Business Resource & Lifestyle Magazine Issue #39

GWP M a g a z i n e s ®

S y d n e y

SYDNEY - Issue 39

B u s i n e ss

M a g a z i n e

| NOVEMber / DECEMber 2011

S i n c e

2 0 0 5

Publisher’s Guest: Cr Greg Burnett, Mayor of The Hills Shire

The Australian Defence Reserve:

The Commitment

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Editor and Publisher: Dmitry Greku Cover Story: Adrian Payne Cover Page: Lieutenant Commander Leon Verdi Goldsworthy, GC, DSC, GM, was a naval reservist from Broken Hill who served in the Rendering Mines Safe Section in Great Britain in WWII. He was awarded the George Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, and George Medal.

Editing: Leonie Seysan Contributing Writers: Charlie Lynn Angry Anderson Darryn Fellowes Scott Tyler Steve Sebbes John Watters Robert Cliff Russell Chegwyn Rick Eardley Craig West Nat Martorano Bruce Gow Michael Trask Ruchaya Rayya Nillakan Art Director: Svetlana Greku Sales Manager: Richard Watts Executive Officer: Daniel Moisyeyev Graphic Design: Xabier Goñi, XDesigns Photography: Francesca Surace, Stilz Fotografika Printing: Pegasus Print Group Business Resource & Lifestyle Magazine® is published by GWP Media® and GWP Magazines® ABN: 82 096 352 064 www.gwpmagazine.com.au Norwest Office: Unit 8, 7 Inglewood Place Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 International Standard Serial Number ISSN 1837-199X Advertising Enquiries p | 02 8090 1730 e | info@gwpmagazine.com.au To Subscribe w | www.gwpmagazine.com.au Copyright GWP Media® and GWP Magazines® 2011.

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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.

Contents

CONTENTS 6

38

Cover Story 6

The Australian Defence Reserve: The Commitment Adrian Payne

Publisher’s Guest 12

Clr Greg Burnett Mayor of The Hills Shire

36

Get Found Online Scott Tyler

26

TAFE Institutes Join Forces to Give Parramatta Businesses a Competitive Boost

42

Voluntary Deregistration - is it Time to Close Down Your Company?

Ruchaya Rayya Nillakan

28

White Gold – an Automobile?

Robert Cliff

48

Google AdWords – The right Management Can Make the Difference Claire Wendell

38

Lexus of Parramatta are Excited to Launch the All New Lexus of Parramatta Corporate Program

40

The HR Department – Open for Business in Atlas, Norwest Nat Martorano

41

Spider Control in the Hills District Bruce Gow

50

Serviced Offices – An Elegant Business Solution Michael Trask

52

A Super Day Out West Penrith Panthers

56

Classifieds

Regulars 16 18 20

Political Agenda Politicians from Generation Wowser Charlie Lynn

30

Telecom

Where am I Headed?

Angry Anderson

Microsoft® Office 365 for Professionals and Small Businesses Look, Work and Collaborate Better Steve Sebbes

Business Advice

Government

Is Cash Flow Constraining Your Growth?

Darryn Fellowes

22

Trade Credit Insurance Russell Chegwyn

24

Accessing Government Grants Rick Eardley

32

Mystery Potential Employees John Watters

34

SME Engineering Firm Bucks Trend with an Employee Share Ownership Plan for Business Succession Craig West

Features

Regulars Business Advice

52

46

44 46

Get Excited About Sydney Hills Gross Regional Product - Valued at $6.5 Billion A Year The Hills Shire Council Local Leaders Create History.

Council’s Modern Day Solution for Age-Old Problem Parramatta City Council

GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

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Editor’s letter

Dmitry Greku - Editor and Publisher - GWP Magazines®

What do We Do with Bad Managers?

I spoke to one of my good friends recently; he is an executive of one of four major Australian banks. I asked for his forecast on the Australian economy, and he responded with a very much expected opinion – don’t get too excited unless there is a change of the federal government.

Let’s ask ourselves a simple question: “What exactly is a government?” Imagine if the government was your business. There was no profit for 5 years. There were no visible infrastructure improvements. The office equipment and furniture is getting older and morale of your staff is dropping on a daily basis.

What have your managers done? They were very proactive – busy providing “historic and revolutionising” solutions. Let’s name some of those solutions.

Due to the low performance of the business the staff members were not happy and their performance was flagging. Your managers couldn’t find any better solution than to bribe your personnel with extra payments.

This was going to keep them happy for some time.

Another problem to resolve was what to do with a constant stream of individuals who liked your office so much that they broke inside without having been invited. They also wanted their “fair share” which they received in a format of free accommodation, meals and other goodies which cost your business a fortune, but your management needed to maintain and support their “humane” image.

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GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

The rest of the money was spent on a couple of sheds which you didn’t actually need for your business. They were built just in case something happens and you or your neighbours or somebody else would need them some other time. There was no time to think about little things like the correct use of your investments.

Your managers were always busy planning something, building something, taking care of someone, improving and innovating. All was at the expense of your business, but nothing was done to make it more efficient and more profitable.

When someone in your company was not happy (possibly because they thought your managers’ methods were just plain stupid) there was only one thing to do – enforce the no tolerance policy for anti-collective and pessimistic behaviour and get rid of those who couldn’t keep their negative opinions to themselves - all those “sceptics”.

Now comes the time to think about a reward for the managers. They’ve done a great job (by their own account), worked hard and devoted themselves. A double pay rise is clearly the way to go, not for everyone of course, for the leading management only. It’s better to do it now because it will soon be too late – the business is going to be gone, ruined and bankrupt.

What do the shareholders think? Some think that it’s easier to stick their heads into sand, vote when they have to, quietly go home and stay away from discussing and

dissecting on possible problems that may stem from their choices.

They say: “Stay away from discussing politics”, but I believe that politics is directly tied to our well-being, our business performance and our country’s prosperity.

It all comes together whether you like it or not.

Politics is the Business of running a country and the performance of the management (read government) makes our business (read country) more or, unfortunately, less successful. So to the company shareholders (read citizens) – get involved, do something to make a difference, pull your head out of the sand instead of complaining about others who are trying to bring you back to the reality.

Now, just ask yourself – what would you do if you had these managers in your business?

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

Please write to me with your views. The best will be published in “Let’s Spin a Good Yarn” Section. e | editor@gwpmagazine.com.au

Let’s Spin A Good Yarn

Letter to the editor

From: Unknown Date: 16.09.2011 Subject: what to do with you r magazine now that spring is here & I no longer need kin dling..?

To the Editor, The heading of your recent cover story on Alan Jones mak es no sense. The ‘patriach’ (as spelled in the original email, editor) of struggle street, may be - but a ‘patron’ of struggle street he is not.

Maybe you should check a dictionary before you go to print next time.

Looking forward to a profile story on Slobodan Milosevic now there was a guy that got things done.

I’m sure Jones & Abbott wou ld approve.

While your at it, how about

a centrefold of Pauline Han son?

You may think that trying to act on climate change is a ‘feti sh’ but surely it is more worthw hile than further enriching the wealthiest 10% of the populat ion - & please don’t pretend that you care about the ‘battlers’ (as Jones does).

From: the Editor To: the Unknown Subject: You should consider green energy instead polluting our environment - magazines should be recycled instead of kindled.

To the Unhappy Comrade, I cannot agree with you more on the use of a dictionary. It always helps me to avoid spelling mistakes. Please consider starting to use one as well.

Unfortunately, a lot of people these days are very much concerned about others’ wealth and what others do, and rush with advice

ates ristine B From: Ch 1 1 .09.20 Date: 19 Letter Editor’s Subject: 2011 Sept/Oct Issue 38 ith itry, totally, w rning Dm I agreed t a th in u o Good mo r tell y s Lette to you to st Editor’ D to write in your la n e tt ri I just HA w e g you hav to say everythin PRINT ... . e su is e v ” ... and in e kly g n a ra fr u o the abo e “c and quit ving the ss a le h r se u fo u . is w Thank yo k about th during no really thin ent that we are en what you m rn e such as OUS gov d people DANGER d we nee n going on. a e y ll rs a o what is re getting w t is u o n b o a ti a uth !

The situ out the tr nd pray!! to speak work ... a d yourself o o g e th Keep up u again!

Thank yo ards, Kind reg Bates Christine

on what should be done. These people’s suggestions are based on their own opinions, which are a benchmark for them. It’s so easy to judge and express a “reasonable” opinion and there is not much to do because others have already created this comfortable living environment. Now it’s the time to ask: “Don’t you own too much?” And it’s not only about monetary wealth - it’s also about a freedom of speech and other freedoms of a democratic society.

