Let’s Talk Business
Let’s Talk Business Back To Basics Business Solutions - Support for Small Business
Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
Is This The End? 103 stores and 550 jobs are on the line Inside this issue
Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
Homeart Closures ….............2
Five Conversations Leaders Must Have Dr Tim Baker …..….............3
Biz Snippets …………….......4
Biz Tips ………………….….5
Are You Stuck in the Rut? Dennis Chiron………...........6
Almost No One Does This Angie “Speedy” Spiterie ….7
What’s Holding You Back? Geoff Butler ………………..8
How You Can Get Out Of Doing All The Things You Don’t Like Doing In Your Business Dan Buzer ……..…………..9
Google’s Changes & What They Mean For Searches Karen Ahl ……..………….10
End of Financial Year Tax Planning Jo-Anne Chaplin …………11
7 Mistakes Appliance Retailers Make When Planning a Sale Amy Roche …………….....12
Ethical Investing Paul Gillmore……..............14
Better Get Into The Digital Space Peter Nicol ………………..15
Performance Management Denis Keating …………… 16
Where Are You Going To? Betty Zsoldos …..………...17
Organisations’ Strategic Compass Andrew Csaszar …..….…..18
Editor’s BizTips ……….….19
LTB Objectives …..........…..20
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Let’s Talk Business
HOMEART 103 stores nationwide set to close and around 550 staff to lose their jobs. Homeart, so it must seem to all of us, has been around for many, many years. Previously known as Copperart, Homeart was founded in Melbourne in 1979 and is one of Australia's largest specialty retailers. However, in January 2015, PPB Advisory in Sydney, were appointed as the voluntary administrators of Homeart. Since then, media articles regarding the closures of individual Homeart stores have been popping up all over Australia, and on February 6th, Smartcompany reported: “The administrators of collapsed homewares retailer Homeart are in the process of closing 13 stores, including six in the retailer’s home state of New South Wales, with nearly 50 staff set to lose their jobs as a result. Daniel Austin Walley, Phillip Carter and Mark Robinson of PPB Advisory were appointed administrators of Homeart after the iconic retailer was placed into voluntary administration on 22nd January .” At the time of the appointment, the Homeart chain had 116 stores nationwide, with around 600 employees, but no longer had any franchises. As a result, 13 stores are closing nationwide, including six in NSW, four in Victoria, two in South Australia and one in Western Australia. A total of 46 employees have been made redundant, including 18 causal employees, 22 who work part-time and six who work full-time. PPB Advisory says it is working closely with the affected staff and their representatives regarding entitlements, and will assist them in identifying potential reemployment opportunities. However, on the 25th March, SmartCompany’s Andrew Sadauskas reported: “All 103 remaining Homeart stores to close – 550 jobs lost”.
Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
NSW, wrote: “I just bought a CookWell Dehydrator for $29.90 from HomeArt in their "Closing Down Prices" sale. They're not closing down, it's just the name of their sale.” A bit tricky? …. and it seems that whilst many consumers truly believed that Homeart was indeed “Closing Down”, it was just a “gimmicky” statement to attract consumers thinking they would perhaps get a better deal on many products. OR, Staff were told by store and state perhaps Homeart bosses saw the managers that administrators PPB ‘writing on the wall’ way back in Advisory had not found any buyers for 2012. the chain and have decided to close all Earlier this month, the Sunshine Coast its stores in Australia. Daily reported: The Sunshine Coast's surviving store, at the Along with a redundancy letter, last Maroochydore Homemaker Centre, employees were given an information sheet from the Australian Securities was holding a massive closing down and Investments Commission about sale which was due to end today. SmartCompany understands the only Homeart stores still trading in Victoria are the outlets at Broadmeadows and Northland, with all other stores closing and their staff made redundant as of Wednesday.
insolvency.
The employees said they would be “We advise that your store has ceased without work. to trade and the company no longer A staff member who asked to remain requires your services under your anonymous said they had been contract of employment. Accordingly, advised last week all the stores were your employment is hereby terminated to close. as at the date of this letter,” the PPB Advisory could not be reached redundancy letter said. for comment. “Your payment summary will be forwarded to you at the end of the The employee said she had worked for the company for more than 12 years. financial year.” One of the chain’s Victorian While she was optimistic she would employees, who asked not to be named, be eligible for a redundancy package, told SmartCompany yesterday was her she was frustrated that under Fair last day with the company. Work laws she was entitled to less “Just before the administration our pay compensation than a colleague who was late, which we realise now was had only worked there for eight years. probably due to a lack of funds and we "Under Fair Work, if you've worked were receiving emails telling us to pre- eight years you are eligible for 14 bank as much as we could during the weeks' redundancy payment, but if day so that our pay would go through,” you've worked more than 10 years, the employee says. you are only eligible for 12 weeks," Ironically, as far back as August 2012, she said. Homeart, throughout all of their stores, have been advertising “Closing Down” "There is no reward for loyalty." Sales, and one consumer in Goulburn Page 2
Let’s Talk Business
Dr Tim Baker Managing Director WINNERS AT WORK Pty Ltd
Five Conversations
www.winnersatwork.com.au www.about.me/tim.baker
Leaders Must Have
tim@winnersatwork.com.au
Telephone. +61 7 3899 8881
Organisations are conversations. At its heart, the life of any organisation exists in and is sustained through the conversations that are taking place inside, around and about it. But I hear people tell me that their organisation is not ready to have meaningful conversations. Or, to have meaningful conversations, they need training (Imagine telling your parents that you are being trained to have conversations at work; I think they would be bemused!). Or, we don't have time for meaningful conversations, we are too busy. I think we are fast losing sight of the power or conversations and their importance. Here is a framework I have put together of five conversations that I think every manager ought to have with each of his or her team every year. In fact I argue that the Five Conversations Framework is a replacement for the archaic performance review. Climate review conversation A climate review is about determining the current atmosphere in a particular workplace. It is mainly concerned with employees' job satisfaction, morale and communication. Although people's opinion about these matters can - and often do - fluctuate over the course of a year, it can be useful to take a snapshot of the business occasionally. By having a conversation with direct reports about the state of the current climate, managers have a handle on the current state of the business, and what needs to be done to improve the fundamentals of satisfaction, morale and communication. Listening and responding to this feedback is a good place to start. Strengths and talents conversation Most appraisals are fixated with what is going wrong; in other words, they Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
focus on weaknesses and by-pass strengths and talents. Tom Rath in the # 1 Wall Street Journal bestseller: Strengths Finder 2.0 underscores the value of a conversation on this subject: Society's relentless focus on people's shortcomings has turned into a global obsession. What's more, we have discovered that people have several times more potential for growth when they invest energy in developing their strengths instead of correcting their deficiencies Apart from being an edifying place to start discussing performance after the organisational climate, this conversation capitalises on people's innate talents. As the positive psychology movement has preached for two decades: Building upon strengths has a higher payoff then working on overcoming weaknesses. Opportunities conversation
for
growth
This conversation invites an opportunity for employees to consider how they can improve their own work performance in key result areas. By doing so, the potential for both to gain a common perspective on areas for improved performance is possible. A dual understanding of current and expected standards performance is an important first step. The second step is to discuss and agree upon some tangible ways and means of improving the employee's performance to match expectations. Thirdly and finally, this conversation is important in aligning performance expectations will the strategic direction of the business. Some opportunities identified can be put into practice straight away. And others can be adopted with more L & D support later.
