Connexions Business Mag - #13 July 2013 Issue

C onnexions

Business Magazine

Million Dollar Lasting Relationship Taking a Quantum Leap Work Life Balance #5

Daily Balance

Not Yet Wealthy?

It’s Probably Not Entirely Your Fault

Fixing the Gut

What’s all the Stink About!

The Value of a Personal Trainer

Jennie Gorman

“The People Connector”

from Jennie’s Desk

Another month has come and gone …. and I am not sure where or how!

My book, ‘Awesome Authenticity’ on mastering business relationships is being physically launched in Brisbane on the evening of Thursday, 15th August. Copies will be presold.

I am honoured to have Getrude Matshe as my publisher and friend and look forward to having her here in Brisbane to launch not only my book but her new one too called ‘How to Write a Book in 40 Hours’.

After returning from Europe my world was thrown into chaos with internet challenges, which are still on-going. Looks as though I need to change my ISP which is a very big process owing to my 21 social media sites, nearly 5 websites and the notification to all my friends and clients of an email address change … more when this comes about too!

New MasterMind Groups are happening and the progress of participants has been wonderful. My absolute passion is working with business owners and entrepreneurs supporting them whilst using my MasterMinding format to be the best they can be by taking them and their businesses to the next level.

I have a part-time personal assistant starting with me in the next couple of weeks. This will make me more proactive too.

Having used a group of virtual assistants now for nearly 15 months, someone on the ground is now really necessary.

The workload is growing and by being more regulated I will be more focussed too!!

I want to thank all the writers this month who pass on their information and knowledge so freely. If you would like the opportunity to write for this magazine, please let me know. I endeavour to give as much as I can on a variety of subjects to help enhance small business owners in their growth.

Until next month, enjoy and have fun.

JENNIE GORMAN

Awesome Authenticity Book Launch

Thursday, 15th August Registration Time : 6:00pm 6:30 – 9:00pm Venue to be announced SOON!

contents

Previous Issue June 2013 Disclaimer: The opinions and viewpoints expressed in Connexions Business Magazine do not necessarily represent those of the editor, staff or publisher or any Connexions Unlimited staff or related parties. The publisher, Connexions Unlimited personnel are not liable for any mistake, misprint or omission.

All information contained in Connexions Business Magazine is intended to inform and illustrate and should not be taken as financial, health, legal or accounting advice. You should seek professional advice before making any business related decisions. We are not liable for any losses you may incur directly or indirectly as a result of reading Connexions Business Magazine. Reproduction of any material or contents of the magazine without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

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Million Dollar Lasting Relationships

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Raise Your Prices

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Developing Resilience and Creating Sustainability

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Taking a Quantum Leap

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How does Crowdfunding work and is it right for your business?

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Work Life Balance #5 - Daily Balance

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How to Master Your Time 10 Quick Tips for Increasing Your Productivity

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Self Analysis On How You Network Now

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Trademarks ‘TM’ vs ®

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Not Yet Wealthy?

Its Probably NOT Entirely Your Fault

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When is my Will or Enduring Power of Attorney Valid and What should I Think About Putting in these Documents?

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Fixing the Gut - What’s all the Stink About!

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English Corner in China

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The Value of a Personal Trainer

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MasterMind Reviews

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Upcoming Events

Million Dollar Lasting Relationships

by Jennie Gorman

Building relationships with people that will last, create a win-win connections and who will become your ‘raving fans’ are all based on a few simple rules.

Firstly, you need to establish trust.

I ask you, do you trust yourself and your ability to make good judgments? Trust is all about knowing yourself and how authentic you come across to people meeting you for the first time. Do you give the feeling to others that you are someone who can be relied upon and can keep their word?

Do you have faith and belief in others? Can you be relied upon to do the right thing?

These are all questions one needs to ask oneself when looking at the basics in relationship building.

act as well as knowing that the information you pass on is correct and reliable. People will view you by the company you keep and what is perceived as your established reliability.

How you treat others is a reflection on you as a person. It has been said that ‘one should treat others as they would like to be treated’.

I personally disagree with this statement. I believe that we ‘should treat others as they would like to be treated’. This is far better from my perspective, as the first way is assuming the person has the same values as you yourself.

The way I would like to be treated would be very different from many other people. Take for example, the giving of a gift.

By trusting someone it does not necessarily mean that that person is trustworthy. Being too trusting without thinking about it carefully can sometimes be dangerous.

There are people who gain trust and then break it, so you need to use discretion on where you give your trust.

How many times have you been given a gift by someone who gives what they like and is their taste, but quite contrary to your own? It is very easy to assume what others like. The only way to truly know what someone likes is to listen to what they say, watch how they live and observe how they do things.

I believe that building your credibility is the next thing to look at when creating solid relationships.

Credibility is how your words and deeds are seen by others. Are you trustworthy and do you have the expertise on the subject you are talking about? To gain credibility in the business world you need to prove it firstly by the way you

I believe that making a habit of acknowledging people is a wonderful attribute to have. Making others feel good and worthwhile helps create a relationship. We are not aware, I believe, on what is going on in other’s lives and praise or kindness can change a person’s life dramatically if they are someone who does not get enough of

this in their life. It must be sincere though and come ‘from the heart’. Observing people and acknowledging what they are doing or have created can be very powerful. It is important that we create win-win situations in all our relationships.

To remember important dates and significant events in another’s life can show awareness of them.

Isn’t it nice to be remembered on your birthday or anniversary or if your work mates and friends acknowledge something you have done well? We are sometimes aware of what is not necessary to remember, and all too often forget the significant times in people’s lives. Bringing joy and happiness to others life can be very easy and simple. Like a smile, it is free!

If you want to create solid lasting relationships, be prepared to invest time and energy to that relationship. Take the first step … don’t wait for the other to take that first action. Relationships that last and are productive for both sides are worth the time and energy that one needs to put into them.