You haven’t introduced yourself properly in full, so I cannot judge you and can only advise you that Alan Jones came from a struggling and hard working rural family. I was working night shift packing orders at a factory despite having a Masters degree some years ago.

I would kindly ask you to offer your opinion when it’s appropriate - when you understand and know the people and/or subject you are so desperate to discuss.

How did you manage to put Alan Jones, Tony Abbott, Pauline Hanson and Slobodan Milosevic in one group? Please don’t answer that, it was a rhetorical question.

Learning more about others and the world around you usually helps. I wish you to become a more reasonable and more confident good citizen.

Yours truly, Dmitry Greku, The Editor

If you would like your letter published in the upcoming issues of the Business Resource & Lifestyle Magazine, please send it to editor@gwpmagazine.com.au

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GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

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The Australian Defence Reserve: The Commitment

By Adrian Payne

Night live fire demonstration at the Pulada Range in Johor Bahru, Southern Malaysia, during Exercise Boss Lift

This is a remarkable story, not widely told, about the contribution made to Australia’s defence by employers and their Reservist employees. About 45% of the total Australian Defence Force (ADF) is represented by around 45,000 Reservists, training and working with the regular Navy, Army and Air Force.

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Reservists, people from 17 to 60 years of age, bring to the ADF their civilian skills and experience. They are motivated people who are not full time personnel, but who volunteer because they want to be there to stand when called, alongside regular full time soldiers, sailors and air force colleagues wherever and whenever they are needed.

In the dark days leading up to the first and second world wars, many Reservists, or militia as they were called then, transferred into the full time armed forces. After living through wretched months in the trenches beyond Gallipoli and years later in far flung places like the Kokoda Track, many of those who survived returned to the militia at the end of hostilities in 1918 and 1945.

great australian PEOPLE Trooper Cam Naughton joined the Reserve in 2007 out of boredom. He wanted to do something and be part of a team. Cam enjoyed it so much he transferred to the Regulars in 2009. Cam has been twice to Afghanistan

t Naval Brigade sailor with cutlass.

Another colonial volunteer

s Members of the RAN Bridging Train. The RAN Bridging Train were reserve engineers that served at Gallipoli and in the Sinai in WWI. It is the most highly decorated naval unit of WWI Employers experience Exercise Executive Stretch

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5 SQN members at ANZAC Day Service, Penrith

Junior NCOs receive patrol orders during a weekend training exercise

Though dreadfully depleted, a core of military expertise was still available should it be needed when yet another threat might emerge.

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Since World War Two, the role of the reserves has changed from separate, distinct groups of, Navy, Army and Air Force volunteers to an integrated force with the regular defence forces.

troops, the ‘red, white and blues’ brought from England to defend British officers against an outrage by convicts or against any threat by the Aboriginal people. Things took a step away from reliance on British support in September 1800 when the British tradition of citizen soldiers was transplanted onto Australian soil and the first official local military forces were raised in NSW.

Today, Defence Reservists are a key part of the ADF and play a very real part in the security of our Nation, yet they have been there for a very long time! From the first white settlement in 1788 until 1800, the defence of Australia (or more accurately, the colonies of NSW, Vic etc) relied on British

So the ‘Reserve’ was formed before federation, well before the regular Australian Army. The states or colonies kept their own locally based naval and army militia units.

But they were far from being a ‘dad’s army’; people from these units served in the Sudan, in China during the Boxer Rebellion and in

GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

South Africa during the Boer War fighting and dying in battles far from home in the name of an emerging southern nation, Australia.

From these colonial beginnings with Federation on the 1st of January 1901, came the basis for the Australian Defence Force as we know it today.

The origins of the Royal Australian Naval Reserve can be found in the formation of Colonial Naval Brigades in the 1850s and 1860s and the formation of the New South Wales Naval Brigade. By 1884 most of the Australian colonies had established volunteer citizen reserve Naval Brigades.

They trained and exercised in earnest and were ready to do their duty, but their government support waxed and waned with the financial and political interest displayed by colonial administrators.

The Active Citizen Air Force (ACAF) and the RAAF Reserve, was formed in 1925 mainly to make use of World War One veteran airmen.

These airmen came back with pioneer wartime flying experience over the muddy trenches of Europe, dropping explosives out of the cockpit. Back home as militia, they provided a mobilisation core group for World War Two.

great australian PEOPLE After 1945, CAF squadrons with experienced aircrew were equipped with Mustang aircraft and given an air defence role. However, in the early 60s these squadrons lost their flying role and were disappointed to be referred to as the ‘Auxiliary’. It was not until the early 1980s following a major RAAF organisation review that the emerging RAAF Reserves again had the potential to provide a real capability.

In early 2001 key legislation was passed to help modernise the Reserve Force.

That legislation was designed to serve the interests of Reservists as well as their civilian

discipline, leadership skills, clear thinking in stressful circumstances, and patience working with people with different interests.

Reservist Captain Jason Nowland, an officer in 5th Combat Engineer Regiment (5 CER) in Penrith, NSW observed that there is a synergy between his work as a High School teacher in his civilian life and the training role he often takes on as a reservist. On assignment in September 2007, he was involved leading a team of 40 soldiers, helping with security in Sydney prior to the APEC meeting. His team were charged with ‘walking’ the underground

the Sydney visit of Pope Benedict XVI in July 2008. These and other security experiences now has him in demand as a trainer of other Reservists who are called to assist police and other security forces, keeping people safe during special events. He notes that the university teacher training he brought to the Reserves has proved invaluable, while at the same time training Reservist adults has brought a new perspective to his High School interaction with younger people.

These days governments are very much aware of the value that comes from the

Sappers put the final touches to an underground bunker during a weekend training exercise

employers. Employers would often have to work around losing key staff at times inconvenient for the smooth-running of their business. After all, many Reservists spend one day a week in training and a weekend away once a month, not to mention their four week recruitment course and later deployments, sometimes overseas for several months at a time. So on the surface, it’s easy to see why many employers might resist having a Reservist on their staff.

Civilian jobs are protected by legislation while on Reservist duty. However employers may be eligible to receive, after a qualifying period, around $1,288 per week by way of compensation for a volunteer employee being away from their job on Reserve duty.

The Reservist also receives tax free pay from the government at a rate linked to their training, expertise and their rank, rather than their civilian salary.

But employers in the know gain something else from the arrangement. The training their Reservist staff members receive from the military environment is brought back to their civilian workplace as a benefit. This military training and experience is something that the civilian workplace wouldn’t, and in many cases couldn’t, ordinarily provide - personal

Sappers leopard crawl through the gruelling Holsworthy Obstacle course

rail system checking for potential security issues. The entire network was closed down overnight to allow the inspection. Incidentally, nothing was reported on that occasion except that comments were made about some rather ‘fierce cats’ that had taken up residence down there in that dark and noisy underground world!

Captain Nowland was also involved in several other security operations including one for

Army Reserve soldiers (l-r) Sapper Jessica Thomson and Lieutenant Garth Pratten confirm the progress of the security search and lockdown at the Melbourne Cricket Ground prior to the commencement of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games

community sector that supports the Defence Reserves. On the 6th of October this year, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Senator David Feeney congratulated 11 employers for their support of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Reserves at an event in Melbourne organised by the Victoria Defence Reserves Support Council (DRSC). The awards were to recognise employers who had been particularly supportive of their Reservist employees.

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Jeff Egan is now back safe from Afghanistan. He enjoyed Reserve time more than his full-time job, so he made the Army his full-time career

t Sappers suit up during a recent Decontamination Exercise

The construction they completed looks a little like the forts of old, being 55 metres by 65 metres as measured inside the walls.

This kind of experience is also personalitybuilding; living and working with a team, sharing a project. This ‘fort’ now provides a useful training facility for troops who may later be involved with the Australian commitment in Afghanistan.

On our visit to the 5th Combat Engineer

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Corporal Ben Higgins demonstrates the F88 Austeyr rifle to Brad Crouch who is taking part in Exercise Boss Lift practical help, but gives hope, and comfort.

Reservist Corporal David Todd for example is trained to dispose of serious pieces of ordinance when on war-time overseas assignments, but his training also includes taking a team to disaster areas of our own country and setting up a water purification plant. He has first hand experience of ‘being there’ for people in need.

Sinclair Knight Merz, an engineering, sciences, and project delivery business was nominated three times by three different Reservists. Victoria Police also had two supervisors nominated for their ongoing support. In presenting the awards Senator Feeney offered congratulations to all recipients saying “Our Reserve forces make a substantial contribution to Defence capability. This is particularly important with the high tempo of operations.”

