subdividing can can be abe profitable a profitable investment investment strategy, strategy, but but it’s worth it’s worth completing completing a detailed a detailed feasibility feasibility study study 1 1 of physical, of physical, legallegal and and costcost factors factors to avoid to avoid unwelcome unwelcome surprises. surprises.

Before Before you you startstart planning, planning, check check the neighbourhood the neighbourhood for precedents for precedents thatthat is, recent is, recent developments developments similar similar to what to what you you are considering. are considering.

If If therethere are some are some in the in area, the area, it could it could indicate indicate thatthat the council the council maymay looklook 2 2 favourably favourably on your on your application. application.

FromFrom there, there, consider consider engaging engaging a consulting a consulting surveyor surveyor to do toado sitea site survey. survey.

TheyThey maymay also also be able be able to assist to assist withwith some some of your of your due due diligence diligence 1,3 1,3 before before you you startstart the subdivision the subdivision process. process.

Consulting Consulting surveyors surveyors can can often often helphelp answer answer a lotaoflotquestions of questions (including (including whether whether a subdivision a subdivision is physically is physically possible possible on that on that block) block) and and develop develop engineering engineering plansplans and and council council applications. applications.

YouYcan ou can also also source source expert expert assistance assistance fromfrom a conveyancer, a conveyancer, property property lawyer, lawyer, architect, architect, urban urban 4 4 planner planner or engineer or engineer to ensure to ensure everything everything is ‘byisthe ‘by book’. the book’.

Subdivision Subdivision checklist checklist • Desirability • Desirability of land of land to betosubdivided be subdivided to buyers to buyers and/or and/or possible tenants. possible tenants.

• Precedence • Precedence and and salessales results results of similar of similar developments developments in the in area. the area.

• Is• the Is land the land itselfitself valuable valuable enough enough to support to support the subdivision the subdivision or do or do you you needneed to build to build as well? as well?

• Local • Local council council planning planning regulations, regulations, including including landland zoning, zoning, minimum minimum lot size, lot size, setback setback and and neighbourhood neighbourhood character character requirements, requirements, ratesrates and and heritage heritage listings. listings.

• Access • Access to water, to water, sewerage, sewerage, power, power, telephone telephone lineslines and and gas. gas.

• Driveway • Driveway access access requirements. requirements.

• Fees, • Fees, including including those those for lodging for lodging council council applications applications and and plans, plans, stamp stamp duty,duty, legallegal assistance, assistance, surveying, surveying, development, development, civil civil works works and and service service connections. connections.

• Tax • Tax implications implications and and interest interest on your on your loans. loans.

1,2,3 1,2,3 • Time • Time you you havehave available available to spend to spend on the on project. the project.

References References 1. Chivers, 1. Chivers, Jo, ‘Subdivision Jo, ‘Subdivision can can make make you you money, money, but but therethere is a is a lot oflotpotential of potential for costly for costly mistakes,’ mistakes,’ propertyobserver.com.au, propertyobserver.com.au, 22 March 2012.

22 March 2012.

2. ‘Subdivision 2. ‘Subdivision Melbourne Melbourne – The – The 5 tests 5 tests youryour property property mustmust pass’.pass’. pillarandpost.com.au, pillarandpost.com.au, 1 November 1 November 2009.2009.

3. Consulting 3. Consulting Surveyors Surveyors NewNew South South Wales, Wales, ‘Subdividing ‘Subdividing land’.land’. acsnsw.com.au, acsnsw.com.au, accessed accessed 25 October 25 October 2013.2013.

4. Devine, 4. Devine, Aidan, Aidan, ‘Land ‘Land Subdivision Subdivision 101’.101’. yourinvestmentpropertymag.com.au, yourinvestmentpropertymag.com.au, accessed accessed 25 October 25 October 2013.

2013.

For more For more information, information, contact contact TaniaTania Vidovic, Vidovic, ANZANZ Mobile Mobile Lender, Lender, ANZANZ Mobile Mobile Lending, Lending, M: 0437 M: 0437 13 1314 13Tony 1314 P: 02Lane P: 6293 02 is6293 3333 3333 F: 02Manager F: 6293 02 6293 3311at3311 E:Vincents tania.vidovic@anzmortgagesolutions.com E: tania.vidovic@anzmortgagesolutions.com a Senior Chartered Accountants and provides specialist advice clients inMortgage the areas of insolvency, business risk This Mobile This Mobile Lender Lender operates operates as to ANZ as ANZ Mortgage Solutions Solutions Canberra Canberra Southside Southside & and&financial conflict and resolution.

Weston Creek, Weston Creek, ABNdispute ABN 79 116 79225 116373 225an 373 independently an independently operated operated franchise franchise of Australia of Australia and and For Banking more information, contact Level 7, AMP Tower, 1 Licence Hobart Pl, Canberra City.

New Zealand New Zealand Banking Group Group Limited Limited (ANZ) (ANZ) 11Vincents, 005 11357 005522.

