GWP Magazines, Business Resource & Lifestyle, Issue #30

GWP M a g a z i n e s

®

SYDNEY - Issue 30

| MAY / JUNE 2010

Finger on the Pulse: The Commonwealth Bank’s Economic Update 9 Entrepreneurial Attributes Toshiba Managed Print Services

Anniversary

Special E d i t i o n

Publisher’s Guest: Marise Payne

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GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS 10

32 Regulars

Publisher’s Guest 10

Marise Payne, Liberal Senator for NSW

Regulars 16

30 34

Business Advice Are You Accountable to Your Business?

Jonathan Reynold

18

Do You Care for Your Customer?

John Glover

20

10 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Website Scott Tyler

32 36

Features

The Year Ahead for the Sydney Hills

40

Opal – A Sound Investment?

Robert Cliff

Parramatta 2010 ‘State of the City’ Address

42

Multi-Award Winning Loxley on Bellbird Hill Paul Maher

44

The Right Solution Starts and Ends with Customer Service Victor Prasad

46

Emu Sports Club Hits its Stride for 2010 Larry Woldenberg

48

Build Stronger Business Partnerships with Existing Client Base with Penrith Panthers Shannon Donato

50

Touchscreen Kiosk: A Different and Modern Sales Rep Daniel Moisyeyev

54

Classifieds

Business Chamber Chamber – Agent of Change Nicole Baines

Political Agenda Think First: Beware of Clowns - Part 2 Igor Palmer

Features

24

9 Entrepreneurial Attributes John Hagerty

26

Partnerships John Watters

12

22 28

Government

Telecom Which Solution is Right for Your Business?

Steve Sebbes

38

40

38

Finger on the Pulse: The Commonwealth Bank’s Economic Update Rob Darroch

Toshiba Managed Print Services - Understanding that One Size doesn’t Always Fit All

Shear Lounge puts the Chic into Rouse Hill Larry Woldenberg

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

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Editor and Publisher: Dmitry Greku Staff Writer/Cover Story: Larry Woldenberg

Dmitry Greku - Editor and Publisher - GWP Magazines®

A $36 Investment + 5 Years Once upon a time, I came back home from work and challenged my family to make a vital decision: spend some money on half a week worth of petrol or start a business publication. I think we have made the right decision.

It was a harsh beginning, as I suppose it is in every business. Our first issue brought me so much excitement that I smashed my car into a boom gate while coming back home with the freshly printed magazines. It was the only accident I have had in all my years of driving. The first issue was printed in the bedroom of one of our clients simply because she was the only person I knew with a colour printer. The monetary investment was a total of $36. The “magazine” had 8 poorly trimmed pages and consisted of two A4 sheets folded in half, which I stapled on my knees with a $1.50 supermarket stapler.

As you can see, we were fully equipped to start a decent publishing enterprise – we had a total investment of $36, a stapler, and someone who could cover A4 glossy paper sheets with colour ink and do a barely satisfactory trimming job. It was difficult to find a more excited individual on this planet that day than myself. I was overloaded with plans and “reasonable” expectations.

The next day came quickly. Then there was tomorrow. We had to decide what came next. The next 3 issues were released without a single paying client.

We were publishing small ads for our online directory clients for free. For

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GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

the whole first year the publication was produced in A5 format. After 10 months we introduced an opportunity for professionals to contribute articles.

I moved my business to Norwest Business Park and joined Sydney Hills Business Chamber in July 2006, which were some of the best decisions we made.

Beginning in a nice place is not always as nice as it looks. I had to put myself on the cover of the Sep/Oct 2006 issue simply because I didn’t have another candidate for that “great” opportunity.

It was our first issue we produced from our new Hills location.

Today I’m looking back at those days, proud for my team, our business associates, clients, readers and all the other people who we could convince during this time of our ability to provide a decent service and to create a great business educational tool for all professionals who are keen to grow their businesses beyond all imaginable limits.

Contributing Writers: Rob Darroch Jonathan Reynolds John Glover Scott Tyler Nicole Baines Victor Prasad Steve Sebbes Igor Palmer Shannon Donato Paul Maher John Watters Robert Cliff John Hagerty Art Director: Svetlana Greku Graphic Design: Xabier Goñi, XDesigns Photography: Francesca Surace, Stilz Fotografika Printing: Blue Star Print Group Limited Distribution: J&S Mailing Services Pty Ltd Business Resource & Lifestyle Magazine is published by GWP MediaTM and GWP Magazines® ABN: 82 096 352 064 Suite 206, 10 Norwest Central, Century Circuit, Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 www.gwpmagazine.com.au 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

We started GWP Media from the 1st of January 2010, due to our growth into a larger enterprise providing a bigger range of high quality services.

Thank you all for your support and I can promise that we’ll keep delivering sharp and knowledgeable content to the Sydney Business Community.

Copyright GWP Media and GWP Magazines® 2010.

Have a great day. Take care of yourselves and your clients.

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.

DISTRIBUTION

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Penrith Emu Sports Club

Gordon SP Resources

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

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I wish to express our most sincere appreciation and congratulate on the 5th Anniversary of GWP Magazine. By all measures and accounts, GWP Magazine has turned out to be an outstanding enterprise. I can think of no other magazine which has grown and spread as fast as GWP, proving once again to me and many others I know who have advertised with the GWP Magazine that indeed it’s been most profitable to be associated and advertise with the GWP Magazine.

Igor Palmer Managing Director - KDR Lab Pty.Ltd. TN COFFEE Pty.Ltd.

April - 2005

July - 2005

September - 2005

Celebrating

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January - 2006

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY PARRAMATTA

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NORWEST

PLENTY OF REASONS TO BE HAPPY

April - 2006 GWP M a g a z i n e

Sep/Oct 2007

July - 2006 $4.95

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IT TAKES MORE THAN MONEY Recognising good people for great performance

PETER KOCH

How Plumber’s Son Created an Empire

September - 2007 GWP M a g a z i n e s

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MARK TAYLOR

Christmas Message from an Aussie Icon

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

CUSTOMER FOCUS Are Your Customers Shopping Around?

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Risks that could impact your business

LANIER AUSTRALIA Document management solutions

A New Exciting Marketing Venture for the Booming North-West Businesses

November - 2006 GWP M a g a z i n e

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IS YOUR DATA WORTH A LIFETIME SUPPLY OF FREE BEER?

THE IMPACT OF UNDERINSURANCE

November - 2007 GWP M a g a z i n e s

7-step data security checklist

DAVID MILNE Mr. Business Expo in Sydney and Beyond

January - 2008 GWP M a g a z i n e s

CHEAPEST PRICE OR VALUE FOR MONEY? Comparing apples to oranges

MANDY MINA A Story to Inspire Every Woman

March - 2008 $4.95

Business Resource&Lifestyle

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Business Resource&Lifestyle

Andrew FrAnk Understanding the Law as a Servant of Good Business Practice Business Lessons from Past recessions Staff Management in a down economy

January - 2009

Freddy and Sahar Mikhael JC Travel Professionals Takes the Travel industry by Storm

doing Business in Tough Times a Federal Government and Bank led recession?

JIM TAGGART

Always be There for Others Publisher’s Guest: alex hawke Federal Member for Mitchell

Publisher’s Guest: Ray Williams Member for Hawkesbury

In Tough Times, the Tough Get Going Search Engine Optimisation Strategies

March - 2009

Congratulations on reaching the 5th Anniversary. Your determination, innovation, creativity and continuous improvement ethics has helped you reach this milestone.

We congratulate you in striving to improve your image and market reach and in particular your “out of the box” thinking! We look forward to continuing our mutual relationship.

Victor Prasad Clark Rubber – Blacktown

8

$4.95

Legal advice to assist your business

Hot topics for women’s discussions

Suzy Balogh, AOM Olympic and Commonwealth Gold Medallist

Nov/Dec 2007

Resource&Lifestyle

DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE

WHAT WOMEN WANT

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Dmitry, Svetlana and everyone at GWP Media. Well done on 5 years of the Business Resource & Lifestyle Magazine. Anniversaries are always good times to celebrate but particularly when you know that for 5 years you have been producing a magazine which does deliver in what it sets out to achieve - being a very useful business resource and also something that helps shape lifestyles.

I am proud to be involved as the Ambassador for an effective magazine and with GWP Media with its camaraderie.

GWP M a g a z i n e

September - 2006

BUSINESS

The City Celebrates its 218th Foundation Day

NET TV

The Hills Shire is an Ocean of Opportunities...

Anniversary

$ 3 . 9 5 (GST inc.)

Nov/Dec, 2006

BUSINESS

May - 2009

SONy DADC Peter Colby, MD Reforms and Success

Shock-and-Awe of Massive Ordnance of ALP Debt Blast Ten Reasons Why Most Marketing Fails

Publisher’s Guest: Barry O’Farrell, NSW Opposition Leader

July - 2009

Dmitry, I would like to personally congratulate you and all at GWP on the 5th Anniversary of your magazine. I wish you every success in the future.

John Scilly Business Development Manager Industry & Investment NSW

Congratulations on reaching your 5th Anniversary. It has been wonderful to see the publications grow to become one of Sydney’s leading Business & Lifestyle magazines. Not only are the articles informative and well written, but we know that our advertising is reaching thousands of other people and businesses throughout Sydney.

I look forward to continuing our partnership with GWP Magazines for the next five years.

Russell Chegwyn Managing Director - Chegwyn Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd

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BUSINESS Resource&Lifestyle

We would like to congratulate GWP Media for the successful magazine and wish its team all the best in their future endeavours.

CONGRATULATIONS on your 5th Anniversary.

Your passion and drive in consistently publishing such a WORLD CLASS magazine in Sydney and beyond is to be highly commended.

We at Loxley On Bellbird are very proud to be associated with a most professional Media Group.

Good luck and best wishes for the future.

Sydney Hills Business Chamber and Sydney Hills Business Chamber’s Executive Committee

Well done on working hard to deliver a quality publication to the business community for the past 5 years!

The valuable content that your magazine contains is always both informative and enjoyable. The results from advertising there have also been quiet astounding! I look forward to another 50 years of quality reading and results!

Bill Elmer Director, Sales Mechanix

Paul Maher Proprietor Loxley on Bellbird Hill

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May/Jun, 2007

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BUSINESS Resource&Lifestyle

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J u l / A u g , Jul/Aug 2 0 0 7 2007 $ 4 . 9 $4.95 5 (GST inc.)

BUSINESS Resource&Lifestyle

PROPERTY FOCUS

HOW TO KEEP GREAT EMPLOYEES

The Commercial Sector has Continued to Forge Ahead

The Keys to Employee Retention

A BEACON OF STYLE Business Fashion

EXPORT FUNDING How Can Government Funding Help Your Export Marketing?

IS CASH FLOW HOLDING YOU BACK? Cash Flow Lending Solutions

STEPHANIE DALE “I Don’t Regret a Day of the Last 50 Years; ekend They Made Me What I am.” ury We n Trivett

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PEGASUS PRINT GROUP “Printing is one of the toughest games out there.”

GM Wayne Finkelde

RISK MANAGEMENT

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CASH FLOW WOES

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ROB WADDELL Who is Behind the Inflatable Men?

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Resource&Lifestyle

It is with great pleasure that the Telstra Business Centre is associated with a current, proactive publication such as GWP magazine. We look forward to many more years of continued support. Congratulations from the Telstra Business team.

