Business xClusive Magazine Vol. 5

A Message from

Matt Alderton Owning your own business is an adventure and can be very rewarding. As an owner of businesses both large and small, I understand the many challenges business owners have in every aspect of operating their business. I have been a business owner for over a decade, and have experienced many ups and downs and have learned an incredible amount by the experience. One thing above all that I have taken away from my journey so far, is that you can’t do it alone. To be successful requires being around the right people, and having the right influences in your life to help you achieve success. This applies to all the relationships in our lives. As human beings, we are the average of the seven people we spend the most amount of time with.

This means, if we want to be successful, we need to spend time with people who are successful, who have had more success than we have had to date, and learn from them.

As I have built my various businesses, I have spent time around some incredible people. People such as John Maxwell, Terry Hawkins and Les Brown, as well as many experts across various fields and industries. I can directly link my successes and failures to the people and influence they have had on my business and life.

I started my business Bx, to help business owners connect with experts within the business arena. Knowing first- hand the advantages in being connected with and mentoring with the right people, I knew this was pivotal to the success of other business owners as well. In Australia, the majority of small businesses, don’t even make it to five years. This is a disturbing statistic. What is even more disturbing, is that it is usually a result of the business owner not having the experience, expertise and support required to be successful in their enterprise. My personal mission is to reverse this statistic. I have created a support system for business owners, to enable them to achieve success. I have done this through our free events - Bxponential, One Day Business Masterclass, Bxplosive, through our Business for Life Program and through our national business networking breakfasts, lunches and dinners with BxNetworking.

I encourage you to share your experiences with Bx with your friends and business networks. The more people that connect with us, the more people we can help achieve success. Please make sure you connect with us on our social media channels.

Winning and success are not the same thing. For you to win, there must also be losers. For you to be truly successful, means helping as many others as possible achieve success. The more people you help achieve success, the more successful you will in turn become.

Until next time, and Bxceptional!

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Contents A Message from Matt Alderton................ 2 Meet Matt Alderton........................... 3 Raising Your Fees is Just One Way to Increase Your Income (Kathleen Ann)................... 5 Why Bother with Content Strategy? Incredible Communications) ............................. 6 The Bx Business xCellence Awards............. 8 Why Social Media Likes Won’t Pay Your Rent ( Jemimah Ashleigh) ...... 10

meet MATT ALDERTON Matt is an award-winning businessman and entrepreneur, a #1 best-selling author, speaker, and business growth expert. Matt was named Business Person of the Year in 2015 and Business Leader in 2016 in the NSW Business Chamber Awards and has owned more than a dozen multi-award winning businesses across multiple industries, including retail, hospitality, technology, entertainment and professional development. Matt’s passion is, and has always been, helping people achieve success through growth and development and he specialises in leadership. Matt’s business won the Australian Business Champion Awards in 2016 and 2017.

SUCCESS & RELATIONSHIPS

The key to being successful in all areas of life and business, is proportionate (Matt Alderton) to the relationships you develop throughout your life. Matt has trained and mentored with internationally renowned author and speaker John C. Maxwell, as well as Les Brown and Terry Hawkins. Matt is proud to teach (Source Legal) with John Maxwell and is part of the John Maxwell Leadership Team. Matt also regularly associates and meets with (Matt Alderton) political leaders, at both state and federal levels, with the aim of forging longterm relationships to develop his understanding of the economy, and to lobby for continued support of business in Australia.

From Prime Ministers to Treasurers, and Small Business Ministers, Matt is determined to ensure that small business has a big voice in Australia.

The Perfect Workday

......... 12

Who We Are and What We Do ................ 16 Small Business Legal Advice 101 .................................................. 26 Business Advice from Mark Bouris

............ 28

Your 40 Second Pitch ......................... 32

Membership with Bx.......................... 33

MATT & HIS BUSINESS Through his book, training and speaking, Matt shares a number of his experiences in business and life, including some amazing successes and some monumental failures. Teaching you that no matter what life throws at you – both good and bad – your values, character and personal leadership will determine your success. Matt has owned businesses for over a decade, and through this time has built up not only a great portfolio of businesses, but a lifetime of experience, learning that hard work is simply not enough to ensure success. Success is achieved through aligning with experts across varying industries, bringing on the right people into your organisation at the right time, investing in them and building a business that runs without you.

Matt’s mission with Bx is to enable business owners to grow their businesses for a fulfilling life, and his BHAG is to help small businesses employ 100,000 more Australians by 2022.

MATT & HIS LIFE Matt is a husband to his beautiful wife Meg, and father of three wonderful kids – Bethany, Thomas and Georgia. Through good times and bad, Matt’s family has been a source of strength and resilience for Matt, allowing Matt to continue to achieve great success in business. Matt states, his family are his greatest success in life.

Matt is a man on a mission to help people achieve great success, both personally and professionally.

Business xclusive | 3

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Raising Your Fees is Just One Way to Increase Your Income by Kathleen Ann If you want to increase your income I suggest you set yourself a bold money goal so you know exactly what you want to achieve. Be specific. Ask yourself this question “How much more do I want to make”?

Whatever that number is, raising your fees is one way to reach your goal but it’s not the only way. I can think of at least 7 additional ways to create more income in your business.

1. Offer training courses Think of ways to help your clients improve their skills or learn to do something that will support them to achieve better outcomes. Then create a training course designed to transfer your knowledge and teach them the “how to”.

2. Run workshops Workshops are a great format for accomplishing specific outcomes. Unlike training courses which are based on learning how to do something – workshops provide a hands on way to get the job done. Done-with-you, rather than done-for-you workshops can be run as a one off or a series and people are willing to invest in them.

3. Lead groups While your one-to-one service can be very lucrative, leading groups offers an opportunity for clients to participate at a lower investment. Collectively this can add up to an overall increase in income to you. An added advantage is you get to serve more people, some of whom will invest further with you down the track.

4. Offer different packages One size fits all might be OK in the fashion industry but it means a take it or leave it decision if you’re offering services. So it’s much smarter to offer different packages to provide a choice at various investment levels. This means you will make more sales and increase your income.

5. Speak Whether you are being paid or not, speaking is the absolute best way to get in front of potential clients to build the know, like and trust factor that is essential to creating relationships and making sales. At the very least you want to leave with their contact details so you can continue to communicate with them and turn your prospects into paying clients.

6. Create Information Products Everyone knows information that other people will value and be prepared to pay for. Fact is there is a huge demand for information. Chances are better than good that you are already providing information to someone about something you know about. And chances are you are giving it away free when people would gladly give you money for it.

You can make passive additional income from what you already know while providing your clients with additional, budget-friendly ways to learn from you.

7. Offer VIP days (one of my top favourites) VIP stands for ‘very important person’ and offering VIP days as an intensive one-on-one experience is both lucrative for you and highly productive for the client.

With a set agenda focused on accomplishing specific outcomes for an individual a VIP day is a high-end offer with a highly valued payoff so you can charge a higher fee. It’s a fact, many clients just love that level of personal attention and single focus and are willing to pay a higher fee to get it.

If you’re not offering VIP Days yet, it means you’re leaving money on the table that could be added to your bank account.