Today’s Reservist advertising is focused on both the employer benefit and that of the potential Reservist who gets not only the skills but the promise of adventure. Captain Nowland continues to train Reservists. On an assignment at Singleton NSW recently, he commanded a construction team that built a simplified, but nevertheless substantial ‘fort’ of the kind used by the allied forces as Patrol Bases in Afghanistan. 40 soldiers were employed in its construction. They were equipped with all the necessary earthmoving plant, trucks and other equipment needed for the job.

There has been a lot of work done in recent years to help emergency services like SES, Police, Ambulance services, and the defence forces come together as a team in times of national disaster, in particular after the floods and in the aftermath of raging bushfires that left so many dead and many more homeless.

Following such emotional experiences, people in these areas seeing Australians in uniform coming in to help, not only means

Regiment in Penrith, we saw that most members bring to the job their civilian training. They are people with skills such as electrical engineering and carpentry; they are motor mechanics, drivers and plumbers - all are needed in the Defence Reserve to be deployed into war zones with the regular defence forces, or to other areas of need.

Corporal David Todd has also seen ‘action’ as a combat section leader in Timor, Afghanistan and the Solomon Islands supporting full time Army personnel. He is not only trained to assist with engineering assignments, but has undertaken a full combat engineering training course. So he and his team are able to conduct operations while at the same time carrying armaments for protection in hostile territory.

Today’s Reserves don’t just ‘happen’- there is a

great australian PEOPLE His interest had been sparked by an Uncle who served in Vietnam. Sergeant Lee is an electrician by trade, but has undertaken the all-important combat element in his training.

In late 2010, he was released from 5 CER and was assigned to an Army unit in Darwin that was deploying to Timor-Leste. This ongoing ADF commitment to this region saw Sergeant Lee and his ADF colleagues witness the plight of the Timor-Leste people experiencing the effects of some of those serious tropical wet season rains that relentlessly bucket down for days at a time.

Captain William Rooke Creswell (later Vice Admiral Sir, KCMG, KBE) as Commandant of the Queensland Maritime Defence Force in the 1890’s. The pre-federation navies were all part-time volunteers and in many ways can be considered the fore-runners of modern reservists. Creswell later became the First Naval Member of the Commonwealth Naval Board in 1911 and is regarded as the ‘father’ of the RAN

body of people who provide a link between the Australian Defence Force and the community.

The Defence Reserves Support organisation (DRS) has specialists in each state and territory; their role is to promote the benefits of being a Reservist to members of the community, thereby providing a recruitment corridor. They also provide a link for employers so they can see the benefits of taking on Reservists. DRS staff members help eligible employers apply for sometimes substantial support payments, as well as providing a point of contact about relevant legislation.

While on our visit to Penrith, where the base of the 5th Combat Engineer Regiment is situated, Sergeant Jeff Lee related some of his personal experiences as a Reservist.

He joined in 1996 when 27 years of age.

Sergeant Lee and his team were assigned to prevent a school from being washed away in a landslide. Fortunately there were no children attending at the time, but working in the mud and the rain the job was dangerous. With the embankment slipping while they worked they had a soldier at the top warning those below of every movement. The infrastructure, in Timor, in particular the roads, are not good.

HMAS Huon, a River Class torpedo boat destroyer which served as a reserve training vessel in Tasmania in the 1920’s

permission to use explosives (their preferred method) they had to use other equipment to carry out the more laborious ‘plan B’. Often they had to ‘recce’ jobs by helicopter before HMAS Banks, an Explorer Class general purpose vessel and was used periodically for reserve training between 1959 and 1982

undertaking arduous travel through wet and boggy terrain in army vehicles and trucks with other plant and equipment, in order to reach a work site.

Defence Reservists working in all three services, make a personal undertaking to train and serve directly and indirectly in the wider job of protecting Australia. Their skills and training from both their civilian and military lives, brings a significant body of expertise that the ADF can bring to bear not only in theatres of war, but also where Australia sends them to help rebuild infrastructure or assist with security. They have provided humanitarian relief in Pakistan, Thailand, Rwanda and Somalia. They have stood alongside full time army mates to improve security on Bougainville and there are Reservists currently serving in Afghanistan, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste.

So for Defence Forces Reservists, life is rarely dull. It’s demanding and it’s rewarding not just for the individual, but also for their employer.

For all Australians there’s the knowledge that our security is in good hands when the regular armed forces are supplemented by so many well trained citizens who make the commitment. G

A field gun crew from HMCS (His Majesty’s Colonial Ship) Protector. As mentioned above, pre-federation navies were all part-time volunteers and in many ways can be considered the fore-runners of modern reservists Later in that deployment, they were breaking up boulders to clear roads. Being refused

Business Resource & Lifestyle Magazine would like to thank all who participated in creating this Cover Story: Deanna Nott, SQNLDR Del Gaudry, Claire Crosthwaite – Department of Defence Petar Djokovic – Sea Power Centre Australia Major Graham Hales, Captain Jason Nowland, Sergeant Jeff Lee and Corporal David Todd – 5th Combat Engineer Regiment (5 CER) Penrith.

GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

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Publisher’s GUEST

Publisher’s Guest

Cr Greg Burnett Mayor of The Hills Shire with Dmitry Greku, Publisher/Editor, GWP Magazines

DG: Congratulations with your new step in your political career.

GB: Thank you very much.

DG: As a business media we would like to know what you will be doing for the area and for the local business community.

GB: It’s a very significant part of our local community and we’re still focussed on the agenda that we’ve taken forward in the last 3 years under councillors Bolitho, Dimbrowsky and Thomas. My priorities are fixing the infrastructure to allow business to operate more efficiently; and I think that’s been reflected in recent figures out on unemployment - which is under 4% in the Hills.

DG: Can you compare that to other areas?

GB: Yes, we are 4% and under.

DG: What’s the average in Sydney?

GB: The national statistics are higher than that so we are ahead of the curve.

Again because people want to work here, they want to live here and they want to operate their businesses here and I’ll do everything I can to encourage that and to try to accommodate it where we’re able to.

I want businesses to stay here and I want businesses to come here.

DG: What initiatives do you have planned to increase the dialogue between the Hills Business Community and the Council?

GB: There are a number of initiatives that are coming forward very shortly. One is where we engage with the CEOs and high ranking members of businesses, and local business people. We want to encourage them when they go on their business trips to actually speak about the Sydney Hills and talk to their colleagues at conferences

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Publisher’s GUEST

and seminars and even socially, to say “bring your business to the Sydney Hills, this is the place we have our business and this is where we believe you should bring your business to help grow”. I certainly want to get into an ambassadorial role with local businesses and local CEOs so they can actually spread the benefits of the Sydney Hills to the wider Australian and international community.

DG: You mentioned the improvement of the infrastructure, so what actions will you take to improve the infrastructure and what sort of funding is allocated to achieve your goals?

GB: I will certainly be approaching our state colleagues, the O’Farrell Government, to increase the funding to this Council so we can improve the roads, the access. The North West Rail is going ahead in leaps and bounds which is great; and we’ve got significant core drilling happening along the route in Castle Hill and Rouse Hill. I’ll be looking closely at the Council’s finances to see where we can reinvest the ratepayers’ money back into that local infrastructure to reduce the local infrastructure deficit from approximately sixty million dollars. It is a significant investment but it’s an investment that needs to be made. We can’t wait any longer. It needs to happen as quickly as humanly possible to bring our infrastructure up to a standard by which we can bring business here; and we’re confident of them wanting to stay here and be in a beautiful area.

been coming down and that is certainly due to the efforts of former Mayor, Councillor Thomas and his financial management of Council. I want to take that forward but I would also like to increase the amount of infrastructure spend so we can bring plans forward on footpaths and roads. I’ll look to our state colleagues and actually say to them that if they invest in the infrastructure in the Hills then the benefits that we bring to the Hills as a council actually reflects to the state finances. I think it’s win-win. If we create the environment for business, business will come. They will see the benefits that we know are here. That’s certainly been borne out by the investments of large companies

major centre and some village centres, employment zones, large lot housing, and medium density, so there is a whole variety of options that are being put out on exhibition for comment, and I’m confident that those plans will benefit the Shire in the medium, not the long term.

DG: And what’s the number of businesses planned to be located in this industrial precinct?

GB: I couldn’t say what type and I would hazard a guess, but I don’t think it would be accurate, because some businesses might be larger than others. There could be majors that come to the area so it’s very hard to quantify, but it is the next major industrial/ commercial precinct of the Shire. And it will be properly planned and properly laid out so there is minimal impact and the current infrastructure is able to cope with the increased volumes of traffic and people coming to the area. And the Rouse Hill station of the North West Rail will assist with moving those people in and out of that area so I think it’s very well planned and very well timed with the North West Rail coming through.

