GWP Magazines, Business Resource & Lifestyle Issue #34

GWP M a g a z i n e s ®

SYDNEY - Issue 34

| January / February 2011

Rugby League Club with a Heart: Penrith Panthers

Publisher’s Guest: Derrick McManus

Clever ‘Today’ for Truly Humanitarian ‘Tomorrow’ Angry Anderson

The Illusion of Green Power Charlie Lynn

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS 36

8 8

Rugby League Club with a Heart: the Penrith Panthers Larry Woldenberg

32

Publisher’s Guest 14

Derrick McManus Inspirational Speaker and Educator

Business Advice

16

GWP Magazine’s 2010 Annual Cruise Lights Up the Harbour!

Larry Woldenberg

46

Are You Sure That’s What We Agreed?

Heath Davies

Get Productive with the New Windows Phone Steve Sebbes

48

Accessing Government Grants Rick Eardley

Lifestyle

50

Making a Lasting Impression David Borg

The Corporate and Personal Forces Behind Modern Jewellery Robert Cliff

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Ready-Steady-Trim™ 12kg in 12 weeks Valentina Szabo

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If Growing Your Business is a New Year’s Resolution, Join the Penrith Panthers Sponsorship Family Shannon Donato

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Becoming a Contributing Writer in this Magazine is Now Easier than Ever Leonie George

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Classifieds

4 Facts & Fantasies About Getting Investors Into Your Business John Hagerty

Telecom

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Regulars 20 21 22 24

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Political Agenda Clever ‘Today’ for Truly Humanitarian ‘Tomorrow’ Angry Anderson

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The Illusion of Green Power Charlie Lynn

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Leonay Emu Sports Club Gets Ready for Another Record Year Larry Woldenberg

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The Timeless Charm and Character of Loxley on Bellbird Hill Paul Maher

Business Advice Is It Now Time to Share the Risks and the Rewards?

Darryn Fellowes Don’t Get Sucked in by Electricity Wasters Ian Fry

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Workers Compensation – be Alert not Alarmed Jason Thompson

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5 Ways to Optimise Your Website for 2011 Scott Tyler

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Partnering for Tenders Stephen Frost

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Features

Regulars

Cover Story

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Government 2010 – A Year of Development and Opportunity in the Sydney Hills Parramatta.

A City of Opportunity

Business Chamber

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Chatswood Chamber of Commerce Stig Falster

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

Dmitry Greku - Editor and Publisher - GWP Magazines®

Inglorious Bastards and Worldwide Respected Freaks I am usually very enthusiastic writing my editor’s letter, but this time by the end of 2010 the evolution of political sanity came down to its worst and lowest point. To my disappointment, I’m pretty sure that people in charge with our country and “world leaders” will entertain us in the new year with more unpleasant surprises and mind-blowing freacken* tricks.

WikiLeaks was the biggest hit of the last year where the World Democracy failed or I’d say the world democratic governments failed to have the guts to admit their inglorious actions of varying scales. Most of the WikiLeaks’ “News” were not actually news at all for a thinking part of the world population with at least half a brain in their heads.

Most of us already know that our ex-PM is a freak* who could be stupid enough to suggest the US use force against China.

According to his statement, he also “Can’t care less” that Australian people would like to receive his comments on his suggestions to our largest ally. At the same time, our current (which might be not a case when this issue is out) PM is still trying to convince us that Mr. Rudd is still a worldwide respected politician and diplomat.

These days a lot of the people in charge are very upset due to their wrong doings being exposed and now it’s the time for them to fight back. A good start could be sending someone to prison or to the mental hospital (another valid option

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GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

Contributing Writers: Charlie Lynn Angry Anderson Darryn Fellowes Scott Tyler Steve Sebbes Paul Maher Stephen Frost Robert Cliff John Hagerty Ian Fry Stig Falster Heath Davies David Borg Rick Eardley Valentina Szabo Leonie George Art Director: Svetlana Greku

available to get rid of someone who stays in the way of “progress and democracy”).

There could be a lot of legitimate reasons found, for example – absence of a condom and being too horny at some inappropriate time of a night.

Graphic Design: Xabier Goñi, XDesigns

Because of my helpful nature, I would like to suggest to the world “Democratic Leaders” to create an International Condom Checking Wearing Organisation (ICCWO) under the auspices of the United Nations to avoid further “confusions and misunderstandings” (favourite bureaucrat’s terminology) which will make democratic processes much more transparent and lawful. No doubt, this will certainly require an opening of an international fund similar to the Climate Change Fund where we can dump even more of the taxpayers’ money and lead the Global-Universal establishment and construction of all the condomwearing checkpoints and procedures on our green Planet. This should become another major “Revolutionising” Project for the ALP and Greens for 2011. I could exhaust myself trying to help, but they always beat me with their new and most unexpected ideas.

Distribution: J&S Mailing Services Pty Ltd

Unfortunately, 2010 has brought so much frustration and uncertainty that I only hope that 2011 will be more prosperous for all of us. e | editor@gwpmagazine.com.au *frea-cken, -verb; pp. of freak. Diplomatic and politically correct term used to describe ex-PM K. Rudd to the United States Government.

Photography: Francesca Surace, Stilz Fotografika Printing: Blue Star Print Group Limited

Business Resource & Lifestyle Magazine® is published by GWP Media® and GWP Magazines® ABN: 82 096 352 064 www.gwpmagazine.com.au Sydney CBD/Sydney North Office: Suite 1.05, 10 Tilley Lane Frenchs Forest 2086 NSW Norwest Office: Suite 206, 10 Norwest Central, Century Circuit, Baulkham Hills 2153 NSW International Standard Serial Number ISSN 1837-199X Advertising Enquiries p | 02 8090 1730 e | info@gwpmagazine.com.au To Subscribe w | www.gwpmagazine.com.au

Copyright GWP Media® and GWP Magazines® 2010.

The opinions expressed in this journal do not necessarily reflect and are not to be regarded as the official opinion of the editor, publisher or their agents.

All information contained within this journal is provided for general information purposes only and on the understanding that none of the content herein constitutes professional advice. The editor, publisher or their agents accept no responsibility for any claim, loss or damages arising out of or in connection with any materials contained in this journal. Readers should not rely on the publications in the journal and seek appropriate professional advice in respect of their own circumstances.

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great australian TEAM

Rugby League Club With a Heart: The Penrith Panthers Luke Lewis

Nathan Smith

By Larry Woldenberg

It’s not every day that a reporter sent to write a story about a Rugby League team is greeted by a quadraplegic in a wheelchair.

But I began to understand why when John Farragher began talking about his last 33 years with the Club.

John had once been a big country lad who came from Gilgandra to play front row with Penrith. As he explains: “Many players go to the gym regularly and eat special diets to bulk up. I did none of that for I was naturally big. I weighed in at 110 kilos and was six foot two in height.”

It was 1978 and John was in his first year with the team. He was a front row stalwart and was looking to make a career with the Panthers. But on May 28 he found himself at the bottom of a scrum which had collapsed over him. As players stood up, John found he couldn’t move. The paralysis was total

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the Club, greeting people as they entered the premises, and his father was employed with other duties.

John was extremely grateful for he had been brought up with his dad’s work ethic: “A man gets paid by the work he does.” It helped that John had an ebullient personality.

As he explains: “I probably know more people in Penrith than anyone else. The Community and Club members were the best form of support I could have ever had.

They were great.”

The Community must have felt similarly, because in 2007 John was made Citizen of the Year. Six hundred and fifty signatures were gathered in his favour. By this time John had spent many years coaching and serving on various Panthers’ committees. He was involved in the Penrith Stadium upgrade and the local citizenry considered him to be an inspirational figure. He has been described as “a Penrith icon who in his own quiet way has made a difference in this city”.

John Farragher

including both his arms and his legs.

What followed was six months in the hospital with regular physiotherapy. A telethon raised thousands of dollars and Channel Ten and the Panthers contributed additional funds. Sadly, it was to be followed by life in a wheelchair.

Daily existence became a rough trot for John as he returned to his country town to find that his mates were all off working, there were no

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ramps in the town for wheelchairs or even footpaths on which to travel. There was no nursing support and his dad was a shearer away for most of the time.

After four miserable months of this, the Panther Leagues Club offered John and his father employment as a way of helping them through their dilemma. So they moved back to Penrith. John then became concierge for

What’s also amazing is John’s gratitude. “I could not have been looked after any better.

Unbelievable. I have a routine and I feel productive.” For the last 3 years John has worked in Public Relations for the Panthers.

He even went to Canberra to represent the disabled and elderly to the Access Committee where policies are formed regarding ramps to entrances, parking regulations, public transportation for the elderly, etc.

John also has a son, Jake, who has taken up after John playing Rugby. He played in various A-Grade sides before getting a run with Cronulla. John is philosophical about Jake’s involvement. “He has to do what he loves and he loves playing Rugby League.

great australian TEAM

View from the sky at Penrith Panthers

I’m a proud dad to see him achieve that.

I never wanted to stop him playing. Who am I to choose and tell him what to do?

It’s his life. I don’t want to put any pressure on him.

“I’m a great believer in fate. A lot of things can happen to you in life. You could have a car accident, a motor bike accident, get involved in drugs. A disease.

If I push him into something, there’s no guarantee that something won’t go wrong.

Things could happen to anyone. No one is bulletproof.”

As for Jake, his outlook is: “Dad’s injury could have happened to anyone. I’ve seen the photos. A lot worse things have happened to people. His injury wasn’t going to stop me playing league because all my mates play and I grew up in Penrith which has the biggest junior district around.

“Dad’s been great. He has helped me in every way. He can be my biggest critic but he knows what he’s talking about. I just love footy, even after what happened to Dad.” Understandably, Jake decided to play elsewhere than Penrith, because he wanted to make it on his own — not because of his Dad’s name.

As for John’s father, he’s now 77 years old and still works in the shearer industry.

Rugby League has a long history in Penrith going back to 1912. There were local competitions. The Penrith (Panthers) Leagues Club was granted a license in

1956 and premises were built in Station Street on the site of the Centro shopping centre. Penrith played firstly in the Parramatta Junior League District and then in the NSWRL First Division competition using brown and white colours.

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The Panther had been chosen in 1964 as the Penrith emblem after a public competition won by a graphic artist from Emu Plains named Deidre Copeland.

Now, as it turns out, if you have a question about the Penrith Panthers what better person to ask than John? So I ask him about their original entrance into the higher division. “They came into the League at the same time as Cronulla. At the time there were the following clubs: Parramatta Eels South Sydney Rabbitohs Western Suburbs Balmain Tigers Canterbury/Bankstown Berries Penrith Panthers St George Dragons Cronulla Sharks Newtown Jets Roosters (Eastern Suburbs) Manly Warringah.

Because of Penrith’s original brown and white jerseys they became affectionately referred to as “The Chocolate Soldiers” thanks to radio commentator Frank Hyde who wrote in the Penrith Club journal “these chocolate soldiers from out West — they don’t melt!” Now, of course, the jerseys have morphed into predominantly black to better represent the panther element.

“Nowadays people from New Zealand also support the Panthers. Other codes are not so supported in Penrith and being a growth Centre, the city now has a 20,000 capacity Stadium with a 20-year lease on Crown Land. We do the maintenance and upkeep.

The Federal Government has also given us grants of $10 million and $5 million over the last 5-6 years.

Like all new teams, the Panthers struggled in their initial years before making their first finals series in 1985. Then in 1990 they made their first Grand Final but were beaten by the Canberra Raiders 18-14. Revenge came the following year, however, when Penrith again went to the Grand Final and this time defeated the Raiders 19-12.