357 Australian 522.

Australian CreditCredit Licence T:ANZ’s 6257ANZ’s 2077 F: 6257 Number Number 234527.

234527. colour colour blue 1399 is blue a trade isE: atlane@vincents.com.au trade markmark of ANZ. of ANZ. W: www.vincents.com.au

BUSINESS ADVISORY

By Tony Lane

PPSA review to be wide ranging

Previously in this magazine I alerted readers to the potential and actual pitfalls of the Personal Property Securities Act 2009 (“PPSA”). Since its implementation, on 30 January 2012, the PPSA has changed the business landscape in Australia and with it, the rights and obligations of claimants to goods being dealt with in insolvency matters.

In April of this year, the Attorney General, Senator George Brandis QC, commissioned a review in to the operation of the PPSA and its registry element, the Personal Property Securities Register. That review will be wide ranging and is seeking submissions from small business and the general community on 13 key areas of the operation of the landmark law.

The timing of the review is relevant given that, since the PPSA came into effect, business uptake at the small and micro level has been slow.

More than two years on from implementation, many business operators are unaware of the law’s existence, let alone its operation.

Some recent examples of situations where suppliers of goods have fallen foul of the PPSA and lost their goods in a winding up include: • A finance company suppling goods under a commercial hire purchase arrangement to an intermediary who then on-lent to a company. The company became insolvent and the absence of a perfected security interest between the company and the intermediary led to the finance company being unable to recover its goods; • A supplier of goods under a loan agreement (a bailment for value), lost the goods to a liquidator in circumstances where a registration on the PPSA was made, but made after the date of winding up; • An inventory supplier to a company lost the ability to reclaim stock under a retention of title claim as no written supply agreement was in place and, despite the PPSR registration being made within time, there was no written terms underpinning the registration.

Critically, grantors (businesses) and secured parties (suppliers, lenders, lessors etc) must understand that an unregistered or unperfected security interest vests in the grantor entity upon insolvency. A liquidator or bankruptcy trustee may be free to sell assets that might previously have reverted to a supplier or lessor on insolvency under retention of title or lease contract terms.

Businesses, especially suppliers and lessors who are still yet to take action to protect their goods, should seek prompt advice from their trusted business advisor.

Tony Lane is a Senior Manager at Vincents Chartered Accountants and provides specialist advice to clients in the areas of insolvency, business risk and financial conflict and dispute resolution.

Level 7, 1 Hobart Place, Canberra City. T: 6274 3400 F: 6274 3499 E: tlane@vincents.com.au | www.vincents.com.au

BUSINESS LAW

by Mark Love

Franchising code reforms

The Government is proposing amendments to the Franchising Code of Conduct (the Code); these are tipped to redress a perceived imbalance of power in the franchisor – franchisee relationship.

The forecast changes include: • introduction of an obligation on both parties to act in good faith; • substitution of some disclosure obligations with a ‘short information sheet’; • an obligation on the franchisor not to require a franchisee to undertake significant capital expenditure; • removal or limit of post-franchise restraints of trade in certain circumstances; and • preventing franchisors from requiring dispute resolution to occur outside the State or Territory the business is located in.

The Government is also proposing to give additional powers to the ACCC by allowing it to: • seek civil pecuniary penalties of up to $51,000 from the Court for a breach of the Code; and • issue infringement notices of up to $8,500 without having to seek a court order.

The changes are expected to take effect from 1 January 2015 and will apply to franchise agreements entered into on or after 1 January 2015 and franchise agreements which are renewed on or after 1 January 2015.

So what does this mean for franchisees?

If the restraint provisions are more lenient, franchisees are more likely to retain the benefit of the goodwill they have developed in their store or location; reward for their years of hard work. Franchisors won’t be able to unreasonably restrain franchisees from “going out on their own” in the same or a similar industry.

The proposed reforms, particularly with the tougher penalties hanging over the heads of franchisors, could reduce the number of disputes between the parties and ensure that the parties make genuine good faith efforts to resolve any disputes; minimising costs and allowing everyone to get on with their businesses.

But there is still a significant amount of red tape. Whilst the “short information sheet” should be easy to understand and give a snapshot of the risks and rewards of franchises, it is unlikely to actually be “short” and won’t necessarily tell people anything different to what is in the current disclosure documents. A change in system may simply mean more costs for franchisors, who could push these onto franchisees through increased service fees.

Result: Some franchisors are better than others, but the proposed changes will certainly go some way to addressing the power imbalance that franchisees have felt over the years. Whatever you decide to do get legal, financial and accounting advice before entering into a franchise and know your rights.

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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CORPORATE ADVISORY

Acquiring a business?

Do your diligence!

by Ben Weber

24

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

by Phil Butler

Measuring what matters

In the current market there are many businesses looking to grow through strategic acquisitions. While an acquisition is one of the quickest paths to growth it’s not always the surest, and too often, stakeholders do not get the value promised from the deal.

When considering an acquisition target, and prior to undertaking the acquisition (no matter how good the transaction or deal may seem), it’s crucial to undertake thorough due diligence.

