Edition # 26

THE #1 TRADESMAN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Hamilton Island Wish you were there

Avoid business burnout

What’s in store for the Aust & global economy Thoughts from the Westpac Global Head

5 simple burnout busters to prevent this from happening to you

Anthony & Annie Bedrosian, Mr.Switch Electrical

VIP Diamond Members ʻ‘achieving the unachievableʼ’

Issue #26

April-May-June 2012

Proudly Australian

+

Mac vs. PC

Cool

which way do you swing?

iPhone apps for tradies

It’s over 1/4 of the way through 2012... believe it or not... and I’m sure your excited with your progress to date. Are you?

April signified 25% of the way through the year and now we are only 8 weeks :ll the end of the financial year. Have you made an appointment to meet with your accountant for the end of May/start of June to talk about how you’ve been tracking?

We absolutely must start by saying a huge congratula:ons to Annie and Anthony Bedrosian from Mr.Switch Electrical, Diamond VIP members, for their success in being honoured as a Na:onal Finalist for the Australian Small Business Champion Awards in the category of ‘New Business Under 2 years’. A huge accolade to have made it this far in such a short period of :me. Coincidently we share their amazing story in the Member Profile on page 7, plus talk the Power of Awards on page 13.

Bill Evans predictions. Page 4

Wondering what’s happening with the Australian and global economy in 2012? Let Head Economist, Bill Evans, share his insight.

We had a great night with Anthony, Annie and their team while we too waited in an:cipa:on to see if either Dr.DRiP (trade category), Tradesman Inner Circle (Educa:on category) or Andy (Australian Small Business Champion Entrepreneur) were going to celebrate a win. Unfortunately, no such luck, but had a great night all the same!

The past 3 months have been great fun where we have seen ourselves work hard and play hard! With a wonderful and memorable trip to Hamilton Island in March (shared on page 17) we were all provided the chance to renew, rejuvenate and reward ourselves with plenty of ‘fun in the sun’! (nothing beats an ‘ac:ve adventure morning’ and lazy ‘cocktail’ arvo by the pool!... ahhhhhh!)

Have you checked out MyTIC lately? Ange and Carolyn have loaded a great ‘many’ resources. Just start at ‘Latest News’ to get the overviews.

Mr. Switch Electrical Page 7

Diamond VIP Member Anthony and Annie Bedrosian from Mr.Switch Electrical share their journey achieving the unachievable!

Lost In The Web Page 9

Did you know: the ATO is watching and benchmarking your business? If you didn’t know then this might be an article you want and need to read.

TradeTalk 1

Interes:ngly, having men:oned how close the end of financial year is, it was a mee:ng we had with our accountant in March that educated us in more detail about ‘Big Brother’, the ATO. If you’re a li`le unsure what I’m talking about, you might want to read the ar:cle on page 9.

To take this ‘finance’ angle a li`le further I was invited to a`end a ‘Westpac Economy Presenta:on’ with Bill Evans, the Head Economist, to hear his take on the Australian and global market movements predicted for 2012. Read my review on page 4.

A recent ‘google slap’ to our Dr.DRiP website (saw our 1st page organic ranking drop off the charts) saw us in deep chats with our ‘SEO master’. It is true that Google is changing some rules and guess who’s in the firing line? Find out more on page 20.

(Thankfully our other websites are safe from this form of control by Google.

We’ve had a few members asking, so thought this would be useful for all. gadget covered in ‘Man Cave’ is a winner! Perhaps I’ll buy it for Ange for mothers day (really support buying a gi8 for your partner that YOU can enjoy too... Ange has been doing it for my b’day for years and I’ve only JUST coEoned on! Bought her a coffee machine for her b’day and I LOVE IT!).

And best :ll last -­‐ the room is filling fast with Diamond and Pla:num members for our Work Shop on the Gold Coast less than 3 weeks. Can’t WAIT to see you all!

Till then...

Make it happen!

I recommend you check out the ‘best of’ You Tube video on page 14 plus we’ve included it on MyTIC. The video is Dale Beaumont sharing his 4 step formula on ‘how to get the right tes:monial’.

Business Burn Out Page 11

y d An

Mac vs. PC Debate Page 15

Other articles include; • TIC Work Shop is this month 25/26 May. Have you booked? - page 6 • Riding the award wave. Why it’s one wave you really want to be on - page 13 • You tube ‘best of’ video How to get the right testimonial. Dale Beaumont shares his 4 step formula - page 14

5 Simple Burnout Busters to prevent this from happening to you.

It is easy to be caught up in the marketing excitement of the Apple Mac, but the question remains - do you really need it? and which do you prefer?