“We could add another 25-30,000 seats but Pay TV is hard on attendances. Inter-State side supporters don’t travel with today’s excellent TV coverage and newspaper accounts. But TV revenues are also important in growing the game.

Penrith then repeated their Premiership in 2003 when they toppled the Roosters 18-6 despite being considered as underdogs.

“As we did in 2010, our goal is to make the Final 8. Then hopefully the Top 4. Once you make the 8, anything can happen from there.”

When I asked John about Panthers’ most famous players he nominated Greg Alexander a half back in the 80s and early 90s who now commentates Fox Sports, Brad Fittler who played inside centre for 5 years before changing to the Roosters, Ray Simmons, Mark Geyer, John Cartwright, Tim Sheens and Ryan Girdler. “All these players made Top 14 of 40 years history. Then there was Billy Ashurst in the 70s who had unlimited abilities but was not on game all the time,” John added.

One of the biggest changes to the Club was the new clubhouse in Mulgoa Road which opened in 1984. It has become the social hub of Penrith with five bars, live entertainment including international acts and top bands, a wide choice of restaurants and contains Western Sydney’s premier meetings and events facility along with a range of activities including cable skiing, wake boarding, and golf.

Matthew Elliott, Penrith Panthers’ Head Coach

“Of course there were many changes since.

The Western Suburbs amalgamated with the Balmain Tigers. Canterbury-Bankstown became the Bulldogs. The Canberra Raiders came into the League along with the Illawarra Steelers who later amalgamated with St George. Then came the Newcastle Knights, the Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Seagulls (now the Titans). And finally the North Queensland Cowboys and the Melbourne Storm.”

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Going back to 1978 when John first came as a young player to Penrith, the grounds had a completely different feel. As John reminisces: “It felt like a big country town. Other players hated driving all the way to Penrith just to play football. The then Mulgoa Highway had just 2 lanes. This was a cow paddock. But we were considered an oasis in the desert by country Rugby League supporters, since we were their first Port of Call. So there was always lots of country support for the team.

According to the Panthers Group Chairman Don Feltis, the Club is currently going through a challenging time in respect to cash flow brought about by a number of factors. These include a harsh poker machine tax, anti-smoking legislation, the need to build alfresco areas at all clubs for smokers, a downturn in the economy, and a changing society.

“Notwithstanding all that,” Mr. Feltis adds, “trading is slowly showing signs of improving and a number of new income streams are being developed. Whilst the amalgamation with 13 other clubs (which took place in the late 90s) required the expenditure of a vast amount of finance, the asset benefit of those clubs is a reassuring issue into the future.

great australian TEAM

Penrith Panthers 2003

“At one stage the group employed well over 1000 people, but that number has reduced over the years because of the changing economy.

The Panthers has always played a significant role in the City of Penrith, being a major tourist attraction and contributing generous amounts of finance into community projects, charities and sporting bodies. Just a few years ago we were the number one licensed club in Australia. However, owing to the aforementioned restraints, the Panthers like a number of other licensed clubs had no alternative other than to reduce community grants. No doubt when things improve we will revisit these same grants.”

Feltis recommends two publications for readers wanting a more detailed history of the Panthers. Bound for Glory

from 1992 through to present time.

One of the club’s special characteristics is its Junior League which is the largest in the world with over 8000 players representing 22 clubs and over 500 teams. The Junior League spans from Penrith to the Blue Mountains, the Hawkesbury and includes Blacktown. In total over 25% of Sydney’s population resides in the area.

It would be tough to envision a Penrith without the Panthers, so big has their imprint been on the area. Indeed, they are a team with a big heart as encompassed by the closing endorsement of John Farragher: “I’d like to say I was unlucky, but I’ve been very lucky.”

tells the history of the Panthers right up to 1991 and Men in Black continues the history

I’m sure if you queried any member of the Panthers Club they would echo this sentiment by adding the Club has been very blessed to have a great personage like John to daily grace its premises. G

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Publisher’s GUEST

Publisher’s Guest

Derrick McManus Inspirational Speaker and Educator with Dmitry Greku, Publisher/Editor, GWP Magazines.

On 3 May 1994 Senior Constable Derrick McManus was shot 14 times with a high-powered semi-automatic weapon. With broken bones and severed arteries he laid bleeding to death for three hours before he could be rescued during South Australia’s longest running siege. The siege continued for 40 hours, with some 2,000 rounds of ammunition fired during this period, most prior to his rescue. Incredibly, Derrick survived and in doing so demonstrated that individuals can defy the odds; nothing is impossible.

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Publisher’s GUEST

Derrick has been a member of S.A. Police for over 30 years, being awarded the inaugural S.A. Police Bravery Medal in 1989 when, prior to STAR (Special Tasks And Rescue) Group, he and his partner wrestled a gun from the hands of the man intent on shooting them. He also has a long history of community involvement ranging some 30 years and was awarded an Australia Day Young Citizen of the Year Award.

The high level of interest in Derrick’s story combined with his presentation skills and leadership qualities has resulted in a demand for his services as a motivational and professional development speaker.

DG: Derrick, what qualities of a leader do you think are the most important with your most extraordinary experience, and which of these qualities are often absent in the business community?

barrier or obstacle.

definitely a passion for STAR Group too.

4. Plan – Just simply ‘some’ idea of how you’re going to make it happen. If you have the plan before the incident, by contingency planning, you are more likely to have an outcome by design rather than outcome by good fortune or misfortune.

Keeping the balance between the two was easy for me though - family - every time.

And in the moment I needed them most, after the shooting, they were definitely there for me too.

5. Support – we need to know where our support systems are and be prepared to ask for that help.

These are the things that made the difference for me after the shooting. I was fortunate to have put them all in place without realising it. Now that I reflect back, I realise just how much of a difference they made for me.

DG: You’re a motivational speaker and a mentor, but how about your family. You,

DG: Could you share with us the most fascinating experience from your guest speaking career?

DM: Meeting sensational people, travelling to exotic places and staying in luxury resorts are all really nice. However, there are a couple of moments that come instantly to mind that outweighs all of that.

The first is when I had the opportunity to stand on the speaking stage with the Doctor who saved my life – Dr. Bill Griggs,

When I was lying on the ground, bleeding to within 30 seconds of death, the only thing I wanted was to return to my family. Thinking about my family gave me the drive and determination to keep fighting to live.

DM: I run a leadership program called ‘Inside Your Head’ aimed at developing confidence, courage and capacity in our leaders and teams. The program works on developing five areas of a person’s or team’s outlook on life. The five areas are:

guys, must be a gutsy bunch to get through everything, to stay in high spirits as you do and to keep helping others to become better. What advice do you have for a busy businessperson for keeping their family climate healthy?

1. Optimism – people need to believe there is something better than what they already have and they want it for themselves. With an optimistic perspective, people will be prepared to push through obstacles to get what they want.

DM: Keeping the family/work balance is always an intricate balancing act. For me, I identified my biggest passion and made sure that everything I did was in furtherance of enjoying it. My family has always been my biggest passion. When I was lying on the ground, bleeding to within 30 seconds of death, the only thing I wanted was to return to my family. Thinking about my family gave me the drive and determination to keep fighting to live.

2. Influence – people need to believe they can influence their future. When you give people the power to influence the future, you inspire them and give them confidence and courage.

3. Purpose – everyone knows that you need to know What your purpose is, but I think it’s more important to know Why it’s your purpose. If the Why is important enough to you, you’ll push through any

However, I also had a passion for being the best STAR Group operator that I could be. I had been driven enough to become a specialist diver, then a specialist Sniper and then a specialist in counter-terrorist tactics trained by the Army SAS. So there was

a sensational Doctor and a sensational person too. When he made the statement “I think he’s the sickest person I’ve ever treated that has survived”, it sent shivers down my spine and still does.

The other amazing thing was when I was speaking to a lecture theatre full of the most eminent doctors, surgeons and paramedics when a person at the back of the room started snoring quite loudly.

But there was something odd, it just didn’t seem right to me and I asked audience members to check on him.

No one moved. I asked again and still no one moved. I was sure it didn’t seem right so I came off stage to check on him and it turned out that the poor man was having a heart attack and was having trouble breathing. The irony of it was quite amazing, in a room full of the most eminent medicos, a man nearly died of a heart attack. When I meet people from that conference it’s still the first thing they talk about. G

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Feature

GWP Magazine’s 2010 Annual Cruise Lights Up the Harbour!

By Larry Woldenberg

Personally, I don’t know how Dmitry and his team manage to put on such great events while steadily expanding his publishing, web development and graphic design media enterprise. But this year they did it again, putting on an unbelievable cruise event featuring Australia’s rock icon Angry Anderson using acoustical accompaniment to put on a great show for those lucky enough to secure tickets. The occasion marked the 5th Anniversary of the magazine — no small accomplishment in itself.

The word must be getting out all over Sydney as many of our councillors including Robyn Preston and Peter Dimbrowsky from the Hills Shire Council and Paul Garrard from the Parramatta City Council attended along with the Hills Deputy Mayor, Clr Justin Taunton.

There were two Chamber of Commerce Presidents (Tony Moran of the Sydney Hills Business Chamber and Stig Falster of

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er Mel Frampton

fic art, Warrant Of (l-r) Dr. Jim Tagg ldiers so his of e nin Battalion with

Chatswood) as well as Marise Payne, Liberal Senator for NSW, and even the Ambassador of Ukraine in Australia Valentin Adamaitis.

Quite an honour roll!

There were over 120 guests including the magazine’s major advertisers and contributors and even the weather cooperated with a pleasant sun-drenched afternoon.

pport

of the 39th Su

Feature

Some of us didn’t know that much about the 39th Support Battalion but Mel Frampton told their story. As it turns out it was a fitting sequel to last year’s cruise when State MP Charlie Lynn MLC talked about the Kokoda Trail. For the Battalion is on on-going representation of the 18-21 year-olds and above who were

Angry Anderson

respect and wonderment. Angry even posed with guests in a special photo session to raise monies for future free concerts for the military.

To add to the occasion there was a special guest, Senior Constable Derrick McManus, who on 3 May 1994 was shot 14 times during South Australia’s longest running siege and survived.

Dmitry Greku , publisher/e ditor GWP Magaz ines

Dr. Jim Taggart (l-r) Dai Pritchard, Angry Anderson and Randle Waller

Dr. Jim Taggart AMD seems to have inherited the job of Master of Ceremonies as for the second year in a row he competently handled the microphone. It was also Remembrance Day and GWP wanted to show its appreciation for the everyday risks that our military takes to organise the participation of the 39th Support Battalion including Warrant Officer Mel Frampton and nine of his soldiers.

called up to compose an un-trained militia and sent over to Papua New Guinea to defend the Australian Mainland against the Japanese invasion. It turned out to be an historic and critical defense in the Southern Hemisphere World War II campaign.

Once their representatives’s presence was explained it created an atmosphere of both

Of course, the main presentation was Angry Anderson. Many people were wondering how Angry could sing to a group of business people. Would everyone be blasted off the ship? Some even hypothesised that the real Angry wouldn’t be there. But, no, he was and he solved the problem by doing a gig with two of Australia’s best acoustic guitarists: Dai Pritchard who played with Billy Thorpe and

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Feature Rose Tattoo and Randle Waller who played with Shania Twain.

hand-stapled handout on A5 paper. He then acknowledged his family member team including Svetlana and Daniel plus the

The playlist included Rock’Roll Outlaw, Rock’n Roll is King, We Can’t be Beaten and more. It actually consisted of a portion of Angry’s larger work consisting of an acoustic show on the history of Rose Tattoo entitled “35 Years as the Tatts, an Electric Story and Acoustic Performance”. If you ever get a chance to hear this, by all means go. I was amazed at the timbre and depth of Angry’s singing. He is a premier Blues singer. Everyone enjoyed the performance accompanied by the beautiful Harbour surroundings as seen through the high glass wall of the Bella Vista cruise boat.

close associates including photographer Francesca Surace of STILZ Fotografika, Wendy and Xabier Goñi of X Designs, and myself as Staff Writer.

