Connexions Business Magazine by Jennie Gorman #20 - April / May 2014

C onne xions

Business Magazine

Work “on” your business and not “in” it

8 TellTale Signs

You’re Not in Control of Your Brain

What has Resilience got to do

with Relationship Building?

A simple Treatment for

Alzheimer’s and Degenerative Arthritis

Create Reserves

Jennie Gorman and Steve Clark

From Jennie’s Desk Hi Everyone, Where is the year disappearing to? Here we are nearly completing the first third of the year and I wonder if you have achieved what you had planned when the year started. I know I haven’t as I have taken a little side step to open some new doors, as well as learn some smarter ways to do business.

After driving myself into the ground in 2013 I have taken a back step …. which is unusual for me. It is interesting what comes out of stopping and observing oneself and the world around you. Not the most comfortable of places to be in, with the change of tempo and lifestyle, which I know will become more comfortable in time. I am working in the office less days and pursuing my heart’s desire more in my work.

Now to get stuck into the next quarter and create what I really want. If you are feeling that you have not achieved as well as you would have liked, talk to me and we can see where you can be supported to go to your next level in your business.

All the article writers in this issue have given some good information for you to support you and your business to grow. Take advantage of what they have presented.

I thank them all for being prepared to help business owners to grow whilst supporting them when necessary.

Whilst I have been taking that ‘little side step’ I am behind with my second edition of “Awesome Authenticity’ which will be out a little later than anticipated. See the info on page 9.

So, get yourself a tea/coffee and be inspired with this wonderful read and make contact with any of the authors here who inspire you..

Looking forward to meeting you again.

Blessings!

What Past MasterMinders say about their experiences with BMMG

Li Wang from CreativLi www.creativli.com.au

Olivier Maxted from Sound Bath Healing www.soundbathhealing.com

Teaching Tools

Relationship Building

Business Cards

Videos by Thomas Carmichael from CF Productions www.carmichaelfilmproductions.com

Contents

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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Where are you in your life now?

08

The Seasons of Life

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Profit is the Reward for Risk

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Work “ON” your Business and not “IN” it

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Turn your office into a Powerhouse of Success

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8 Tell-Tale Signs You’re NOT in Control of Your Brain

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More Than They Seem

20

What has Resilience got to do with Relationship Building

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To Infinity and Beyond Expanding Your Property Empire

24

A Simple Treatment for Alzheimer’s and Degenerative Arthritis

27

Street Vendors in Guangzhou

28

Missed Opportunities Means Lost Revenue

30

Create Reserves

32 Our Business Hub Directions 34

Upcoming Events

Michael Donoghue says:

““I joined a Mastermind group to be with like-minded people which has allowed me to tap into the power and wisdom of the people in the group. It has since assisted me in obtaining both my personal and professional goals. This is a big difference to building and shaping a business by myself. I suppose in some ways, it is harnessing the power of we instead of me. The mastermind group lead by our mentor and facilitator Jennie Gorman has given me access to a unique brains trust to help generate support and understanding, and ultimately solutions.

Jennie Gorman is a real professional and certainly knows how to leverage upon: each person’s skills, experience, ideas and abilities of others. Jennie definitely helps create a synergy within the group, and a compelation of thoughts which would otherwise, possibly never be generated. Another important ingredient of the Mastermind Group calls for being accountable. There can be no excuses not to get things done, as you are not only accountable to yourself, but to other group members as well. In the group, as in life, you must learn to give and sharing allows you to process things better and in return as a group, we really care about each other and get to know each other on a different level. The more you give out, the more you get back in return. “

Michael Donoghue

www.acruproperty.com.au

Rebecca Lawrence says

“Jennie is the ultimate mentor: nurturing and wise yet tough enough to demand the accountability that so many small business owners need to drive us on to the success we desire. Working with Jennie is a pleasure and has been the start of a relationship that I know will be invaluable to my business for the long term.”

Rebeca Lawrence

www.mediasalt.com.au

Where are you in your life now?

by Jennie Gorman

Our lives are like the seasons and/or lessons to learn. If you understand where you are at, you can be supported to move through the process more easily. For me personally, I have both my personal life and my business in the season similar to winter at the present time … this is when we need to stop, contemplate, ponder and wait quietly for spring to come. This is the time we are reaping what we sowed. We need to ask ourselves, what is the lesson or season and have we learnt it?

We are all on a journey and if you are a business owner it is not easy to have yourself and your business in winter at the same time. If you find yourself, as I am experiencing now, know that it will change and you will come to the spring when the time is right.

There is no particular time length for any season, and we can move through them fast or slow, dependant on what is happening around us.

The only thing we DO know for certain is that all the seasons will come around in not only our business but also in our life. We need to be prepared and ready to handle them when it changes, especially if you are experiencing one of them in all areas at one time.

Jim Rohn, in his innate wisdom, was the first to speak about the ‘Seasons of Life’ giving business

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owners the insight to understand how they could support themselves, during these times. For me MasterMinding and my personal friendships have been the catalyst to support me to move through more easily my ‘winter’. How long I am there will depend on how I handle it. I have been able to get the support from friends and fellow masterminders to stop and listen to what I am meant to be doing before the next season starts!

Understand that we start out in ‘spring’, and hopefully we learn to take advantage of the opportunities that come with it. Just as the animals come out of hibernation ready to start again, you have this chance too. This is your time to plant the seeds that will move you forward so you can become who you want to become. Life starts again, and by having watched nature in the past, you can recognise this as you will be energised. Take full advantages of the opportunities that come your way for your higher good. You are given the chance to springboard into something new and exciting. Learning how to bring the people around you to support yourself create your future is done at this time. Join a mastermind group to help you do this by setting in place the people and tools you need for your future.