So when you look at your business as a whole, raising your rates is just one way to make more money. I recommend you look from a higher perspective and decide what additional income streams you can create.

Kathleen Ann, the founder and CEO of Power Up Your Marketing, is known as the Money & Marketing Mentor for service based business owners. She helps them choose their niche market and position themselves as the expert in their field through strong and authentic branding. As well as streamline and package their services so they are easy to market, easy to sell and easy to deliver. At the same time Kathleen coaches her clients to create a healthy relationship with money so they can charge what they’re worth and get it.

Kathleen is also the Area Leader for Bx Business Networking Southern Suburbs Groups.

Kathleen happily works from her home office in Lugarno overlooking the beautiful Georges River that she shares with her chef husband. When she’s not creating breakthroughs with her clients you’ll probably find her playing with her 9 grandchildren or just as likely playing around on a golf course somewhere.

Business xclusive | 5

WHY bother with a content strategy?

I

t’s no secret that creating a content strategy can be a hefty task - there are spreadsheets, calendars and notes flying everywhere. The process can be a tricky one and when you can’t see the immediate results, you might feel as though creating a strategy isn’t worthwhile.

So, what do you really stand to gain from putting a content and communications strategy in place?

Actionable Ideas You know that little space in your head where you keep all those good ideas you have in the wee hours of the morning? How often do actually delve into that space, pull out one of those ideas and action it?

For the more organised amongst us, it might be fairly regularly, but for many of us, those ideas will sit, forgotten, perhaps forever.

A content strategy changes that bad cycle forever. It gives you a space to put your ideas, to develop them and to fit them into a schedule where all your ideas can work together. Not only that, but never will you have an idea and not know what to do with it. Your strategy provides you with a framework to turn all your ideas into powerful content.

A Streamlined Message Putting content out is all about sending your message out into the world for potential customers to find you - if you haven’t got your message straight, your audience could be left confused. Your content strategy allows you to make sure that all your content - whether it be articles, videos or other marketing collateral - works together seamlessly.

The little details are what matters when it comes to your content and the easiest way to make sure everything works together is by implementing your content strategy.

More Time Perhaps the biggest benefit of a content strategy is creating one, central place where all your team members can be clear on what role they should be playing and when they’re supposed to be completing communications-related tasks.

Your team can also know exactly what their fellow team members need to be doing too, so they know who to direct their questions and suggestions - taking the pressure off you and leaving you free to get on with your own tasks for the day.

Yes, content strategies can be daunting to set up and it might be difficult setting aside the time to get it started but in the long run, all that effort pays off big time.

If you don’t know where to begin or need support in for your content strategy speak to us at Incredible Communications. Email us at phil.lowe@incrediblecommunications.com.au or by phone on 0414 711 107.

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EARLY BIRD ENDS SOON!

3-Day Event

Strictly Limited Seating Expert Positioning Workshop 17, 18 19 October 2018 - Sydney REGISTER for Bxpert, if: 1. You have ever wanted to write a book and didn’t know how to get started 2. You need to position yourself as the expert in your industry to cut through your competition 3. You have a passion and purpose to help others and don’t know how to communicate this 4. You want to be able to present with power and purpose, whether it be at a networking event, or in front of thousands from stage 5. You have a fear of public speaking and you want to be able to speak with confidence

This is a 3-DAY EVENT at the conclusion of Bxpert, you: Will have created your own Unique Positioning Model, that you can write about, speak about, present and train on; Will have created the framework and structure for your book; Will have created the framework and structure for your signature keynote; Will have received intensive training on how to speak from the stage, and deliver with purpose, passion and power; Will have presented a 10-minute version of your keynote, and received comprehensive feedback.

BOOK NOW B-x.com.au/Bxpert

Business xclusive | 7

2018

Bx Business xCellence Awards IS NOW OPEN

The Bx Business xCellence Awards is now open. Businesses within the BxNetworking Community are encouraged to attend to showcase their business as one of the top businesses within the network. xClusive to BxNetworking members, the Business xCellence Awards is your opportunity to elevate your business profile within the BxNetworking community as a finalist or winner and creating a significant competitive advantage.

How the Awards Work: 1. Complete the Online Entry Form - this is a questionnaire about your business. This should take 20-30 minutes to complete and assists in categorising your business as well as bench-marking your business against other entrants.

2. Finalists are announced - finalists are assessed based on the Online Entry Form. The top submissions from each category become finalists.

3. Complete the Business Submission - this is a written submission that all finalists must complete to be eligible for a chance to win the category award and the Gold and Silver Business of the Year awards.

The winners are all announced at the Bx Business xCellence Awards Gala Presentation Evening on the 17th November.

Winners all receive trophies and PR opportunities.

The judging is done externally to Bx. Judges include Steve Loe from Precedent Production (The Local Business Awards Managing Director), as well as MP’s from Federal, State and Local Government. Judges decisions are final, and feedback is not provided for winning and non-winning candidates.

The Bx Business xCellence Awards and xMas Party is on Saturday 17th November, 2018.

Tickets to the event are available now.

Early Bird Pricing: Book now, pay 3rd Nov $125* ends 1st October Bookings after 1st October until final RSVP $155 Secure your ticket at the Early Bird Price now, and pay nothing until 3rd November!

B-x.com.au/BusinessxCellenceAwards

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The Bx Business xCellence Awards and xMas Party is on

Saturday 17th November, 2018.

Tickets to the event are available now.

EARLY BIRD PRICING: Book now, pay 3rd Nov $125* ends 1st October Bookings after 1st October until final RSVP $155 Secure your ticket at the Early Bird Price now, and pay nothing until 3rd November!

Business xclusive | 9

WHY SOCIAL MEDIA LIKES WON’T PAY YOUR RENT

by Jemimah Ashleigh I get it. It’s immediately gratifying—the rapidly climbing ‘likes’ every time you look at your page, the new followers from all over the world. Nailing your social media game is a crucial element of building your brand, but before getting carried away it’s important to remember one thing: a ‘like’ doesn’t pay your rent.

The role of social media in business is to allow a brand to develop the relationship that eventually leads a client or customer to buy from them. It is one of the most powerful – and cheapest – marketing platforms available to small businesses. A floundering brand can be completely transformed with quality socials and content marketing.

But every ‘like’ is not created equal: if you’re not interacting with the right followers and don’t have a concrete conversion strategy on those ‘likes’, you’re in trouble.

Here are four ways to ensure you don’t fall into the social media popularity trap.

1. Get to know your audience If you’ve got upwards of 100,000 followers but most of them are outside your target audience, from countries you don’t service, or worse—random bots—then you need to reassess your approach.

Attract the right followers by absolutely nailing who your customer is… before you even think about touching your keyboard. If you don’t know them intimately, you can’t speak to them in their ‘language’.

2. Pick your poison Once you define your audience, work out where they like to hang out online, and develop targeted social strategy to ensure your information is being seen in the right places.

Don’t ever feel like you need run yourself into the ground by publishing on each and every social platform out there… choose the TWO where your people hang most, and focus on them.

3. Be consistent Research has identified that customers need seven touch points before they’re willing to make a purchase, meaning that you need to successfully engage them seven times before they will even consider buying from you.