Cumberland Industries: a heart Moving Success Story

Luba and SaScha chaRLTOn

the right Person at the right time

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May - 2008 GWP M a g a z i n e s

The art of Italian cuisine

new Section business Events

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Charlie lynn

Publisher’s Guest the hon alan Cadman

Enterprise Connect Pathway to Success

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Publisher’s guest: The Hon Philip Ruddock MP

Pendragon and Celebrities WorldWide

Six Characteristics of Successful People

Dream Festival in Melbourne Sydney’s Inflatable event Company plays a Major role

ChIpS plumbing a Business that just won’t slow down

November - 2008 GWP M a g a z i n e s

y grrson AnAnde

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Publisher’s Guest: Lord Mayor Paul Garrard

Scarred for Life

January - 2010

Steve Sebbes Director, Telstra Business Centre Hills/Northern District

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Is Small Business Small Minded?

September - 2009

how to Make a Business out of Community Service

Mayor Peter Dimbrowsky

the Hon David Clarke MlC

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September - 2008

Publisher’s Guest:

Publisher’s Guest:

From Apprentice to Owner: A Retail Jeweller’s Success Story

Publisher’s choice

Hon Philip Ruddock MP Federal Member for Berowra, Shadow Cabinet Secretary

Business

Stephen treloar

EarlE BEaumont

Whether personal or business, milestones are important markers by which we assess ourselves and progress made over time. “Business Resource & Lifestyle” in celebrating its fifth year of publication has certainly reached a milestone event warranting congratulations.

May I offer Editor & Publisher, Dmitry Greku, together with his staff, my personal congratulations on having achieved this significant milestone in a very competitive industry.

Your magazine seeks to be informative, interesting and contemporary and I wish you continuing success for the future.

March - 2010

On behalf of the Commonwealth Bank I would like to congratulate you on the 5th Anniversary of the GWP publication.

Over these last few years we have seen the quality and momentum of the publication grow and look forward to your future plans. Dmitry, your commitment and focus has been and remains the catalyst for GWP’s success Well done.

Rob Darroch Executive Manager – CBA Corporate Finance Norwest

Congratulations on the 5th Anniversary of your Business Resource and Lifestyle magazine. I have had wonderful feedback from all your Kokoda article – from all over Sydney.

It is indeed a quality magazine and a great asset to the business community in Sydney.

Congratulations to everyone at Business Resource & Lifestyle Magazine on your 5th Anniversary.

This excellent publication supports the booming business sector of the Sydney Hills, providing a highquality specialist resource to assist local businesses grow and move forward. With an ever-increasing number of local business success stories and more world-class companies locating to our Shire, I’m certain the next five years will be as inspiring as the last.

On behalf of Parramatta City Council I am delighted to congratulate Dmitry Greku and his team from GWP Media on the 5th Anniversary of the Business Resource and Lifestyle Magazine.

Council recognises the value of high quality, locally focussed business publications to our thriving business community, employment and economic growth in our fast growing and dynamic region.

I wish Dmitry and the GWP Media team the very best for the future.

Charlie Lynn MLC

Peter Dimbrowsky Mayor - The Hills Shire Council

Councillor Paul Garrard Lord Mayor - Parramatta

Congratulations!!! to Dmitry and all there at GWP,..your magazine “Rocks”..had a great time doing the interveiw,..may your success continue,..passion, hardwork and commitment will always pay off and you are living proof of this,..your friend,... Angry Anderson, AM

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

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Publisher’s GUEST

Publisher’s Guest

Marise Payne Liberal Senator for NSW with Dmitry Greku, Publisher/Editor, GWP Magazines.

Senator Marise Payne is the Federal Shadow Minister for Coalition of Australian Governments (COAG) and Modernising the Federation.

Based in Parramatta, she has an intimate knowledge of Western Sydney and has been a strong advocate for the region for over 12 years.

DG: Could you tell us about your role as a Shadow Minister and your responsibilities in Western Sydney.

MP: The most important aspect is the work of the Council of Australian Governments.

We’re very concerned to hold the Prime Minister to account in his running of COAG between the Commonwealth and the States.

A lot of that agenda is running significantly behind and in fact in a recent report by the COAG Reform Council on the Seamless National Economy, they identified four key reform areas that are seriously lagging. That threatens productivity in Australia.

Things appear to be going into COAG but not emerging again; issues such as housing affordability, which obviously in Western Sydney have very significant impacts on the community. I spoke in the chamber this week about some of the growth in the northwest and south-west sectors where both the federal and state governments want to see cities of over 300,000 people.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it needs to be matched with the growth in infrastructure and the supporting resources from the same authorities, from the state and federal governments.

DG: How important, by your opinion, is small business in the Western Sydney region?

MP: The economic size of the region and the population size of the region mean that small business in Western Sydney

10 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

Publisher’s GUEST

plays a pivotal role in Australia as well as in New South Wales.

in terms of the burgeoning growth of these areas.

Recently I had Joe Hockey visit the Penrith Chamber of Commerce and the Penrith Business Alliance and one of the issues they raised with him was the access of small business to credit and the mess that the Commonwealth Government had made with their approach to the bank guarantee.

That’s a policy area we’ve been very concerned about and in fact there’s a Senate inquiry into the access of small business to finance occurring right now. I’ve made public statements encouraging businesses in these areas to make submissions to that inquiry, that’s the process by which the Senate hears more about what’s going on in the community so it’s important for people to have a say.

I’d finish on the question of health reform.

It seems the Prime Minister’s approach on the health reform package is to say ‘it’s my way or not at all’, basically. Now this is an extraordinarily significant proposition for change in health in Australia and to say that states with populations and economies the size of New South Wales and Victoria should deal with it in a month because he says ‘that’s what I want’, seems to be not a very good example of “co-operative federalism”, which is of course his popular phrase.

For us, small business is the engine room of the economy. We know that government doesn’t create jobs; business creates jobs and we’ve long held that as the Coalition and the Liberal Party’s view.

DG: What are the other major issues facing people living in Western Sydney?

MP: More broadly across Western Sydney, I would have to say that transport is one of the key issues for people and they deserve a better deal in this area.

So every time people in Western Sydney hear Mr Rudd talk about stimulus spending and they’re standing on a platform at Penrith or Emu Plains or Parramatta and they’re wondering what is happening to railway infrastructure in this part of the world, they can be “reassured” that not a cent of the stimulus package was spent on rail infrastructure in Western Sydney.

Every time they’re wondering what’s happening in relation to roads, where stimulus has been spent on roads in other parts of Australia, less than $1 million was spent on major highway and freeway projects in Western Sydney, where it was needed most.

Given how much money was distributed and the great claims that the Prime Minister makes about that money, you’d think we could have found a little more, particularly

The Prime Minister and the local members can’t even tell us how the health administration in this part of Sydney would work, what the size of the local health area network would be.

DG: Back to local transport infrastructure, I hear there will be $2.5 billion invested to improve rail travel times by two minutes.

Is this going ahead and is it 100 per cent state money?

MP: That remains to be seen. I think what we have now is another plan announced by the New South Wales Government, which comes hard on the heels of a series of other commitments. In fact at one stage there was one announcement made nine times by four different premiers. That’s a pretty good record of stunts.

I don’t think the people of New South Wales should have any faith in the capacity of this state government to deliver one single centimetre of infrastructure until they see a sod turned and construction actually begin and actually finish. You actually can’t believe it until you see it. That’s why there’s a lot of people still in a state of disbelief about commitments which have been made over the past 15 years because they’ve never seen them come to fruition.

issue, to the core of an issue and ask some very key questions of the Prime Minister and his ministers. We’re looking at the way the education revolution money is being spent, we’re looking at the difficulties that this government is having with border protection, we’re looking at the phenomenal maladministration of the installation of insulation in this country. That we came to a point where people lost their lives because of the administration of a program in this country speaks volumes about this government.

Tony Abbott has been saying and we have been saying that it is a very challenging task for us to win the next election. There’s only been one one-term federal government in the history of Australia’s Federation, so it would be a very significant undertaking to make this one a second. But we will leave no stone unturned to make sure that Australians know how inadequate this government is and that they are basically all talk and no action.

DG: On a personal note, what are some of your interests outside of politics? What do you like to do in your spare time?

MP: My partner and I particularly like the area that my family is from, which is the Southern Highlands. If you’re not going very far afield, then that’s a particularly beautiful place to go. We like to spend time there whenever we can. They’ve recently started hosting beautiful outdoor concerts in one of the local vineyards. We’ve been to two concerts there in the last couple of years and they were magnificent. We both love sport, the cinema and music, all great ways to relax.

I’m a huge football fan as you already know.

My team is the St George Illawarra Dragons.

I grew up with that passion from my father and all the rest of our family are St George fans, although I keep it to myself when I’m at Penrith and Parramatta games!

DG: How do you think your leader Tony Abbott is performing and can he make history and defeat Kevin Rudd at the federal election this year?

I think that Tony Abbott as the leader of the Coalition has an extremely valuable ability to cut through to the nub of an

Please read full version of this interview @ www.gwpmagazne.com.au

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

11

Feature

Rob Darroch, Executive Manager, Norwest, for the Commonwealth Bank’s Corporate Financial Services Division

Finger on the Pulse: The Commonwealth Bank’s Economic Update An increasing number of positive signs are emerging, the Australian economy has moved back into positive territory and the financial crisis is now in the past.

But as the economy returns to more normal conditions, economic levers like interest rates will also change. Here, we look at where the Australian economy is at and what this means for Australian businesses and families.

figures remain low, the RBA comfortable lifting interest rates.

feels

believes the outlook for aggregate hours remains positive.

Of course, employment, not just unemployment, is a critical factor in the RBA’s thinking about interest rates.

Figures show employment grew by 19,600 jobs in March, and full-time employment has risen 1.8 percent in seven months.

Although these figures are strong, full-time employment figures are yet to reach the

Aside from employment figures, another key factor the RBA takes into consideration when setting interest rates is credit growth. After reasonably poor credit conditions during the financial crisis there are signs credit conditions are returning to more normal levels, with lenders indicating they are now more willing to lend to the business sector.

highs experienced before the financial crisis – although they are not too far off. Around 25,000 new jobs need to be created each month for the unemployment rate to remain at current levels.

This dynamic should help support the economic recovery, as the private sector relies on credit to fund expansion, which in turn drives employment demand.

“It goes without saying the big economic news is interest rates,” says Rob Darroch, executive manager of the Commonwealth Bank’s Norwest business centre.

At the start of April 2010 the Reserve Bank of Australia raised the official cash rate to 4.25 percent, the fifth interest rate rise since October 2009, after interest rates had been at the emergency rate of 3.00 percent since April 2009. Positive economic signs are behind the RBA’s successive interest rate rises, with the RBA now indicating Australia’s gross domestic product is expected to be close to trend for 2010.

A key factor that has led to the rise in interest rates is improving terms of trade figures. Australia’s terms of trade have improved significantly, thanks to strong coal and iron ore prices, some of our biggest exports, as well as strong new housing construction figures.

“One of the most important considerations for the RBA in lifting interest rates is conditions in the labour market, especially unemployment figures,” says Rob. Data shows the unemployment rate, which remained stable in March, is sitting at 5.3 percent. As long as unemployment

12 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

Although there are positive signs from the labour market, the number of hours worked has yet to fully recover, with aggregate hours sitting 1.5 percent below peak levels. But with the recent increase in full-time hires the Commonwealth Bank

But it’s not just business credit that is on the up. Housing credit is also growing, despite the end of a number of incentives to attract first homebuyers into the market. One of the reasons housing credit is improving is property Continued on page 14

There’s no substitute for local knowledge. And we’re as local as it gets.

