Nifnex July 2013 Edition - Perth Small Business Paper

Sales letter tips

By Shoma Mitra......pg 13

www.nifnex.com.au

Save on your Business Energy Bills...pg 4

Building Business Relationships

Belmont Small Business Awards

By Ron Gibson......pg 10

......pg 11

Specialised Small Business Paper

Cloud Vs Dedicated Servers...pg 7

By Christian Mueller

3 Tips for marketing success...pg 13

JULY 2013

Introducing Business Listings...pg 12

JULY 2013 02

www.nifnex.com.au

Message from the CEO

Our philosophy from day one has been about

success. A huge thank-you to my team who worked so

listening to what our readers and clients want. So,

tirelessly to put it together…I couldn’t have done it

this edition features brand new columns and

without you all.

unique sections, which YOU requested.

Finally, I know you will enjoy reading this edition, and as

This edition also has fabulous business articles from our very own writer’s club.

Zeeshan Pasha

I would like to thank all the sponsors, exhibitors and attendees who made the Nifnex Small Business Expo on the 24th of May a great

Editor In Chief Zeeshan Pasha

NIFNEX TEAM

Business Operations Sharmini Pasha Content Strategy Saran Sithambaram

Creative Team Amy Clark, Jessica Brims, Benjamin Moss Dianne Ellaine, Marcus Tan, Kaleesha Ball Amy Brough, Bec Farag Events Serene Cho, Laura Carroll, Eleonora Verdolini Saravannan Kumar, Lauren Bettridge

always, I’m awaiting your feedback!

contact via : Linkedin: http://au.linkedin.com/in/zeeshanpasha Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeeshanpasha

Nifnex App Dhiren Tejani Admin Dianne Purdy, Mona H. Sharief Elaine Goh Printers Rural Press Mandurah, WA

Advertising Enquiries and Media Relations Email: nifnex@nifnex.com.au Tel: 1300 643 639 Address: 45 St Georges Tce, Perth WA 6000 Postal Address: PO Box 1186 Technology Park, Bentley DC, WA 6983

Disclaimer: All articles, advertising, contributions and material supplied to Nifnex are opinions of the advertiser, contributor and author of the article/material. No responsibility is taken by Nifnex. Opinions published are not necessarily those of the editor.

Nifnex Supports Business Person of the Year in 2013 Belmont Small Business Awards The 20th annual Belmont Small Business Awards are well underway, and nominations and entries are open until 5pm Monday 28th October 2013.

The Small Business awards are coordinated by the Belmont Business Enterprise Centre (Belmont BEC), a non-profit community organisation that provides business webinars, workshops, mentoring and Nifnex has given support to the Awards this guidance to persons wishing to start or grow year and is sponsoring the Business Person their business across Australia. of the Year Award. This year's Belmont Small Business Awards include a total of 23 CEO of Nifnex Zeehan Pasha said, "I am categories for entrants to consider such as proud to suppor t small businesses Enterprise of the Year, Spirit of Australia, throughout Western Australia, and look eCommerce, Indigenous Business of the forward to meeting all the finalists of the Year and Young Entrepreneur Award.

Awards in November."

“I would like to encourage all businesses in Western Australia to see if they qualify for any of the 23 award categories. The Belmont Small Business Awards are free to enter, and the Belmont BEC can offer lots of assistance for small business entrants, including providing weekly information sessions on how to write an Awards submission", Zeeshan said.

attending the awards ceremony in November call the Belmont BEC on (08) 9479 3777, email awards@belmontbec.com or visit the website http://www.belmontbec.com/awards The "Night of Stars" event, where winners will be announced, is going be held on Thursday 28th of November at the Perth Exhibition and Convention Centre in the Grand Ballroom.

For more information on how to nominate a business for the 2013 Belmont Small Business Awards or for information on

INDEX

Belmont Business Enterprise Centre Inc (Belmont BEC) PO Box 370, Cloverdale WA 6985 Phone 08 9479 3777 Fax 08 9479 3888

Nifnex Supports Business Person of the Year

02

Bodymind Barriers To Collaboration Richard Boyd

03

Spacecubed Shares Cutting-edge Platforms Bec Farag

www.belmontbec.com

Cloud vs Dedicated Servers Christian Mueller

07

Business Listing

12

08

3 Tips For Marketing Success This Financial Year Alicia Menkveld

13

Nifnex Small Business Expo 03

The App Launch

09 10

Save On Your Energy Bills

04

Don't Get Caught In The Sales Letter Trap!

Shoma Mittra

13

Building Mutually Rewarding Business Relationships Ron Gibson

How To Identify A Scam: 4 Sensible Steps

04

15

The Weaker Australian Dollar Means What To My Business?