So, how do you do it? By being consistent across each and every marketing channel. Consistency helps you get noticed, building both brand awareness and trust. Publish consistent, targeted content that adds value to your audience, and do it over and over. And over.

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4. Include a call to action If you’re publishing killer content without including a call to action, it’s akin to flushing good work down the toilet.

As small business owners, your job is to make it super easy for your target audience to take action—you’ve already built a solid rapport with your followers, so it’s time to tell them exactly what you’d like them to do.

Small businesses need to think of their social media as a long-term relationship. Don’t chase the easy likes and follows— instead, focus on delivering value with patience and consistency, and you’ll end up with more than just followers. You’ll have a loyal customer base.

And that’s how you pay your rent.

Jemimah has made her sole motivation in business to reduce the 97% of women who are failing in business in the first five years. With women failing twice the rate of men, she knows that the business owners just aren’t getting the right tools at the right time and often suffering burn out. Jemimah is aiming to change the statistics on a much bigger level.

Jemimah Ashleigh is the #1 Authority on Positioning entrepreneurs and showcasing you as the expert in your field. Having built three successful businesses, she is a highly sought-after business consultant, mentor, speaker and has released her first book, ‘Position Me’ available now.

www.jemimahashleigh.com

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The Perfect

Workday

by Matt Alderton

I receive hundreds of emails, dozens of phone calls and many other interruptions EVERY DAY. How do I stay sane?

How do I remain at my most productive and keep focussed.

Here’s how.

To be successful in your day, week, month, year and life, you need to be the master of your time, have great relationships with people, lead others to where you have been and beyond and have an amazing attitude. Let me share with you how to be a master of your time.

There are four fundamental areas, that even a small shift in the right direction, will bring results.

1. Systems 2. Technology 3. Focus 4. Planning Let’s have a look at all four.

Systems What are systems? Systems are simply the creation of a procedure or guide to which something is done, creating a method to repeat the procedure. A system, SHOULD ALWAYS be created, for anything that you do, that is to be repeated more than once, that someone else can do.

Who has the best systems in the world? The most obvious is McDonald’s…however, let’s use Subway as an example here though (yes, I am biased). The system that we recognise in Subway, has allowed a single sandwich business in the 1960’s, to have over 40,000 restaurants world-wide – the largest franchise on the planet.

Every task performed in this franchise has a system/ procedure to allow for this function to be carried out to the same standard across 40,000 restaurants world-wide. From functions, such as how many olives go on the sub, to how many grams of lettuce, to how to wash your hands, to how many employees should be rostered at any one time, at a particular time if the day. There is a system for EVRYTHING. This is what you buy when you purchase a Subway franchise, the value of what you are purchasing is not in the fixtures and fittings, it is in the system you are buying. Think about it, the systems allow you to serve first class products to your customers every day, they attract millions of people to the brand, and the system continues to build your business.

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This is what you need to do in your business. Create a system for EVERY process that is repeated. Create your procedures with the end in mind and not only make your business world-class, highly efficient and incredibly robust, but you also make your business highly valuable.

Technology Technology has begun to rule our lives, yes?

My first mobile phone was a Nokia 1610 (in 1996!), there were no apps on it, no Facebook or other social media was around. Get this, email first started being used in the mid 1990’s! Now, I know I am sounding old here, but I’m not that old and I can still remember being at uni and in the workforce, and not using email, and not having Facebook! I can still remember having an alarm clock by my bed and reading a book before going to sleep!

With the rise of technology, our time is now dominated with an OPPORTUNITY to be connected at every instance of the day and night. To be purposeful and have the best day, week, month, year and life every – you need to be the master of your time, and therefore use technology and NOT let it use you!

Here are my top tech tips: 1. Email – this is a quick communication tool. It is not designed to rule your day.

• Check it maximum twice daily • Don’t let your inbox be your to-do list. Don’t action items from your inbox, create a task instead.

• Create rules/ filters to file/ archive messages that clutter your inbox • All actionable items in an email should be created as a task.

2.

Embrace the Technology, it should increase your productivity, not take up your time.

3. Task Management – There are heaps of options for managing your tasks. Without a doubt, the hands-down best app I have seen and used for managing your tasks is…Asana. This has revolutionised our workplace and team communication. And even better at a base level it’s free!

4. Outsource – many people think that outsourcing is expensive, but if you know where to go it really isn’t.

Here are some options for outsourcing and an idea of what this may cost: • Bookkeeping - you may do all of your accounts, but really is this the best use of your time? Outsourcing solutions for your bookkeeping can be as simple as finding a local bookkeeper to do some the the more time intensive parts of your accounts, to having someone on Upwork assist you with the admin side of the accounts. Either way, outsource this arduous and time consuming task and get out there and sell more of your products and services!

• Graphic Design - there are thousands of graphic designers on Upwork. Don’t pay a fortune, when you don’t have to. If you have a good idea of what you need, artwork can cost you from as little as $20!

• Data Entry – We get all our admin/ data entry work done for many of our businesses through Upwork.

It’s not only cost effective, but is done professionally and quickly.

• Rostering & Payroll – one of my businesses is an online rostering and payroll company, we serve thousands of clients, who opt for a no-fuss, cloud based solution for their rostering & payroll for their businesses. What used to take them days a week, is approved in minutes and actually saves them money.

• Personal Assistants – one of the best things an entrepreneur or business owner can do is have someone manage their email. There are many options with outsourcing this, and using Upwork is probably one of the quickest and easiest ways to get started!

Focus Have you ever been at work the day before you were going on holidays and were surprised by the amount you achieved during the day, how productive you were? It always surprised me how much I was able to achieve!

This is called focus. When we need to be, we can be 100% focussed, such as when we are going on holidays, but the questions is, how do we bottle this focus and use it every day.

Focus is 100% about our headspace. It’s all about our ability to absorb ourselves in something, with the pressure of knowing that we have to achieve this today. It makes us efficient, effective and 100% switched on.

Here are five keys to help you achieve your focus, they are: 5. Clear your head • Achieve mental quiet • Forget everything, focus on today 6. Clear the room • Be in a quiet place • Put head phones on if necessary (even if they are not turned on!) People will assume you are busy and will not interrupt you.

• Move away from distractions 7. Master your time • John Maxwell says, we exaggerate yesterday (we think it was far better than it actually was), we over estimate tomorrow (we think we can achieve far more tomorrow than what is really possible) and we underestimate today (we don’t realise the significance of the possibilities that today holds for us).

• Today is the only time you have. It’s too late for yesterday. And you can’t depend on tomorrow.

• Have a list – prioritise it • Begin with the end in mind • First things first • Stay on task – no multi-tasking 8. Master your tech • Asana tasks – the best Task management tool • Turn off your phone if you can • Get rid of beeps, dings and notifications 9. Reward yourself • Set the milestones • Reward yourself, AFTER you have achieved the milestones • Make it a rule not to get up or be distracted until you reach a milestone.

Business xclusive | 13

Planning Planning is pivotal to a successful day, week, month, year and life.

How do you plan?

The key to planning is identifying your most important goals.

It is important to establish your annual goals, then work down to your quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily goals.