I certainly want to get into an ambassadorial role with local businesses and local CEOs so they can actually spread the benefits of the Sydney Hills to the wider Australian and international community.

DG: For comparison again, how much did we have last year for the infrastructure?

GB: It has been coming down slightly. It has

like Resmed, Woolworths, and the Virgin Group with their new gym in Norwest; and also plans to go forward with the Box Hill industrial precinct out in North Ward just beyond Rouse Hill. That is another major step forward for business in coming to the Sydney Hills.

DG: Is it going to be a new Business Park there?

GB: It’s known as an industrial precinct at this stage and there’s also a residential component; but it does encompass a

DG: We’re all talking about improving the infrastructure and improving business but is there anything planned to improve the local environment?

GB: Nature and the environment is part of the entire package. It is a significant piece of any major development going forward; how we integrate that development with the natural environment. We don’t want to lose the “garden shire” tag. We’re all very proud of it so we do take the issues regarding the environment into account. It is a

GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

13

Publisher’s GUEST

significant component of any approval and from what I’ve seen there is an enormous respect that business have in this shire for the environment and they do integrate it well with their plans. We will protect our environment where it needs protection and we will try to integrate it into our plans going forward. We look out here and we can see green. We see more green than we do brick.

We need to maintain that – it is something that is quite unique to this area; that we have progressed in harmony with the gardens and with the bushland. We have significant endangered species in this Shire and we protect those. We protect those for future generations.

DG: The Hills Shire remains one of the greenest in Sydney, that’s for sure.

GB: It stays green, but we grow; and I think that’s testament to the quality of the organisation here at the Council. They see the significance of the environment.

They also see the significance of progress and they don’t see them as mutually exclusive and we get some very good outcomes that balance both business and the environment.

DG: What would your message be to the local business community, and outside business community in Sydney or even from overseas?

GB: For all the business community and business leaders, the Council is here to serve the community. Come and talk to us.

Come to us with your plans. We want you to be here. We want you to be part of this community for the long term. Our door is always open so come and talk to us and let’s see what we can do for your business and what we can do for the Shire. That’s really what it is – the door’s open. Pick up the phone, knock on the door. Come and talk to us and let’s see what we can do.

DG: Coming back to the first question, you did mention that there’ll be some projects of inter-communication between Council and key business people. What are these projects?

GB: This is like an ambassadorial program. I will also be strengthening our relationship with the local Chamber of Commerce. I do enjoy those functions and I certainly do enjoy seeing the initiatives

that those business people in the Chamber of Commerce come up with as well. I will be also engaging in a number of round tables with business leaders and various businesses in certain industries as well; actually getting them around the table and saying “what can we do to assist your business in growth? Where can we improve?” Introduce ourselves to some of the businesses and try and help them grow. This council will not be the stone wall that stops business growing in the Shire. I simply won’t have that. We’re there to assist. We’re there to assist people in their lives living here and we’re here to assist business when they operate here as well. So there will be a number of round tables I want on an industry basis. I also want them on a management level basis, like there’ll be the CEO, so they can tell us what they want from the Council and we may be able to accommodate that. So it’s about listening; it’s not about talking to people, it’s about listening to what they’ve got to say.

DG: Thank you.

GB: Always a pleasure.

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Credit Provider: Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457 141 AFSL 233714 Australian credit licence 233714 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

15

Political Agenda

The Hon. Charlie Lynn - Member of the Legislative Council

Politicians from Generation Wowser The NSW Parliament is an interesting place today. According to what we read the place is a gravy train for rorting politicians who are overpaid, overfed and only interested in rorting the system.

Both sides are full of hacks who haven’t got a clue about real life or what real people worry about.

It’s obviously true because we read it in the papers!

When I joined in late ‘95 it was a fairly exciting place. Opposition wasn’t pretty as we had to absorb the daily onslaught of political pro’s - Bob Carr, Michael Egan, Andrew Refshauge, Michael Knight, Craig Knowles et al. Punters will have differing views about how good or bad they might have been but those in the know acknowledge they were a formidable mob at the time.

The place was abuzz. Sydney had secured the Olympics; the property market was booming; GST revenue came on-stream; and pokies in pubs had generated a taxation bonanza.

Every Parliamentary sitting night minibusloads of loyal Party members from across the political divide would commute from Newcastle, Wollongong, the Illawarra and outlying suburbs to have a tour of their Parliament and join their local MP for a buffet. It wasn’t grand but it was special. A few king prawns, a carved roast, a dessert, a few beers and some MP spotting.

They would go home and tell their working families and friends they spotted the Premier, saw a Minister and met a lot of MPs who said good things about their local Member.

16 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

The annual journey was the biggest night of the year for many punters who would not otherwise come into the city and who would certainly never entertain the notion of entering the Parliamentary dining room. Their collective self-image wouldn’t allow them to feel comfortable in this environment.

Many saved specially for the occasion.

They hired the mini-bus and paid for their meal. The cost of the visit didn’t matter to them as long as it was reasonable. What mattered was the fact that they got to visit the Parliament, enjoy a buffet, have a yarn and adjourn to the public gallery to see their Parliament in action. It was a small reward for the shrinking few who voluntarily involve themselves in the political process.

In reality these punters can never be repaid for the countless hours they spend in campaign offices, branch meetings, state conferences and polling booths in support of their local candidates. They make our political system tick. Without them we have to rely on big business, big unions... or taxpayers.

Parliamentary dining room at the end of the session. It had the bonhomie of a museum.

A lone Labor MLC sat at a corner table because it was too late for him to drive home to Young. I joined him and we shared a bottle of red over a good steak. We had both bases covered – he’s Labor left, I’m Liberal right. Mick used to be a shearer - I was a plant operator. We both spent considerable periods of time living in bush camps in our early years because that’s what we had to do to earn a quid. Neither of us ever dreamed we would end up in a Parliamentary dining room other than as stewards.

We shared a few jokes but kept our laughter low in case there were any Greens lurking nearby. We didn’t want to attract the new Parliamentary fun-police!

Imagine the headline: ‘Two drunks laughing in Parliamentary dining room!’ It would make people Green with rage.

It looks like me and Mick will have to join Facebook to reconnect with our mini-bus punters and settle for a virtual meal from now on. G

The fellowship which crossed the political spectrum during these Parliamentary sitting weeks came to an abrupt end with the election of Generation Wowser in the guise of Greens.

Political ‘perks’ were targeted by these new crusaders from the sanctimonious centre.

Parliamentary catering, the easiest of all targets for a headline, was corporatised and ordered to pay its own way.

The mini-buses stopped coming.

Last week I walked into the 300-seat

For more topics and to contact Charlie Lynn, please visit www.charlielynn.com.au/blog/

GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 速

17

Political Agenda

By Angry Anderson

Where am I headed?

This month I thought I would use the column to answer this question. Recently, I posed the question “Where are we headed?” meaning, of course, we or us as a country; but in recent years, and never so much as in this most recent year, I have been asking the same question on a more personal level. I know where I have been and I know where I am at this moment but at this time in my life I have needed, as I said, to ask myself where I am headed.

Well, where am I going with the rest of my life? What do I want to do with the rest of my life and most importantly to what purpose do I put my time and energy? It is obvious to me that I have done all that I can do in my musical career although I will always have, as much as time allows, a need for performing; but how much performing will depend on my new commitment - politics!

I am now a proud member of The Nationals Party and will, if asked, run for office on their behalf. Why? I hear many ask and I will tell you why. For many years now I have been moving towards this point in the same way that all of us are moving from one point to another all the way through our lives, so the process started some years ago. I have always been interested in politics as you cannot read history without discovering just how deeply politics and religion have been responsible for much of what has happened to us as a people. Between them they have created policy and events that have shaped the way we have developed over these past centuries. Wars, famine, and distribution of immigrants are but a few things that they are responsible for.

Personally I have a very strong spiritual component to my life but that is so very personal that I am not inclined to make it a part of my public life; although I am never afraid to acknowledge that spiritual

18 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

component when and where it may come up in conversation. I have long been in touch with my spirituality and will talk freely about my beliefs if asked or when I deem it appropriate. I openly encourage any and all to seek personal spiritual experience as I have, which brings me to the matter at hand.

I was born and raised in a working class environment and for much of my early life ‘voted’ that way without thinking too much about it. But as I grew into my thirties and beyond I began to question all things that I had tended to just accept previously,

In the mid eighties Ray Martin introduced me to mainstream Australia and a new phase of my life began. Since that time I have spent a third of my time and energy involved in community service, so I see this move into politics as a natural extension of that service.