Once ‘spring’ has gone and you move into ‘summer’ you need to become protective of the seeds you have sown. This is when you reap the benefits of what you created in the ‘spring’. If you do not protect what you created it can be easily destroyed or ruined. This is the fun time of your life as you start to relax from the work done in your ‘spring’. Is not this the time we take holidays, have fun and take time out?

Eventually though we will move into ‘autumn’ when things start to slow down and we start to gear up for another ‘winter’. During ‘autumn’ though it is necessary that you take responsibility for what you have created in the last season. Whether these things have been good or bad is irrelevant. Just learn the lessons from the experiences. Keep building on the seeds you

sowed in ‘spring’ as these will be what will help you through your ‘winter’ when it comes. This is the time when you make sure you have everything cemented into place.

And as you will realise, ‘winter’ always comes, and if we can recognise it, we can deal with it.

Just as we change our wardrobe to be comfortable in every season we need to be ready for ‘winter’ when it comes too. This can be easier if we prepared for it, just like the squirrels do. Be prepared to handle the ‘winter’ with all its challenges when it comes. Let your network support you until you move into ‘spring’ again.

If you need support to move through these seasons or want to talk, contact me at jennie@jenniegorman.com.au

www.connexionsunlimited.com.au

2014 April-May

7

The Seasons of Life

by Jim Rohn

I believe there are overriding principles that we should follow and be led by. That life is about constant, predictable patterns of change.

And that as we approach the future; for all of us, the only constant factor will be our feelings and attitudes toward life.

Secondly, we as human beings have the power of attitude and that attitude determines choice, and choice determines results. All that we are and all that we can become has indeed been left unto us to decide and interpret through our attitude and choices.

I’ll start by making two comments. First, life and business are like the changing seasons. That’s one of the best ways to illustrate life: it’s like the seasons that change. Second, you cannot change seasons, but you can change yourself.

Now with those two key phrases in mind, let’s look at what I consider to be the first major lesson in life to learn, and that is how to handle the winters.

recessions; they come right after expansions.

That isn’t going to change.

The big question is what do you do about winters? You can’t get rid of January simply by tearing it off the calendar. But here is what you can do: you can get stronger; you can get wiser; and you can get better. Remember that trio of words: stronger, wiser, better. The winters won’t change, but you can.

Before I understood this, I used to wish it were summer when it was winter. When things were difficult, I used to wish they were easy. I didn’t know any better. Then Mr. Shoaff gave me the answer from a part of his very unique philosophy when he said, “Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom.”

It is said that speaking in public is a bigger fear than death. I don’t buy it. I think if someone put a gun to your head and said speak in public or die — you’d find that lost William Jennings Bryan oration within you.

They come regularly, right after autumn. Some are long, some are short, some are difficult, some are easy, but they always come right after autumn. That is never going to change.

There are all kinds of winters—“winter” when you can’t figure it out, the “winter” when everything seems to go haywire. There are economic winters, social winters and personal winters.

Wintertime can bring disappointment, and disappointment is common to all of us. So you must learn how to handle the winters. You must learn how to handle difficulty; it always comes after opportunity. You must learn to handle

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Just like the weather, life changes—it, too, has seasons. In The Seasons of Life, available at JimRohn.com, Jim Rohn describes how to take advantage of each season, the ups and downs, or springs and winters, in order to achieve success.

Your challenges, purpose and opportunities in life will come into perspective.

www.jimrohn.com

Awesome Authenticity Cartoonist Ryan McDonald-Smith

www.awesomeauthenticity.com.au

2014 April-May

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Boosting your way to Business Success

Profit is the Reward for Risk

by Anthony Davis

Many think that Profit is the ‘what’s left over after all expenses are met’. The problem with this definition is that most often there is ‘nothing left over’!

You need to be very clear that Profit is the ‘Reward for Risk’!

What is it that you have risked to be in business? Is it your hard earned money, perhaps your reputation, your Family home, and even time with your Family? This is often the cost of being in business … so what about your return?

You need to understand the difference between ‘Reward for Effort’ (Salary or Wage) and ‘Reward for Risk’ (Profit). As a business owner you should be earning both!

You might start as a Technician where your effort is doing the physical work and ultimately move to the work of Management. Whichever you do, your Wage or Salary is your reward for effort.

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From your Shareholding you then earn your reward for Risk … Profit.

Don’t consider reducing your Profit to improve sales. Package and market your product to get the price you need and the return to make the risks you take worthwhile.

Anthony Davis & the Brightwater Team

Copyright © 2014 Brightwater Business Coaching Pty Ltd

PO Box 1329, MILTON QLD 4064 Ph: +61 7 3367 0967 Free 1800 242 366 bizplan@brightwater.com.au

www.brightwater.com.au

2014 April-May

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

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Connexions Business Mag

Work “on” your business and not “in” it

by Stacey Huish

Insightful business owner’s are wise not to work “IN” their business, but know that real money and success come from working “ON” their business. When you work “IN” your business you think like an employee, do tasks that you can do that others should be doing, and work really hard. When you work “ON” your business, you orchestrate the work of others, you step back daily to get a helicopter view of where you’re heading and plan your business for long term growth.

It’s very easy for new business owners to get engrossed and consumed with their business.

While it’s important to understand how to run and operate your business it is equally important to stop and set up structures and systems so that anyone can do the job the same way.

You’re probably worth more than your making. Why charge what you think you are worth. Charge what others are charging. What other products and services can you market to your existing client’s? Stop chasing, selling and promoting your business and begin to effortlessly attract.