Learning and conversation
development
Conversations about learning and development capitalise on the previous two conversations. What leaning experiences can assist in build upon strengths and lift performance in critical areas. Learning experiences can be technical, personal development, or problem-based. All three dimensions are important for an eclectic approach to HRD. Innovation and continuous improvement conversation This conversation is about practical ways and means of improving both the employee's own efficiency and effectiveness and the business in general. What can I - and what can we - do to improve? is the focus here. Imagine for a moment the power of this conversation occurring across an organisation during a particular month. Some of the ideas that surface will undoubtedly be too costly or impractical. But some would also be worth considering. Each of these five conversations ought to take about 15 minutes. Some go longer. Being thematically-based, they are focused and therefore need not take a considerable amount of time. Being more relaxed and conversational compared with the rigid appraisal regime, this new approach minimises the power dynamic of the manager-employee relationship. The manager still asked questions to guide the conversation. But in this framework, the manager's role is converser and facilitator, not appraiser and assessor. This approach shifts the emphasis from appraising to developing people at work. ďƒž Page 3
Let’s Talk Business
HUMOUROUS BUSINESS CARDS & SIGNS
Things You'd Love to Say at Work!
And your crybaby, whinging opinion would be...? Do I look like a people person? This isn't an office. It's Hell with fluorescent lighting! Sarcasm is just one more service we offer. If I throw a stick, will you leave? Errors have been made. Others will be blamed. I'm trying to imagine you with a personality. Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven't fallen asleep yet. Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it? Chaos, Panic, and Disorder ... My work here is done. How do I set a laser printer to stun? Job History A lady comes in for her interview with the human resources department of a large company and hands the executive her application. As the executive begins to scan her resume, he notices that she has been fired from every job she's ever held. "I must say," says the executive, "your work history is terrible. You've been fired from every job." "Yes," says the lady. "Well," continues the executive, "there's not much positive in that." "Well, " says the woman as she stares at her interviewer. "At least I'm not a quitter!" Employee Evaluations Quotes taken from actual employee evaluations: "Since my last report, this employee has reached rock bottom and has started to dig." "I would not allow this employee to breed." "This associate is really not so
Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
much of a has-been, but more of definitely won't be." "This young lady has delusions of adequacy." "Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap." "When he opens his mouth, it seems that this is only to change whichever foot was previously in there." "He sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them." "This employee should go farand the sooner he starts, the better." A Smart Salesman! A neatly dressed salesman stopped a man in the street and asked -"Sir, would you like to buy a bottle of this mouthwash for $200.00?" Aghast, the man said, "are you NUTS?, that's robbery!" The salesman seemed hurt and then tries again -"Sir, since you are a bit irate, I'll sell it to you for 1/2 price at $100.00?" Again, the man replies bluntly - "you must be crazy pal, now go away!" The salesman then reaches into his briefcase and pulls out 2 brownies and begins munching away on one of them. He tells the irate guy -"Sir, please share one of my brownies since I have annoyed you so much". Unwrapping the brownie, the guy takes a bite; suddenly, the guys spits it out and says: "HEY," he snarled, "this brownie tastes like crap!" "It is," replied the salesman. "Wanna buy some mouthwash?" Page 4
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Emails are Valid and Legally Enforceable Legal ramifications associated with emailed correspondence are often overlooked, but the growing instances in which emails are relevant to legal disputes suggest we should be paying more attention; reports Dynamic Business An agreement made via email could be valid and legally enforceable – if a contract’s key elements are included., a lot depends on whether or not a legal disclaimer at the bottom of the email provides any sort of protection. Colin Porter of Dynamic Business said: “We see those disclaimers all the time nowadays on all sorts of emailed correspondence wearing terms and conditions like a golden shield. But does it cover you?” Brendan Tomlinson, Special Counsel, Technology and Intellectual Property at Ash Street Partners, said that protection afforded by a legal disclaimer usually depends on the terms of the disclaimer and the circumstances in which it is used. There are 6 legal concerns often dealt with in a disclaimer: confidentiality, employer liability, contractual rights, viruses, legal/regulatory compliance and marketing. Corporate Psychopaths In Volume 2 Issue 20 - July 2014 Page 6, Geoff Butler wrote about Corporate Psychopaths in the Workplace. Recent research conducted in Australia indicates that over a quarter of all workplace bullying is carried out by just one percent of the workforce - the Corporate Psychopath. This same research has highlighted the tell-tale signs for an astute employer to
Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
to stay alert for if they think that one of their employers might be a Corporate Psychopath. Wikipedia defines it as follows: Psychopathy in the workplace is a serious issue as, although psychopaths typically represent only a small percentage of the staff, they are most common at higher levels of corporate organizations and their actions often cause a ripple effect throughout an organization, setting the tone for an entire corporate culture. Examples of detrimental effects are increased bullying, conflict, stress, staff turnover and absenteeism, reduction in productivity and social responsibility. Ethical standards of entire organisations can be badly damaged if a corporate psychopath is ’let loose’. Just-In-Time Marketing Many of you are probably familiar with the manufacturing technique, Just-In-Time or J.I.T. This technique helps factories become increasingly efficient by processing and delivering parts to their assembly point at the exact moment they're needed. So what does this have to do with marketing? Often, the best time to implement marketing efforts can be at the last minute - just in time, when customers are highly motivated to respond. Say, for example, you own a restaurant and your Sunday whiting entrée was a less-than-huge success. Now it's Monday and you have a lot of whiting you need customers to eat NOW. ……. What do you do? If you're properly prepared with a list of your most loyal customers' email addresses, you send out a midday email promoting a too-good-to-passup Whiting Special that evening ONLY.