Your Commonwealth Bank team has the local expertise and knowledge to help your business succeed and meet your personal banking requirements. To put us to work for you, give us a call today.

Business banking:

Personal banking:

Norwest

Rob Darroch Anupa Kontham

Parramatta

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Mardie Constantino Norwest Branch Manager 02 9849 6200

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GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

13

Feature values, which have continued to increase this year. But interest rate rises could start to slow growth in the property market, although house prices are expected to keep rising until mortgage rates hit eight percent. After having dropped to 40-year lows of around 5.75 percent during the financial crisis, mortgage rates are currently sitting at around seven percent, which is still below their 20-year average of 7.9 percent.

Another important economic indicator is the Australian dollar. Australia was one of the first of the major economies to lift interest rates following the end of the financial crisis. Major economies such as the UK and US have maintained interest rates at emergency levels to help stimulate growth in their sluggish economies. Our relatively higher interest rate

has made the Australian dollar attractive, which has led to it reaching near-record highs against the US dollar in recent months.

Our currency is also performing well against the Euro and the British pound.

up 3.4 percent compared to last year.

There are a number of reasons why retail sales were down in February. One of the key reasons is that the economy is no longer being supported by the fiscal stimulus packages that were in place throughout 2008 and 2009. Another reason for the drop in retail sales figures is rising interest rates. As interest rates rise, consumers need to spend more on interest payments and subsequently have less money to spend in the shops.

But looking ahead, the relatively strong job market and low unemployment levels should help support retail sales for the remainder of this year and into 2011.

Although the Australian economy is performing well, it’s worth noting the same

Although this is good news for importers, as the Australian dollar buys more when it is high, it puts pressure on exporters, whose goods are more expensive compared to goods from nations with weakened currencies.

can’t be said for a number of economies overseas, especially in parts of Europe, where conditions remain challenging. There are particular concerns over the stability of the Greek economy, although the RBA has downplayed any potential problem Greece has in meeting its debt obligations.

It suggests the strength of Asian economies, which include some of Australia’s major trading partners, should offset any economic weakness in Europe.

As might be expected after a period of economic turbulence, there are still pockets of the economy showing signs of weakness.

Retail sales have slowed, with data from February indicating retail trade dropped by 1.4 percent, after a 1.1 percent surge in January. Despite this short-term hiccup, annual retail sales are still in positive territory,

Closer, to home, business conditions in Hills District are positive. The Hills Shire Council recently released data compiled by Compelling Economics to show total sales by local companies in the Sydney Hills area has grown from 9.8 billion to 17.1 billion in three years. The number of jobs in the area has also increased from 44,000 in 2007 to 51,000 jobs

14 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

in January 2010, which is great news for the local economy. Pleasingly, the value of wages earned in the area has also increased from $2.4 billion to $4 billion.

Mayor of the Hills Shire, Counselor Peter Dimbrowsky said in a statement that: “our region’s contribution to the state economy has almost doubled in just three short years.” He says: “this is a great indicator of the strength of our future economy.”

“The big question, of course,” says Rob Darroch, “is where interest rates are headed.”

Taking into consideration existing economic data, the Commonwealth Bank expects the cash rate will be at five percent by the end of 2010, and expects rates to reach 5.5 percent after mid 2011.

“Rising interest rates can be a concern to Australian businesses. Call me directly if you would like a better understanding of the effect of interest rate rises on the financial position of your business, as well as how we can help you manage the impact of interest rate increases” says Rob. G

CBA - Norwest Level 5, 12 Century Circuit Norwest Business Park Area Manager - Robert Darroch p | 0434 221 624 e | rob.darroch@cba.com.au

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GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

15

business ADVICE

Jonathan Reynolds, Wealth Adviser - Skeggs Goldstien Associates

Are You Accountable to Your Business?

Business Life Planning (BLP) provides a solid platform from which you can develop your business and establish important lifestyle and business goals.

In last month’s issue we explained the benefits of having a BLP and why it was crucial for the ongoing success of every business. A copy of last month’s article is available on our website: www.sgapl.com.au.

Failure to plan for the many rapidly changing circumstances that can affect every business can most certainly ensure planning to fail. We would therefore now like to focus our attention on the ongoing process that our clients undertake as part of their commitment to their BLP. It is important that our clients understand that the report that is generated as part of the BLP is not the overall value or final outcome of the process. It is merely a document which outlines both their and other stakeholders ongoing commitment to goals and future actions required.

The BLP process helps identify the challenges faced by businesses and also provides action plans and resources to help overcome them. One of the most common outcomes for businesses is the establishment of an advisory board.

We know from our own experience that most business owners are good at what they do (e.g. a plumber or hair dresser) and therefore spend most of their time on these tasks rather than working on growing the business. An advisory board consists of the business owner(s) plus an objective and experienced business person or people who are not family and/or managers of the

16 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

business. Of course the size and input of the advisory board greatly varies depending upon the business size and requirements.

• Objective assessment of actual performance of family members and key non-family personnel.

The primary role of the advisory board is to drive the strategic decision making of the business and ensure all actions identified during the BLP are allocated to a person within the business or an external professional for implementation.

There are of course many considerations when establishing an advisory board for your business. You will need to ensure that your business has the infrastructure to support an ongoing advice board and will need to make decisions on the following:

It is also the board’s responsibility to prepare growth strategies and plans for the business, discuss future succession, risk

• Board Member Duties • Leadership and Authority of members • Size of board

The BLP process helps identify the challenges faced by businesses and also provides action plans and resources to help overcome them. mitigation for the business and overall measurement of the business success on an ongoing basis.

The major benefits of establishing an advisory board include but are not limited to: • Acquisition of high powered talent and expertise not otherwise available • Fresh, reality-based, objective evaluation of needs, talents and opportunities • Major assistance in the tough decisions about business and family that need to be made • Significant strengthening of the business planning process • Enhanced objective problem solving • Mature, knowledgeable guidance for better development of a coherent, innovative strategy • Accountability of all key stakeholders to the actions required to meet objectives

• Relationship with employees and access to day-to-day business • Meetings – frequency and formality • Compensation of board members G Our expert team can help you navigate through the BLP process and also assist you with the establishment of an appropriate advisory board for your business. For more information or to discuss your individual business planning requirements, please contact Skeggs Goldstien.

Skeggs Goldstien Associates p | 1300 753 447 e | admin@sgapl.com.au w | www.sgapl.com.au

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GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

17

business advice

John Glover, Director - Pendragon

Do You Care for Your Customer?

Lets get straight to the point, customer care is the foundation for any successful business - no matter the industry, size of business or skill set of the employees.

If customers are your business, then providing the best possible service to keep them coming back is a priority. In general, if we can retain 5 percent more of our customers, we could potentially increase profit by 100%. Great customer service is more than just the things you say and do for them; it is also about finding out what your customers really want and giving it to them.

Here are Pendragon’s top eight customer care tips to help your business excel: • Address Customers by Their Name Although this may seem obvious, you would be surprised by the number of times a business deals with a customer without ever addressing them by their name.

Psychologists have found that names have a profound impact in any social setting as people simply love having their name called out.

•L et Your Customers Know That You Are Only Human As humans we are prone to human error and this is fine as long as the management of the error is handled with tact and diplomacy. To rectify an issue is as simple as admitting fault, admitting that you are sorry for the inconvenience and that you

18 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

are taking responsibility to resolve the problem.

• Ditch The Sales Pitch Nothing angers a customer more than calling a customer care team for support to be thrown a sales line and asked if they require ‘add on’ products. Any upgrades or special offers should be offered during the sales process and not in your technical support voicemail.

• Be As Visible As Possible The hardest things for a customer when looking for customer service support is finding out how and who to get help from, especially when a business contact information is not made visible enough. It is a good idea to train customers to recognise you and know you by name, so they will know who is in charge.

When they need that service they’re looking for, they immediately know who to reach and how to reach them.

• Seek Feedback From Your Customers Your customers could be one of your better market research tools, so ask them questions that will lead you to new ways of improving your business and servicing your customers better. Remember, customers like to be appreciated, to be felt like VIPs and seeking their opinion is one of the simplest ways of making them feel important.

• Keep Your Customers In The Loop Besides updating your customers about new products or services you’re offering, inform them about any changes you have implemented based on previous feedback you had received from them and/or other customers. Give recognition to customers who have helped you improve certain aspects of your business.

• Make Great Customer Service Your Company’s Culture Customer service is highlighted in almost

all company policies, but really it should be made part of every company’s culture.

If you have employees, they should be entrusted with more decision-making capabilities to serve your customers in the best possible manner.

• Thank Your Customer When was the last time you mailed a thankyou note, letter of appreciation, or just made a call to thank a customer? A simple gesture it is, but one that can mean the difference between customers lost and a customers gained.

Business analysts believe that there is money to be made in retaining your present customers and not winning over new ones, so hopefully these top eight customer service tips will help you add to your bottom line. G Because we all understand how important customer care is to the continued support and well being of your organisation, we have put together a very simple training module to help any business train themselves and their staff in this most important area. To receive your free copy of the module, please do not hesitate to contact my office today.

Talk to us...

Pendragon p | 02 9407 8700 f | 02 9407 8701 e | info@pendragon.net.au w | www.pendragon.net.au MARN 0105060

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

19

business ADVICE

Scott Tyler, Managing Director - Brightblue Marketing

10 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Website Websites are typically the cornerstone of most business marketing plans. Your website should be either generating enquiries or facilitating a sales transaction.

It makes sense then to drive as much traffic as possible to your website. In this article I have listed ten ways to help you drive traffic to your website.

1. Enriching Your Website with Keywords Enriching your website with the common words and phrases people use to search for your products and services is a great way to increase your search engine ranking.

This will help people find your website when they’re searching the Web. Make sure the keywords and phrases flow naturally with the copy on your website.

you more website traffic. Ensure that you do not link to low-quality websites as doing so can threaten your credibility. Instead of trading links, you could also trade banner ads, half page ads, etc.

to drive traffic to your website. It is typically viral in nature. A lot of interest can be generated very quickly. A recent promotional video we posted on You Tube received over 700 views within a four week period!

6. Start tweeting There is a lot of hype around Twitter at the moment. The correct way to use Twitter is to tweet topics of value and interest to your followers. This includes referring to a great new article that you have recently posted on your website. You are able to include the URL link to your website within your tweet making it easy for a follower to click through to your site.

If you have taken the time to invest in a website then I encourage you to maximise your return by adopting some of the ten strategies in this article. At the end of the day if you offer free, original, and quality content on your website, visitors will keep coming back. G

2. E-mails Regular email marketing is a great way to drive traffic to your website. By way of email marketing, you can keep your contact list informed of new and relevant content on your website. Embed links to your website within your email newsletter to make it easy for people to access your site.

7. Affiliate programs An affiliate or associate programs pays a part of their sale proceeds to sites whose links have helped the retailer in generating actual sales. You should focus on building a network of affiliate program whose products and subscribers can help you in getting business. Decide on the percentage of commission that you will pay to them and always focus on getting the right kind of group.

3. Article writing A great way to drive traffic to your website is to self publish articles on your website and then refer to them in your email marketing communications and blog posts. You can also submit them to article directories in order to create inbound links to your site.

8. Free advertising sites There are many online directories that will allow free advertising of your website. By creating an advertisement on these online directories you create an inbound link to your website that not only drives traffic but also increases your search engine ranking.

4. Advertise your presence Pay per click advertising is a popular method for driving traffic to a website. However this style of advertising does not suit all business types. You should also refer to your website in print media including advertisements, brochures and direct mail pieces.