The key here is to have an extremely profitable business. Question all your expenses. Leverage your ability to improve the financial bottom line, make money, add more value to your customers, and increase productivity. The key is to have money instead of money having you. Remember the mission and forget the commission.

www.only-effective-communication-skills.com 2014 April-May

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Turn your office into a Powerhouse of Success

by Debra Jarvis

Feng Shui may help improve your business prospects by attracting more customers who are well-heeled and ready to spend. A few simple changes can add $$$ to your bottom line.

find another home for it, if not get rid of it.

It is important that the office presents a professional image, even if you are the only one who sees it. It is a reflection of your commitment to your occupation and your personal self-worth.

Step 2. A place for everything and everything in its place.

Designate place for all items to which they are returned after use. Put things used frequently in the most assessable spots.

Time spent working is much more pleasant when we can easily locate and access items when required.

Step 1. Designate the office.

It may be an area in a larger room, or it could be a whole room. Remove stored and non-relevant items. When you go here you are going to do work. Is everything in this area relevant to the function and purpose of the office? We work best in clean, organised, uncluttered areas. Move everything out, especially what’s stored in cupboards and up on shelves.

There is no place to hide from Feng Shui eyes. Bring back only relevant items. Evaluate the rest, do you love it, is it useful,

Step 3. Setting up.

Place yourself in the power position. This is the position where you have a view of every entryway and you have a wall behind you. Where there is a choice of places or direction, put your chair in each and sit quietly for a few minutes getting an idea of what it would be like to spend time there. The one that immediately feels right is your power position. (I’m immune to arguments about the desk taking up the whole room and untidy computer cables.)

When you set yourself up in the

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power position you have control in the space, your self-esteem goes up and you accomplish more.

Step 4. Desk and chair combination to be comfortable.

These items are worth spending money on. Invest in a good quality chair, one that is comfortable for you to perform the tasks you perform while seated. The desk should be at a comfortable height and large enough for you to organise yourself without feeling cramped. I recommend 1500mm x 900mm.

Step 5. Clean and Clear Clutter.

Maintain a clear desk top. Paperwork is relentless in its onslaught. Separate the personal and business paperwork. Deal with it immediately, use TRAF. Toss, Refer, Act or File. Creating a pile to deal with later creates clutter and clutter is bad Feng Shui.

Step 6. Remove Obstacles.

Make the area inviting to come into. In Feng Shui we consider that opportunity flows to us in direct proportion to ease of entry and the welcome that is experienced in our environments.

Feng Shui tells us that everything is alive with memories, feelings and associations. What are the objects in your office saying to you? Question their origin, did you come by it because that’s all you could afford or find at the time, are you still in good relationship with the person it come from, would something else be more suitable?

Step 9. Plants absorb potentially harmful gases and clean the air.

Golden cane has been shown to be one of the more efficient plants at recycling our expelled air. Plants also make offices more pleasant spaces to spend time. When people feel good, they perform better. It is important that the plants are well cared for and that they remain healthy and vibrant. No plant graveyards please. Sceptical?

Try it for 28 days and if you don’t find any benefits (including increased business) then change it back.

Step 7. Condition Audit.

Does everything work and is everything kept in optimal condition. In Feng Shui it is very important that we either attend to the repair of items immediately or where we are not prepared to do this we discard them. An item that is less than ideal is said to begin negatively impacting after 28 days.

Step 8. Lighting.

Use natural light as much as possible. If you have fluorescent use full-spectrum (daylight) bulbs.

DebraJarvis www.DebraJarvisFengShui.com

Awesome Authenticity Cartoonist Ryan McDonald-Smith

www.awesomeauthenticity.com.au 2014 April-May

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8 tell-tale signs

You’re NOT in Control of Your Brain

by Josie Thompson

Are you living your life on autopilot never pausing to consider who’s in charge of your thoughts? Do you sometimes wonder why you react the way you do to things that happen around or to you?

Well the good news is that it’s not you… it’s just the ‘thinking errors’ that your brain has hardwired over the course of your life. And even better: you can change them by simply understanding when they’re occurring and training yourself how to correct the errors so you are more resilient, less stressed and a much happier person.

So what are thinking errors?

were making to yourself repeatedly with the correct assessments of what’s happening.

In Dr Schwartz’s book “You Are Not Your Brain” he defines thinking errors as: “Ways your brain erroneously and inaccurately filters information or applies meaning to situations. When you engage in thinking errors, your brain distorts or misinterprets what’s happening, causing you to make inappropriate or false conclusions about people, situations, and yourself.”

The 4 steps as featured in ‘You Are Not Your Brain’ is a key part of how you do this. They are: Relabel, Reframe, Refocus, Revalue.

Why are thinking errors so important to catch?

When you relabel, you call things what they really are. When you reframe, you cognitively correct the thinking errors covered above.

Our thoughts are the precursors to our feelings.

And our feelings are the precursors to the actions we take in response to those things that happen around us. When we experience life on autopilot and let the thinking errors take control, we tend to react instead of respond mindfully which can lead to higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression.

By simply understanding what these thinking errors are and identifying when they occur we can take back control.

So what can we do about it?

The general principal here is as you correct these thinking errors you improve your brain function and replace the false statements you

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This highly effective process was developed to help people take control of their brain and bring mindfulness into their moment by moment living experience.

And the combination of labelling things so that you become aware of what the problems really are and then reframing so that you clarify what the truth is, leads us to refocus.

You do this by focusing your attention on adaptive behavioural responses and that leads to focusing attention on adaptive ways of thinking.

When you put the 3 steps into practice you will automatically start to change the way you value thoughts and urges and not take them at face value. You’ll recognise these thinking errors as simply sensations – you won’t take them literally – you’ll be correcting the cognitive distortions as they arise.

Thinking Error

Examples

Results

All-or-Nothing

“I must be perfect at all times, with everyone in my life, especially my boss”

I place high standards on myself and am never satisfied.

