IBNInc Magazine Autumn 2014

Independent Business Network Inc.

Your business growth and support system

Autumn 2014

Social Media Platforms Travel & Your Health When Things go Wrong Your Idea of a Treat v Your Body’s DIY or Graphic Designer Hiring Staff? - Look out For Retirement Survey- You Will Need....

Norwest Business Park, Sydney Australia photo courtesy Julie Warner

ers b m e rM u o t e Me

Contents

Business Connecting Your Social Media Platforms Julie Warner 4

Editor’s Letter Welcome back and I hope that you are all feeling refreshed and have had a successful start to the year. With the festive season well and truly feeling like a distant memory (Easter eggs in the shops since early January doesn’t help this!), 2014 is racing along with us already into March as we publish the third edition of our e-magazine.

Our IBNInc members are this month sharing their expertise with regards to kick starting your business into this new year, with motivational articles, tips and advice to help you achieve your goals.

The Hills Homeshow and Lifestyle Expo in Kellyville on March 15-16 had IBNInc members exhibiting for the fifth year, sharing their skills with local Hills residents both on the stand and whilst presenting seminars full of inspiring information in their business categories.

We look forward to working once again with our sponsor - The Hills Shire Council in our sixth year of operation. As our group grows from month to month we aim to continue developing our strong, trusted relationships and looking forward to the business opportunities and connection that come from this supportive group.

Until next edition, happy reading.

What to Look for When You are Hiring Fiona Neumann 6

Goals-Were You Successful in Achieving Them in 2013?

Robert Cole 8

Design Dream, Imagine, Create- Your Walls are Your Canvas Lesley Davies 14

Logos- Why a Graphic Designer When You can DIY- For & Against Angela Mitchell 15

Health

Your Idea of a Treat V Your Body’s Joy Mozzi 10

Lifestyle When Things go Wrong Pamela Hoy 12

Travel Take a Break -For Your Healths Sake Julie Warner 17

Wealth Retirement Survey- Show Me the Money Robyn Atkins 18

President Independent Business Network Inc www.independentbusinessnetworkinc.com

3

Expo

Robyn Hawke- (above) Inspired Spaces

Robyn Atkins - (below) The Investors Club

Victoria Bonello- (above) Party Lite

Vivecka Sripathy and Colin Carruthers - (below) Tag Financial

Business

image source : https://hootsuite.com/features/social-networks

Connecting Your Social Media Platforms Social media marketing can seem like a disjointed strategy working in isolation if you’re involved on multiple networks.

Using Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and other networks individually can be difficult and feel like you’re just fragmenting your marketing efforts.

It doesn’t have to be that way though. With the right steps, you can easily tie all your social media platforms together. Not only does that offer better ease of use for you, but it can ensure that your audience is fully engaged helping you build connections across all of your networks.

The most successful people in

Image Source: www.suedwestfalen-manager

social media, the ones that appear to be everywhere—and connecting all of these seamlessly are achieving this with a few, specific, focused strategies. Let’s call this “social leverage,” and I am going to share with you exactly how you can do this too and it won’t take up all of your valuable time!

WordPress at

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/

Here are a few specific methods twitter-tools to “cross-connect” like an Import your blog’s RSS feed into expert: To send your Facebook Fan Page status updates to Twitter: Facebook’s own Facebook to Twitter application at http://facebook.com/Twitter

To send your tweets to Facebook selectively: Facebook’s Selective Tweets application at http://apps.facebook.com/selectivetwitter

To update Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and more at the same time: http://Hootsuite.com http://ping.fm http://hellotxt.com

To send your LinkedIn status updates to Twitter: LinkedIn’s own Tweets application To display your latest tweets on your blog: Twitter Tools plugin for WordPress Twitter’s own widget at http://twitter.com/goodies/widgets

To send your blog posts to Twitter: Tw i t t e r To o l s p l u g i n f o r

Hootsuite at

http://hootsuite.com

To send your blog posts to Facebook (personal and/or Fan Page) Facebook’s Notes application Facebook’s Networked Blogs application at www.facebook.com

To send your blog posts to LinkedIn: LinkedIn’s own BlogLink a p p l i c a t i o n o r Wo rd P re s s application To share YouTube videos to Facebook: YouTube’s own Share button beneath each video Options–>Settings on your Facebook personal profile’s wall To share YouTube videos to Twitter: YouTube’s own Share button beneath each video To share YouTube videos on your blog: YouTube’s URL or embed code shown to the right of each video

Social Media Dashboards If you haven’t looked into the various social media aggregators 4

out there (also called social media dashboards), you’re missing out on tools that can offer convenience, time savings and even the ability to provide you with metrics necessary to measure your effectiveness and reach.