So remember these attributes: trust, credibility, the way you treat and acknowledge others, by remembering important dates and events as well as investing time and energy, are all the basic ingredients to building relationships that last forever.

www.connexionsunlimited.com.au 6

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Testimonial I joined Jennie’s Mastermind Group in February 2013, having started my Sound Bath Healing Business 3 months previously.

I was looking for a group of people that I could work with to build my business and my business skills.

from

Olivier Maxted

www.soundbathhealing.com

In the time that I have been part of the Mastermind Group my business bottom line has tripled and my network of contacts has grown from a few people in Brisbane to a national contact base.

On top of the business confidence I have gained is a strong friendship with Jennie. Jennie is such a caring individual with a deep sense of personal and professional integrity.

If you are a SME business owner looking to expand your business and your confidence in your skills then I recommend Jennie’s Mastermind Group without reservation.

"My Life, My Style" proudly hosting Brisbane's Biggest Morning Tea, "Breast Friends Night In" a Girls Night In event and attempting to break the world record for the "World's Longest Bra Chain" raising much needed funding for The Cancer Council QLD.

Call Jennie to discuss how this works for you 0414 278 344

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Connexions Business Mag

Raise Your Prices

by Sarah Stein

When I first started business I didn’t know how much to charge, so the logical thing was to pluck a figure out of my head - $30/hour sounded good to me. After all, I’d come from the employee world where I was earning $18/hour so $30/hour sounded like a fortune!

A little way into my business I started seeing a business coach and she promptly told me that I needed to increase my prices, and I needed to charge $55/hour.

What? Charge $55/hour? Are you crazy? That’s an increase of 85 per cent! Not only was I going to seem ridiculous, I was going to lose all of my clients in the process!

My coach was adamant – I must increase my price to $55/hour.

So I reluctantly went back to my office and thought about all the clients I was going to lose, and all the hard work it took to get them in the first place! But I had committed to this business coaching thing, so thought I’d better follow through.

The next networking event I went so I was asked how much I charged – in my head I was saying “$55 per hour”, but out of my mouth came “$30 per hour”! That was a bit of a struggle initially – after all, this was a potentially new client who wasn’t going to be affected by a price increase if I’d never charged them at the lower rate in the first place! I slowly got the hang of it and my mouth and brain communicated and I got the right message out.

The next struggle was telling my existing clients. The month was October so I decided that a good

time would be a price rise from 1st January. I wrote to all of my clients (because I was too scared to tell them face to face) and informed them of the increase in price, effective from when.

At the time the fuel prices were going through the roof – so this was to be part of the justification (blame) for the increase to my price, as well as bringing them into line with market conditions.

The next day I was expecting a barrage of phone calls or emails saying an increase of 85% was ludicrous and they’d be taking their business elsewhere. That didn’t happen! In fact, when I spoke to a client about it, he said that he didn’t know why it had taken me so long to charge what I was worth!

What did I learn from this exercise?

The person with biggest problem about my price was me! If you value yourself and your service, so will your clients.

A couple of tips when considering putting your prices up: When are you going to raise prices? Don’t let your clients know the day or week before the event. Work out a date and commit to that date. Then let your clients know with enough

forward notice so they don’t feel like they’ve been dumped in the deep end, and they can budget for the price rise if they need to.

Work out your new price. And are you going to raise your prices every year (which means you can do smaller price rises on an annual basis), or are they going to be rare (which means that this price rise could be significant).

Consider annual price increases.

It’s easier on your clients and then it just becomes routine and nothing anybody will raise their eyebrows at.

Don’t be too concerned that clients will stop using your service because you raise your price – most don’t. And that may be because they love the work you do, or it’s just easier to stay. Some will even commend you for finally raising your prices – as a couple of mine did! You may lose some clients but let’s face it – you lose clients and others come along.

Some of the clients you lose may actually be a blessing as they’re “price shoppers” or more difficult than other clients, or they’re just looking for an excuse to leave you anyway. Don’t worry about it – you haven’t done anything to damage your reputation, and another client will shortly come along.

Sarah www.missefficiency.com.au

2013 June

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Developing Resilience and Creating Sustainability

by Josie Thomson Resilience...

and personal life balance… and the list goes on. Does this sound familiar? Take heart – you are not alone!

Sustainability...

That’s why I have dedicated this newsletter to the art of ‘resilience’ and the potential for developing a life that delivers a ‘sustainable’ platform that supports you in delivering your best self and your best work in your best life.

the ability to bounce back when things get rough and come back stronger than ever... the potential for long-term maintenance for wellbeing...

Developing my new brand has given me a significant amount of change to manage. I decided I needed a complete overhaul.

My business structure was not supporting me in consistently delivering my best work. I was stressed, did not have systems or processes established, and I was often not coping well.

I recognise this predicament with clients I work with i.e. so much to do, competing priorities to manage, information overload, meeting after meeting, no strategic thinking time, no time to stop to eat properly, poor sleep patterns, juggling professional

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For myself, addressing my situation, I realised I not only needed a new look, but a complete assessment of everything I do and how I do it. I know that I need to get this important change right. I’m taking my time to ensure that whatever I set up now will carry me forward into the future with greater levels of flow and more effective ways of delivery. I’m handling my stress with regular walks with my dogs (Pixie and Shadow, who you can see in the picture at the beginning of this email) and having clear

focus and faith in the outcome.

I focus on the ‘what’ step of the journey and allow the ‘how to’ steps to emerge. I’ve learned that I don’t actually need to ‘control’ everything! (Yes, read that last line again) ;)

HOW RESILIENT ARE YOU? The world around us is growing in complexity, the speed of information is boggling to the mind, the volume of information is more than our brain can handle.

Relationships are taxed and pushed to capacity. Stress and mental health-related conditions are now the second major OH&S issue for workplaces. How then, do we discern what we need to be paying attention to, and what should take priority at any point in time? And how do we balance our own needs and wellbeing into the mix?