Catastrophizing

“If I make a mistake, my boss will fire me”

I worry constantly that something bad will happen, which is exhausting

Discounting the Positive

“I made a mistake on the presentation and it sucked, which means I suck”

Depression, frustration – I’m never good enough

Emotional Reasoning

“I am anxious and I feel horrible, so something must be wrong”

Hopelessness and helplessness, despair – will I ever feel differently?

Mind-reading

“My friend tensed up when I said I missed seeing her, so she must be mad at me or not want to hang out anymore.”

I will do whatever I can do to fix the situation or maybe I will avoid her so I don’t have to feel this bad again.

Should Statements

”I should be working, not taking the night off! I have things that I should have had done by now”

I push myself too hard, disappointing myself and others.

Comparisons

“Everyone else at work seems to be doing fine, what’s wrong with me?”

I feel inadequate and push myself harder rather than seeing that everyone is struggling a little bit but doing just fine – including me!

False Expectations

“If my Mum really loves me, she’ll call this weekend – and I really want her to call because I’m feeling low and sad right now.”

She doesn’t call and I conclude that she doesn’t care about me as much as I want her to and that I really am alone. I get upset and angry.

Master your brain

If learning how to correct thinking errors and ending bad habits is of interest to you, I invite you to join Dr Jeffrey Schwartz and I for a special 6-week masterclass where you’ll master the revolutionary 4 step solution covered in his international best-seller, ‘You Are Not Your Brain’ and discover how to take control of your brain AND your life!

You’ll also learn: * What deceptive brain messages are, how to identify them as they occur and tips for handling them effectively. * How you can manage negative self talk by using attention, focus and mindfulness to think more positively and intentionally.

* Free Will vs. Free Won’t and how to exercise your veto power! * What the 4 steps are and how you can start using them in your everyday life to change bad habits and put an end to unhealthy thinking.

Visit this page to learn more and use promotional code JG when you register to save $300 on the registration price!

Josie Thomson, Multi-award winning coach, change expert, speaker, trainer, mentor and single mum.

www.josiethomson.com download her FREE Simple Meditation For Busy People (valued at $24.95)

2014 April-May

17

MANAGEMENT MINUTES WEEKLY

More Than they Seem!

by John Milne

Here are two classic stories that happened thirty years apart, yet their powerful message is the same. People are often more than they seem.

A spirit of helpfulness and a non judgemental attitude are keys to excellent service.

John and Jan had come to the Gold Coast to furnish their house in Darwin. While Jan chose the stylish pieces she wanted John needed a rest room. The salesperson wouldn’t let him use their facilities and suggested driving to the nearby Arts Centre. John called Jan and left the store.

The salesperson by their off handed attitude had kissed a $70,000 to&$80,000 sale goodbye.

Helen went to a car showroom to buy a new car.

Because she had been working she was in her old clothes. The first salesperson asked her what she wanted. She pointed to an expensive mini and said ”I want to buy that.” Because of her dishevelled appearance he didn’t take her seriously.

He busied himself with other work. Helen found another salesman who did take her seriously and sold her that very car. One man had lost thousands of dollars commission by his unhelpful and judgemental attitude. He had misread the buyer. ➼ Have a spirit of helpfulness. This one quality gives certain team members and cultures an aura that gives out positive vibes of excellent service. People respond to such a helping hand with enthusiasm and engagement. People will keep coming back to a place where they are

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made welcome. They will tell up to ten other people about their good news story. ➼ “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” As both these stories show being judgemental costs dearly. Treat each guest or inquirer on the phone as someone worthy of respect. Impatience and bias creep up on us. Seniors and overweight people often receive different treatment to the well dressed younger person. ➼ Give each guest your complete attention.

Active listening will give you a fuller picture of a customer, client or parent’s needs. Shut out distractions and personal phone calls. ➼ Be interested in caring for guests. Sadly a few team members see their work as just a job. The truth is they are better to find work that they love somewhere else. Each person’s future depends on the success of the business. Likewise, growing and high performing schools attract enthusiastic, committed staff. You as leader set the tone. By example you show the way!

John’s workshops on 6 Star Service can help grow your service culture. Book now!

0448 357 626 (C) John Milne 17.5.13

www.leadershipdownunder.wordpress.com

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What has Resilience got to do with Relationship Building?

by Jennie Gorman

This may seem a very strange question to ask, and from my understanding of relationship building, being resilient is having the quality of being able to be bent and stretched in all directions whilst being able to bounce back to your original form, when the pressure is off. We need to be able to do this to achieve what we want to achieve. Being flexible is so important when we are in business today. Being able to see another’s point of view and recognising that the way they think is just as important to them, as your point of view is to you.

So, how resilient are you? Being resilient comes in many forms and learning how to bounce back is very important. Dealing with hardship and being able to hold your head high and staying honest to yourself is number one. As business owners we need to learn to be tough on the inside, to have ‘stickability’ and not fold when things get hard.

Learning to cope when life throws us a curveball is not always easy. Sometimes it takes experience and courage to be able to stand tall and shrug off what sometimes can hurt us deeply. Learning to stand up for oneself, especially when we are young, can be difficult.

Dealing with resilience shows people around us how we deal with adversity and will give a very big picture of us as an individual to those who are wondering how we cope with difficult times. In business partnerships this is a very

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important factor when choosing someone to work with closely.

I am sure you are aware, like most of us these days in business, that there will be many ups and downs as a normal part of living. As business owners we suffer from more stresses and traumas in life than ever before. Our world is moving so fast today and we have to be able to keep up and learn how to manage our crisis’s better as they come in many forms. We see this in the extraordinary number of people struggling with depression, people who work too long hours and those who have not learned how to be resilient. For me, I was fortunate to learn this skill very early in life and will be forever grateful to my parents as it has stood me in good stead over many years.