Conrad Francis

The 8 Personal Branding Tips You Need After Attending A Seminar Zeeshan Pasha Nifnex Social Eyes

15

10

05

Make Things Happen – The Top 5 Project Tips Todd Hutchison

11

Making Sure You Get Paid

By Your Clients' Natalie Walker

05

The Right Feedback Is Better Than More Feedback Jason Buchanan

11

Get Independent Advice About Websites James Bull

06

7 Steps To Improving Team Performance And Achieving Greater Success Michele Alexander

www.nifnex.com.au

JULY 2013 03

Hire character. Train skill – Peter Schutz

BODYMIND BARRIERS TO COLLABORATION

RICHARD BOYD

CEO and Founder of Conscious Business Australia offers an innovative and thought leading consulting service for new entrepreneurs, existing business in decline or those who are seeking to update, re-engineer or deal with systemic problems within systems, processes, people or products.

Mob 0407577793 email: richard@cbau.com.au www.cbau.com.au

Collaboration in business is often an event(s) of bringing several minds into a common space and working to exchange ideas, thoughts, feelings and design thinking towards a problem or towards a common objective or cause.

textures and temperatures in that setting. Likewise, we are affected by sensory stimuli such as light or noise, which can affect our creative right brain faculties from engaging when sensory stimulus is too intense.

life. These are part of our “character”. When we were young we had to navigate the developmental challenges of growing up as our bodies and minds developed. This involved a brain or neural based unfolding of potentiality.

We might think that collaboration is easy but it is actually a vulnerable group dynamic that is based on trust and safety. Human beings act subconsciously from moment to moment, trying to establish and maintain safety as a foundational state for all other possible minds to then emerge.

Perception and our inner states of emotional being also play a part. In workplace settings, this typically may relate to how safe or toxic the workplace culture is, to take a risk with opinions, ideas and feelings. It also relates to the emotional state of the person arising from “outside” pressures and stresses on the employee that affect their ability to be consciously present to participate in the collaboration.

The neuroplasticity of our brains opened and then closed windows of opportunity for us to develop strengths and aptitudes in key stages of that journey. Some of us had challenges, fr ustrations, traumas, abuse, and limitations in -our life journey and so the brain helped us adapt and cope with these challenges.

There are several key aspects of human experience which can derail successful collaboration.

For example we all have unconscious reactions to physical environments that exist in terms of spatial dynamics such as the colour,

Each of us also has psychological strategies or compensations in our thinking and personality for navigating

survive and possibly thrive.

These young emotional states can emerge in group dynamics, where our old unconscious brain gets triggered by others and also by the constellation of the group. Sabotaging behaviours will often then arise in the group dynamic and affect the outcome of whatever group purpose exists whether it be a collaboration or a meeting.

Conscious Business Australia will explore this fascinating set of human dynamics further in our Nifnex Presentation at Spacecubed on the 6th August 2013” We hope to see you there!

The adaptations and character defences we developed involved deep core beliefs at the cognitive level, and pervasive emotional and embodied character defences which helped us to stay safe, to

Spacecubed shares cutting-edge platforms A new office space for Co-working, Collaboration and Innovation has popped up in Perth CBD just over a year ago, Spacecubed is where a community of local entrepreneurs from different industries get together and work on their up-andcoming businesses. Here's what a few of these entrepreneurs are working on: CitySwagga The familiar phrase "we live in boring old Perth" is becoming no longer relevant. Over the past few years, there have been a lot of cool boutique bars and specialist coffee stores popping up around the city.

The problem is that many of these restaurants are so new that nobody seems to know about them - there's too much that's going on 'underground'. Fr ustrated hospitality workers Rhod and Dave, aim to solve this problem through the creation of their new app, called CitySwagga. The app allows the user to discover boutique bars and specialist coffee stores in their area more easily, with the option of refining the search according to the person's interests. The app is still under development and is expected to launch within the next few months.

Eternal Eve Aimed at women who are frustrated with not knowing where to go when they need a good

h a i r d r e s s e r, b e a u t i c i a n o r alternative therapy ser vice, EternalEve.com is a listing of recommendations for women, by women; of the best health, beauty and hygiene services in a particular city. This website basically provides a platform where women can find the best services they are CHRIS GEOMOBY RHODRI THOMAS in need for, without having to go through the pain-staking efforts of manually looking for them, which could take months or even years.

Think of it as your Little Black Book of listings. EternalEve.com is expected to launch in August.

Op Rock With an increasing amount of consumers looking for their products online, rather than inperson, offline retailers are slowly becoming left behind. We've not yet reached a Brave New World of digital technology (or maybe we have) but as the old saying goes, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Osric Powell, founder of Op Rock, has created an online marketplace for Australian Op shops. The company allows local Op shops to operate their own digital store, and embrace the increased sales opportunities and exposure that comes with going online and being part of a wider digital Op shop movement. Op Rock has an overall goal to help the charities that run such Op shops (such as St Vincent de Paul, Lifeline, etc.) generate new

OSRIC POWELL

JOSH SMITH

streams of revenue to fund the important work they do in the community.

Vine Collective For the majority of Australia's 2,500 strong wine producers, selling their wine can be quite a task. One major contributing factor to this, is the dominance of the supermarket chains in the liquor retail market.