The answer is simple.

Quality results, requires quality thinking.

Quality thinking requires clear focus.

Clarity of focus requires clarity of mind.

Clarity of mind comes through paying close attention to what you are paying attention to, in other words, mindfulness. Mindfulness is the ability to cultivate awareness of the present moment while putting aside our lenses of judgment. It is being in connection with the direct experience of the present moment - the here and now.

Most of us can connect with the example of our minds feeling out of control at times, or our emotions feeling imbalanced. The practice of mindfulness offers us the unique strength of learning how to control our own minds, instead of our minds controlling us.

BUILDING RESILIENCE IN THE WORKPLACE I’ve developed a practical neuroscience-based ‘Resilience’ program which draws from my studies in the Neuroscience of Leadership, and teaches people how to effectively train their brain to deliver optimal thinking and performance results, whilst delivering greater efficiencies with ease, contentment, wellbeing and flow in their days. This program includes practices in mindfulness and mind management techniques and is ideally suited for groups of 12 or more people as an in-house program. If you’d like to explore this for your workplace, contact me.

BUILDING RESILIENCE AS AN INDIVIDUAL I have personally drawn on a significant amount of resilience to handle the changes in my own world. As you know, I’ve overcome some major life

threatening challenges over the years, which really put ‘life’ into perspective for me. What I’ve learned is that we must always keep perspective about the ‘big picture’. We can ‘have it all’ but perhaps not all at the same time! It’s about stepping back from all the detail and busyness, re-connecting with your truth and values, and getting clear about what you really want and what is most important.

Quick check: how do you know if you need to build resilience?

• Increased stress and low moods of depression and anxiety • Your attention is often in multiple places at once • Boosted emotions of sadness, irritation, frustration, crankiness, shame or guilt • Increased conflict in your relationships, work and general enjoyment of life • Poor health and physical tension • Your mind tends to venture backwards into grievances of the past or forwards to worries of the future • Life feels out of balance and overwhelming at times • Diminishing performance and quality of outcomes 4 ways to build your resilience, handle stress and change....

1 Keep the ‘big picture’ focus in check – know what’s really important to you - don’t sweat the small stuff and don’t let others dictate your priorities!

2 Make some time to think and get out of the busyness of life.

Become more mindful of what you are thinking about and what you are paying attention to. Shift your focus from problems, details and drama to outcomes and solutions.

3 Give thanks and be grateful for your life and circumstances.

Everything in life serves as a curse or a blessing – you get to choose!

Exploring what you are being invited to learn from adversity and

then giving thanks, serves as a reminder of the things you’re grateful for, redirects your attention and rewires your brain… which hopefully results in more smiles.

4 Accountability helps to eliminate overload and assists your brain to commit to supporting you along the way. Write down your top 3 things to achieve each day, work with a buddy, mentor or coach to challenge your habits and enable fresh and proactive new thinking and steps to be taken.

WHAT’S NEW? I’ve already mentioned my Resilience program, and next month, I plan to launch my complete CLR (Change | Leadership | Resilience) series.

I’m really excited because it’s a culmination of years of study, development, working with outstanding leaders with amazing courage and will to make things better for future generations.

If you have reviewed the points above and you’ve decided to take action, then I look forward to sharing this with you. Delivered via coaching, group workshops and/or private consultations, the skills I teach will give what you need to harness and navigate your way through the toughest changes, the most demanding leadership challenges and build resilience to deliver your absolute best - every day!

And as for my brand, my new web site is underway, I have a sparkly new logo and many fresh ideas I’m absolutely bursting to share with you. Progress is being made one step at a time, and these steps I KNOW will take me to levels of greater purpose, difference making, joy and fulfillment.

www.aexcel.com.au 2013 June

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“Taking a Quantum Leap”

by Gabby Button Some of life’s most challenging questions include “Why are we here?”, “What is life all about?”, and “What is the purpose of existence?”. These questions have been the subject of endless philosophical, scientific, and theological speculation throughout history. If only there was a simple answer.

On one extreme we have people who believe in creationism. Creationism is the religious belief that life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being. It suggests that the world and all its species was made at once, exactly as it should be.

On the other extreme we have those who believe in evolution. They claim that all living things, plants, animals, and humans, began by a process of evolution over billions of years. It is based on a scientific way of knowing about the natural world. It states that we are part of a scientifically based system.

Until recently, there was no real common ground between these two views of life. At the extreme, one group believes that everything matters and the other believes that we are simply elements in a system. One believes that everything happens for a reason while the other believes mostly in Newton’s fifth law - every action has a reaction, cause and effect.

This is until quantum physics and more specifically, the quantum philosophy was introduced, a scientifically backed domain that appears to be validating both extremes.

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Quantum physics, at its most basic level, states (initially by Albert Einstein) that space and time are intertwined and that matter is inseparable from a field of quantum energy, the basis for everything.

In other words, we are both matter and energy. It states that everything is connected at a level of energy and we are not separate parts of the universe but instead we are one with it. Everything is connected. Everything affects and is affected by the energy field of the universe.

Of course, this may not prove the existence of a creator, but it is proving that all particles and matter are intertwined. Or more simply put, that quantum physics is proving that we are all part of everything around us, that we are all integrally connected, that at some level every living being affects every other living being.

Regardless of where you sit on the spectrum of creationism vs evolutionism, the findings of quantum physics, at a psychological and social level, can take us closer to answering those big life questions.

My interest is not in the science but in the potential clues it is sending to help us find meaning and purpose in our existence.

So what sort of clues is it sending?

If you look around, you will see how disconnected we have become. In so many situations, we are defined by what we have or what we do, and not by who we truly are. We put people in boxes, we judge them and treat them accordingly.

