GWP M a g a z i n e s
Sydney
速
B u s i n e ss
SYDNEY - Issue 43
M a g a z i n e
S i n c e
| MAY 2012
2 0 0 5
Rod Cullen Unique Businesses are More Competitive Page 22 Business facts and figures Page 34
Entrepreneur Profile: Yildiray Gazi Rave On Promotional Products
Anniversary
Special E d i t i o n
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
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Editor and Publisher: Dmitry Greku Cover Story: Adrian Payne Editing: Leonie Seysan Contributing Writers: Charlie Lynn Adam Goldstien Andrew de Wynter Daniel Moisyeyev Larry Woldenberg
Angry Anderson Stephen Frost Tim Pittorino Jeremy Carter Ruchaya Nillakan
Art Director: Svetlana Greku Executive Officer: Daniel Moisyeyev Cover Design and Cover Story Layout: Xabier Goñi, XDesigns Photography: Francesca Surace, Stilz Fotografika Printing: Pegasus Print Group Business Resource & Lifestyle Magazine® is published by GWP Media® and GWP Magazines® ABN: 82 096 352 064 www.gwpmagazine.com.au Norwest Office: Unit 8, 7 Inglewood Place Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 International Standard Serial Number ISSN 1837-199X Advertising Enquiries p | 02 8090 1730 e | info@gwpmagazine.com.au To Subscribe w | www.gwpmagazine.com.au
Copyright GWP Media® and GWP Magazines® 2011. The opinions expressed in this journal do not necessarily reflect and are not to be regarded as the official opinion of the editor, publisher or their agents. All information contained within this journal is provided for general information purposes only and on the understanding that none of the content herein constitutes professional advice. The editor, publisher or their agents accept no responsibility for any claim, loss or damages arising out of or in connection with any materials contained in this journal. Readers should not rely on the publications in the journal and seek appropriate professional advice in respect of their own circumstances.
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
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32 14 Cover Story
8 Rod Cullen…With Utmost Respect Adrian Payne
14 Yildiray Gazi, Rave On Promotional Products Larry Woldenberg
Regulars Political Agenda
18 Fair Work Australia – an Oxymoron!
(Part 2) Charlie Lynn
Business Advice
20 Start Thinking Like Your Banker
22
Adam Goldstien
Does Your Business Dare to be Different? TAFE WSI
24 What Motivates Staff?
Effective Staff Retention Andrew de Wynter
Regulars
Regulars
Business Advice
Local Government
30 How to Fund Raise for Your Non-Profit
34 Making Numbers Count
Organisation Ruchaya Rayya Nillakan
Entrepreneur Profile
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42 Web Hosting Explained Daniel Moisyeyev
investment advice
The Hills Shire Council
36 New Green Building Initiative
Provides Boost to Local Economy Parramatta City Council
37 Environmental Upgrades Make
26 Is Property Still a Super Investment?
Corporate HEALTH
Society & Life
25 Food Manufacturing Conglomerates
40 Loss, Grief and Gain
market place
Features
32 The Facts on Gifts for Women
28 Work-Life Balance – What Legacy
33 Tuscan Wine Review
38 Luke Lewis Celebrates 200 Games
Good Commercial Cents Parramatta City Council
Jeremy Carter
are Lying to You! Tim Pittorino
Robert Cliff
Direct Wine Cellars
Angry Anderson
will You Leave Behind? Stephen Frost
Penrith Panthers
46 Classifieds
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
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editor’s letter
Seven Years Young and It’s Just the Beginning Dmitry Greku - Editor and Publisher - GWP Magazines®
Our business journey has come to a point where we can say: “We are seven years old.” It was impossible to imagine that we would one day be printing our 43rd issue, or that we would look back having produced over 400,000 magazines in total, about 37 cover stories, more than 1,000 articles; or that we would have been read by around 1,000,000 individual readers and (most importantly!) generated millions of dollars for our clients. We’d love to see your business become one of them.
There are some ingredients common to any business success. They are: constant dynamic changes and innovative ideas. But in some aspects there should be stability rather than change. I think I have to explain myself here. I’m proud not to have any changes in some parts of my business, at least at two of them – the people associated with GWP Media and our clients. Believe it or not, we’ve never lost one of our associates during the last seven years. I started printing off our first issues with Printworks Australia and still do all of our smaller jobs with them. I don’t think they need more of an introduction after the Entrepreneur Profile on them in the previous issue #42. All the images (except one or two) on the cover pages and for the Publisher’s Guest and Entrepreneur Profile sections, have been done by Francesca Surace from Stilz Fotografika. Some of you might remember our first cover story on the most inspiring and entrepreneurial business lady I know – Stephanie Dale. The cover story was published in issue #10, January-February 2007. Some of my clients would attend a business
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photo-shoot with Francesca and come back to me with comments like: “Now I want to take my whole family for a shoot at Francesca’s studio.” People like Francesca only add credibility and trust to your business. In early 2007, Wendy Goñi from X Designs approached me with an offer to change and improve a layout and style of the magazine. I can tell you, it was not an easy decision. Some times we all need to make a decision on the look of a flyer or a booklet, but this time it was a big one – the whole business. We made the right decision and have never looked back. Every business needs an association with a good writer. A publishing business needs not just great writers, but very loyal, reliable and positive people. Larry Woldenberg from Right Side Marketing was here from issue #11, MarchApril 2007. Sometimes we would spend several hours in total on the phone discussing possible improvements and changes to a cover story, and trying to find the best way of presenting a customer’s material. And I have to say that those hours were sometimes very early morning hours or late on Saturday or Sunday nights. Larry was always there for us and our clients. These days we also enjoy working with Leonie Seysan from Article Writers Australia and Adrian Payne from The Village Scribe. As you’re aware, most of our floor stand locations are in different cafes throughout business parks. One day a member of our delivery staff was told: “Ah, you’re from that magazine which promotes the same businesses over and over again.” I have to admit, there can’t be a better compliment for a publisher of a business magazine. This person was not a business owner, and that’s why they were probably confused – what she had observed was in fact a demonstration of customer loyalty and satisfaction. So, I would like to thank all those who have been
with us during last seven years and those who are with us today. Thank you for your support and for giving us the best compliment possible – your business. We are only seven years old now, and we have great ambitions and even greater plans for the future. We’re always introducing new services, improving the old ones, expending our distribution and implementing new technologies and ideas in our business. All our publications are available online in three different formats and up-to-date. We provide the highest possible quality of graphic design and web development services, reception-toreception flyer delivery and have the best and most stable team you can find in the media industry. I invite all good businesses to contact us, or me directly, to discuss their future business developments. Find out more about how we can be at your service for the benefit of your business. We can make you famous – and put sad masks on your competitors’ faces!
Have a great day. Take care of yourselves and your clients. G e | editor@gwpmagazine.com.au
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Nicole Baines • Director, Community Engagement and CSR at Gvirah • Board Member, Sydney Hills Business Chamber • Board Member at Hills Schools Industry Partnership • Program Coordinator, Emerging Nurse Leader at College of Nursing
Peter Dimbrowsky • Owner, Eurolounge Restaurant and Catering • Councillor, Central Ward, The Hills Shire Council • Business Development Manager, Media Monitors
Peter Dunphy • General Manager, Western Sydney Business Connection, a not for profit, membership based, business-to-business networking association.
The Hon Charlie Lynn MLC • Parliamentary Secretary for Veterans Affairs • Adventure Kokoda Trek Leader
Robyn Preston •L iberal Councillor, North Ward, The Hills Shire Council •O wner, Managing Director at Preston Impressions
Whitney Rousham • President, Western Sydney Business Connection • Director, WSI Business, TAFE NSW, Western Sydney Institute
Steve Sebbes • Director, Telstra Business Centre Hills/Northern District • Director, T-Community - A community program supporting clubs, charities and associations
Jill Woods • Chief Executive Officer at Penrith Valley Chamber of Commerce • Chair, Western Sydney Defence Reserves Support Council, NSW • Councillor, NSW Business Chamber Regional Advisory Council, Western Sydney
Mike Yeo • Managing Director at Awards & More • Deputy Chair, Hills Schools Industry Partnership • Past President, Sydney Hills Business Chamber
Stephen Frost • Managing Director at Blacktown Regional Economic and Employment Development (BREED) Taskforce Inc
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
great australian Business People
Rod Cullen... by Adrian Payne
Born on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsular, in 1972 he left the private school his parents had afforded for him there, to set out to find his way in the world.
At the time, the economy wasn’t the best, and he claims he wasn’t really university material, so he set out to find employment. He got his first start as a detailer/yardman/lube operator at Lane Motors in Frankston. That was forty years ago. The Automotive industry became his career, and just recently the Toyota dealership under his management was awarded The President’s Award for excellence, and qualified as a National
Top 20 dealer for the second year in a row. This is Rod Cullen’s journey from detailer/lube operator, to manager of a President’s Award dealership? He soon decided that standing under a car with a grease gun in his hand, wasn’t quite what he had in mind for his long term employment. Putting himself ‘out there’, he again found himself in another branch of the automotive industry in an auto electrical spare parts store in Mornington. After two years there, he realised that he was building a career around things to do with cars, and decided to continue to develop a career in the automotive industry. His next opportunity came with Hella in Mentone.
Although it’s a family business, Hella was a big German-based manufacturer of quality auto electrical products, perhaps best known for electrical auto accessories like spotlights. The company was good for Rod’s growth in the industry. Being a large multi-national, there was room for him to experience different facets within the one company. His roles included helping the sales team, handling orders and he was exposed to other parts of the business like warehousing and local manufacturing. At the same time he took on some part time work with the father of a pal at Hella. This was a business which brought him closer to the retail side of the automotive world. The large Golden Fleece service station, that was the location
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His first job was with York Toyota. At the time they were the NSW distributors of Toyota passenger vehicles. He joined as a clerk in the William Street office. He remembers that the King’s Cross area was a real eye-opener for him at the time. The night life and the ‘morning-after atmosphere’ around the streets was something he hadn’t until then even known about, being “a raw kid from the country”. In the space of just eighteen months, York Toyota took him from clerk to allocations officer to dealer representative. By this time York Toyota management recognised that here was a young guy who had some commitment, and they decided to invest in him with some training. He was sent to York Toyota Canberra to learn how a dealership operated. The principal in Canberra didn’t at first get the message and tended to send Rod off to the showroom, to get him out of the way! He didn’t waste his time there however and got in conversation with some of the sales team. He realised that they were earning a heap more money than he was at the time, and that prompted him to take an interest in retail sales. Returning to Sydney in 1978, he looked for an opportunity to advance his growing ambition to sell cars. He got an opportunity with Ken Samms Toyota (now Noble Toyota) at Chullora. They took him on as a sales trainee. During this time he came across some American sales training packages, and discovered through study and seminars, that there really is a science to selling. More than just being at the right place with the right product at the right time! With some good sales training and experience now under his belt he discovered that he really was quite good at it! He was getting a reputation as a successful salesman and was headhunted by Ken Matthews Honda and Ken Matthews Prestige Cars located on the Parramatta Road. During his time there, he gained a very broad experience selling cars, from a thousand dollar Honda Civic, to an imported Italian model with a two hundred thousand dollar price tag.