All and all, it was another successful chapter in the on-going story of GWP Magazine. Can’t wait to see what Dmitry does next year! G

Angry Anderson

Daniel Moisy eyev, Svetlana Greku, Angry and Dmitry G Anderson reku

I think I should mention the impeccable service of the Bella Vista as well. From the moment we boarded the ship there were champagne cocktails and drinks being circulated along with platters of delicious finger food. This was followed by a sit down meal with a seafood buffet. The food was scrumptious and servers were everywhere to cater to your every whim.

Dmitry also briefly told the history of GWP Magazine and how it all started as a 4-page

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unton

is, Clr. Justin Ta

lentin Adamait

e, H.E. Va is, Marise Payn (l-r) Alla Adamait u ek Gr y itr Svetlana and Dm

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Political Agenda

By Angry Anderson

Clever ‘Today’ for Truly Humanitarian ‘Tomorrow’ We live in a world where water is becoming more of a major issue every day; world analysts have been telling us for years now that future wars will be fought over water. We live in a time where countries are wanting to ‘change’ their borders in an effort to secure water rights from their neighbours. Age-old feuds and disputes will be re-ignited to this end, and wars will be fought over food as well — these two staples being fundamentals for survival.

In this current atmosphere, we are told we must not build any more dams to collect and store water, aka ‘God’s bounty’, but we must build very costly and polluting desalinisation plants to be run by profit-driven private companies with enough water.

Meanwhile, Australia can become wealthy and a major grower of fresh foods for our region enabling us to make a significant contribution to our geographical regional stability.

Our main buyer would most likely be China, which would ensure our ongoing relationship with a true world super-power.

This just might aid us in addressing a range of subjects including their shocking record of abuses of human rights - i.e., the jailing and torture of millions of their own people for the practice of Fulan Gong, their trade in endangered animal furs and the slaughter of sharks to name a few.

The world will demand more energy every year as the world’s population grows, yet we are told we must cut down our dependence on fossil fuels and never consider nuclear power as a future fuel to ease the burden of demand. Australia will grow wealthy and

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independent from the minerals in our soil; this may be a long bow to draw, but the last time there was a push to take us back to the Stone Age Pol Pot was rampaging thru Cambodia trying to turn back time. It wasn’t going to work then and it will not work now!

My views on world population may be considered extravagant or extremist, and perhaps won’t be condoned until it becomes obvious to all that our growing world population cannot be sustained. We must

honourable thing when it comes to the distribution of our country’s wealth. Our water, our minerals, our farmlands, and our energy sources must be used to give all Australians a better life first, and then we can contribute to the lives of others.

We do not live in an ideal world and we never will, but if we are ever to answer the questions asked by the Divine, we must use the gift of our collective intelligence to overcome all the obstacles that living in the modern world brings.

Australia can and must become a wealthy Nation, not through over-populating, but through clever ‘today’ management to enable us to make a real and lasting contribution to the World that will be truly humanitarian ‘tomorrow’. build more dams to collect and use the gift of water. We must mine our minerals, including uranium, knowing that the technology already exists, or will be developed, to solve the problem of waste.

Australia can and must become a wealthy Nation, not through over-populating, but through clever ‘today’ management to enable us to make a real and lasting contribution to the World that will be truly humanitarian ‘tomorrow’.

We won’t achieve this by selling off our precious resources to foreign powers.

They can’t be relied upon to do the

We will not do this by dragging ourselves back in time to a ‘utopian age’, nor will we reach our full potential as a race by practicing cultural retardation. I believe we have been given an opportunity to learn from our mistakes to grow in wisdom and in practice. The Divine dictates that no mistakes are made in the natural order of things, and that all things are meant to happen for a purpose. G

For your feedback please contact Angry at: e | angrytat@gmail.com

Political Agenda

The Hon. Charlie Lynn - Member of the Legislative Council

The Illusion of Green Power A green-feathered ostrich with its head stuck firmly in the sand would be a fitting symbol for the new Rainbow Coalition under Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Greens leader, Bob Brown. These two high-priests of the political left are pursuing an agenda that could see us become ‘the poor white trash of Asia’ as predicted by Lee Kwan Yew, former Prime Minister of Singapore, more than a decade ago.

Nations, like individuals in the free world, will only achieve their potential if they are able to develop their natural resources to their maximum ability.

Australia has been blessed with an abundance of these in the form of minerals, energy, forestry, agriculture and aquaculture.

Our geographic position on the Pacific Rim provides easy access to booming markets in China, Japan and South East Asia. We are indeed a ‘lucky country’ with abundant reserves of natural energy (gas, coal and uranium), a democratic political system, a free enterprise economy, and a skilled workforce.

In recent years these advantages have led to a smug prosperity amongst the nonproductive middle class. To ease the guilt of their inheritance they engage in much chatter about the meaning of life and join crusades to help the poor, empower the oppressed, eliminate discrimination and save the planet.

Whilst these are noble goals a drive around their leafy suburbs indicates their chatter is not matched with any commensurate form of personal divestment.

They seem more content to channel their guilt into feel-good environmentalism via Green front organisations such as GetUp. The Greens have therefore emerged as the movement most likely to attract the do-gooders and the disenfranchised. They

have replaced Labor’s loony left as the custodians of political correctness and the champions of illegal immigrants, drug addicts, terrorists, criminals and any other misfit with a cause.

Whilst they pontificate on the evils of capitalism they are happy to live off the benefits that accrue from it much as parasites feed off arteries. The roots of their political philosophy lie in the discredited

the combined total of America, Europe and Japan. Our Asia-Pacific neighbours - Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea, Japan, and the Philippines – have all gone nuclear to meet future energy needs. There are 1,600 dams under construction around the world to harvest water and guarantee food security.

Here in Australia the Greens will not allow a single power plant, coal-fired or nuclear,

We are set to become the poor Green trash of Asia if we don’t get our heads out of the sand. ideologies of communism and socialism.

Their guise is environmentalism and their propaganda is based on feel-good causes that appeal to the young and the gullible.

We all know the major sources of energy - oil, gas, coal and uranium are finite whilst water, wind and sun are infinite or ‘renewable’. Unfortunately the technologies necessary to replace natural resources with renewables are not yet viable.

The evolution of Labor’s new rainbow coalition with the Greens poses a serious threat to our economic potential and our national security. This is no surprise to those who are aware of their radical political agenda.

to be built to generate cheap electricity.

Although we live on the second driest continent on the planet they will not allow a single dam to be built to drought-proof the country.

Their answer is a carbon tax to fund renewable energy alternatives. The feelgood factor is more important to them than soaring electricity bills, declining production and loss of sovereignty over vital national assets.

Lee Kwan Yew was wrong. We are set to become the poor Green trash of Asia if we don’t get our heads out of the sand. G For more topics and to contact Charlie Lynn, please visit www.charlielynn.com.au/blog/

Our trading partners have no such inhibitions in meeting the energy demands of their expanding economies.

China’s investment in coal-fired and nuclear power stations is now more than

GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

21

business ADVICE

Darryn Fellowes, Wealth Adviser - Skeggs Goldstien

Is It Now Time to Share the Risks and the Rewards?

Operating a business on your own can become increasingly more difficult as your business grows and expands.

And for many business owners, taking the next step to grow and expand your business may require additional skills, knowledge and capital to help drive the business forward.

Also, other issues such as family pressure, health concerns, multiple business locations, retention of staff and business succession are some of the many reasons small business owners establish business partnerships.

Forming a business partnership presents an exciting opportunity for all partners, but it also requires careful planning to be successful.

It’s the questions you don’t ask that are often the most important!

Most people going into partnerships have generally had some form of previous business or personal relationship with the prospective partner(s). Due to this existing personal relationship it is often difficult for business partners to objectively assess their prospective partners personal and business qualities. If you are considering entering a new partnership, you should consider asking your prospective partner(s) these questions: • Why are you going into business?

• Why are you going into business with other business partners?

• What are your expectations?

• Will all business partners be active in the business?

• What will be each business partner’s role?

• Do other members of your family understand and support your commitment to the new business?

• Are all business partners prepared to

22 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

disclose their financial information to the other partner?

• How much cash and/or other assets will each business partner be prepared to initially commit to the business?

• How much cash and/or other assets will each business partner be prepared to lose if the business fails?

• Have you agreed on a clearly documented business plan including budgets, cash flows and a regular transparent business plan update schedule?

3 Steps to Build a Successful Business Partnership To minimise the risk of partnership failure, it is recommended potential business partners develop a plan for the new business, document the terms of the partnership arrangement, and purchase appropriate business insurance to protect future partnership assets.

1. Business Life Planning The first step is to ensure you and your business partner share the same values, standards and ethics but not necessarily the same skills. Once you have determined this to be the case, you and your partner should consider participating in a “Business Life Planning” process to document and agree upon the future direction of the new business, expectations of each partner, and timelines to achieve agreed business outcomes/targets. More information on this process is contained in our previous article in Issue 29 – March/April 2010.

2. Partnership/Shareholders Agreement Once you have reached both a consensus and an alignment you need to document the terms and conditions of the partnership arrangement. This is often the most difficult part of the partnership building process as it requires partners to commit to certain courses

of action that are not necessarily favourable.

It resolves and documents key issues such as disputes, valuations, sale of the business, dealing with lack of performance and an agreed process for potentially admitting new partners into the business.

3. Buy/Sell Agreement and Insurance Once the Partnership/Shareholders Agreement has been completed, the final step is to ensure your partnership assets are protected in the event of the death or permanent disablement of a business partner. Buy/sell business arrangements are used by business partners who want to ensure that upon their departure from the business due to an involuntary event (death, disability, or serious illness): • there is a pre-determined agreed price for their interest of the business • their business interest transfers smoothly to the surviving business owner(s) and • funding is available to fund this transfer.

Once the agreement is in place, implementing an insurance policy to fund the transfer of a business interest is one way of minimising partnership risk. G If you are considering entering into a Business Partnership and want to discuss your individual needs, contact Skeggs Goldstien to arrange an initial obligation free consultation.

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

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GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

23

business ADVICE

Ian Fry - Frys Energywise

Don’t Get Sucked in by Electricity Wasters As business becomes more and more dependent on technology to operate, it is easy to lose track of the biggest electricity wasters in the office. Saving money on rising electricity bills is not only about understanding how much energy is used during productive hours but also how much is wasted when equipment is idle.

One of Australia’s largest energy suppliers, Origin Energy, estimates that between 40 and 89 percent of the total energy used from computer equipment could be attributed to standby power for some machines. It also estimates that a desktop computer used for eight hours a day could generate over 600 kilograms of greenhouse gases each year.

Standby power flies under the radar as a significant contributor to rising electricity bills. It is often called vampire power because it commonly sucks away energy during the night.

Similarly, the NSW Government’s Save Power website* states that a computer and monitor (not ENERGY STAR® enabled) left on for a year generates the same amount of carbon pollution as a car travelling from Sydney to Perth.