• Hamilton Island - We reminisce - page 17 • Warning for those with SEO on their website; read this page 20 • Cool boys toys in the Man Cave - page 21 TradeTalk 2

Tradesman inner Circle Helping You On The Road To Success MEMBERS – You are never far from help.

Unlimited phone support on 1800 704 822.

Lay it on the plate.........

Bill Evans predicts interest rate cuts and an increase in consumer confidence

T

o get an insight into global market

ac1vity and how Australia is expected to track for 2012 and beyond I took up an

invita:on to a`end a presenta:on conducted by Bill Evans, Westpac Banking Corpora:on’s Global Head of Economics and Research a few weeks ago.

Let me share with you the ‘take-­‐out’ of the night -­‐ The most exci:ng and promising news for us as business owners (and mortgage owners) is the expected rate decreases.

Australian interest rates are expected to drop by 50 basis points within the next few weeks, then 25 basis points in December -­‐ and perhaps even an addi:onal 25 basis points to follow soon aier. Reserve Bank are aware the banks won’t follow suit, so to bring the cash rate down, the RBA figure if they drop 75 -­‐ 100 basis points, the banks will be forced to at least go half way which will reduce interest rates and hence have a posi:ve effect on consumer confidence.

Bill spoke of Australia where he expects property prices to be neutral for the next few years. He also predicts the growth for Australia to be fairly flat un:l at least the second half of the year and confirmed the boom in both QLD and WA thanks to the mining industry.

China officially in a recession. They were growing at approximately 11% and have dropped to 7%. China has done this to themselves to slow down the economy. Having completed the first stage of a three stage policy, China is now looking at social housing for its people. China is in a very strong posi:on regardless of what the media says. This assists Australia overall.

America is looking on the up and employment has improved. Believes President Obama wants to provide another round of s:mulus packages but decision is based on congress agreement. Thinks they don’t want to, but common sense will prevail, based on the fact that U.S.A. will drop by 2.7% if this isn’t ac:oned.

Spain expected to default in next few months which will make headline news. Youth unemployment currently at 50% and general unemployment 20-­‐25%.

By 2014 the Euro is predicted to collapse.

England is struggling at present with the Olympics Games this year the only ac:vity keeping them buoyant. Watch this space come post-­‐Olympics.

Bill spoke a great deal on Australia’s debt very low debt versus all other countries.

The most alarming item for Australia is our high personal debt rate. Our household debt is highest in the world. Bill wasn’t saying we were headed for a recession, but this does effect consumer spending.

That said, with the predicted interest rate cuts, consumer confidence and hence spending will increase.

Bill talked very posi:vely about business in Australia.

The significant global policy s:mulus will se`le consumer confidence issues and lower interest rates will provide the 2nd half of year with the buoyancy we Australians desire.

In short -­‐ the Australian economy is looking stable at present.

You can stay up to date with the economy through the weekly update provided by The Westpac Bank on their Your Tube channel ‘Westpac Banking’., namely the ‘Westpac Economic Update’.

NOTE: The day this magazine went to print the RBA dropped interest rates by 50 basis points to 3.75%.

The ques:on now is; will the banks follow suit?

TRADE SECRETS IN YOUR POCKET

d fo r a o l n w o D !

FREE now

INTRODUCING THE TRADESMAN INNER CIRCLE IPHONE & ANDROID APP Now you can access our free content all in the one convenient loca1on. Allow us to help you make the right moves to ensure your business and life success If you’re on your iPhone you will find it in the app store by searching Tradesman Inner Circle. For Android, search for us on your handset in the Android Market.

Tradesman Inner Circle Work Shop Friday 25th and Saturday 26th May, 2012 HQ Hotel, Gold Coast Exclusively for Diamond and Platinum members

T

here are some things in business that you simply CAN NOT drop the ball on...

Solid steps to Sales and Marketing Success How to Turn On The Sales Cycle For Maximum Results Whether you’re happy with the size business you have, or are looking for fast growth both with the result of more customers, a higher turnover and profit, this hands-on Work Shop will provide the path to success you need for a fail-proof foundation in sales and marketing success that you will carry for life and will revisit time and time again.

As the chinese proverb says ‘Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day.

Teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime’.

It’s time to get your hands dirty with your fellow TIC members where you’ll discover TIC’s SIMPLE strategies and base foundation that will help take the guesswork out of running a highly profitable business.