We, in the Nationals, will always represent Rural Australia but now we want to broaden our base and show the Australian people that we can represent all Australians. We can address those forgotten or neglected issues that will always be important to the rank and file, the every day ordinary

I have always been interested in politics as you cannot read history without discovering just how deeply politics and religion have been responsible for much of what has happened to us as a people. particularly in a political sense. I had - like so many of us do - just followed without question, thinking that our leaders would always be doing the right thing and fighting the good fight on our behalf; but that is not the case anymore. In recent years I have drifted towards more conservative view.

Although I can still think like a ‘lefty’ on some issues, I am definitely right.

The party of my choice is The Nationals.

I am now a paid up member and we are talking about me running, on the party’s behalf, at the next federal election.

Why the Nationals? Because they care and they are wonderfully democratic in the real sense of the word in the way they operate.

The way forward for Australia is already revealing itself and I believe that if I am to be of any use at all I must get involved now.

Australian who wants nothing more than to work hard, pay their taxes, and live decent, wholesome and productive lives.

Why the Nationals? Because we care.

G

Please contact us if you would like to invite Angry as a Guest Speaker for your corporate, charity or private event: angry@gwpmagazine.com.au For your feedback please contact Angry at: e | angrytat@gmail.com

GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 速

19

business ADVICE

Darryn Fellowes, Wealth Adviser - Skeggs Goldstien

Is Cash Flow Constraining Your Growth?

For many small and medium businesses, growth is the barometer for success. But expansion can present challenges and one of the critical issues in any company when it is experiencing a healthy level of growth is cash flow.

Cash flow basically means ‘Do I have enough cash in my bank account to cover my expenses?’ Sounds simple, but you’d be surprised at how many people ignore this. And not just small business either!

Medium sized businesses have often achieved the desired levels of sales and growth but fail to realise what effects that growth has had on cash flow.

So why is cash flow critical in growth?

Because that growth is often represented on the business’ balance sheet by showing an increased investment in debtors and inventory holdings and the amount of cash tied up in these areas is subsequently increased. While these assets may represent the profits earned, they can’t be used to pay the wages bill each week.

Whilst your profit is increased you may not see the cash because your profit may be sitting on the shelf (inventory) or sitting in your customers’ bank account (debtors).

It’s all a matter of timing.

So why don’t businesses realise the importance of cash flow?

Probably because: 1. B usinesses aren’t realistic in their budgets and cash flow projections.

20 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

2. They often confuse profits with revenues and outgoings and don’t understand the timing difference.

3. They don’t see a cash shortage in the near future and they run out of money.

4. Businesses sometimes believe they can push back creditor payments to free up cash for expenses, but then they can experience difficulties in ensuring supply of materials.

and other finance providers. Short term needs may possibly also be funded from the manipulation of working capital, but that has its limits!

Match the debt structure with your needs and limitations. For example, if you are financing your sales invoices, remember that retentions of around 20% to 30% are usual – if your gross profit margins are only 10% you will run short of money very quickly! G

You can have the most amazing service or product in the world, but if you run out of cash, it won’t matter.

What should you be doing to manage your cash flow?

Suelen McCallum, CEO of dVT Consulting* says that business owners need to be planning ahead at least 12 months and preferably 24 months. That way, if you see a cash shortage on the horizon, you have sufficient time to explore avenues to cover that shortage. Develop an expansion plan and make sure that it covers both short and long term goals, and that the cash flow projection supports the plan. This is the time to determine not just how you’re going to expand, but why. If you feel that you don’t have a strong business case once you actually see it in writing, you might want to put your plans on hold.

Once you’ve identified the gaps in your working capital, put plans into place to fund those gaps. Shareholders and other investors can sometimes provide this cash injection or it may be sourced from banks

Skeggs Goldstien Associates located in Norwest Business Park and Chatswood is a Financial Services Business specialising in Growth, Succession and Transition Planning for Small to Medium sized business.

If you require assistance in understanding your cash flow and the impact it has on your growth, contact Skeggs Goldstien for an appointment. *Article prepared with the assistance of dVT Consulting who specialise in corporate strategy and turnaround management, particularly in the SME Sectors.

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

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21

business ADVICE

Russell Chegwyn, Managing Director - Chegwyn Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd

Trade Credit Insurance How Secure are Your Debtors?

As the Australian Economy has remained relatively strong over the past few years, we can be lulled into a ‘false sense of security’ as continuing insolvencies fail to attract much attention in the current environment.

Many businesses believe that Trade Credit Insurance is only available to the high end turnover businesses. This is not correct as one of Australia’s leading Insurers of Trade Credit (QBE) have designed a specific policy for businesses with a turnover of up to $2,000,000.

Every year, thousands of Australian businesses and individuals go broke. Often (in about 50% of cases) this is avoidable.

Every year there are approximately:

QBE Trade Credit’s QStart policy is designed specifically to provide cover against the insolvency of domestic customers in respect of the invoice value of goods sold and delivered, and/or services rendered. The Policy is intended to cover your largest customers (up to a maximum of ten), any one of whose failure is most likely to have serious financial consequences to your business.

• 24,000 bankruptcies • 8,000 corporate (business) administrations • affecting about 400,000 people.

(Source: Insolvency Practitioners of Australia, NSW Gov Trade & Investment Web Link) The latest insolvency figures from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (March 2011) show that 455 companies nationwide were put into external administration in January, down 40% from December, but experts still predict a bumpy road ahead.

Failed household names continue to remind us of the risks of unexpected bad debts. Such names as: • Lehman Brothers Australia Limited • Angus & Robertson • Clive Peeters • Colorado If you have any number of large exposures a single bad debt could severely strain your financial resources. Trade Credit Insurers have designed a number of flexible insurance policies that can be tailored to suit individual requirements.

22 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

Below is a summary of current costs for Qstart (QBE Trade Credit web site sourced 6/10/2011).

Feature Annual premium (inc GST)

Policy which is designed specifically to protect medium to large businesses against bad debt. The policy provides cover across the whole of the debtors’ ledger or major debtors only and can be structured with varying levels of excesses and indemnity, to suit specific requirements of particular trades and sizes of business.

Premium options are generally in the range of 0.20% - 0.70% of insurable turnover depending on the risk covered, indemnity level, excesses selected, and prior claims.

Reminder of Key Benefits for Trade Credit Insurance: • protect your liquidity and cash flow • preserve your profit and allow you to grow sales with confidence • enhance your credit management procedures • improve borrowing facilities with your bank.

$7480 plus appropriate Stamp Duty

Limit Administration Charge (inc GST)

$748

Maximum sum insured

$100,000

Insured percentage

85%

Top 10 accounts, each above

$5,000

As mentioned above, whilst cost is an important factor for many businesses, it should be weighed up against the value of your largest debt to one of your major customers and the ability of your business to continue to trade should one of your customers become insolvent.

For business that have turnover in excess of $2,000,000 Trade Credit Insurers would look to a Whole of Turnover or Major Debtor

With the economy - along with interest rates and inflation - in a period of uncertainty, many businesses may be pushed to the brink of insolvency. If one of these businesses is your largest customer, are your debtors protected? G Chegwyn Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd Suite 105, 447 Victoria Street, Wetherill Park NSW 2164 p | 02 9604 6166 f | 02 9604 6188 w | www.chegwyninsurance.com.au

GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 速

23

Business Advice

Rick Eardley, Director - Grants Spectrum Australia

Accessing Government Grants Traditionally government assistance was simply in the form of matching cash assistance by subsidising those activities that the government wanted to encourage. Unfortunately that money has not always been spent wisely. Therefore, there is a developing trend towards more targeted assistance, in the form of advice as well as cash.

Enterprise Connect The Enterprise Connect (EC) scheme is an example of this blended approach.

Although some funding is available within the scheme, the government has determined that what many companies often need is practical help and advice. The EC scheme helps both small and medium companies by offering comprehensive advice and support to help them transform and grow.

The EC scheme is a layered scheme, the benefits of which may vary from applicant to applicant depending upon the identified needs of the business. If you are eligible for the scheme, you will be able to request a confidential and comprehensive Business Review at no cost to you.

The EC scheme employs Business Advisors, who have experience in business, to provide advice and deliver a number of specialised support programs designed to address the specific needs of businesses and regional development requirements. The role of the Business Advisors is to work with you, helping you to improve and transform your business and its potential in a natural way, ensuring your technology and outlook is sustainable and future-proof.

Some of the components of the EC scheme are: •B usiness Review. A free of charge, full on-site analysis followed up by at least

24 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

twelve months of advisory services following your comprehensive review.

For the initial review you would need to commit at least 2 full days specifically devoted to the review process.

• Technology and Knowledge Connect.

Included with the Business Review, this gives you access to a team who will assist in diagnosing issues within your company and offer advice to help with any technological shortcomings. This service is also free of charge.