Rod and Edwina Cullen on the red carpet at Toyota Dealer of the Year Awards, March 17, 2012
of his part time work, had a large service centre attached. It included the license to service Jaguar cars. They were also into motor racing. They were hands on and Rod found himself in the midst of building and racing minis and Formula 1 cars. At the Golden Fleece in Mentone they deliberately set themselves up in opposition to one of the first self service stations that had recently been set up nearby. They were offering old fashioned driveway service, but with a twist. Drawing up there for fuel, an attractive young lady would meet and greet and fill your tank with fuel and your day with a smile. They were fighting a losing battle of course, but
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he remembers the time as fun and took note that this was his first brush with ‘marketing’ in the automotive industry. When he was eighteen, his parents moved to Sydney for a better work opportunity. Rod stayed in Victoria, believing that Sydney wasn’t the best place in the world to be. But due to circumstances, when he was twenty-two, he came to visit his parents in Sydney, and discovered that Sydney’s poor reputation among Victorian boys, wasn’t really justified. So a year or so later he moved up the Hume Highway to try his luck in Sydney’s automotive environment.
When Ken Matthews sold the business in 1989, Rod decided that it was time to go out and try something by himself rather than join another organisation. Right in the heart of Paul Keating’s ‘recession we had to have’, Rod Cullen decided to buy himself a dealership out in the west of the state, in Orange. Interest rates were around eighteen percent! The manager at AGC who was also an acquaintance, wouldn’t lend him the money to buy the dealership saying that it wasn’t the right time, Rod didn’t have enough working capital and besides it wasn’t a good dealership. But Rod, as he claims now with tongue in cheek, was ‘smarter’ than the AGC manager, and got a loan with Esanda, the other major automotive lender at the time. As Rod says: “I then proceeded to go down the tube in a very short period of time!” Things were looking bleak! At this stage in his life he had a wife and a young child, and their current situation wasn’t a good one to promote family life. He had only owned the business for a year, and
great australian Business People
Lander Toyota receiving President’s Award for Excellence at this year’s Toyota Dealer of the Year Awards March 17, 2012.
Lander Toyota Christmas promotion with Westpoint Blacktown 2011, Yaris giveaway
business as an equity partner. A building was designed and built on the Princes Highway not only to fit the block, but to impress! The business went from strength to strength under Rod’s stewardship until John Trivett sold out. One of the new principals and Rod weren’t able to get on the same page and Rod left to spend a couple of years doing other things. In 2002, Rod rejoined the Trivett Group as someone had bought out the fellow who previously couldn’t quite see Rod’s point of view!
he could see that the only way out was to sell it. At the time, nobody was buying dealerships. But a small coincidence came up. The person who Rod was consulting with to sell the business was in silent partnership with a colleague who owned car dealerships. His name was John Trivett. Rod had come across John while working in Sydney years before, and the consultant was asking John if he would be interested in Rod’s business. Apparently Trivett replied: “I don’t want the business but I’ll have the bloke”. In a long phone call from London, John advised Rod to leave Orange and take on running his Honda dealership business
in Parramatta. He negotiated his way out of the business in Orange, but came away with nothing but a fresh start. With some surprise he suddenly discovered that John Trivett’s dealerships were different. They were run along business lines that had strategies and board meetings, targets, budgets and quality professional management by people who understood good business practice. Four years later Trivett Classics at Rockdale was opened with Audi, Volkswagen and Mazda franchises. Rod was asked to set up this new
In 2003, the Trivett Group took on the national distributorship for Rolls Royce. Under Rod Cullen’s management they brought the new model Rolls Royce to Australia, and also took on the distributorship for Aston Martin. He brought three models of Aston Martin to the Australian Market, and was deeply involved in national promotion campaigns and events including Motor Shows. As a distributor and importer for Rolls Royce as well as overseeing the distribution of Aston Martin in NSW and Victoria, Rod’s exposure to new facets of the Australian world of automotive retail was now at the cutting edge. He got to meet some of the most successful business people in Australia. Selling vehicles at the very top end of the market opened doors for him, but at the same time he realised how demanding it is to have to meet the exceptionally high expectations of such successful customers.
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He realised that to maintain success he had to “absolutely smash” the expectations of his customers. It’s a small market segment which at that level relies on word of mouth. Just one bad experience could wreck a business. By this time he had remarried and rebuilt his personal life. By 2007 he was 50, he again became convinced that the time had come to have his own business. He spent a couple of years looking around for the right business opportunity. Suddenly the Global financial crisis hit. Rod was ‘down on the farm’ at his Galston Property with
Massive excavation for new Lander Toyota site at Blacktown, February 201
Construction of the new Lander Toyota site at Blacktown, September 201
eight thousand square metre site and in 2010 it was decided to rebuild there. They designed a brand new dealership facility, one that would be an icon – an example of how it should be done! While building work was taking place, Lander Toyota was recognised as being among the top 20 dealerships.
his gumboots on and he found himself not only out of work but now really short of prospects! But unlike many others in business at the time, he hadn’t been burned by being in the middle of the disaster, so he was as fresh as a daisy and looking for opportunities. Automotive Holdings Group (AHG) approached Rod. They had taken over McGrath Lander Group from Robert McGrath. They had run the business for a year or so with moderate success, but were seeking to restructure it. After much discussion an agreement was reached where Rod would work for them managing Lander Toyota on a ‘lookingat-each-other’ basis each hoping they could find some synergy. Lander Toyota was located at Blacktown. The business had been just ticking over, but then began to lose money. He reports that it was a ‘rudderless ship’ when he walked in the door in late 2008. Where others saw just devastation, Rod saw opportunity, so he began to turn it around. At first sales staff asserted that they were converting one in four potential customers. They were surprised when Rod turned up one Saturday with a ‘clicker’ in his hand, counting the number of prospective customers. His ‘reality check’ brought sales team members to the realisation that real targets needed to be tested, not guessed at to be achievable. New
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processes of setting and meeting sales targes were set, and management meetings were instituted to constantly question results and make changes to remedy poor performance. Almost immediately the business was back in profit. In 2009 they were awarded the inaugural dealer of the year for sales excellence from NSW Toyota. Early in 2010, AHG decided they would invest in the dealership they could see real potential seeing that now it was proving its worth. They decided to invest in a brand new business facility. There were two choices. Whether to build on the existing block which had a narrow frontage or to rebuild elsewhere and relocate. They had an existing site with a Mitsubishi dealership on Sunnyholt Road. This was an
The extra space on the newly completed site was spectacular. A stunning new showroom has space for 10 new cars. The service department has 32 working bays instead of 18. They can park 150 cars for service on the block. The frontage at the old site only allowed 12 cars to be displayed along the front, on the Sunnyholt Road site 150 can be displayed out the front, 300 more cars on the forecourt. The facility was officially opened late in 2011. 2011 also saw Lander Toyota face a different kind of setback. In Japan the tsunami had struck, the nuclear power station crisis was a major national issue. This was seriously effecting Toyota in Japan, and to add to the slow-down, industrial action there was beginning to further limit the supply of stock. Rod and his team realised that they were only going to receive a proportion of the stock of cars that they had been used to – as it turned out,
great australian Business People New Lander Toyota dealership, 112 Sunnyholt Road, Blacktown
The Lander Toyota team relaxing after our first sale event in the new premises in November 2011. less than half. They would need to alter the profit margin on every sale to maintain viability. They could no longer accept the lower profit margins and stay afloat while they had so little new stock. To add to the problems, the devastating 2011 floods in Thailand affected the supply of spare parts, and there was industrial action at home. All this conspired to create a difficult management situation. Never-the-less it was tackled head on. Rod made the commitment that everything would be done during the temporary period of stock shortage to keep all their staff. But, a strategy needed to be in place to achieve that target. Looking back
he believes that policy earned the business great respect from the staff and they didn’t lose anyone who didn’t resign. The business went from selling 200 Toyotas a month to selling 90. Their previous model of ‘profit through volume’ was not going to work during this difficult time. Staff were retrained not to undersell. The used car department needed to increase the gross profit per unit, and the service department was required to offer even better customer service and performance to increase profits through profit centres other than new cars.
first time in its 27 year history. Publisher Dmitry Greku always asks cover story subjects for the best advice they have for others in business. Rod recognises his conscious high level of respect and treatment for everyone he deals with. He says that during 30 years experience in retail he has learned that if you don’t treat everyone you deal with – customers, suppliers and staff alike, with the utmost respect – you won’t succeed. G
Despite the setbacks, the business earned The Toyota President’s Award for excellence for the
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Entrepreneur Profile
Entrepreneur Profile
Yildiray Gazi
Rave On Promotional Products By Larry Woldenberg Like other migrants, Yildiray Gazi started from scratch. He went to work for CSR Timber Products initially as a cleaner. Over the next 16 years he worked his way up the ladder to become their State Sales Manager. But as Yildiray tells it: “I got tired of the corporate takeovers. I wanted to do something for myself, so I looked for a home-based business in order to be with my family”.
During this time he thought about writing a book entitled From Backyard to Billionaire, such were his dreams. But he soon realised that spending time with a growing family precluded such a high ambition. Maybe he could only be a millionaire. “The idea of selling promotional products,” Yildiray explained, “came to me because I used to buy them. At CSR we used to hand them out to our clients at Christmas time or at special events, so I had the idea in my mind that one day I wouldn’t mind doing something like this if I could do it at home. The time came and I started looking at a franchise magazine. There were companies offering deals, but package deals; like you can buy their system and their contacts and they’ll support you and you can print them. It was designed for retirees or those who want to do a small thing at home. I had bigger ambitions. “I worked out that if I spent $20,000 buying someone else’s system I’d rather spend that buying equipment for myself and devising my own system. So I borrowed $20,000 from my parents and set up a little printing operation. I was a sales and marketing sort of person in my old role. I used to look after big sales budgets, so I thought if I could do that and just change a few zeros, scale it down a little bit, then I could try to build it up. So I did that, but I did it on weekends. I called myself Rave On Promotional Products. “I was still working for the timber products company during the day, but I was open about it. I told my boss I had set up a business and at some stage in the future I would be leaving. I was building a bridge from one side to the other until I could become self-employed. They were cool with that as long as there was no conflict of interest. So while I was out speaking to my timber products customers I would let them know that I could buy carpenters’ pencils and print their details on them. Before long I started getting orders. So I’d print them on the weekends and have them ready for despatch. I’d go off and do my day job and then at night I’d develop my business, look for more customers and send out faxes. I didn’t have a website back then.
