Business xClusive Magazine Vol 12 Sep 21

· PR OU

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RTNER & SP A P O

A Message from Matt Alderton

A Message from Matt Alderton

Owning your own business is an adventure and can be highly rewarding.

As an owner of businesses both large and small, I understand the many challenges business owners face operating their business. I have been a business owner for over a decade, have experienced many ups and downs and have learned an incredible amount through experience. 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 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.

ne thing above all 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

I started Bx to help business owners connect with experts within the business arena.

Knowing first-hand the advantages of 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, 1 in 2 businesses fail in their first 12 months, and 9 out of 10 will fail in the following 9 years. These are disturbing statistics. 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

- Bxponential, educational platforms and our BxNetworking for Business meetings.

I encourage you to share your experience with your friends and business networks. The more people that connect with us and our events, the more people we can help achieve success.

One lesson I have learned in business and life is that 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.

Thanks and see you at brekkie!

meet Matt continued support of small 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.

Matt & His Business

att is an award-winning businessman and entrepreneur, a #1 best-selling author, speaker, and business growth xpert. Matt was named Business Person of the Year in 2015, NSW Business Leader for 2016, and was a Finalist as Australian Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016 and 2017. Matt has owned more than a dozen multi-award winning businesses across numerous industries, including retail, hospitality, technology, entertainment and professional development. Taking many of these businesses well into 7-figures, Matt's passion is, and has always been, helping people achieve success through growth and development and he specialises in leadership. Alderton Enterprises won the Australian Business Champion Awards in 2016 AND 2017, placing Alderton Enterprises as the #1 Business Services business in Australia. Matt now sits on the panel as a judge in the Australian Business Champion Awards.

Success & Relationships

The key to being successful in all areas of life and business is proportionate 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 with John Maxwell and is part of the John Maxwell Leadership Team. Matt with the aim of forging long-term relationships to develop his understanding of the economy, and to lobby for

Through his book, training and speaking, Matt shares a number of his experiences in business and life, including amazing successes and some monumental failures.

The idea: 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, building 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 also achieved by aligning with experts across varying industries, bringing the right people at the right time into your organisation, investing in them and building a business that runs without you.

Matt's mission with Bx is to empower business owners to grow their businesses for a fulfilling life, and his BHAG is to help 100,000 small businesses through training & development and business networking by 2022.

Matt & His Life

For Matt, his greatest success in life is his family. Husband to his beautiful wife Meg, and father to three wonderful kids — Bethany, Thomas and Georgia - his family has been the source of his strength and resilience through good times and bad.

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

Business xCellence Awards The 2020 Business xCellence Awards were a huge success last year and rounded off a challenging year for many, with a celebration of the success of business owners across Australia and New Zealand.

In their 5th year, the Bx Business xCellence Awards are the pinnacle of achievement for business owners in the Bx and Business Blueprint communities. An exclusive awards program, The Bx Business xCellence Awards celebrates achievements of businesses and business owners in the areas of business excellence, as well as achievements of the Bx Leadership Team and also the People's Choice Awards from across the Bx membership and community.

The Bx Business xCellence Awards is about giving back to the Bx and Business Blueprint community and is made possible by the support of Dale Beaumont, Business Blueprint, Steve Jensen and Impact Training Corporation.

In the 2020 awards program, there were 246 applications into the business awards, with 136 finalists and 13 winners overall. A list of all the finalists in the 2020

Business xCellence Awards is detailed later in this article.

Each year, businesses are recognised as the winner of each category in the awards, and there is one overall winner. The finalists are judged based on their submission into the awards, in addition, judges will review all of the finalists social media presence, websites, reviews and ratings across their digital presence.

The judges, external to Bx, take all this into consideration, and determine the winner of each category, and the winners in each category are then in the running for the overall business of the year.

The 2020 Business of the Year in the Bx Business xCellence Awards was Human Pattern Recognition, lead by the xceptional Alan Stevens, CEO & Founder.