These tools offer the ability to post updates to different networks from one single place. Two very good examples of this type of tool include HootSuite and TweetDeck.

Create a Blog as a Central Hub Creating a unified social media

front does not stop at the social networks you use. If you are not already blogging, you should be.

Blogs were the forerunners of social networks, and they are still very important. Use your blog as a central hub for all of your other efforts.

As always, be careful not to automate or delegate too much— social media is still primarily about “live” interaction with others. But by implementing a couple of these strategies you can look forward to making a bigger impact in much less time.

Take things a step further by promoting your blog through your social media posts as well.

Now, you don’t have to set up every one of these tools all at once, but try out a few and see how much they improve your productivity.

Image Source:

www.blogspot.com

Julie Warner

www.facebook.com/YourBusinessHelper

5

What to look for when you are hiring As a recruiter I wished I owned a crystal ball. I get asked so many times if I can guarantee if an employee is going to stay with them. I wish I knew the answer to that million dollar question.

When faced with this question I respond by letting my clients know the tools and processes I use in order to source quality candidates.

Sourcing candidates 1. Most importantly you need to know what skills and behaviour traits you are looking for. This way when you are culling, you can organise a pile for a definite Yes or a definite No. If you are like me, sometimes you may have a maybe pile 2. Take the time to read all CVs. No matter how many applicants you receive, it is good to review all of them so you compare objectively.

3. Shortlist and complete a phone screen. The phone screen can be as basic or as detailed as you like, however, the idea is to decipher what motivated them to apply for the role. For some it may be a career change.

For others they may be purely incentivised by money. There is no right or wrong answer, but you need to take this into consideration.

4. Face to face interviews can be as casual or as formal as you like. It all depends on the type of role you are recruiting for.

Face to face interviews provide you with the opportunity to get to know an individual’s behaviour in more detail.

Things to look out for:

* Arriving on time to the interview * A r e they dressed appropriately for the role they have applied for * Body language * Communication style

Interviews are not all about making the candidate feel stressed and nervous. A great interviewer will make a candidate feel as relaxed as possible. You want to get to know them as much as possible.

5. I have spoken to so many clients who in the past have avoided completing references.

References are so important. It is the final tool you can use as a recruiter to ensure that you have delivered a great candidate to your client. Not all references are good. I have completed references that raise many alarm bells. Don’t ignore the alarm bells.

6. P sychometrics testing is a wonderful tool to use as part of the recruitment process. It is not appropriate for all roles, however, it is a great source to use in conjunction with a behavioural interview.

Image source: (top & current) photobucket.com

6

Once a candidate has been employed, what is going to make them stay?

My motto when recruiting is trust your gut instinct. If something doesn’t feel right, then you are probably right.

Before making a final decision, talk to a colleague or friend or a fellow recruiter to go through all the pros and cons of the person you are about to hire. This way you have covered all bases before getting them to sign on the dotted line

There are many things an employer can do to keep an employee, motivated, engaged, productive and happy. Sounds like a topic for my next blog: On boarding employees – why this is crucial in your business.

Fiona Neumann www.skillssavvy.com.au

7

Were you successful in achieving your Goals in 2013?

Your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life.

Les Brown Did you do the traditional New Year’s Eve thing of setting goals (personal or business) for 2014?

And how are you going now that 2014 is well under way?

The reason is what will keep you going when things get difficult (and at some stage, they will) – the fitness/weight loss industries know this – why does anyone

How will you achieve more in 2014 – set more goals, or better still, learn what to do?

spend more time with your family, and just working harder with more clients will take you away from your family, will you actually put in the 100% effort required for as long as it takes to be successful?

Maybe you will discover that you should put your prices up, work with fewer, but more profitable clients and actually reduce your time in the business!

So how do you clearly define your ‘Reason’?