Planning should be done as follows: Plan for 10 minutes for every day

First thing in the morning

Plan for 30 minutes for every week

Last thing Friday afternoon

Plan for 1 hour for every month

In the last few days of the month

Plan for 1 day for every quarter

In the last week of the quarter

Plan for 2 Days for every year

In December

Plan for 1 Day to for for every year

to review your life goals

Below is a summary of what your annual planning through to daily planning looks like.

Annual Goals – these are chunked up big goals. Think about what the three key milestones and achievements you want to achieve and write these down. Annual planning is about identifying the key drivers for your year. With your annual goals, less is more. In other words, keep your goals to your top key ones. What is it that you really need to achieve this year?

1. Quarterly Goals – similar to the annual goals, these are also the large chunked up goals, although they need to be in line with the annual goals. Like you annual goals, they are the key drivers for your quarter, flowing from the annual goals.

14 | Business xclusive

2. Monthly Goals – what are your quarterly goals? Break these up into what you can do this moth to achieve those quarterly goals.

3. Weekly Goals – as per monthly goals, you need to identify what all the goals are that will help you achieve your monthly goals.

4. Daily Goals – these are basically your list of tasks each day that will help you achieve your weekly goals.

You will have tasks that have nothing to do with your goals each day as well. Make a decision if they need to be done by you, by someone else, or not at all. If they are essential to complete by you, make sure they are allocated AFTER your big rock goals. The non-goal related tasks are the sand that need to be added last.

Trust me on this, if you simply take care of today, tomorrow will look after itself.

So, first of all, and most important, look at your day today.

Spend 10-15 minutes deciding what the most important (and often avoided) tasks are. These are your big goals for today.

Then put in the tasks that ideally need to be done today, next followed by the ones that can be left over to tomorrow (and the next day…and the next day…if necessary).

Once you have done your planning for today, go to your diary and allocate dates and times for the following: 1. Daily – 10 minutes at the beginning of each day 2. Weekly – 30 minutes at the end of each week (for the next week) 3. Monthly – 1 hour at the end of each month (for the following month) 4. Quarterly – 1 Hour each quarter 5. Annually – 2 days towards the end of each year You don’t need to have everything planned to start planning!

Just start today, with today, and tomorrow will take care of itself.

The perfect workday is achieved by focussing on today!

Master your systems, technology, focus and start planning.

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Business with the Stars

x

Business xclusive | 15

Who We Are and What We Do Bx was founded by business owner and entreprepreneur, Matt Alderton. The purpose of Bx is to help businesses grow and scale quickly, to create a sustainable cashflow and strong profitability, resulting in a resilient business that provides rewards, freedom and choice for you as the business owner.

Too often businesses fail - greater than 50% in their first 12-months! It is with this in mind that Bx has developed their training, education, and events. Bx has now helped tens of thousands of business owners grow their businesses.

We are committed to our clients and their success, and pride ourselves on the results we can achieve for our clients. This is why Bx has won the Australian Business of the Year for the past 2 years in a row.

This is what we do: • Bxponential - Australia’s premier event for business owners and entrepreneurs, attracting over 500 people to each event and showcasing Australia’s top entrepreneurs and business xperts, including: Naomi Simson, Mark Bouris, John McGrath, Terry Hawkins, Peter Moriarty, Daniel Tolson and more!

• Bxplosive - A one-day intensive business masterclass. Gain strategies and resources to take your business to the next level.

• Bxpert - Ever wanted to write a book? Speak from the stage? Join Matt for an intimate workshop and he will guide you through how to write your book and speak from stage. On day one Matt will provide you with a proven framework for book writing - you will have your book planned and partly written by the end of the day! Day two will be all about your signature keynote. Learn how to craft your keynote AND deliver with confidence and power! One lucky attendee at Bxpert will even get to launch their book and speak at Bxponential!

• BxNetworking - People buy from people they know, like and trust. Build your business through referral networking with BxNetworking. With over a dozen groups all over Sydney and Canberra (and new ones opening often!), BxNetworking allows

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you to network at any OR ALL the groups across Australia! Join with hundreds of other members in this xtraordinary networking community.

T here are several levels to BxNetworking membership:

Get Connected - Free Online Bx Connected BxNetworking All Access Pass Business Growth xcelerator xClusive Business for Life Membership xClusive Coaching with Matt Alderton

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1. Monthly Bx Business Strategy Comm’s Every month you will receive, from Bx, strategies and resources to help you in your business - sent straight to your inbox. The content is carefully prepared and written by Matt Alderton as well as a host of other business xperts.

1. Business with the Stars Podcasts (coming soon!)

Join Matt on his fortnightly Podcasts as he shares the microphone with some of Australia’s most successful (and most interesting) entrepreneurs. Our weekly podcasts are engaging and informative, as well as a lot of fun.

Our regular segments include: Business with the Stars - Showcase Podcast Matt and a guest co-host catch-up with super-successful entrepreneur or celebrity. The format is fun and exciting and you are bound to learn some never before shared secrets!

Join us as we learn how being a celebrity is similar to starting and running a business, and how you can harness these lessons to grow and scale your business to celebrity status!

Business with the Stars - A Minute with Matt Join Matt for an extended version of a ‘Minute with Matt’.

This short and punchy Podcast expands on Matt’s popular ‘Minute with Matt’ segment and takes a more in-depth look at the concepts. By popular demand, Matt will explore a different concept each month. In the popular TED style presentation, this Podcast is less than 20 minutes in length and is great business educational content you can slip into your day.

Business with the Stars - TxPerts In today’s ever-changing technological world, it’s almost impossible to keep up with what happened yesterday, let alone, what’s new now! Join Matt and tech xperts, Trent McLaren and Peter Moriarty - two of Australia’s technology geniuses and thought leaders as they share with you the top app’s you should be using, a few you should be ignoring, and what to keep an eye out for. Trent and Pete keynote around the globe and share their insights and wisdom, and we have them on the ‘Business with the Stars’ Podcast each month, just for you!

1. xPert Webinars Bx hosts xpert webinars every fortnight. Hear the latest strategies and information from Australia’s xperts, as well as fascinating entrepreneurial journeys and business and life stories. Short and punchy, the webinars are generally 30-minutes in length and are recorded and uploaded to the Bx Member xChange. If you miss the live webinar, you can watch it (or listen to it later).

The webinars are an awesome way for you to keep on track, and stay in tune with industry xperts, and stay ahead of your competitors.

The webinars are also interactive, and we encourage you to participate by asking questions and commentary.

1. B x Training Event - early bird access and discounts of up to 70% Bx runs events throughout the year, including Bxponential, Bxpert and Bxplosive. Receive early bird invitations and access, as well as discounts of up to 70%!

There are also plenty of other member benefits including VIP access to the events.

1. A ccess to the Bx Member xChange Online Resources Portal Gain access to a vault of information, resources, online eLearning with video and competency based training, including live events. The Online Member xChange has been designed to provide you with instant access to information and training that you can get access to 24/7, when you need it. Not only does the Member xChange have loads of training and videos, it also contains all our previously created templates, processes and forms - all of which you can use in your business, during the program and forever afterwards.