Since it's your most popular customers who are receiving your message, your deal is both welcomed and likely to produce dinner customers that evening. Notice this scenario depends on two pre-requisites: one, that you've already developed an email contact list; and two, that it contains only qualified people who know and truly enjoy your establishment. The first pre-requisite is easier to achieve, since it only involves some effort on your part. But how about the second? How can you build a list of qualified customers who look forward to hearing from you? The answer lies in your most obvious, yet overlooked source… your existing customer base. In fact, many business owners don't know how to leverage the incredible potential tied up in their current customers. Building a Just-In-Time email list is one of the best. All you need is a sufficient incentive for people to give you their email address. As people pay at the cash register, have your staff ask "Would you like a free gift certificate for your next purchase?" Chances are the answer will be “Yes!”…in which case you ask them to fill out a card listing their name and email address. Now you have your list. Be sure to follow up periodically with a nicely designed certificate for a discount. You'll not only generate return visits from your best customers on a regular basis, but also the next time your business is in need of a Just-InTime sales boost, you'll have the tools to make it happen. Page 5
Let’s Talk Business Dennis Chiron Marketing Means Business 0451 184 599 www.marketingmeansbusiness.com
dennis@marketingmeansbusiness.net.au Skype: dennis.chiron2
Are You Stuck In The Rut Of Thinking Small? “Business is like a person rowing a boat upstream. They have no choice; they must go ahead or they will go back.” Louis Peirson
the growth your company could easily be ready for.”
Do you find that sometimes you are “stuck” thinking small?
1. Invest in Quality Support Staff: We should make the choice to invest in quality employees. A small company generally can’t afford full-time professionals in key support positions. Midsize companies know they can’t afford not to.
David suggests there are three major attitude shifts needed :
Like most small business owners, we all wear many hats, and in the hustle and bustle running our business; ensuring orders get filled, customers get served, staff are performing well and morale is good, answering the phone, and bills get paid, it’s all too constantly responding to one phone call easy to fall into the trap of thinking or crisis or emergency after another. ….. Is this YOU???? small. Many of us never reach the level of accomplishment that we have set our goals on, mainly because of thinking “small”. Thinking big is a habit that we can develop and adopt, if only we can get the time to focus. It is a habit that allows us to stretch our imaginations and expand our personal potential.
It’s a fact that when we’re doing the same thing, day in and day out, it’s hard to break out of routine thought and encourage our minds to think beyond the here and now. Alec Lynch, Founder and CEO of DesignCrowd.com.au offers 5 tips that he suggests will get you out of the rut and start thinking and growing your business:
However, thinking big will never become a reality for some of us if we 1. Think big. Whether you’re planning a new business or running an continue to stay caught up in the existing business: think big, think following limiting habits that global. ironically force us to think small:
Procrastination holds you back 2. Never stop testing. If you never stop testing new things and your website, and pulls you away from moving your business will never stop forward in your life. improving. Short-term thinking denies you the ability to see solutions that lie 3. Faster is better than slow. a few steps ahead 4. If you have an idea, start today. It’s
never been easier to start a business. Solving insignificant problems All you need is a laptop and a credit distracts you from what’s most card. important and from the BIGGER picture. 5. Never, never, never give up on your dream. Over-analyzing things wastes time and energy on small matters David Lonsdale, President, Allegiance that are of little significance. Capital https://twitter.com/
Sometimes it seems that the small @MiddleMktMandA says: “Failing to business owner is forever running take the time to challenge small-business attitudes is a sure-fire way to miss out on their business in reactive mode, Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
2. Turn Customers Away: When you start running a company, it feels like you have to take every order a customer is willing to give you, no matter how small - and sometimes, you do. But when you start getting $10,000 orders, you should be turning away the $1,000 ones. 3. Expand the Management Team: If you want to successfully transition to being a mid-size business, it is essential that you stop to assess whether your ownership and management have the right attitude towards your company’s growth. If it’s time to take it to the next level, you’d better start making business decisions like midsize companies do. Whilst I may not necessarily totally agree with the above, the best advice I can offer is that we should all be willing to at least consider change. If not, then growth, advancement and expansion are impossible. In order to open your mind and prepare yourself to reach a new level, you will have to accept the changes that will happen as a result. Page 6
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TimeEqualsMoney Angie 'Speedy' Spiteri
Business Efficiency Specialist www.timeequalsmoney.net.au Ph: 0403 970 732 http://www.facebook.com/time.equals.money
Almost no one does this… Do you ever take a moment to work out how much Low Priority interruptions are costing you?? Often, when delivering solutions around managing interruptions that could wait rather than be answered immediately, participants offer the following comments…
I don’t mind being interrupted I’d rather be interrupted Interruptions are no problem to me If I don’t answer calls or emails straight away I’ll lose the opportunity/clients
What they are not saying is that they want to be free to interrupt others as and when I like too. I’m here to tell you allowing ALL interruptions to interrupt you all day long costs you in time and money. I figure, you know this. But let me show you how much how it is costing you… Let’s say you work in an office of 5 people who earn on average $40 000 a year and who work 40 hours a week. 40 hours a week = $19.23 per hour = .32c per minute There’s a statistic that says the average person is interrupted 7 times an hour and that each interruption lasts between 2 to 5 minutes. Let’s say these people are interrupted once an hour and that this interruption lasts 5 minutes. .32c per minute x 5 minutes (because we generally paid for hour day) = $12.80 x 5 people = $64.00 x 5 days a week = $320 a week x 48 weeks a year (because companies in Australia give Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
x 8 an 8
most their
people 4 weeks off a year) = Ready for it? “Speedy’s law for managing low …. You are going to feel sick… priority interruptions and empowering your staff” that says if $15 360 per annum you don’t answer all the interruptions What could you do with $15 360!!! the instant a person wants to interrupt Employ another person Part Time? you, some of these interruptions will Go on a holiday??? get resolve themselves. Pay off your mortgage??? There’s another law… Let’s call this Now $15 360 is the basic cost… I haven’t one “Speedy’s law of getting things factored in… done faster and with more The 9600 minutes in time… Which accuracy” … And it goes like this… when you do the same type of work translates to 20 days!! in one batch you give it your full The opportunities and tasks you are attention, you make better decisions not getting too when you continue to and you work faster and with more allow your time to be cannibalized! accuracy. All the extra hours that are done after So, if you are brave enough, do a hours and on weekends to try to get calculation for your business and ask core business done yourself is this price worth All the indirect costs incurred to run a continuing to pay?? business longer hours Or better yet… if I was saving this All the direct and indirect costs time and money… working more incurred when projects are not efficiently, what could I do? undertaken in the time they are Try our free tool the Instant Profit expected to take Calculator . The Instant Profit Calculator will help you achieve all Now I hate to make the obvious obvious your goals, meet your deadlines, BUT the above figure can only increase IF perform better by pinpointing exactly you have more people and your average what you should be doing and what income is higher… and you allow more you should stop doing. This tool will point you in the direction of more than 1 interruption per hour. time and money to enjoy life more. Whoa!! UGLY!
And even worse… I have only talked about 1 common time stealing habit in this newsletter!!!!
**Angie Spiteri, works with time poor, tech challenged entrepreneurs who need to calm their administrative challenges and eliminate unnecessary chaos so they can make more money with the limited time they have.