Not only will the results of due diligence guide your decision on whether to proceed with the transaction, but it will also assist you with legal recourse if misrepresentations have been made by the seller.

Due diligence, can be defined as a complete investigation of an intended acquisition. This investigation of the acquisition must include: • All of its important accounting and financial data; • Pertinent legal documents such as exclusive contracts, patents, and trademarks; • Current management team; • The market for the service or product and its competition; • The long-term prospects of its particular industry or segment; • Value of the company’s assets which are to be acquired.

Comprehensive due diligence will make sure you understand what risks are inherent, what risks are avoidable and where you can negotiate value.

Prospective buyers should be provided with the businesses historical financial statements, tax returns, budgets, and an array of other detailed financial and legal information. Your advisor should pore over these statements in order to assure you that the company is in the financial condition as represented by the seller.

At Maxim we have a dedicated team to provide specialist financial due diligence advice which will enhance your understanding of the target business through the provision of a due diligence report that will demonstrate our commercial and financial industry-specific perspectives to guide the valuation and decision making process Building financial and commercial confidence through the utilisation of our knowledge and experience is at the heart of how we approach our clients and their businesses.

This column has often discussed the benefits of a board and appropriate governance structures to assist organisations achieve their outcomes. Having a board of skilled directors can provide the strategic guidance to help steer organisations in the right direction and ensure that appropriate risk controls are in place.

In the for profit environment, the outcomes being sought can be measured by ratios such as return on investment. The measurement of this, while not without its challenges, is often reasonably straight forward as is the benchmarking of performance against similar organisations.

However in the not for profit (NFP) and public sectors, the measurement of outcomes can be much more difficult.

As we approach the end of the financial year, many organisations will be considering the past year and looking at what the new year may bring. Unfortunately many will simply report “on what we have always reported on” rather than considering the real value of their reports.

The release of the NFP Governance Principles and Guidance publication in 2013, dedicated one of the ten principles to Organisational Performance. The Principle noted that it can be difficult to measure the degree to which an organisation is delivering on its purpose, however a board can assist by discussing the types of indicators that may be useful.

For example a membership based organisation may be able to use membership growth, acquisition and retention as indicators. A community service organisation may use number of clients helped as an indicator. Whatever the final decision, it is critically important to ensure that the indicators are readily understood by all concerned including, board, staff and external stakeholders.

Another key element is to ensure that the indicators are not too costly or complicated to report on. For smaller , less complex organisations it is vital that you don’t over burden them with reporting requirements that take away from the key activities. Similarly, you should strive to have consistent indicators so that you are not constantly changing reports that are going to the board.

As with much of corporate governance, there are no rights or wrongs in performance measurement. Choose measures that suit your organisation, be prepared to adjust over time but resist the temptation to take on each new idea that pops up at a meeting.

Ben Weber, Head of Corporate Advisory and Transactions Level 2, 59 Wentworth Ave, Kingston ACT 2604 T: (02) 6295 8744 F: (02) 6295 8344 www.maximca.com.au

Phil Butler is Manager - NFP, Public Sector & ACT at the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Level 3 54 Marcus Clarke Street Canberra T: 02 6132 3200 | www.companydirectors.com.au

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ESTATE PLANNING

by Stephen Bourke

What women need... superannuation!

Let’s be honest, superannuation is definitely not the most attention-grabbing topic we can discuss. But here’s the thing. Unless you like eating baked beans in your retirement, superannuation is really important.

The problem for women is that their careers can be characterized by a pattern of broken periods of employment. There can be gaps in employment because of childcare responsibilities. This gap can be over many years and can do serious damage to the contributions women are able to make to their super.

To add to this, on return to work it can be on a part-time basis which further damages the steady accumulation of super. Another factor is that the earnings of men are still significantly higher.

When all these factors come together, the result is that there are significantly lower contributions over time and the compound interest phenomenon is not as evident resulting in smaller superannuation balances on retirement.

It all seems a bit bleak doesn’t it? Don’t worry there are some things you can do to offset this risk.

The primary thing that women can do is to raise their contributions and raise them earlier in their careers. The research (Basu Drew (2009) ‘Gender and Super’ The Australian Economic Review, vol. 42, no. 2, pp.

177–89) shows that women who contribute more to their super earlier in life can overcome the hurdles faced by the gaps in their employment.

While it can seem daunting to reduce your paycheck, if you can cut back 3 or 4% now it’ll be worth it in the future.

Another beneficial strategy is increasing the aggressiveness of your investments within the fund. This may depend on your money personality and whether you are comfortable with a more aggressive investment strategy. The research once again shows that, when coupled with increased contributions, aggressive funds tend to perform much better over larger amounts of time.

The last thing we can say is to be aware of your super if you’re involved in a family law dispute. If you weren’t already aware, in family law your super gets thrown in the mix for division along with the rest of your assets. It is not uncommon to see a trade off to settle a family law matter by leaving the super alone or taking a lesser cut of the super.