We need to understand that we are all different and our challenges in life are unique to us as individuals. As our experiences are different and our learnings from childhood were different.

We find that everyone has different resources in coping and how long it takes them to bounce back from things that are stressful to them. Do not judge others on how you as an individual react to things. Be aware and acknowledge that others will react differently through their tough times and do your best to support them when and if you can. Learning how you yourself cope with the stresses and strains of life can support you to be resilient in the future.

Research has shown that many factors and circumstances in life promote how resilient we are. It may be a supportive and stable family, being positive and having an optimistic view about life, or our sense of worth, the groups either social or as a community that we belong to, our good relationships and sense of belonging, and/or our positive relationships with people we care about.

Some of the behaviours that are common to resilient people are that they see opportunities in all things, accept change as a part of living, keep things in perspective by being realistic, maintaining positive relationships, finding strategies to support themselves when things are tough, and/or by taking action to achieve what they want. They are happy to talk and get help when they are struggling with life, and importantly, they develop an attitude of tolerance, acceptance and flexibility.

There are of course many more behaviours and factors that are common in how we cope with life. Do you understand and see where your resilience comes from?

If you are struggling and wondering how you can develop a more resilient life I would suggest that you develop a better self-awareness by understanding how you cope emotionally with ‘you’ when you have a crises by being aware

of how you react to them. More than likely it is a learned behaviour from your young years that do not serve you now that you are an adult.

It is important that you understand your needs, joys and frustrations, your goals, values and beliefs whilst understanding your individual limits. If you can view your life from a bigger picture, away from your challenges at any time this will help. By understanding how you ‘selfcontrol’ and when you do not is a major factor in watching your behaviour. If you know your strengths and responses to situations that affect you, you will learn to understand how you can change any current behaviour that is not serving you. Your style of coping relates usually to your early learning history. What was your ‘habit’ as a child, as discussed in the Enneagram, that supports you to gain what you want from life as an adult and is not self-serving? In fact, it can be very destructive to you and your relationships. For more information on the Enneagram I suggest that you go to: http://enneagram.com.au/ May your future bring you an ability to be able to move through your challenges in life easier by understanding what makes you who you are and what serves you better.

www.connexionsunlimited.com.au

Awesome Authenticity Cartoonist Ryan McDonald-Smith

www.awesomeauthenticity.com.au

Let’s cut to the chase: you want to be a successful property investor – and you want to know how to do it right NOW! I don’t blame you… successful property investing can mean financial freedom, early retirement, and a great life for you and those you care about. If you know what you are doing, you can set yourself up with a passive income in one of the most stable investment sectors available.

So how do you build a $2 million portfolio from the ground up?

STEP 1. Buy that first property I’ve said this before in previous articles, but it’s worth saying again. The hardest part is getting that first property. To kick off step one, let’s say we start by buying a $350,000 property with a 90% loan of $315,000 from Bank “A” as our first property.

STEP 2. One becomes Two Now with the hardest part done, we have to wait for a little while for the property market to work its magic. Once this has happened (it may be 6 months, or a couple of years), the value of the first property will have grown to $450,000, and the rent will have increased too.

Because we know that the banks will lend us up to 90% of the value of a property, the “90% line” of our property is now at $405,000. So if our mortgage is only $315,000, we have up to

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$90,000 in available equity which we can access to get us to our next property.

Property value

$450,000

Mortgage owed

$315,000

Maximum leveraged value (90%) Available Equity

$405,000 $90,000

Now we simply go to Bank “A” and ask for a second loan of $60,000 against the first property.

We can afford extra debt on that property because we are now receiving more rent. We use the cash from that loan to pay the deposit and costs on our next investment property.

Then we ask another lender “Bank B” to give us a loan for 90% of the new property. So one property has now become two without using any of our own cash.

STEP 3. Two become Four, and so on Let’s say we did our home work well and it took two years for our first property to increase in value to such a point that we could leverage another property off the back of it, and one property became two.

So then another two or so years later we can expect our two properties to continue to grow, and two become four! Another cycle later four become eight, eight become sixteen and so on.

So now you know how to build a $2 million portfolio rather quickly and can appreciate how some property investors manage to accumulate massive property portfolios.

You can also see that property portfolios don’t grow at the same rate. They grow exponentially (one becomes two; two become four; and so on). You add properties faster and make money quicker the longer you have been doing it.

The hardest part is just getting that first one! So if you’re not in one yet, start doing everything possible to get there.

I have been asked what I would do if I had to start over again from scratch. The answer is always this: I would get a job. I would rent the cheapest accommodation I could handle. I would drive the cheapest car I could. And then I would save every last cent I could until I could scrape into my first property. Then I would buy

that property in the best boom location I could find, and let the property market do the rest.

Because I know after that I would be fine.

If you’d like to chat more about what options you have, give my office a call on 1300 372 677. I offer personal 90 min Property Investment Coaching Sessions and/or Portfolio Reviews.

Aside from this, I host complimentary property investor training days around the country, so please visit www.propertyinvestmentmentor. com.au/free-training or give the office a call if you’re interested in finding out more.

Daimien Patterson is Australia’s leading property investment strategist and CEO of Integrity Investment Properties. Want to know more?

You can also get Daimien’s book for FREE at www.propertyinvestmentmentor.com.au

www.propertyinvestmentmentor.com.au

2014 April-May

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A Simple Treatment for Alzheimer’s and Degenerative Arthritis

by Greg Menz

What if it were true? And what if it worked? What would that mean to you or your loved one (or ones) and how would that change your current situation?