"BUT!", you say "these interruptions need to be dealt with"… and my answer to you To connect with Angie is YES and NO. www.timeequalsmoney.net.au There’s a certain law… let’s call it Page 7
visit
Let’s Talk Business
Geoff Butler FAIM AP, MAITD MACE Principal/Business Improvement & Implementation Specialist Business Optimizers Mobile: 0414 943072 Fax: 3036 6131 Email: geoff@businessoptimizers.com.au Skype: business.optimizers1
‘It’s not what’s in front of you that’s stopping you. It’s what inside of you that’s holding you back’ - Mork from Ork I just happened to walk into the lounge room the other day and heard this pearl of wisdom in a repeat episode of the inimitable ‘Mork & Mindy’ as Mork was delivering his weekly report to Orson. It struck me how profound the statement was, and how if we all learned from it what a difference it would make to our lives, both business and personal. You see it’s a researched fact that the biggest cost to business has nothing to do with the economy, our team or any external factor. It all comes down to three little letters: ‘F.T.I’ or ‘Failure to implement’. We all spend a great deal of time and money planning how we want our businesses and lives to be, but then end up just sliding back to do pretty much what we have always done. It’s not that we don’t want to make the changes, but when things start getting difficult we just tend to slide back to our comfort zone. One of my favourite management gurus, who actually left school at 14 and became a pastry cook is Tom O’Toole, the infamous Beechworth Baker. I really like Tom because he is not an academic but a person with more common sense than most, and one of my favourite quotes of his is ‘You will never find what you’re looking for in your comfort zone.’ If you haven’t seen Tom (sometimes called John Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
Cleese on Speed) do yourself a favour and Google him or get hold of one of his books. When it comes to business, my experience is that the management of change, and the art of communication are actually the major factors that affect the long term success of any venture. In essence, having developed a strong set of future objectives and strategies to support them, communicating the change and building belief (including your own) is the first step successful change management. Then there are three critical stages to implementing change. Of course each of these can be broken down into a number of smaller steps, but essentially they are: The first is to unfreeze the present. This involves consciously and conscientiously letting go of the existing situation and readying the business for change. This is a very tense time for all if not well managed, and there will be a need strong leadership and support of all involved to ensure they have the necessary human, physical and financial resources to make the change; The second is to make the change. Now having built the rapport and confidence it is time to make the planned change using detailed planned and measureable objectives,
along with delegations and accountabilities for all involved; then Lastly, and most importantly, it’s time to refreeze at the new reality. My experience is this is where most businesses fail in the process no matter whether if it’s a major change management process or something relatively minor. You see if you don’t spend sufficient time refreezing at the new situation the first time things start to get tough or unexpected issues arise, the easy option is to slide back to where you started from and all the effort and evolution will be wasted. You’ll just end up doing what you have always done. This is a very simplified description of change management and in the end it will all depend on your internal self- belief. Change is hard, and doing nothing is nearly always an easy, if somewhat uninspiring option. But remember fair weather never made a great sailor, and we need to constantly challenge ourselves and our team to overcome our selflimiting beliefs. No successful person ever had it easy, but they had a gut full of determination and an unfailing belief in their ability to achieve, and were
able to convince the right people to join them on the journey. Page 8
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Dan Buzer Profit Mechanics 0414 567 188 www.profitmechanics.net/ dan@profitmechanics.net
At last! Here’s how you can get out of doing all the things you don’t like doing in your business! I don’t know about you, but there are some things I just don’t like doing. In fact, there are some things I am down -right ‘dangerous’ at doing. For example … You do not want me fixing the brakes on your car, or wiping everything on your computer and re-setting it for you or putting together a website. These are not my areas of expertise! However, I have businesses with vehicles that need mechanical equipment serviced, computers that need regular updating and a considerable online presence. A possible solution for you … Business Partners! Now before you start rolling your eyes and looking for something else to read because of the horror stories you may have heard or even experienced, here me out! I too have had some negative experiences with business partners. However, I also have some amazing experiences. It’s just taking some common sense steps. believe when Now befe 1. Only partner with someone who has experience ‘owning a business’ I have sold the best franchise outlet in the country, out of 40+ outlets, to the manager who was experienced at running the very business she bought from me. She went partners with her older sister and they promptly sent the business broke. A great race horse can be killed by a bad jockey! 2. Only partner with someone who really knows your Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
5. Personal management
Cash
Flow
Is your potential business partner able to weather any challenging financial dips? Having access to financial funding so they can uphold any end of the bargain you require them to is important to consider. industry.
6. Legals and insurances Get professional advice! Meet with legal people with your partner and individually.
Both of my current business partners, in separate businesses, have vast experience in the industries we are involved in. One of my business partners has a database of 3,000+ loyal Clients that he has been building and nurturing for over 14 years. That’s a good track record that shows he has experience in the industry. If not for him I would have fallen into many pit-falls that I have since avoided, thanks to his experience. 3. Split down the middle Keep it simple. Share the risk and rewards evenly. Remember to split ‘all’ risks, including financial, time with family, doing the jobs you don’t like doing and more. 4. Look at the support structure behind your potential business partner Meet their personal partners, family members, pets, etc. Experience how they live. Are they clean tidy and organised? When times get tough (and they usually do) what do their current surroundings tell you about the resources they have to support them?
Get things documented. Plan for the worst, hope for the best! Have a worst case scenario strategy to fall back on and review it as your venture grows. Have a regular communication session and discuss ‘everything’ that comes to mind. Summary Having business partners can be one of the most harrowing or rewarding experiences of your business life. However, it can take a little practice and maybe even a little luck. Business is personal! Take your time and truly get to know the person you’re considering to get into business with. Make it fun and keep it professional. Ultimately … be prepared! Get help. Go to www.profitmechanics.com.au or call Dan Buzer 0n 0414 567 188 for your complimentary Profit Mechanics Diagnostic Phone Meeting. Remember … Business is More Fun, When There’s Profit!
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Let’s Talk Business Karen Ahl Bac. Bus (Mark, Man), TAE40110, Cert IV IT Caboolture, Queensland Ph 0415 142 178
www.web-sta.com.au
Google’s changes and what they mean for Searches THIS IS NOT A DRILL PEOPLE – this a legitimate update. It is important to maintain your Google ranking so please be aware FROM GOOGLE’S MOUTH:
“Starting April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobilefriendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices.”
Previous techniques and software used by many web designers and developers would have been more than enough to keep Google happy, however, these recent changes has forced most web companies, including mine, to introduce new procedures and to learn new technology. How do you check if your site is okay? You can simply ask your website provider OR you can check it yourself by going to: www.google.com/webmasters/tools/ mobile-friendly
It is their job to evolve to ensure the integrity of their search results so that they remain the No. 1 search engine.
Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
If you are still not confident, shop around! What now? If your website is 4 years or older site it is most likely created in HTML (just check for the .html at the end of your website address when you visit a page within your website.