You’ll leave the Work Shop feeling excited and energized about your business with rock solid NEXT STEPS to implement immediately on return! This one is not to be missed...

For more details check out the MyTIC website/Events/Next TIC Work Shop.

Book your accommodation and flights today...

Looking forward to seeing you there!

TradeTalk 6

Tradesman Inner Circle Member Profile “We’ve reached goals we thought were unachievable.”

Members

2. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in the last 12 months?

Anthony & Annie Bedrosian Mr.Switch Electrical Diamond VIP Member 1. Tell us a bit about your situation, your business and family etc.

I started my electrical apprenticeship when I was 17 years old and was employed by a small business working alongside the boss mainly targeting construction sites. I was hardworking and quick learning and soon enough opened my eyes to the world of electrical service. I realised how customers were being disappointed and let down when the company would not turn up to the job or the customer was totally forgotten about.

In 2008 and at the age of 21 I completed my apprenticeship and was employed as the first electrician with a medium sized maintenance plumbing company that was starting up their electrical sector. Coming from a mainly construction background this was a clear challenge for me to learn and take in all the new maintenance service side of the industry.

As a result, I learnt the marvelous side of maintenance electrical and my customers loved my excellent service! Within one year working for this company, I started sub-contracting to them and finally made the decision to start my own businessMr Switch Electrical.

My wife Annie and I had only been married for 6 months and she realized I was struggling with the paper work side of the business as I was working 24/7 and had no time nor patience to sit in front of the computer!. She made a huge life changing decision to leave her career in the wedding planning industry to help me with Mr Switch Electrical.

Once Annie came into the picture in 2010 a lot changed. She changed the company trading name to Mr Switch Electrical and got the ball rolling for marketing and clientele base.

Together for the past year through hard work, tears, sweat and love and with the marvelous help of TIC we have built a business which runs from our home office and have 3 vans with 3 tradesmen and are striving to reach more goals!

7 TradeTalk

The biggest challenge we have faced in the last 12 months has definitely been to find and implement a field integrated CRM Software.

For the past year we have been tossing and turning to find the right CRM Software for our business as we realized paperwork was going nowhere. We realized that we needed to step up to the ladder and implement technology where it was needed to help us be more efficient and productive. There are so many options out there however finding the right one for our business took longer than anticipated!

We now have signed up to a great CRM and are currently in training progress.

3. How have you tackled that challenge? How do you feel about it?

After intensive research, meetings and discussions for a year we finally came across a system that was easy to handle and learn. We now are happily in training and are glad we are going paperless!

Enjoying the Australian Small Business Awards with their team

Annie & Anthony were honoured to be National Finalists at the Australian Small Business Champion Awards in the category of ‘New business under 2 Years’.

With only 20 nominations from a pool of ‘all business’, it was a huge accolade for Mr. Switch Electrical.

The award night was at The Westin Hotel, 21st April 2012 - a great night enjoyed by 950 small business owners from across Australia.

Congratulations again...

4. How have you and your business changed since joining TIC? Seriously both of us are much more motivated now to move the business even more forward! There is no looking back! We’ve

reached goals we thought were unachievable! We also have a clearer vision of our life and business!

5. Where do you see your business in 5 years?

We are now in the process of building systems and procedures for the company so we can grow smoothly without headache! Our next goal is to move the office out of our home to an office and hire office staff so we can spend more quality time together. Overall in the next five years we want the business to run for itself! (while we are sipping on cocktails at Waikiki beach hahaha) 6. What are the top 3 things you have learnt about business that you would recommend to others, and WHY? (eg; life plan, watching numbers, customers first????)

Tip1 and why: Always adapt to change- The world, economy and customers are always changing and we need to be willing for our business to adapt to these changes so we can continue being in business!

Tip2 and why: Don’t involve your emotions- Never mix business with your emotions as it is not professional and business is business!

Tip3 and why:

Never Ever Give Up!- Always think positive, surround yourself with positive people to avoid failure so you can kick those goals in life and business!

7. Favorite tool and why?

Anthony: Portable Eftpos Machine- so easy to use and speedy!

Annie: Mine is Google! Any questions I have just google away!!

8. Tell us something quirky about yourself that your buddies don’t know (eg. you have a favourite coffee cup that sings happy birthday!, you’re the only one in your extended family that is left handed) Anthony: Unlike my mates I like listening to classical music such as frank Sinatra and James Dean with a glass of Scotch and relaxing!

Annie: I hate going to the shops! Every time someone asks me to go along I always come up with an excuse! Always prefer being in and out!