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Entrepreneur Profile
If Yildiray is not busy drumming up business, he is on the beat. Yildiray is also busy on weekends as the drummer in one of Sydney’s Leading Rock Covers Band Deja Vu Rock Show. You can find out more about the band at www.Dejavu-Dejavu.com
“Things developed. They started asking what else I could do. Do you do hats? Yes we do. But I didn’t have the contacts for that, so I had to promise something and then find a way to deliver it. Because of that I started developing a range of products and over the next 3-4 months I began making the same amount of money I was making in my day job. I figured if I could do that for 3 months in a row that would be my signal that it was no fluke. I could do it and I’d back myself. So I worked hard and got enough sales to match my wages for another 3 months. That was it. After 6 months into it I decided – and it was very hard to do – to cut the umbilical cord. “I had bad nightmares; there were difficult times. But I did it and started surviving on just my sole trading income. I’d set targets. I had a 5 year and a 10 year target. I wanted to be turning over half a million dollars in sales a year in the 5 year period and a million dollars a year by my 10th year. By hard work I achieved those goals. “As I got to those targets, however, I had to add a few staff and helpers because it’s hard to do it all yourself. To grow to that level, I built a website: www.raveon.com.au. I was one of the first businesses to have pricing on my website. Now it’s the norm, but before everyone just had catalogues or pages. I had a shopping cart added
Ali Making printing plates for production crew
to my website and I’ve now got an online tracking and ordering system that cost me a lot of money to develop over the years, but it’s giving me the foundation to take the business to the next level.
them into it and give them an area. So rather than having franchise operators, I can just have people who are employees and reward them with commission so they become part of the system. I haven’t done it yet, but I’ve got the nucleus of what I need to grow to another level. I’ve got great referral programs to be released so I can have customers being the voice of Rave On as well. It’s going to be called the Rave On Army. So you can join the army and get part of the action as well. People can get online credits or commissions.
“I’ve got great vision of where the business needs to be and what it needs to have, and I’ve got a system where I can train people in sales and plug
“But that’s where I see it going in the future. Advertising is a tough game to be in, but it’s also exciting. Some people retract in tough times and
The Rave On Sales/Admin Team (l-r) Rebecca, Karen, Fiona, (middle) Yildiray
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Entrepreneur Profile
Tolga in the print room printing pens
The Print Production Crew (l-r) Aden, Ali, Tolga & Hasip, (middle) Yildiray
Yildiray met true love in Ayfer and two families became one on their engagement day. (l-r) Aden, Dayna, Yildiray, Ayfer, Tayfun (l-r) Tolga & Hasip
Yildiray & Ayfer enjoying a day out on Christmas Day with thier new love of thier life Zeki we’ve been through tough times economically, and I’ve survived that through having a large database over the years and keeping in touch through email marketing. We started doing off line marketing as well. Being part of Business Resource & Lifestyle magazine keeps us visible with our offline strategy. I go into a few other magazines to do my advertising. It helps me survive and be strong in tough markets. “A lot of people in my industry are cutting back on advertising because the turnover is not there, but I’m being more aggressive and growing at the same time. And that’s what I try to tell my customers – it’s in the tough times that you need to find the strength to grow. We’ve got a whole range of products that can help businesses to become more visible: pens, hats, key rings, t-shirts, coffee mugs, fridge magnets – whatever it is. We’ve now got over 6,000 items on our website and another 15,000 coming. We’ve got radio and television and newspaper advertising, too. If I promote the industry and help it grow, we all benefit. And I want to be a leader in that area.
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“At CSR we used to focus on the top 8 or 10 products that made up the 80/20 rule. We had a hundred other products that we’d do as passive sales. I’ve done the same things. We’ve got a website with over 6000 products but I focus and promote maybe 10 products. Some of those are produced internally, some are external. When I have my own factory — which I’m planning for about 2013 — I can offer more core products and do some of my own embroidery and screen printing and in-house management because we do that well and profit margins are higher. I’ve now got my volume as I planned, but by 2015 I’d like that to double. “I’m still a sole trader by the way, but come 1st July I want to roll over to become a company.
“In conclusion, I think I have to give due credit as well to my wife Ayfer. She’s a very supportive and loving partner who looks after me and believes in all my dreams, where I want to go. It’s so important to have that. I didn’t have that before – the support and the love that I needed. I felt that I was doing things on my own and now I feel like there’s someone in the boat and rowing in the same direction as me and giving me support. And for any business owner who is reading this magazine, that’s one of the keys to being able to run a successful business — have a supportive partner that believes in you. She gives me the energy I need to get up every day and do what I need to do. I work long hours and without that support it’s not easy.” G
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
17
political Agenda
Fair Work Australia – an Oxymoron! (Part 2) The Hon. Charlie Lynn - Member of the Legislative Council
There is no shortage of subject material for the new ethics classes in our NSW school curriculum
Under the heading ‘legitimacy of government’ one could paint a scenario which depicts a minority government reliant on a Member who ratted on the Party he was elected to represent to gain the prestigious position of Speaker of the Parliament. The Member in question is a serial rorter of parliamentary entitlements and his antics indicate he is now the Clown Prince of Parliament. Students could discuss the ethics of a government prepared to undermine the status of the Speaker of our National Parliament in order to cling to power. Phase two of the course could examine the integrity of Members who constitute the current Gillard minority government. Imagine a scenario where a Labor member was pre-selected as a political candidate because he held a powerful position in a union. Imagine it was then revealed that he had misused his union credit card to engage the services of prostitutes in a house of ill-repute. The Member then denies it was he who used the credit card. If the Member is telling the truth one has to assume that somebody stole his credit card. They also stole his driver’s licence as it seems a copy was appended to his credit card payment. It was certainly an enterprising thief because he forged his signature and stole his mobile phone as well. He then made three calls between his electorate on the Central Coast and the house of ill-repute in Sydney on the day of the visit.
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The appropriate organisation for such an investigation is our national workplace relations tribunal, Fair Work Australia. This is an independent body funded by taxpayers. It is part of our national workplace relations system which also includes the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Fair Work divisions of the Federal Court of Australia and the Federal Magistrates Court of Australia. Highly qualified and highly paid judges and commissioners have been appointed by the
Aussie battlers might be ordinary but they aren’t stupid. They do not believe that a relatively simple investigation by Fair Work Australia should have dragged on for three years. This is longer than it took the Wood Royal Commission into Drug Trafficking. When Fair Work Australia finally referred their
The Gillard minority government continues to cling to power with the support of the Greens, a coalition of clowns from rural conservative seats and a Member who would have faced criminal prosecution three years ago if he had been an ordinary battler. Gillard Labor Government to investigate and adjudicate cases brought before it. Eight of the 10 appointments to Fair Work Australia come from the union movement and the other two are from the Public Service. Private enterprise, the sector that generates the income to pay for such bodies, is not represented. This leads to a common assumption that Fair Work Australia is the exclusive domain of Labor lawyers and union hacks. An ethics class could ponder the use of the word ‘fair’ in such an organisation with so much power over our income generators in small and large business enterprises.
The thief was obliging as well because he returned the credit card, driving licence and mobile phone to the owner the following day. However if the thief is a furphy and the Member is guilty of misusing his union credit card for his own personal use one has to ask if he is a fit and proper person to be a Member of Parliament.
A reasonable Aussie battler would expect an independent tribunal with eminent judges to do the right thing and conduct a prompt and efficient investigation into the allegations. Ordinary battlers understand the separation of power in our Westminster system and accept that high salaries and lifetime appointments should make them impervious to political interference.
After pondering this question ethics students could then look at the process of investigating the veracity of the Member’s excuses.
They also appreciate the political implications of the investigation. If the allegations are true and
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
criminal proceedings are initiated it could lead to a by-election which would determine the fate of the Gillard minority government.
report to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions to consider 76 potential criminal charges against union executives they were advised it was the wrong agency. The farce continues. In the meantime the Gillard minority government continues to cling to power with the support of the Greens, a coalition of clowns from rural conservative seats and a Member who would have faced criminal prosecution three years ago if he had been an ordinary battler. Ethics classes will have much to ponder if they ever address the political, legal and moral circumstances of the ongoing saga. G
For more topics and to contact Charlie Lynn, please visit www.charlielynn.com.au/blog/
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
19
Business Advice
Start Thinking Like Your Banker Adam Goldstien, Wealth Adviser - Skeggs Goldstien
Whether your business is in its early stages of development, or a business that has been in existence for a while, securing credit before you need it can be critical to your ultimate success or failure.
In our last article we discussed Turnaround Management and some of the reasons why businesses fail. In that article we indicated that one of the reasons for business failure is Under Capitalisation. This is a situation where a business does not have sufficient capital to conduct normal business operations, is not generating sufficient cashflow and is unable to access forms of financing such as debt or equity to grow the business. Many businesses in this position will fail because they are unable to access the capital that they need to survive. This happens more often in the first five years of establishment when banks view them as riskier because of their age and thus limit their access to credit. These businesses often tend to look elsewhere for credit and choose high-cost sources of capital, such as short term credit over lower cost forms such as equity or long term debt which can also increase their risk of failure. So let’s start thinking like a banker A banker’s number one job is to manage risk. For many business owners the process by which banks make the decision to approve or deny a loan may seem obscure and difficult for some to understand. There are some obvious factors they consider such as income and credit rating, but there are several other important criteria by which banks judge loan applicants. What’s a banker trying to do? When a banker provides credit, they want to see that money paid back with interest and are ultimately looking for low-risk businesses that will be able to make their repayments. A banker will assess your business for credit on both a qualitative and quantitative basis. Some of the qualitative questions asked by Business Bankers are as follows:
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
• The skill level of management is? • Management’s integrity is? • The conduct of previous/existing loans has been? • The bargaining power of the business’ customers is? • The bargaining power of the business’ suppliers is? • The level of competition is? • Where is the industry at in its lifecycle? This makes sense on the part of the lenders, due to their need to assess risk. A business that is already succeeding is a significantly lower risk than one that is faring poorly, or is so new that they have no revenues to speak of at all. So, when you’re looking for a loan, you need to present information to the bank that will support your case for credit and that your business will be able pay them their money back. You’re going to do that by running a successful business and proving that to them by knowing your business inside and out. When you make your case before the bankers, you need to bring your “A-game.” If you know what you’re talking about, the bank is going to trust you. In addition to the above qualitative factors, your banker will undertake rigorous financial analysis using sophisticated software to better understand key financial measures. These financial measures include: 1. Liquidity 2. Profitability 3. Strength of Cashflow 4. Efficiency Levels 5. Gearing Levels 6. Working Capital 7. Debt Service Cover How can you get yourself ready to make an application? 1. Know your business and know your numbers 2. Demonstrate that your business is in good health 3. Ensure your business, growth and marketing plans are up to date 4. Make sure you are up to date with the ATO and your statutory obligations are being met 5. Get advice from a professional who understands the banks requirements and can assist in preparing an application.