What is happening in the family law matters is that the immediate needs are given a greater priority than the long term savings. And watch out for tricks such as dividing the super by only taking a bit of what accumulated during the marriage relationship. This is not the law. Everything is on the table and if there has been broken work patterns and child care responsibilities, this should be set off by more of the super. So the lesson is take notice of your super and it will serve you well in retirement.

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

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

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FAMILY LAW

by Stuart Cameron

Selling or keeping the family home after separation

One question that commonly arises after the breakdown of a marriage or a de facto relationship is deciding what to do with the “family home”.

Typically there are two options: the property is sold or the property is retained by one of the parties.

The breakdown of a relationship is almost always a time of considerable anxiety and stress. The idea of having to sell the family home — or worse still, transfer it to a former spouse, can stir high emotions. A family home is usually a couple’s most valuable asset and it has become an important symbol of commitment, security and a productive family life. For children of a relationship, the breakdown of the marriage or de facto relationship is already a difficult and unsettling time. Often being able to remain living in the family home after separation can provide an important source of stability and comfort in what can otherwise be a tumultuous time.

Sell or keep the family home?

There are pros and cons with each option. It is important to be able to make an informed decision. Obtaining good financial advice is a useful starting point.

While the idea of retaining the family home may hold obvious appeal, if at the end of the day, the cost of doing so will put you in an untenable financial position then it is clearly not an option. There are also various tax considerations that need to be considered when transferring or selling real property.

After separation it is not unusual for parties to want a quick and easy resolution. Selling the family home may seem like the most straightforward option. Upon reflection though, retaining the family home may provide enormous financial benefits.

It is also important to obtain specialist family law advice prior to making any important decisions regarding property settlement. Receiving that advice early may allow you to weigh up your options regarding the family home. It may also guide the direction you take with respect to negotiations.

A specialist family lawyer can provide advice on the relevant legal considerations, including an assessment of the merits of you retaining the family home. They can also assist you to negotiate an appropriate property settlement with the other party, which may not otherwise be possible, particularly if there is a “power imbalance” or tension existing between you and the other party.

Importantly, a family lawyer can provide advice about how to secure the family home and any other property, to ensure that no steps are taken to dispose of property without your knowledge or consent.

If you would like to make an appointment with a member of our team, please contact us on 6212 7600.

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

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

by Shaun Creighton

Trade marks – frequently asked questions

What defines a trade mark?

A trade mark is a commercial indicator serving as a ‘badge of origin’, something distinguishing goods or services of one provider from those of another. In addition to words, pictures or combinations (e.g. logos), trade marks can consist of sounds, smells, colours and shapes. There are also other types of marks such as series marks and certification marks.

Why should I register a trade mark? Can’t it be protected without registration?

Under the law of ‘passing off’, it is sometimes possible to protect an unregistered trade mark through the trading goodwill or reputation which accrues from use over time. The risk is that somebody else will start using it (or similar) for overlapping goods or services before sufficient reputation is established. Enforcement of registered trade mark rights does not require establishing ‘reputation’ in the mark.

I have already registered my business name/company name/domain name – isn’t that enough?

No, because all these systems operate largely independently. The fact that you have established rights under one doesn’t automatically mean you are free to use or register that indicator in relation to the others. Only a registered trade mark grants exclusive rights in the relevant indicator.

What happens after an application is filed?

Usually 10-12 weeks after a trade mark application is filed it is examined. If the examiner is immediately satisfied with your application, it is accepted for publication. If not accepted, the examiner will raise one or more official objections. Depending on what the objections are, they might be overcome by written submissions, at a hearing or on further appeal, in which case the application proceeds but, otherwise, it will go no further. Written submissions are usually provided by a lawyer or trade mark attorney referencing relevant law.

If the application is accepted, it is published for a period of 2 months and, at that point, third parties get a chance to oppose it on one or more of the specified ‘grounds of opposition’. If nobody opposes, or if opposition is unsuccessful, the application can then proceed to registration.

On expiration of the 2 month advertisement period, on payment of the registration fees, the mark is finally registered and a certificate issued.

At that point (but not before), you can start using the registered trade mark symbol (the R in a circle) against your mark.

What happens after registration?

You can use the mark for yourself but, equally, you may want to licence it to others (through eg a distribution agreement, sponsorship agreement, trade mark licence) or even sell it (e.g. as part of a sale of business). A law firm, such as ARETE Group, can help you with the relevant licensing documentation. After registration if you find 3rd parties are using your mark in an unauthorised manner, we recommend you immediately contact an attorney or lawyer who specialises in trade mark law.

P: GPO Box 579, Canberra ACT 2601 E: shaun.creighton@aretegroup.com.au shaun.creighton@aretegroup.com.au T: 02 6162 1639 | M: 0430 22 78 62 W: www.aretegroup.com.au or www.asportslaw.com.au

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ONLINE MARKETING

by Damian Schroeter

Measure ROI with digital media

Over the past few months I have introduced you to Google AdWords and explained briefly how it drives relevant traffic to your website, but how do we measure if the ads are actually profitable to your business?