Bx Connected $29 per month All of the above PLUS:

1. B x Connected Level Access to the Bx Member xChange Online Resources Portal In addition to (5) access to the Member xChange, Bx Connected level membership has even greater access.

Gain access to a vault of information, hundreds of resources, Online eLearning with hours of video and competency based training, including all live events. The Online Member xChange has been designed to provide you with instant access to information and training available 24/7, when you need it. Not only does the Member xChange have loads of training and videos, it also contains all our previously created templates, processes and forms - all of which you can use in your business, during the program and forever afterwards.

1. Member Listing & Profile on the Member xChange Meet and be found by all our Members with this Business Listing and Profile Page.

The Member listing and profile will connect you with thousands of entrepreneurs and business owners across the Business for Life Program and BxNetworking. Looking for a particular service for your business...maybe for home?

Connect with the members across Bx for qualified referrals and high quality professional services. There is no question, when your are part of a community, the quality of work is always at the highest possible level. Members rely on the referrals and testimonials within the community, and members are always raving about the quality of other members’ services and products.

Business xclusive | 17

This is also your opportunity to spruik your services and products. Showcase who you are, your achievements and who you would like to connect with. This is both a business and personal profile page and allows thousands of others on the network to connect and find you.

1. B x Business Networking Level Access to the Bx Member xChange Online Resources Portal

1. Facebook Group & Community

Gain access to a vault of information, hundreds of resources, Online eLearning with hours of video and competency based training, including all live events. The Online Member xChange has been designed to provide you with instant access to information and training available 24/7, when you need it. Not only does the Member xChange have loads of training and videos, it also contains all our previously created templates, processes and forms - all of which you can use in your business, during the program and forever afterwards.

Members of BxNetworking are granted access to the private Facebook Groups for the Bx community. Here you have access to other members, xclusive content, xperts and loads more. This is an awesome forum for members to really connect to other members, and have instantaneous feedback to questions and challenges as well as the ability to celebrate wins with like-minded business owners and entrepreneurs.

1. Bx Round Table Q&A Events Have you ever needed specific and xpert advice on your business matters? Legal, accounting, social media, PR???

How much do you think you would pay to spend 1 ½ hours with an xpert? $300, $500, $1,000?!? As a member of BxNetworking, you get to spend a day with numerous xperts from across Australia and the world, and work on your business. The Round-Table Events are held yearly and have 3 sessions of 90 minutes. Choose from the many xperts on the day, whom you would like to spend 90 minutes with, and join that table.

The xpert will guide you through some general information, and then work specifically with you on your business, answering your questions and assisting you with your business.

1. Bx xMas Party & Business xCellence Awards The Bx Annual xMas Party & Business xCellence Awards gets bigger and better every year. Join with members and entrepreneurs from across Australia and celebrate the success of the year and party into the night. There is no better way to celebrate the year than with friends in the Bx community in an xclusive location!

Bx Business Networking All Access Pass $79 per month All of the above PLUS:

1. BxNetworking Meeting Membership BxNetworking is Australia’s premier business networking community across Australia. With dozens of groups that meet fortnightly, you are welcome to attend any as a member of the Business for Life Program.

Membership comes with a full Multi-Group Meeting Membership in BxNetworking. Your membership in BxNetworking lets you network all over Sydney & Canberra, and as the network grows, across Australia.

The power of networking is fundamental as one of the four pillars of your marketing strategy. Build your business, by building valuable relationships and partnerships with other amazing business owners and entrepreneurs.

18 | Business xclusive

In addition to (5) & (6) access to the Member xChange, Bx Business Networking level membership has even greater access.

Business Growth xcelerator $297 per month All of the above PLUS:

1. xtraordinary Bootcamp Workshops Platinum Membership has four xtraordinary Bootcamp Workshops. Each event is designed to focus in specific areas of your business and guide you through the fundamentals in mastering these areas.

There is also a BONUS WORKSHOP for all members. The bonus workshop features, Australia’s number 1 business coach, Daniel Tolson. Daniel, spends a day with you, smashing through your limiting beliefs and helps you set incredible goals for yourself and your business over the coming 12-months. This is the launch pad to your success in the program.

The four Bootcamp Workshops are: 1. Sales & Marketing Essentials 2. Need to Know Numbers 3. Systemise and Automate to Success 4. High Performing People

1. Complimentary Quickbooks Online Account Bx is committed to helping businesses grow and scale and create a strong, resilient business. We know that every business should be doing their accounts in the cloud...yet few actually are. To help you, we are giving you a complimentary Quickbooks Online account.

Quickbooks Online is the #1 Cloud-Based Accounting Solution IN THE WORLD. The power of Quickbooks Online, is not just in the app, it’s also in the thousands of connected apps, you can connect to Quickbooks Online to help you scale your business with automation and transparency in your business.

RRP for Quickbooks Online is normally $12.50 to $35 per month!

1. C omplimentary Instapage - The Most Powerful Landing Page Platform Guaranteed to increase your conversion rate, Instapage is the most powerful landing page platform on the globe!

• The Best Solution for Turning Ad Clicks Into Conversions • Conversion Tested Templates for a Faster Start - No matter what industry you’re in, our ever-growing collection of templates offers your business a way to truly stand out, improve conversions, and generate leads.

• Design Beautiful Pages That Convert - the Instapage Landing Page Builder conforms to your needs, not the other way around. Take inspiration from hundreds of industry specific templates, start from scratch, or import your own templates; limitless design possibilities are yours.

• Integrations to Connect Your Campaign • Complete your marketing funnel by integrating with today’s most-used CRMs, email marketing, advertising, and optimisation solutions.

• Optimize to Maximise Your Advantage - Performance insight is what you need when shaping your campaigns. For assessing campaign performance Instapage delivers the industry’s most advanced analytics dashboards and best A/B testing capabilities.

RRP for Instapage is normally $76 to $225 per month!

1. Strategy Sessions with a Business xpert These are personalised sessions where you will be provided specific and strategic advice regarding your business.

These are momentum driving sessions, where you can gain valuable advice and strategy regarding your business. Email ahead if you want to work on specific topics, or if you are struggling to work out ‘where to next??” then your strategist can help you plan your month out.

With a host of business xperts at your disposal, you can book with any of them. Each session is only $147 as part of your Platinum Membership, normal RRP price is $397!

Save $250! Each session is 60-minutes.

This greatly reduced business strategy and coaching session will help you make great decisions in your business and give you momentum and growth. You can choose from a number of industry leading xperts in the areas of: • Finance and accounting • Marketing • Sales • Communication • IT • PR and Communications • Limiting beliefs and financial mindset • Google Apps / Website Hosting / Phone Systems • Automation • Hiring, HR and teams • Referral Marketing • And MORE!

1. Alumni xpert Mastermind Weekend The Mastermind Weekend involves intensive leadership and business training, hosted over a weekend at an xclusive location. The weekend will host world-leading experts and industry gurus, in an intimate setting.

Business xclusive | 19

As part of our alumni program, all members have the opportunity to attend an xpert Mastermind Weekend.

The mastermind weekend gives you intimate access to Matt and other business xperts in a relaxed and social setting, and at an exclusive location.

1. A DDITIONAL ACCESS to The Online Member xChange In addition to the vault you have access to in the Silver Package and up, you will now have ADDITIONAL access to information, resources, and education.