By being aware of these factors that are considered by the bank before they lend money, you can better prepare your business to successfully attain the credit needed to not just survive, but thrive. What will they require of you once you have secured credit? Once you have successfully secured credit from your banker, it often doesn’t stop there. Since the onset of the GFC, Banks have increased their level of scrutiny on financial covenants. This is especially so if they are securing the finance on a cashflow basis only. They will require regular reviews of your situation to ensure the business is still in good shape and able to meet its commitments. Some of the financial covenants the banks will scrutinise are as follows: 1. Liquidity 2. Debt to Profitability (EBITDA) 3. Strength of Cashflow – Working Capital Ratios 4. Interest Coverage 5. Debt Service Cover In summary, the more prepared you are when presenting an application to the bank the more likely it is you will be able to secure credit and continue that revolving credit facility that you will likely need in the future to secure your success. G Skeggs Goldstien located in Norwest Business Park and Chatswood is a financial services business specialising in growth, succession and transition planning for small to medium sized business. Skeggs Goldstien provides assistance to SME business owners in getting themselves ready to secure business finance. If you want to understand if your business is ready to obtain business funding, contact Skeggs Goldstien for an appointment. Skeggs Goldstien Associates p | 1300 753 447 e | admin@sgapl.com.au w | www.sgapl.com.au
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
21
Business Advice
Does Your Business Dare to be Different? In the hugely competitive global marketplace of 2012, business differentiation is a key strategy for business success. Consumers are presented with many choices for the products and services they require and so attracting their attention – and their loyalty – has become dependent upon their perception of the uniqueness of your business.
Our training consultants are available to discuss your unique business needs.
According to Theodore Levitt, author of Thinking about Management, “differentiation is one of the most important strategic and tactical activities in which companies must constantly engage. It is not discretionary.” This vital need for differentiation has grown steadily over the last ten years, and the result is that modern businesses have developed unique missions and strategies, unique brands, unique products, unique processes and behind each of these, a unique workforce is bringing it all about. All this uniqueness adds up to businesses having unique needs for workforce skills and training, requiring unique, customised solutions. According to Lynette Eyles, Business Unit Manager from TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute (WSI), providing customised solutions is the core of WSI’s business differentials. “We listen intently to the needs of our customers, whether they are individuals, government organisations or businesses. After gaining an intimate understanding of how to assist them we are able to customise not only the content of training but also the way it is delivered.” WSI Senior Training Consultant Irene McAdam says that consultancy and training provided must be tailored to help businesses become competitive in the global marketplace. “The current marketplace is one of ‘sink or swim’ for many businesses. These businesses need to find ways to adapt so that they can flourish and it is very much a unique process for each business,” Irene says. “There are many reasons these businesses
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initially come to Western Sydney Institute for help. It might be prompted by a workplace health and safety issue, or a leadership need, or there may simply be a need to increase efficiency in the workplace. “Whatever the reason, we are able to provide a raft of solutions designed specifically for them. We analyse the needs with help from our trainers, who are industry experts, and work at gaining an understanding of all related needs such as the timeline for developing skills, who the training is for and any cultural backgrounds which might impact upon the needs. We also assist businesses to access funding. “Sometimes it is a case of providing ‘gap training’ which builds upon existing skills and offering a selection of competencies to meet the ‘gaps’. Recognition of prior learning – which includes acknowledging a person’s relevant experiences as well as their previous study and training – is used. At other times, training is delivered to confer employees with new qualifications. “In this ‘sink or swim’ marketplace, some workers are at risk of retrenchment, so one of the ways that we have tailored our services to suit the unique needs of businesses is by stepping in to support workers at risk of retrenchment by giving them additional skills for their future employment. “In other cases we have helped businesses to meet changing legislative requirements or to
work on enhancing leadership skills within their business – it all depends upon their unique situation. “The methods used for delivering training also take into account the uniqueness of the business. Training can be provided in the workplace, at another location, online, by distance or any combination of these delivery methods. Mentoring is also a feature of some of the customised solutions we provide to businesses,” Irene says. “Western Sydney Institute is a strong supporter of local businesses. We are inviting businesses to contact us to find out how their bottom line can be improved through training and consultancy services. We are happy to visit businesses, provide a free assessment and make recommendations to help them to flourish within the modern marketplace.” G
To discuss your how WSI can develop solutions for your unique business, please call Irene McAdam on (02) 9208 9576.
Uniqueness: because one size just doesn’t fit all!
We understand that your business needs a tailored approach to workplace training. We can evaluate the unique training needs of your business and customise the right blend of training for you. Here’s an example: (Download your free QR code reader from the app store) ...or manually type youtu.be/Zv9Npghk5tI into your internet browser
For more information (02) 9208 9421 trainingsolutions.wsi@tafensw.edu.au www.workforcedevelopment.edu.au Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
23
Business Advice
What Motivates Staff? Effective Staff Retention Part 4 – Staff Development and Performance Management Andrew de Wynter, Senior Consultant - The HR Department
Effective learning and development is essential to help your staff grow and maintain current knowledge within their area of expertise. This is also related to our first article on initiatives to motivate your staff i.e. providing them with opportunities for achievement, recognising good performance, providing sufficient job challenges, giving more responsibility to those who seek it, and enabling advancement and growth for your star performers.
As the employer, you need to foster the creation of learning opportunities (or interventions in cases where performance is lacking) to assist employees to gain the skills that are required for them to achieve your performance expectations. If you wish to retain your star performers, they may require constant development opportunities and challenges to maintain their level of interest and commitment to your organisation. Ensure that a full range of options is available. It’s not just about training courses - try in house mentoring, a job swap day, shadowing, job enlargement, etc. Options like these give your employees the opportunity to gain understanding of those working around them. It also can provide the first steps to cross skilling your team. Make sure these learning and development opportunities are accessible to staff during work time wherever possible. Establish systems to measure the performance outcomes from learning and development activities if there are any real improvements after the training. You can also link this to your performance management process, e.g. at the annual performance review meeting. Clearly document the employees who have undergone development or intervention activities, record their successes and the communication surrounding the activities. It’s vitally important to acknowledge any achievements and improvements. Ensuring that performance management is effective involves making sure that the process is as transparent as possible. This will foster a relationship of trust and commitment. The areas being discussed during the performance
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
management process need to be specific and measurable and linked to the daily activities of the employees’ roles. Their job descriptions should provide the framework for measuring performance against objective outcomes. This may require implementing a support system and structured education for managers to enable them to manage their employees. Make formal performance management a cyclical process
example if the organisational target is a sales budget of $xxxx per month this could translate into a monthly or weekly production target for a manager and a KPI for an employee to produce/ assemble yyy items per day. An additional measure would be that the items produced had a fail rate of less than 2%. This type of transparent KPI allows the employee to see how they contribute to the organisation’s bottom line. G
If you wish to retain your star performers, they may require constant development opportunities and challenges to maintain their level of interest and commitment to your organisation.
with, for example, annual or quarterly reviews; but importantly keep informal communication about performance management timely and relevant. If an employee is recognised when they achieve or counselled when there is an issue the effects are instant. Link the system to meaningful and achievable measures for all employees. If targets are not achievable, your employee will be disheartened and won’t try. As mentioned above, link the performance management to learning and development activities to round off the process. Ask your employee for feedback. Performance management should be a two-way dialogue, enabling the employee to discuss any barriers or issues of concern. Getting to know your employee provides insight into what motivates or discourages them. Goals should be consistent with and reflect the strategic direction of the organisation. Each employee should have performance measures which contribute to the organisation’s goals. For
Refer to the next article in this series: What motivates staff? Effective staff retention. Part 5 – Reward and Recognition. If you need advice or assistance with performance management or any other HR topic please contact the HR Department.
The HR Department Suite 515, 2-8 Brookhollow Ave Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 e | elly@thehrdepartment.com.au w | www.theHRdepartment.com.au
CORPORATE HEALTH
Food Manufacturing Conglomerates are Lying to You! Tim Pittorino, Managing Director – Fitness Revelation Corporate Solutions The reason people are increasingly tired, stressed and...I’ll just say it - fat - is that mass marketing has replaced common sense. Mainstream society blindly believes that just because a food item appears on the supermarket shelf it is both safe and healthy. The truth is 90% of food you buy is about as safe as cigarettes! After all, smoking a single cigarette may not have a major, immediate effect on your life, but it is the habit of smoking that puts you on a respirator and eventually in a coffin. Eating processed food will have a similar effect. Processed food is anything that comes in a packet, tub, container, can or carton – the types of food that currently constitute around 90-100% of most people’s diet. We have become accustomed to eating these food ‘products’, and have all but abandoned the whole foods that enabled the human race to evolve over the past 40,000 years. Whole foods gave us abundant energy and lean athletic bodies
and conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity were non-existent.
have made Australians fatter over the past 20 years.
Today, it is important to note that whole foods are available at every major supermarket in the country; such foods include: fresh vegetables, lean meat, eggs, nuts, seeds, fruit and unprocessed dairy products.
Dairy, which includes a range of natural products that have been heavily tampered with.
Consumption of whole foods matters, but unfortunately we have been fooled into believing a number of myths about food, particularly in relation to: Wheat, the major ingredient in almost all breads, breakfast cereals, pastas, pastries and baked items. Wheat was once a healthy grain but it now comes in the form of white flour that has been ground, milled, microwaved and blended. The result of wheat being heavily processed is lifeless flour that prevents minerals being absorbed, while providing high glycaemic carbohydrates that cause insulin spikes and fat bellies. With this in mind, it is easier to understand why low-fat diets
Most dairy products originated from a cow, but are now boiled and boiled again, killing many enzymes and all of the good bacteria. These products are then processed further through homogenization. Homogenization breaks down ‘lactase’ – the enzyme responsible for metabolising ‘lactose’. Insufficient lactase is the main reason people get bloated, lethargic and flatulent after drinking milk. Because of these symptoms, milk and dairy products are often eliminated from the diet and this is contributing heavily to our growing epidemic of osteoporosis. If you want to know the best sources of wheat and dairy and how to properly read and understand food labels, please call Corporate Solutions today for a free lunchtime seminar. G Fitness Revelation Corporate Solutions p | 1800 383 242 w | www.fitnessrevelation.com
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25
investment Advice
Is Property Still a Super Investment? Jeremy Carter, Partner - Fusion Private Wealth
Property has been the number one wealth strategy of the last 30 years in Australia. Buy a home, build some equity and as soon as cash flow permits, borrow more to purchase investment property for others to rent. Unfortunately the days of reaping certain returns through this strategy have disappeared along with the property boom.