Human Pattern Recognition is an education, training and coaching service in the science and art of reading people. Founder & CEO, Alan Stevens helps people to better understand themselves and read other people to build better relationships in all areas of life.

reach their full potential while improving the experience of the parents, teachers, and students. In addition to his outstanding achievement in the Bx Business xCellence Awards, Alan also won the 2020 Business Person of the Year in the Hunter Local Business Awards.

Alan is also the creator and host of The Campfire Project and #WeTogether, where he is building a global community. #WeTogether and The Campfire Project can make changes that other initiatives and movements have been unable to do.

They are about bringing us together to work on the problems, without pointing fingers.

Alan has worked with international clients, the likes of Disney Films and Gillette, and high-profile organisations like the Australian Federal Police to help them to understand how people tick. He works with business owners and executives, helping them to understand and engage their clients and prospects, enhancing their presentations and negotiation skills and increasing sales. And with parents and teachers to help them enhance the ability of their children to

You can find out more about Alan Stevens and Human Pattern Recognition here:

Website: https://www. alastevens.com.au

Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/ CelebrityProfiler

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ Face_Profiler

Instagram: https://www. instagram.com/face_profiler/

Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ readingfaces/

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We would like to congratulate all finalists in the 2020 Business xCellence Awards - the competition was fierce and the calbre of all entrants was first class.

ACCOUNTING & BOOKKEEPING

Encore Accounting

Allan Mason WINNER for 2020!

Ceebeks Business Solutions for GOOD Chris Beks

Chan & Naylor Southwest Sydney Peter Ristevski

Exceedia

Craig Budgen

First Class Accounts Capalaba Krystal Brown

Go Global Bookkeeping

Fluffy Crunch

Michael Karamallis

icm8 - The Slushie Specialists Lee Rosenberg

Personalised Pet Collars Teaphoria Prati Bhatt

Vitamin Bead

Adrienne Francis

ALLIED HEALTH Balwyn Sports and Physiotherapy Centre

Integrity Plus Accounting

Acupuncture & Beauty Centre

Nathan Rigney

Proficient Bookkeeping Solutions Kimberly Chown

Robert Bates & Co Sharon Hewitt

Wagga Accounting Parul Banga

COPYWRITING, ADMIN & VIRTUAL ASSISTANT SERVICES

Hats Off Copywriting

Cindy Randall - WINNER for 2020!

Beyond Business Consultants Janine Fraser

Beyond the Maze Paula Burgess

VENUE OF THE YEAR

The Lake Brewhouse

Varsity QLD - WINNER for 2020!

Bitton Gourmet Oatley NSW

Havana Bar Manly NSW

Xenos Restaurant

Andrew Wynd - WINNER for 2020!

Scott Kay

Danijela Stojanovic

Adam McDonald

Scott Trevethan

NGR Accounting Pty Ltd

Stojanovic & Associates

Eli Huang

Carmel Catanuto Psychotherapy Carmel Catanuto

Freestyle Feet Pty Ltd Andrew Wynd

Lift Physiotherapy and Performance

Crows Nest NSW

BMD Northcliffe

Surfers Paradise QLD

Maldini’s by the River Penrith NSW

Vessel Bar & Dining Sydney CBD NSW

Cafe Boulevarde Mt. Gravatt QLD

NETWORKER OF THE YEAR

Dane Ford

Smart Brain Health Centre Louise Hallinan

SmartDentist®

Dr Ginal Bilimoria

Prosper Taruvinga WINNER for 2020!

The Compassionate Healer

Adrian Hanks

Charlotte Foot

Ange Dion

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Norgay HR

Clare Long - WINNER for 2020!

Beyond Property Legal Solutions

Anne McKeown Arielle Nakache Chantal Gerardy Darren Roberts Janeen Vosper

Cheryl Christiansen

Julian Price

Scribe Copywriting

DreamStoneHR

Julie Hobbs

VA World Outsourcing

Family Law Services Online

OneStopWriter Rosie Kovacs Ben Mackie

Clayton Navarro

Write Time Marketing Leanne Shelton

RETAIL

Kylie Thomas Lorrie Brook

Margie McCumstie

Higher Purpose Accounting Advisory

Mark Grant

Steven Franks

Nathan Rigney

Human Resources Focus Stephen Pauley

Phillipe Flatt

Just Right Words

Ray Kan

Kellie Nissen

Bear & Moo

Hannah Porter - WINNER for 2020!