Before getting to what this treatment is (it is a product that you can get from your local chemist or health food shop), let’s look at a brief description of Alzheimer’s. I have taken this description from the US National Library of Medicine.

“Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks of daily living. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear after age 60. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older people.

AD begins slowly. It first involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. People with AD may have trouble remembering things that happened recently or names of people they know.

In AD, over time, symptoms get worse. People may not recognize family members or have trouble speaking, reading or writing. They may forget how to brush their teeth or comb their hair. Later on, they may become anxious or aggressive, or wander away from home. Eventually, they need total care. This can cause great stress for family members who must care for them.

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AD usually begins after age 60. The risk goes up as you get older. Your risk is also higher if a family member has had the disease.

No medical treatment can stop the disease.

However, some drugs may help keep symptoms from getting worse for a limited time.”

But what if there were a safe, inexpensive, and effective alternative? According to some very recent research, the best treatment for Alzheimer’s, a simple vitamin you can take right at home.

That vitamins are called “Nicotinamide” and Niacinimide, and both are types of Vitamin B3.

The research was done on mice, and so effective was it at restoring cognitive deficits associated with Alzheimer’s, that the researchers concluded that it could well provide a safe and effective treatment for Alzheimer’s.

However, more than that, to remove any fears you may in using this vitamin, niacinimide has a safe and effective 60 year treatment history for many conditions, especially Degenerative arthritis.

A psychiatrist by the name of Dr. William Kauffman wrote two basic books about niacinimide therapy in the 1940’s. In one of those books he mentions many of the symptoms that were eliminated or greatly improved through the use of this therapy.

Symptoms included the following: • memory impairment • attention easily distracted • inability to concentrate • mental fog • difficulty comprehending • non-cooperation • anxiety • procrastination • quarrelsome • intolerant • mean • unhappy • opinionated • annoyed easily • evasive • dodging responsibility • starting projects-never finishing.

Quite a list and all improved with this simple form of therapy!

And there is more. Dr. Kaufman also used this same therapy for the effective treatment of degenerative arthritis, which he also wrote a book about in 1949.

So there you have it, a safe and potentially effective treatment for Alzheimer’s, and degenerative arthritis. No drugs, no side effects.

So why wait. Isn’t it worth a try for anyone who has any of the symptoms Dr. Kaufman mentions (see above) in his book?

It is exceptionally safe, affordable and available, and if it makes you feel more comfortable, find a physician who is skilled and knowledgeable in nutritional medicine.

For more information about this, including dosage amounts, go to: http://www.anaturalcure. com/mambo/content/view/375/46/ As for me, I intend to start using it myself to see if it can help me with some knee problems I am having at present.

Here’s to your health and simple health solutions.

Greg Menz www.groundzerohealth.com.au

By working together

we can change the world!

You can make a difference…. It is as easy as a click on your computer.

2014 April-May

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NEW

• Do you wish to move your business to the next level for 2014?

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

MASTERMIND GROUPS

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

STARTING SOON

• Are you looking for new contacts to support you?

INTERESTED?

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

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

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

www.businessmastermindgroups.com.au 26

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Street Vendors in Guangzhou

by Tove Vine

Everywhere you go in Guangzhou, and in fact all over China, you will find street vendors and food sellers on the footpath selling anything you might need at a fraction of the price you would be able to buy it for in a shop. According to the government, it is not legal nevertheless hardworking people still line the footpath every evening trying to make a living. They spread a piece of cloth out on the footpath and place their wares on the cloth. Usually in each corner of the cloth is a hole with a string attached. The reason for that is when the police come down the street on their patrol to discourage the street vendors, they can easily pick up the cloth with their wares securely inside and run around the corner until the police officer has left.

Sometimes a street vendor is not quick enough and the police pick up all his wares, places them in the police van and drive off. I have been told that there is a “community of street vendors” who help and support each other. If a street vendor is unlucky enough to lose all his wares the other street vendors help him or her to get established again. I love wandering down the streets in evenings watching the hardworking street vendors struggling to make a living.

Amongst all the street vendors selling clothes, shoes, sneakers, handbags and so on, street vendors selling freshly cooked food can also be found. The food sellers set up a primitive cooking apparatus and cook many different kinds of foods, noodles being the most popular, but any kind of meats or fish cooked over hot coal or tofu cooked in a huge amount of oil can also be purchased. Very popular foods are chicken feet, goose necks and pig intestines, as well as many other foods I cannot recognize.

As you walk down the street you can see dozens of little cafés established on the footpaths where street vendors are slaving over a hot cooking apparatus cooking for hundreds of people who enjoy the evening sitting eating on low stools at small tables. I love those evening atmospheres but I am not brave enough to buy the food, as I fear the hygiene is not high enough for me to eat the food and remain healthy.

Miss Tove’s English School 2014 April-May

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Missed Opportunities Means Lost Revenue

by Scott Richards

Yesterday I met a friend at a coffee shop about 11 a.m. to discuss how we could work together to improve our businesses, my favourite topic. Once we sat down, we were served straight away — just a couple of drinks. We then became so involved in our discussion that before we knew it, two and a half hours had passed.

At this point we noticed that our empty cups hadn’t been taken away and we hadn’t been asked if we wanted something else to drink or eat. By this time it was 1:30 pm and we were both quite hungry and thirsty.

There wasn’t a server in sight, so we finished up and left to go about our days. I went right to a takeaway shop down the road to buy lunch and a drink and to use their free wifi. Whose fault is it that we didn’t have our lunch in the coffee shop? It must be at least partially the fault of the server and the management.