9. Write For Others Writing for other websites is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your expertise and spread your message to a larger audience. Look for other editorial websites and blogs that speak to a similar target market and offer to write for them. Obviously include a link to your website.

5. Create links Trading links with other websites that are closely related to your business can bring

20 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

10. Use Multimedia Engaging good media content is a great way

Is your website working for your business?

Are you losing out on business because your website is out dated or sub-standard? If you would like a FREE website assessment, please contact Brightblue Marketing on 9762 1255 or email info@iibe.com.au.

At Brightblue we’re reshaping business.

Brightblue Marketing Suite 609, 12 Norwest Central Century Circuit Norwest Business Park NSW 2153 p | +61 2 9762 1255 e | info@iibe.com.au http://www.linkedin.com/in/scotttyler w | www.brightbluemarketing.com.au

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Ph: 9680 9823 www.stilz.com.au GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

21

Feature

Toshiba Managed Print Services Understanding that One Size doesn’t Always Fit All At a time when more and more companies are looking for ways to reduce costs and increase efficiency, Toshiba offers a fresh approach to a proven solution that’s been helping companies for years. By optimising your printer fleet and managing your print environment, Toshiba’s expertise and innovative technology will help you reach your financial goals. Ultimately, this will also free you and your staff to work more on your business rather than in it.

Toshiba’s Managed Print Services (MPS) follow a simple yet comprehensive five step process to define, measure, analyse, improve and control your print fleet.

Naturally, we recognise that this is not a one size fits all program. In fact, our MPS program is carefully tailored to specifically meet your organisations individual needs.

The result; a medley of individual programs, services, technologies and infrastructure designed to precisely manage Document Workflow and Production Output.

Typically, the ‘MPS Model’ addresses the following key areas in a phase by phase approach.

These include Analysis and Consulting, Management Solution, Toner and Supplies Management, National Service Management, Eco Innovation Programs, then End of Life and Data Security.

migration and charge tracking. Then, using our suite of workflow solutions we also look to address device and driver management.

Toner and Supplies Management This is where we are able to put our true Managed Print Services program into action. Imagine having your toner and supply levels monitored and managed from a central location complete with a predictive dispatch component. Our strengths in this key area are of some significance.

National Service Management Our vast experience leads us to thoroughly understand your need for a fully responsive and logical approach to service provision.

Having a local call centre with trained 1st level support staff is a simple yet highly effective way of cutting down technician

Toshiba can also analyse and measure your current eco footprint discovering quantifiable means to improve it in the future.

This includes real-time usage reporting of water, paper, electricity and carbon credits.

These all combine to enhance and continue your own Eco-Innovation programs.

Typically the pricing of such service is very difficult to express as a set amount per se, as it is totally dependent on the software, product and services chosen for your MPS

Total print fleet management made easy time to attend at site. Or if a part fails we employ rigorous diagnostics ensuring our engineers have the correct part when they arrive at site, therefore maximising uptime and productivity. Using local people with local knowledge we have all areas covered, literally.

Analysis and Consulting Combining on the ground inspection either via USB or web-link network data collection, we pinpoint output for assessment. During this stage we clarify usage patterns to reduce your overall TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) highlighting significant cost savings.

End of Life and Data Security In this climate, we need to address the full lifecycle of our products. In doing so, we have taken major steps towards the recycling of all product components.

Toshiba partners with organisations such as SIMS Recycling and invests in a raft of data security features so the added benefits can be passed on to you.

Management Solution Phase Throughout this phase we seek to free up your IT resources utilising technologies such as rules-based printing, volume

Eco Innovations and Programs Two of the most common concerns of today’s businesses include preserving the environment and securing valuable data.

22 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

At Toshiba, they’ve long been a priority, hence our drive towards providing clear and valuable ways of analysing your eco footprint. Our technologies incorporate energy savings features that include Super Sleep Mode, Default Duplex Printing, Toner Save Mode and Blank Page elimination.

Solution. That said, the primary aim of MPS is to discover what and where your “pain points” are. For this we use Toshiba’s renowned audit process to identify productivity improvements and establish cost efficiencies. G

If you would like to know more about Toshiba’s MPS program and how to address one of the most important activities within your office, please call Garry Pendleton or Angela Wheeler: p | 1300 794 202 w | www.eid.toshiba.com.au

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GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

23

business ADVICE

John Hagerty, Director and Coach - Be Business

9 Entrepreneurial Attributes George W. Bush once famously said that the French don’t have a word for entrepreneur (no kidding, he really did say it). Contemplating this bizarre statement I realised that what we lack is a word for non-entrepreneurial business owners.

In this article I’ll refer to them as NEBO’s for short and describe the key differences between the two.

1. Motivation Most people start a business to replace a job income, take control of when and how long they work, or to work from home. Many just don’t want to have a boss any more.

An entrepreneur starts a business to create wealth and make a big difference in some way. For both then, running a business is just a means to an end but the ends they seek are worlds apart.

2. Clarification A clear purpose and vision is a hallmark of a successful entrepreneur. It gives direction to every aspect and every stakeholder of the business. Many business owners are so focused on reacting to today’s problems that they lose sight of the big picture and miss potential opportunities.

3. Inspiration An entrepreneur is inspiring to others. They inspire their teams to take focused action and budding entrepreneurs to follow in their footsteps. Equally they seek inspiration to propel themselves to take the big risks that big rewards demand.

4. Preparation Many NEBOs run their businesses in a perpetual state of crisis management.

An entrepreneur on the other hand will save the adrenalin until it is really needed.

24 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

They practice the 6 P’s of success (prior planning and preparation prevents poor performance). Amazingly, many people will spend hours planning an annual holiday and even consult a travel professional, but when it comes to planning their business (or even their life), they won’t even set pen to paper, let alone sit down to discuss it with a professional.

5. Instigation Once the decisions are all made and the plan is done it’s time to get started.

An entrepreneur knows that there is no room for second guesses once the ball is rolling. Entrepreneurs set a challenging but achievable pace and lead by example as anything less leads to stagnation.

6. Perspiration Entrepreneurs go the extra mile, they can see the difference it will make down the track and the reward that the extra effort will buy. Without this foresight it’s very difficult to do more than solve the immediate problems of today.

7. Delegation Any NEBO with staff quickly becomes good at delegating tasks. After all, how hard is it to tell someone else what to do? An entrepreneur masters the art of delegating authority. They determine what results will be achieved, then empower and guide others to determine for themselves the best way to proceed while supporting and never undermining their chosen path.

8. Separation NEBOs struggle to separate themselves from their business. All the hours and dollars put in creates a false sense of the business being an extension of their own personality. To an entrepreneur it’s just a

business, not a baby. It’s an effective tool for achieving their goals, not a physical part of themselves.

9. Gratification Entrepreneurs practice delayed gratification.

They understand it’s better to get $100 tomorrow than $20 today. It’s human nature to focus on what we can get right now but entrepreneurs are prepared to make shortterm sacrifices to achieve long-term gains.

They typically receive more rewards because they know what they want, what it will take and when and how they will get it. And then they set off relentlessly to pursue it.

Establishing a distinction between NEBOs and entrepreneurs is important.

Without it we risk giving NEBOs the title, responsibilities and risks of an entrepreneur with none of the rewards.

The good news is that it’s never too early or too late to take a more entrepreneurial approach to your business. G

For more information on making the transition from NEBO to entrepreneur give us a call or check us out online.

Be Business p | 1300 987 567 e | info@BeBusiness.com.au w | www.BeBusiness.com.au

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

25

business advice

John Watters, Executive Officer - Parramatta Schools Industry Partnership Inc

Partnerships It sometimes fascinates me how buzz words become part of everyday vernacular. In the past twelve months the concept of partnerships has been interwoven into so many conversations, that one cannot simply walk down the street without entering into three or four partnerships. Searching for ‘partnerships’ online doesn’t clarify the issue much further with more than fifty two million entries through Google and in excess of two thousand jobs advertised on Seek. Sarcasm aside, for the most part the expression refers to a relationship between parties. However, a true partnership is far more extensive and powerful upon further inspection.

Partnerships by their very definition imply that there are rights and responsibilities for all parties involved. However, unlike strict legal contracts whereby a breach of a clause can result in long-winded legal battles and almost all parties tire through attrition, partnerships are more conducive to mutually beneficial working outcomes.

For many of the world’s largest and most successful businesses, this is not a new concept. For many years businesses, particularly in manufacturing, have worked with vertically integrated suppliers to improve lead times, reduce waste and improve the quality management process.

This has been further supported through integrated inventory and work-flow computerised systems.

But why has a new era of transparency arisen amongst many stakeholders?

Are competitive advantages lost? The fact remains that business, in fact every aspect of society, is interdependent. The weakest link has the potential to unravel agreements. The automotive industry has demonstrated this on numerous occasions

26 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

whereby a dispute or reduced production in one supplier can result in the cessation of operations for a plethora of businesses: locally, nationally and internationally. More specifically, when all parties perform effectively, the ensuing results add value for all - not just a few.

The very notion of partnering implies that there is some gain for all parties. There are vested interests and expectations that need to be acknowledged and managed upfront when partnering. Communication strategies need to be agreed upon.

Financial commitments should be clearly stipulated. Key Performance Milestones and grievance procedures should be addressed. Additionally, the need to document partnerships is imperative to ensure true commitment by all parties and most importantly succession planning.

Partnerships can give businesses strategic and competitive advantages.

In fact, the concept of partnerships or strategic partners has arisen in numerous contracts and marketing paraphernalia emphasising the interest by the community at large. Nonetheless, for many partnership consultants, managers or brokers, the process largely becomes an in internal role and thus bias in the whole process is

inevitable. External brokers can alleviate and mediate such situations with increased objectivity to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. G To inquire further about how an external partnership consultant or broker can assist you reach your business goals and improve your competitive advantage, please contact one of the following Partnership Brokers:

Parramatta info@parrasip.com.au p | 9633 7100

Blacktown admin@breedcp.com.au p | 9853 3247

Penrith info@schoolsindustry.com.au p | 4725 0310

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27

TELECOM

Which Solution is Right for Your Business?

Steve Sebbes, Director - Telstra Business Centre Hills/Northern District

The most common time to consider a new phone system is when an existing PABX system is reaching the end of its life or if the business is moving premises.

Without expert advice, though, choosing the best solution is not always straightforward.

As a basic rule, premise-based systems can scale right down to suit a business with one site and a handful of employees, while hosted solutions are better suited to large multi-site customers with a Wide Area Network (WAN) and the need to transfer data between sites.

On the other hand, both options are highly featured communications platforms. Their adaptable and customisable nature mean either can be tailored to admirably serve your needs.

Making the switch with Telstra Telstra supplies and supports Premise –

28 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

based and Hosted IP Telephony systems, as well as older PSTN and ISDN technologies. More importantly, we can provide the expertise and options you need to make the best decision now and for expected growth. Moving to premise-based IP telephony is usually simple – especially if you’re upgrading from a legacy premisebased system.

Migration to Telstra Hosted IPT can be controlled and managed easily, with sites being turned up to the new platform as soon as your networks are enabled. G

Telstra Business Systems offers: • a convenient one-stop solution with one point of accountability • supply, finance, and billing

installation,

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Telstra Business Centre Hills/Northern District operates Monday to Friday Norwest Business Park H137, Ground Floor, 24 Lexington Drive, Bella Vista NSW 2153 p | 1300 721 400

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

29

Government

The Year Ahead for the Sydney Hills The focus for 2010 for The Hills Shire Council is planning for growth, attracting investment in jobs, creating homes, and positioning the region as the Sydney Hills.