We forget that we are all human beings, with dreams, desires, fears, families, failures and struggles and that we are all looking for our place and our path in this life. We are not simply ‘elements in a system’ or ‘individual units of creation’ but instead we are intrinsically connected and interconnect to everyone and everything else.

Just try it. You don’t need to have blind faith in anything nor over rationalize this. Simply try to train your mind to tap into the interconnectedness of everyone you meet, and everything you do and see what happens.

May the force be with you!

If we stop seeing people as ‘separate things’ and consciously start seeing them as the wonderful exciting interconnected creatures that they truly are, how would our behaviours change?

Would that help us to form more meaningful relationships? Become better leaders? Find more meaning in our lives, businesses and communities?

Once you adopt this mindset, something extraordinary happens. Your family rapidly expands. Everyone becomes part of your family because they are connected to you by the very nature of their existence. Once this shift in thinking happens, communication, empathy and collaboration becomes easier and life becomes more meaningful.

Here’s a small challenge. For one day, see everyone around you as totally interconnect to you, to your existence and vice versa. See your life affecting theirs, and theirs yours, and observe if this bring any changes to your actions, thoughts and feelings.

Gabby Button Gabrielle is the “go-to” person for developing and implementing a new paradigm in business and management, one which is suited for our fast-moving complex world, where bureaucracy and old theories are failing and human consciousness is desperately trying to find a better way. No matter what the topic, her objective is to fire up the passion and energy and reignite the desire to step into your greatest potential. au.linkedin.com/in/gabbybutton

2013 June

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NEW MASTERMIND GROUPS STARTING SOON

INTERESTED?

• Do you wish to move your business to the next level for 2013?

• Would you like help to generate a large number of ideas for solutions to any challenges you are experiencing?

Only six people will get the opportunity to be part of this group, so you need to act now if you are interested.

• Are you wishing to have input from other business people into your business?

• How would you like to have your business dissected in a creative way?

• Are you looking for new contacts to support you?

• Do you have ideas you would like to share with others?

• Would you like to have your business brainstormed by other business people?

Click on the application form or Visit our website

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businessmastermindgroups.com.au

Connexions Business Mag

How does Crowdfunding work and is it right for your business?

by Quentin Brown Crowdfunding is the practice of asking a large group of people or a community to financially support a project or cause through voluntary micropayments.

Crowdfunding is an alternative method of raising finance for a business, project or idea, popularized

by Kickstarter.com in the United States.

Unlike angel investment, in which one person typically takes a larger stake in a small business, with crowdfunding an entrepreneur can attract a ‘crowd’ of people – each of whom takes a small stake in a business idea, by contributing towards an online funding target.

It is believed that, in many cases, this model is more successful than attempting to source full investment required from a single individual or organization.

Furthermore, while some investors may be hesitant to invest in an unproven idea, crowdfunding provides an alternative way to source seed capital from a number of backers.

Obviously a lot of traditional finance providers have come out against this new source of funding because it is starting to affect their traditional strong hold on finance.

Crowdfunding works best for start-ups that have a story to tell – whether a personal reason for starting the business, a passionate vision for what it could become, or a social mission.

If you have a mundane or complicated concept which the public will struggle to connect to, crowdfunding may not be right for your start-up. However, any business can succeed with the right pitch – the key to crowdfunding success is: keep it simple.

While writing up your project many sites offer the opportunity to add perks which are simply ways to generate more money.

Perk Principles Offer perks directly related to (or produced by) your project. If you’re raising money for a film, don’t send me a Snickers.

Download our magazine with more information, videos and tutorials you can read on your computer or tablet.

Your perks shouldn’t be so fancy/expensive that they suck up all of your donations. The point is to use your fundraising money for your project, not just providing the perks. (This isn’t necessarily true if you’re crowdfunding a physical product launch and essentially using the platform for pre-sales.)

Your perks shouldn’t feel cheap. In other words: don’t make your perks so dinky that it feels more like a charity donation.

Personalize, customize, and one-time-only-ize.

Great perks can’t be found anywhere else.

Mobile: 0481 269 620 SEO: 5minuteSEO.com Website: http://wmfp.com.au/

2013 June

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Work Life Balance #5 - Daily Balance

by Caroline Miall It makes sense, really, that if we want to achieve a better balance between our work and personal life, we should start by seeking a little bit more of it every day, in everything. Being conscious of balance in your everyday life and striving to maintain a healthy equilibrium; in sleep habits, food consumption, drinking, exercise, leisure etc., put simply, that’s what overall health is all about. It’s when we allow ourselves too little or too much of what we need and/or want that things can start to go awry for us.

Awareness of what balance ‘looks like’ in your life is key. Nutrition and exercise for example; we know that eating right and being active doesn’t always come easily and our culture has made it so that we don’t need to move much, and convenience foods are relied upon. How many of us just loathe exercise for the sake of it? Finding the healthier foods that you actually like, and the exercise that, for you, feels more like an escape – these are the little things that help you gain the health and balance to live your best.

Try to achieve a balance between the daily grind, and the more memorable times too. Keep yourself inspired by the dreams you may have forgotten you even had, and write your Bucket List! Don’t wait till you’re old; start chipping away at it now.

Having it in black and white should help you seek opportunities to make them happen.

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Being mindful and aware of your own impact on your life doesn’t mean you need to go and join a yoga class, or learn how to meditate (although that is brilliant, just not easy for us all), it’s about making the small choices through your days and weeks be the ones which will have a positive effect.

Good behaviours that result in more contented, balances lives are modelled, learned and shared.

So, all of the small things you do for the betterment of yourself will be noticed by your children. Make it your business to know what is going to be good for you and share it with them. They’ll thank you when they’re older, as this balance will come more easily as part of their routines, not in spite of them.

www.aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au caroline@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

How to Master Your Time -

10 Quick Tips for Increasing Your Productivity

by Anthea Moffitt Time is our most precious resource. It doesn’t matter who we are or where we live, each and every day we are all given the same 1,440 minutes or 24 hours.