The performance of your online advertising is measured by applying a value to the page immediately after a desirable action on your website.

It is that simple, and Google calls this “Conversions Tracking”.

A Conversion in Google AdWords allows us to measure your return on investment with your own campaign data. We track the completion of an action on your website and assign a value to that action. Each action may have a different value and we help you to determine what each Conversion is actually worth to your business by categorising them into “Macro” and “Micro” Conversions.

While a Macro Conversion is typically when money has been exchanged online, such as a product purchase or booking confirmation, Micro Conversions may be other desirable actions, which are also important to your overall business objectives. These may include actions like signing up to a mailing list, subscription to a podcast or RSS feed, or the download of a digital document.

The important point to note is that with Google AdWords and Google Analytics we track the path that your website user followed to become a Conversion. We report which keyword triggered your ad, how much you paid for the click, and the positive return on investment delivered in line with your advertising objectives.

Other advertising mediums, with similar reporting capabilities are Email Broadcast Marketing and SMS Broadcast Marketing. When we send bulk communications from your brand to your subscribers, you receive a link via email to view your campaign statistics and the performance is also tracked via your website Analytics. The key difference with Google AdWords is still that you are not charged to show your ads, only when customers click through to your website. That is why AdWords is still number one in our top 3 marketing mediums for clients.

If you would like to know more about any of the topics covered in this column, please call our office to arrange a free 30-minute consultation. And don’t forget to ask about your FREE $100.00 AdWords Credit from Google when you sign up.

Damian Schroeter is a Google Partner and Director of Design & Advertising at nFlame Creative.

Visit: www.nflame.com.au/AdWords Consultations by appointment: Phone (02)6249 8694 or email info@nflame.com.au

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PROPERTY FINANCING

by Peter Spooner

It’s that time of year again

We are fast running up to the end of the tax year. It is time to review your financial arrangements and consider the steps that you may be able to take to minimise your tax obligations.

Please discuss with your financial advisors your income protection position, managing capital any gains and losses, superannuation strategies including additional contributions, and, optimisation of tax offsets and more generally, any other deductible expenses incurred in earning assessable investment income.

In relation to property investment some things that you may consider.

Prepay Interest Some lenders allow borrowers to prepay interest on investment loans – normally 12 months in advance. Where this is the case, the prepayment of interest may enable you to bring forward the interest expense to offset taxable income. Where rental rates are expected to soften over the next year or so it may be appropriate to maximise loan interest payments in the current year.

Prepaying interest in this way also allows you to lock in an interest rate for the prepayment period.

Investors should be aware that lenders may charge a fee for the prepayment of interest and should consider this expense in any decision.

If your current lender or the lender product that you have does not allow pre-payment of interest only or the rate offered and associated fees seem to be unfavourable talk to a mortgage broker. A broker can readily provide you with current market options and comparisons. You still have time before 30 June to switch your business to a Lender that more closely accommodated your needs.

Rental property deductions Landlords can claim deductions for a range of expenses such as body corporate fees, municipal rates and taxes, insurance, interest on investment loans, property agent/management fees and expenses such as advertising, garden maintenance, electricity and gas.

You may also be able to write off the cost of certain buildings, depreciating assets and borrowing costs over time.

Make a list of the rental property specific expenses you have incurred in the current financial year, compare this with the previous year’s expenses and check with your accountant as to the completeness of the standard deductibles and what opportunities to maximise these deductions.

Feel free to drop me a note or give me a call if you would like more information regarding the payment of interest in advance.

Peter Spooner is a qualified and highly experienced residential property financing specialist. He has access to over 800 loan products from a panel of over 30 Lenders (including all of the major banks) plus reach-back to over 500 Loan Market associates when formulating solutions for his clients.

Peter is available after hours does not charge a fee-for-service.

Australian Credit Licence 390222

To gain further information regarding the Loan Market go to www.loanmarket.com.au or contact Peter direct at peter.spooner@loanmarket.com.au or call on 0400 281 398

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RECRUITMENT

by Jim Roy

How does your salary stack-up?

The approach of financial year-end brings with it salary reviews in many organisations and the launch of our annual Hays Salary Guide on 4 June 2014.

The Hays Salary Guide remains the definitive snapshot of salaries and employment market trends across Australia and New Zealand. It’s your chance to find out exactly what is happening in each sector as well as employers’ more positive hiring intentions in our evolving world of work.

Our Guide is designed to help you make informed decisions by offering a thorough market overview as well as the salaries that companies are paying for over 1,000 positions in 14 locations.

It is based on a survey of over 2,500 employers as well as placements made by Hays. Surveyed employers comprise multinational, listed and small to medium businesses across all sectors. Public sector contributors include not for profits, higher education institutions and varying levels of government.

This year’s insights reveal an environment where 41% of employers see a more positive economic outlook on the horizon. 66% expect their levels of business activity to increase in the year ahead, and 63% have already seen an increase in business activity over the 12 months prior to the survey. Perhaps that is why overtime increased in 31% of organisations over the same period.