Projects Major infrastructure projects involve upgrading the Shire’s main town centres, including the modernisation of Baulkham Hills and Carlingford, and the beautification of the Castle Hill Main Street.

Work is about to commence on the Castle Hill Main Street Project. The completion of the final part of the Castle Hill Ring Road at the intersection of Terminus Street and Old Northern Road near Arthur Whitling Park will allow the 40,000 cars travelling down Old Northern Road each day to be diverted onto the Ring Road so beautification work can commence.

Upgraded paving, lighting, seating and a series of new community spaces will return the main street to the people and invigorate shopping, dining and community life in the town centre.

The Shire’s historic centres are also under the spotlight. Bella Vista Farm Park now has its grounds open to the public for picnic and heritage experiences. Historic Mungerie House at Rouse Hill has been fully restored and will open soon to the public as a visitor information and heritage centre. Balcombe Heights Estate has also been restored and this year hosted the Sydney Hills Australia Day celebrations.

Artist’s impression of the Castle Hill Main Street Project

Business Round Tables have been established to provide an active forum for discussion, and a direct way to connect with local businesses.

signature events are being developed that will attract people to the region and allow us to show off Sydney’s Garden Shire.

Planning for the Future Under the State Government’s North West Subregional Strategy, The Hills has a responsibility to support Sydney’s future and the Shire has a number of targets for population, jobs and housing growth.

Already there is enough land zoned for approximately 13,000 dwellings and work has already begun for new dwellings in the growth precinct of Box Hill.

The people of the Hills demonstrate great community pride and have a great interest in community festivals, and Council will be taking a fresh approach to these.

Business Business is booming in the Hills with the region contributing over $17 billion to Western Sydney’s Gross Regional Product in economic output, and Council has a full year of business visits and workshops planned to support local businesses.

Possibly the most important plan for the Shire to be released this year is the Local Environment Plan (LEP). Council has prepared a new LEP which has been sent to the NSW Department of Planning for review and is awaiting permission to release it for public comment. This plan will show the areas of the Shire where various types of development can occur and also those areas of environmental sensitivity that require protection.

This year, The Hills Shire Council is partnering with Industry and Investment NSW - along with business professionals and organisations - to deliver one of the biggest and most innovative range of business courses ever offered.

Events Another key direction for Council in 2010 is positioning the Sydney Hills as a destination as well as a place of choice to live and work - much like the Adelaide Hills is to Adelaide. New

30 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

Major Plans on Exhibition Throughout the year, many major plans will be exhibited. Did you know you can view and make comment on the Shire’s Major Plans on Exhibition on Council’s website?

Go to the ‘Quicklinks’ box on the home page and select ‘Major Plans on Exhibition’.

To view any of the plans in detail, you can also visit Council’s Customer Service Centre, corner Carrington and Showground Roads, Castle Hill, Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 4.30pm. G

p | 02 9843 0555 e | council@thehills.nsw.gov.au

Need Business Information? www.thehills.nsw.gov.au

Let us help you with research data at no cost.

Council can offer your company the following business information:  Local business statistics  Business demographic data  Marketing analysis and research

 Labour market costs  Population forecasts  Typical real estate costs

The hIlls shIre CouNCIl 129 Showground Road, Castle Hill NSW 2154 Phone 02 9843 0131

For a FRee confidential appointment contact Council’s economic Development Team GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

31

business CHAMBER

Chamber – Agent of Change

By Nicole Baines, Executive Committee Member for Sydney Hills Business Chamber

At a recent Leadership Development Day, Chamber President Tony Moran said “The Chamber is the greatest change merchant I’ve ever been involved with.”

As a member-based, business support agency, the Chamber takes the responsibility of serving its members very seriously, so as the needs of members change, the Chamber must also change in response. Any member-based organisation who doesn’t respond to their members’ changing needs, eventually becomes irrelevant and begins to experience increasing member churn.

How does this principle also apply to your business? How often do you check in to establish whether your business is still satisfying the needs and expectations of your clients? Perhaps it’s time to check how relevant you are to your clients by undertaking a change audit. And of course, as an agent of change itself, the Chamber can assist you with this.

Some of the changes being implemented

by Sydney Hills Business Chamber over recent and coming months involve new and exciting member networking events, new membership packages that offer more value and include online networking opportunities for members, changes to the team who take care of our members, possible new premises for the Chamber to provide new opportunities including the casual meeting room and short term

32 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

Sydney Hills Chamber President, Tony Moran shares his thoughts on leadership at a recent breakfast event. office hire and the imminent launch of a more interactive website and back office system. These changes will ensure the Chamber continues to remain relevant and increasingly valuable to members.

status of these 2 issues is reported on the latest news page of the Chamber website, but be assured, when members ask for change, the Chamber will always do its best to act as an agent for that change. G

Two public items of concern being championed by the Chamber on behalf of the Hills business community at present, are the excessive insurance taxes being paid by NSW residents and businesses in comparison to other states in Australia and the need to show support for the businesses who have been adversely impacted by the roadworks which took so long to complete in Terminus Street Castle Hill. The current

If you’d like to find out more about any of the changes mentioned above, please contact Executive Officer Robin Baird on 9659 3366 or visit the Chamber website.

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

33

Government

Parramatta 2010 ‘State of the City’ Address The Lord Mayor of Parramatta City Council, Cr Paul Garrard, recently delivered the 2010 ‘State of the City’ address. Presented in partnership with the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce, this is Parramatta’s premiere regional business event. This year saw the largest-ever audience of almost 300 attendees.

this to the current Metropolitan Transport Plan which is a hub and spoke model focussed on the media problem of overcrowding on major routes to Sydney.

Cr Garrard said that “the proposed rail Western Express will do little to improve public transport to Parramatta with journey time savings of about one minute from

hold the State Government to account in ensuring that Parramatta’s growth is supported as an employment destination. Cr Garrard committed to hosting a ‘Transport Forum’ in Parramatta to highlight the need for public transport improvements.

Blacktown, three minutes from Penrith and five minutes to Sydney.”

on his mission to strengthen the City’s economy and transform Parramatta’s neighbourhoods by providing wireless internet access throughout the City, calling it “a bold initiative that will provide a connected environment for business, job creation and information sharing.”

Cr Garrard also updated the audience

Serving his fifth Term as Lord Mayor, Cr Garrard analysed Parramatta’s performance, challenges and achievements.

Parramatta was showcased as being the heart of the New South Wales metropolis and a gateway to nearly two million people in New South Wales’ fastest growing region.

Parramatta was the largest regional economy with a Gross Regional product in 2007-2008 of $12.2 billion. Today, that figure is up nearly 9% to $14.2 billion which is 6% of the Sydney economy.

Cr Garrard told the audience that with 500,000 more residents and 34% more office workers living in Local Government Areas within a 15km radius of Parramatta’s CBD than Sydney’s CBD, Parramatta needed to be at the top page of the Government’s agenda. However, Cr Garrard warned that the State Government appears to have abandoned its vision of Sydney being a ‘City of Cities’ and building Parramatta as the second CBD. Cr Garrard said that there was an underprovision of the transport infrastructure required to provide access for Parramatta’s workers, residents and visitors. Already there are 5.8 million car trips being made into Parramatta each year, twice as many trips as trains and buses combined.

As Parramatta grows, public transport must play a greater role in combating commuter traffic congestion, reducing demand on parking infrastructure, and accommodating peak and off-peak retail and recreation visitation.

Cr Garrard called for a network of frequent routes that make use of Parramatta’s existing interchange facilities, contrasting

34 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

Highlighting Parramatta City Council’s ‘Destination Parramatta’ campaign, Cr Garrard said that Parramatta needed targeted lobbying - with business – to

Government Already four of Parramatta’s libraries have been transformed into wireless hubs.

Cr Garrard said his ‘eParra’ initiative was part of the need to set new standards for Parramatta: “In taking Parramatta down this path of being a ‘Smart City’ I’m seeking to have us partner with the Federal Government in its $43 billion national broadband network roll out.”

and completion in 2013.

On an equally important front, Parramatta City Council has worked hard to present well to its visitors. “We have introduced a

to a city. They also attract media attention and reinforce positive messages.

In early 2010, Parramatta saw the superstar AR Rahman attract 50,000 people to

With Parramatta’s ‘Smart City’ approach, Cr Garrard assured the audience that Parramatta can ‘outdo’ its competition in attracting business and investment.

Parramatta Council is absolutely resolute

Cr Paul Garrard, Lord Mayor, Parramatta City Council (L) and Trevor Oldfield, President, Parramatta Chamber of Commerce (R)

Parramatta Park, who danced the night away as Parramatta came of age as an event lead city. Cr Garrard announced that Parramatta will continue to strengthen its partnership with Events NSW after attracting a new five-day festival called ‘Parramasala’ - a new national festival of South Asian Arts, including sports and business activities, in Parramatta.

An artists impression of Church Street, Parramatta dressed for the upcoming five-day Parramasala Festiva

that its $1.6 billion Civic Place project will go ahead. Now that the hurdles of a High Court action and the Global Financial Crisis have been cleared, Cr Garrard announced that the Planning Approvals for stage one are set to be processed in 2010, with construction to start in 2011

Addressing the attendees as key members of ‘Team Parramatta’, Cr Garrard concluded that his Council - in partnership with ‘Team Parramatta’ - has demonstrated its creativity, its innovative approach, that it thinks fast and, more importantly, acts quickly. “Its readiness for business, its ability to take up the challenge, and its credentials to lead make Parramatta the best place to live, work, visit and invest.” G

world class system titled ‘Walk Parramatta’ which consists of maps and signs to help people navigate the City and better discover our attractions and services,” Cr Garrard told the audience.

Major events are a key part of bringing life

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

35

Political Agenda

Igor Palmer, Political Commentator - CEO TNC4L

Think 1st: Beware of Clowns - Part 2 It is rather perplexing to observe the behaviour of the competing political parties. The ALP, after inheriting an economy envied by the world, has turned Australia, again, into an economy burdened with massive debt, growing unemployment, unstable industrial relations, costly and ineffective border security and plagued with socio-economic challenges to which it has no answer. The left’s insatiable appetite for centralisation of power and extravagant spending of tax payers’ money, is an unmistakable sign of ALP’s collectivist mentality.

ALP’s grandiose claims for rescuing the Australian economy from collapse is a classic anti-capitalist jingoism, devised to instil fear of capitalism and to instil a collectivist, nanny state mentality into people’s minds. The left is not interested in a sustainable and independent economic prosperity, social harmony and unfettered entrepreneurship, for such individual freedoms are not agreeable with the ALP’s ultimate goal: centralisation of power.

on both sides of your brain and left nothing in the middle.” (Shakespeare: King Lear.)

The electorate now offered unimaginable handouts and many are trading their liberties for such handouts. So who’s in charge of the country’s political and economic affairs? A strong arm emperor, a court jester or a weak and foolish emperor?

Whilst the question is simple, the answer is complex - all of the above! To complicate the matter, fools are often brighter than the emperors, as we learn from Shakespeare’s King Lear.

the most foolish decisions, which defy even the basic common sense, and have cost Australians hundreds of billions of dollars directly, and in the long term will cost more than a trillion. I am persuaded that it is a trivial pursuit to keep charging ALP with economic incompetence. The answer lies in that ALP is prepared to pay any price to turn Australia into a society, dependent upon the benevolence of the state, where individualism is considered undesirable.

These are the basic tenets of socialism.