With Australia now being one of the least affordable countries in the world in which to buy a home, and with the continued uncertain global economic outlook, is property still a good investment? The short answer is “Yes”, but you need to consider different strategies and unless you are a high income earner, avoid negative gearing. The days of large capital gains are gone for now so you need to focus on finding positively geared property that can pay its own way from day one. Australian Property Monitors predicts growth in the housing market of between 3-5% this year but after you remove inflation of around 3%, it’s not an impressive outlook. In this market it’s vital to do your research to understand the area you are buying in, look for affordable properties with renter appeal and be prepared to invest time negotiating to buy well. Also, when gearing, less is more; you don’t want to borrow the maximum - you want to build a cash flow positive property portfolio. One strategy gaining popularity with many investors today is using their superannuation to invest in property using a Self Managed Super Fund (SMSF). The ATO figures from Dec 2011 show there are now over 450,000 SMSFs in Australia and increasing by 32,875 new funds last year. SMSFs are allowed to borrow to invest in property by using a structure called a bare trust. The tax efficiency of superannuation allows for the principal of the property loan to be paid down with pre-tax dollars allowing investors to own the property much faster than purchasing it in their personal name. In many cases the property is paid off in full in only 7-10 years.
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
Some of the other significant benefits of purchasing property in a SMSF include:
Investing in property through a SMSF can be worth considering:
• Reduction of income tax liability through salary sacrifice to quickly repay the loan. • The asset is held in a structure protecting the asset from any legal claim against you • Rental income is paid directly into the SMSF and as such is taxed concessionally. • The 15% super contributions tax can be significantly reduced or eliminated through deductions within the fund. • In retirement after age 60, income derived from assets held within your SMSF is 100% tax free. • Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is only 10% if you hold the property more than 12 months and NIL after age 60 and in retirement.
• If you have good cashflow and combined equity of at least $200,000 in your superannuation and home. • If you like property as an investment and are in a position to contribute to super above your employer contributions. G Fusion is teaming up with Investment One Property Solutions to run a special seminar on Self Managed Superannuation and Property Investment on Thursday 17th May at 6:30pm at the Crowne Plaza Norwest. Visit the Fusion website at www.fusionfs.com.au to register or for more information.
The ATO figures from Dec 2011 show there are now over 450,000 SMSFs in Australia, an increase of 32,875 new funds last year. Because lending to a SMSF has to be done via a “non-recourse loan” where the asset is the only security for the loan, banks are only willing to lend up to 80% on residential property and around 65% for commercial property. Most people are not aware that it is possible to self-finance the loan to the SMSF from equity within their existing home. Because the loan to the SMSF is made at commercial interest rates, this can also assist in reducing your home loan repayment time. In Summary Superannuation is a great tool for building a tax efficient asset portfolio to take into retirement, improving your family’s financial security. Self Managed Superannuation puts you in control of your investments and can offer significant advantages compared to regular managed funds. The ability to invest in direct property using a SMSF is a real bonus for investors who are comfortable with and want to invest in real estate. For full details of SMSF investment rules, visit www.ato.gov.au and look for the super pages. Fusion has fact sheets about Self Managed Super available upon request.
Fusion Private Wealth located in Norwest Business Park is a boutique financial services business specialising in Self Managed Superannuation and holistic financial advice. For more information or to arrange an appointment, please contact us. Fusion Private Wealth p | 1800 FUSION (387 466) e | info@fusionfs.com.au w | www.fusionfs.com.au Corporate Authorised Rep. No. 410582 of Australian Financial Services Ltd (ABN 50116 900 362), Australian Financial Services License No. 297239 *This information does not take account of your objectives, financial situation or needs. No part of this information should be construed as a solicitation to make any financial investment
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www.bartercard.com.au Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
27
feature
Work-Life Balance – What Legacy will You Leave Behind? Stephen Frost, Managing Director - BREED Local Community Partnership
Recently, I was present when my father received the sad news that a school friend of his had passed away; a good friend for more than 65 years. I saw intense sadness and regret. The sadness was the loss of yet another mate and regret was that he had not made the time to catch up with him personally before he passed on.
I took the instant decision to place my work and social commitments on hold and support my ageing parents through this time of intense sorrow. The funeral was in Queensland and complicating matters further was that my mother is afraid of flying, so we would have to make the journey by road. Yes, it was an inconvenience and I had to cancel a number of planed meetings and events, but I felt a more compelling need to support my father and ensure he got to the funeral safely to say farewell to his last surviving mate from that period of his life. This got me to thinking; when was the last time I put my family, or myself for that matter, before work commitments? It also got me thinking about what I will be remembered for: working around the clock getting tenders in on time, running a successful organisation or being committed to my family, doing something good for the community and helping to make a difference? Time and others will be the judge when I have passed on myself; nonetheless, I hope I will be remembered for the latter. It also got me thinking about how I manage my team at BREED and how their work and family commitments are viewed. If we are all spending extremely long hours at work, what quality time and energy is left for our family and local community. Organisations that are committed to work-life balance see a happier, healthier and more creative workforce. It can dramatically impact on an organisations recruitment, rates of absenteeism and retention. An organisation can also be more competitive in attracting talented personal and generally more productive. So there is definitely a business case here, but what is the relevance to our community organisations? Organisations with a better work-life balance are more able to take on corporate responsibility opportunities in the community. With the many
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
work pressures that people have these days, community organisations are seeing a decline in volunteerism. Think about your own local community organisations; I’m sure it is always the same few people involved. Not only do community organisations need your involvement, this is a great way to help make a difference and help create a wonderful sense of achievement.
school to further education and/or work contact your local Partnership Broker. Organisations such as AusSIP, BREED and Penrith SIP actively work with business and education to improve opportunities for all stakeholders.
Organisations that are committed to work-life balance see a happier, healthier and more creative workforce. It can dramatically impact on an organisations recruitment, rates of absenteeism and retention.
We can all get involved at some level and it can start within our organisations at the coal face. We can make time available for our staff to be involved with the community. In my organisation I work with businesses and youth and there are endless opportunities for businesses to assist our future generation to attain the grounded education, community support and career direction they need to be productive citizens and our future leaders. The African proverb: “It takes a village to raise a child” rings loud and true.
For more information on Partnership Brokers, please contact your local office listed below.
Members
Blacktown admin@breedcp.com.au p | 9853 3247
I know how I want to be remembered; what about you? G
Stephen Frost is the Managing Director of the BREED Taskforce managing the School Business Community Partnership Broker initiative of the Federal Government. If you would like assistance to work with your local youth to improve their educational attainment and transition through
Parramatta info@parrasip.com.au p | 9633 7100
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
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Business Advice
How to Fund Raise for Your Non-Profit Organisation Ruchaya Rayya Nillakan, Tax Accountants & SMSF Auditors
Did you know that 85% of non-profit fundraising every year is acquired from direct individual donations? That 85% consists of large and small donations but it is the steady stream of small donations that keep most non-profits afloat.
For the new organisation or the person, who is new to non-profit fundraising, it’s important to develop a fundraising strategy and plan. Ideally, first step should be to cultivate donors in the local community and then move on to Internet Fundraising. How does one raise funds? One can raise your funds through grants, product sale and special events and by phonathons. Online fundraising is very popular around the world these days. Primarily one has to find one or two donors who will make a large donation (known as major donors). Let us discuss some simple steps to get prospective donors interested and involved in the project. 1. Create a list of prospective donors who may be interested in organisation’s activities. 2. Primarily one should concentrate on friendraising activities rather than fundraising ones, like organising some special events (a spaghetti dinner, carnival, concert, or some other fun activity) with several door prizes. 3. Now create a mailing list of those persons who are somewhat interested or may become interested in the organisation. Include the following points in the mailing list database: a) detailed address of office and residence b) phone number c) personal and detailed information 4. Within 3 days mail a nice letter to every listed
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
individual. In the letter, mention:
Remember: non-profit fundraising is all about building relationships. G
a) how the organisation is helping people in the community b) that it is only possible with the support (monetary and otherwise) from good people like them c) ask them for a contribution and include a pre-addressed return envelope to make it easy for the donor.
Any questions or suggestion regarding this article can be sent to me by email at rayya@ supersmartplans.com. I’m happy to give you further advice related to your personal or business accounting, wealth or tax obligation. This does not exclude anyone who has problems with the ATO. I and the team are here to assist you .Thank you for reading. I will see you again in the next GWP issue. Have a great day!
5. Try to invite the prospect to become involved as a volunteer:
For the new organisation or the person who, is new to non-profit fundraising, it’s important to develop a fundraising strategy and plan. a) have a volunteer coordinator well prepared in advance to accept all calls, and to put them to good use b) the coordinator should introduce them to the staff, and make them feel ta part of the organisation. Once a volunteer feels to be a part of the organisation, he or she (and friends) may be more likely to contribute. 6. Send letters and newsletters to those who did not volunteer. It may work to good effect if they are asked to speak to their civic groups, church groups about the organisation. A good relationship always pays. 7. Thank anybody and everybody whenever and however possible on whatever occasion. Finally, maintaining donors’ involvement over time is indispensable. Try to get them excited about what you are doing with their kind help.