A Missed Opportunity to Grow Sales Here was a missed opportunity by the coffee shop owners and staff to increase a sale by perhaps five times. We were both hungry and thirsty — and we were already customers. The hard work of getting us to overcome our inertia and come through the door had already been done. But we were never offered anything else. At the very least the shop would have doubled their sale by asking if we wanted another drink. You see, the simplest way to instantaneously grow your sales and therefore your profits is to make an effective offer at the point of sale. Unfortunately, very few businesses use this powerful strategy effectively. While this strategy can grow your business quickly and with very little risk, it’s not always the easiest strategy to implement well. There are at least five mistakes you should avoid if you want to grow your business using this strategy.

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Five mistakes to avoid 1. No Offer Your job is to help your customer get the best possible solution. This is where offering the chance to buy more of a product or a complementary product will help him or her get a better outcome — and boost your sales too.

We were hungry and thirsty in the coffee shop but we were so caught up in our conversation that we didn’t think about it. Asking us if we wanted something else to eat or drink would have generated a better outcome for both of us and for the coffee shop.

2. No Perceived Value I was once at a service station that offered me a 4-cents-per-litre discount if I bought 2 bottles of water. The two bottles would have cost $6, and discount I would have received would have been about $2. In effect I would have paid $4 for 2 bottles of water.

Since I never buy water, the offer had no value to me. The offer must add value and help your customers achieve their desired outcomes or they won’t be interested.

3. Lack Of Credibility Some offers feel like the business is making the offer purely to get a sale. An offer must have a good, sensible reason behind it to create credibility in the mind of the buyer.

Trust is the number one reason people buy from a business. If you provide an offer that doesn’t help the customer achieve the best outcome, it’s going to feel to them like selling for the sake of selling and will be rejected.

You’ll not only lose their trust but also lose any future business from them and their referrals.

4. Failure to Educate You may have a great offer that’s going to help the customer, but it can lack credibility because they don’t understand the benefit.

If they don’t understand how the offer makes it easier for them to achieve what they want from the purchase, the offer is going to lack credibility. You’re the expert in what you sell, and your customer probably isn’t going to buy the best product or combination of products without useful guidance.

Last week I bought a solar cover for our pool.

I was offered a roller for the cover at a $30 discount. The whole offer was focused on the discount, but I thought I could save even more by not buying the roller at all. I passed on the offer and now regret it because I didn’t know how messy it is taking the cover on and off without the roller. I would have welcome the opportunity to be educated about the benefits and rather than the discounted price.

5. Inconsistency Back when McDonalds always said “would you like fries with that?”, they did it consistently — so much so that it’s still part of our language today. Consistency is a problem for many small businesses. When a business owner tells me that an offer worked for the first week or so and then stopped working, my first question is whether all staff are always asking consistently.

More often than not, they aren’t.

Research shows that about 30 percent of customers say yes to an offer that provides them perceived value. The cost to businesses to make an offer is usually zero dollars, zero effort and zero risk. Yet simply making a valuable offer is a strategy rarely used to great effect by many small businesses. Are you missing opportunities? I don’t want to waste an opportunity so here is my offer to you: The ‘Offer at the Point of Sale’ Strategy that is mentioned above is one of seven strategies that I use working with businesses.

I’d like to invite you to take advantage of a free ‘Small Business Profits Demystified’ coaching session where we’ll work together to …  Discover the critical numbers that you must get right if you are going to create the‘ultimate business success’.  Create effective and easy to implement strategies using the 7 strategies from our Small Business Profits Demystified Program to accelerate your profit growth.

Scott Richards scott@beyondthenumbers.com.au 0434 972 438

www.beyondthenumbers.com.au

2014 April-May

29

Create Reserves

by Stacey Huish

Business owners tend to run their business on the edge. They get so caught up with their ideas that they invest everything into their ventures and want to make it happen all now!

Business owners tend to exhaust their reserves quicker and faster than any other group of people, because they are creative and come up with so many ideas that require attention. The solution is to create reserves in every area. You want to have more than enough so that you are always operating from reserves. When you operate on close to empty you react to every situation in life. With reserves you respond to life. When you respond you’re always at choice.

How do you build reserves? Begin by creating new standards of doubling everything, i.e time, money, opportunities, clients, friends, energy, etc. Fill your gas tank when it’s on half a tank instead of waiting until it’s on empty. Buy two boxes of fax paper versus one. Hold money in separate reserve accounts for new projects. Say “no” more. Stop over promising and begin to under promise. Operating with reserves make you more attractive. People will gravitate to you and seek you out to do business.

With reserves comes fewer errors, space to create the future, time to do complete work and the ability to maintain integrity.

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2014 April-May

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‘Our Business Hub’

Unit 4, 1311 Ipswich Road, Rocklea

Directions We welcome our clients and friends to ‘Our Business Hub’.

This place has been created as a place for small business owners to get together to support, collaborate, co-operate, joint venture, share, learn and network for the future of small business owners.

Using a GPS

 Key in Abercrombie Street, Rocklea (noting that the entrance to the street is via Sherwood Road).

We are the second driveway on the left when you come into Abercrombie Street. Park in the complex where you can see a space.  Office is located towards the end of the driveway facing Ipswich Road.  You will find us on the Ipswich Road side of the complex closest to Sherwood Road, opposite of Westpac.

Coming from the city via Ipswich Road:

 Travel down Ipswich Rd to the Muriel Rd/ Sherwood Rd exit. Also signed as Brisbane Markets. Veer Left and keep in the right lane.  Turn right at the lights under the motorway.  Continue through the next set of lights and take 1st left into Abercrombie St.  Turn left into the 2nd drive way and find a park in the complex. In the open you will see some spots with Connexions Unlimited or Aussie Painters Network OR go undercover or up the ramp.  Office is located towards the end of the driveway facing Ipswich Road.  You will find us on the Ipswich Road side of the complex closest to Sherwood Road, opposite Westpac.