If you are like most of us, you have either forgotten them already, or at best kept the list as a ‘reminder’ of what you’ll get back to once you aren’t ‘busy’ doing everything else (e.g. school run, household tasks, clients satisfied, staff/suppliers on track, etc)?

Maybe the problem is not the setting of goals, but a couple of related elements – firstly, the reason for the particular goal, and secondly the action steps to achieve the goal?

want to lost ‘x’ kilos – not just to lose weight, but for an underlying reason (e.g. to fit into a certain outfit for a special event; or, for their health, etc) – the stronger the reason the more likely you are to keep going until you achieve that objective.

Well the simplest answer is in the word – ‘Why’. When you are contemplating doing something, ask ‘but why do this?’, and then, whatever the answer is, ask yourself again – ‘why?’ for at least 3 but probably more times until you don’t get a different answer. Or better still get someone to ask and challenge your answers until you are both certain you have reached the real ‘Why’.

By the way, on your journey to determine your ‘reason’ you may discover the original goal won’t give you what you really want e.g. wanting more income/profit in your business, but, if the actual ‘reason’ was to get freedom to 8

Once you have clarity on ‘Why’ you want something and can express the goal, you need to create the action steps to achieve it:1. List all the tasks to be done 2. Brainstorm all the possible elements necessary to accomplish the tasks (engage others in the brainstorm exercise if possible) 3. Review the list of tasks, and check if there is anything missing 4. Identify which tasks are critical and which can be ignored, or delegated, and put into a timeframe 5. Use this Action Plan to track progress (marking of completed items will provide positive reinforcement) and add/ change the list as necessary 6. And Celebrate achievement along the way.

Good luck for success in 2014.

If you have any questions or insights you’d like to share feel free to contact me.

Robert Cole

www.thesmallbusinesswizard.com

9

Health Treats ‘Treat’ – Any delightful surprise or especially pleasant occasion.

Your mind says “Oh yes!” but your body says “No thanks!”

Using the word ‘treat’ for a visit to junk food outlets or having a Tim Tam ‘treat’ after dinner conveys the wrong message to our brains.

Banana Ice Cream & Berries A ‘treat’ (for the body) is splashing out and buying two delicious & guilt free! punnets of strawberries instead of one, buying golden kiwi fruit even though they cost more and getting those cute yellow We alway’s….. & red cherry tomatoes.

We’re all good at talking ourselves out of doing things. Before we can embark on a healthier lifestyle let’s look at the excuses we make to prevent us continuing or even starting the journey.

No time.

I know none of us like to hear it but have you considered getting up half an hour earlier in the morning?

Making time to chop up a few fresh fruits with all those lovely rainbow colours helps the body to sing. If you don’t have time for a sit down breakfast pack a container full of juiciness and eat on the train or at work.

jeans at $120 but then complain that fresh fruit is too expensive.

Build a relationship with your local fruit & veg shop and look out for specials, a box of tomatoes for $10, a box of sweet oranges for $10.

Buy in bulk and freeze, dehydrate, make chutneys, fruit pickles.

Be open to change, do some research and be prepared to think differently.

A picnic does not have to be only white bread and processed foods.

Go down to your local fruit & veg shop and, as a treat, let everyone choose something they like. Go to a park, the beach, spread out a cloth, chopping board and plates. Feast on fresh fruits followed by leafy green salads, nuts, dates, vegetable sticks & dips. Energy levels will be naturally exuberant and not artificially ‘high’.

Dinners – it only takes 15-30 minutes to wash, peel and chop a pile of fresh veggies for a salad or throw in a steamer for a few minutes. Make a double batch and keep the leftovers for the next night.

TOO expensive.

Open your cupboards. Clothing, accessories, shoes, DVD’s, books, junk, toys. People can afford to buy yet another pair of designer blue

Hot Carob Almond Milk and banana walnut crackers.

Yum! 10

Raw Stuffed Mushrooms with Brazil Nut ‘Parmesan’

But I’m Still HUNGRY. If the majority of your diet is processed, packaged and nonnutrient addictive foods, the appetite is never fully satiated.

The body needs natural vitamins

& minerals to function efficiently and if not received sends out messages that it is not satisfied.

This is generally misinterpreted as hunger and people continue to crave and eat salty, sweet and caffeine loaded non-nutrient foods that in turn contribute to obesity and health problems.