We get to choose how we spend it. But with that gift comes a huge responsibility.

How we spend our time ultimately determines our results. The activities we do have only two possible outcomes… they will either move us towards or away from our goals.

If you want to achieve your goals faster you need to become more productive. Sadly, it is estimated that most of us are only truly productive for two hours each day. So here are 10 quick tips to help boost your productivity. Things I’m sure you already know. The question is…. are you doing them?

1. Plan each day.

What are the top 5 activities you must complete?

Check that your list comprises of important tasks which are necessary for you to move forward with your goals.

2. Start with a clear desk.

Clutter on the desk soon becomes a distraction for the mind.

3. Start each day by completing at least one task off your to-do list (eat a frog) before you check your email.

It creates a feeling of achievement early. Plus, checking you emails first thing in the morning is a sure fire-way to get hijacked.

5. Practice single-purpose focus.

Don’t multi-task. Multi-tasking simply means that you are splitting your focus and both tasks will ultimately take longer.

6. Use To-Do Lists Yes, that’s a plural – my favourites include: administration & accounts, marketing, projects, operations, team members (I have one list for each team member), this week, today, waiting for and personal.

7. Stop twice each day to empty your head.

You are amazing. You are so amazing that you need to stop and empty your head of all those ideas at least twice each da. This will free your mind so it has more capacity to work on your goals.

8. Use ONE diary.

You need to have all your commitments both personal and business in one place. Remember to always factor in travel time for your meetings.

9. Say “no” or “not now” more often.

Quite often we say yes too often and end up being overcommitted. Learn that it’s okay to sometimes say “no” or “not now” to other peoples requests.

10. Create time in your schedule where no interruptions are allowed.

Switch off the phone, shut down all browsers, close that office door and concentrate on an important project for at least a few hours each week. Make this your completion time.

4. Take a break from the computer every 30 minutes.

You can use the timer on your phone. Get up and move around. This one is a gem – you’ll be amazed at how much more productive you become when you give yourself regular recharge breaks.

www.businessfusion.com.au

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Anthea Moffat, MBA(adv) Founder of Business Fusion and The Business Masters Club for instant access to our free Business Resource Vault.

The first thing to understand about networking is how you do it now, and how you would like to do it better in the future. Are you successful now as a networker? Would you like to become more effective in your networking?

By doing a self-analysis you will discover for yourself how effective you are at this present time and how you can become more successful in the future.

1. Have you written clear and well-defined goals for your present networking activities?

Yes No 2. Do you have a scheduled plan of action for your networking?

Yes No 3. At social or business functions, do you go with a commitment to leave with the names of 1 or 2 new people who YOU may be able to support meet THEIR personal and professional goals?

Always Sometimes Never 4. At social or business functions, do you go with the commitment to leave with the names of at least 1 or 2 new people who may be able to support YOU meet YOUR personal and professional goals?

Always Sometimes Never 5. Do you make a point of following up quickly and appropriately with those people with whom you have ‘connected’?

Always Sometimes Never 6. Do you keep an organised and accessible file of information on people you have met including interests, occupations, hobbies, conversations, birthday etc?

Important if your memory isn’t good.

Yes No 7. Do you make it a point to schedule a specific time every week to ‘re-connect’ with people you’ve met but haven’t spoken with for a while?

Yes Sometimes No

8. Do you check the internet, emails, newspapers and/ or magazines weekly to seek out interesting activities and opportunities that might help you meet your personal and career goals?

Always Sometimes Never 9. Have you set aside ‘specific’ before/after work and/ or lunch times each week to confer with people who can help you and your career goals?

Always Sometimes Never 10. Have you met with a new networking acquaintance in the past fortnight?

Yes No 11. Are you connected to Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other social media marketing organizations known as SMM?

Yes No 12. Do you have at least one Business Page connected to Facebook?

Yes No 13. Have you created a Business Page on Google+?

Yes No 14. Do you have a business card that’s easy to read, has your photo on it and gives all your info?

Yes Nearly All No 15. Have you considered going to the next step from Networking to MasterMinding?

Yes No

10 point =“YES” answer, 5 points=“SOMETIMES/NEARLY ALL”, 0 points=“NEVER” or “NO”.

2013 June

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videos

Following up from Attending an Event .

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Connexions Business Mag

The Importance of GOOD Business Cards cont.

Over the last two issues I talked a little about the first and second of my 7 Tips on Business Cards. Here now is my take on the third one.

• ALWAYS have your business cards easily accessible • NEVER run out of cards • Have your PHOTO on your card if you are a small business • Make sure all your information is CORRECT • Give RELEVANT information about your business • Make sure the WRITING on the card is easy to read • Understand other CULTURES in the handling of your cards.

Have your PHOTO on your card if you are a small business Having your photo on your business card will take 15 minutes off your first meeting with someone new. Isn’t it nice to meet someone that you have an idea of what they will look like? The judgement and apprehension of that first meeting is no longer there if you know what to expect when you first sight someone physically. This is where social media has been so very valuable in relationship building.

A photo on a business card helps people remember later who they received a card from as a memory jogger. A card with a photo on it is more likely to be kept than one that hasn’t one on it.

For more information Get your FREE Networking eCourse- “21 Days to Become a Better Networker”

at www.connexionsunlimited.com.au

2013 June

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Trademarks ‘TM’ vs

by Geoff Moller

Have you ever seen a company name, brand or product with a ‘TM’ symbol next to it? Have you event wondered what that actually means?

Sometimes you might see a ‘TM’ and sometimes you might see an ®, but what is the difference between TM & ® really?

Firstly you might assume that anything with a ‘TM’ or an ® next to it means that it is a registered Trademark, well it may be, but not necessarily so.