• Tailored Advisory Service Grant.

Available up to a maximum of $20,000, Tailored Advisory Service Grants will subsidise 50% of your costs of engaging a consultant to deliver any improvements suggested in your Business Review.

• Researchers in Business Grant.

Available up to a maximum of $50,000, the Researchers in Business Grant provides up to 50% of the salary costs of hiring a researcher from a university or public research agency in order to develop and implement your ideas.

• Workshops, Industry Intelligence and Networking Program. This program is designed to promote awareness of workshops, networking events and seminars, which may help you to develop and expand your company’s business.

sectors or in remote Australia: • Manufacturing or related services • Mining technology • Defence • Clean energy • Creative industries • You must be solvent.

• You must have filed Business Activity Statements for at least three consecutive years.

• You must meet the turnover requirements and thresholds for your industry: • Manufacturing, mining technology or defence: • Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth: $2m - $100m • Regional areas: $1.5m - $100m • Clean energy or creative industries: $1.5m - $100m • Remote Australia: $750,000 - $100m • You must not have received an equivalent Business Review service from another Australian Government program within the last three years.

Summary This scheme has the potential to greatly assist you in planning your company’s future growth with extra advisory services potentially being on hand. Whilst most of the services are free, participation in the scheme can require a significant commitment of your time. G

• Technology Partnerships Equipment Register. Access to a detailed list of companies who have the technology and capacity to assist your company.

Eligibility Criteria Eligibility for the Enterprise Connect scheme is based on the following criteria: • You must have an Australian Company Number.

• You must operate in one of the following

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

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GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 速

25

FEATURE

TAFE Institutes Join Forces to Give Parramatta Businesses a Competitive Boost As the sixth largest Central Business District in Australia and Western Sydney’s economic capital, Parramatta City makes an impressive mark on any regional map. Parramatta City now has an additional strength with the opening of a new and unique TAFE NSW office, located in Phillip Street in the heart of the business district.

The TAFE NSW Parramatta office brings together the expertise of two TAFE NSW Institutes, being a unique partnership between South Western Sydney Institute and Western Sydney Institute. According to Customer Relationship Manager Joanne Nolan, this will be a great opportunity for industry and the greater community.

“Our new Parramatta office will provide businesses and community in the Greater Western Sydney area with easy access to the highly adaptable, flexible training and support services that TAFE NSW has to offer,” Joanne said.

“Western Sydney and South Western Sydney Institutes have joined forces to ensure that the best possible combination of training and services is available. We will provide customised training programs to industry, tailored to individual company needs. TAFE NSW is well known for its industry expertise, flexible delivery and nationally recognised qualifications.”

“Parramatta is the gateway to Greater Western Sydney and we look forward to contributing to the development of the economic and social infrastructure in the Parramatta region,” Joanne said.

TAFE NSW will provide the following services through its Parramatta Office: • Training and consultancy services assisting organisations and business with training strategies designed to increase their employees’ skill base and productivity

26 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

• Workforce development - engaging people with the knowledge and skills they may require for career development • Customised training - development and delivery specific programs to provide optimum results • Funding advice - assistance with accessing government funding to extend your organisation’s training budget • Skills assessment - formal recognition of existing skills and knowledge for your industry sector

• Distance and online programs – study @ your own pace @ your own place • CPD programs - Continuing Professional Development courses and forums targeted to specific industries • Course information – career and course assistance at one of our 20 TAFE locations • Industry events and forums – industry networking events and knowledge forums. G

• Traineeships and apprenticeships we work with you and the Australian Apprenticeship Centre together to provide maximum benefits for all

For more information visit our website or call Joanne on:

• Graduate management programs nationally accredited recognised University programs

p | 9208 9507 e | joanne.nolan@tafensw.edu.au w | www.gws.tafensw.edu.au

• International programs – extending from Certificate level programs to Advanced Diploma which may lead to University pathways in many cases

NEW Parramatta Office

Supporting Greater Western Sydney

Contact us or visit our new Parramatta office for all your training needs Shop 1B, 69 Phillip St. Parramatta

(02) 9208 9507

www.gws.tafensw.edu.au

A partnership between Western Sydney and South Western Sydney Institutes GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 速

27

FEATURE

White Gold a n A u t o m o b i l e ?

By Robert E Cliff F.G.A.A., JP History shows us that we have preferred the colour of gold to stay as close to the colour of pure gold as possible. However, to wear gold jewellery in its purest form is almost impossible, or at the very least, far too soft. The gold would have to be very heavy and thick to ensure it does not bend.

In order to harden the gold for more general use and to fashion into jewellery, various yellow alloys (alloy is basically the mixture of more than one metal) are mixed with the pure gold. Gold itself is a yellow metallic element; the colour is caused by gold absorbing violet and blue light, but reflecting yellow and red light. Metals mixed with gold to produce alloys include copper and silver, common components of most yellow gold alloys, and nickel, zinc and palladium to produce the white alloys.

Contrary to what most people imagine, white Gold is not a shiny white metal.

It begins as yellow gold and has many components to create its beautiful gleam, not the least its rhodium coating applied after completion without this, the white-gold might be dull, grey or even a pale pink. The rhodium plating should be re-plated each 12 to l8 months to ensure it keeps its shiny appearance.

Stunning 18ct white gold pendant featuring brilliant cut diamonds = 0.32ct.

It became quite fashionable in the 1920s and again in this century. During the 1920s three patents were filed for different ‘recipes’ of white gold alloys and using different components to produce the whitening, or bleaching affect. The most common metal that creates a significant bleaching in gold is nickel, an advantage, as it is inexpensive and a good colour match for platinum. Unfortunately, nickel often creates allergic reactions on the skin, such as dermatitis. Approximately one in eight people may experience an allergic reaction from this alloy. There are some regulations covering the use of nickel in jewellery being implemented quite soon, and hence, all or most jewellery sold will have to be nickel-free.

White gold, as it is called, is a wonderful substitute for platinum – itself fashionable and popular today. However, as we know, Platinum is quite expensive. It needs great temperatures to be able to work with and as a Master Craftsman, believe me, it can

28 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

FEATURE

Award winning

Designers & Manufacturers Since 1984

Exquisite 18ct white gold stud drop earings featuring thirty brilliant cut diamonds = 0.30ct.

Stunning 18ct white gold ring featuring brilliant cut diamonds = 0.50ct.

be quite hard to work with; much more complex than gold, although it is an ideal setting metal for Diamonds.

Silver would be a great property, but unfortunately, it does not have a very great bleaching effect. Copper does not tend to whiten. A typical palladium containing white gold alloy might be, in parts per thousand: Gold 750, Silver 40, Copper 40 and Palladium 170.

The other metal ideal as a component to create white gold alloy is palladium, a very close relative to platinum. Its disadvantage is that it is quite expensive.

Another disadvantage is the high melting point - a jeweller’s workshop must be quite modernised in order to cope.

Another hidden factor in the high cost of alloy components is that there are large proportions of scrap produced during jewellery manufacture. Because this involves expensive precious metal alloys, recycling is very important. Also, when scrap contains high levels of expensive metals like palladium, there are extra costs involved in recovering it, which have to be added back to the production costs.

Other bleachers include silver, platinum, chromium, cobalt, tin, zinc and indium.

I prefer to use 18ct white gold alloys for our diamond rings, containing palladium, which is nickel-free.

White gold is a magnificent alternative to Platinum when utilising Diamonds, as the colour itself enhances these beautiful stones and helps to reflect their dazzling light.

Mesmerizing 18ct white gold ring featuring baguette and princess cut diamonds Totaling = 2.13ct.

was a Mercedes, fully built in white gold, with a price tag of approximately $50 million! How do you put a price tag on this!

Have a look for yourself - just Google benz-in-white-gold. G

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

On a less serious but certainly interesting final note, white gold has been utilised in a variety of non-jewellery items, not the least of which has been a car!

Yes, as only a totally self-indulged billionaire who obviously has it all would want - using the term very lightly, the ‘car’

GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

29

TELECOM

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

Microsoft Office 365 for Professionals and Small Businesses Look, Work and Collaborate Better ®

Office 365 is a communication and collaboration suite that has been built to give you and your team advantages. It provides you with all the tools you need to communicate, collaborate and work more effectively, make the most of your talents, and seize your opportunities.

• Built in security Every piece of data is scanned for spam and your business is protected from malicious threats 24/7, by Microsoft Forefront® Online Protection for Exchange Online. So the software that helps run your business will be safeguarded around the clock.

Built on familiar software that’s been upgraded to make the most of new business technology, it brings each individual’s office, online and mobile connections together with enhanced security.