Go for the fresh food first and wait 15 minutes or half an hour after consuming to see if you still crave the addictive things.

Raw Chocolate Balls

Fruit Sorbet with Nut Cream

Patience.

How do you stop beating yourself over the head for failing? By understanding that we are human and need to practise new habits over and over again until they are the norm.

Raw Curry Sauce

Joy lost 16kg by changing the type of food she was eating * It will take time to re-educate and still enjoys eating full and encourage new habits. Ask plates of luscious foods your partners and children for without feeling guilty. their support. * Focus on health not weight loss. This is very important for the yo-yo dieters.

Date & Nut Treats

* I g n o re o r t h ro w a w a y your scales. Stop expecting instantaneous results, this is a lifestyle change and it takes weeks and sometimes months for a new habit to become part of your daily routine. * Be patient with yourself. If you have a bad week, get over it.

Start again. Keep going back to the fresh foods. * You are not denying yourself sweet, delicious, savoury, spicy wonderful foods, you are just replacing current favourites with new healthier options and recipes. * It is difficult to let go of cravings and food addictions.

Tell yourself that you can still have that cappuccino, all you can eat buffet, bar of chocolate but only on Saturday or on social occasions.

Joy Mozzi

www.fruvenu.com.au

11

Lifestyle What to do when things go wrong.

The time for taking action to change what is not working for you is …“now”. Give yourself the opportunity to be who you really wish to be. in changing problems, learning from the negative experience and proceeding in a positive manner.

Image source

Quadcopter for Gopro www.helipal.com/

When things go wrong for you in your personal or business life, do you think about it, analyse it, contemplate how much worse it may become? Worry incessantly about it again and again, accentuating the worry and even developing fear as the issues go round and round in your mind.

What has happened, what will happen next and what will be the consequences?

If the answer to any of these questions is YES, please read on.

Make 2014 the year you change and improve your personal or business life. Incorporating counselling and clinical hypnotherapy to discuss your problems is a time saving, cost effective and productive option. There are several steps

* Identifying your problems and what is fuelling them. * Categorise what needs to be done, by whom and when. * Develop a strategy of actively implementing changes to the problem. * Examine the symptoms you experience as a result of the unresolved problems. * Accept how things are now. * Look to the future in a realistic and yet optimistic manner.

Do you blame yourself or look for others to blame? Is the worry taking a toll in several areas of your life? Is your sleep or appetite being negatively affected? Perhaps you are displaying unusual impatience or even anger.

Are you guilty of procrastinating over the decisions you need to make? Do you find it difficult or sometimes impossible to make definite choices as to what you are going to do? The more you worry, the less motivated you become.

Do you feel overwhelmed and confused how to take the necessary action to reduce the impact of what has gone wrong?

Image source-

www.sodahead.com

12

When you are in consultation with the therapist, you are in a safe and non-judgemental environment.

The therapist offers you an avenue to see your problems in a new light, perhaps from a different perspective and often in a more realistic manner. You will be encouraged to talk about your thoughts and feelings which is liberating and also problem solving. Often the client will uncover concepts and solutions they had not thought of prior, and options may be become clear and precise.

The therapist will guide the client in developing a more proactive approach to problem solving so they can continue to utilize the skills learnt during consultations for future challenges.

Frequently asked questions and answers.

Q. Are clinical hypnotherapy and counselling safe?

A. Yes, both are safe when utilized by a trained professional.

Q. Do you take control of my brain?

A. No, you are always in control, your brain is actually in a state of heightened awareness.

Q. How will I feel after clinical hypnotherapy?

A. You will typically feel calm and relaxed.

Q. How many sessions will I need?

A. That depends on what you wish to achieve, you are not locked in to a contract. * I offer flexible consultation hours and competitive fees * Rebates payable by several private health insurance companies. * I offer flexible consultation hours and competitive fees.

Please contact me for any further information or to make an appointment.

www.hypnotherapyandcounselling.com

Pam Hoy

13

Design Dream, Imagine, Create…..your walls are your canvas!

get what you pay for with wall stickers though the cheaper ones can take some paint off with them, so go for better quality wall stickers and you will be much happier with the result.

Creating a Space that will Inspire Your Child Your child’s bedroom or play area should be their own fantasy world.