9. Who would you most like to have lunch with and why (eg. Richard Branson, just to say I’d had lunch with him! or to ask him how he gets so much stuff done) Anthony: Donald Trump- he is an impeccable businessman and I have a long list of questions I would love to ask him especially how he faced his challenges along the way and how he balanced his work with his family life and what kept him still going!!

Annie: Mother Theresa- she was a miracle herself!

To bring such love, hope, peace and faith to the world is very touching!

TradeTalk 8

LOST IN THE WEB

Did you know; ‘Big brother ATO’ is watching and is benchmarking your business...

H

ave you ever given much thought to how closely the ATO is watching your business? and how it can both (shock horror) positively and (oops) negatively be affecting you?... perhaps this is one article you’re going to want to read...

It was a casual comment from our accountant about our ‘position in relation to the ANZSIC code’ that made us sit up and take notice... or ‘Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification’. This is the ATO’s way to benchmark the finances of small business by business type (A-Z) and business industry.

What are small business benchmarks?

Small business benchmarks are financial ratios developed to help compare performance against similar businesses in your industry. The ratio is expressed in a range to provide the variation that occurs between businesses based on regions and circumstances.

Benchmarks are published for businesses with different turnover ranges across more than 100 industries.

* if you fall within or outside the benchmark range for your industry * why your business may differ from the benchmark range They are developed using information from the income tax return to include rations such as: - cost of sales to turnover - total expenses to turnover - rent to turnover - labour to turnover - motor vehicle expenses to turnover Input benchmarks show an expected range of income for tradespeople based on labour and materials.

The information is provided by industry participants and trade associations. Input benchmarks apply to tradespeople who undertake domestic projects and are responsible for purchasing their own materials.

Types of benchmarks There are two types of benchmarks developed for the small business sector; 1. Performance benchmarks 2.Input benchmarks Performance benchmarks provide financial ratios for your industry to help you work out

9 TradeTalk

How benchmarks can help you Benchmarks are a useful took to help you; * Compare your business with your industry benchmark range * Provides you with ‘best business practice’ and hence you can review your business and make changes based on true results

* Check that you are meeting your tax obligations, including recording all cash transactions * Work out if you need to adjust your business and record-keeping practices * Assess if your business is likely to be selected for an audit or review... you don’t want that!

How to calculate and use your benchmark Firstly, check the benchmark specific to your business (See ‘find your business benchmarks’ in the last paragraph of this article) Secondly, calculate your benchmark using your income tax return for the relevant year.

Example below: Plumbing Services - issued 2012 Performance Benchmarks (www.ato.gov.au) Key benchmark ratio (annual turnover range)

$50K - $150K

$150K $600K

more than $600K

32% - 41%

35% - 44%

Income tax return Cost of sales/ turnover

27% - 38%

Total expenses/ turnover

50% - 67%

66% - 79%

79% - 89%

Average total expenses

59%

72%

84%

Example: Cost of sales to turnover ratio To calculate cost of sales to turnover ratio, divide cost of sales by turnover and multiply by 100. (cost of sales / turnover) x 100 = cost of sales/turnover ratio ABC Plumbing company tax return figures Total business income $705,200 Cost of sales $253,300

What does it mean to be outside the benchmark?

If your business falls outside the benchmarks you may meed to explain why. Performing outside the benchmarks could indicate that you need to review your business’s performance and record-keeping practices to ensure you are reporting all business income and expenses.

Reporting above a benchmark range If your benchmark is reporting above the benchmark it means your expenses are high relative to your sales.

This may indicate that: * You have not recorded all your sales * Your mark up is lower than your competitors * You have high wastage * Your competitors may be able to source inputs at lower cost than you * Your volume of sales is too low (for rent and possibly labour) Reporting below a benchmark range If your business is reporting below the benchmark it means your expenses are low relative to sales.

This may indicate that: * Your expenses may be recorded under the wrong label * Some of your expenses may have not been recorded * Your mark up is higher that your competitors * You have less wastage A range of factors may affect a businesses performance.

Benchmarks cal help you to identify differences which can assist in determining your competitive position and whether you need to change how you operate.

When your business is outside a benchmark If your business is outside the benchmark, we recommend you: * Speak with your accountant to be sure * Review your record-keeping practices * Consider how your business operates * Check if you have made a mistake or not reported all your income and expenses in your tax returns or activity statements.

Is the ANZSIC benchmarking code a negative or a positive?