• 99.9% service availability with service credits if service levels aren’t met1 You count on your business software so Office 365 is delivered with a 99.9% service availability with service credits if service levels aren’t met1.

Whether you need a simpler way to sync your fixed and mobile e-mails, contacts and appointments; more freedom to manage your documents, projects and relationships from almost any location* and easy-to-use tools to build your own website, giving you greater flexibility to communicate through web pages, live meetings and instant chat.

Features to Set You Free • No need for IT expertise Office 365 has been designed for businesses that don’t have a dedicated IT department. You can set it up yourself, and administer your own service via an intuitive, web-based portal. If you need help, there is 24/7, IT-level support over the phone, the web, email and via community forums.

30 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

• Pay-as-you-go-user licensing You’ll be able to enjoy added purchasing flexibility and cost control, plus robust management and deployment tools, to adapt to your changing business needs with greater IT control. G For a free 30-day trial† of selected T-Suite services, or for more information, visit or call Telstra Business Centre Baulkham Hills on 1300 721 400.

Telstra Business Centre Hills/ Northern District Suite H, Ground Floor, Lexington Corporate 24 Lexington Drive, Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 p | 1300 721 400 e | enquiries@business-connect.com.au

*Subject to internet availability or mobile network coverage. 1 Service levels do not apply during excluded downtime (being downtime less than 10 minutes in length) and scheduled downtime. Refer to Telstra’s T-Suite Our Customer Terms for information on the service levels, the exclusions, and how to claim service credits. For complete terms and conditions, including our rights to update the service or change the functionality, and the ability for you to change Microsoft Online Services or change licence numbers, see T-Suite Our Customer Terms. † Each Microsoft® Office 365 (Plan P1) trial is limited to 10 seats and expires after 30 days. You may only receive one trial. You may, during or within 30 days of the expiring of the trial, choose to convert your trial users to a paid subscription for any Office 365 suite or any of the individual components of the Office 365 services. No early termination charges apply for not converting to a paid subscription. User information and data, including mailbox content, hosted data and other related settings will be deleted within 30 days after the expiry of the trial unless you have purchased a subscription for the Office 365 (Plan P1) suite or any of the individual components of the Office 365 (Plan P1). If you choose to purchase from a different suite to that trialled, your existing account and service data will not be migrated and will be deleted.

Telstra may in its discretion cancel the Trial prior to the end of the 30-day period. For complete terms and conditions, including information on trials, see T-Suite Our Customer Terms. ® Registered trade mark of Microsoft Corporation Limited. ® Registered trade mark of Telstra Corporation Limited ABN 33 051 775 556.

EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS A GREAT BUSINESS PLAN BUSINESS MoBILE MAXIMISER™ PLAN

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TELSTRA BUSINESS cENTRE HILLS / NoRTHERN DISTRIcT, SUITE H137 LowER GRoUND LEVEL LEXINGToN coRPoRATE 24 LEXINGToN DRIVE BAULkHAM HILLS. cALL 1300 721 400 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW: Our Fair Play policy applies. Non-cap plans (eg Business Mobile Advantage plans, Business FleetSelect plans) are not eligible to be on the same account as Business Mobile Maximiser Plans. Charges apply for excluded usage and for usage over any monthly included allowance. Included allowance excludes some usage such as calls/SMS/MMS to premium numbers (eg. 19xx numbers) and to some satellite networks, operator assisted calls (eg. most 12xx numbers), content charges (include 3rd party charges), info calls (eg. most 11xx numbers) and use whilst overseas. Unlimited standard SMS offer excludes SMS to Pivotel numbers and satellite phones. Unused allowance expires monthly. If you cancel early, you must repay any remaining handset repayments in addition to any early termination charge for your service. Android and the Android logo are trade marks of Google Inc.™ and ® are trade marks and registered trade marks of Telstra Corporation Limited. ABN 33 051 775 556.

GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

31

business advice

John Watters, Executive Officer - Parramatta Schools Industry Partnership Inc.

Mystery Potential Employees The concept of the ‘mystery shopper’ is neither new nor innovative. For decades people have been paid to test customer systems and staff patience to find strengths and weaknesses of various businesses. I would like to see a focus on mystery potential employees.

While I am not an avid follower of programs such as The Apprentice or Undercover Boss, what these shows always highlight for me are the inherent challenges and opportunities ‘mystery employees’ can identify. For those unfamiliar with the concept, CEOs of larger businesses will often disguise themselves and participate at entry-level positions as part of what the other employees believe is a reality employment show where the ‘winner’ becomes a paid employee. To the absolute dismay of many CEOs, staff will often pass on bad habits, demonstrate poor work ethics and generally undermine the business. Alarmingly, such behavior and culture is passed onto the ‘newbie’ who has only hours of experience under their belt.

The most disappointing aspect of such programs is that the millions of dollars invested in slick marketing campaigns, are often unraveled in minutes. Furthermore, poor staff morale can taint entire businesses and industries. The frightening fact is that this continues in many businesses, whether they are featured in such programs or not. It happens during work experience.

Each year in NSW more than 60 000 students participate in some sort of work experience model. For the most part, students and employers approach work experience with enthusiasm and altruism.

Unfortunately, sometimes through lack of planning or understanding, work experience can become arduous for all parties. Students become disinterested and employers become bitter. What’s worse is that through

32 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

word of mouth almost everyone receives a biased viewpoint that is only exacerbated through social media.

A more proactive approach is needed to focus on the overwhelmingly positive. Work experience can be one of the most influential events in a young person’s life. Curious and inquisitive about what the ‘real world’ is

Business in the Community (BitC) in the UK. After seeing it work first hand, along with my Business Education and Community Alliance (BECA) colleagues, we have been inspired to see if we can apply UK concepts in Australia. We have arranged for BitC to come to Australia in December 2011. For further information, please do not hesitate to contact us through the following contacts. G

Work experience can be one of the most influential events in a young person’s life.

For employers, it is the opportunity to hand-pick the best from the bunch in the real-working environment, taking into account numerous colleagues’ opinions. all about and what they can expect, work experience is life changing. For employers, it is the opportunity to hand-pick the best from the bunch in the real-working environment, taking into account numerous colleagues’ opinions. This simply cannot happen during most job interview selection panels.

Does this mean that employers should re-design their operations and sugarcoat their industry in some attempt to win the accolades of the work experience student? Of course not. Students need to work within business systems, sometimes with modifications, but by and large the real environment. Nonetheless, students are to some extent the mystery potential employee. They have the ability to build our businesses and improve our industries. We have the ability to inspire them to join us and share in our passions.

Turning Work Experience into Work Inspiration is an industry lead initiative of

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

Aus SIP

explore.inspire.engage

Members

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

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

GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 速

33

business ADVICE

Craig West, M. Tax Law, M. Bus (Acct / Fin) , B. Bus (Mgmt) Partner, CPA - Succession Plus

SME Engineering Firm Bucks Trend with an Employee Share Ownership Plan for Business Succession Locally grown and owned engineering plant C-Mac in Girraween, in Western Sydney, NSW, has bucked the growing national SME trend to wind up on owner retirement (‘The Exit Generation Needs Help’ - Featherstone T, The Venture blog, SHM.com.au 19 September) with the introduction of an Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP) offered to all its employees. The engagement of employees as owners has already seen an 18 % hike in productivity at the plant.

More than 80% of Australian small and medium business owners aged over 55 are trapped in their businesses – struggling to work out how to escape and at the same time extract their wealth from the companies they have worked so hard to create.

Recent surveys by a number of the Big Four banks and several accounting firms identified succession planning as the number one issue among business owners as they approach the end of their careers.

But like so many management buzz words coined to capture complex trends in simple phrases, “succession planning” fails to address so many of the problems the owners of SMEs are grappling with.

For example, those in the manufacturing sector find themselves looking for a viable exit from their businesses at a time when markets for their products and services are disappearing offshore.

Unable to find buyers prepared to pay a fair price for the value they have created or family members willing to take over the reins, more and more face the terrible alternative of simply turning out the lights and walking away.

34 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

38% had a lack of awareness of employee buyout as an option for succession, with a further 44% considering employee buyout as unlikely or very unlikely.

The Australian Employee Buyout Centre facilitated the ESOP implementation and funded all the advisors’ costs for C-Mac Industries. The funding was provided through a Federal Government Grant under the now completed Rudd government initiative, the Jobs That We Own program.

ESOP designer Craig West of Succession Plus stated “this plan has been a great example of the combination of enthusiastic employees (who have now elected two employees to represent the new group of owners on the company board) and owners who can see the benefits of increased participation and who are prepared to create a win-win environment for all stakeholders. It is unusual to see such a high take up rate amongst employees and it’s encouraging to see the improvements in performance even at this early stage.”