The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART), the New South Wales pricing regulator, has confirmed up to a 64 percent increase in electricity prices in NSW. The price increases are due to the rising costs associated with maintaining the energy networks and the Federal Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS).

Ian Fry, principal of Frys Energywise, a business specialising in energy saving products and services, said “Both business and home owners were feeling the stress from ever increasing electricity prices but that a change in habits could ease the pressure.

“Straightforward measures like switching off your computer at the end of a working day can lower the running cost to approximately $40 per year or a potential saving of $95 per computer (based on 10 hours usage, five days per week),” said Mr Fry. “Switching off other machines such as photocopiers and printers will result in additional savings.”

24 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

“Just utilising the power down feature when a computer system is idle for more than thirty minutes will make a significant contribution to reducing emissions and energy bills,” said Mr. Fry. Employees should be encouraged to always turn off office equipment after hours and on weekends, switching them not just into sleep mode but off at the powerpoint.

Turning office equipment and appliances off each day should be easy to implement if businesses take advantage of clever energy saving products such as the Footswitch from Frys Energwise.

The handy Footswitch, which attaches via an extended lead to its own surgeprotected 6-point powerboard, allows you to turn off a group of computers or other office equipment all in one go.

“The Footswitch is placed in an easily accessible area and stops you from having to crawl under the desk or reach behind the equipment to turn the power switches on or off,” said Mr. Fry.

“There is no reason why trying to save money on your business’s power bill needs to become a burden if all employees get into the habit of turning off the Footswitch just like the lights at the end of the work day.”

Other strategies to improve an office’s energy usage include purchasing laptops rather than standard desktop computers as they use dramatically less energy, as well as office equipment that is Energy Star compliant, an international standard for energy efficient electronic equipment. G

The Footswitch retails for $29.95 and is available online at www.frysenergywise. com.au. Frys Energywise offers a range of energy saving products as well as energy assessments and advice on preparing your business for the increasing costs in electricity. * www.savepower.nsw.gov.au For further information please call Ian Fry. Frys Energywise p | 02 9899 2825 m | 0433 466 755 e | getwise@frysenergywise.com.au w | www.frysenergywise.com.au

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GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

25

business ADVICE

Workers Compensation – be Alert not Alarmed Avoid the pitfalls in OH&S & Workers Comp claims by planning for a positive outcome Jason Thompson, General Manager Broking & Workers Compensation - IC Frith & Associates Most senior executives and line managers tend to focus on managing and minimising the fall-out from a workers compensation case, rather than instead focussing on streamlining and communicating processes designed to reduce the incidence and lower the level of litigation and pay-out exposure.

And it’s this prevailing lack of preparedness and alertness that so often results in organisations forking out far more in claims than they really should. By putting in place tightened and well-communicated OH&S processes and workplace behaviour, you can usually reduce the incidence of claims and the $ value of those claims as well.

That’s why being alert and not alarmed and being on the front foot whenever you can - not always a step behind, can be so beneficial for an organisation in terms of optimising cost efficiencies and reducing the overall level of exposure to risk.

This is achieved through a combination of proactive strategies.

So what are some of the measures that can be implemented proactively?

• Strategic management of Occupational Health&Safety (OHS) • Clear processes and guidelines covering Human Resources.

Culture in a workplace also influences an employee’s attitude and approach when they are injured and returning to work. A consistent approach in terms of organisation-wide management of injuries in the workplace is vital along with the way this is communicated internally and externally.

Although many businesses have a positive approach to assisting an injured worker from the insurers/agents’ perspective, the perception by the workers is not measured and focused on enough resulting in negative misconceptions which will endeavour to create barriers before the

26 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

first compensation dollar is actually paid.

The communication strategy when executed properly can also have a further advantage as it can send a message that is “loud and clear” not allowing excuses for workers not to return to work and therefore remove any barriers. This includes, but is not limited to, effective return to work programmes and preferred occupational health doctors and rehabilitation providers that understand your business.

Human Resources (HR) departments can also influence the impact and or negate a claim by implementing and/or reviewing prudent policies and procedures. This forms part of a proactive measure, not only for HR but also OHS purposes, as it mitigates your liability in a number of “stress” or “bullying and harassment” claims that should never get past first base.

Although it appears that this is the new “RSI” in the workplace, there are a high volume of claims that could have been declined as the lodgement was actually a response to disciplinary processes.

By dotting the “i”s and crossing the “t”s executives could make their lives a whole lot easier.

Instead, it is a common occurrence that policies or procedures have holes in them, or the execution was poor in following due process. When this takes place, claims are accepted due to the process itself not being satisfactory and, to rub salt into the wound, executives then have the challenge of managing the injured worker and providing the appropriate RTW solutions as well.

Many businesses have a very good informal OHS system and aim at providing a safe system of work to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees, visitors and contractors in the workplace. The positive side to this is that the organisation or business unit already has a good safety culture, but the downside is the lack of documentation that can be argued implies it is not actually official policy.

This leads to the following problems: • Nil or minimal defence against any workers compensation claims • Nil or minimal defence against any common law action • Nil or minimal defence to mitigate prosecutions and/or fines • Will increase the price or an insurer may decline to quote on general insurance products such as Liability, Management Liability, and in particular Statutory Liability and Employment Practices Liability to name just a few.

Developing OHS policies and procedures is just the beginning of the process. Identifying, assessing, controlling, monitoring, reviewing, communicating and consulting should be dynamic in nature and if they are not followed or kept up to date, the likelihood of failure is high. A common theme in OHS is that if it isn’t documented it didn’t happen; so absolutely everything should be documented.

Pitfalls for workers compensation do exist and can be better managed from a proactive perspective. OHS management does not solely rest with just the affected division or department, but should encompass proactive Human Resource practices and ongoing risk analysis to continuously improve all policies and procedures across the entire organisation. G

So in regards to trying to reduce your number of workers comp claims, be alert and not alarmed. Why? Because ultimately it’s cheaper, easier, and better for workplace culture too.

IC Frith & Associates p | 02 8853 9100 w | www.icfrith.com.au

GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 速

27

business ADVICE

Scott Tyler, Managing Director - Brightblue Marketing

5 Ways to Optimise Your Website for 2011 The start of every year is an ideal time to review the year that’s been and to set some objectives for the year ahead.

A thorough business review should also include the performance of your website. Is it an accurate reflection of your business? Does it effectively communicate your brand? Does it generate enquiries or sales? Is it easily found on the web?

reasons clients engage your services or purchase your products. This is a great way to segment your market. We call these different segments “Buyer Personas”. You need to prepare specific web pages and navigation for each major Buyer Persona, identifying customer benefits and helping site visitors through their decision making process. This will greatly assist your ability to resonate with prospective clients visiting your website.

Your website should also play a major role in helping achieve your business goals and growth plans for the New Year. Will you be launching a new product or service? Are you trying to attract a particular market segment? How is your website supporting these ambitions?

3. Set-up Navigation with the site visitor in mind A great way to review the appropriateness of your site navigation is to assess your website as if you were a prospective client.

What information do you think they would be looking for and in what order? Is your navigation structure logical from their perspective? Does it facilitate their decision making process and help drive an action?

Do you make it easy for them to contact you or leave their details?

In this article I have provided five ways to optimise your website for 2011.

1. Establish a Clear strategy Whenever we perform a website assessment on behalf of a client, the most common issue we see is that there is no clear website strategy. There are only two strategies you can consider when it comes to a business related website. You either want the website to (1) generate enquiries or (2) sales. If it does neither then it is little more than an online brochure.

Ask yourself: “Over the last 12 months, what has your website achieved for your business?”

2. Understand your customer It is true what they say, a Company that sells to everyone sells to no one.

It is important to know exactly whom your business is serving. One way to approach this task is to identify all the different

28 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

4. Attract more traffic Creating and publishing a website does not guarantee that anyone will visit your site. In order to increase website traffic you need to invest in search engine optimisation. If you are particularly serious about appearing on the first page of Google be prepared to committing to an ongoing investment in SEO. Other ways of driving traffic to your website include providing links via email marketing, social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) and offline marketing campaigns (such as direct mail).

5. Measure traffic It is important to analyse your search engine traffic in order to fine-tune your website content. In order to do this you need to have a good idea of not only how much

search traffic you’re pulling in, but also which sections of content are driving value.

Below are a few metrics that webmasters and bloggers are typically interested in. For more information on how to measure these metrics consult your webmaster: • Number of visitors • Page views • Page/visit • Time spent on site • Bounce rate • Referring sites/pages • Search engine keywords • Geographic location So how are you planning to leverage your website for 2011? What role will it play in helping you achieve your business growth plans? Your website should be the cornerstone of your marketing. As a result it is imperative that it is optimised to ensure you are maximsing the returns to your business.

Good luck and all the best for 2011. G Is your website generating leads or sales for your business? Is it time your website was optimised? If you would like a free website assessment please contact Brightblue Marketing. At Brightblue Marketing we’re reshaping business.

Brightblue Marketing Suite 710, 12 Century Circuit Norwest Business Park NSW 2153 p | +61 2 9762 1255 e | info@iibe.com.au http://www.linkedin.com/in/scotttyler t | www.twitter.com/scott_tyler w | www.brightbluemarketing.com.au

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GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ÂŽ

29

business advice

Stephen Frost, Managing Director - BREED Local Community Partnership

Partnering for Tenders Have you ever faced the daunting task of wanting to tender for a contract but your organisation lacks the expertise to deliver every facet of the tender scope?

If you have, rather than walk away, use this as a prime opportunity to extend your business by buying in the expertise by way of developing a partnership or an alliance with organisations that have the required skill sets and experience that you lack.

Partnerships bring the benefit of “economy of scale” with the sharing of both responsibility and funding requirements.

You may have a limited amount of time, resources, skills and money to secure a contract in your own right but partnering can help you develop and submit a successful tender.

Focus your firm’s resources on what you do best and what creates your sustainable competitive advantage and tap into the resources of others for the rest. In the new economy, strategic alliances enable businesses to gain competitive advantage through access to a partner’s resources, including markets, technologies, capital and people.

Teaming up with others adds complementary resources and capabilities, enabling participants to grow and expand more quickly and efficiently. Fast-growing companies rely heavily on alliances to extend their technical and operational resources. In the process, they save time and boost productivity by not having to develop their own from scratch. This frees them to concentrate on innovation and their core business.

Some of the elements of best practices for effective, sustainable partnerships are: Commitment. The most important element

30 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

of a successful partnership is one of commitment. Each partner must be totally committed to the project.

how any disputes will be addressed, before entering into a partnership. This will save a lot of pain later should a dispute evolve.

Willingness. In addition to being committed, partners must be willing to contribute equally to the partnership. Lopsided partnerships, such as projects where all resources are provided externally, are not true partnerships. Rather, a true partnership is one where there is equal contribution to the project, equal acceptance of the responsibilities, equal ownership of the project and equal share of the benefits.

By working in partnership it will develop your skills and those of your staff, growing and developing your organisation in areas that otherwise may not have been possible.

Implementation. Partners can be committed and willing but they must also be prepared to implement the project within a common set of rules, regulations and agreements.

Trust. A partnership involves more than simply working together. People in partnership must trust one another.

Ownership. One of the most powerful motives for a partnership is self-interest.

Each partner should have an equal stake in and accept joint ownership of the project.

Transparency. In any partnership there must be a level of honesty and transparency.

Partners should be accountable to each other and to the target beneficiaries they are ultimately serving.

Business Culture. A partnership needs to be based on a business-like culture in terms of commitment and time. Too often, a partnership fails because the partners do not take the time to make it work. In your own business you treat it very seriously, devoting time and energy to making it work and ensuring that scheduled activities are responded to in a timely manner. The same is required of the partnership.