Calculating cost of sales to turnover ratio Cost of sales $253,300 turnover (divide by) $705,200 x 100 Cost of sales/turnover ratio = 35.91%

I would reply with a huge POSITIVE. Although it seems that ‘big brother is watching’, if we too keep an eye on the data and take action where necessary, the information they are capturing will help us improve business performance year on year.

ABC Plumbing co. turnover places their business in the highest turnover range for plumbing companies. The cost of sales to turnover ratio is 35.91% which is within the benchmark range of 35% - 44% for plumbing companies.

To find your business benchmarks plus more information on ANZSIC see www.ato.gov.au and search for ‘small business benchmarks’. All the information you need can be found here.

Better still - ask your accountant how your business sits in relation to the benchmark. wonder what they’ll say...

10 TradeTalk

How to Battle A

Business Burn Out ustralia’s long working hours from small business owners is a health hazard.

Sound like you? frantically busy? You might want to turn it down a notch to ensure you don’t become a statistic of business burnout - the reaction to constant, day-in-day-out stress.

Mental health group Lifeline have reported ‘work’ as the top national cause of stress.

Lifeline have reported ‘1 in 2 Australians are experiencing a level of stress that could cause illness’. This same report rates ‘work’ as the TOP national cause of stress, and adds that 93% of Australians were stressed in 2011 - up from 90% in 2010.

So now that we know the facts, let’s take a look at 7 warning signs that you or someone else needs help.

1. Extreme fatigue. A feeling difficult to shake, even with a few days off. A lack of enthusiasm about the business than usual.

2. Details start falling through the cracks. Like forgetting your regular Monday morning meeting, or neglect to follow-through on important paperwork.

3. Withdrawal from social events. A person feeling emotionally delicate will decline any offer of a social nature.

4. Increase in coffee or alcohol. Alcohol to sleep and coffee to stay awake. A never ending cycle that is hard to break.

5. Lost confidence/Doubting capabilities. Onceconfident people will begin to doubt their decision making capabilities. They’ll often seek reassurance and/or procrastinate on decisions.

6. Over-reaction. Often the over-reaction is to things that wouldn’t have bothered the person in the past.

7. Lack of focus. Struggling to lead the team and to complete any one single task correctly.

If left unchecked, there is a high probability of getting sick plus burnout can trigger more serious clinical depression. Don’t let yourself, or someone you know become a statistic.

R U OK? is an independent organisation whose purpose is to empower people through education and the provision of helpful resources to have open and honest conversations.

By encouraging meaningful communication, it hopes to stop little problems become bigger and help reduce the 2100 deaths by suicide in Australia each year.

R U OK? Day is September 13 when everyone is encouraged to ask “Are you OK?” Visit www.ruokday.com.au for more information and to register for R U OK? at work.

Stress Down Day is Lifeline’s annual fundraising campaign. To be held Friday, 27th July 2012.

People are encouraged to participate in stress reducing, fun activities like wearing slippers to work, or dressing up or down, and making a donation to Lifeline.

Visit www.lifeline.org.au for more information or call 13 11 14 support line. 2011 raised over $100K to assist vital crisis support services.

5

Simple

Burnout

Busters

to

prevent this from happening to you; 1. Have fun - Constantly stop and ask yourself are you happy? and could you be doing things better to ensure you are.

2. Talk to someone - Whether it’s a friend, your partner, your mentor/coach or a counsellor, make sure there is someone you can trust.

3. Choose your attitude - You may not be able to control what h a p p e n s ar o u n d yo u , yo u ca n control how you respond to what happens.

4. Manage your workload Set priorities and learn to delegate effectively.

5. Exercise regularly - Go for a walk every day for 30minutes. You’d be surprised how much better you feel once you’ve stretched your legs, cleared your mind and taken some deep breathes.

6. Create systems - this is the only way to replace yourself and reduce your hours. Create systems that your exceptional employees can follow.

You CAN control your destiny...

TradeTalk 12

SPILL THE BEANS.....

‘MIND-BLOWING S E C R E T S F RO M A M A R K E T I N G M AV E N ’

Riding the Award Wave...

I

‘d be lying if I said that entering awards was a breeze and takes absolutely no :me at all, BUT that said, when it comes to marke:ng, there is no beZer wave to ride than that of being a finalist, or beZer s:ll, the winner for an Award whether it be local, state or na:onal.