Fool to King Lear: “I’d rather be anything besides a fool. And yet I wouldn’t want to be you, uncle. When you gave away pieces of your kingdom, it’s as if you cut off pieces

36 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

Fools of the medieval era were licensed jesters, employed not only to amuse their masters, but also to provided wise counsel and even criticised their masters.

Professional fools were afforded a highly privileged position within the emperor’s court; they were exempt from punishment, upon the principle that “There is no slander in an allowed fool.” (Fools of Shakespeare

by Frederick Warde). Mr. Rudd has not punished not one of his ministers even for the grossest blunders. Why? This questions arises because although our PM is neither emperor nor fool, he acts and governs like an emperor and by his own admission, he is responsible for some of

Many conservatives are oblivious to the jingling of bells on the toes of the political apparatchiks. Since the departure of John Howard - one of the greatest statesman of the 20th and 21st century - some liberals have had an onset of political myopia and are unable to notice the obvious, whilst others have been distracted by the political clowns. In the process they haven’t noticed how they ended up being handcuffed to the leftist ideology. The difference between the left and the right has blurred so much that the electorate sees no clear distinction between the two sides.

Elections are not far away. Both sides are exhorting the quality of their candidates, yet the perception among the political pundits and the electorate, is that the left is offering better candidates. Unless the

“When you gave away pieces of your kingdom, it’s as if you cut off pieces on both sides of your brain and left nothing in the middle.”

Sadly, many on the right still have not grasped this truth, thus they are perplexed with the enduring popularity of Mr. Rudd.

conservative pre-selectors take their eyes off the political clowns and begin to pay attention to candidates with foresight, character and unwavering conservative values, the electorate will continue to respond to the political burlesque of the fools, jesters and clowns. G

Please send me your comments e | freedom@tnc4l.org and visit my blog online w | www.tnc4l.org

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GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

37

Feature

Shear Lounge puts the Chic into Rouse Hill Right from when it opened in September 2008 the Shear Lounge brought Stardom to Rouse Hill. Located in the Mean Fiddler Entertainment Complex, the Lounge was especially fit out to provide a First Class Venue to the Hills District. And succeed it did. Just look at who came to the Opening: Bondi Blonde Jamie Wright, Packed to the Rafters Angus McLaren, model Jordan Loukas, Nickelodean’s Maude Garrett, jockey Malcolm Johnston and The Biggest Losers’ Shannon Ponton - to name a few.

38 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

And why would anyone want to stay away from the hottest venue in the Hills District anyway? Here’s where local celebrities, industry VIPs and the media love to hang out.

setting to Launch a Product, entertain your business clients, or simply enjoy a quiet drink.

For anyone pining for a luxurious venue for a Function in Northwest Sydney, Shear Lounge is your answer. The décor features contemporary art facing a striking chandelier and a large open fire place. There is designer-grey mottled tiling, warm wood paneling with lashes of red styling and an outlook onto a bamboo garden setting.

To make your event a special one, the Lounge personnel have gone out of their way to make the drink and food Five Star. Everything is specially sourced. For example, their oysters are all sourced from the Hawkesbury and shucked at the venue.

Their champagne is sourced from their own gourmet wine association The Champagne Gallery (see www.champagnegalley.com.au) where it is hand picked by expert champagne connoisseurs like David Donald.

The furniture is all designer-made with a touch of elegance projecting a relaxed yet luxurious ambience. This is the perfect

You can order champagne at any price level you wish from under $50 to over $1000 a bottle with their expert advice.

Feature

All Functions choose between graded levels of food and drink packages.

Conference menus can have a light working buffet available or more substantial offerings. The canapé menu has all grades of offerings to the very gourmet limits, and beverage packages can include beer, wine, spirits, champagne and the non-alcoholic drinks from 2 to 5 hours.

The beauty of the Lounge as a Function option is that the bar-lounge setting enables you to choose between canapés and a seated function, depending on your needs. All in an elegant setting with friendly, professional service.

There is also an historic setting as the Mean Fiddler Complex has Heritage Building

fronting along Windsor Road which was designed by Sir Francis Greenway in 1826 as a half way house for Cobb & Co. to service the Parramatta to Windsor run.

Sandstone was quarried in Parramatta and transported by oxen-drawn carts to build the structure which today is listed on the National Heritage Register.

is something special for the north-west.

People want to be part of an exclusive club where they can relax, network and have good service in a comfortable atmosphere.” G

Since the demise of Cobb & Co. the building has been used as a hotel, accommodation, reception hall and restaurant. It has been lovingly restored and attracts hundreds of visitors annually.

Cnr Commercial & Windsor Rd, Rouse Hill Sydney NSW 2155 p | 02 9836 5036 f | 02 9836 2853 e | info@shearbar.com.au w | www.shearbar.com.au

Mean Fiddler’s Brett McCall explains: “We believe there’s a place in the market for a sophisticated, upmarket venue that you would normally find in the city. This

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

39

Feature

Opal – a Sound Investment?

By Robert E Cliff F.G.A.A., JP`

“Opallios”, Greek word for “to see a change in colour”.

Opal comes from Eastern Europe, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico and, most importantly, from Australia (our national Gemstone). It occurs in volcanic lava and in sedimentary and igneous rocks in veins, as lumps or in pipes. It can be found in Brazil, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the USA. Black opals are the rarest and most valuable of the stones. The difference between them is that they are found in different parts of Australia and each has very unique appearances. Black opals are considered the “Rolls Royce” of opals, and have a high price attachment associated with their status and rarity.

A top quality black opal can secure a higher price per carat than a good, clear onecarat diamond. In contrast to the diamond industry, there is no monopoly in the world marketing of opal and true market forces of supply and demand determine price.

in a rainbow of shades. The world’s most valuable Black Opal is “Aurora Australis”, found at Lightning Ridge in 1938 and valued at $1 million. It weights 180 carats and sparkles red, green and blue against a black backdrop.

Federal Government agency Austrade estimates current Australian production figures for uncut opals between $100 million and $200 million. However, while few Australians would have opal designs in their jewellery boxes, the US, Japan and much of Europe enjoys the stone. There are three major mining areas in Australia, each producing a different variety of the stone: Coober Pedy in South Australia; Lightning Ridge in New South Wales and central Queensland.

Coober Pedy is home of the white opal, sometimes referred to as the milk opal - pale white or light body tone. They are much more plentiful than any other kind of opal and generally display less vibrant colours. The towns of Mintabie and Andamooka also have the gem.

There are four types of opal commonly used in jewellery: white, black, and boulder. Opal is one of the few non-crystalline gem stones, a hardened jelly made up of silica and water. The play of colour or iridescence is due to the interference of white light on minute silica spheres in the structure of opal.

The world’s most valuable opal, black opal, is found in the town of Lightning Ridge. The stone has an underlying dark background hue, which gives the colour a greater intensity. The word “black” doesn’t refer to the face of the opal but to its background, and its precious colours come

40 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

Boulder opals are lesser known but have equally stunning colour. Here the opal runs in thin veins on ironstone backing (hence the dark colour). Price is generally less per carat due to the ironstone content of the stone. Found all over Queensland. It is often found as a thin veneer of opal of vibrant colours naturally covering the surface of the ironstones rock.

German geologist Johannes Menge made the first Australian Opal discovery in 1849 in Angaston, South Australia. This area in Queensland attracted many miners during the 1880s. Production actually began at White Cliffs, NSW, in 1890. When Australian Opal first appeared on the world market it was at first thought not to have been genuine – perhaps because of the fire of colours never before seen in the European specimens.

Around this time is has been said that the diamond merchants saw the amazing attributes of opal and realised that it was going to be a serious threat to their livelihood. Opal was increasing in popularity and could represent a threat to this lucrative diamond trade. Rumor has it that the

Feature

2009 Winner - Hills Excellence in Business Award of Distinction

2008 Winner - Hills Shire Small Business Awards

2009 Winner - Hills Shire Best Small Business

2007 Winner - Castle Towers Marketer of the Year

2009 Winner - Castle Towers Excellence in Marketing

2007 Winner - Hills Excellence in Business Awards

2009 Winner - Hills Shire Small Business Award

2007 Winner - True Local Awards

2008 Winner - True Local Awards

2006 Winner - Castle Towers Retailer of the Year

diamond trade spread the belief that opals are bad luck to protect themselves and gave opaIs a bad reputation. The diamond trade continued to flourish, however, and by 1932 most Eastern European opals were unable to compete with Australian opals and ceased production. This is when Australia won the title of premier opal producer of the world.

Australian opal can be a sound longterm investment, with value appreciation climbing yearly. Few visitors to Australia return home without buying an opal. In the past, most purchases were quite modest; however, today we see a far greater realisation of the investment values of solid or precious opal.

Buying for Investment: • Solid Opal is most valuable.

• Red on black is most valuable colour.

• The next most valuable colour is orange followed by yellow, green and then blue being the most common.

• Think about what you are going to use the stone for. Shape and size is an important factor when considering the setting for jewellers.

• Brilliance • Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.

Cautions when buying: • Solid Opal is a soft stone, approximately the same hardness as glass, avoid high temperatures (boiling water) or low extremes, e.g., zero humidity bank vaults.

• Be cautious of people selling boulder opal at price per carat, they may be leaving the heavy ironstone on the back of the stone. This is a dishonest way of pushing up the price of the stone.

• High quality stone should be set in a high quality setting.

• Ensure any Certificate of Authenticity (signed) is by a Registered Valuer.

Opal has been plagued for centuries by misinformation, superstition and wives’ tales. It has also been considered a good luck talisman and prized by many civilisations, possessing magical properties.

Romans believed that, like the rainbow, it brought its owner good fortune, a token of hope and purity. Greeks believed the opal bestowed powers of foresight and prophecy upon its owner.

With Australian Opal fields slowly running down, it is logical that values on quality gems will steadily increase year by year. For the overseas visitor, it is also logical to buy at the source of supply and save money.

Australian precious opal is the most sought after and the most stable of opals in world markets. G Robert Cliff Master Jewellers Shop 380A Castle Towers Castle Hill, NSW 2154 p | 02 8850 5400 02 8850 7999 e | office@robertcliffmasterjewller.com.au w | www.robertcliffmasterjewellers.com.au

It certainly has not stopped overseas customers and celebrities enjoying the stone. US media mogul Ted Turner famously gave actress Jane Fonda a massive black opal Engagement ring, and there have been many others.

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

41

Feature

Multi-Award Winning Loxley on Bellbird Hill

By Paul Maher, Proprietor - Loxley on Bellbird Hill

Loxley on Bellbird Hill is an ideal venue for Board of Director Meetings, Executive Meetings, Product Launches, Conferences, Seminars, Culinary Corporate Challenges and Special Events. Being located at the foothills of the Blue Mountains overlooking the Hawkesbury Valley and Sydney Basin makes Loxley an ideal venue for a single day product launch/corporate meeting or a multi-day conference. At Loxley, we are mindful that every organisation has specific goals that need to be achieved from the retreat.

Our professional staff has more than a decade of experience in Conference Coordination, Facilitation and Management.

can expect a gourmet meal prepared by Loxley’s Executive Chef using some of the best produce sourced locally through the Hawkesbury Region.

To enhance the full conference experience which Loxley offers, after dinner your delegates can head down to the cellar where the bar can be opened. There you can have a de-brief of the day’s meeting

Being a unique conference venue, the uniqueness also extends to the accommodation at Loxley with many of the rooms containing Spa Baths and most having access to the amazing views over the Hawkesbury Valley which is also another unique Blue Mountains Trait.