For many of our long-term clients, we are offering a discounted rate to rebuild their websites using the newer software and technology.
It is simply up to us, as businesses owners, to keep up.
As Google has actually changed “what they look for” in a mobile site, many older sites are most likely NOT be compliant and therefore, may be penalised in Google searches.
If your existing web developer wants to charge you a lot of money, make sure they justify why and check what other work they have done before.
If this is the case...it is very likely that you will need to upgrade your website.
Google is always changing!
If your website is older than 3 years, it is very likely it will not be compliant. It is important that you get this checked.
machinery coming out or the latest upgrade on your bookkeeping software.
By doing this, there are a bunch of other fantastic benefits that businesses will be able to enjoy.
Type in your website address to see what Google comes back with. Who pays for it? Unfortunately, you do. This is no different from your POS system software being updated, a new piece of
If you have a content management system (CMS) like Wordpress or Joomla then the update/s required may not be as extreme and hopefully quite affordable. For further information, please feel free to email Karen ~ The Webgirl. Page 10
Let’s Talk Business Jo-Anne Chaplin Tax & Superannuation Professionals Pty Ltd PH 07 3410 8116 / Mobile 0457 960 566 Email : taxandsuperprofessionals@gmail.com Web: www.taxandsuperprofessionals.com.au
I am a qualified Accountant and I have celebrated my 20 th anniversary as a Registered Tax Agent this year. During my time in Public Practice I have assisted clients to achieve business growth and prosperity. My earlier career included positions in banking, manufacturing, construction and retail. My particular interest is in promoting a culture of using local industries and business in order to build a strong community.
This is the perfect time of year to begin thinking about tax planning for the 2015 financial year. If left too late in the year, there may not be enough time to put strategies into place before June 30. Where do I start? Once the BAS for March is done, you will have a set of trading figures for the financial year to date. Review what income your business has coming up in the next few months. You can glean these figures from contracts in progress, or last year’s trading figures. Now estimate the costs against that income, i.e. wages, materials, rent etc.
is expected to make, and what expenses are available to reduce the taxable profit. If you are a Small Business Entity, items such as the prepayment of regular expenses such as rent or advertising will be deductible. Other items that you should consider are:
What’s next? Make an appointment with your Accountant to discuss where the business is now, and make some projections or estimates for the balance of the year. From here appropriate tax planning can proceed, having regard to your cash flow position, what expenditure needs your business has in the next few months, what business and personal goals you haven and what new tax rules are currently in place.
What is ‘tax planning?
Tax planning is applying strategies which can legally reduce the amount of tax you pay. It is a process that examines what profits your business Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
End of Financial Year Tax Planning
paying staff superannuation prior to June 30 purchase required materials, stationery or replacements that you will need in the few months following the end of June invest in new equipment prepay lease arrangements write off any stock which is unsaleable, and write down the value of stock which is not in top condition contribution to personal superannuation up to the contribution cap limit
I’m not in business – does tax planning apply to me? Yes, tax planning applies to everyone. If you are an investor or an employee, you could review your investment income for the current year, to see where savings can be made. Items to consider are:
Extend maturing term deposits to mature after 30 June If eligible, contribute to superannuation If you are an employee, make sure
you have all the required substantiation for your work related expenses Make purchases for work related expenses prior to June 30
If you are an investor in the stock market, and have made significant capital gains this year, review your portfolio for underperforming stocks that can be sold at a loss. The capital loss will reduce any capital gains made in the income year, and therefore reduce your liability to capital gains tax. If you invest in rental property market, review your properties and make any purchases for repairs and maintenance prior to June 30. Take care that the expenditure is for repairs, and not improvements to the property. Depreciation claims can be maximised by arranging for a building valuation report. Finally When looking at strategies for saving tax, it’s really important to remember not to spend just to receive a tax deduction. You will need to consider whether the expenditure will benefit your investment or business from a wealth creation view, as well provide you with a tax effective return. Page 11
Let’s Talk Business
Amy Roche, Director Retail Rockstars m: 0410 815 852 e: amy@retailrockstars.com.au w: www.retailrockstars.com.au
7 Mistakes Appliance Retailers Make When Planning a Sale Amy is a self-confessed appliance nerd, customer experience advocate and author of the book, "Retail Rockstar, the 5 game changing steps to becoming a highly profitable, memorable & locally famous retailer"to be released June 2015. She has over 18 years experience in the appliance and retail industry and a real passion for technology, marketing and experiential retailing.
1. Reinforcing the “I’m only as good as my price” ideal through advertising: While this is the 'norm', think of a better idea, come up with an in-store experience or theme that gives them a reason to come back to your store. Constantly baiting customers with price-only offers reinforces their ideals that all you want is a sale. Be a friend, be an advisor, be an educator, be an entertainer and wrap some great deals and products around that idea. Tell them a story, give genuine helpful advice on how to make the best party food and they will learn that you are more than just a price machine. Your profit will slowly increase and you’ll have more money to create better experiences. 2. Not making a BIG deal about your Showroom: Contrary to what our digital marketing experts say, people don’t have deep and meaningful “experiences” online. Sure, they have an overall positive, negative or neutral feeling about how their shopping, recommendations and checkout went, but they are on a computer or phone and it’s transactional based. However, humans have a deeper and more emotional connection Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
with and more emotional connection with other humans; we were just made that way. Online-only competitors are banking on the idea that your in-store experience isn’t remarkable. If we continue fulfilling their wager, there is no reason stopping more customers from migrating to priceonly, online transactions. Your online-only competitors don’t have the amazing opportunity you do! They don’t have the luxury or the opportunity to create experiences from human to human. They can’t settle a customer’s nerves about a large purchase with a roof over their heads, a conversation or the heavy feel of a better quality product. Having the financial capacity to have a showroom is a game changer, so don’t think about your wonderful showroom as a huge expense – think of it as an opportunity to connect, to educate and create value in your customers’ lives. 3. Reacting to a competitor’s crazy pricing by planning a Sales Event: Let’s face it, the amount of people who saw your competitor’s advert last weekend in the paper is probably a lot smaller than you think. As retailers, we trawl the papers noting all the prices so we
can be prepared when a customer says, “I saw that at ‘Cheap Appliances R Us’ for $100 less!” While our Rainman-like recollection of pricing and models within a 50k radius is rather impressive, it’s not a normal pastime for consumers who are looking to buy their next fridge. Studies show people start online first, but please don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. Maintaining a sustainable profit is important – develop a sale on your terms, to suit your customers, your market and your profit margin. 4. Falling in love with Suppliers & Products and not your customer: Your number one love affair should be with your ‘ideal customer’. While there are amazing appliances out there that have wonderful features, always ask yourself, how does this change my customer’s life? How can I leverage the genius of this product and create a real story about how it helps my ideal customer? *Continued on following page
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Let’s Talk Business
*Continued from previous page
We all know from the mass consumer surveys that price normally falls into the top 3, but almost never appears as the number one reason for purchases. Service, caring, and being helpful always trumps price on the list. Make your sale day about your ideal customer. Are they food enthusiasts? Technology adopters? Think of some of your best ideal customers and make your sale day all about them, then wrap your best products around this idea.