Ezi Office Supplies Ajay Amin

Karen Clark

Martha Travis | People Innovator

Robert Hills

Martha Travis

Russell Cummings

MBCM Shepparton, Seymour & Echuca

Shari Ware

Amelia & Emma Glazebrook

Shikha Colwill

Business xCellence SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR BBX WINNER for 2020!

Bartercard Belle Creative Cloud Print Group Harvey Norman Printshop Auburn Kess Media Low Cost SEO Myssy & Co. Accountants

SPECIALISED BUSINESS Westfund Health Insurance Janine Curran - WINNER for 2020!

Artist Bookings

Leanne Gunnulson

Ryan Goodwin - WINNER for 2020!

Vida Tennis Kane Dewhurst - WINNER for 2020!

Coffee News Australia

AB Health and Fitness

Denise Maloney

Destiny Rescue Elude Escape Rooms Julia Billyard

Nerilee Saraci

MediBoard Ltd Stacey Airey

Metamorphis Ceremonies

Diggermate Franchising Pty Ltd

Proactive App Solutions

Mick Watkins

Handy Girl Australia Pty Ltd Kim Halbert-Pere

Leggero Pty Ltd

Margie McCumstie Kara Whittingham

RapidMap

RobotMaker.AI

Cameron Madlani

LM Handyman Co

Today Tomorrow & Always Allison Ockenden

Nuway Solar John Harmer

The School of Renovating

COACHING SERVICES

Bernadette Janson

BUSINESS SERVICES

ACN

Jacalyn Price - WINNER for 2020!

Ant Tech Management Pty Ltd Thomas Lie

Brendan Daynes

Activ8 Health Club Trent Carruthers

FAB New Body Shari Ware

Golden Spiral Anna Kovacs

Healthy Society Larissa Watt

Weight Loss Coaching WORKS - jdActive Julie Hobbs

Wholesome Lifestyle Project Estelle Coombe-Heath

Lynnette Terrett

Lorenzo Tassone Loth Mollel

HEALTH & FITNESS

Arielle Nakache

Alpha Led Lighting Pty Ltd Daryl Bancroft

Robyn Ratcliff

Barbarella Productions

Makers Leather Supply Australia

Mode Developments

Sashua Benay

Ultimate Outcomes Coaching & Training

Marc Nuss

BUILDING SERVICES

Sashua Benay Transformation Coach

MARKETING SERVICES Bloom Web Solutions Shikha Colwill - WINNER for 2020!

Digiwhiz Pty Ltd Nidhi Shah

FACEBOOK STRATEGIST

Black Bull Performance Group

Chantal Gerardy

Steve Gregory - WINNER for 2020!

Find Net Solutions

2Mpower.co

Flow CRM and Marketing Hub

Adrian Hanks

Market-lytics

Development Pathways

McKee Creative

Trevor Weeding

Jo McKee

Anne McKeown Adrian Hanks

Dave Cane

Milla Medeiros Clarence Ling

Feminine Leaders

Sane Social Media

Kristof Kazmer

Ela Staniak Leaupepe

Jensen IP Analysis Pty Ltd

FocalPoint Business Coaching

Sydney Business Web

Peter Swatosch

Keith Rowley

Lease1

Leanne Clune & Co

WebGlobals

Linda Benn International

WebSpree Digital

ASE

Kevin Jensen

Phillip Chapman

Procision Pty Ltd Paul Foley

The Money Lifeline Vanessa Menezes

Virtech.com.au Pty Ltd Brett McCallum

Leanne Clune Linda Benn

Love Life Matters Robert Grimes

Samantha Morris - Fempire Coach Samantha Morris

Cate Scolnik

Ash Pahil

Julian Price

White Peak Digital Jackson Gartner

Win More Clients Tim Hyde

Anne McKeown, the founder of 2Mpower.co is a highly regarded Master Coach, Trainer, Speaker & Facilitator. She champions women as individuals & leaders and brings out the best in them using NLP techniques and her 30 years' experience in corporate, education, the charity sector and now running her own business. She is impactful and inspiring speaking to large audiences and small groups alike.