Gain access to a vault of information, hundreds of resources, Online eLearning with hours of video and competency based training, including all live events. The Online Member xChange has been designed to provide you with instant access to information and training available 24/7, when you need it. Not only does the Member xChange have loads of training and videos, it also contains all our previously created templates, processes and forms - all of which you can use in your business, during the program and forever afterwards.

xClusive Business for Life Membership $997 per month All of the above PLUS:

1. Monthly 1 on 1 Strategy Sessions For no additional fee, you will receive monthly 45-minute strategy sessions. These are personalised sessions where you will be provided specific and strategic advice regarding your business.

These are momentum driving sessions, where you can gain valuable advice and strategies regarding your business. Email ahead if you want to work on specific topics, or if you are struggling to work out ‘where to next??” then your strategist can help you plan your month out.

This greatly reduced business strategy and coaching session will help you make great decisions in your business and give you momentum and growth. You can choose from a number of industry leading xperts in the areas of: • Finance and accounting • Marketing • Referral Marketing • Sales • Communication • IT • PR and Communications • Limiting beliefs and financial mindset • Google Apps / Website Hosting / Phone Systems

20 | Business xclusive

• Automation • Hiring, HR and teams • And MORE!

1. FULL ACCESS to The Online Member xChange In addition to the vault you have access to in the Platinum Package and up, you will now have FULL access to ALL information, resources, and education.

Gain access to a vault of information, hundreds of resources, Online eLearning with hours of video and competency based training, including all live events. The Online Member xChange has been designed to provide you with instant access to information and training that you can get access to 24/7, when you need it. Not only does the Member xChange have loads of training and videos, it also contains all our previously created templates, processes and forms - all of which you can use in your business, during the program and forever afterwards.

xClusive Coaching with Matt Alderton $2,997 per month • This membership level is available by interview and acceptance only, and is limited in availability • Min. 4 Months, • Pay for 12 months, save 30%, only $24,997 All of Business Growth xcelerator Membership PLUS:

1. Monthly Coaching with Matt Alderton The xclusive level of the Business for Life program gives you complete access to Matt Alderton for 2-hours of business coaching per month. These are personalised face-to-face sessions with Matt Alderton, where you will be provided specific and strategic advice regarding your business.

In addition to the other elements of the program, the monthly coaching will see you have massive personal growth, as well as your business.

1. Phone & Email Strategy with Matt Alderton In addition to the Monthly Coaching, members have direct access to Matt Alderton.

Have direct access to Matt with private phone calls and email support.

This level is incredibly beneficial if your business is in fast growth and you need a lot of assistance and fast feedback to questions, challenges and concerns. Matt will work with you closely to empower you to make great decisions and build an incredibly successful business.

BOOK

MATT ALDERTON

for your next event Multi Award Winning Business Owner, Entrepreneur, Keynote Speaker and

#1 Best-Selling Author.

SPECIALISING IN KEYNOTE SPEAKING FOR EVENTS AND CONFERENCES.

Most booked topics: • Networking; • Profitability; • Customer Service; & • Leadership

Get in contact with Matt and the team:

1300 068 229 | Info@B-x.com.au Business xclusive | 21

Networking Events for Small Business

Scan & Find out more

https://goo.gl/f5fk2d

linkedin.com/company/bxnetworking 22 | Business xclusive

At BxNetworking for Business we have amazing networking groups that are structured to maximise business, yet are still fun and social.

It’s structured, yet without all the rules! …...and our breakfasts are the best you’ll find, at some of Sydney’s best cafes & restaurants.

Find out more and book into your local meeting here - www.BxNetworking.com.au You can come along and find out what it’s all about - no strings attached.

Find out why BxNetworking has more than tripled in size in the past 2-years!

Business xclusive | 23

Let’s not be afraid to COMPARE «SOFT LEFT

THE CENTRE

HARD RIGHT»

Local groups Unstructured, PAYG, little continuity…

Structured enough, Freedom to be yourself…

400+ meetings a year

✘

✔

Max. 1 per week

Network up to 4 days a week

✘

✔

✘

Ability to network at groups right across Sydney and growing Nationally!

✘

✔

✘

Sometimes

NO!

✔

Often monthly

✔

Often relentlessly weekly…

Free 24/7 online networking across the network

✘

✔

✘

Free Google-friendly online profile

✘

✔

✘

Freedom to network with people in same sector

Sometimes

✔

✘

Pressure to bring referrals and visitors to meetings

Sometimes

NO!

✔

Choice of Breakfast, Lunch and Evening meetings

✘

✔

✘

Potential reward of FREE membership for bringing visitors

✘

✔

✘

Compulsory attendance at meetings Fortnightly meetings per group

24 | Business xclusive

Referral groups Rule-bound and conformist.

BxNetworking with other networks!

«SOFT LEFT

THE CENTRE

HARD RIGHT»

Local groups Unstructured, PAYG, little continuity…

Structured enough, Freedom to be yourself…

Three 1-2-1s at every meeting

✘

✔

✘

Pay for each meeting, even if don’t attend

Sometimes

NO!

✔

Opportunity to present to the group

Sometimes

✔

✔

Choice of membership joining packages

Sometimes

✔

Normally just annual membership

Pay monthly membership option

Sometimes

✔

✘

Sometimes is

NO!

Often is

Sometimes

✔

Often 7am, even 6.45am…

Regulars + visitors only

✔

Regulars + visitors only

✘

✔

✘

Easy to book meetings online

Sometimes

✔

✘

Approachable Team - Regional/ Area Leaders, Group Teams

✘

✔

✘

Free training for group team members

Sometimes

✔

✘

✘

✔

✘

Run purely as a franchise Breakfast meetings starting at sensible time At meetings, mix of regulars, members from other groups and new visitors Easy to give, receive and display testimonials

xcellent Christmas party…

Referral groups Rule-bound and conformist.

Business xclusive | 25

Small Business Legal Advice

Want a crash course in smart small business legal fundamentals? We cover three core topics to ensure your business is on the right track when it comes to small business legal basics.

Are you limiting your liability in your contracts?

Imagine you signed a $100 contract to supply goods or services, but you breached the contract. Unfortunate, but not a big deal you may think. Wrong. You could end up having to pay $1 million to compensate the other party’s losses.

That may sound crazy, but unless the contract specifically included a limit to liability, you could be liable for any losses the breach led to. This often comes as a surprise to many businesses. It doesn’t matter the size of contract – liability for breach of contract or negligence is unlimited. It’s an all-toooften scenario that has crippled many businesses.

To avoid this, it’s important to include limitation of liability in your contracts. A common limitation is the value of the contract – but that may not be so attractive from the customer’s point of view. For the customer, their risk of exposure if the supplier doesn’t deliver may be significantly higher than just the contract value. Getting the balance right for ‘risk vs reward’ means that often a dollar amount limit is negotiated that makes sense to both parties.

Insurance can also play a role in limiting your liability for breach of contract. But be aware that insurance only covers certain types of liability. So, insurance is part of the answer, but limitation of liability is better.

Unfair dismissal claims and how to avoid them There are many instances when businesses need to let an employee go. There are a few steps to follow to avoid ending up with an unfair dismissal claim.