5. Merchandising and a ‘Chance to Win’ does not constitute a Sales Event: Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a good promotion & theme! However, from a customer’s perspective (and this is where we should spend our time) the thousands of dollars spent on elaborate prizes & merchandising has nothing to do with their need for a new ‘XP11 dominator oven’. In fact, most of the customers you want can’t be bothered with filling out forms or registering online. WHAT do they want? They’ve hopped into their car and drove to your wonderful store specifically to see the new XP11 dominator oven, and they are wondering if the magical Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
sales day purposes. There is tons of global data supporting a migration of consumers from nationalised big retail brands to more localised buying.
machine they’ve read about online and saw at their friend’s house is the right oven for them. They HEAR you are having a sale, so they are hoping to get some money off, but they have really come to see or buy their new oven… hopeful that it will cook meals by itself and clean the dishes too. You are already discounting your products for ‘the SALE’, so further outlay for giveaway products or vacations to giveaway is just a waste. Who, besides the loser who fills out every chance to WIN something, is going to shop at one store over another for the CHANCE to win something? 6. Sale, What Sale? Advertisement, What Advertisement?: This one is pretty well known, but surprisingly still happens all the time. If you are going to get involved in any type of advertising whether it be online or through traditional advertising, please for the love of everything that is good and decent, tell your staff. Or, at the very least advise them to say something like, “Yes, I did hear about that, but can I just get some more details and be right back?” 7. No one buys from a nationalised store, they buy from their favourite local store. This is something near and dear, with a whole chapter dedicated to it in my book titled, “Retail Rockstar”, and I’ll have a go at simplifying here for
Countries like the UK and USA are already combatting this by putting stores within a store, popup shops and other strategies because people are increasingly moving away from BIG and moving towards personalised, bespoke and smaller runs. In appliance retailing we don’t have the option of having our product localised, however we do have the opportunity to personalise our stores, our staff and our offers. In America in 2011, Macy’s started, ‘My Macy’s’ which offers 10-15% unique stock for its own local area along with other local area marketing initiatives. Starting out as an experiment in only several stores, they quickly realised that ‘My Macy’s’ stores outperformed their older counterparts in some instances by a whopping 48%. To survive, big retailers are adapting to look smaller and be more personalised. Having localised events and experiences unique to your store during a national sales event, is just one of the many ways to achieve this.
Happy Retailing! **Rockstar Acadamy: Are you a food blogger, tech consultant or in the cooking industry? Do you have an amazing SHOW to share with the world, Rockstar Academy can have you up and performing in just 7 weeks Please click HERE for details Page 13
Let’s Talk Business
Paul GILLMORE DFS Founder and Director Southern Cross Financial Services 07 5429 5561 0402 685 032 paul@sc-fs.com.au
Ethical Investing Ethical or Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) has experienced demand driven growth by investors who refuse to allow their funds to be invested in businesses with practices they do not wish to support. Typically they are industries and companies such as gambling, alcohol, tobacco, munitions, exploitation of labour including child labour, environmentally irresponsible activities, religious beliefs, corporate behaviour and any principle about which an investor may feel strongly. It’s not always about where investors choose not to invest, they often simply prefer to direct their funds into areas such as renewable energy, medical research or simply sustainable living. These approaches are commonly referred to as Negative, Positive and/ or Restrictive screening for investments. The term ‘Impact Investing’ is used for investing directly into markets, individual companies or communities (often through direct financing of projects, seed capital etc) to deliver impetus to the desired outcome. Investors and fund managers often utilise a combination of these methods. Many people have not heard of SRI but it is a real growth area of investing experiencing some 51% growth in funds under management (FUM) in 2013 calendar year. Clearly, this type of investing is Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
becoming a force to be reckoned with.
positive result – after all, they ARE investors. ESG Criteria -are simply Environmental, Social(ly responsible) and (corporate) Governance minimum standards that investors can use to benchmark.
** Reference: Global Sustainable Investment Review 2014 - http://www.ussif.org/Files/ Publications/GSIA_Review.pdf
And yes, it is different from donations which are essentially funding for Non Government Organisations (NGO’s) to provide assistance in areas of need, SRI is an enterprise designed to assist with raising of capital for specific investments which compete and exist sustainably. But do they under-perform comparable assets for the investor?
Is it Difficult ? -to invest with SRI principles ? It takes a little more research but no, it is not difficult to invest ethically. You may also seek out an advisor whose principles and beliefs align with yours. Do SRI Investments make money? Yes, indeed they do. However SRI funds seem to underperform funds without the same limiting criteria but not in all cases:
Shareholder Advocacy -is an interesting development where investors communicate their ideas, wishes and concerns to the boards of directors thereby exercising their right as part owners of the assets to the utilisation of capital – potentially by utilising pressure such as direct communication, educating the public and other shareholders, filing resolutions for voting at AGM’s. However SRI advocates generally allow the directors and managers sufficient freedom to deliver a
This can create a dilemma if you are saving for your retirement, for example, because the compound or cumulative effect of investing for a lower outcome or return can mean less money to retire upon. Solution You may choose to invest part of your portfolio in SRI thereby achieving the best of both worlds. Naturally you would seek advice for your individual situation but you may be in a position to invest ethically. Page 14
Let’s Talk Business
Peter Nicol Wisdom Marketing & Management Services 0417627097 www.wisdommarketing.com.au manager@wisdommarketing.com.au
Better Get Into The Digital Space About two weeks ago I was asked to do a talk on marketing and sales to a group of business owners in a relatively small regional centre in South East Queensland. It was a favour I owed the community for their support of another program I am involved with. It was promoted as a Marketing Workshop with a bias toward digital platforms. At my age (70) I consider myself competent to deliver a course like this but, I know there are far greater minds than mine who can talk about this “space”. I have a young friend of many years who has grown a phenomenal business doing programming, building websites and doing digital marketing across a number of Social Media. He has a thriving business and employs about 6 people. We have worked on a number of projects over the years. I took him with me. The format of the evening a four-hour workshop (attended by 32 business owners) was in two parts. 1. I started with how to write persuasive copy and, how to turn features into benefits. Not many people know the difference and, indeed this reflects in the poorly written copy you see on most websites. No point in putting up a lot of
Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
money for a website if you do not know how to write copy. Pictures are not noted when it comes to Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). People have to write in such a way that the relevant words are embodied in their copy. It takes time and many people think that employment of a web builder is the end of the story. How wrong. It is you the customer that has to write the words. So my bit was sobering and I have since had positive feedback. 2. Next my young friend took the floor and went about doing his thing. It was well presented and gave useful and powerful ideas as to how to use the Internet and Social Media platforms profitably. You could see the interest levels rising. What came next was a complete surprise to me. It was the high calibre of questions asked by a large number of people. They all had web and social media in their business. The dollars that some were making was outstanding. Now please realise these folk were self-taught in the main. The Town where they had their businesses was by no means large. Probable population of under 10K. Yet one was using E-Bay and had a Postage bill each month of over 4K to
all parts of the world. That is a lot of product and for everyday items that I would have thought were a thing you purchased in your own town. Her copy and technology skills were honed over several years and now she was reaping great success. She and my young friend met the next day and he was able to help her with a few ideas that will translate into business for them both. What can we learn from this? I learned that it can and is being done no matter the size of the business. Give it the time and learn the skills and give your business a boost. This age of digital commerce is here to stay. Get with it or get run over. Have a great safe Easter. Page 15
Let’s Talk Business
Denis Keating Everest Resources Brisbane, QLD HR and WHS Protection for Your Business Mobile: 0419 029 606 Fax: 07 3112 4072 Email: denis@everestresources.com.au Web: www.everestresources.com.au Skype: denis.keating1
Performance management is the fourth part of the National Standard HRF 101:201 Human Resources Framework, and is arguably the most talked about, and frequently controversial, component.