Why is it such a good ride? because it’s the one piece of marke:ng that provides immediate credibility for your business, not just for a week or a month, but for years and years on end and that’s priceless. Not to men:on the benefit of being able to talk about your business without even having to open your mouth -­‐ a prospect immediately thinks ‘If someone can acknowledge their business with an award, they must be doing something right. I’ll give them a chance”.

Oien it’s the vote of confidence provided by someone other than yourself that will help a new lead make the decision to give you money. “It’s like being provided a referral” says Andy.

In a climate where consumers are careful with their spending -­‐ they want the job done right by someone they can trust not to let them down and at a fair price -­‐ nothing screams ‘a perfect match’ to this criteria MORE than an Award Winning Business.

13 TradeTalk

Diamond VIP Members Annie & Anthony Bedrosian from Mr.Switch Electrical will soon see the reward of their ac1ons aTer their recent success in being honoured as a Na1onal Finalist for the Small Business Champion Awards in the category of ‘New Business Under 2 years’.

Congratula1ons to you both.

Perhaps the ques:on’s you have include “Which awards should I enter?”, “What do I write?”, “When do I start?” or “What do I do once we’ve won or been honoured as a finalist?”. All these ques:ons are answered on MyTIC under Marke:ng. Check it out today.

Below: The Dr.DRiP team enjoying the night at The WesRn Hotel, Saturday 21st April, at the Small Business Champion Awards for 2012, where we were NaRonal finalists -­‐ Dr.DRiP Pty Ltd (Trade Services category), Tradesman Inner Circle (EducaRon category) and Andrew Smith (Small Business Champion Entrepreneur Award) -­‐ we’ll be able to ride the wave of these nominaRons for years to come.

Ange & Andy's GIGANTIC Success Secret of the Month Reading and applying these constantly provide focus and clarity in every aspect of our life – both personal and business. We hope they have a similar effect in yours.

Think carefully

before

making promises, offers or commitments - no matter how minor or trivial.

These are ALL contracts and must be honoured.

They will reflect heavily on your business, your team and you personally if you do not uphold your end of the bargain.

Think before you act or speak!

You Tube ‘Best Of’ Video

‘How to get the right testimonial’

In this 4:54 minute video, Dale shares with us his exact 4 step formula to getting the RIGHT type of testimonial.

We all understand the importance of testimonials for our business, but how ‘exactly’ do we get them? and how do we get the ‘right’ type of testimonial?

This is what Dale Beaumont shares with us in this video with ‘Flying Solo’ host Robert Gerrish.

Go to MyTIC for You Tube ‘Best of’ Videos.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

TradeTalk 14

Tech Talk Mac vs. PC Which way do you swing?

M

ost people would remember the infamous ‘Get a Mac’ advertising campaign with John Hodgman and Justin Long representing PC and Mac in 2006 with their quick one-liners and cheeky fun. Fast-forward to 2012 and the question still remains...

Mac vs. PC - which is better and why?

If you ask any IT expert they would tell you Mac and PC have a really different way of thinking although, in the end, they come to the same result.

They both operate the basic applications such as word and excel, but have major differences in hardware; Macs are only built by Apple whereas PCs are built by a number of companies. This reflects in the price, in that Macs are generally more expensive, and the quality of Macs is considered more stable and stylish.

When it comes to security Mac is said to be more secure due to the fact that there are few viruses that can infect them. PCs need virus protection and sometimes that's not enough.

Malware exists on Macs but it's very rare in comparison to PCs. That said, the critical difference is marketing. Apple Mac have positioned themselves, and hence now have a stigma, of appearing cool and trendy.

Apple Mac has carved itself a reputation as the ‘alternative’ choice for those that see themselves as an individual such as designers, creatives and artists.

But it's not just about image. Macs tend to be the best platform for design and creativity due to the strength of the applications available for it and the fact that Macs are generally high quality computers.

This and the image of using a Mac make up the perfect team for those that see themselves outside the corporate culture.

15 TradeTalk

If you’re deciding between a Mac or PC, the question to ask yourself is: 'what do you need it for?'

Unless you're editing video, graphic design etc. then you probably don't need to spend the amount of money that Mac demands.

Most people just want to browse the web, check their e-mails and use a word processor, which doesn't need a highpowered machine (this is Andy too a tee, and hence the iPad has been perfect for him!).

of 43.8 per cent far outpaced the wider market's 4.8 per cent rise.

According to AppleInsider, Asia Pacific represented the fastest-growing geographic region for Apple with 57.2 per cent growth for the quarter.

"The growth of Apple's sales in China represents a perfect storm between an iconic brand and a rapidly growing middle class that's more brand-conscious than consumers in most other regions of the globe," Charlie Wolf said.