The supermarkets' volume-based business models favour a few larger producers whilst erecting hefty barriers for majority of boutique producers. They also limit customer choice through the use of sneaky private labels and wine education is stifled through biased recommendations from store clerks.

Enter Vine Collective. Launching in late 2013, Vine Collective is an ecommerce enabled social platform where wine drinkers can buy wines direct from producers whilst informing themselves through the sharing of wine and winery reviews.

GeoMoby

ESTELLE OLIVERI

BEN THOMAS

A company that specializes in location-awareness technology, GeoMoby works closely with businesses and enables them to add location-awareness technology to mobile apps they are producing. Especially since tracking methods dramatically drain your battery, GeoMoby

BEC FARAG provides an innovative battery-safe solution for real-time tracking, messaging and geo-fencing.

Geo-fencing in simple terms, really just refers to defining a virtual boundary (which demarcates a region of interest) for a real-world geographical area.

Business Made Easy Consulting Passionate about the way businesses present themselves to the public, Josh Smith is a Spacecubed member that owns and runs a marketing consultancy business. He assists businesses in two main aspects: 1) by helping them realize how they can use the internet to expand their business growth through a feel-designed website, e-networking and other practices; and 2) by teaching them how to create automated income streams other than their main sources of income through the sale of their goods or services.

'Stay tuned for more exciting Spacecubed happenings and updates on new businesses that are sprouting around in Perth!

04 JULY 2013

You must remain focused on your journey to greatness – Les Brown

www.nifnex.com.au

SAVE ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS Improving energy efficiency is a central element of the Australian Government's Clean Energy Future package because it can help businesses save money on their operating costs while also lowering Australia's greenhouse gas emissions.

As a result of the Federal Government's Commitment, the TCF Australia ONLINE ENERGY EFFICIENCY Training & Mentoring Project is able to offer an extensive range of specialist energy efficiency services to small businesses in the fashion, textile, clothing, footwear, leather (TCF) creative, and associated industries across Australia.

As a result of the Federal Government's Commitment, the TCF Australia ONLINE ENERGY EFFICIENCY Training & Mentoring Project is able to offer an extensive range of specialist services to small businesses in the fashion, textile, clothing, footwear, leather (TCF) creative, and associated industries across Australia.

Small businesses can register for FREE Online Training Webinars, ONLINE Energy Efficiency FREE 'ASK AN EXPERT' Forums and FREE mentoring.

Traditionally, many small TCF businesses have been unaware of how energy is measured, monitored and tracked for their organisation.

There is a raft of information that can be gleaned from studying a business's quarterly electricity bill. For example: ·

What your carbon footprint is from your energy usage

·

Check how your usage is tracking in the daily usage and history section

·

The total number of meters that your business has

·

Cost per kWh

For businesses that receive their bills monthly, the bills can sometimes appear more complex. The energy charges are shown grouped into peak, shoulder and off peak. Other categories to look at include Network Charges and Market Charges.

To get the best deal for your electricity: ·

Contact your supplier to see if you are eligible for any offers?

·

If you receive a quarterly bill check the Internet for electricity bill comparison sites to see how your rates compare to others

·

Consider using an energy broker

·

If you receive multiple bills, consolidate into one

To monitor energy use tools such as electricity and gas meters, plug in power meters and infrared thermometers can be of use.

To find out more about the Energy Efficiency business advisory services offered, or register for services as part of this project. please visit www.tcfaustralia.com/greenenergy or email : greenenergy@tcfaustralia.com P | 61 8 9479 3777

Document prepared by TCF Australia for the TCF Australia Online Energy Efficiency Project.

This Activity received funding from the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism as part of the Energy Efficiency Information Grants Program. The views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for any information or advice contained herein.

Last year Australians lost more than $93m to scams, and busy small businesses in particular, can present a tempting target for scammers. With more resources than an individual but less time and money to spend on scam prevention than a big business, it's not hard to see why.

How to identify a Scam: 4 sensible steps

The Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) recently hosted a presentation by Curtin University's Drs Paull Weber and Louis Geneste on a study into the impact of scams on small businesses. According to the study more than 70% of Australian small businesses spent time and/or money trying to thwart a scam attempt in the past year, and more than one business in ten had lost money to a scam in the same period.

'False billing' scams, where businesses are tricked into paying for unwanted or unordered advertising, stationery or other services, are particularly common. These scams alone cost Australians more than $500,000 a year and a small business can lose up to 20 hours dealing with the fallout.

Fortunately there are steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of being scammed: ·

Make sure employees are trained to be aware of scams and able to identify possible scams when processing invoices or answering telephone calls.

·

Check the details on invoices and other requests for payment. If you're not sure, ask for secondary identification before progressing payments.

·

Effective management procedures can also help in preventing scammers from succeeding. The SBDC's workshop Setting Up Business Systems demonstrates how to establish an efficient, systematic approach. To book a place in one of our workshops visit www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au

·

If you think a deal is too good to be true, it probably is. Before handing over any money, go to scamwatch.gov.au and check if your deal matches any known scams.