The first step is determining if your employee is covered by unfair dismissal laws – many people aren’t. It’s best to assess this from the outset, as it can make a big difference to the steps you need to go through to let someone go.

• Firstly, has your employee been employed for the minimum period? If your business has fewer than 15 employees, the minimum period of employment is 12 months. If you have 15 or more employees, the 26 | Business xclusive

minimum period is just 6 months. So, if they have been employed for less than the minimum period, they are not covered by unfair dismissal laws.

• Secondly, if your employee earns less than $145,400 p.a. or is covered by an Award or enterprise agreement, they are covered by unfair dismissal laws. It’s worth double checking whether an award applies, as it can cover employees you may not realise (e.g. IT employees).

• There are some further exclusions from unfair dismissal laws, such as staff employed for the duration of a season. It’s not always straightforward if casual staff are covered by unfair dismissal laws or not. It’s better to err on the side of caution and double check with the Fair Work Commission. For example, casuals employed on a regular, systematic basis with a reasonable expectation of continuing employment generally are covered.

If your employee is not covered by unfair dismissal, you can simply terminate their employment for any lawful reason just by giving the required notice. This often comes as a surprise to businesses. But do be sure to also follow any relevant internal policies that your business has.

On the other hand, if unfair dismissal is available to your employee, the termination process is somewhat longer.

You must have a fair reason for dismissing the employee. If the reason is to do with performance, then the issue needs to have occurred more than once over a period of time, and be serious enough for dismissal. The employee needs to have been given at least two warnings (with a support person present), along with opportunities to improve their performance. Generally, this is over a 2-3 month period.

For misconduct issues, a ‘fair’ reason for dismissal could be something such as stealing money from the business, but just turning up to work late generally isn’t a sufficient reason.

Genuine redundancies are also excluded from unfair dismissal, as long as you have satisfied two requirements – consultation with the affected employee, and there’s no reasonable deployment possibility.

You can read more in this article on Source Legal’s website.

Is your business covered by the Privacy Act? Why good privacy practice is essential for your business.

When it comes to data privacy, businesses can’t afford to

get it wrong. Getting it right not only avoids costly issues such as reputation damage or fines, it also has rewards such as increased trust with your customers, and word of mouth referrals. Follow these tips to build good privacy practices in your business.

While any size business benefits from good privacy practices, generally only businesses with an annual turnover of $3m have to comply with the Privacy Act 1988. There are some exceptions, such as health service providers and contractors that provides services under a Commonwealth contract.

But even if your turnover is less than $3m p.a. now, what if you get bigger? It’s important to adopt a ‘Privacy by Design’ approach to your products and services if you’re planning for growth or acquisition. This means building the management of privacy risks into the design specifications of technologies, business practices and physical infrastructures from the beginning, rather than bolting it on later.

The Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) in the Privacy Act set out the minimum requirements in relation to how you handle personal information. ‘Personal information’ is any information or an opinion about an individual who can be reasonably identified from it, either by itself or when linked to other available information to identify an individual.

Follow these tips for good privacy practice.

• Develop a privacy policy and make it publicly available, e.g. on your website

• Minimise the amount of data you collect to what your business actually needs, and notify individuals when you collect their personal information • Only use or disclose personal information for the purpose you collected it, or for a related purpose that the individual would expect • Get the individual’s consent for new uses and sharing of personal information • Check the privacy practices of 3rd parties with which you share personal information • Protect the personal information you hold and be prepared for a data breach.

You also need to be aware of your obligations when handling personal information under state and federal legislation.

For example, the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 allows individuals to list their private phone numbers on the Register in order to stop receiving telemarketing calls. Businesses must regularly check the Register to ensure that they stop ringing registered numbers within 30 days of their listing.

And the Spam Act 2003 prohibits the sending of unsolicited commercial electronic communications without permission via email, SMS, MMS or instant messaging services.

If you need help to make the most of your business contractual arrangements, ensure you’re getting it right when it comes to hiring (and firing) workers, and being compliant with privacy requirements, we’re here to help.

Contact stanislav.roth@sourcelegal.com.au

Call Mandy on 0437 828 264 for a personalised corporate quotation.

www.ithaspuddings.com.au Business xclusive | 27

Business Advice from Mark Bouris

Mark Bouris is one of the most influential and recognised business icons in Australia, and I was incredibly fortunate to catch up with Mark and tap into his wealth of knowledge in business.

Mark says, ‘Sustainable growth in any economy today is best driven by those countries with a good small business environment’. Mark agrees that small business is certainly the backbone of the Australian economy and the Government needs to continue to support small business profitability and success.

So, how did Mark take businesses with just 2 or 3 employees to large businesses or even global businesses? How does this occur?

Mark states that this happens by applying 6 important principles.

1. Effort Mark is the Chairman of 3 publicly listed companies, and works about 75-80 hours per week, and says “If you’re going to work hard you need to generally love what you are doing”.

28 | Business xclusive

Mark Bouris as a young man experienced his parents working very hard to survive. This is a principle that has really stuck with him.

Later in Mark’s professional career, when he started working with clients and seeing how successful they were, he started wondering how they achieved this success. Mark started thinking, ‘how can I get what my clients have?’. And he would learn by asking his clients, how they achieved their success. This is where Mark learned that, Effort = Reward, the harder I work, the more I achieve.

The third evolution to effort, that Mark learned and applied, was as long as you have the capacity to do something, ‘to wear out the shoe leather’, then you are privileged to be able to do so.

Hard work is not only something you learn to do from your parents, hard work is not something you do to make money, but it’s something you do because you have the ability to do it. It’s a blessing, and if you think of it as a blessing, then it doesn’t matter how many hours you do!

2. Proprietorship Mark recently did a talk up on the Gold Coast in Queensland and arrived early on a Saturday morning. When he arrived at about 6am, he went to grab a coffee. There were 2 cafes on opposite sides of the road, and Mark went into the first one. Before Mark even got to the counter, the man behind the counter yells out “sorry mate, we don’t open till 6.30am”.

Mark spun around and left, and then went across the road.

When he arrived at the other cafe, he asked the staff on, “Can I grab a coffee?”, the staff member quickly replied, “no worries, just grab a seat, we don’t open till 6.30am, but, I can whip one up for you in 2-secs’.

What’s the difference between the two? The first cafe did not know the concept of proprietorship. A good proprietor understand that they need to give the customer what they want. Thinking like a proprietor is the golden key.

3. Purpose Mark’s major milestone lesson was when he met with Kerry Packer. Kerry taught Mark the concept of purpose. It was during the purchase of Wizard Home Loans, and the final stage of the purchase was a meeting between Mark and Kerry. At this meeting, Kerry asked Mark three questions.

The first question Kerry asked was, “Mark, what type of business are you in….and don’t f!@#$n say home loans!?”

“People actually don’t want to borrow money off you, and pay you back every month for the next 30-years”.

“So, home loans is not going to be the business you want to be in”.

“You have to be in the business of people’s hopes and dreams. That is your purpose, your stated purpose, your actual purpose. That’s the purpose you recruit to, train to and your message and advertise to. It’s everything you do.”