The needs of the user are paramount but people like the idea of saying they use a Mac and the image that goes with it, even though in most cases they're not using it to its full capabilities.

Apple’s strong brand identity has everything to do with their marketing and branding, but also because their products are great. No marketing in the world would have the impact Mac has had without a good product/s like Mac, iPhone, iPad etc to promote.

Mac’s rising popularity was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald in November 2011 announcing Apple Mac as holding 5.2% market share of the world-wide computer sales. A 15-year high for the Cupertino, California, tech giant, according to a report by Needham & Co. analyst Charlie Wolf cited on GigaOM.

In the home segment, Mac's growth was 25.6 per cent versus 4 per cent for the overall market; among businesses, Mac's increase

So this takes us back to the question ‘which way do you swing?’

Using both PC and Mac I personally would say the PC is easier to work with, but perhaps this is based on the fact that I’ve worked on a PC far longer than a Mac. I use PC for my basic day-to-day email/admin. I find working with excel and word far easier on the PC, and when it comes to design (magazines/newsletters), photos and the like, nothing beats the Mac. That said, as I sit here with major virus and spyware issues on my PC, I can certainly say I’m leaning towards the reliability of my Mac (and the integration of iCloud is my life).

TradeTalk 16

Private Retreat

Top Gun eat your heart out!

Hamilton

Memorable, crazy, adventure, relaxing, re-­invigorating and overall GREAT FUN in beautiful Hamilton Island with TIC Diamond Members Aaron & Dani from ACE Electrical and Mark and Emma from Secure Pave.

Can’t wait till we can do it again!

The golf range. Don’t ask me how many balls we lost! It was lots!

TradeTalk 17

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Island Happy Birthday Mark

Aaron and Andy sail off into the sunset!

Aaron’s attempt at stand-up paddle boarding

TradeTalk 18

Tradesman Inner Circle Helping Tradesman Australia Wide Since 2008 To our Members, You are never far from help.

Unlimited Phone Support

Call us whenever you need us on 1800 704 822

19 TradeTalk

Why I’m Not Ashamed of my failures and why you shouldn’t be either...

I

‘ve had plenty of failures in

my life -­‐ in business, in sport and in achieving my goals. But I’m not ashamed of them, here’s why...

I may think about them for a day or two analysing what I did wrong and what I could have done be`er. They seem like interes:ng experiences that happened to someone else, the person I was before I made the mistake. If anything they only serve to make me a be`er person, to mould the person I am today.

proud of my successes. The buzz I feel when I’ve accomplished my goals mo1vates me.

On the other hand, I’m

When I’ve felt challenged they’re great ammuni:on to say to myself, ‘You’ve done this before, you can do it again!’.

With that all said, I am ashamed of my personal failings -­‐ like the stupid things we all do at :mes and oien regret (ever had one of those moments?).

The difference is between the failures and the failings.

A failure is falling short of a goal you set yourself. A failing is falling short of a personal standard you set on your behaviour. This rule has served me well.

The anger I feel towards myself when I’ve betrayed my personal standards is construc:ve. It only ensures I lii my game moving forward.

My failures, on the other hand, need to be considered life’s lessons.

It is the lesson of these failures that mo1vate me to do beXer, to do more.

This simply highlights to me that to accomplish great things in life you have to expect to experience failure at :mes simply because we are forever seqng the ‘bar high’, thinking big and ‘going hard’ to execute the vision. No body likes to fail, but it is the liquid that drives us to achieve your goals.

If you fail, it is simply a :me to ask yourself “what could I have done be`er or differently to have resulted in a posi:ve outcome?”. Don’t dwell on what you did wrong, don’t give yourself a hard :me and don’t be ashamed of what happened. Do

focus on the lesson learnt and move on!

Remember the difference between failure and failings -­‐ it has served me well and I’m sure it will serve you well too!

Warning: for all tradesmen that SEO their website; Google penalising ‘over optimisation’ on website Google has announced it is making a change to its search algorithm to penalise websites that are ‘overoptimised’ in favour of high-quality content.

This will penalise websites with strong SEO such as too many keywords, exchange

way too many links, or whatever else they are doing to go beyond what you normally expect.

This information was shared by Google’s Head of Search, Matt Cutts.

Does this affect you? Ask your SEO guy today if it has? what are they doing about it?