For more information on how to avoid scams, visit the SBDC website at www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au

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The noblest search is the search for excellence – Lyndon B. Johnson

The weaker Australian dollar means WHAT to my business?

The new financial year is upon us and it already appears to be throwing some challenges to us, none more critical than the weaker Australian dollar. The weakening AUD will play a major part in switching the focus in Australia to the nonmining economy. But it may take time to filter through.

In a matter of weeks, the dollar has fallen over 14 per cent to around US91c, after being close to $1.06 in mid May. In June last year, the dollar was just above parity.

CONRAD FRANCIS

It's interesting to note that the slide in the currency is more on the back of the strength of the US dollar than any inherent weakness in our dollar. The greenback's appeal has grown as the US economy recovery continues and with Federal Reser ve chair man Ben Bernanke talking of a tightening in quantitative easing. In addition, the move towards lower interest rates in Australia has also stymied the ?ow of

overseas funds into Australia.

Indeed, the slide in the Australian dollar has been a contributory factor to the recent fall on the local sharemarket.

The general view is that the Australian dollar has entered a bear phase and some commentators believe it could fall to as low as US85c by yearend. While this may seem low, it is still well above the US65c mark where it traded at the beginning of 2009, as the global financial crisis hit its stride.

However, a weaker Australian dollar is pivotal to the switch to growth in the non-mining sector of the economy with manufacturing, tourism, exporters (including miners) and companies with overseas earnings all benefitting.

Conversely, it's also worth considering that a lower Australian dollar will be a negative for retailers and importers. Given that they purchase their goods from overseas, increased costs will either have to be absorbed into their own margins, or passed

on to their suppliers – or customers.

Interest rate movement is still high on the watch list also and in Australia, rates have come down from 3.5 per cent last June to 2.75 per cent; with expectation of further cuts, although the recent better-thanexpected employment figures have reduced the possibility slightly.

The Reserve Bank cut rates by 25 basis points three times during the last financial year in a bid to stimulate the economy.

Where to, from here?

Despite talk about the Australian economy struggling, the figures hold up remarkably well. The lower Australian dollar is definitely a good news story when it comes to the switch from a mining investment driven economy to the rest of the economy.

Our GDP is still the envy of most other industrialised countries, as are our employment numbers. In addition, low interest rates should add stimulus to the economy going

JULY 2013 05 forward.

But world economies continue to be in a state of transition in the post GFC era. A changing economic landscape is inevitable – how businesses adapt to these changes is what matters.

The simple message is to remain patient and stay invested!

With nothing more certain than the continual change in the world of finance, partnering with Conrad and the team at Inspired Money will ensure peace of mind for you and your family for any financial decisions now and in the future, we will inspire you to take action!

Inspired Money ABN 98 354 038 802 is a Corporate Authorised Representative of Charter Financial Planning Limited Australian Financial Services Licensee, Licence Number 234665 www.inspiredmoney.com.au Ph: 08 9301 2631

Making sure you get paid by your clients' Before providing credit terms to clients, it is important to have an understanding of who they are and their ability to pay.

Asking your clients to fill in an “Application for Credit” is the first step. The information contained in the form is important. You will need to know the trading entity, the ABN and ACN if applicable. You should also ask for the director's details including contact details.

With the information you have obtained from the application for credit, you can undertake some simple searches.

1. ABN Lookup – this is the public view of the Australian Business Register (ABR). It provides access to the publicly-available information supplied by businesses when they register for an Australian Business Number (ABN). This will tell you if a business name is registered to a company, a partnership, a trust or a sole trader.

2. ASIC Connect - this is a register of companies and the business names registered to them. You can purchase an ASIC report for $9.00 and this will give you details of directors and registered office details.

3. Veda Check –You can undertake detailed company trading history reports, scored reports and default debtors.

Blitz Credit Management supplies access to Veda Check to our clients.

4. Trade Reference Checks – although we sometimes feel these are a waste of time, as people do not generally give 'bad references', they still have a place in the credit application process. It's important to ask the correct questions, such as How long have they been trading with you?

What is their monthly spend?

What is their limit?

On what terms do they pay?

Would you recommend them as a customer?

How do you know the contact?

After completing your searches, if the details you have located differ from the completed application form, it is worth asking your client further questions and undertaking further checks to verify their credit worthiness.

Don't be afraid to approve a smaller credit limit than the applicant has requested or to put them on cash terms. If they prove later to be a good client, then you can extend better terms.

Blitz Credit Management Blitz Credit Management provides 'no collection, no commission' debt collection and credit management services to businesses throughout Australia. Blitz Credit Management stands out from its competitors because of its focus on service and investment in technology. For more information, visit www.blitzcredit.com.au

NATALIE WALKER

06 JULY 2013

You must remain focused on your journey to greatness – Les Brown

www.nifnex.com.au

GET INDEPENDENT ADVICE ABOUT WEBSITES One of Perth's best-kept secrets is the availability of independent advice about websites.