A place where they can dream, play and create freely.

Creating a themed room, can encourage and inspire your child’s imaginative play. You can choose any theme at all, but one that your child is already interested in will make them even more enthusiastic to use the space. Some popular themes are; Nautical, Outer Space, Jungle, Medieval, Princess, Fairies, just to name a few.

A great themed room can be easy to create, and surprisingly affordable.

Start with a neutral paint colour, add in a quilt cover that suits your chosen theme, a novelty lamp, some wall art, a floor rug and some smaller accessories such as themed wall hooks and throw cushions. To really take it to the next level use removable wall decals to transform the walls and tie the whole theme together.

Removable wall decals are a great way to add colour and excitement to your child’s space. Another benefit is that they can be used on rental properties as they are easily removed without damage to the wall surface. Just remember you

Another benefit of wall decals is that they can be updated as your child grows. So when they have outgrown a theme, you can replace them with an inspirational quote or saying, or photographs of their friends, favorite places etc.

2 Bee Creative has a great range of removable wall decals at affordable prices, they design and manufacture their products here in Australia, so if you can’t find what you are looking for then you can have them custom design and they make it for you.

Lesley Davies www.2beecreative.com.au

14

Logo’s- DIY or Graphic Designer - for and against

According to finance.yahoo.com /news some companies spend millions on a logo while others have got away with writing a cheque for $15 and some that cost nothing. Consider iconic logo design, the most memorable are the simplest ones.

Coca Cola logo $0 “The famous

Coca-Cola logo was created by John Pemberton’s bookkeeper, Frank Mason Robinson, in 1885.

Robinson came up with the name and chose the logo’s distinctive cursive script. The typeface used, known as Spencerian script, was developed in the mid-19th century and was the dominant form of formal handwriting in the United States during that period.”

Nike swoosh, $35 “The Nike logo

was designed by Carolyn Davidson in 1975. The price only included the logo design, which later has been refined but the original concept just like in the case of Google and CocaCola has been kept intact. Later Nike gave 500 shares of stock to the designer, which is now worth over $600,000.”

Image Source: http://stradegyadvertising.com

Fedex re-branded in 1994 The designer Linden Leader & Landor Associates, cost unknown for the actual logo but the estimate for everything including putting the new logo on their trucks etc around $30 million!

Source:

http://stocklogos.com

Image Source:

http://www.sallymcrae.com

15

Self reliance can be a plus or a minus when it comes to designing your own logo

A Graphic Designer (GD) can instantly lend your start up * Save money * You know what your vision is, business some credibility!

For

* * * *

you can see it in your mind You are creative You may have seen a logo that would suit you, just change it around a little You can design one easily on line You have the software that you need to create your logo

Against * You might infringe someone’s copyright * Other people perceive it as amateurish * Will cost you money in the long run * You will need more than one file type for use in the various ways you will need to use it in the future and you don’t have the software/knowledge to create these particular file types These two images of Logo’s below where voted amongst the ten worst

What’s involved?

Consultation with you, the client to: 1. Glean as much information from you as possible about your personality, your vision for the business, type of business etc 2. Who is the main target audience 3. Colour preferences, the ‘feel’ 4. Draw up a clear design brief and contract Following the consultation the GD will start sketching out ideas, at least 20 or more rough thumbnails, then will select the best and digitally create these ideas for your perusal. If you are completely happy with any of the choices then the designer ‘got lucky’. Your feedback is welcome, you can suggest any changes etc.

The GD will make these changes, perhaps simplify them and offer them to you look at. The process will continue until you are happy.

Then will you be given a choice of colours.

by Pieter Huveneers Emery Studios

restyled by: Hulsbosch

1964 (current) logo Francesco Saroglia. woolmark

Iconic Australian Logo’s source: http://desktopmag.com.au

Now we are getting some where!

You will now receive a logo for use in: * Print (CMYK or Panatone) * Your website (RGB) * In colour, black and white and reversed white and black

What you pay for:

Above, images sourced from http://logodesignerblog.com

* The designer’s time * Copyright of that image * Correct type of file for any use, including able to be blown up for use on a billboard!

In conclusion, you can get away with creating your logo yourself others have certainly done it, or you can hire a professional and now appreciate just how much time can go into creating something that should look simple, but will contain visual hints of your personality, ethics and your business.