It is important to document the: who, what, when, where, and why plus the procedure of

Working in partnership is one of the most realistic and effective ways of getting things done and achieving what you cannot deliver on your own. However, the success of the partnership depends on the partners.

As partners there are responsibilities and commitments that must be assumed, both in terms of what the partners should be doing, and also regarding the inputs that are required to make the partnership work. The partners need to be committed to making the partnership succeed, and that means taking their responsibilities seriously. G Stephen Frost is Managing Director of BREED Community Partnership, a member of the Business Education Community Alliance Partnership Brokers with offices across Western Sydney.

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GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 速

31

business ADVICE

John Hagerty, Business Coach and Corporate Advisor - Be Business

4 Facts and Fantasies about Getting Investors into Your Business With traditional debt funding from banks getting harder to obtain, sourcing growth capital is a challenge for many private businesses today.

See table below (a) for sectors in order of popularity (a)

Will additional funding make a significant difference to your ability to execute your compelling business strategy? PwC Private Clients Norwest Partner John Shim says: “Funding continues to be a challenge so it’s important that private businesses consider all the options available to them including private equity, angel investors and venture capital.”

Fantasy 1: My idea is so brilliant only an idiot would let it pass them by!

Fact: Investors don’t invest in ideas, they invest in people and results. I’m a big fan of Wholesale Investor magazine. It has a database of over 10,000 wholesale investors and conducts a survey on investor sentiment every quarter. Steve Torso, the magazine’s Managing Director, is very clear on what investors consider a high value opportunity: “The number one consideration for investors when making an investment decision is the management team, as management strength is a strong indicator of the potential of that business. Proof of concept and sector come after that.”

Mr. Torso also highlights the importance of using a corporate advisor to help you through the capital raising process.

“Investors like to have the business explained to them by the CEO because they want to see that the CEO can sell the business but investors want to deal with professionals. Corporate advisors can assist the entrepreneur to structure the deal right and bring reality to the table whereas sometimes the entrepreneur may be too stubborn or ‘blue-sky’ in their thinking.”

32 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

(b) Fantasy 2: I don’t need an exit strategy Fact: Believe it or not, investors are actually interested in getting their money back one day. No exit strategy, no investment.

If you can’t imagine selling part or all of your business, then you need to consider how else you will get the investors’ money back to them with an attractive return within an acceptable timeframe.

Fantasy 3: My private business is not sexy enough to attract investors Fact: The chart above (b) clearly shows that more than 60% of investors surveyed are interested in private businesses.

Fantasy 4: Investors secretly want to take over my business Fact: Being responsible for producing results in your business is the last thing investors want. They are more than happy for you to carry this burden for them.

Giving up equity does not mean giving

up control. Your shareholders agreement determines who holds control and under what circumstances this can change.

If you survived this reality check and would like to raise capital for expansion or exit, then please contact us to discuss a no obligation investor-ready or exit-ready assessment. G Graphs courtesy of Wholesale Investor National Survey April-June 2010

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

GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 速

33

TELECOM

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

Get Productive with the New Windows Phone The new mobile phone market is more competitive than it has ever been.

Apple’s iPhoneTM and Google’s Android have introduced a series of innovations aimed at consumers that have made ‘smartphones’ more powerful than ever.

Now Microsoft® has upped the ante with its latest phone operating system, one that’s equally at home in business and leisure environments.

Windows Phone 7 brings Microsoft’s decades of application expertise and user knowledge to the mobile phone, combining the familiarity of Windows® with a fresh, optimised touch-screen interface that’s especially designed to make your phone as easy to use as possible. Combined with the reliability of Telstra’s market-leading Next GTM mobile network, you get a business productivity solution that delivers in the office and on the road. Leading phone manufacturers, including HTC, have already signed up to offer Windows Phone 7 at launch, and the range of handsets will increase in the months following its launch.

Windows Phone 7 works seamlessly with Microsoft Exchange, the most common email platform, meaning you can easily access your emails, calendar, notes and contacts no matter where you are. And familiar tools from the Microsoft Office suite PowerPoint, Word, Excel and OneNote are built directly into the operating system and let you become productive right from the get-go. In particular, native support for SharePoint, the company’s software for building company intranets and sharing documents and other information, is now built into a Microsoft phone platform for the first time, making collaborating with your colleagues easier than ever before.

34 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

Microsoft has offered mobile versions of Windows since 2000. While Windows Phone 7 builds on that heritage it has been coded from the ground up with the end user at the heart of the design to build a phone that’s equally capable with work tasks and the rest of your life. Microsoft’s own research suggests that almost twothirds of users utilise their phone more for business tasks than for personal use.

Window’s phone 7 is the first mobile phone

market-leading Office suite of business tools), People (for staying in touch with colleagues, business partners, family and friends) and Marketplace (for adding new applications).

On a business phone, security is a vital consideration: nobody wants to lose vital business data to a malicious hacker, Like all Microsoft software, Windows Phone 7 was developed using Microsoft’s Secure

Windows Phone 7 Delivers A Simple, Consistent Interface that Takes Advantage of Touchscreen Technology. operating system designed to prioritise and simplify business tasks, while also offering the features you want outside the office to make your life simpler. It combines the best of Microsoft’s existing software - its Office desktop suite and its Windows Live technology – into a single device to meet all your needs on the road.

DESIGNED FOR SIMPLICITY Windows Phone 7 delivers a simple, consistent interface that takes advantage of touchscreen technology while also ensuring you can easily navigate on the phone without requiring extensive training or leaving you constantly hunting for the relevant part of the screen to tap.

Dedicated Start, Search and Back buttons help to access your key functions with a simple click no matter what you’re doing.

The Windows Phone 7 experience is built around the series of hubs which enable you to easily access the tools you want in a range of areas. Core hubs include Office (for productivity, incorporating the

Development Lifestyle approach, where security is a key consideration throughout the design process, not something that’s been bolted of afterwards.

Window’s Phone 7 also has built-in support for the security features businesses need to help to ensure their own data remains safe, including the ability to remotely wipe the device if it is lost or stolen and to prevent users from exporting sensitive data via an SD card slot or through synchronisation with an unauthorised PC. G

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 34 | January / February 2011 速

35

Lifestyle

Corporate and Personal Forces

The

Behind Modern Jewellery

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

It is interesting to explore the personal and corporate forces behind modern jewellery.

Who creates it, who buys it and why?

Jewellery may be the oldest art. It has always meant something important to almost all the human race. Sometimes it has been money, sometimes a prayer to the gods, sometimes a status boast or an invitation to seduction, almost always a reflection of character and a contribution to beauty. Jewellery style is poised between the requirements of dress on the one hand and of airing one’s importance and personality on the other, even of expressing one’s religion and enlisting the magical help of one’s gods; it has the background, too, that artists in every medium at any period speak to some extent with a common language.

Why does talk about fashion in clothes usually lead to purchasing, whereas talk about new styles in jewellery so often leads only to more talk? Is the jewellery scene really becoming livelier? And if so, how?

Jewellery designers are now emerging into the public eye more than in centuries past and with their improved status are using better materials. All designers prefer to work in gold; nearly all of them use diamonds. Very few of them like the base metals. This may seem irrelevant, as who could possibly choose glass rather than diamonds, iron rather than gold?

Rene Lalique did and from 1905 had among his customers the richest people in France. He made some of his most important jewellery in glass and brass.

Julio Gonzales, a colleague of Picasso, son of a goldsmith and a modern abstract sculpturer, made lots of jewellery around 1910 in punched iron, probably none in gold. However, today there is a change

36 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

Lifestyle

Award winning

Designers & Manufacturers Since 1984

means; nobody can foretell what will be the corporate opinion of judges who do not know each other; nobody can be sure how the selected drawings will look when made up; nobody can know whether the made-up prize winners will in fact be sold or prove commercial tragedies.

If a competition is run by experienced retailers who think they know what sells easily, the results will be unexciting and will achieve no publicity; a jury of people that have developed an appreciation of beauty — especially in the arts — may make a startling choice and get the publicity, but the result may not be to the tastes of the shoppers. Artists are helped much more by a precise, personal brief from their client than by the chance verdict of a jury thousands of miles away which did not know what it is was looking for and which often does not even see its finished selection. Competitions are no more than the appetiser which should create better private patrons.

De Beers have helped to spread the lure of diamonds throughout society; it is no longer a matter of “diamonds for duchesses”.

The same goes for the Chamber of Mines of South Africa; they may have revived the fortunes of gold. Gold is often linked with Fort Knox and with money and often seems too precious and awe-inspiring to impinge on ordinary life. This fear of the legendary into a desire for the charming has been transformed.

back to solid quality, more gold, more diamonds and precious stones.

Much of this new emphasis in the world’s jewellery is due to the astonishing social revolution since 1945, the distribution of wealth, and the rise of the mass market.

In the wealthier countries many people can now buy jewellery, whereas fifty years ago only the rich could do so. The present enterprise in jewellery is due not only to changes in taste and spending power, but perhaps mainly to the colossal increase in the number of buyers. The spread of education, of newspapers and of television has brought a much wider appreciation of art. Apathy and caution naturally influence anyone buying and selling expensive jewellery – the risk of experiment can lead to bankruptcy, and thus our designs are so influenced with less money risked and more enterprising designs.

Another cause of the new trend is the Science of Publicity – it helps one’s image;

a lively image helps sales and the only way to get publicity is to provide news. Hence the unexpected recent gallivanting of some of the oldest and most dignified retailers.

They need the publicity which young designers can get them to harness and locate the new purchasing power wherever it may be.

However, most of our dynamic enlightenment has come from De Beers.

The main driving forces behind the publicity enlightenment; they set up International design competitions, and advertised diamonds in most of the wealthiest countries in the world and have set up diamond publicity committees in eleven of them. Giant corporations have the same power today as the great princes of the past. All credit to them for showing the same public spirit! But what they cannot have is personal taste, often so necessary to harness an artist’s vision. Competitions are the substitute and they are a matter of luck; nobody knows what the word ‘best’

Precious jewellery is now recognised as art, exhibited and enjoyed not as a menial disguise for minerals, but as a positive facet of human nature – a desire and a want that is now a need and a need that is readily fulfilled by most! G

Make an appointment to sit with Robert to create your exclusive jewellery design.

Robert Cliff Master Jewellers Shop 380A Castle Towers Castle Hill, NSW 2154 p | 02 8850 5400 e | office@robertcliffmasterjewller.com.au w | www.robertcliffmasterjewellers.com.au

GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

37

Lifestyle

Leonay Emu Sports Club Gets Ready for Another Record Year

by Larry Woldenberg

What financial downturn? The folks at Leonay Emu Sports Club are refusing to be dispirited and are busy forging ahead with what promises to be another record year in attendance and participation.

The year 2010 proved to be a banner year as the Melbourne Cup events were all packed out and the Oktoberfest celebration broke all kinds of records with 860 people

in attendance. The beer steins were overflowing and the foot-stomping German folk dancing could be felt as far away as Hyde Park.

This coming weekend as I write this article is also bound to break attendance records as people camp out for the annual Christmas Caroling Event. Well over 1,000 people are expected to attend as the Christmas Festivities keep gaining in popularity.

So expect more of the same in 2011. The always popular meat tray raffles will start up again on Friday, the 21st of January. And the Sunday Special Breakfasts which have been getting increasing patronage because

38 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

they’re only $5 and come with a free paper will re-commence on January 30.