This supports an emerging trend; the desire to do more with less. So too does the focus on curbing costs – in such an environment, what has been the impact on salaries? Find out in our Guide.

For your copy please contact me, visit www.hays.com.au/salary-guide or download The Hays Salary Guide 2014 iPhone app from iTunes.

Of course we would like to express our gratitude to all those organisations that participated in our online survey and provided such invaluable feedback, which we feel has contributed to making this the most accurate and up to date survey of its kind in Australia.

Talk to the experts When the pressure is on to hire great people, it's easy to make the mistake of bringing in the right skills above the right culture fit. Getting the hiring right will make retaining and developing great people much easier, which is why ongoing candidate engagement is so important to us at Hays. The relationship we build with both our candidates and clients means that we see the whole picture - from all angles. Why not talk to us when you are next looking to access the most comprehensive, current and global network of talent?

We are the experts in recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people across a range of industries and professions. With our depth of expertise and technical understanding, we'll bring the right person together with the right job to power your world of work.

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

WEBSITES

by Sam Gupta

5 must-have productivity apps

Nearly every small business owner can benefit from using various mobile and web applications to improve productivity, save costs and make life easy for themselves.

Try out the following apps to make a difference in your business today. Most of these apps are free to use with limited features, so you can try before you buy.

File sharing and storage Dropbox, Copy and Hightail are excellent cloud storage and file sharing facilities. Files are securely accessible from any device. It’s a great way to keep a backup of files on the cloud. ‘Copy’ and ‘Hightail’ offer similar product at a better price, but try them out and see which ones you like.

Bookmarking and notekeepers Evernote is a clean, beautiful note-keeping app and a great way to share know-how within any organisation. It allows users to share ideas and create to-dos list etc. The best thing about Evernote is that it allows you to keep personal and business notes separate but you only have to go to one app for everything.

Pocket is another brilliant bookmarking app. Whenever you find a great article, video or image, use this app to keep it on file and access from anywhere.

Projects/task management Trello is a very simple and easy to use app. You can create projects/ boards, set deadlines, gather ideas and opinions, assign tasks, track progress, maintain history and collaborate with other team members.

Give it a go, it’s good.

Infographics Infographics have become a popular way to tell a story. It’s a great way to illustrate complex pieces of information. A well designed infographic can gain popularity much faster than an article. Using interesting infographics, you can tell a story or make an argument. It is easy to get user’s attention, it’s quick to read through and users are more likely to share it. Try Visual.ly, Easel.ly or infogr.am.

Newsfeed readers In today’s world, every business person needs to keep themselves up to date with the latest news and trends in the industry. THere are the two apps that can help you organise the information beautifully; Flipboard and Feedly. You can search and subscribe to magazines of your interest and your own social media feeds. Personally, I love using Flipboard, my day starts with this, but its only available on tablet and mobile devices. Feedly on the other hand can be accessed via desktop also.

If you are looking to improve your productivity and reduce costs, try our free 1 hour consultation to get started.

Sam Gupta is the managing director of Synapse Worldwide.

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

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

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MINISTER’S MESSAGE

Big pipeline of major infrastructure ANDREW BARR

ACT DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER TREASURER MINISTER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

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he ACT Government has a big pipeline of major infrastructure – and we’re exploring new and innovative methods to build and operate these projects, including the Territory’s first Public Private Partnership (PPP).

Last month I presented to key industry and infrastructure stakeholders on the ACT Courts project. This project is significant as it currently under consideration as the ACT’s first PPP. The 50 year old ACT Supreme Court is a landmark building in the territory and an important symbol of the judicial arm of government however the Government has recognised the time has come to provide new court facilities to meet our needs into the future.

Since its construction in 1963 the requirements of the Supreme Court have changed. The original courts building catered for a population of 100,000.

Today, the population of the Territory is over 380,000 and will continue to grow.

Since announcing our plans to progress the Courts Project through a PPP late last year, the Government has appointed an Integrated Project Team with an aim to deliver the best outcome for the territory and the courts, both architecturally and commercially. It is expected the PPP will fund the construction and ongoing maintenance and upgrade of the building over the next 25-30 years.

If there was ever any doubt at the level of interest in this project and in ACT construction projects in general, the forum I presented at attracted over 90 registered attendees, made up of potential investors and infrastructure stakeholders,.

As a jurisdiction the ACT Government is trying to position itself in a competitive way to attract capital for its major infrastructure projects.

In doing so we are seeking to create a business friendly environment that reflects lessons learned from across Australia in PPP delivery.

The courts project is only one part of the ACT Governments plan for infrastructure investment in the Territory. Ten years ago our capital works budget

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was $109m, in 2013-14 our total capital works budget is $775m, with a four year infrastructure investment program worth $1.2b.

We have a pipeline of significant projects, including the Capital Metro project, City to the Lake, University of Canberra Public Hospital, the Australia Forum – which will be a nationally significant convention centre – and a new enclosed football stadium.