Angela Mitchell www.meamdesign.com.au

16

Travel For most destinations: Depending on your destination and purpose of travel, additional vaccinations may be required. These might include: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid, Rabies, Japanese Encephalitis and Meningitis.

Highly Recommended vaccinations:

It is commonly known that we are all working longer hours, our stress levels are increasing and people are finding it more difficult to make time to take a holiday.

Take a break for your health’s sake!

Even as an individual who is passionate about their profession there still needs to be a balance of work activities and relaxation.

Finding the right amount of work/ life balance is essential and this includes vacation time as without that time ‘away’ from the business you lose perspective on life.

Actually making the time to take a holiday is a great start to improving your mental and physical wellbeing but we also need to ensure that we stay healthy whilst away from the office to ensure we achieve the maximum benefit of our time away.

Getting vaccinated may be the last thing on your mind when heading off on vacation, but it’s important — whether you are travelling to an exotic destination or not. Here’s a few tips to help you prepare for your time away from work so that you return, rejuvenated, relaxed, fit and healthy:

Vaccinations

Vaccinations may be an entry requirement for some countries, without them, you may be refused entry or required to have the vaccination at the border. Your own country may have a vaccination requirement for returning citizens

after visiting certain countries.

Best to check with each embassy or consulate to understand each countries requirements before you depart.

Prepare: At least eight-weeks out, start with a visit to your G.P. or a specialised travel medical clinic – they will be able to advise which vaccinations are required for your chosen destination. Some vaccinations require a series of shots and can take a few weeks to become effective, so allow plenty of time to schedule these.

For all destinations: Make sure you’ve had your standard vaccinations, such as: Tetanus, Diphtheria, Measles and Polio. You should also consider an Influenza vaccination if you’re planning on travelling during the colder months.

Yellow fever vaccinations: strongly recommended for parts of Africa and South America.

Meningitis vaccinations: strongly recommended for Saudi Arabia during the time of the Hajj or Umra pilgrimages.

Malaria: This does not have a vaccination but there are preventative medications. Be sure to ask a medical professional before heading to an affected area Tip: Consult your private health insurance fund to see if you are entitled to claim back a percentage of your vaccination costs (often they can and every little bit of extra money helps – more to spend whilst you are away!)

Taking the time to properly research your destination and take necessary medical precautions before you depart will go a long way to keeping you healthy whilst you are travelling. This time off lowers stress levels, stimulates your brain and you will be enthused when you return to the office. In turn your productivity will skyrocket.

See the world or just take some downtime and your enthusiasm and passion for work will return. www.juliewarnertravelplans.com

Julie Warner

17

Wealth

MLC Retirement Survey

Some of you may have seen this in the news during the week, that MLC (part of NAB) released the results of a retirement survey they completed, with some sobering findings: 1. Less than one in 20 Australians expect to maintain their current standard of living into retirement with excess savings 2. One in three (31.7 per cent) envisage a sizable financial shortfall and one in four expect some retirement gap 3. Just 3.5 per cent think they will have more than enough money for their remaining years 4. Meanwhile, almost 70 per cent said they did not have a fallback plan for unexpected events such as major illness or sudden unemployment Thank goodness for property, providing a safer environment for people to have a different and more secure retirement!

and Rio Tinto has hit the mark.

CBA has leading market share in home loans, personal loans, retail deposits and discount stockbroking, and is one of Australia’s largest credit card issuers; so they are obviously very comfortable with the property market as it stands today!

It is no wonder, that for the first time, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has published its estimated total value of residential properties in Australia, which hit $5 trillion for the first time, up from $4.8 trillion in the September quarter!

The average price of Australia’s 9.3 million residential properties is also $539,400, up from $496,800 in the December quarter 2012 This means that Australian housing is currently around 3.2 times the size of our economy, as measured

by GDP ( Gross Domestic Product )

Demand improved for all types of new and established property, with local and foreign investors significant players in the market.

Highlights : * NAB Residential Property Index up +4 to +36 in Q4 highest result since survey began * VIC and QLD most optimistic in next 1-2 years * Expectations lower in all states except QLD which is now expected to provide the biggest returns in next 1-2 years * Demand for established property stronger in all market segments in Q4, led by houses in the inner city and middle/ outer ring * Capital growth expectations for established houses and apartments higher at all price points Still very positive conditions for property; and with Property Club’s proud 20 year history assisting members with our unique circle of safety, it has never been a better time to look at the options available!