Coming via Fairfield Road:

 Head south on Fairfield Road until you come to the intersection of Sherwood, Ipswich and Muriel Roads.  Turn right into Sherwood Road. Turn 1st left into Abercrombie St.  Turn left into the 2nd drive way and find a park in the complex. In the open you will see some spots with Connexions Unlimited or Aussie Painters Network OR go undercover or up the ramp.  Office is located towards the end of the driveway facing Ipswich Road.  You will find us on the Ipswich Road side of the complex closest to Sherwood Road, opposite Westpac.

Coming from Ipswich:

 From the Ipswich Motorway take the Fairfield Rd exit.  Turn 2nd left into Sherwood Rd, then take 1st left into Abercrombie St.  Turn left into the 2nd drive way and find a park in the complex. In the open you will see some spots with Connexions Unlimited or Aussie Painters Network OR go undercover or up the ramp.  Office is located towards the end of the driveway facing Ipswich Road.  You will find us on the Ipswich Road side of the complex closest to Sherwood Road, opposite Westpac.

Call Jennie on 0414 278 344 if you need help.

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‘Our Business Hub’ We are up and running in our new office space and to be honest, it makes my heart sing to be back into a professional office situation. After many years in a home office, I am very aware of the changes that have been created by this change. We have tenants here with only one room left to lease out now. Both our Training Room and our Board Room is being booked too … so book in soon if you want to use our facilities!! We have the best coffee machine as well!!

4/1311 Ipswich Rd., Rocklea, Queensland, Australia 4106

(entrance via Abercrombie Street, second driveway on the left, off Sherwood Road)

For more details, visit www.facebook.com/OurBusinessHub

2014 April-May

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Upcoming Events Business MasterMind Group #2 – Brisbane SME commencing Tue, 22nd April 2014 | 9.30am – 12.30 noon These Business MasterMinding Groups to be held in Brisbane are for the small business owners, start-ups or solo entrepreneur who are looking for support to grow their business, to gain more expertise and skills in running their business, along with a group of like-minded people to share their journey.

BMMG #2 –Dates: Tuesday, 22 Apr; 6 & 20 May; 3 & 17 June; 1, 15 & 29 Jul; 12 & 26 Aug; 9 & 23 Sept.. 2014

Business masterminding is the fasted way to move your business forward.

Connexions Unlimited,

4/1311 Ipswich Road, Rocklea

BMMG #3 – Brisbane SME commencing Wed, 14th May 2014 | 9.30am – 12:30 noon WHO are Business 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 have extensive business knowledge and expertise. If you are looking to work with other successful business executives who will become your own individual ‘Board of Directors’ you can be supported as well as support them to move to their next level, strategise with and to collaborate and joint venture.

BMMG #3 – Dates: Wednesday 14 & 28 May; 11 & 25 Jun; 9 & 23 Jul; 6th & 20th Aug; 3rd & 17th Sept; 1st & 15th Oct, 2014 th

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th

th

th

rd

Connexions Unlimited,

4/1311 Ipswich Road, Rocklea

Upcoming Events Goal Setting Strategies for Business Success Wednesday, 21st May, 2014 | 1.30pm - 3.00pm We are a group of SME’s getting together to network, exchange ideas, etc.

This Business Ideas Brisbane group is for successful small business owners and entrepreneurs looking to connect with other business owners.

SPEAKERS: Terri Cooper & Jennie Gorman We will be focussing on Goal Setting Strategies for Business Success. Find out how you can be more successful by learning some new take-away tools that will ensure you achieve what you want for the rest of 2014.

Book today and you can walk away with some new insights to work in your business today!

Come along and share your business ideas and/or get some new ones. Even seasoned pros can learn new things by masterminding with other successful entrepreneurs.

Price: $15.00/per person Connexions Unlimited,

4/1311 Ipswich Road, Rocklea

Registration starts at 1.00pm

Inspiring Journeys … We ALL have a story to tell Thursday, 29th May 2014 | 6.30pm – 9.00pm A fund-raising Event for Brisbane community On behalf of Inspiring Australia, a non-profit organisation and Jennie Gorman from Connexions Unlimited we would love to invite you to come and listen to four inspirational Brisbane speakers on Thursday, 29th May at 7pm.

Be prepared for an incredible dose of inspiration, as four inspiring leaders will share how they not only overcame major life obstacles that were thrown in their path, but how they then used what they gained from those challenges to create success in business and in life…

Attend the night, gain some momentum to take into your own life and feel good about contributing to a worthwhile charity that changes lives of the youth and veterans in Brisbane.

Price: $25.00/per person Connexions Unlimited, 4/1311 Ipswich Road, Rocklea

Registration starts at 6.00pm 2014 April-May

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Contributors Cover: Jennie Gorman & Steve Clark from Envirosmart

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

Graphic Design : J. Anne Delgado

A good networker understands who to build strong relationships - Jennie Gorman

Anthony Davis www.brightwater.com.au Daimien Patterson www.propertyinvestmentmentor.com.au Debra Jarvis www.debrajarvisfengshui.com Greg Menz www.groundzerohealth.com.au Jennie Gorman www.connexionsunlimited.com.au Jim Rohn www.jimrohn.com John Milne www.leadershipdownunder.wordpress.com

Without a clear vision you wont reach your potential - Jennie Gorman

Building relationships is the same for both personal and business

- Jennie Gorman

Josie Thomson www.josiethomson.com Tove Vine

www.facebook.com/pages/Miss-TovesEnglish-School/119240348088731

Scott Richards www.beyondthenumbers.com.au Stacey Huish www.only-effective-communication-skills.com