Small business owners who are considering investing in a new website, whether their first or a replacement for an existing one, will often go straight to a web design company. Although this is understandable, it isn't always the best way to start.

The web is constantly evolving, and even the most knowledgeable professionals in the industry will admit they find it difficult to stay current with everything. When the time-poor business owner, struggling to understand web industry jargon and bombarded by information about what he or she “should” be doing meets someone in the business of selling websites, misunderstandings may occur.

An alternative is to enlist the help of an independent consultant who doesn't work for a web design company. While some web consultants have particular areas of expertise such as content strategy or marketing strategy, most will be able to help you through the process of documenting your website requirements. They can also discuss with you the long-term process of managing and maintaining a website and help you understand what that involves.

Once you have your website requirements set out in a document you own, you can approach a number of web companies and ask them to provide proposals for you to compare. If you wish, you can use your independent consultant during this part of the process too.

James Bull is a Perth-based writer and web consultant with 15 years experience in online communication for business. For more information, see www.jamesbull.com.au

SMALL BUSINESS WEBSITE PLANNING

Wanted two owners of small businesses who are willing to pay $700 for a service that would normally cost about $1,000 to $2,000.

You'll need to have well-defined business goals, a clear value proposition and be seriously considering investing in a new website within the next few months.

For more information, see www.jamesbull.com.au/NIFNEX

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You must either modify your dreams or magnify your skills – Jim Rohn

It seems like almost every software vendor out there is now offering a cloud solution, trying to get you to spend your IT dollars with them. Cloud computing is something that comes up a lot in conversations with my clients also. Whilst there are many benefits to the cloud compared to having your own server, many of them relate to when, how much and how your money is spent.

There are, of course, situations where cloud computing does make life simpler. Businesses can now access systems and services that they previously had been unable to afford. For a low monthly fee, you now have access to a reliable service, that does not need to be actively patched and maintained by your IT services provider. Gone are the days where we would maintain an Exchange server within a small to medium business‌ all savings for you.

There are also many pitfalls, one of which is the need to continuously pay for the service. If you stop paying, you will not be able to get access to your information, whereas if you had bought the software outright, you'd have access for as long as you deem it necessary to keep the software running. This also extends to a scenario where your software provider ceases to conduct business.

Your onsite solution would most likely be unaffected. You might lose support.

JULY 2013 07

Cloud vs Dedicated Servers

You also don't want the productivity of your company affected, just because someone's download is affecting the available bandwidth from your internet connection. What if your internet connection drops out all-together? Hopefully that will change once the NBN arrives, in whichever guise it comes.

Cloud vs Dedicated Server Matrix Which one is right for your business? That depends upon your situation, we generally implement a hybrid solution to give you high speed for your mission-critical applications and use a cloud provider for services such as e-mail and related systems.

CHRISTIAN MUELLER Christian is the proprietor of a small to medium business IT services provider Civitas and has been working in the ICT industry for 16 years. He lectures part time for the School of Information Systems at Curtin University, and is an avid Dragon Boater with the Perth Pirates. cm@civitas.co.au www.civitas.com.au 08 6102 0060

08 JULY 2013

Nifnex Small Business Expo

www.nifnex.com.au

JULY 2013 09

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Photocredits:

Small The App Business Launch Expo

‘Nifnex’ App available through iTunes Store and Google Play Scan your QR Code now to download app

10 JULY 2013 Less than 3% of people follow up with new connections. Are you missing out on vital connections ¯ and even missing out on good business ¯ because you don't consistently follow up with people you meet?

N O T H I N G , A B S O LU T E LY NOTHING, IS LIKELY TO COME OUT OF ALL YOUR EFFORTS TO MEET NEW PEOPLE IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW UP WITH THEM. Whatever it is, have a reason for a follow-up communication in the near future. If you have asked good questions and listened, you should have an idea of how you can be of value to that person — whether it's an introduction, a sales lead, a piece of useful information or the opportunity for a deeper conversation. Set the foundation for follow up by saying something like, “Would you like me to get back to you?” or “Let's get together over a coffee. What do you say?” and

take action on it to begin 121s can occur over a cup of developing the relationship. coffee, breakfast, lunch or a drink after work. You could call NETWORKING DOESN'T STOP and ask a client or network WITH MEETING PEOPLE FOR contact if you can take a tour of T H E F I R S T T I M E . T H E their business premises/ REWARDS COME FROM ”home” turf. Why not invite FOLLOWING UP AND THEN them to a coming event they STAYING IN TOUCH. might be interested in and schedule time afterwards to sit If you come away from meetings and events with no down together and exchange plans to follow up on the views about that event. The conversations you had, you are point is you've got to spend time probably going to miss out on building and nurturing the relationship ¯ and 121s are the opportunities. fastest, surest way to do that.