Australia Day is the first Big Event. This year it falls on Wednesday January 26.

Michael, the CEO, promises burgers and mash for only $12 and golf at practically half price ($12 versus the normal $23). There will be live music from 3-7pm along with the popular meat tray raffle.

Following this is another blockbuster evening - Greek Night. Now the Germans had their fun, so why not the Greeks as well? Expect Greek dancing, music and food. You’ll taste dolmades (stuffed vine leaves), spanakopites (pasties stuffed with spinach and feta cheese), moussaka (Greece’s national dish), Greek salad, and baklava for a start with a host of other offerings. Sure to be a night Zorba would be proud of.

Then in February the fantastic Seafood Platter Special starts up again on Friday, February 4. After that it will continue the first Friday of every month. Priced at only $69 per couple or $134 for 4 people it’s been a real winner with patrons.

One final note. Because Club Members have no room hire charges if there are over 40 people, Function Room Bookings are fast filling up for the coming year. So plan ahead and avoid disappointment. G

Couples can also start thinking about Valentine’s Day. There will be a set menu with backing music and roses for the ladies.

It’s always good to book ahead.

Emu Sports Club Ultra Fit Studio | 02 4735 1192 Golf Memberships | 02 4735 5300 www.emusportsclub.com.au

Then comes another innovative event. On 26 February there is going to be a $30,000 poker tournament run by Ultimate Poker.

The Club is expecting 200 people, so it’s sure to be another big night.

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

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GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

39

Lifestyle

The Timeless Charm and Character of L ox l ey o n B e l l b i r d H i l l

By Paul Maher, Proprietor - Loxley on Bellbird Hill On September 28, 1833, 50 acres were granted to William Townsend by Sir Thomas Brisbane, Governor. Named Mt Pleasant, the historical notes show that ‘15 acres are to be cleared and improvements to the value of 75 pounds are to be made’.

In 1859 Sir Charles Moore, Director of Sydney Botanic Gardens, acquired the property. He was known to have visited the area in 1850 on a plant-collecting trip. The property became known as Loxley in 1863.

Recently on the 1st of December 2010, the Kurrajong-Comleroy Historical Society held a formal dinner at Loxley on Bellbird Hill to celebrate the 200th year anniversary of Governor and Mrs. Macquarie’s visit to the “Kurry Jung”. The Guest of Honour for the evening was Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, Governor of New South Wales and Sir Nicholas Shehadie AC OBE.

SHEER L U X U RY OF LOXLEY Nestled in Kurrajong Hills with sweeping views of the Hawkesbury Valley and Sydney Basin, Loxley on Bellbird Hill is a boutique resort suitable for every special occasion being located one hour from Sydney and 30 minutes from the Hills district.

The luxurious property has made its stamp on the memory of countless couples who have chosen it as a venue for their wedding celebrations over the years.

40 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

In fact over 35,000 families have celebrated weddings and/or dined at Loxley over the years — a testament to the magnificence of Loxley as a venue combined with the excellence of our customer service.

Besides the allure of Loxley’s first class facilities, there are many other magical

Bride in bridal suite

Lifestyle

moments awaiting guests – including embracing the 400-year-old turpentine tree in the property’s rainforest and the 150-year-old Kauri Tree planted by the original owners.

While approximately half of the clientele who visit our unique venue are celebrating their special day of unison, Loxley on Bellbird attracts a diverse market with international customers, corporate groups and a leisure market drawn by the charm,

character and historical significance.

There are many points of difference that mark our property as unique, and one that clearly identifies it is our mission statement ‘To consistently exceed our clients’ expectations by maintaining our customer service standards and empowering our staff to embrace a Can Do attitude’.

Excellent customer service is no longer an add-on at Loxley, it’s expected.

This superior service is evident in our repeat business record. From the minute guests arrive they are warmly greeted by staff and made to feel important and valued until they depart.

No matter what your special occasion, you can expect to be thoroughly spoiled and the meals prepared by Loxley’s chefs, using some of the best produce sought locally in the Hawkesbury region, are simply magnificent.

Loxley’s established gardens with peaceful ponds, water lilies, mature trees and expansive views provide an ideal setting for an elegant garden wedding.

Bride and Grooms

you are invited to visit winning unique weddinthis multi-award g venue at our

BRIDAL FAIR

Sunday 20th Februa

ry 2011

ENTRY FREE 993 Bells Line of Road Kurrajong Hills NSW 275 8 T. 02 4567 7711 E. loxley@iprimus.com.a u

www.loxleyonbe

llbirdhill.com.au

The stunning Kauri reception room with its timber-lined cathedral ceilings, highly polished timber floors and stone fireplace, creates a unique romantic ambience that is second to none.

Luxurious accommodation is available for guests and a bridal suite for the special couple. Loxley on Bellbird Hill can accommodate up to 50 guests on-site.

The chalets boast open fireplaces, loft bedrooms and large windows allowing the breathtaking view to be enjoyed form every part of your suite. G

The ultimate in sheer luxury, Loxley on Bellbird Hill is heaven on earth and the perfect place to celebrate every occasion or event. Please visit our website www.loxleyonbellbirdhill.com.au.

We look forward to satisfying all of your event needs.

edding Historial W

Loxley on Bellbird Hill 993 Bells Line of Road Kurrajong Hills, NSW P.O. Box 300 Kurrajong Hills, NSW, 2758 p | 02 4567 7711 f | 02 4567 8231 e | loxley@iprimus.com.au w | www.loxleyonbellbirdhill.com.au

Bridal party in gardens

GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

41

Government

2010 – a Year of Development and Opportunity in the Sydney Hills A strong economy, low unemployment, increased local job opportunities and the development of new infrastructure supporting business and residential growth in 2010 all provide indicators that the Sydney Hills is growing strongly.

A bright economic outlook The local economy continued to grow despite the global financial crisis.

According to economic modelling figures compiled by Compelling Economics, total sales by local companies has grown from $9.8 billion to $17.1 billion in three years, almost doubling the region’s contribution to the State economy.

Current unemployment figures are at an alltime low. Unemployment has fallen in the last 12 months and the local labour force stands at 100,480 - up by 2,597 in just one year.

Local jobs have increased from 44,000 in 2007 to 51,000 in 2010, and wages have increased from $2.4 billion to $4 billion – a sure sign of steady growth.

Providing a base for growth The role of The Hills Shire Council is to plan for the future and provide a framework to support the local economy to grow. Major infrastructure projects were completed in 2010 supporting the growth and development of the local economy - and more were begun to provide for the future.

Two of these projects included the completion of the Eastern Ring Road along Terminus Street, Castle Hill, followed by the beautification of the Castle Hill Main Street.

Together, these projects are designed to create a revitalised town - alive with activity day and night - attracting people to meet, shop, dine and spend locally.

This in conjunction with future plans to create a vibrant new ‘heart of town’ on the site of Council’s car park in Terminus Street with connectivity to other parts of town and links to a new transport hub will move towards transforming Castle Hill into a major centre as outlined in the Sydney Metropolitan Strategy.

The result will be more future commercial,

42 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

retail and residential opportunities leading to greater job opportunities and economic development in the heart of town.

Supporting local businesses and industry in the last financial year, Council approved commercial and residential construction with an estimated value of $825 million through the assessment of Development Applications – indicating that the Sydney Hills is bustling with new business and residential activity.

Business is booming and in 2010 more than 200 businesses approached Council for information and data to help them grow and prosper in the Sydney Hills. The largest number of business workshops ever held was offered to support the local business community.

During 2010, Council partnered with the Hills, Hawkesbury and Regional Tourism Association (HHART) to more effectively support the local tourism industry and encourage tourists to experience the region.

Another way to support the area came through the development of the Sydney Hills Business and Lifestyle portal – www.sydneyhills.com.au providing information for company owners looking to locate their business — and possibly their families — to the Hills.

Planning for the future The Sydney Hills will continue to grow

with the region expecting a population increase of a further 70,000 new residents by the year 2031. Following the upgrading of the Castle Hill Town Centre, upgrades will be planned for the Baulkham Hills and Carlingford town centres.

The Minister for Roads visited the region in 2010 and announced plans to begin upgrading Norwest Boulevard with the goal of supporting new business and workers in Norwest and Castle Hill. G Like to find out more?

Council’s Economic Development team have modelling and forecasting information available for local businesses to use and can drill data down to 109 sectors of the local economy.

Council can also help with research and data to support businesses looking to locate to the Sydney Hills. Confidential business information appointments with Council can be made by contacting Nick Keyko on 9762 1108.

You can also follow Council on Twitter and Facebook or visit investsydneyhills.com.au. p | 02 9843 0555 e | council@thehills.nsw.gov.au

Head for the Sydney Hills www.sydneyhills.com.au

Our experienced team can help you understand the local area with free research and information

Six great reasons to consider locating your business to the growing Sydney Hills:  World-class business parks  Commercial and industrial sites  Skilled local workforce

 Global companies  Growing population  Competitive real estate

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 34 | January / February 2011 ®

43

government

Parramatta.

A City of Opportunity Councillor John Chedid was elected Lord Mayor of Parramatta on 29 September 2010 having served as the Liberal Councillor for the Elizabeth MacArthur Ward since first being elected to Council in 2004.

our city’s status as one of the nation’s leading economies.

John is a local boy who grew up in Parramatta attending Rosehill Public Primary School and Arthur Phillip High School. John and his wife Monty continue to live in the Parramatta area and have three children: Bianca, Lanya and Joseph.

“I want Parramatta to be the model of

“Currently Parramatta is the centre of one of the fastest growing regions in Australia and is the sixth largest CBD in the nation – and we want to build on that,” Clr. Chedid said.

John is heavily involved in the local community at the grassroots level.

His priorities are supporting youth, seniors, small business, local charities and volunteers.

As a volunteer for the Police and Community Youth Club for over 15 years, John has been involved in fund raising and youth programs in close collaboration with the New South Wales Police.

“Parramatta has come a long way over such a short period of time and I want to ensure council provides the necessary support so that we can build on this momentum,” said Clr. John Chedid on being elected as Parramatta Lord Mayor last September.

“This includes a strong focus on our commercial districts so that our CBD continues to attract new workers and by developing an innovative approach to business. I’m confident we can cement

44 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

“To this end, council’s planning documents and its economic, tourism, events and cultural strategies are directed to forging the city’s identity as a place in which to live, to visit, to conduct business, and as a ‘magnet’ attracting investment and employment.

“The region offers a diverse industry base which includes food processing, manufacturing, information and communications technology, biotechnology, legal, accountancy and banking, construction, retail, community services, education, training, health, logistics, warehousing and tourism.

Council will also continue to build up and leverage its own strategic assets to create opportunities for new development and improve the organisation’s sustainability.”

A scientific officer by profession, John has worked for the past 15 years in the Medical Health Industry focusing on the clinical research and evaluation of diagnostic products.

A devoted Rugby League fan, John is the patron of the Ermington Sport and Recreation Club and works closely with the Dundas Neighbourhood Centre and Ermington Youth.

development as Australia’s international city and to function as the major business, employment and cultural centre in Western Sydney providing goods, services and cultural experiences to a future population of two million people.

Clr. John Chedid, Lord Mayor of Parramatta

economic growth in this country and set commercial benchmarks that other cities follow.

“In helping to forge this identity, Parramatta, as one of two primary centres in the metropolitan area (the other being Sydney), has accepted its responsibilities as outlined in the Metropolitan Plan for Sydney.