Kerry said, “It has to be a purpose with an emotion attached to it.”

4. Failure The second question that Kerry asked Mark was, “have you ever failed in business?”

“What use are you to me if you’ve never failed?”

What he was asking is if Mark has the fortitude and strength to push on, to not give up. And if he had failed, did he get up and start again. Have you failed and started again? What have you learnt about yourself in the process.

Kerry said, “I don’t want to invest $25m into a business, and as soon as it gets hard, you are going to turn away and run”.

Business xclusive | 29

5. Accountability

6. Perspective

The fifth principle, and the third question that Kerry asked was about Accountability.

As I said previously, Mark works a lot of hours, and goes from business to business, and has his head in many things.

Therefore, it is essential that he is able to keep perspective, and this is the sixth point.

The final question Kerry was asking about was in relation to a commitment that Kerry was asking Mark to make. In relation to the purchase of the business, Kerry asked Mark to commit to buying another business that was integral to the workings of Wizard Home Loans, and further, Kerry made Mark commit to purchasing this within 12-months...or Kerry wanted his $25m back!

At every meeting that Mark has with Kerry following this, Kerry would ask Mark, “How are you going with buying that business?”.

It wasn’t until month 11 that Mark flew to Amsterdam to where the head office of this company was. Mark had not had any luck negotiating this from Australia, and thought the only way to do this would be to turn up to their offices and try and get a meeting. So, Mark flew to Amsterdam, announced who he was and where he was from and then sat in the foyer of the building. He kept going to the receptionist every hour begging for a meeting. Mark sat in the foyer all day, and late in the afternoon the chairman came down and said to Mark, “You have 30-seconds to tell me what you are after”.

Mark quickly went into a spiel and told him how he had met with Kerry Packer and they had decided they needed to buy this business. And over the next three months, this is exactly what Mark achieved.

It’s easy in any business to make statements, but unless you’re accountable to someone, and you are willing to be accountable, then there is no point.

30 | Business xclusive

Every year Mark goes back to Greece, where his family is from. The village his family is from is quite a poor village, and there is just one cafe. Last time Mark was there he went to the cafe and was chatting to an old man in the cafe. The man relayed a story of how every year when he was young the gypsies would come to town and put on a show. One particular year, this man, and Mark’s dad were walking together, and Mark’s dad was upset because he couldn’t go to the show because he didn’t have the fare.

When Mark got back to Sydney he asked his Dad, how much did the show cost that you couldn’t go to, and his dad said, “One egg or one potato”.

That’s perspective.

Mark says, you need to understand why you are doing what you are doing, what your parents went through to get you to where you are, and their parents before them. Step back, take a look and keep perspective. Where does this all fit into my life. I don’t need to create something that gives me balance, because I have perspective.

Whether you want to have a business with a few people, or a global organisation, these six principles that Mark lives by are an exceptional framework.

Article by Matt Alderton

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Hi, I’m [Name] from [Company Name]

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5 SECS

I am looking to connect with [Referral Request]

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.

Membership with Bx Have you ever wondered what you need to be doing for your business and when?

Have you ever felt lost and that you needed someone to just point you in the right direction? Most business owners are gifted in the area of the tradecraft, but when it comes to actually running the business, it can be a minefield.

Membership with Bx is designed for you and your business, to help you streamline, structure and implement strategies in your business to take it to the next level and build the business you always dreamed of.

Think back to when you first went into business, or maybe even if you are about to embark in your first business. What is it that excites you? What is the dream for your business and life? It is crucial to have this clearly defined and be able to articulate this. In those moments when it all feels too hard, this is what you need to draw strength from.

Membership with Bx will provide you with: ACCESS TO AUSTRALIA’S (AND SOME OF THE WORLD’S) LEADING XPERTS WHEN IT COMES TO SMALL BUSINESS. You are the average of the seven people you spend the most amount of time with, and with Membership in Bx, we will connect you with business xperts that can help you take your business to the front of the pack and will provide you with cutting edge strategies that your competitors don’t even know about yet.

CUTTING EDGE STRATEGIES Do you want to follow the pack, or be out there in front implementing strategies that your competitors don’t even know about.

Membership with Bx provides you with industry leading strategies that will give your business a significant, competitive edge and fast, scalable growth, in the areas of systems, sales, marketing, automation, leadership, finance, mindset, planning, people and online.

SUPPORT & ACCOUNTABILITY We are often our own worst enemy...you know it’s true! We have the best of intentions, but often we are too busy being busy to actually get the stuff done that’s going to make the biggest impact on our businesses growth. By becoming a member of Bx, we will provide you with an accountability coach to push you and hold you accountable to your goals.

BE PART OF AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST COMMUNITY OF ENTREPRENEURS Being in business can be lonely, right?? Not at Bx! As a member of Bx, we give you complimentary membership to Australia’s premier business networking community. BxNetworking groups meet all over Sydney and Canberra. You can attend any one of these and join with hundreds of entrepreneurs across the dozens of meeting locations.

WE’VE DONE ALL THE HARD WORK FOR YOU With hundreds of hours of content, videos, training, plans and procedures on almost every area of small business - we will save you time, energy and money. We’ve done the hard years for you, so all you need to do is IMPLEMENT!

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SUMMARY OF Bx MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS (For Full Details on All Membership Levels, Please Refer to Pages 16-20)

Get Connected ~ FREE Online!

Monthly Bx Business Strategy Comm’s Business with the Stars Podcasts (coming soon!) xPert Webinars Bx Training Event - early bird access and discounts of up to 70% Access to the Bx Member xChange Online Resources Portal

Bx Connected $29 per month All of the above PLUS:

Bx Connected Level Access to the Bx Member xChange Online Resources Portal Member Listing & Profile on the Member xChange Facebook Group & Community Bx Round Table Q&A Events Bx xMas Party & Business xCellence Awards

Bx Business Networking All Access Pass $79 per month All of the above PLUS: BxNetworking Meeting Membership Bx Business Networking Level Access to the Bx Member xChange Online Resources Portal

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Business Growth xcelerator $297 per month • Min. 6-months • All of the above PLUS: xtraordinary Bootcamp Workshops Complimentary Quickbooks Online Account - #1 Global CloudAccounting Solution Complimentary Instapage Account - The Most Powerful Landing Page Platform Strategy Sessions with a Business xpert (heavily discounted fee per session) Alumni xpert Mastermind Weekend ADDITIONAL ACCESS to the Bx Member xChange Online Resources Portal

xClusive Business for Life Membership $997 per month • Min. 12-months • All of the above PLUS: Monthly 1 on 1 Strategy Sessions (included in price) FULL ACCESS to The Online Member xChange

xClusive Coaching with Matt Alderton $2,997 per month • This membership level is available by interview and acceptance only, and is limited in availability • Min. 4 Months, • Pay for 12 months, save 30%, only $24,997 • All of Business Growth xcelerator Membership PLUS: Monthly Coaching with Matt Alderton Phone & Email Strategy with Matt Alderton

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1300 068 229 www.B-x.com.au www.BusinessForLife.com.au www.B-xponential.com.au www.BxNetworking.com.au

OCTOBER 2018 Vol. 5 AUST $6.95