Performance Management
Typically, too many conversations in the workplace between managers and subordinates are around negative events – what has gone wrong, what has been done incorrectly or not as well than it could have been done. Catch your people doing something good, and give them PRAISE! This should be the prime focus of good people management. When things do go off-track However, there will be times when things go wrong. This is where decisive management action may be needed, and when it’s a relatively serious issue, you as manager need to be careful with how you approach the issue, and the records you keep. This is where my “Three levels of conversations” become important.
Having established our policy and procedure systems and ensured our compliance with HR, IR and WHS legislative requirements, we are now ready to build on the strengths of our people, by examining their performance. Dr Tim Baker is our ”in-house” specialist in this area and his article last month, “The Five Conversations Framework in a Nutshell”, is particularly relevant. His five conversations, if used well, should provide a base for forward-looking and positive performance improvement, rather than the traditional backwardlooking and (very often) negative performance review. Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
1. For minor matters, which nonetheless need to be mentioned, a low level “Day-to-day conversation” is appropriate. Discipline breaches such as minor concerns over lateness, absenteeism, productivity, quality, etc. can be dealt with using an informal conversation, usually able to be held at or near the employee’s physical work-station (e.g. on the factory floor, in the shop, or at the desk). If handled well, this will often be the end of the matter. 2. For the next level of less-thanacceptable behaviour, use the “Checkpoint Conversation”, whereby you take the employee
aside (typically into your office) and address the matter at an appropriate level. Keep a record of the conversation, and advise the employee that you are doing so. Again in many cases, this should be the end of the matter, though you might also agree that there is a necessary review process in order to monitor progress towards the desired behaviour. 3. When there is a serious breach of workplace behavioural expectations, you need to have a socalled “Difficult Conversation” with the employee in concerned, always in a suitable venue where confidentiality can be guaranteed. As a manager, it is your right and responsibility to do this. Seek professional advice beforehand if necessary. Stick to the facts, give the employee an opportunity to state his/her case, and take your time to reach a decision. Formal disciplinary action may result. Remember to document everything! If you have in place robust policies, procedures and processes, and have clearly explained these to your employees, then none of the above conversations should be a surprise to them. They will know what behaviours are expected and how you will handle matters when there is a need to do so.
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Let’s Talk Business
Betty Zsoldos CRISES COACH
WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO?
Trainer, Master Coach, NLP Master
“If you aren't making a difference in other people's lives,
email: bettyzsoldos@gmail.com
you shouldn't be in business.”
(Richard Branson)
web: www.diymindsurgery.com
Being a breadwinner and a mother of 4, I have worked as an English teacher, a global educator, a personal development trainer and a coach for 20 years. Taking a closer look on the nature of barriers delaying goals, working out a better and faster way to get to the destination excited me most. This professional history of mine, my husband?s early death, the challenges of my four daughters’ upbringing and my original curiosity drove me into passionate studies of various communicational and personal developmental methods. The range is wide on the following fields: psychology, NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), Systemthinking, Moving- and Dancing Therapy, Conflict Resolution, Mediation, Human Rights, Sustainability, Development Education, Coaching and Mentoring.
Having arrived at the end of the era of “over”-s (that is, overproduction, overconsumption, overpopulation, overgrowth – just to name a few) it is inevitable that we have got to the limits of growth. Being at the brink of collapse makes us experience vast crisis in every major field from micro to macro level. And even if we know that crisis indicates that the old way of operation cannot be maintained any longer, yet we smartly apply a quite diverse tool-set of the defence mechanism to numb ourselves not to feel the collective guilt and despair. “What's wrong? Just keep smiling and Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
be positive.” - one might advise, but it won't help any more. Why?
solely their own individual issues; however, we equally share them all!
To better understand the context we must clearly hear the cultural myth, the continuous mantra of our scientificindustrial world, which is about the story of self, the separated being in a cold and indifferent universe where it is imperative to fight to survive.
Even the forms of their expressions are akin, too: they feel their doubts, questions, complaints, etc. so personal as if it belonged only to them. But: “What is most personal the most universal.?”
In this myth everything that is not “me” is detached and disconnected that threatens my own being. Thus, I must strive to take control of everything: from dubious human relationships to the arbitrary and whimsical forces of nature. It is enough to take a glance at the business to see the dog-eat-dog world, the rat-race, the so-called “noncooperative” game of only one winner, the continuous and endless fight to rule the market. The players' position in the pyramid, the hierarchy of leadership shows how the power is taken by those who have succeeded to get to the top. Meeting someone new, asking: “Hello, what's your name and what's your job?” suggests that we want to nose out quickly and implicitly the person's place in the pyramid. What's wrong with that? The answer is irrelevant and that really makes no difference any longer. We are from the same atoms, and we are in the same crumbling world. During the coaching processes of working with clients from all walks of life I find it fascinating that they display remarkably identical symptoms. They experience their pain, anxiety and fears as well as uplift, as if these were
What makes us different lies in somewhere else. Words give people away. Listening to clients I can hear, someone has a “job” or a “profession” or a “mission”. That is, some are busy to do something, anything to get money to survive. Others try to do their duty at a high standard. And few are the ones who answer the calling! That's what makes a difference! It all boils down to these questions: Are you a helpless victim of the turbulences of present times or are you the Responsible Creator at the dawn of the New Era? Where are you in this Transition? Do you make your way to the highest level of the Maslow pyramid to be a transcendent man? How do you contribute now when the whole Earth is in labour, when something coherent and consistent is emerging giving way to our deeper longings? And most importantly: WHO ARE YOU? Can you take off your mask and come off-stage? Can you change the game? Can you take your part in the rebirth of the Revolutionary Transition of the evolutionary process? Page 17
Let’s Talk Business
Andrew Csaszar AUROPE Enterprises 0402942402 www.aurope.com.au andrew@aurope.com.au
Organizations’ Strategic Compass Development of an organization’s strategy requires great effort. It always comes first before we go into the details. Once the main principle has been taken shape in a mission or vision statement, you are tasked to work out the fundamental structure. This big picture, usually referred as strategy, will then hold together the cogs in your vehicle.