“Parramatta’s responsibilities are to play a dual role as a partner in Sydney’s

Clr. Chedid said the CBD is, and would remain, the focus of the city’s financial and insurance, property and business services, retail, hospitality and accommodation sectors supporting activities in the Westmead health and medical research precinct and the industrial sectors at Camellia, Rosehill and Rydalmere and beyond.

“With particular regard to Rydalmere, council is in the early stages of planning the development of an urban business park where a campus-style knowledge and business technology precinct could be developed with business links to the adjacent University of Western Sydney’s Parramatta campus.

“Parramatta has the opportunity, to leverage our firm foundation of highly qualified workers in the finance and business services sectors, the medical research and pharmaceutical sectors, and our advanced technological

government

manufacturing industries, to stimulate growth and attract high value add commercial enterprises to our city.”

Clr. Chedid continued: “In order to attract high-tech firms, to retain current businesses and to encourage small business enterprises, the city has to provide a range of amenities essential to meeting the

Clr. Chedid said another initiative to boost Parramatta’s “momentum” was the ParraConnect digital project, which commenced under the leadership of his predecessor, Clr. Paul Garrard, and which aims to make Parramatta a ‘connected city’.

He said a report to council noted: “Cities are all increasingly dependent

and innovation, makes its administration more efficient and productive and creates relationships of trust and participation between citizens and government and between citizens themselves”.

Clr. Chedid said that with the revolution in information technology and increasing globalisation, he fully supported Clr. Garrard’s view that “through ParraConnect, we are well on our way to becoming a smarter city”.

“The digital world is upon us and it is imperative that Parramatta grasp its opportunities to our advantage,” Clr. Chedid added.

Reflecting on the growth and development of Parramatta over the past 223 years, Clr. Chedid said: “From a very small entity in a clearing in the harsh Australian bush in 1788, Parramatta has progressed from being the centre of an agricultural producing and export area in the early 1800s, and the focus of a large manufacturing sector following the coming of the railway in 1855, to being a city with a diverse and substantial economy valued at about $15 billion and a workforce in excess of 86,000 people.

(l-r) Clr. John Chedid; Mike Baird, Shadow Treasurer of NSW Member for Manly; Roman Dechnicz, General Manager, Parramatta Chamber of Commerce

“The city, today, is the hub of government, commercial and economic activity in Western Sydney – its ‘capital’.

“Parramatta has the potential of ranking among the leading cities in Australia,” he said proudly.

Clr. John Chedid with his extended family

expectations of today’s knowledge workers.

These amenities included transport, cultural facilities, parks and river foreshore improvements, entertainment, dining and after-hours venues, events, and the character and heritage aspects of the city.

“We are endeavouring to make Parramatta rich in amenities, valuable in their own right to the quality of life of residents, workers and visitors, and as contributors to the overall economic development of Parramatta.”

on new information and communication technologies and smarter ways to collaborate and share knowledge. The evidence is growing that cities which invest in the platforms and infrastructure of open communication and collaboration are making their communities more liveable, attractive, sustainable and resilient.

When asked to sum up in a word what Parramatta offers investors, businesses, workers, residents and visitors, Clr. Chedid said unequivocally: “Opportunity”. G

“A city that is connected, makes the most of the skills and expertise of its citizens, provides a platform for new thinking

GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

45

FEATURE

Heath Davies, Director - worktivity

Are You Sure That’s What We Agreed?

Fair Work Australia, the federal government body that oversees employment matters in Australia, is now in place and for those who don’t know, it’s the renamed Australian Industrial Relations Commission. Also in place is the Fair Work Act which is a piece of legislation that sets the minimum conditions of employment in Australia.

The National Employment Standards (NES) set the minimum standards for all workers. These cover maximum weekly hours of work, requests for flexible working arrangements, parental leave, annual leave, personal carers and compassionate leave, community service leave, long service leave, public holidays, notice of termination, redundancy pay and the provision of a Fair Work information statement which must be given to all new employees.

Much has changed in the industrial/ workplace relations space including the introduction of Modern Awards. Many of the old Awards which governed employees’ pay and conditions have changed or have been rationalised effecting things such as rates of pay. A number of the Awards have been rationalised which means that the old Awards may have been replaced.

The conditions of employment that you may have been used to may have changed with this process and it is important that if your employees are covered by an Award that you check to ensure you are up to date. Many employers are not aware of the changes and haven’t implemented the requirements correctly.

We have always had minimum conditions of employment, but you need to be aware of any changes that have occurred recently and ensure that you comply. The employment contract between an employer and their employee or contractor isn’t just

46 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

a matter of agreeing to a wage or salary anymore. You must ensure it meets the minimum requirements.

Having made sure the minimum conditions are covered, you should then ensure that the employment arrangement is in writing and clearly sets out the agreed arrangement. You and your employee or contractor are going to have to live and

size and resources; however, as it turns out, they didn’t. This could have easily been avoided if they had done it correctly in the first place.

So what is the moral of the story? Make sure that your employment arrangements with your employee or contractor are clear and understood by both of you, so that there are no issues down the track. Let’s

Make sure that your employment arrangements with your employee or contractor are clear and understood by both of you, so that there are no issues down the track. abide by this arrangement. I can’t stress it enough, put it in writing and ensure it is clear to both of you. There is no point in writing a magnificently worded document if no one understands what it really means and you have to argue over the ambiguity later. Pointless, frustrating and damaging.

face it, when all is going fine there are no issues and no one looks at the documents.

However, if there is a need — perhaps for additional hours to be worked, performance issues or termination — then the documents will be dragged out and examined under the microscope.

When will I look at the letters you think?

Well, when there is an issue perhaps with pay, hours or performance. That’s when these letters are dragged out of the bottom drawer.

Get your employment arrangements including the details and the wording right at the beginning, and you will save time, energy and resources if anything doesn’t go as planned with your employees. G

Fair Work Australia handed a decision down recently where an employee started, no letter was signed, and shortly thereafter the employee’s performance wasn’t satisfactory and was terminated.

Much time and resources were put into dealing with this and determining when the employee actually started and what the employment arrangement was intended to be. The employer was a large company that really should have known better given their

worktivity p | 02 9043 2511 e | info@worktivity.com.au w | www.worktivity.com.au

GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 速

47

FEATURE

Rick Eardley, Director - Grants Spectrum Australia

Accessing Government Grants Research and Development Tax Concession Interested in receiving a benefit of up to 37.5c of every dollar your business spends on research and development activities?

Specialised government assistance is available to companies to invest in research and development activities in developing their innovative technology. Many companies are not even aware that they may be eligible for this assistance.

If your company is developing new products, processes or services, you may be eligible and interested in this assistance – the Federal Government Research & Development (R&D) Tax Concession. It is designed to encourage private sector investment in R&D activities and covers expenditures including salaries, overheads, plant usage and subcontracting as well as a number of other costs.

Concession are considerable. The standard tax concession is effectively worth 7.5 cents for every dollar spent, whilst a “small company” may effectively receive up to 37.5 cents of benefit for every eligible dollar spent.

However, the timing of your application is significant. If you wish to apply for this tax concession, you will need to put an R&D plan in place before any core R&D activities are undertaken.

The R&D Tax Concession does have a number of eligibility criteria. Some of the main requirements are that you must: • be developing new products, processes or services; • have effective ownership of the intellectual property which underlies the technology; • have planned the research in advance; • have a project which entails innovation and/ or high levels of technical uncertainty; and • undertake systematic, investigative and

This scheme is one of the most accessible of Government schemes, is cleaner for small business to access – and is relatively painless.

The R&D Tax Concession enables innovative companies to increase their cash flow during their product development phase – the time when they are most likely to need it. There are two levels within the R&D Tax Concession: • All companies conducting eligible activities can access the standard R&D Tax Concession, which gives you an additional deduction of 25% and therefore reduces your tax payable.

• Alternatively, eligible “small companies” can take advantage of the R&D Tax Offset and cash in the original amount of eligible expenditure plus the additional tax deduction against available tax losses, if they wish.

The financial advantages of the R&D Tax

48 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

experimental activities to eliminate or reduce the aforementioned technical uncertainties.

To be eligible for the additional “small company” benefit of the R&D Tax Offset you must: • have a grouped turnover of less than $5,000,000; • have a grouped eligible R&D expenditure of less than $2,000,000; and • have current or prior tax losses available.

The R&D Tax Concession is soon to be replaced by the R&D Tax Credit, the details of which are currently being negotiated in parliament and is due to be in place within the next year.

Please note that in order to access the R&D Tax Concession for the 2009-2010 financial year an application must be lodged prior to 30 April 2011.

Case Study RETRIEVER COMMUNICATIONS Retriever Communications was founded in 1996 to be a company solely focused on mobile business applications for the field. The company mission is to improve field worker productivity. Today Retriever has offices in Sydney, London and Milan supporting deployments in over 21 countries.

Retriever has accessed the R&D Tax Concession for 13 years and during that time has received cash flow benefits of over $2,500,000. According to Retriever’s MD Mary Brittain-White, this concession has been a contributor to Retriever’s success. “This scheme is one of the most accessible of Government schemes, is cleaner for small business to access and is relatively painless. Being in the IT industry, there is a lot of pressure to become a US based organisation, but we do not intend to do so and this is largely due to the Tax Concession. We believe it is important to keep these skills in Australia. Today Retriever is debt free and I am not sure we would have got there so quickly without the Tax Concession.” G

Grants Spectrum Australia e | info@grantsspectrum.com.au w | www.grantsspectrum.com.au

GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 速

49

FEATURE

David Borg, General Manager - Fuji Xerox Printers

Making a Lasting Impression Small and medium businesses (SMBs) are often faced with the challenge of producing superior marketing collateral whilst at the same time keeping printing costs under control. Well-produced marketing collateral can help deliver a lasting impression on prospective customers and this can ultimately make a difference in closing a sale.

As the saying goes, “you only get one chance to make a first impression” and using quality printed collateral shows that you mean business. The decision to read or reject a flyer or brochure is made by the reader in just 2.5 seconds. Quality printing can keep a sales brochure on the desk and out of the rubbish bin.

Fuji Xerox Printers DocuPrint M205b, $199 RRP

SMBs often have a small budget when it comes to marketing their products and services. While some businesses may choose to print brochures using an offset printer, SMBs can achieve the same quality results by printing in-house with the right type of in-house printer.

can benefit from the first true 1200 x 2400 dpi LED printhead to offer high-resolution output that rivals and even outperforms comparable colour laser printers. In addition, its LEDs are engineered to never need replacement and the printhead is designed to last the life of the device.

To meet the needs of SMBs, Fuji Xerox Printers has launched a new range of high-quality yet affordable printers – the DocuPrint Series of A4 LED (Light-Emitting Diode) printers – featuring the latest in printer technology and ideal for users that require superior print quality, ease of use, eco friendliness and value for money.

Some vendors have also started to move away from selling printers to selling an in-house managed printing solution to companies. This in-house managed printing solution offers a fixed price cost model and the flexibility for companies to “print on demand” in their own office. Known as a Managed Print Solution (MPS), this has only been available in a corporate or production printing environment until recently. There are obvious benefits to printing in-house in terms of speed, flexibility, and control of content.

Reinventing traditional LED printing, the new DocuPrint CP105 and CP205 feature S-LED technology is an innovative LED printhead that revolutionises the printing process. It is designed to drive document printing to a new level, while having an additional emphasis on environmentally conscious engineering.

With Fuji Xerox S-LED technology, users

50 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

Every business should have a good quality colour printer that produces high-resolution printouts at a fast speed. This means a print job can be sent and ready to leave the door just as employees dash out for

Fuji Xerox Printers DocuPrint CP205, $329 RRP

their next appointment. Printing in-house also allows agents the flexibility of making changes to marketing materials without incurring the cost of reprinting materials during a campaign.