Wake up to a fully cooked country style buffet breakfast either in the Loxley Private

Loxley is situated 1 hour from the Sydney CBD, 40 minutes from Parramatta, 30 minutes from Castle Hill and 20 minutes from Penrith providing a short transit time with the added advantage of leaving Sydney in the rear vision mirror.

The unique environment for conferencing will enhance the experience for all your delegates and ensure they get the full benefit of the meeting or conference. From our relaxed country style conference rooms to the many outdoor breakout areas, Loxley can make your corporate event memorable.

The Explorers Retreat Conference Meeting Room has been designed in a country style with timber featuring heavily throughout the conference room and a large open fireplace to assist in a homely feel for your delegates.

Our Kauri Conference Meeting Room can cater for up to 250 for a cocktail style product launch and can feature a chocolate fountain to impress your guests. The Kauri Conference Room can also be utilised in Theatre Style for up to 150 Delegates, Caberet Cluster, Class Room and U-Shape.

The Kauri Conference Room’s verandah overlooks the whole Sydney Basin and the Hawkesbury Valley. The verandah is a perfect area for your conference delegates to enjoy a homemade morning tea or a buffet luncheon utilising some of the Hawkesbury’s finest produce.

After a full day conferencing your delegates

42 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

over a bottle of red wine while overlooking the night lights of Sydney and watching the sunset over the Blue Mountains.

After dinner is the perfect time to incorporate team-building activities into your conference program. Loxley can offer a wide range of team building activities either during or after dinner alternatively incorporating the team building into the meal with the popular Corporate Culinary Challenge. With the assistance of Loxley Chefs, your delegates will work together to create a gourmet meal using produce from the Greater Sydney Region and Hawkesbury/Blue Mountains Regions or even a wine appreciation night with a Hawkesbury Wine Grower.

Dining Room or on the verandah watching the sunrise over Sydney.

Conference Rooms are supplied with white board, flip charts, an overhead projector and a projector screen. Other A/V equipment for your conference can be arranged at a small additional charge. Included in your conference package is continuous Tea and Coffee.

What our Corporate market say about Loxley (see our website for many more testimonials: www.loxleyonbellbirdhill.com.au): “I am writing to you to congratulate you and your team on the very high standard

Feature

Conference Room

of service that you provided at our recent Manufacturing Lead Team Conference.

I have been to many similar events in many places and it is rare to find such an excellent venue where the service, facilities

Cooking Challenges

such a success. I’ve had extremely positive feedback from our team of executives claiming the venue was beautiful, the food fantastic and the service was magnificent. It is not often that I get such positive feedback

HHHHH “We’d like to thank you for helping make our event a success! We have since asked our staff for feedback on the event and all have commented on the fantastic venue, food and accommodation. Liaising with you to organise the event was a breeze. You were professional and patient even with the many last minute changes we had. You always managed to solve the difficult situations we presented you with. Your staff were friendly and professional and were even willing to judge our team singing competition! I would recommend Loxley to any individual or organisation that requires a beautiful venue and exceptional service. I look forward to returning to Loxley on Bellbird Hill in the near future.” G

Bride and Grooms you are invited to visit this multi-award winning unique wedding venue at our

BRIDAL FAIR Sunday 6th June 2010

ENTRY FREE 993 Bells Line of Road Kurrajong Hills NSW 2758 T. 02 4567 7711 E. loxley@iprimus.com.au www.loxleyonbellbirdhill.com.au

and location all come together in such a way to provide a perfect small conference venue. Please pass on my congratulations to your staff.”

HHHHH “On behalf of the Cormack Packaging team I would like to sincerely thank you all for making our Strategic Planning Session

from 100% of our delegates. Chris and Erin I would also like to personally thank you for all your help - you were both a pleasure to deal with and made the organising of an offsite session so easy for me. From our first telephone conversations I knew everything was going to fall into place perfectly, and it did. Well done!”

Loxley on Bellbird Hill 993 Bells Line of Road Kurrajong Hills, NSW p | 02 4567 7711 w | www.loxleyonbellbirdhill.com.au

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

43

FEATURE

Victor Prasad, Managing Director – Clark Rubber - Blacktown

The Right Solution Starts and Ends with Customer Service Clark Rubber Blacktown is serious about service.

7 years experience is currently expanding the business from one full-time service van to three vehicles by the end of the year.

In fact, the team are fully committed to providing all customers with service way beyond their expectations, along with high quality products across Clark Rubber Blacktown’s extensive range.

Servicing commercial clients outside of the retail environment has been the task of Katy Zuber at Clark Rubber Blacktown. Katy’s 6 years retail experience at the Blacktown store provided her with the knowledge to take a step into the role of Commercial Trade Representative. Katy spends time talking to her clients, getting to know their business and importantly assisting them with high quality and efficient solutions.

“We really listen to our customers” explains Victor Prasad, Managing Director of Clark Rubber Blacktown. “We have been servicing the Blacktown area for over 10 years now and we truly believe that excellent customer service is the lifeblood of any successful business, especially in retail”.

Having a well established retail pool business, the demand and need emerged to provide pool servicing to customers. Now in its fourth year of successful operations, Chris Cruse, Pool Service Manager with over

Recently, Katy was called upon by a major food manufacturing company in the local area to assist with her expertise in commercial rubber. The company uses food storage plastic barrels that required rubber seals. The seals not only needed to be food grade, but also custom made to fit the specialised containers. Upon visiting the site, Katy found the seals were not of the correct quality grade which resulted in the fast deterioration requiring regular replacements.

Katy’s recommendation was for custom made silicon rubber seals which met with the Australian standards. She also suggested a change in the colour of the seals as the black ones were easily becoming lost during washing and transportation. The company is awaiting the go ahead and is hopeful that the company will also consider changing other barrel seals across their other manufacturing sites.

At Clark Rubber Blacktown, providing the right solution for

44 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

both retail and commercial clients is critical and taking extra steps with customer service from the beginning through to after-sale makes all the difference. A good experience in customer service is about bringing customers back and also telling other people about the great experience.

Clark Rubber Blacktown are solution specialists in flooring and matting, foam, rubber, DIY and custom products. G

For more information on how Clark Rubber Blacktown is able to assist you, please feel free to contact the team or come in for a visit.

Clark Rubber – Blacktown 127 Main Street Blacktown NSW 2148 p | 02 9831 3000 f | 02 9831 3211 e | blacktown@clarkrubber.com.au Contact: Simone Cleary (Store Manager) Katy Zuber (Commercial Trade Rep) Chris Cruse (Pool Service Manager)

‘If it’s made of rubber or foam, we’ve got it!’

Clark Rubber Blacktown are solution specialists in flooring and matting, foam, rubber, DIY and custom products

Katy Zuber

Commercial Trade Representative

0410 694 946

katyz.blacktown@clarkrubber.com.au

Matting & Flooring • Rubber and Anti-fatigue Mats

• Ute Matting and Automotive Flooring

• Safety and Specialised Matting

• Entry Matting (Commercial)

• Rubber Flooring

• Light Commercial and Domestic Matting

• Safety, Playground Tiles and Interlocking Flooring

• Carpet (Indoor / Outdoor) and Floor Protectors

The Filtrite Pump Special offer on presentation of this ad!

Purchase a Filtrite 1.0hp pump for only $399 and we will install it at no charge. PLUS while we are there we’ll give you a FREE pool health check.

Chris Cruse Pool Service Manager

0414 267 780

chrisc.blacktown@clarkrubber.com.au

Terms and Conditions: Available on purchases made from Clark Rubber Blacktown before 31/8/10.

Rubber Sheeting & Accessories • O rings & Gaskets

• Gum Rubber

• Seals, Strips & Mouldings

• Natural & Insertion Rubber

• Custom made to Specifications

• Nitrile Rubber

• Buffers & Grommets

• White Hygienic Rubber

• Silicone Rubber

• Neoprene Rubber • EPDM Rubber

For detailed information, on our commercial, retail or pool service offering please call.....

Simone Cleary Store Manager

9831 3000

blacktown@clarkrubber.com.au

OPEN 7 DAYS

Blacktown•9831 3000 127 Main Street

www.clarkrubber.com.au Pictures for illustration purpose only. FSO5755

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

45

Feature

Emu Sports Club Hits its Stride for 2010 It’s really challenging to keep up with CEO Michael Ekert and the Emu Sports Club’s offerings. It looks like Leonay is fast becoming the Social Centre for the Penrith Region! They’ve certainly thrown down the gauntlet for 2010. Have a look at all the options.

by Larry Woldenberg

Then there’s the Ocktoberfest on Saturday, October 23. Michael tells me he has already lined up a German band, German beer for the bar, dancers and courtesy buses. Apparently there’s also a large contingent of club members of German descent who are volunteering on the night to make the event more authentic. And the

booked and loads of 21sts. But don’t despair if you miss out on Saturdays because there are still lots of Friday nights available as well.

Club’s hard-working Chefs, Adam and Pete, are making sure there’ll be no shortage of traditional pork knuckles, sauerkraut and those famous German sausages on the night. So be sure and mark your calendars for this one.

Emu Sports Club itself, memberships are only $11 for the year. At that price, anyone can join. G

Whoa! Finished for now. Look out for our next posting and more events to come.

Incidentally, if you haven’t yet joined the

The first mention has to be the new Ultra Fit Studio, otherwise known as the Friendly Gym, which is now located on the Ground Floor of the Club. Run by Antony Wissen, an experienced professional fitness trainer, its doors are open 6 days a week. Not only is there a room full of equipment, but Antony also runs Boot Camps along the grounds of the Leonay Golf Course and sessions in the adjacent sporting pools. Members of the Emu Sports Club can currently join for a sensationally low $10/week.

Speaking of fitness, Emu Sports Club is now encouraging golf memberships as well by offering 18-month memberships for the cost of a 12-month signup. For example, you can get a 7-day male membership for 18 months by paying just $705 for the year.

Similar deals are available for the ladies and weekday golfers as well.

For Sports fans, there’s also the State of Origin Night. Live on the Big Screen with Free Entry, the Club is offering $2.60 schooners first point scored. Can you beat that? Better be early to secure a seat.

The Club also offers the entire family a spate of events. For example, couples can have a great night out in July at the Super Stars and Musical Show and dinner. This show features a tribute and journey through the magical entertaining world of superstar performers and the world’s greatest and most loved musicals. It revisits the greats from Broadway, Hollywood and beyond.

The Rat Pack drop in for a song or two, the show pays tribute to Judy Garland, and musicals such as Les Miserable, High Society, Wicked, and timeless favourites from Grease and The Rocky Horror Show.

So come along and have fun. Dates include July 2,3,9,10 and16. Costs just $50 which includes dinner!

46 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

I’m coming to the end of my allotted space and it feels like I’m just getting started! Anyway, Michael has urged me to tell everyone about his $8.50 weekday lunches. You can choose between fish and chips, chicken schnitzel, the weekly pasta special and the roast or soup of the day.

How’s that for value?