Administration (be consistent), Divergence (be surprising) and Integration (be understanding). This is called the PADI model. Every subsequent strategic level has to match with the same archetype, most proper for the given clientele.
The other day I read about organizations strategic alignment in Norman Chorn’s great book. Wow, I was amazed how everything just fell into place with the model described in his book. Efficiency is key to sustain long term competitiveness on tough markets, and to achieve it requires masterful design. Just like a reliable compass shows direction out the sea, making sure the three major areas are strategically aligned with the operating environment of the organization will greatly increase your chances for success. Strategy, organizational culture and leadership, the three primary fields have to be harmonised in a common logic. Sounds very basic, right? Although, it’s not always easy to achieve. Culture, for example – “the way things are done here” – is not an easy thing to regulate with policies. The question: “How to best serve my client?” has to be neatly planted in every head. To achieve coordination throughout your organization, four archetypes have been introduced. They describe four typical customer behaviours. These four stereotypes and needs are: Pragmatism (be responsive), Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
here as examples, you have to make sure that your whole organization is humming the same rhythm from top to bottom. What helps you to achieve this? Strategy is usually in the hands of the CEO, and the bigger the organization, the greater effort is required to implement full alignment. More precisely, to get everyone sincerely accept these principles. And so the fifth, personal level, comes into picture.
So when it comes to e.g. a pizza delivery, you are expected to be quick (it’s a P type). Even quality is submitted to this expectation. You cannot ponce around to accurately divide your pizza into equal slices or nicely chop up the ham and olives and decorate it like you would in a finedining restaurant. Everything has to be ticking like a Swiss watch and the pizza delivered while it is still hot. Why? Because your market audience here is most probably the always busy and impecunious uni students. The archetype typical to the business has to impregnate each strategic level. That’s what strategic alignment basically means. The same characteristics have to appear each level: either in strategic documents like the business model, in organizational culture like your Code of Conduct or in leadership like policies and procedures. Although I’m only listing documents
It is all taking place in the subconscious. Employees’ intrinsic drive must meet with organizational goals. Just then they can be satisfied, work enthusiastically and be loyal. This is the invisible field that links all the others and provides a solid frame. Individuals have to identify themselves with the mission, agree on the strategy, share the culture, and honour leaders acting on the same foundations. This is the “Alpha-and-Omega” of organizational alignment. As business coach I proceed with the personal level: encourage clients to exploit compelling inner forces and align them with corporate goals on each strategic level. I work on forming strong relationship with the organization as well as building bridges to clients’ needs.
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Let’s Talk Business Dennis Chiron Marketing Means Business 0451 184 599 www.marketingmeansbusiness.com
dennis@marketingmeansbusiness.net.au Skype: dennis.chiron2
Grants available for your business - Online search tool
use to generate new and different revenue streams.
Grant Finder helps you locate the grants and assistance programs most relevant to your business for free!
So pay attention to details, ask questions to yourself, be proactive, and the opportunities will come your way.
Grants and other funding programs are available for businesses from the Australian, state and territory governments, and in some cases from local councils. You can search through a wide variety of grants in many categories, including developing your business, innovation and education.
Click here for more information and to launch the search platform. Are You In The “Dreaded Rut” Many small business owners are realistically concerned about expenses which seldom go down. On the contrary, there are always price rises and they are always much too often, and you need to constantly make efforts to keep your business profitable. It shouldn't be that way, though. There are numerous ways to increase your revenue. Whether it be increasing a current revenue stream or creating a whole new one. There are always many possibilities. However, the problem is, that we get into the rut of doing the same things day in and day out, focusing mostly on our primary source of revenue. That’s not so bad, but it tends to limit us for looking around for new opportunities. There are always underperforming products and services or underutilised resources that you can
Tax Cuts for Small Business - Here at Last It’s been a long time coming and it looks like the small business tax cut might actually have an impact. Small Business Minister Bruce Billson says the promised 1.5% tax cut for SMEs will apply to all small businesses, not just those that are incorporated. Eloise Keating SmartCompany Deputy Editor reports that as part of the small business package that will form part of this year’s budget, small businesses that are incorporated and sole traders, as well as businesses that operate within a trust structure, will receive tax relief. The mechanisms by which this will be achieved is still being finalised, but both company turnover and taxable income are being considered. Billson says the final policy will depend on the definition of small business adopted by the government. Billson says there is "no silver bullet" to encouraging small business, but the policy puts the government on the right track. Morning Sickness is a Workplace Disabiltiy A female worker in Victoria has won a civil lawsuit against her employer after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) found she was being discriminated
against by her employer for having morning sickness. VCAT senior member Ian Proctor ruled the employer, Telco Business Solutionsfailed to make "reasonable adjustments" to accommodate the pregnant worker’s severe morning sickness, which he ruled was in fact a “disability”. Stephanie Bevilacqua, who had been diagnosed with a severe form of morning sickness, alleged managers at Telco Business Solutions had made comments relating to her pregnancy, sick leave, lifting boxes, sitting and toilet breaks that amounted to discrimination. Bevilacqua told the court she suffered migraines, back pain, ankle pain and foot pain as a result of her condition. The VCAT ruled “If someone is adversely affected by being pregnant, businesses are required to make such adjustments to accommodate those changes.” The Report that’s designed to make your life cheaper and easier. The Competition Policy was handed down yesterday. The first report of its kind in over 20 years, it outlined areas in competition that could be improved so consumers can get a better deal and better service. Chief among these are recommendations to tackle the taxi industry, pharmacies, retail trading hours, intellectual property, energy and zoning. In other words, life is about to get sweeter. (We will see)
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Let’s Talk Business
Objectives of “Let’s Talk Business” Small Business Publication One of the primary objectives of “Let’s Talk Business” (LTB) is to provide a regular, monthly information service to support the Small Business Community. Our goal is to provide a publication offering a wide and diverse range of topics and information which may assist business owners and their teams to gain more insight, knowledge and skills in the overall running of their business, thereby assisting them to build a strong, viable and sustainable business.
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Volume 3 Issue 29 - April 2015
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