Fiona Kane is a speaker on health and nutrition – with appearances on 2GB, Ticker TV, ABC Radio and Triple M. Fiona is an award-winning Nutritional Medicine Practitioner.

Our Mission is to Educate, Support and Inspire People to Feel Empowered to Live their Best Life

Business xCellence SERVICE & TRADE AllBrand Caravan Services Todd McArthur - WINNER for 2020!

Ange Dion Consulting Ange Dion

Design Safety Solutions Pty Ltd

Surfers Paradise Varsity

PEOPLE’S CHOICE – MEMBER of the Year Nathan Rigney WINNER for 2020!

Luis Cordero Marc Nuss Margie McCumstie Mark Grant Martha Travis Nik Cree Peter Swatosch Rakia El-Debel

Sean Bourke

Andrew Squillari

El-Debel Designs

Corrina Lindby

Go bins Gold Coast

Dene Menzel

Stephen Gambrellis

Shikha Colwill

Ian Kaminskyj

Stephen Pauley

New Leaf Arboriculture

Karen Moloney

Steven Franks

Krystal Brown

Wayne Lennan

Rakia El-Debel

Jacki Brown

Perth Security Services

David Bugeja

Neville Mader

Michael De Haan

Ruth Newman Architect

Rachel Gascoine

Ruth Newman

PRINT, MEDIA & PHOTOGRAPHY

PEOPLE’S CHOICE - TEAM MEMBER of the Year

Sandra Bartlett Selena Budgen Shari Ware

PEOPLE’S CHOICE – BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Destiny Rescue WINNER for 2020!

Denise Maloney WINNER for 2020!

2Mpower by Anne McKeown

Adrian Hanks

Barbarella Production

Allison Ockenden

Bugwash Properties

Ange Dion

Chantal Gerardy Facebook Strategist

Philippe Flatt

Anne McKeown

Coffee News Australia

Marzo Photography

Corporate Imagery by Tony Newby Photography Tony Newby - WINNER for 2020!

Image Technique Photography

Alpha LED Lighting

Anthony Pham

Costless Payment Solutions

Peter Meagher

Arielle Nakache

East Coast Incorporations

Menopause, Marriage and Motherhood

Ben Mackie

Exceedia Accountants

Carmel Catanuto

Higher Purpose Accounting & Advisory

Clayton Navarro

Human Pattern Recognition

Colin Piper

Informed Health

Darren Bartsch

Livelong Digital

Karen O’Connor

Podcast My Business Tony Skinner

GROUP OF THE YEAR

Darren Saul

Maple Honey

Daryl Bancroft

Metamorphis Ceremonies

Southport WINNER for 2020!

Heather Abbot

MFL Group

Janeen Vosper

Michael Ekert

Bondi Beach

Janine Fraser

NGR Accounting

John MacGowan

Nuway Solar

Julian Price

Power Up Your Marketing

Julie Hobbs

Radi Electrical

Bx Online - 1pm Wednesday Bx Online - 7am & 9am Tuesday Coomera Cronulla Gold Coast Manly Mt Gravatt North Sydney Robina

Kara Whittingham

ReFresh Super

Kathleen Ann

Shifft Russell Cummings

Kevin Jensen

Stairway 2 Dreams

Kristof Kazmer

The Agency

Kylie Thomas

Today Tomorrow & Always

Lenka Taylor

Wagga Accounting

Louise Lamb

Webspree Digital

REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY SERVICES

PEOPLE’S CHOICE xPERT

Impressive Property Sales Shiral Alexander - WINNER for 2020!

Impact Training Corporation - WINNER for 2020!