THE KEY TO DEVELOPING B U S I N E S S - G E N E R AT I N G RELATIONSHIPS IS THE 121 MEETING. KEEP IN CONTACT WITH REGULAR ONE-TO-ONE MEETINGS. This is the forgotten key to building relationships that will lead to landing new business and gaining referrals. The 121 is how you go from “contact” to “connection”, from “acquaintance” to “friendship”, from “prospect' to “client', from “customer” to “advocate”.

networking associates about the groups and organizations they find most fruitful. Discuss cross-marketing opportunities.

Ask for the introductions and referrals you need to build your business. Help each other with a problem. Learn how to refer someone in your personal network to your contact. Teach them how to refer someone in their personal network to you.

Teach them how to talk about your business to the people they know and learn how to talk about their business to the people you know. Exchange promises to make helpful introductions. Create a commitment or obligation to do something together or for each other. Set a date for the next 121 meeting.

BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS ARE BUILT WHEN WE TAKE THE TIME TO SHARE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT EACH OTHER. THIS HAPPENS MORE NATURALLY IN PERSON THAN OVER THE PHONE OR IN AN A GOOD NETWORKING EMAIL. CONVERSATION IS ONE Make your 121 meetings really WHERE YOU FIND OUT HOW count. Don't walk away from a YOU CAN HELP EACH OTHER. single 121 meeting without agreeing to do something or having gained or shared some useful information. Ask your

Entrepreneurs and small business operators need to make their ideas happen fast and cost effective. Some of the greatest businesses were created in low economic times that force people to think innovatively with a low budget. Everything, from creating a business, to bringing a new product to market and relocating to new offices are all projects. In today's economy, we need to recognise that high success in delivery is all in having a Project Management Plan before implementation starts. The 5 top project tips for progressing your business include: TODD HUTCHISON

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The absolute fundamental aim is to make money out of satisfying customers – John Egan

1. GET CLEAR ON THE DELIVERABLES

Building Mutually Rewarding Business Relationships

RON GIBSON Referred to as “That Networking Guy” by many organizations, Ron Gibson provides in - depth networking training and coaching, focusing on business growth and development. Get Ron to speak at your next conference or sales meeting about how to bring in more business, more consistently and more often.

Call Ron on 0413420 538 or email gonetworking@iinet.net.au

Getting clear on what the end result looks like is critical. When the team understand the desired deliverables they can work more effectively together. This means understanding what is both in scope and what is out of scope (exclusions). Clarity upfront means a lot less head ache and loss of time and money.

2. IDENTIFY THE PRIORITY OF TASKS Once you know what you want to achieve, then you set out the individual tasks and their dependencies that highlights the right order of progressing them. This is set out in a work breakdown structure (WBS).

3. SELECT PEOPLE BASED ON THEIR COMPETENCY Against each task in the WBS, you can then consider the right people with the most appropriate competencies to undertake them. Each task must be allocated a responsible officer.

4. IDENTIFY THE COSTS Against each task in the WBS, you can determine the human resource (hours x rate), equipment, materials and consumables cost. A percentage can be added to the total to cover overheads, and you need to add a profit margin if the project is for someone else.

5. IDENTIFY AND MANAGE THE RISKS Risks catch you out. Identify the risks and the probability and consequence of them. Treatments may include avoiding, reducing, transferring or accepting the risks.

Project management is the process that enables good practices for growing your business. It is all about understanding what you are to achieve, with whom, when and through what tasks. The biggest driver behind project success is when the team understand the why behind the project.

Make Things Happen – The Top 5 Project Tips Todd Hutchison is the CEO of People Rich that helps business owners and operators with their strategy, people and project challenges to help make things happen, and to identify and resolve their business challenges. Todd is an international bestselling business author, global business operator, educator and practicing project manager.

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I was recently reading an article, which reminded me just how important it is for leaders to understand the differences in people and how they process information. It was an article about two personality types, described commonly as Introvert and Extrovert. These types are known to have unique ways of feeling re-energized and motivated. They each have characteristic ways of interacting with the world and processing information.

JASON BUCHANAN

The right feedback is better than more feedback

JULY 2013 11

A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts – Richard Branson

Extroverts thrive under social stimulation and focus on their external environment and the people around them. They tend to learn by doing and like to talk through ideas and problems.

Introverts on the other hand enjoy spending time alone or in small groups of people, and may get over whelmed in new situations or by large groups.

They prefer to observe a situation before 'jumping in' and like to focus on one task at a time.

As with anything, this is a spectrum rather than being exclusively one or the other, and general consensus seems to be that around 50% of the population would fall into each

broad category.

The implication for leaders, managers and employees is that you will likely have to work with someone (colleague, client etc) who processes information in a way which is different to you.

Two people working closely together could react and communicate differently to the very same set of circumstances.

And of course for business leaders, this makes it difficult to cut through the feedback noise and focus on what is actually important.

What's the solution?

I am a big fan of feedback.

Whether it be as an employee, a manager, or even a board member, regular constructive feedback and corrective action can underpin individual and organizational success.

But what is the right feedback?