This is a common question asked at my Intellectual Property (IP) workshops and one which often confuses people when looking at company names, brands and products, so let’s start off with what IP Australia, the government IP administrator, says.

“A registered trade mark is identified by the ® symbol.

Unregistered or pending trademarks may use the TM symbol.”

Expanding on that means having TM next to a name or brand means legally nothing in Australia, but having the ® symbol means that the trademark is registered and fully protected under Intellectual Property (IP) law, so if you use the ® symbol without the trademark being registered it could mean up to a $50,000 fine and three years in jail.

You can legally place TM next to your business name, brand, product etcetera at any stage, provided

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®

of course you’re not infringing on someone else’s existing trademark (and believe me it’s not good financially if you get caught infringing on someone’s trademark).

If you own a registered trademark do you have to use the ® symbol?

The short answer is no you don’t, but it’s a good idea to though if you want to warn other people that your trademark is registered and fully protected under Australian law.

I recently saw one company who had a logo done and the graphic artist added the ® symbol (as a bonus) next to the new logo not knowing that doing so was a federal offence under IP Law, this has led to all kinds of issues for the business owner.

In finishing it’s very important to deal with a reputable and knowledgeable creative designer as I’ve seen so many people get caught short when dealing with inexperienced or unknowledgeable design companies.

Geoff Moller

a business strategist and IP Professional based with clients across Australia and can be contacted on 0411 351 110 or by emailing Geoff@geoffmoller.com

www.geoffmoller.com

2013 June

23

Not Yet Wealthy?

It’s Probably Not Entirely Your Fault

by Daimien Patterson Believe it or not, there are 25 year olds out there who have already made their first million dollars, and many of them through property investment.

Doesn’t that make you mad? I know what you’re thinking – they must have just got lucky, or they must be way smarter than you will ever be.

Rubbish! Property investment is easy if you know what you are doing. Anyone can do it, even if you have no money!

The problem is that they don’t teach you how to do it in school. Someone else has to teach you. If those 25 year olds with a million dollars are lucky, it’s only because someone took the time to teach them about wealth creation early in their life.

So it’s not actually your fault. It’s just that no one bothered to teach you about it. No point in hating the world for it! Now you know the problem, just get on with fixing it. The first step is to just keep on reading!

The fact that we get our financial education from our parents and close family, is one of the main reasons why the ‘rich get rich and the poor stay poor’. The rich parents teach their kids how to make money, and the poor parents teach their kids how not to. If you want to break free of that situation, you need to realise this, and start looking for your financial education elsewhere.

In simple terms, if you want to end up like your parents financially, just do what they did! Chances are they

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would tell you to try and pay your house off the good old fashioned way, ‘25 years of hard slog and maybe a holiday after that’.

Let me assure you there are plenty of smarter ways to build wealth and end up debt free. But I’ll save that conversation for another time.

Let’s get real for a moment! The truth is that we spend half our life buying things to impress people we don’t even like! The aged pension, or our superannuation, are not going to be anywhere near enough to live on and we’re all going to live a lot longer than our previous generations did. Life expectancy is getting longer with every generation.

How are you going to earn an income in retirement?

Even worse, what if you had an accident next week and were forced into an early form of retirement because you were no longer able to work?

How would you and your family survive financially?

If you are not already, you should be taking this stuff very seriously.

There are thousands of rags to riches stories of people who made a decision to succeed financially, got their act together, and achieved it. It has nothing to do with how smart you are, or how much money you have now.

It is simply a decision you have to make – a decision to take action. Not putting it off until next week or sometime in the future. It’s about saying ‘Enough is enough; I am going to sort this out once and for all, and I am going to start today’.

Ready to act? Call 1300 372 677 and mention Jennie Gorman’s magazine to take advantage of a special offer. Get your personal 90 min Property Investment Coaching Session or a Portfolio Review for $148 only until July 31st (usual price is $297).

n e i m i a D tterson Pa Daimien Patterson is Australia’s leading property investment strategist and CEO of Integrity Investment Properties. Want to know more?

Visit www.integrityproperty.com.au

www.propertyinvestmentmentor.com.au

2013 June

25

When is my Will or Enduring Power or Attorney Valid

and What Should I Think About Putting in These Documents?

by Kym-Marie Bush There are so many things to think about in this ever changing world and unfortunately, the validity of your Will and your Enduring Power of Attorney (“EPOA”) are no exception.

Marriage, registered partnerships and divorce affect both documents. For your EPOA, provided you marry the person who is named (or enter into a registered relationship), it remains valid as to that person only. The other appointments cease. Likewise for divorce or ending a registered partnership, the appointment of your now divorced partner ceases.

If you are marrying, it is a good idea to review your Will as it may not be valid any more. You can also make a will in anticipation of marriage.

When significant events occur in life, it is always an ideal time to sit down and look at these important documents. For one, are the things you said in them still what you want? Secondly, what are the changes that have occurred and do they affect the gifts you were giving or appointments you were making under those documents.

Do you still know and like the executor you appointed to gather in your estate and distribute it? Has a beneficiary died and do you want what they would have received to go to another? Do you need to appoint a guardian for a child under the age of 18? Do you want to be buried or cremated and have you given specific instructions in this regard?

Your Will and EPOA are valid until you make a new document or some of the above mentioned events occur. Now is as good a time as any to grab out a copy of your existing documents and have a look at them.

Please don’t write all over the existing Will or staple anything to it or otherwise damage it as that makes explaining what occurred difficult if no-one knows why that occurred. Your Will takes effect only on your death. Your EPOA takes effect on a specified event or date. Please take a moment to look at these important documents and obtain some advice if your situation has changed.

Kym-Marie Bush | Associate Quinn & Scattini Lawyers kmbush@quinnscattini.com.au

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Fixing The Gut – What’s All the Stink About!

by Scott Collins Naturopathically speaking, fixing the gut takes priority, as the gut is the gateway from outside the body to the inside in a second. So what you throw down your throat can affect the whole body especially the gut.