Super Smart Plans Financial & Accounting Level 4, Suite 888 311 Castlereagh Street, Sydney NSW 2000 p | 02 8093 1683/85 (Head Office) Norwest Business Park Centre A15/24-32 Lexington Drive Bella Vista, NSW, 2153 p | 02 9672 6279 e | info@supersmartplans.com w | www.supersmartplans.com.au
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
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Market Place
The Facts on Gifts for Women And a Little Bit of Advice Robert E Cliff F.G.A.A., JP
TOP JEWELLERY GIFTS FOR WOMEN • Diamond Earrings – always a beautiful gift, ready for any occasion. Generally, the hero of the style is a central Diamond or a cluster for the big effect if on a budget. Drop earrings are for the elegant look (perhaps after 5) with stud earrings generally being worn more consistently, day or night! • Diamond Pendant – a classic and elegant gift and a must for every woman’s jewellery collection. These often match earrings and are a great gift to have ready for the next birthday or Anniversary. Again, the hero is the diamond, often accompanied by other coloured precious gemstones to enhance the design or for that special colour. • Diamond Bracelet – worn alone, for affect, often these days worn with a watch on the left wrist. The diamond bracelet truly says it all, she will feel like a million dollars, every woman wants to be able to say “Oh, yes, he gave me a diamond bracelet”. The perfect gift, I promise. • Pendant – the options here are endless, which is perhaps why this is a very popular gift. Settings are more popular in white gold, (gemstones more often than not) with either white or yellow gold being the hero of the design. A chain is a must when giving a pendant, and choosing the chain that suits the pendant is a big decision – ask for help here, your jeweller should know which best suits the pendant! • Engagement Ring – almost always the diamond, solitaire, quality and size are the most common factors, surrounded or enhanced by smaller diamonds and generally set in white gold. The style is a woman’s choice – however, a trend that is emerging is vintage, retro, which I love, as I can let my imagination go when I design something that has real style and craftsmanship. Best to have this gift designed and handcrafted – as next to a house and car, it’s the most expensive gift you will give and it must be right! • Rings – a beautiful and traditional gift for a very special occasion. Hero is generally a Diamond or diamonds with more often than not
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
at least another coloured gemstone. This usually depends on the recipient’s favourite gemstone or colour, and often a birthstone. • Anniversary or Eternity Ring - the ring given now as an appreciation and continuing commitment of love, it was originally given on the first wedding anniversary. • Watch – a watch is a very common gift for a woman. My advice - unless you are giving sports watch, ensure it has diamonds set in it, somewhere! Diamonds are a girl’s best friend! White or yellow gold and colour of the face is just a preference, but for a woman, the diamonds are a must! • The Locket – if you want to give a gift that you can have an inscription engraved on this is a great idea. Often it becomes a ‘keepsake’ for years to come and is rarely taken off. Mostly given in yellow gold, however, white gold is now on the rise. • Earrings – classic hoop earrings are a necessity for all women, white or yellow gold, big or small, a very versatile gift and for any budget! Easy! • Pearls – a great summer gift, and the more they are worn the better they look. The gift of pearl symbolises love, happiness and even success for the wearer! Our Broome pearls are some of the
best in the world and I love them! Stud earrings, most popular, studs earrings with the pearl the hero surrounded by diamonds – gorgeous! There is almost nothing more gorgeous than the lustre of a good quality strand of pearls - so traditional, so classic and very much the retro trend in gifts. Robert Cliff Master Jewellers - 30 years in the jewellery industry and with Master Craftsmen (with over 40 years of experience) creating in their Workshop their works of art are worthy of eternity.k We will be more than happy to answer all your diamond and jewellery questions with an obligation free consultation. So feel free to contact us to make an appointment or call us for information. G
Robert Cliff Master Jewellers Shop 380A Castle Towers Castle Hill, NSW 2154 p | 02 8850 5400 e | shop@robertcliffmasterjewellers.com.au w | www.robertcliffmasterjewellers.com.au
Market place
Tuscan Wine Review from Direct Wine Cellars It has a light, yellow, hay colour and a fresh firm taste with fruit aromas. It is almost nutty in texture and flavour. We believe Vernaccia is the perfect white wine for red wine drinkers and if you were once a fan of wooded Chardonnay, you will love Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Sit back and enjoy this wine as you imagine yourself sitting within the ancient, fortified city of San Gimignano. It is absolutely magical!
As autumn breezes through, it is important to stock your cellar with hearty wines that will get you through the days and cool nights. Whether you’re a white, red or fortified wine drinker, these wines are sure to tantalise!
Sensi Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010 Vernaccia di San Gimignano is without doubt, the most important white wine in the Tuscan region as it is the only white wine with a DOCG appellation.
Borgo Cipressi Morellino di Scansano DOCG 2010. Morellino is 100% Sangiovese but is named for the production zone “Morellino” (in honour of the black horses bred and raised in this area) which sits in the Grossetto province of Tuscany between the towns of Scansano and Manciano. It is dark ruby red in colour and has a full, embracing taste with traces of red berries, violets and minerals. We feel there is femininity to this wine that can only be explained once tasted! It also makes Morellino di Scansano the perfect Mother’s Day gift!
“Liquid Gold”! It has an intense amber colour with a delightful confectionary bouquet with caramel tones on the palate. It can be served as an aperitif, between 10- 12 degrees celcius or at the end of a meal at room temperature. It is a blend of Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes that are dried for four months on straw matts before being pressed and aged in oak for three years. History suggests this wine was first produced in 1439 for a banquet, which was held, in attempt to unify the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Since then, the name Vin Santo or “holy wine” has remained! For more information on these wines, for help choosing a Tuscan wine for you or to become a member of Direct Wine Cellars, visit our online store or call us on 02 4773 4400. G p | 02 4773 4400 w | www.directwinecellars.com.au
Sensi Vin Santo Del Chianti DOCG 2004 Known as “Holy Wine” of Tuscany, this wine has been nicknamed by Direct Wine Cellars as
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
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LOCAL Government
Making Numbers Count What do you really know about The Sydney Hills? Get knowledgeable about the region with facts and figures to enhance your conversations with friends and colleagues.
21 ‘Sydney Hills Business Ambassadors’ will spread the word about The Sydney Hills as a business location of choice to the rest of the nation and the world.
1,370 audio books available through Digital Downloads online. 785,595 visits were made to The Hills Shire Council’s website in 2011.
Four free trees for residents each year 329 local parks and reserves are available for the community to enjoy.
Business Facts and Figures 771 hectares of bushland bushwalkers happy.
The Sydney Hills has a rapidly growing economy and is fast becoming known as a service hub for businesses providing professional and financial services. The figures tell the story. 5.9 per cent is what the economy grew by in the last 12 months. 8 billion dollars is the value of local Gross Regional Product (GRP).
keeps
127 species of bird have been found in Bidjigal Reserve.
Local Facts and Figures
2 accredited Visitor Information Centres in the Hills direct people to many local attractions.
The Hills Shire offers a great quality of life for residents, with some of the State’s top schools close by, as well as homes, surrounded by parks and bushland and significant heritage locations like Bella Vista Farm and Castle Hill Heritage Park. The numbers describe the region.
8 dog off-leash areas keep our pets entertained and socialised.
47,000 new jobs by 2031 is the target set for the region under the Sydney Metropolitan Strategy.
171,000 plus people currently call The Hills home.
20,000 plus home-based registered in The Sydney Hills.
are
100,000 additional people will move to the region by 2031.
4 free plants are available to every resident of The Hills Shire per year from Bidjiwong Community Nursery.
5,237 people had manufacturing jobs in The Sydney Hills in 2011.
29 suburbs make up The Hills Shire – these include (all or parts of) Northmead, Winston Hills, North Parramatta, North Rocks, Oatlands, Carlingford, West Pennant Hills, Bella Vista, Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill, Kellyville, Glenhaven, Beaumont Hills, Rouse Hill, Dural, Middle Dural, Annangrove, Box Hill, Nelson, Kenthurst, Maraylya, Glenorie, Cattai, Maroota, South Maroota, Sackville North, Lower Portland, Leetsvale and Wisemans Ferry.
874 million dollars worth of developments were approved in The Hills in the last financial year.
businesses
13,298 jobs were held in the retail industry in 2011 – the second largest local industry. 19,106 jobs were in the construction industry in 2011 – the largest employment sector in The Sydney Hills. 8,206 people were employed in professional and technical services locally. 83,087 was the total number of jobs in The Sydney Hills in 2011. 147 hectares of employment land is planned for the Box Hill precinct in the future. 120 hectares of space exists in Annangrove Light Industrial Area. 800 plus businesses are based in Norwest Business Park – home to major national and international companies. 700 plus businesses are located in the Castle Hill Trading Zone, with a focus on home maker services.
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reserve
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
0 parking meters exist in The Hills Shire. 2,000 people are registered volunteers.
58,900 plus meals were delivered by meals on wheels to the Shire’s aged and disabled population last year. 35,000 kilos of chemicals were collected at Council’s last Chemical Cleanout recycling day. 1,800 old fridges have been collected in The Sydney Hills through the Fridge buyback program, saving over $540,000 on local power bills.
4 Council wards make up The Hills Shire – North Ward, East Ward, Central Ward and West Ward – with each ward represented by 3 Councillors.
500,000 additional dollars will be allocated in 2012 to Council’s reactive roads maintenance budget to repair the Shire’s rain ravaged roads.
10 young people make up The Hills Youth Committee, advising Council on matters important to the Shire’s youth.
1.56 tonnes of waste was collected at the 2012 Clean Up Australia Day in The Sydney Hills. G
2006 was the year when the Centenary of The Shire was celebrated.
Do you need business information? Need facts and figures to help with a business submission? We can help. Council has a range of business information that can assist you with informed decision making. Contact us today for a confidential discussion on 9762 1108 or visit www.investsydneyhills.com.au.
5 libraries comprise The Hills Shire Library Service – Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill, Carlingford, Dural and Vinegar Hill Memorial Library. 135,057 people are members of The Hills Shire Library Service. 1,100,000 plus visits are made to the Shire’s libraries each year.
Own a Home-Based Business? Looking for new ideas? DiD yOu knOw that there are over 20,000 home-based businesses in the Sydney Hills?
Council has a range of FREE business information that can answer these questions and more...
Council understands how important homebased businesses are to the local economy, and how good information can lead to more informed decision making.
Contact us today for FREE confidential business discussion on 9762 1108.
The two most frequently asked questions by home-based business owners are: where can I get a list of businesses in the area, and how can I find out about new local business activity? And many more people ask: do I need a permit to run my business from home?
business
www.businesssydneyhills.com.au
An initiAtive of
the hills shiRe council
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
35
LOCAL Government
New Green Building Initiative Provides Boost to Local Economy The next generation of modern, sustainable buildings are on their way thanks to a new and innovative green-building initiative announced by Parramatta City Council.
The Council is one of only two in NSW to establish Environmental Upgrade Agreements (EUAs), a financing model that aims to make it easier for building owners to implement upgrades to their properties.
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through water and electricity savings. Parramatta has one of the lowest A-grade office vacancy rates in the country and Lord Mayor of Parramatta, Cr Lorraine Wearne, said building stocks in the CBD need to be improved. “A significant number of buildings in and around Parramatta were built over 20 years ago, which should make EUAs attractive for many local building owners,” she said. “Research shows that building owners can
An EUA is an agreement between a building owner, financier and local council to finance building upgrades to existing non-residential buildings. It offers a number of advantages to traditional commercial arrangements, including removing the need for upfront capital, improved loan rates and making repayments through cost savings.
reduce their vacancy and outgoings, whilst improving yields and higher tenant retention, by undertaking environmental building upgrades.”