Most impor tantly, feedback needs to be authentic and truthful. There is no point in getting any type of feedback, either positive or negative, unless it is based on fact.

Otherwise it is just noise.

Feedback also needs to be timely to minimize risks and costs, and capitalize on opportunities for

improvement. Timely information allows for timely decision making.

Face-to-face conversations which are truthful and honest are ideal, however one of the big challenges is that extroverts are people-oriented and may not always be the best to deliver negative feedback. Conversely, introverts need time to think about how they feel, and aren't always able to communicate what they think in meetings.

Online surveys are a common method for obtaining feedback from everyone in a way which is consistent – everyone gets the same questions in the same way.

However the temptation to ask too many questions is often too difficult to ignore (generally speaking, surveys that take longer than 8 minutes are too long to keep people's full attention). Also, do-it-yourself tools like Survey Monkey struggle to overcome the fact that employees want anonymity (some people would prefer to say positive things to overcome the possibility of negative feedback coming back to haunt them in future).

encouraging a new form of 'continuous' feedback which asks less questions more often, about the things that matter to business performance, and using this information to drive better conversations between managers and employees. It provides a way to ensure all employees, regardless of how they process information, can have their say without the burden of long and of ten-boring surveys.

Leaders who are able to get the right feedback at the right time can make better business decisions, and go a long way to ensuring their organization achieves its goals.

Jason Buchanan is General Manager of Optimum, a specialist Recruitment and HR Consultancy. He has over 12 years of senior leadership experience.

Level 12 256 Adelaide Terrace Perth P 08 9241 6100 E jasonb@ogroup.com.au

With our clients, we are

7 Steps to Improving Team Performance and Achieving Greater Success Is your team prepared for success? If not, ask yourself the question… Do they know what success looks like?

A great way to ensure you and your team are geared for success now or at any time, is to ensure they have the skills to meet the goals of the business and can deal with the day-to-day challenges that occur.

Not sure how to incorporate a continuous education process for you or your team's development?

Here is an easy way to figure out how to make that work: 1. Establish your business goals and objectives for the next 12 months and then break into quarters.

2. Identify the key behaviours that you or your team will need to demonstrate to achieve and exceed those goals. What do you need to do differently?

MICHELE ALEXANDER Michele Alexander is a compelling, companionate, and extremely dedicated Business Coach. She has encountered her fair share of challenges in life and has used her coaching skills and positive mental attitude to rise about them all. With lessons to be learned and shared, and applied to any business, Michele believes that you CAN achieve the success they want, especially with the right coach by your side! www.localbusinesscoach.com.au

3. List the skills a person would need, to demonstrate those behaviours exceptionally well and grade you and your team on a scale of 1-10 as to how well you display those skills already. Consider any area you scored less than an eight, as a training opportunity and prioritize them so the most relevant areas to your business success have your focus.

4. Determine three options for education or training in the needed areas and select the option that will help you achieve your goal with the greatest return on investment.

5. Remember to explain the expectations of enhanced performance to anyone you educate and to build some fun into the process.

6. Monitor your results and program activities people can use to continue improving upon what they have learned.

7. Make sure you and your team plan learning time into your calendar. If it isn't scheduled, it isn't likely to happen. Make it a real priority and be very clear on who is involved.

And as an extra step (which maybe should be 1). Look in the mirror. As the business owner and leader, it starts with you. When did you last read a business book, attend a seminar, or work on your own education? It all seems simple (and it is) but if it were easy, we would all be doing it.

However big or small your team is, success doesn't just happen. Your team needs guidelines and measurements to know when they are doing a good job.

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In all realms of life it takes courage to stretch your limits, express your power and fulfill your potential. It's no different in the financial realm. – Suze Orman

The new financial year presents an oppor tunity for Per th business owners to clarify their marketing strategy and sharpen their message.

It's important to take time at the beginning of the financial year to get clear on business goals and align marketing activities to achieve these goals.

Business owners, who do not plan their marketing, miss out on potential customers and chase after marketing ideas that do not serve them.

ALICIA MENKVELD

Tips for Marketing Success This Financial Year

Some of the most common marketing planning pitfalls include no-big-picture strategic goals, no marketing budget and no commitment to the plan for a specific time.

If business owners fail to plan, they can easily become frustrated about marketing that's not delivering the desired results. They then conclude that

marketing isn't working and it's a waste of money.

business owners think about marketing.

Marketing does work when it's done consistently and with a firm plan in place.

Give yourself a competitive edge by planning ahead this financial year.

Successful marketing comes down to three simple things:

Invest a few hours to create a simple marketing plan and schedule marketing activities in a calendar for six months or at least a quarter in advance. Don't deviate from the plan.

1. Your Goals Determine your business goals and write down specific marketing goals to achieve the business objectives.

Start with a single marketing goal for a specific period and once it has been successfully implemented, tested and measured, set additional goals.

Effective marketing takes time.

Set short term milestones to keep everyone on track.