The Gut is arguably the most important aspect of human health. Without a properly functioning digestive system it can’t absorb nutrients effectively or may even affect immune function and even allow proliferation of harmful microbes (bacteria, fungi, candida and parasites).

The digestive system can be compromised by foods we eat, the types of beverages or even infection from parasites and of course stress.

Damage to the gut is very common in western countries and is now given the term “Leaky Gut Syndrome” which describes the irritation caused to the gut lining.

Gut health should be a priority to everyone who is serious about their wellbeing. Proactive gut health requires awareness about environmental, lifestyle and dietary factors that are present in daily life which could be affecting your health: • artificial sweeteners • refined sugar (cola drinks / soft drinks) • consuming too many yeasts (breads, beer, yeasts) • processed foods • alcohol • lifestyle stress (emotional, physical, chemical and electromagnetic) • pollution (chemicals, pesticides, smoking, car exhaust)

The unfortunate part of poor gut health is the effect it has on the ones you love the most.

Girls you know when your fella’s guts not quite right, the bathroom becomes your very own Chernobyl and there is an endless toxic cloud permeating your home. All jokes a side putrid smells are a tell-tale sign of poor gut health.

Signs that the gut is not working properly: • Bloating / Flatulence • Indigestion/Reflux • Constipation/ Diarrhoea • Multi wipe clean post evacuation • Sticky stools Repairing the gut, it starts with: • A natural pro-biotic food (refer to your manual about fermented foods and probiotics).

• Fuel to repair the gut cells (Naturally Fermented L-Glutamine - an amino acid used by gut cells).

• Elimination of any detrimental organisms (may not be addressed until phase 2 of your 90 day plan).

• Denying detrimental organisms a food supply.

• Supporting the immune system.

The body is a great barometer for gut health, pay attention to your bowel movements or lack thereof and even the odour. Look for particles of food in the stool, or is there mucous, blood, or is it sticking to the bowl?

If you are not sure about your gut health you can always speak to our Naturopath about starting our gut repair program. It’s easy and it’s all done naturally.

2013 June

29

English Corner in China

by Tove Vine

In March, Melly, a 27 year old girl from New York, with whom I had become friends, asked me to come along to ‘The English corner’ at Guangzhou Library on a Sunday morning.

There are lots of English corners in China. It is where Chinese people can go and speak to English speaking people and practise their English.

It was rather overwhelming. I was there from 10 am to 1.30 pm and was constantly surrounded by 20 25 people – old and young people as well as young children. You can easily feel like an important person in those surroundings.

I did notice that I had a lot more Chinese people around me than the others. Melly was Malaysian and so looked a little Chinese. I think the Chinese people were interested in me because I looked so different, and they were fascinated by Australia.

There were only a few foreigners there - perhaps only five or six. But there were many Chinese people.

I had so many invitations to be taken around Guangzhou, and out for dinner. They were so keen to improve their English. Many of the people said: ‘Please come back next Sunday - we like talking to you.’ I was told at least 10 times: ‘ You are so beautiful’. It was difficult for me to get used to all the compliments. But on returning to my apartment I would stand in front of the mirror telling myself.

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‘You are just a normal person’. I didn’t want to get a swelled head!

At 1 pm I was so tired I could hardly hear the questions they were asking and so I left soon after.

It is indeed humbling to be the centre of so much attention everywhere I go in China. China has only been open to the rest of the world for some 30 years and as Guangzhou is not a tourist city there are only a few thousand foreigners living here. (I have been told 300,000). Most foreigners stay around the five star hotels so in areas away from the five start hotels a person with white skin stand out and attracts attention.

Visit Miss Tove’s English School

* Donate your old bras and just $1 with each bra, at any one of the few hundred businesses around Australia. * If you are a business owner or just a crazy individual like myself that would like to become a “Bra Collector� for the next 18 months, simply send me a message and I can send you a vendor kit with all the details.

* If you would like to be a little more involved and become either a Silver ($250.00 + cash, items or services donation), Gold ($1000.00 + cash, items or services donation) or Platinum ($5000.00 + cash, items or services donation) again please send me a message and I will be in touch to discuss your contribution.

Email : caryn@mylifemystyle.com.au

For more details please visit

http://www.mylifemystyle.com.au/worlds-longest-bra-chain-record-attempt/

The Value of a Personal Trainer

by Melanie Niebling

If there was a 100% natural, preservative & flavour enhancer free tablet you could take four times a week, that had been scientifically proved to “reduce depression, heart disease, cholesterol, blood pressure, back pain, diabetes, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, stroke risk, lung disease, cancer, cramping, central nervous system diseases, tension, gastrointestinal problems and anxiety; while simultaneously improving cardiovascular fitness, strength, weight loss, immune strength, tone, memory, thinking and general wellbeing,” would you take it?

Regular Exercise Is That Tablet!!

But if exercise has so many rewards, it stands to reason that everyone would be doing as much as they could. However, for a whole host of reasons, this doesn’t seem to be the case. Here’s why: • It takes time many of us don’t have anymore.

• It’s hard, it takes work and extra energy – which ironically enough, we gain back from exercise.

• It’s quite often inconvenient.

• Our goals often seem unattainable, so we give up before starting • People often have the wrong attitude – it’s not just another thing to fit in, it’s a lifestyle choice, time out for yourself.

• “There’s always tomorrow.”

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Can any of that be overcome?

A personal trainer can help with all of these problems. They will: • Give you a reason to go to the gym or park.

• Make you make time for yourself.

• Help you take on your goals step by step.

• Assist you in becoming interested in your health.

• Train your body.

• Train your mind.

• Help you make positive lifestyle choices.

A personal trainer gives you a reason to turn up each week; you have made a commitment to them that you will keep, if it was only to yourself you may not. A trainer can help you take on your goals step by step, and before you know it you will have achieved things you never thought were possible.