And finally, Michael is urging everyone to book early for your functions. There are only 6 Saturdays left for the year for the Leonay Function Room with 14 weddings

Umu Sports Club Bookings: Ultra Fit Studio | 02 4735 1192 Golf Memberships | 02 4735 5300 Events | 02 4729 1555 www.trybooking.com.au/dxc

Corporate Parties at

Emu SportS Club

Corporate and Private Parties

minimum 60 people includes the following No Room Hire Free Courtesy Bus to designated venue for pick up & return 2 Course Buffet Meal Beverage Package – unlimited for 5 hours (draught beer / house wine / champagne / soft drinks) Tea & Coffee DJ

Plus decorations on the tables

PACKAGE $60.00 per person

Emu Sports Club home of Leonay Golf Course Nestled in the lower Blue Mountains

(Leonay Room)

1 Leonay Parade, Leonay NSW 2750 Ph: (02) 4735 5300 Email: michael@emusportsclub.com.au OR kylie@sportsclub.com.au www.emusportsclub.com.au

Special Offer to GWP Magazine readers only $35.00 PER PERSON - DINNER PLUS 18 HOLE GAME

Special Offer to GWP Magazine readers only 9 544670 788931

$35.00 PER PERSON - DINNER PLUS 18 HOLE GAME

9 544670 788672

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

47

Feature

Build Stronger Business Partnerships with Existing Client Base with Penrith Panthers

Shannon Donato, Marketing Manager - Penrith District Rugby League Club

With the NRL season in full swing, talk around the office water cooler has turned to Rugby League and the passion for the code in Western Sydney has never been more evident than in 2010.

Greater Western Sydney is Australia’s most vibrant market region. With a population of 1.85 million, this region has 40% of the population of Sydney. The median weekly household income of Penrith is 10.7% higher than the NSW average and people living between Blacktown and the Blue Mountains area spend $6.43 billion annually.

Without any competitors of significance (A League soccer, AFL or rugby union) in this lucrative market, the Penrith Panthers provide unparalleled cut through in emotionally engaging this audience.

Western Sydney is a Rugby League stronghold, as our game day crowd averages and junior league attest (the largest in the World with over 8000 registered players in 500 teams).

For those seeking a truly indulgent experience, why not join us in our premium game day corporate hospitality, the Chairman’s Club.

Immersing yourself in the action of match day is easy when you’re watching the game from the best seats in the house.

With fellow executive sponsors to mingle with and a welcome by a celebrity guest speaker, the Chairman’s Club is your perfect networking location.

Relax in air-conditioned comfort and wash down a superb buffet with a selection of premium wines, beers and other beverages.

With dessert and coffee served at half time, you’ll never need to take a break from the action.

What better way to entertain your important clients than in a private box. With room for 18 guests, your box seats offer everything you need to ensure a fantastic

48 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

Panthers supporters and proud of it! match experience – including delicious appetisers, attractive beverage packages, signage opportunities and your own private wait staff.

With the $5 million upgrade to our Corporate Box facilities and the wonderful corporate events on our sponsors’ social calendar, we will continue to ensure that we exceed the expectations of you and your clients.

So you can be sure your guests feel right at home with a sophisticated environment, warm service and State-ofthe-Art amenities.

You’ll also get the exposure your business is after, with company signage displayed above your corporate box.

Your business can also be promoted through numerous local marketing platforms further increasing your brand awareness and engagement with our supporters.

At the national level the market reach is phenomenal. Penrith Panthers average a television audience of over 1,100,000 per FTA game. Across the season, Panthers have a TV audience of 10 million viewers.

The continual growth in TV ratings, membership numbers and media interest, will only ensure that sponsors will benefit even more in 2010 and beyond. G

If you’d like further information, make an enquiry today with the Panthers Corporate Partnership Team. Contacts Scott Hudson (scott.hudson@panthers. com.au or 0418 797 637) and Shane Skeen (shane.skeen@panthers.com.au or 0437 970 341) can tailor a package to suit your specific marketing and budgetary objectives and show you how you can gain that competitive edge over your competitors.

A partnership with us will align your business and brand with one of this region’s most supported icons…the Penrith Panthers.

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

49

FEATURE

Daniel Moisyeyev, Business Development Executive - GWP Media

Touchscreen Kiosk: A Different and Modern Sales Rep Touchscreen kiosks are found almost everywhere in central business districts.

Provided they have been designed to be attractive and easy to use, they are extremely convenient tools. It is nowadays difficult to imagine a 6-level shopping centre or an airport without them. They do not hassle you, they don’t try to manipulate you and, in the case of shopping centres, they almost always give correct and consistent directions to where you want to go.

enormous stock of all kinds of products.

Finding something you need right now is akin to impossible, with lines queued up for assistance at every counter. A couple of touchscreen kiosks would easily relieve the warehouse employees of their duty to endlessly look-up information – everything could be easily found by searching through a database located on the kiosk. Beside the initial setup of the kiosk, the only investment required is keeping the information up-to-date.

Traditionally touchscreen kiosks were reserved for the few larger business enterprises that could afford them. The technology behind touchscreen kiosks (industrial touch monitors) has only recently become available and within reach of a typical business owner. Additionally, the popularisation of hand-held products by Apple has also pushed the touchscreen technology from the “Wow” status to an everyday necessity.

Furniture store Instead of having to browse through a small printed catalogue to pick out-ofstock furniture, a potential customer would be much more pleased if given access to an attractive touchscreen kiosk with larger photos of said furniture and views from many angles. Updating the printed edition would require a significant investment into printing and graphic design, while a kiosk can be updated by simply uploading new pictures and stock description.

The next logical question is... what can the touchscreen kiosk do for your business?

The primary function of a touchscreen kiosk is to inform your potential or existing client about your products in an appealing and interactive fashion. Your touchscreen kiosk should provide a good return on investment (ROI) by either attracting new clientele or freeing up your employees’ time to perform other tasks.

The four examples below demonstrate how a touchscreen kiosk can enhance your business or organisation: A hardware warehouse A typical hardware warehouse carries an

50 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

Information unit in local council Council news, events, updates, community notices and other relevant information could all be available on an interactive touchscreen kiosk in the waiting area.

The kiosk could also serve as a source of answers to frequently asked questions.

Tourism information can also be provided in a highly presentable form.

Car yards and car auctions The kiosk could greatly assist the potential client and serve as a sales representative. A database of available and soon-to-be-available cars would be available to the potential clients, with current specials highlighted. A list of all cars to be auctioned off could be

presented with suggested starter bids and fixed prices.

What is involved in touchscreen kiosk development?

Designing a touchscreen kiosk is a multistep process. A requirements analysis will be completed to pinpoint your needs.

It will then be decided exactly how the touchscreen kiosk will assist your business.

Once the requirements have been identified, conceptual and graphic design for both the physical kiosk unit and software will follow. Finally, the kiosk will be built to your specifications and your business processes will be integrated into the kiosk software with applicable database design and software development techniques.

Costs The addition of an interactive touchscreen kiosk to your business has never been so affordable. Our kiosks start from just $18,000 for a single unit with custom designed software to your specifications and needs, warranty and service. We can deliver a wide variety of kiosks with different screen sizes which you can have for the cost of only unit hardware and setup. G

If you would like to see a sample of our touchscreen kiosks in action and find out how touchscreen kiosk can help your business, contact us now.

GWP Media p | 02 8090 1730 e | Daniel@gwpmagazine.com.au w | www.gwpmedia.com.au

GWP MEDIA

TM

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

51

Leave all the organising to us and sit back, relax and enjoy yourself....

We can chauffeur you around the historic Hawkesbury. � Visit Historic buildings of the Hawkesbury. � Do a patchwork and quilting workshop. � Visit local artists. � Enjoy the local drop and ne food. �

Phone 02 4575 1421 Email: janice@hstours.com.au

www.hstours.com.au

52 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

53

ClassifiedS

BUSINESS SUPPORT ActionCOACH Business Coaching

Our Powerful Coaching & Mentoring Programs Will Help You Grow Your Business

www.actioncoach.com/bcs

1300 303 569

Telstra Business Centre

1300 721 400

H137, Ground Floor, 24 Lexington Drive Bella Vista NSW 2153

www.telstrabusiness.com

CATERINg Caterez

02 8884 2486

Corporate Catering Solutions, Internal Staff Cafes, Office parties

www.caterez.com.au

INSOLVENCY/BANKRUPTCY Jones Partners

Level 3, Nexus Building 4 Columbia Circuit, Norwest

02 9894 9966

PROmOTIONAL PROdUCTS

Sydney Hills Business Chamber

Australian Corporate Diaries

Customised Diaries, Promotional Products and Other Printed Matter

02 9659 3366 www.sydneyhillsbusiness.com.au

www.jonespartners.net.au

INSURANCE Chegwyn Insurance

ORgANISATIONS

02 9604 6166

Business Insurance, Commercial Insurance, Small Business Insurance, Sole Traders, Family Owned Businesses

www.chegwyninsurance.com.au

IT SERVICES

Ryde Business Forum 02 9807 4999 www.rydebusiness.com.au

OffICE SERVICES Support Secretarial Business Services

For all your business, bookkeeping and administration needs 02 8824 4187

supportsecretarial@live.com.au

Your IT support partner UÊ" Ã ÌiÊ > Ìi > ViÊEÊÃÕ«« ÀÌ UÊ,i ÌiÊ>VViÃÃÊ` >} ÃÌ VÃ UÊ*>V >}iÃÊÌ ÊÃÕ ÌÊiÛiÀÞÊLÕÃ iÃÃ

1300 792 225 www.hcs.com.au

dRY CLEANERS Lindus Dry Cleaners

Shop B44, 24-32 Lexington Dr Baulkham Hills 2153

02 9654 2999

www.acdiaries.com.au

02 8824 8385

computer solutions

mIgRATION SERVICES

John F. Law & Associates 02 8850 4477

OZ Migration

www.industrialrelationslaw.com.au

www.ozmigration.net.au

Specialists in Discrimination Matters, Employment Agreements, Unfair Dismissals

Clark Rubber - Blacktown 02 9831 3000

Meeting Facilities

127 Main Street, Blacktown NSW 2148

T: (02) 8831 8300 Suite 206, 10 Norwest Central, Century Circuit, Baulkham Hills 2153 info@bellavistaexeccentre.com.au www.bellavistaexeccentre.com.au

www.lindus.com.au

INdUSTRIAL RELATIONS

RETAIL/POOL SERVICE

Serviced and Virtual Offices

02 9407 8788

Suite 203 Level 2, Norwest Central 12 Century Cct, Baulkham Hills 2153

Virtual Sales Strategy “your business is my business”

www.clarkrubber.com.au

SOURCINg SERVICES Medustar Sourcing Solutions

Want to save 50% on your costs by sourcing from Asia? MMS can help you!

PhOTOgRAPhY Stilz Fotografika

02 8850 1681

www.medustar.com.au

02 9680 9823

Corporate Events, Head Shots, Products Shoots, Location Shoots

www.stilz.com.au

Craig’s Buses Craig’s Mini Buses

Increase Your Sales With Integrity Your own telesales team

Remember when you need a bus... Call us! ©

Appointment setting • Lead generation Telesales Campaigns • Seminar Attendance Database Management • Testing NEW markets

For a FREE Consultation Please call Gai: (02) 9909 8119 or 0413 519 840 Email: gaihook@vssaustralia.com.au www.vssaustralia.com.au

54 GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

9-53

24/7

Seats Service

1300 799 782 OR Visit www.craigsminibuses.com.au

Chauffeur driven transport for any occasion!

Book Now!

- Modern, seat belt fitted mini buses & coaches - Specialist in provision of corporate transport

GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010

55

LAND A BETTER DEAL AT LANDER TOYOTA

Comprehensive range of new Toyota vehicles on site.

Huge selection of quality used vehicles including commercials & AWDs. Competitive finance available through Toyota Finance.

Massive service department, supporting Toyota Service Advantage with fixed price servicing on most used vehicles.

Spare parts with huge range of factory accessories.

155 - 161 Main St Blacktown GWP Magazines | Issue 30 | May / June 2010 56 LNT0018.

MD20304.

888 44 888

www.landertoyota.com.au