The Commonwealth Bank’s firsthalf profit has surged 16 per cent to $4.2 billion!

Australia’s biggest bank is set to break through the full-year net profit threshold as early as next year, meaning it will make a $1 in profit every day for each man, woman and child in Australia!

It will be the first time an Australian-listed company other than mining giants BHP Billiton

The above is a good introduction to : NAB reported that housing market sentiment lifted in the last quarter of 2013, supported by faster house price growth in all states (bar SA/ NT). House prices are expected to keep growing in the next 1-2 years.

Robyn Atkins robyn@atkinskr.net.au

18

Independent Business Network Inc Business Directory ACCOUNTING & BOOKKEEPING

GRAPHIC/WEB DESIGN

Aztec Accounting Services P 9980 9760 M 0412 672 810 E info@aztecaccounting.com.au

Meam Design P 9636 1254 M 0414 604 979

www.aztecaccounting.com.au

ARTIST/HOME DECOR 2 Bee Creative P 9629 2136 M 0409 962 921 E lesley@2beecreative.com.au www.2beecreative.com.au BUSINESS Julie Warner Your Business Helper P: 02 8850 4908 M: 0414 210 979

www.facebook.com/YourBusinessHelper

COMMUNITY SERVICES My Local Guide M 0401 718 374 E claire@mylocalguide.net.au www.mylocalguide.net.au

EDUCATION TUTORING Advanced Education Solutions 48 Meryll Av, Castle Hill P 9686 4289 M 0413 100 655 E sharleen@aestutors.com.au www.aestutors.com.au

Dyslexia Matters 24 Lightwood Way, Beaumont Hills. NSW 2155 P 8064 7248 www.dyslexia-matters.com.au

FINANCIAL SERVICES The Investors Club P 9626 2655 M 0418 447 815 E robyn@atkinskr.net.au

www.memberlink.tic.com.au

www.meamdesign.com.au

HEALTH Heal with Hypnotherapy Divine touch Massage Therapy M 0410 584 591 E vickibon@bigpond.net.au www.healwithhypnotherapy.com.au

www.divinetouchmassagetherapy.com.au

Fruvenu Healthy Food Workshops Gluten/Lactose/Egg Free M 0428 582 258 www.fruvenu.com.au

Pamela Hoy Clinical Hypnotherapy and Counselling P 9634 6262 M 0409 772 015 E pamhoy@bigpond.com

www.hypnotherapyandcounselling.com

HOME REPAIR & IMPROVEMENT COMMERCIAL DESIGN

Cassie and Cassie Building Design P 9651-5198 M 0423-344-283 E Kalene@cassieandcassie.com www.cassieandcassie.com

Inspired Spaces P 9894 7548 M 0401 068 670 E robyn@inspiredspaces.com.au www.inspiredspaces.com.au

Colourbright Pty Ltd M 0407 080 155 E rockey@colourbright.com.au RECRUITMENT Debra Manson Recruitment P 8883 2163 M 0433 227 601 E debra@debramanson.com.au www.debramanson.com.au

Rosanna Haynes Massage P 9889 7699 M 0425 217 049

Skills Savvy M 0424 787 785

LIFESTYLE

TAXATION

Margaret King - Enjo P 9862 9966 M 0418 166 016 E margaretking3@optusnet.com.au

www.facebook.com/MargaretKingEnjOpreneur?ref=hl

Sydney Taxation Services P 9873 4139 M 0411 695 151 E janice@sydneytaxationservices.com.au

Gary England M 0450 200 500 E gary@HotBeverageHealth.com

TRAVEL SERVICES

www.rosannahaynes.com.au

MARRIAGE CELEBRANT Pamela Hoy Marriage Celebrant P 9634 6262 M 0409 772 015 E pamhoy@bigpond.com www.pamelahoymarriagecelebrant.com

E info@skillssavvy.com.au skillssavvy.com.au

www.sydneytaxationservices.com.au

Julie Warner Travel Plans P 8850 4908 M 0414 210 979 E julie@juliewarnertravelplans.com www.juliewarnertravelplans.com