Purchasing a printer or deciding on whether a MPS is right for your business often requires a lot of research before a decision is finalised. A printer vendor will be happy to recommend a specialist in your local area and recommend a solution that best suits your business. G

For further information, please visit www.fujixeroxprinters.com.au or contact 1300 793 769.

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GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 速

51

FEATURE

Valentina Szabo – NaturaHealth

Ready-Steady-Trim 12kg in 12 weeks Your body is the only place where you have to live. Help yourself to have a body that you will enjoy being in. It is a body that helps you achieve your goals, gives you the energy you need for work and play. It provides you with the stamina you need for the lifestyle you want. It is strong if you take care of yourself. It has its best chance at being healthy with normal weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.

I have been thinking about people with health challenges who cannot do heavy workouts

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or are very busy or simply do not like sport and want to be in the right shape. I created a Body Composition and Lifestyle Programme and happily will guide you through it.

What makes this programme unique?

• Working with the body’s rhythms will support greater fat loss and easier maintenance over time.

• Targeting the body’s defensive system and predispositions can prevent further body damage.

• Self-monitoring tracks progress and therefore empowers the people to take control of their own health.

The programme consists of two parts: Part 1: Weight Loss (from 1st to 12th week) Part 2: Detox and Maintenance from (7th to 12th week).

The goal of the programme is: to stop eating the food that is most likely to be harmful to the body and eat beneficial food in the right amounts.

During this programme you will rediscover yourself including your strength and your confidence .

This programme is based on the best research from around the world and my over 30 years experience in both conventional and bio-medicine. Also I apply the fact that there is a time when organs or an entire system are more active and when they are slow. It is

52 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

important to know this rhythm with organs in relation to our meal intake particularly during weight loss.

Any programme — rejuvenation, purification, detoxification, shape correction, weight loss, immuno-modulating and anti-aging — is not effective without the right diet and balanced nutrition. Ready-Steady-Trim™ advises nutritional correction with: • immune building power • specific female and male system support • bone health • powerful antioxidants • cardiovascular and circulatory support.

We advocate and teach complete nutrition and lifestyle management through 12 workshops with 1 hour workshop each week.

Almost any diet will help you to lose weight.

The trick is maintaining the weight loss and your health. Ready-Steady-Trim™ has the solution. G

Valentina Szabo MD (Kiev), MHSc (Sydney), ND (Canberra), NLP (Sydney), BR (Kiev), BM (Germany) Member of International Association of Integrative Medicine Member of International Association of Homotoxicology NaturaHealth m | 0407 211 448 e | vszabo@naturahealth.com.au w | www.naturahealth.com.au

GWP Magazines | Issue 32 | September / October 2010

53

Feature

If Growing Your Business is a New Year’s Resolution, Join the Penrith Panthers Sponsorship Family Shannon Donato, Marketing Manager - Penrith District Rugby League Club With 2011 in full swing and a long hot summer drawing to a conclusion, thoughts have quickly turned to our winter passion, Rugby League. Greater Western Sydney is Australia’s most lucrative market and home to the iconic brand Penrith Panthers with this season promising to be an exciting year both on and off the field.

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, the Chairman’s Club is your perfect networking location. By becoming a sponsor, you will also create enormous promotional opportunity for your company, exposing you to thousands of potential customers.

With over 1.9 million people, 43% of Sydney’s population and a household retail expenditure of over $15.8 billion, this region is widely acknowledged as the target market for any brand looking to grow their customer base.

At the Panthers we have a proud history and tradition of representing our region of which the Club and our community are justifiably proud and inextricably linked.

The vast army of local families along with our 14 licensed venues and 150,000+ licensed club members across western Sydney and NSW offers our Sponsors marketing opportunities that are without rival in Australian sport.

By sponsoring the Panthers you and your business will be partnering with a team that is committed to proudly representing its sponsors and community.

Our performance on the field in 2010 was impressive, finishing only two games away from the NRL Grand Final. Off the field was just as impressive with numerous promotions in the community and with sponsors that saw our region overflow with Panther Pride.

• Pink Panthers game/extravaganza helping to raise over $80,000 for the McGrath Foundation and Women in League • Panthers on the Prowl servicing over 1,200 local school children • Open training sessions for members and sponsors to attend with the team • Sell out game v the Eels where over 500 people had to be turned away at the gates • Record gate takings for the season • Record merchandise and membership sales for the year There are numerous marketing opportunities available for organisations looking to tap into Australians’ innate love of sport in this economic heartland of Sydney. In fact, achieving cut-through is now imperative for any business that hopes to stand out from the crowd.

Some of the things we were able to achieve as a Club off the field in Season 2010 included:

Season 2011 provides the perfect platform for your key decision makers to look at more effective means of achieving your marketing and budgetary objectives.

And what better way to kick-start the New Year than with a mutually beneficial partnership with an iconic brand like the Penrith Panthers.

• Over 16,000 sponsors, members and supporters attending a trial game at CUA Stadium in February

Opportunities for 2011 include our Corporate Hospitality and in particular our Chairman’s Club Lounge.

54 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

The Panthers also offer a range of Corporate Networking Events to host important clients or to use as staff rewards. These include: business breakfasts, pre-game sponsor functions, season launch, golf day, race day, Grand Final lunch and Presentation Night.

For those businesses looking for maximum impact, there is the added incentive of some of our senior properties including first grade sleeve sponsorship and branding of our National Youth Cup team. G If you’d like further information, make an enquiry today with the Sponsorship Team – Scott Hudson (scott.hudson@ panthers.com.au) on 0418 797 637 or Shane Skeen (shane.skeen@panthers.com.au) on 0437 970 341. We can tailor a package to suit your specific marketing and budgetary objectives and give you that competitive edge over your competitors.

By choosing to sponsor us, you are aligning your business and brand with one of this region’s most supported icons - the Penrith Panthers.

GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 速

55

Business Chamber

Stig Falster – President of Chatswood Chamber of Commerce

Chatswood Chamber of Commerce As we enter the New Year it is time to reflect on what has passed as well as looking forward, so we can embrace 2011 with enthusiasm.

It is fair to say that 2010 has been a tough year. We came out of the GFC in very good shape, really. However, the media has not allowed us to truly appreciate how well off Australia is in relation to most other countries, especially to Europe. The result of this is a reluctance of companies and individuals to spend which has constrained our economy somewhat. Notwithstanding this, our mining sector has continued on its successful way, resulting in our oft cited “two speed” economy.

One of the results of the GFC and its fall-out is the impact on our time. My impression is that far too many of us are now spending an inordinate amount of time in the office working “in” the business, rather than “on” the business. In order to grow the business, we must spend our time and resources as effectively as possible. One way this can be achieved is through the multiplier effect that networking gives us. While an increasing range of Social Media outlets provide us with a lot of possibilities, none is a substitute for face-to-face contact.

Chatswood Chamber provides a range of opportunities to meet up with a diverse range of contacts. In addition, there is the availability of Business After Hours (BAH) functions, where you can showcase your company, its services and products. The Chamber Board is keen to expand on the BAH functions for 2011 and is looking for companies to host the events.

Here are some new initiatives being undertaken by the Chamber for 2011: • A mix of regular lunches and breakfast sessions to both educate and stimulate our members.

56 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

• Increased marketing activities to grow the Chamber membership.

• Chatswood Chamber has joined forces with Artarmon/St Leonards, Turramurra, Hornsby and Lane Cove Chambers to share events. This means that the contact reach of each Chamber is significantly expanded. We are currently in the process of agreeing on a suitable name (one suggestion is “Northside Business Connect”).

• The Chamber has formed an Alliance with Eastern Suburbs Business Enterprise Centre (ESBEC) to promote a range of highly informative, interesting and educational breakfast workshops. This Alliance provides access to an excellent array of speakers and presenters who are experts in their fields.

• The above arrangements are in addition to the Alliance with the NSW Business

Chamber. As with the other alliances, this gives Chatswood Chamber members access to a far greater potential client/ contact base, ensuring maximum benefits from Chamber membership. G Chatswood Chamber of Commerce Suite 2, Level 2, 1 Spring Street Chatswood NSW 2067 p | 02 9415 2636 f | 02 9415 2434 e | julie@chatswoodchamber.com.au w | www.chatswoodchamber.com.au

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GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

57

FEATURE

Leonie George – Article Writers Australia

Becoming a Contributing Writer in this Magazine is Now Easier than Ever If you’ve often thought that becoming a regular article contributor in Business Resource & Lifestyle would be great exposure for your business, but you don’t have the time or inclination to write, you no longer have an excuse! Article Writers Australia has recently taken on a role as sales agent for GWP Magazines and if you purchase your space through us, one of our professional writers will write your article for free.

Preparing an article can be a painful chore if you don’t enjoy writing. Finding the inclination and the inspiration can be difficult enough but if you’re like most small to medium business operators, finding the time to organise your thoughts and turn them into a well written article is nigh impossible.

Now you don’t have to miss out on the excellent and targeted B2B exposure that this publication offers. We can come up with article ideas for you to choose from, discuss them with you, and prepare your article. And because we’re a ghost writing service, you’ll receive the full credit as author of your article.

If you’d prefer to write the article yourself and just have one of our writers check and edit it for you, that’s fine too.

So what exactly do we do here at Article Writers Australia? We’re a content writing service and although we’re based in Castle Hill the entire business is run online and our writers work from home in various locations around the country including Perth, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney. Much of our work involves writing blog posts and articles for website owners, marketing firms

58 GWP Magazines | Issue 34 | January / February 2011 ®

and SEO experts. We also write content for new websites and rewrite old content that needs a makeover.

You might be wondering why we’ve decided to partner with GWP when we’re website content writers and it’s a print publication.

Quite simply, we love the GWP Magazine and we know that many business owners come across would like to be featured in a targeted B2B publication like Business Resource & Lifestyle, if only they had the time to come up with a good article!

If you haven’t given much thought to publishing in GWP, perhaps it’s time to consider the advantages: • If you market your products or services to other businesses, the Business Resource & Lifestyle publication offers you a highly targeted readership. Covering topics of interest to business operators, and with a strong focus B2B focus, the publication is delivered to business parks throughout Sydney, reaching the people most likely to need what your business has to offer.

• Article publishing is an excellent way to make your expertise known in the business community by offering readers advice and information on topics pertaining to your products or services.

• Informative articles that don’t directly sell are an excellent way to highlight and explain the advantages offered by your products or services in a way that’s most relevant to readers. Sometimes people don’t know they need you until you tell them!

• Becoming well known for your expertise is an excellent branding opportunity for your business.

• Displaying your published articles, be it on your website or in your reception area, can increase your credibility in the eyes of prospective customers.

• Providing a copy of the issue containing your article and photo to prospective clients can cement your credibility and encourage them to choose your business.

• Sending or delivering a copy of the issue containing your article and advertisement to important potential clients and nearby businesses can be a great way of introducing yourself and your business. G

Have you been missing out on a great B2B marketing opportunity? If you’d like to see your business featured in Business Resource & Lifestyle and you’d like us to put an article together for you, call Leonie on (02) 9634 3161 or contact us via our website www.articlewriters.com.au.

Make a Name for Yourself Become a Contributing Author in the next issue of Business Resource & Lifestyle.

Visit www.gwpmagazine.com.au for further information.

If you’d like to take advantage of the free article writing service, book your place by calling Leonie at Article Writers Australia on (02) 9634 3161.

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