EUAs in Parramatta’s CBD alone can potentially attract $150 million of investment in building upgrades; create148 full-time jobs; and reduce building owners’ outgoing costs by $26 million
The $800 million competitive, merit-based grants program aims to help Australian manufacturers stay competitive in a carbon constrained economy. It provides grants for eligible
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
As an additional incentive, eligible manufacturing and industrial business owners can effectively align an EUA with the Clean Technology Investment Program.
businesses interested in investing in energy efficient capital equipment and low pollution technologies, processes and products. Projects that can be supported include switching to less carbon intensive energy sources or installing new manufacturing equipment, processes and facilities to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. Co-contribution requirements for the program are designed to be attractive for small and mediumsized firms. Manufacturers with turnovers of
less than $100 million requesting funding under $500,000 must match government grants on a dollar for dollar basis. For all other grants under $10 million, applicants will be required to contribute $2 for every $1 from the Government. To find out more about Environmental Upgrade Agreements and the Clean Technology Investment Program, contact Matthew Fisher on 9806 5755 or visit www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/ eua. G
LOCAL Government
Environmental Upgrades Make Good Commercial Cents An iconic Parramatta address has received a new lease of life thanks to a state of the art, environmentally friendly refurbishment.
The 100 George Street building has been restored as a premier asset in Parramatta through a dramatic $6 million re-skinning. What was once a C Grade building now carries a 4 star NABERS energy rating and has introduced approximately 3,000 square metres of Premium B Grade office space to the Parramatta property market. The Lord Mayor of Parramatta, Cr Lorraine Wearne, said that the site is proof that owners can make their existing investments more attractive to tenants who want modern, efficient and sustainable buildings. “There are many buildings in Parramatta ripe for this type of development. Coupled with the high demand for premium office space, the potential this has for investors and businesses alike is very exciting,” she said. The development involved many significant changes to the exterior and interior of the building, with an emphasis on energy efficient systems. This included a completely new air-conditioning system and a new external casing for the building made from insulating materials. These improvements have resulted in a 50% saving on electricity usage. Hendri Rahardja, Director of Sola Gracia Property Group, property manager of the building, said the decision to re-invest in Parramatta was made because of the expected economic growth of the area and the opportunities that will arise over the coming decades. “Within the next 20 years, the majority of Sydney’s population will be in the west and Parramatta will be a major source of their employment. Thanks to its refurbishment, 100 George Street will now very effectively tap into this market,” Mr Rahardja said. A major goal of the refurbishment was to make the building more attractive to tenants, both potential and current, through improving workspace facilities and amenities. It has worked, with the building already having secured the NSW Business Chamber as a tenant.
100 George St – Before and After Refurbishment
“As the host of the only public child care centre in the CBD, 100 George Street also offers tenants a great work-life balance. Coupled with a completely re-designed ground level forecourt area, featuring a new café and restaurant, 100 George Street is a location people will be excited to work at or visit. “We have already seen a significant increase in rental return, with an expected 20% increase forecast once the building is completed,” Mr Rahardja said. The refurbishment of 100 George Street has been undertaken very quickly and will be completed within 12 months from its start date. This is faster than a traditional ‘brand new’ development and has the potential to see return from investment much faster.
Agreements when making these refurbishments,” Cr Wearne said. G Parramatta City Council has recently introduced Environmental Upgrade Agreements, a financing model that makes it easier for building owners to implement similar upgrades to their properties. For more information contact Matthew Fisher on 9806 5755 or visit www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/eua. For more information please contact Solaire Eggert, Manager Economic Development. p | 02 9806 5730 e | seggert@parracity.nsw.gov.au
“We know that other owners in Parramatta will begin to do the same thing once they see the success of 100 George Street. I encourage them to utilise Council’s Environmental Upgrade
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
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feature
Luke Lewis Celebrates 200 Games 2012 is proving to be a pretty special year for Penrith Panthers captain Luke Lewis. The one-club man has once again written himself into the history books, clocking up 200 NRL games on March 31st.
team mates to make this year one to remember; for us, and our fans.” Lewis said.
Luke Lewis
Affectionately known as Lewie, Luke is a Western Sydney boy through and through, growing up in Blacktown. It was there that his talent first began to shine through, launching his junior career with Blacktown City Junior Rugby League Club. He remains an inspiration to many of the young players at that same club today.
Coach Cleary said Lewis was an obvious choice to lead the side in 2012. “As a player, he’s outstanding – not only on the field, but I think he’s also very well respected off the field. I would love to have a whole team of Lukes!” His dedication and commitment is also evident in the community. Luke is always among the first to put his hand up to support local schools and charities, and is also an ambassador for the White Ribbon foundation, putting a stop to violence against women. Luke’s wife Sonia, mum Sharon and family were among almost 14 thousand fans who turned out to pay tribute to a man known not only as a one of- a-kind talent, but a true leader, inspiration, and hero to many.
In 2001, Lewis made his first-grade debut as a slightly built but powerful 19 year old winger, playing for the Panthers against the Melbourne Storm. Another Panthers legend, Frank Puletua, ran onto the field with Luke in his first game. “He seemed nervous but excited. He played well. He’s always had a good head on his shoulders,” Puletua says. And it seems he was destined to Captain the Panthers one day, despite admitting he never aspired to do so. “Lewie was always going to be a good leader,” Puletua says. He’s an old soul, he never seemed 19. He always had his head screwed on straight.” Since those early days of first grade, Lewis has gone from strength to strength, winning the hearts of Panthers fans, and the respect of his team mates and NRL compatriots. The massive utility added premiership winner to his impressive list of achievements in 2003, playing on the wing in the Panthers 18 to 6 Grand Final win over the Sydney Roosters. He remains the only player from that squad still playing for the Panthers today. Lewis has pulled on plenty of representative jerseys in his career so far, including the Blues State of Origin, City Origin, NRL All Stars, and of course, the Kangaroos. Although he toured with the green and gold side in 2004, it wasn’t until 2009 that he made his debut for Australia, playing against England. The following year he definitely impressed, scoring two tries in a matter of minutes in the Four Nations clash against England, before setting up a third for Willie Tonga. He was also named Man of the Match that day,
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
and has now clocked up 11 tests for our nation. This year has been a landmark one for Lewis. Rewarded for his loyalty and passion for the Panthers, he was named Captain by new Coach, Ivan Cleary, as he entered his 12th season with the club. Ever humble, Lewis said at the time that being appointed skipper was a massive honour, but not something he ever expected would happen. “I always wanted to play for the Penrith club as a junior, and my childhood hero Brad Fittler captained for the club. They’re massive shoes to fill, but I will continue to draw inspiration from my
In an era of contract disputes and mid-season switches, the one-club player is a rarity. But our fearless captain is just that, and the Panthers are proud to call him our own. Congratulations Luke Lewis on 200 NRL games, we look forward to many more. G
Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
39
Society & Life
Loss, Grief and Gain Angry Anderson
Loss leads to grieving and the reward for having lost and therefore having had to grieve is gain, such is the natural order of all things in the natural realm.
There is no loss without gain, there is no gain without loss and the grieving is the period of digestion and evaluation. It’s the time period given over to you to wallow in self-pity, to agonise over what went wrong, to put yourself through the ‘guilt’ thing. In the case of a lost ‘love’ you need a period of weeping and longing; a time to agonise over the fact that he or she is no longer in love with you and that soon they will find a new partner better than you and that in doing so they will have a better life than the one you offered. All these thoughts and agonies you must weather in order to survive that most terrible of ordeals. But it’s not just a broken heart that delivers such agony. There is the loss of a loved one or an elderly parent, an illness stricken sibling or the worst of all for all parents, the loss of a child. These are times when we struggle to make sense of the situation somehow and hopefully that will be the end result. Sadly, there are far too many of us that just don’t get it and we end up wasting the experience altogether. We are bewildered by the loss, that always seems to come out of nowhere, when we least expect it. But then when you think about it, when do you ever expect the loss? In most cases never - unless you are one of those eternal pessimists who is always expecting the worst. Most of us will eventually come to the realisation that this loss and grieving will always allow us to gain later in life, whether we are told or we read about it or we come to ‘see’ it through the observation of our own lives. But as so often is the case, we will only come to see it and accept it as a truth later in life - not in our youth when it would serve us well if we could but see it. Part of ‘the wisdom’ I believe, is that few of us will ever discover these ‘truths’ while we are young. Why don’t we learn these things at an earlier age thus saving ourselves a lot of bother? I believe the answer to this common mystery is that we need to ‘experience’ as much of life, for ourselves, as is humanly possible. Granted, there are some
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
things we can learn about purely from reading about them in books or accessing information through the computer - but some fundamental lessons can and should be only learned ‘the hard way’ from the school of hard knocks. The dictionary defines loss as “the act or instance of losing, detriment or disadvantage resulting from losing. It defines grief as deep and intense sorrow or mourning. Come to grief, or meet with disaster, thus to grieve.” How many times have you heard “for a door to open, first one must close” or “there must be an end to something, for something else to begin?” These and other well-worn clichés are the good advice given by friends and loved ones when we experience loss.
We need to get back to the ‘tribal’ way of educating ourselves and our children, that loss, grief and gain go hand in hand; that loss and grief are not to be feared but to be accepted, if not welcomed, into our everyday lives. We will experience loss, grief and gain in all manner of ways: small day to day stuff, medium life influencing stuff and large life changing stuff; but all the levels are beyond our control and the sooner we learn to accept, the sooner and the easier we can get on with the business of living the experience that we are given. After all, every new experience is a gift of or from the Divine. I’ll leave you with this Sufi saying: ”While the heart weeps for what it has lost, the soul rejoices for what it has found.” Go with your God. Your friend, Angry.
There are of course, many different forms of loss - the loss of the object of our love, the girlfriend or boyfriend, the loss of a family member due to illness or old age, the loss of a lifestyle after a divorce or a business venture fails, the loss of a period or a phase of our life or the passing of our ‘childhood’ that we experience when we leave school. Nobody prepared me for the deep sadness that I endured after leaving school. Little did I know that I would ‘grieve’ the loss of those carefree days and the passing of those young years. I now realise that the ‘grieving’ lasted for a long time in my case because my school years allowed me to hide from the responsibilities waiting for me in the big, wide, wonderful and sometimes frightening world. My home life was one of chaos; periods of peace and calm followed by terrible periods of fear, anger, arguing and violence. Tears and sorrow always followed loss, grief and although not realised then – gain. The loss of innocence is one of the hardest to bear let alone understand. Victims of childhood abuse, physical, mental or sexual, have a terrible time trying to deal with that loss. Children are not prepared or educated to deal with such a tragic and all-encompassing loss. The grieving that follows lasts for years and in some cases lasts well into adulthood and even then may never be properly dealt with. What this so clearly demonstrates is the real need for all of us to accept loss and grieving as a natural part of life, so that we are not bowed and crippled by the process.