Buyers HUB

Sateesh Palliyil

Bugwash Property David Bugeja

Get RARE Properties

Steve Jensen

Crystelle Topatan

Launch Business Automation

Daniel Tolson

The Tolson Institute

Heather Porter

Vaibhav (Rasti) Rastogi

HeatherPorter.com

Heritage Now Pty Ltd

Jackson Millan

Tessa Boer-Mah

Property Investment Store

Aureus Financial

Michael Griffiths

Maria Micallef

The Referral Marketing Guru

The Property Co Group

Pat Mesiti

Lucy Stylianou

Therese Beale Real Estate Therese Beale

Mesiti.com

Peter Moriarty itGenius

Steve Brossman

EDUCATION SERVICES Human Pattern Recognition Alan Stevens - WINNER for 2020!

Drae Ockenden Drae Ockenden

FX 2 Freedom

SteveBrossman.com

2021 CHARITY OF CHOICE The Black Dog Institute WINNER for 2020!

Lenka Taylor

Beyond Blue

Impact Training Corporation

Cancer Council

Darren Roberts

Destiny Rescue

Leading Training Solutions Pty Ltd Evelyn Szumski

Mandy Lyons

Lifeline The Smith Family

Mandy Lyons

Power Up Your Marketing Kathleen Ann

SmashGo Nik Cree

Speech Perfect Janeen Vosper

The Answer is Yes Pty Ltd Corrina Lindby

The Pillar Practice Pty Ltd Patti-Jane (PJ) Ashley

FINANCIAL SERVICES New Vision Financial Services Chris Brown - WINNER for 2020!

Aureus Financial Michael Shaw

Costless Payment Solutions Mark Grant

Cyber SMSF Rob McAskill

Grape Financial Services Pty Ltd Reuben Johnson

Advanced Finance Solutions Anita Marshall

Prosperity Planning Gayle McKew

Refresh Super Luis Cordero

The Exit Accountant Robert Hills

ACN is the World’s Largest Direct Seller of Telecommunications, Energy and Essential Services for Home and Business. With ACN, you don’t sell trendy widgets or budget-busting services. ACN focuses on essential services that people already use and pay for.

Launching in 2004 in Australia, ACN has grown to over 4 Billion in Sales over the last 5 years. Some companies spend millions on advertising new, enticing products. ACN instead works with people just like you, and the result is more choices for consumers as well as a remarkable business opportunity for you, offering people you already know an alternative on the essential services they are using anyway!

When someone becomes a new customer and pays their bills, you get paid every month, month after month, for as long as they remain on the service – or for the term of their agreement. That’s residual income! Plus, every time you acquire a new customer or help an existing customer add a service, you give yourself a raise!

But that is just the beginning. Introduce others to ACN, show them how to get customers, and as their customers use ACN services, not only does their monthly residual grow, so does yours.

In 2008 ACN began working with Ronald McDonald House Charities and have raised funds for the Organization at Various ACN International Events. ACN in 2016 also participated in a Foodbank project feeding kids in the food bank program. In addition, ACN is a Proud Member of the DSA (Direct selling Australia). As well as the Key International Direct Selling Associations around the Globe. For the last 7 years, ACN has been In the Top 25 of Direct Selling Companies Worldwide.

The Current Goal for ACN is to focus on what we do best and that's Marketing Services via Direct Sales Versus Marketing Physical or Consumable Products. ACN has proven to be the best in the world at this, with their committed work ethic contributing to ACN's long-term success.

In the modern world of inbound, customer-centric, pull marketing, it’s incredibly important that your website is working hard for your business. For many businesses, your website will be a customer’s first point of engagement. Yet many businesses fail to take advantage of their website for nurturing customer relationships.

Statistics show that the average website will convert only 1-2% of visitors on their first time to your site. This is especially true of businesses where the sales process requires the building of trust and an ongoing relationship. So if you need to foster a relationship with prospective customers, you need to get their details.

You can’t just ask customers for their details and assume that they’ll give them up. After all, everyone is busy and probably already has an overflowing inbox of promotional materials. So you need to provide something of value in exchange for that all important first name and email address – a lead magnet.

A great lead magnet is: · Low cost for you to produce · Offers quality information of value to your prospective clients · Enticing enough to justify providing contact details

The other important element to consider is how frequently you should contact your leads. If someone gives up their email address but is then bombarded with emails beyond their expectations, they’ll be hitting that unsubscribe link pretty damn fast. You need to figure out the frequency of contact that suits your business.