These projects have two purposes; they will help redefine how our city functions and provide better services to the community, but they will also generate thousands of jobs keep our economy ticking over in response to the contraction of the Commonwealth.

The Government has not yet committed to a particular delivery model for these projects, but it is actively considering options including PPPs. In regards to the Courts project the Territory will shortlist and undertake negotiations with the competing parties, with a view to finalising the PPP procurement process over the next 12-18 months. It is expected that the new facilities will then be built by the successful PPP tenderer and be operational towards the end of the 2017/18 financial year.

For information see: http://apps.treasury.act.gov. au/partnerships-framework

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

A2B

Federal Budget 2014-15

W

e all knew that the 2014-15 Federal Budget would bring challenges to the economy and the private sector in Canberra and the surrounding region.

After two years of speculation and rhetoric about the number of public service job cuts we now know that the Australian Public Service (APS) will be literally decimated — a massive 10% of the APS or 16,500 jobs will go (at 30 June 2012 there were 168,580 staff in the APS) - with more job losses to come and, if Senator Abetz is to be believed, more agencies will be moved out of Canberra. This will mean 6,500 job losses in the ACT, including 2,000 in 2014-15.

Yes Canberra, designed and built as Australia’s National Capital and the seat of Federal Government, is predominantly a government city with approximately 39% of the ACT workforce employed in the APS. But the ACT and region also has a vibrant and growing private sector and the evident reality is that the majority of the 26,000 businesses in Canberra, (96% of which are SMEs – i.e. they employ less than 20 people) rely heavily, either directly or indirectly, on the public sector to survive.

That doesn’t mean that the APS should just keep growing. We support the Budget’s focus on reviewing the scope and improving the efficiency of Government, while recognizing the vital role played by the APS in delivering the core functions of government.

Sharing the load Disappointingly, Canberra residents are effectively being asked, in the Budget, to make a greater contribution than other Australians. Where other regions have been hit with cuts to their primary employment and economic base, such as the loss of the motor vehicle industry in Geelong in Victoria, and Elizabeth in South Australia, substantial structural adjustment funding has been allocated to help them to build new industry sectors. The ACT has received no funding for structural adjustment or enabling infrastructure.

When the Howard Government cut about 12,000 public service positions in 1996 it forced the ACT economy into three consecutive quarters of negative growth (recession); house prices fell

and the housing market took years to rebound; unemployment reached almost 9% and business bankruptcies increased by 80%.

Yet, even in the midst of this bleak period Prime Minister Howard invested in over 20 major enabling infrastructure projects in Canberra to assist the economy to adjust – projects like The National Museum of Australia; The Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies; Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial; The National Portrait Gallery; the extension and refurbishment of the National Gallery of Australia and the National Centre for Christianity and Culture – to name only a few.

At the local level, the ACT is being asked to do more than its fair share of the heavy lifting. Not only are Canberrans, businesses, the ACT Government, high income earners, families, seniors and individuals making a contribution to repair the budget like the rest of Australia but, due to our economy’s heavy reliance on Federal Government procurement and employment, the ACT is being asked to shoulder a disproportionate burden by carrying the lion’s share of the savings from public service job cuts.

Disappointingly, there is no offsetting investment coming to the Territory to stimulate growth in other areas.

For an assessment of the impact of the Federal Budget on Canberra and the surrounding region, visit www.canberrabusinesscouncil.com.au

ACT Budget Breakfast Date: Wednesday, 4 June 2014 Time: 7:00 AM Location: National Press Club, National Circuit, Barton Speaker: ACT Treasurer, Mr Andrew Barr MLA Members Non-Members Table of 10 (Members) Table of 10 (Non-Members)

$85 (inc GST) $100 (inc GST) $800 (inc GST) $950 (inc GST)

To register: www.canberrabusinesscouncil.com.au/events/ or call 02 6247 4199

CHRIS FA U L K S

CEO CANBERRA BUSINESS COUNCIL

CANBE RR A BUSINESS COUNCIL AFFILIATED WITH

Principal Members ACTEW Water, BluePackets Brookfield Johnson Controls, Canberra International Airport, CanPrint Communications Pty Limited, Cantlie, Cre8ive, Custom Security Services, Elite Sound & Lighting, Ernst & Young, eWAY, Hindmarsh, ISIS, KPMG, Master Builders Association (ACT), National Australia Bank Limited, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Staging Connections (ACT), The Village Building Co, Toshiba (Australia) Pty Limited, TransACT Communications, Westpac Banking Corporation

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2014 ACT & Region Indigenous Expo and Excellence Awards Dinner JO POWELL

DIRECTOR, EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION AND TRAINING ACT & REGION CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

Corporate Sponsors ActewAGL TransACT The Canberra Times The Good Guys Tuggeranong Synapse Chamber Networks Women in Business Young Business Network Business after Business Foundation Member Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry

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he 2014 ACT & Region Indigenous Expo was created in 2012 with the aim of continuously developing and growing effective partnerships between governments, training organisations and employers with the ACT and surrounding communities. The success of the 2012 Expo was overwhelming and this important community event has continued to grow, with 2014 shaping up to be the biggest yet!