For more information: Type into google: ‘google to penalise over optimised websites’

S I H T IS

R U O IN Y

MAN CAVE? This is where we talk about all cool things that should or could be in the man cave. Gadgets, new tech, cool tools, new inventions or big boys toys, if it’s cool and fun we’ll talk about it.

Ever used the video on your iPhone 4 only to exclaim “ the sound is ‘terrible’?”, well this little gadget could be the answer to the perfect video for either professional or personal use ...

When it comes to videoing the kids, I must admit, I am hopeless! Ange is better than I to grab the camera to capture a few happy snaps or video the kids, and more often that not it’s with our iPhone, simply because its the closest thing to grab to capture the memory.

Considering this is the case, in reviewing the videos we have often commented that the new HD video has great quality, but it’s the sound that lets it down. The small internal microphone

21 TradeTalk

only records in mono with no control and as for quality...

So you can imagine how excited we were to hear about a mates new purchase - the new Fostex AR-4i, which was specifically designed to increase the quality of the sound of videos you take with your iPhone 4. Check it out...

Offering excellent quality stereo audio recording, (via Dock connector and in-built AD/ DA converter), with LED input level metering, gain control and headphone monitoring, the AR-4i is perfect for business testimonials, training videos, live video streaming to the web, video blogs / YouTube uploads plus ideal at home with the family!

Although not an Apple product, it has been certified by the developer to meet Apple performance standards.

There is even an easy to use iPhone App (available at the App Store) that allows for easy control of input level, microphone setting, equalisation, filters etc The AR-4i works with; iPhone 4S - 16GB 32GB 64GB iPhone 4 - 16GB 32GB iPod Touch 4th Generation* - 8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB (*with the supplied adapter) For approximately $120 from a New York business (ships world-wide) BHPhoto, you can check out this gadget including all its specifications on their website www.fostexinternational.com/docs/ products/AR-4i.shtml

Facebook $US1bn snap This month saw Facebook buy into a quirky li`le company called Instagram for $US1bn.

Instagram is a simple photo-­‐taking, photo-­‐ sharing app that applies filters to give images a retro look-­‐and-­‐feel. It can make just about any photo look interes:ng and cool.

With approximately 432 million mobile users (over 50% of ac:ve users in total) , Facebook has now improved their usability.

It’s amazing to think that a business founded in 2010 with fewer staff than 10, could be worth such a staggering amount!

Wish I had some of these shares in my man cave!

Cool iPhone Apps for T radies

Google Translate Price: FREE How many 1mes have you wished you could say “xXxx” in french, german, japanese, and the list goes on... and now you can with Google translate.

And you’ll know how to write it too...

Travelling o/s has just become even easier with this liXle baby in your pocket removing the basic language barrier forever!

Features

✓Translates more than 60 languages in text ✓ Translates spoken language

TradeTalk 22

NEXT ISSUE NEXT ISSUE: Does your logo have the kiss of death?

Is your logo the culprit pulling your business back? You decide.

Staff don’t leave businesses, they leave leaders. We reveal the 4 key leadership traits that need to evolve in a true leader.

Alright crew, end of financial year is almost upon us…time to get busy!

To our DIAMOND and PLATINUM members, if you haven’t already - BOOK the Work Shop for 25/26 May today and your next ‘Staying On Track’ meeting via MyTIC. Look forward to speaking soon.

ith l a Sm e g n A ew & Andr

Don't forget, we would love to share your learnings, hot tips, recommended s uppliers a nd a ny other information t hat w ill benefit the TIC m embers. D rop us a line to info@tradesmaninenrcircle.com.au

CHANGING ADDRESS? Don’t miss out on a single issue! If you’re changing contact details then ensure to let us know -- simply give us a call or send an email. This way we’ll keep you plugged into a world of knowledge, tips, news and views.

TradeTalk is published by and © copyright by Andrew & Angela Smith, Tradesman Inner Circle Pty Ltd 2012. All Rights Reserved. This newsleXer and any accompanying material are for general informa1on purposes only. It is the responsibility of the reader to comply with any local, state or federal laws. S1ck with me here while I con1nue with this legal blah-­‐blah. The Publisher has taken all reasonable measures to ensure that the material contained within this newsleXer is correct. The Publisher provides no representa1on and gives no warranty as to the accuracy of the informa1on and does not accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in the informa1on contained herein and shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising as a result of any person ac1ng in reliance on informa1on contained herein. All done!

For more information, contact: Tradesman Inner Circle Pty Limited

Ph: +61 1800 704 822

Email: info@tradesmaninnercircle.com.au Web: www.tradesmaninnercircle.com.au