Converting customers is all about demonstrating your value again and again until the customer feels ready to make the purchase.

ConversionXL describes the process like this: 1. Capture emails 2. Build and develop relationships via regular communication 3. Add tons of value (way before asking for anything in return) 4. Repeat step 3 as much as possible 5. Sell great products As you can see, it’s all about nurturing the customer as you move them through the sales funnel. They progress from being a lead and through ongoing engagement with your sales and marketing process, move to being a prospect and finally a customer. But if you don’t collect their details on that first visit to your website, you might never get the opportunity to foster and develop that relationship!

For example, if you’re a plumber, a customer is only going to call you if they have an immediate need. But you could partner with other local trades to do a six-monthly email update about your services in the area and perhaps include a special offer on standard home maintenance requirements. Other businesses with a more extended sales process might find that a fortnightly or monthly email gets the best results.

There’s loads of tools to get your website working harder and your marketing to get results. Bx can help you find the right people and the right tools for your business and pave the way for your success. Call Bx on 1300 068 229.

Is that something that could be of interest? Would that be something it would be worth knowing?

Put simply there are 3 things every business owner should do to ensure they run a profitable and successful business. Success means survivability, making a profit and contributing to society. This means trading profitably, giving the business owner a return to live a fulfilling life and having the resources to contribute to society. A business must create life rather than take it away (from the business owner).

So what are the three keys to running a successful business? In my time as an accountant, I have worked with many thousands of small business owners. I have also worked for large corporations and public companies. When Kerry Packer started World Series Cricket he followed these three steps.

Steps that I have seen all public companies follow when they start a new venture.

Firstly – before you start, create a business plan.

Research that there is a market for what you are producing. Survey your pricing and product structure.

You can do this on Facebook at no cost. Prepare samples and send them out free. Take off any rose coloured glasses and look objectively at what you are about to create. I have always prepared a business plan for every business I have started. Then I simply do the steps required to put the plan into action.

Secondly – have monitoring systems to monitor and record your sales, costs and profit. There has never been an easier time in history to do this. With online accounting systems and direct bank feeds, accounting has never been easier. Get help if accounting is not your thing. But do not put your head in the sand. A business will succeed or fail based on its profit & loss. At Consolidated Press, we reviewed KPI’s on a weekly basis.

All group entities needed to send their numbers for us to review. Kerry would make decisions based on any trends that were becoming apparent. Keep your current position up date and constantly review it (daily, weekly and monthly) in a timely manner.

Thirdly – Don’t be afraid to make changes. From your plan you prepared a budget. Monitor any deviations from that budget If you are trending the wrong way take action. Take it quickly and decisively. If your sales are lacking, profits are turning into a loss, don’t wait until the ATO start issuing demands. Be on the front foot. The joy of starting your own business will quickly be soured if things are not going well. It is no fun dealing with the negatives associated with not paying creditors, not earning a great return for your effort. If things are not going well, close the business.

There is no point in flogging a dead horse.

On the other hand, when things are going well, manage that as well. Ensure you maintain that momentum. Ensure you manage your cash flow and set aside funds for yourself and your own wealth creation. Be careful that you are proactive with managing any taxes payable. Careful planning may be needed, in advance, to handle this. It once took me 3 months to solve a $1m tax issue, reducing it down to just over $200k.

Running a business can be easy, if you follow the above. Be in control and push your business to new heights. Owning a business that creates life can be rewarding and fulfilling.

Download a free copy of our book:

“How to Choose an Accountant – Your most valuable team member to help you succeed in business”

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PROTECT YOUR BRAND DID YOU KNOW BUSINESS NAME REGISTRATION DOES NOT GIVE YOU OWNERSHIP OF THAT NAME?

If you want to protect your business name, brand names, logo or tagline from being copied by others, you need to register those as trade mark/s.

Talk to Suzanne Harrington today to avoid business name identity theft.

Call on 02 9520 4366 or 042 555 8867 info@pinnacletms.com.au pinnacletms.com.au

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If you are attending a self-development or business education event, the key to success is making sure you take responsibility for getting value from the experience.