G
Angry Anderson AM is available for the following public speaking. Subjects covered: • personal life journey experience, overcoming obstacles along the way like his battle with alcohol and drugs, humorous anecdotal stories about his life on the international stage with his band the legendary Rose Tattoo; • inspirational messages on his ability to deal with surviving all his tribulations; • stories about his involvement in Television which introduced him to his dedication to helping others in need; • his commitment to Men’s Health; • his life long battle with depression and his dedication as ambassador, to spreading awareness regarding Prostate Cancer. Angry is also available for corporate or public and private engagements, musical entertainment – acoustic performance detailing the history in song and story of Rose Tattoo; electric performance with cover band playing a selection of rollicking rock and roll and assorted R+B favourites. e | angry@angryanderson.com
Grow your business in 5 hours + CHANCE TO WIN A $10,000 BUSINESS PACKAGE Reasons to exhibit Communications & Technology theme proudly presented by BUSINESS CENTRE
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Reasons to attend • Meet leaders in the field of Technology & Communication • Learn improved customer interaction & relationship • Learn about higher financial reward & overall savings • Learn how to increase employee productivity • Learn how to improve your overall bottom line PLUS Keynote Speaker Paul McCarthy - RockStar Marketer - “The Secret to Marketing your Business in the New Economy”
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Thursday 31st May, 2-6pm + Free Cocktail Networking 6-7pm @ Parramatta RSL Club For more info or to book visit www.businessexpos.com.au BUSINESS CENTRE
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Ph: 1300 TBC WEST (1300 822 937)
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BUSINESS& ADVICE Society Life
Web Hosting Explained by Daniel Moisyeyev, B. IT – GWP Media
Like virtually any other IT component in your business, web hosting is one that is paid little attention to when it works perfectly, but all alarms go off and panic kicks in when your website goes down and you can’t check your emails. Majority of small businesses rely on their web hosting provider to provide email services and sometimes the well being of their businesses is in fact tied to the service quality of the provider.
What is Web Hosting? By 2012, it is my hope that most business owners are well aware of the purpose of web hosting providers. The three most common services that people associate with web hosting are domain name registration/domain name hosting, email hosting and website hosting. There are also other niche services that some web hosting providers offer. For example, they can assist with migrating your website to a new account, applying to receive certificates from a Certificate Authority (CA), search engine optimisation services, gathering advanced statistics, scheduled backups and many other services. Some web hosting providers offer services to install commonly used Open Source projects, such as Wordpress, SugarCRM, various forum systems and others. Dedicated vs Shared Shared web hosting is the most common and the more affordable type. This is a setup where your company website resides on a server with many other websites. Dedicated hosting is rare – it involves a separate server reserved for use solely by your company. A lot of businesses who qualify for dedicated hosting already run a server from their own premise. Dedicated hosting is generally expensive, but you can expect a much better quality of service. Using many different providers to achieve one goal
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Software utilised by Web Hosting Providers
A common scenario is that a small or beginner business owner will register a domain name with the cheapest provider and then organise a full web hosting account with a completely different company. Some of the worst cases we have seen is domain name registration/domain name hosting, email hosting and web hosting split across 3 different companies. The issues that arise from this approach is that by using 3 distinct providers, you have multiple points of failure. Furthermore, you are probably paying more for the services than required, as most web hosting companies can offer a standard package with all the required services at once at a fixed price. If you decide to hire a web developer to create a new company website, be prepared to spend a day researching various usernames, passwords and links to control panels that your developer will certainly require from you. If something goes wrong, and you do not have an expert that is in charge of handling your 3 accounts, pinpointing the fault may be a become a complicated and time-consuming endeavor.
Overseas Servers If your business is an Australian company and serving primarily Australian consumers, your website should be hosted on a server Australia. Period. There is a measurable difference to a user visiting a website hosted locally and overseas – this issue becomes very evident if your site serves heavy content that takes time to download. Consider that users will simply not wait 5 seconds for your site to load and go to next result in Google. Beware that not all Australian-based companies have their services located at a server farm in major Australian city. There are some dishonest companies that use US-based servers under the guise of an Australian image. Finding whether your web hosting provider uses local or overseas servers takes some technical expertise. Outgoing Email Server Web hosting companies are not responsible for providing an outgoing email server. This is one of the most common sources of confusion and I often page 44 have to explain this to my clients.
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BUSINESS& ADVICE Society Life
Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is responsible for your outgoing mail. If you are using a higherend ISP, they probably do not even provide an outgoing email server for you to use, but expect you to have your own facilities. Your web hosting provider, in rare cases, may offer a passwordprotected outgoing email server, but it is generally not their responsibility. Therefore, if you are a small business are you are not receiving your emails or can’t even login to check, you need to resolve the issue with your web hosting provider. However if you can’t send email, you probably need to get in touch with your Internet Service Provider.
and it is what you are most likely to purchase if you do so without seeking advice. Another alternative uses the Microsoft Windows Server OS, Microsoft SQL Server RDBMS and Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS). This platform is required if your web developer uses a technology like classic ASP, ASP.NET or ISAPI Extensions to develop your website. There are other, commonly used platforms, such as the BSD Operating System flavors such as FreeBSD, technologies like Java Server Pages (JSP) and ColdFusion. There are also many other makes of RDBMS, such as Oracle and PostgreSQL.
Outages: Scheduled and Unscheduled Virtually all web hosting providers have their services go down at one period or another. High quality web hosting providers will generally have a special page called a “status page”, that lists planned outages for various services. Unscheduled outages can be for any number of reasons, from power failure to somebody spilling coffee in the server room. If there is any unplanned outage that is affecting your services, you need to get in touch with the web hosting provider immediately and let them know the issue. In my experience, some issues have gone unnoticed and have not resolved until I personally called and described the problem. Platforms There a few different web hosting platforms that can be chosen when you organise a web hosting account. Web hosting platforms are defined by the Operating System (OS) used, default Relational Database Management System (RDBMS), Web Server application and other software applications installed. The most mainstream web hosting platform uses the Linux OS, a RDBMS called mySQL and Apache Foundation Web Server. Support for scripting languages called PHP, Perl and Python is usually present. There are some common development tools that are usually installed, such as phpMyAdmin software for managing the database server. This combination is the most widely used platform,
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There are deep technical differences between them and most websites can’t be easily crossed. If you have a very simple static website with a couple of HTML pages, this becomes a nonissue. However, if you are trying to upload your website with a shopping cart and various other database-driven features, you need to consult your web developer before committing to a web hosting provider. Most modern websites rely on Content Management Systems (CMS) and require a specific platform. Redundancy Hardware and power failures are a constant issue in web hosting world. To circumvent this, web hosting providers have various systems in place. On-site diesel generators, redundant power supplies and RAID setups to account for hard disk failure are some of the systems web hosting providers use to keep your website going even if one component fails. The better web hosting providers will offer a higher uptime guarantee, as they have well-designed systems in place to account for failures.
there is a overseas web hosting provider that offers unlimited bandwidth and web space for $9.90 per year, but the insignificant savings you make will backfire when you will need something fixed and nobody answers to your emails or calls. Bandwidth Bandwidth is a more technical aspect of web hosting that few business owners know about. To put it simply, bandwidth for your web hosting plan defines the amount of data that can be sent to your website users. The amount of data sent at once is commonly measured in megabits per second (Mbps) or kilobits per second (Kbps). Web hosting providers sometimes offer a fixed bandwidth limit per month (e.g. 1 Gigabyte) per plan. Web hosting companies also practice bandwidth throttling, i.e. limiting each account to a certain amount of data that can be sent at once. For an average small business the bandwidth issue does not matter – your website probably will not have enough visitors to exceed the fixed monthly bandwidth limit and you will not have enough people on the website at the same time to exceed the limit set by bandwidth throttling. However, if your business has a website that hosts a lot of content (e.g. PDF files or live video) or has a lot of users (e.g. 100 simultaneous website users), bandwidth becomes a key factor. G
If your business is looking to develop a fresh website or upgrade an existing one, please do not hesitate to contact us and arrange an appointment. The first half-hour consultation at our office is on us.
Price Overseas web hosting providers generally charge less than local web hosting providers. When comparing a bottom-end overseas shared web hosting provider to a high quality local supplier, there may be a 3-fold difference in the price. It may seem hard to part with your money when
p | 02 8090 1730 e | daniel@gwpmagazine.com.au
business advice
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CLASSIFIEDS Accounting
Graphic design
Inflatables
Super Smart Plans Financial & Accounting
Stilz Fotografika
24/7 Hoyle Ave Castle Hill NSW 2154 www.stilz.com.au
A15/24-32 Lexington Drive 02 9672 6279 Bella Vista NSW 2153 www.supersmartplans.com.au
112 Sunnyholt Road Blacktown NSW www.landertoyota.com.au
Caterez
Catering for Your Corporate and Private Events in Sydney www.caterez.com.au
02 8884 2486
02 8824 9666
1300 753 447
- Suite 6, Level 1, 871 Pacific Highway Chastwood NSW 2067 www.sgapl.com.au
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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012
The HR Department
Nirimba Business Centre 02 9853 3200 Insurance Chegwyn Insurance Brokers
HR
Financial Services - 35/6 Meridian Place Bella Vista NSW 2153
Boutique Fitness Studio located in the heart of Longueville, Sydney. 1800 383 242 www.fitnessrevelation.com
02 8850 7124
Suite 515, 2-8 Brookhollow Ave Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 www.theHRdepartment.com.au
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS John F. Law & Associates 02 8850 4477 Specialists in Discrimination Matters, Employment Agreements, Unfair Dismissals www.industrialrelationslaw.com.au
1300 736 927
Serviced Offices
Fitness Revelation Corporate Solutions
Mike Hughes & Partners Northwest
Skeggs Goldstien
2/102 Station Road Seven Hills NSW 2147 www.printworksoz.com.au
health
Equipment Finance 108/1 Burbank Place Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 www.mhpnw.com.au
Printworks Australia
02 8884 4888
Catering
02 9680 9823
printing
Automotive Lander Toyota
Photography
Suite 105, 447 Victoria Street 02 9604 6166 Wetherill Park NSW 2164 www.chegwyninsurance.com.au
investment Fusion Private Wealth
PO Box 147 Quakers Hill NSW 2763 www.nirimba.com.au
Wine Direct Wine Cellars
Your Italian Wine Specialists www.directwinecellars.com.au
02 4773 4400
1800 387 466
Self Managed Superannuation and holistic financial advice www.fusionfs.com.au
Jewellery Robert Cliff Master Jewellers
Shop 380A Castle Towers 02 8850 5400 Castle Hill NSW 2154 www.robertcliffmasterjewellers.com.au
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