2. Marketing Planning Marketing planning easily falls by the wayside when business is booming. It's only once the phones stop ringing that many

Assign a responsible person in your company for each task or outsource your marketing activities to maintain marketing momentum and increase long term success.

3. Consistency Most business owners don't have someone to keep them on track when they get busy and that's when marketing activities are put on hold.

Marketing and branding takes time and patience. Only make

JULY 2013 13 changes to the marketing plan after marketing campaigns have been recorded, tested and measured for at least a quarter.

Steer the marketing ship through all the seasons of your business year, no matter what you encounter and resist the temptation to go off course or get distracted when you are busy.

Alicia Menkveld is the founder of Radical Consulting, an advisory for small and medium businesses. She specialises in helping business owners get clear about their identity, goals and key messages to implement effective client attraction strategies which will help their business grow.

Contact Alicia on 0425 177 897 or alicia@radicalconsulting.com.au www.radicalconsulting.com.au

Don't get caught in the sales letter trap!

· · · · ·

A 'salesy' sales letter won't sell anything.

If you are looking for ways to generate more business, you need a sales pitch. However, people tend to shy away from anything that is blatantly 'salesy'. You can't sell anything to anyone unless they are in the right frame of mind to buy it. It's really up to you and your creative genius to make a person interested in your product. And the most effective tool you have, is words.

You don't need to be a professional copywriter to create effective sales letters or direct marketing mail outs. If you keep a few things in mind, you can churn out amazing copy that will bring you impressive return on your business.

Writing a good sales letter is both a science and an art. The science is in the technique and the art is in the ideas - being able to see something that others don't and then developing that into a creative whole. David Ogilvy of Ogilvy and Mather, one of the best known advertising agencies in the world, said, “In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.”

SHOMA MITTRA Here are a few tips that can help you generate some great sales letters: Use the seductive hook – a great headline always sells; whether it is an email or direct mail, you can always grab the attention of your reader with captivating headlines. Once hooked, they will read on.

Ask a question – use open-ended questions and get your readers to think about the usefulness of your product or service. It will keep your business in their minds, long after they have finished reading your letter.

Be direct, concise and build rapport with your reader – make the letter feel personal but don't ramble on about your business. The reader is really interested in the benefit for himself/herself.

Don't just sell – give something back. Make your letter helpful, insightful and interesting.

Call to action – a great sales letter is incomplete without a call to action. Put in an offer the reader can't resist. You don't need to scream “free!” all over the page, but if you offer something of genuine value, you are bound to receive a response.

Shoma Mittra started WriteClick Writing Services in 2011 and has seen her business flourish not only in Australia, but abroad. Shoma has been a writer, editor and journalist for more than 18 years and thrives on writing challenging copy. She has written for television and print media, as well as fiction and poetry. Her speciality is creating content with a focus on medicine and natural health. She is also involved with non-profit organisations including the Liver Foundation of WA, the Transplant Nurses Association and Transplant WA. www.writeclick.net.au

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The absolute fundamental aim is to make money out of satisfying customers – John Egan

-

Get a few selected clients to get together and share your views with them. Don't let your marketing budget hold you back. Most people are happy to buy their own coffee and cake. They want to hear about the topic from YOU.

Whatever the reason, most if not all, will come back to work the next day and get 'buried' into work.

-

Don't you think it would set you up as a leader if you presented this topic at a Networking Event?

However, if you spare a few minutes after the event, doing a few things like I have suggested below, it will help you build your personal brand, create more conversations and help in developing more leads, income and credibility.

Firstly, Do you agree with everything you have heard at the seminar?

Feel free to agree or disagree but ensure you write a short article about it. Feel free to make it controversial if you like.

Why not?

The article can be 350-400 words and in your own style. It DOESN'T have to be the journalist standards.

ZEESHAN PASHA

JULY 2013 15

Everyone attends some form of seminars or a conference on a regular basis. Usually, it is part of work, during or after business hours and many attend because they have to.

Some staff or business owners would attend because they feel they will meet some like minded people / 'prospects' at the event, but some have a genuine interest in the subject and are keen to hear what the speaker has to say.

-

What do you do with the article?

-

Send it to your local Media as a press release?

-

Well, if they don't publish, then do it yourself on your Blog.

-

Hold up your camera and record yourself share your opinion and publish a Vlog. Contact us if you need help

-

Share the blog / Vlog link on your Social Media. It will have a great reach and can go viral.

-

Call a Team meeting and possibly share the information with your colleagues and bosses who couldn't attend. Either way, it will be a good form of

group discussion and team building exercise for a Friday afternoon.

This is perfect ‘Content Marketing’ Material that could be used instead of display advertising. I know many who respond to reading an article that gives them tips and shares information rather than having an ad that says contact me for a discount or free consultation.

Hope the above helps. As you can imagine, its all about having a strategy in place. Contact me to assist with your strategy and if you are looking at 'content marketing' to small to medium sized businesses, contact Nifnex. Ideal avenue to promote your expertise and build your personal branding. Happy to present and share more ideas with your team.

8

The

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