By assisting you in becoming interested in your own health and fitness a personal trainer now only trains your body he/she can train your mind to have positive attitudes, allowing you to make lifestyle choices you can be proud of.

For more information:

www.facebook.com/mcniebling

2013 June

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MasterMind

reviews

Natasha Howie

I’m absolutely amazed at the results that I have had with Jennie’s Mastermind Group. I have been able to grow and expand beyond my imagination. The way the group was facilitated is incredible, and it’s a very solid, well structured system that works. I have never experienced anything like it. I have experienced coaching, consulting and networking, however, I will say having the mastermind group is incredibly different. There are so many more different perspectives that I get in my business on a regular basis. The referrals itself had paid for the cost of the mastermind group tenfold, so very happy about that! I would highly recommend Business Mastermind Groups to any business owner as an absolute must to grow your business.

Janis Hanley

I spent six months last year as part of Jennie’s Gold Coast Mastermind Group.

I really didn’t know what to expect, but it was an incredible six months. It really helped me to sort through the many options that lay ahead of me for my business. A lot of the work was just tapping into what excited me - where might I be able to go with my passions. It was great to give myself time to consider these things within the power of a mastermind group. And Jennie is so encouraging really underlining the fact that there really are no boundaries to where you can take things. Jennie’s Masterminding gave me great clarity on aligning my personal goals and my business vision. Its was such a supportive environment - so much better than trying to sort through these things on your own.

Jac Gallagher

I have been participating in Jennie Gorman’s Business Mastermind Group for the last six months and found it a great

resource to grow my business. Getting together to discuss issues and brainstorm once a fortnight really puts your focus back on the business. I would recommend a business mastermind group to any business owner. Thanks Jennie.

Sarah Stein

I’ve been in business for many years and am really enjoying Jennie’s Business Mastermind Group. The rest of the group are great and all being different personalities, we can all bring a lot to each other’s business. Working for yourself can be very isolating so having a group of people who are interested in you and your business, but not necessarily vested in it, is great. The reason I joined the group was so that I could be held more accountable and get things done - rather than pushing my TO DO LIST around my desk. The group has done that and much more and I’m very glad I made the investment and commitment to this journey.

Thank you, Jennie! ♥

Tracey McLeod

The Business Mastermind Group has been a sensational sounding board for my business growth going forward. My colleagues in the group bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and insight about business and life. In one Mastermind meeting I can learn as much as I could plodding along on my own for 6 months or more. It also feels good to give positive and productive feedback to my fellow business owners.

Being part of a Mastermind Group give me a sense of interconnectedness and responsibility toward the success of something greater than my own success - that of the other businesses in my group and the whole Mastermind structure - I’d recommend Masterminding to anyone serious about growing their business success.

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Upcoming Events Networking Chats | Tues 13th August, 2013 Una Vita - Inspirational Coffee The focus of the Networking Chats MeetUps is to support SME’s develop better trust-based relationship building/networking skills so that they can build more lasting relationships.

Guest Speaker: Jennie Gorman on ‘Networking

for Business Relationship Success’

Do you need to understand how to be a better business relationship builder?

Jennie will talk about the “HOW TO” of networking with a Question and Answer (Q&A) format between Jennie and the attendees.

We would love to have you with us so come along and share with other like-minded business people. Even seasoned pros can learn new things by masterminding with other successful entrepreneurs.

Booking online essential.

See refund policy for more.

Investment: $35 online; $40 if paid at door.

NEXT EXECUTIVE MASTERMIND GROUP Brisbane: commencing fortnightly on 14th of August WHO are Brisbane Executive MasterMinders : Entrepreneurs who have come out of corporate and find that it is not as easy as it looked …

Business managers/owners/entrepreneurs who have been in business for some years and need an independent ‘Board of Directors’ Someone needing to be kept accountable with support to move to the next level.

All members of this level have extensive business knowledge and expertise.

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BMMG #7 – BRISBANE EXECUTIVE : Wednesday. 14th & 28th August; 11th & 25th September; 9th &23rd October; 6th & 20th November; 4th& 18th December; 16th & 30th January.

Upcoming Events Awesome Authenticity

Mastering Business Relationships

for more info and booking, call 0414 278 344

Learn HOW MasterMinding is 10 Times More Powerful than Networking

FREE

Introductory Evening Tuesday 20th August Registration: 6.00pm; Event: 6.30pm – 9pm Brisbane Workers’ Community Centre 2 LaTrobe Terrace, Paddington

Discover how to use our MasterMinding Success formula to : • • • • • • • •

Gain new business referrals Triple your business bottom line Collaborate and create joint ventures Create your own advisory board Be kept accountable Grow your business to where you want to be Share resources Business coaching/mentoring combined Learn what to do next when you and your business grow • Maintain Confidentiality in your group • Get only the business results that count

contributors Editor : Jennie Gorman www.connexionsunlimited.com.au businessmastermindgroups.com.au

Graphic Design : J. Anne Delgado

“Remember,

your business card is your shop window”

- Jennie Gorman

“Do something extraordinary that will make people talk about you.”

- Jennie Gorman

Anthea Moffat www.businessfusion.com.au Caroline Miall www.aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au Daimien Patterson www.propertyinvestmentmentor.com.au Gabby Button au.linkedin.com/in/gabbybutton Geoff Moller www.geoffmoller.com Jennie Gorman www.connexionsunlimited.com.au Josie Thomson wwww.aexcel.com.au Kym-Marie Bush www.linkedin.com/in/kym-marie-bush M elanie Niebling www.facebook.com/mcniebling Quintin Brown www.wmfp.com.au Sarah Stein www.missefficiency.com.au Scott Collins www.wellinnovations.com Tove Vine www.facebook.com/pages/Miss-Toves-English-School