The 2014 ACT & Region Indigenous Expo will be held on Tuesday, 24 June 2014 and will be open from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm in the Exhibition Hall at the National Convention Centre.

The ACT & Region Indigenous Expo aims to increase awareness of career and education opportunities including support services available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in the ACT and Region.

The Expo will demonstrate the important nexus between the employment and training of Indigenous jobseekers, corporate business, industry, education and training institutions, school leavers and the wider community.

A significant part of the Expo is the Exhibitor stalls and information displays. This provides you with an opportunity to promote, connect and engage with a large audience across Indigenous education, training and employment including social health and wellbeing providers.

Exhibitors are welcomed and encouraged from a broad cross section of providers including federal and state government institutions, tertiary institutions (local and interstate), employer organisations from large corporate to small industry businesses, and health and wellbeing sectors to take advantage of this unique marketing opportunity.

There are exhibitors’ spaces available from a broad cross section of providers including: • Universities from ACT and NSW • TAFE and other training organisations covering a wide range of professions, trades and apprenticeships • Professional Institutes

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• Government departments (Federal and ACT/NSW) • Organisations specialising in apprenticeships • Employers from the government and private sector • Try-a-trade – hands on displays of various trades • Industry specific presentations by business and industry, including government sectors • Career counselling • Health and well-being services Awards dinner The Indigenous Business Chamber and the ACT & Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry will be presenting the 2014 ACT & Region Indigenous Excellence Awards Dinner.

The dinner will be held at The Abbey on Monday, 23 June 2014 with a surprise celebrity guest.

This exclusive evening will showcase high achieving Indigenous people and is an opportunity to highlight Indigenous education, training and employment achievements across the ACT and the surrounding region. If you wish to attend or would like further information please contact the ACT & Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry at eet@actchamber.com.au

2013 Expo

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

A2B

Budget brings relief to exporters

T

he recent announcement of the Federal Budget brought some relief to the exporting community.

Under the 2014-2015 budget, the Government will provide $200 million of additional capital to the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (EFIC). This equity injection reverses the decision of the previous Government to take a oneoff special dividend from EFIC in 2012-2013 and will allow EFIC to better support Australian exporters and trade.

The Government is also honouring its initial commitment to provide a $50 million boost to help small and medium sized businesses reach their export potential through the Export Market Development Grant (EMDG). Administered by Austrade, the EMDG scheme helps small businesses by reimbursing up to 50% of eligible export promotion expenses above $5,000 provided that the total expenses are at least $15,000. The scheme is very important as it provides businesses with the assurance that they need to start exporting.

A large number of ACT exporters have benefited significantly from the EMDG scheme and many of these regard EMDG as instrumental to their export growth. Some of these companies include: Aspen Medical Founded in 2003, Aspen Medical is an Australian-owned, multi award-winning, global provider of guaranteed and innovative healthcare solutions across a diverse range of sectors. Aspen Medical started as a small business and is currently operating across Australasia, USA, Canada, Europe and the Middle East and employs more than 2,200 professionals. Aspen Medical has also used Austrade’s assistance in identifying new customers overseas as well as receiving funding from EFIC for overseas projects.

Inland Trading Inland Trading is an award-winning export company specializing in the supply of premium quality wines from Australia to an ever expanding world market. In 1996, the company exported its first wines (six cases) to Singapore from a bedroom.

Inland Trading has benefited greatly from the

EMDG scheme to get to the position they are now in, exporting more than 360,000 cases to more than 40 countries. In fact, the company was recently awarded a contract to supply the wines for Singapore Airlines’ First Class and Suites. mHITs Australia mHITs Limited (pronounced Em-HITs) is a multi-award winning Australian based developer and operator of mobile payment technology and services. Established 10 years ago, the company is currently providing mobile money systems in Papua New Guinea and has recently launched its BuyPower mobile prepaid electricity vending service in Namibia, Africa. This is the first service of its type in Africa where airtime is used directly to purchase prepaid electricity. mHITs has benefited from the EMDG scheme which made a difference to mHITs’ decision to enter a new market.

2014 Chief Minister’s Export Awards The annual ACT Chief Minister’s Export Awards acknowledge the innovation, hard work and success of ACT businesses, large and small, in reaching new markets through exporting their products and services.

Applications are now open for the 2014 ACT Chief Minister’s Export Awards. To apply, please visit www.exportaward.com.au Should you require further information about the ACT Exporters’ Network, please contact Larry Fisher at larry.fisher@canberrabusinesscouncil.com. au or call (02) 6247 4199..

LARRY FISHER

EXPORT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER CANBERRA BUSINESS COUNCIL LTD

For more information on the ACT Exporters’ Network visit actexportersnetwork.com.au or call 02 6247 4199 The ACT Exporters’ Network is proudly sponsored by the ACT Government, Canberra Business Council, the Centre for Customs & Excise Studies and AusIndustry.

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