At education events, the ‘a-ha’ moments can surprise you. The most interesting, informative and educational moments may not be spent in the sessions themselves: sometimes it’s in informal interactions with other attendees.

The lectures, talks and panels might provide some new ideas, but can be one-directional, and you can get the slides or books by the speakers later.

Yet the unique, personal, and insightful conversations you have can only take place with other people can only happen at the event, which means you need to invest time in connecting with other people.

Also ensure you contribute and participate. Ask questions from the floor of the speakers or panel if you have the opportunity. Make notes of any ‘lightbulb’ moments in your event guide or - for maximum efficiency - use a tool like Evernote to set up digital notebooks, snap screenshots of the speakers’ presentations, and import directly into the application. It means all your lessons and ideas are in one place and you’re not scrambling around with loose notes.

You can also snap business cards into Evernote too, so you can track who you connect with at the event.

Some events, like Bxponential, offer follow up sessions with experts.

You typically have to pay extra to attend these but it can take your learning to a whole new level, as well as keeping you surrounded, motivated and inspired by a like-minded cohort.

Plan ahead.

A day before the event, sit down with the proceedings and the small guidebook or agenda that they often provide you with.

Go through with a pen, and mark anything that looks interesting. If you find things that sound cool but vague, flip open the proceedings and check them out. Circle all of the sessions that look interesting, and if two or more occur at the same time, flag the one you want to go to first.

Plan to be social.

Even if you are an introvert, it’s worth stretching yourself. By making Initial connections, you’ll be able to jump in on some conversations and meet more people. If you can get into the right mindset, you can have a lot of fun socialising and sharing between different groups.

Relax.

You will learn much better by having fun and enjoying the people I’m with. You can’t do that if you are fixated on getting to every session on time, or not staying out too late, or trying to achieve any specific objective.

By relaxing and enjoying your time away from the office, you will be more open to new ideas and approaches for what to do when you get back.

The primary reason to attend such events is to learn. It’s your job to figure out what kind of environment and state of mind you need to be in to best facilitate that objective.

What are your tips to get the most out of an education event? Have you ever left and event feeling like you couldn’t implement what you had learned? Bx specialises in helping you follow strategies in business to keep you on track and successful.

Call Bx on 1300 068 229.

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Everyone struggles with making decisions. There can be a lot at stake, especially when it comes to making business decisions, but these high stakes are exactly why your business needs someone decisive at the helm.

Focused - A decisive person has their eye on what’s best for the business in the long-run, not just what will benefit them tomorrow or what will be best for them personally.

Confident - Once they make their decision, they stick by it. This doesn’t mean they can’t admit that they may have chosen the wrong path, but they are confident that they were convinced their choice was the best decision at the time.

Well-prepared - They are ready for the consequences of their decisions, whether they are positive or negative. They’ve thought their decision through completely.

Be educated: know everything there is to know about your business so that you know how your decision will affect every department. Be across the money, the sales, the administration, even if you don’t usually dabble in those areas.

Speak to others: you are not the first person to ever make a difficult decision. There is no need to pour your heart out to everyone you meet, but speaking to fellow business owners and finding out what they decided in similar positions can help you to discover the pros and cons to your possible decisions.

Explore your options: write down a list of pros and cons for your decisions, conduct ‘what if?’ scenarios. Do what you can to explore every option fully, leaving no stone unturned. There’s no need to overthink it and create mountains out of molehills but being thorough is essential.

Have a long-term goal: sometimes, decisions can cause setbacks in the immediate future but will actually benefit your business in the long run. Having the ability to look past the ‘immediate’ to work towards a bigger goal can help you to make the right decision, rather than the easy one.

Whatever you choose, be committed to your choice. Your business needs someone who is decisive and committed to making the right, and sometimes difficult, decisions. You can guarantee that you will make mistakes; it’s part of the process of decision-making.

If your business has some difficult choices ahead of it, we find it’s better not being done in isolation. Like-minded peers can be great sounding boards, have you thought about joining one of our supportive business networking groups? Visit https://bxnetworking.com/

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