Steve Grlyak, manufacturing manager for C-Mac said that since the introduction of the employee share plan, “People are now saying ‘us’ instead of ‘me’ and asking, ‘what do you want us to do?’. Job security is a key motivator at C-Mac and we do not want to lose employees with skills.

There are now charts in the lunch room so everyone can see how the business is doing. The change has been truly unbelievable from all staff. I have directions and targets from the elected board (the plan involved the members electing two employees to represent them on the C-Mac board) and I have all the support I need

from all staff. Our meetings are open for discussion with great ideas from all staff to improve efficiency. As a manager with job security and a share in the business it’s a great pleasure to manage a team who want you to lead with ideas”.

The company’s founding family members are the principal shareholders but see the benefits of a gradual sale of shares to employees based on profit share as well as the increased involvement of key staff within the management team.

The plan – a Peak Performance Trust designed by Succession Plus specifically for small to medium privately held businesses that are looking to attract, retain and motivate key staff by involving them in both the equity and control aspects of succession planning – has been used successfully by a growing number of business owners throughout Australia looking for an innovative approach to succession planning. G

Succession Plus Pty Limited Level 3, 50 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000 p | 1300 665 473 w | www.successionplus.com.au

GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 速

35

business ADVICE

Scott Tyler, Managing Director - Brightblue Marketing

Get Found Online Great websites are not so great if no one visits them. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a core fundamental for any website strategy, but it takes commitment and consistency when attempting to get a Page 1 ranking.

These tips will help you get found online.

Building inbound links It is the goal of every business website owner to reach the #1 ranking in search engines. However there is only one top spot so not everyone can achieve it.

So how do you achieve a #1 ranking?

‘Off-page’ Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the most important strategy to increase your ranking results.

Off-page SEO is all about link building organising other quality websites to link back to your site. The more inbound links you have to your website, the higher you will rank. Search engines call this “authority”.

of your pages. These on-page elements include Headlines, Sub-headlines, Body Content, Image Tags, and Links.

Choose a primary keyword for each page and focus on optimising the page for that word. If you overfill a page with too many keywords, the page will lose its importance and authority.

Here are eight tips to help you with on-page SEO: 1. Place your primary keyword in your headline and sub-headline. These content areas have greater weight with search engines.

2. Include keywords in the content of the body, but do not use them out of context.

Having a website alone does not guarantee your site will be easily found on the web.

In order to generate traffic to your website you need to embrace both on-page and off-page SEO. A website needs to not just exist, it needs to perform. It needs to attract visitors, educate them and convince them to buy or engage. G Would you like help generating more traffic to your website? Has your website been optimised for search engines? Do you need help building inbound links to your website?

If you would like a free website assessment please contact Brightblue Marketing on 1300 309 171 or email info@iibe.com.au.

At Brightblue Marketing we’re reshaping business.

3. Include keywords in the name of the image file or ALT tag.

4. Include keywords in the page URL.

Here are four tips for creating inbound links: 1. C reate relevant, high quality, entertaining or educational content. If your website content is relevant and of high quality then other people will naturally want to create links to it.

2. Submit your site to online directories.

3. Register your business with Google Places.

4. Write guest posts on other related blogs. Ensure that you provide valueadding, quality content and a link back to your site.

Although off-page SEO is very important, you still need to address ‘on-page’ SEO. This involves placing keywords in the most important elements of the actual content

36 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

5. Write for humans first, search engines second. Always prepare your content for your audience and then try to optimise for the search engines.

6. Utilise ‘title tags’ and ‘meta tags’. Meta tags are lines of code, which are included in a web page. Search engines look at meta tags to learn more about what the page is about.

7. Set-up an XML Sitemap. XML sitemaps help search engine robots (or ‘spiders’) crawl your web site pages more efficiently.

8. Set-up 301 redirects. If you decide to switch pages in your site, be sure to use a permanent 301 redirect. If a site visitor can’t find a new page, nor can a search engine, and you’ll lose any SEO status the old page once had.

Brightblue Marketing Unit 10, 7 Salisbury Road Castle Hill NSW 2154 p | e | | t | w |

1300 309 171 info@iibe.com.au www.linkedin.com/in/scotttyler www.twitter.com/scott_tyler www.brightbluemarketing.com.au

EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS A GREAT BUSINESS PLAN BUSINESS MoBILE MAXIMISER™ PLAN

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PLUS $15 HANDSET REPAYMENT oVER 24 MoNTHS oN THE BUSINESS MoBILE MAXIMISER™ PLAN. MIN coST $2,256.

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TELSTRA BUSINESS cENTRE HILLS / NoRTHERN DISTRIcT, SUITE H137 LowER GRoUND LEVEL LEXINGToN coRPoRATE 24 LEXINGToN DRIVE BAULkHAM HILLS. cALL 1300 721 400 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW: Our Fair Play policy applies. Non-cap plans (eg Business Mobile Advantage plans, Business FleetSelect plans) are not eligible to be on the same account as Business Mobile Maximiser Plans. Charges apply for excluded usage and for usage over any monthly included allowance. Included allowance excludes some usage such as calls/SMS/MMS to premium numbers (eg. 19xx numbers) and to some satellite networks, operator assisted calls (eg. most 12xx numbers), content charges (include 3rd party charges), info calls (eg. most 11xx numbers) and use whilst overseas. Unlimited standard SMS offer excludes SMS to Pivotel numbers and satellite phones. Unused allowance expires monthly. If you cancel early, you must repay any remaining handset repayments in addition to any early termination charge for your service. Android and the Android logo are trade marks of Google Inc.™ and ® are trade marks and registered trade marks of Telstra Corporation Limited. ABN 33 051 775 556.

GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

37

Feature

Lexus of Parramatta are Excited to Launch the All New Lexus of Parramatta Corporate Program At Lexus of Parramatta, we are committed to the Lexus ideal of the Pursuit of Perfection. We identified a need to reward our valued corporate clients with a range of benefits normally reserved for BRW Top 500 companies! Lexus represents an incomparable driving experience and the Lexus of Parramatta Corporate Program builds upon this by providing a service uniquely tailored to our corporate customers.

Having opened in early 1999, Lexus of Parramatta was developed to showcase a premier brand among the vehicles offered on Church Street, Parramatta. Now into our third decade of business, we realised some of our valued corporate clients were missing out on benefits we thought they deserved, and made the decision to launch our very own Corporate Program, and to tailor the program to the unique needs of our clients.

The Lexus of Parramatta Corporate Program rewards our clients with: • 3 year/60,000 km complimentary scheduled servicing • Reduced dealer pre-delivery fee • 4 year/100,000km (whichever occurs first) warranty • Service loan cars and/or complimentary service pick up and drop off • Lexus Drive Care 24 hour roadside assistance • Lexus Magazine • Lexus Premium Ticketing • Lexus of Parramatta Corporate Gift Offering vehicles that combine luxury and performance with a program that includes a range of unique privileges, the Lexus of Parramatta Corporate Program delivers an experience that rewards achievement and facilitates companies in conducting their business. New vehicles across the entire Lexus range are available as part of the programme, including luxury sedans, coupes and SUVs.

38 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

Lexus CT 200h Hybrid hatch

The Lexus range of vehicles has grown significantly since we were launched in Australia over 20 years ago with our one flagship vehicle, the Lexus LS400. This groundbreaking vehicle, with its revolutionary level of luxury and refinement, made the European luxury brands sit up and take notice, but it was only a hint of what was to come.

Cut to 2011 and Lexus has a luxury vehicle to suit every style and taste, starting with the latest addition to the Lexus range, the CT 200h Hybrid hatch. What began as the LF-Ch concept has now become a reality as the CT 200h. Swift response and environmental responsibility have been refined into a compact package without compromising on the luxury features you would expect in a Lexus.

A thrilling new addition to the IS line, the IS 350 sedan is engineered to excite. Driven by a roaring 233Kw, 3.5 litre direct & port injection V6 engine that delivers the most power in its class, the IS 350 combines the superior comfort, refinement and safety you’ve come to expect from Lexus with the heart of a highperformance vehicle.

The pursuit of perfection continues through the Lexus of Parramatta Service Centre. With qualified master technicians, service advisors and the luxury of the service pick up/drop off and loan vehicle, the service centre is dedicated to your pleasurable experience, during the ownership of your Lexus.

Lexus of Parramatta has specialists in new vehicles, pre-owned vehicles, corporate specialists and onsite Finance Business Managers, to assist you in your purchasing needs. G

Your dedicated Lexus of Parramatta Corporate Sales Specialist is Carly Haynes and can be contacted by telephone on 1300 859 626.

of Parramatta

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*GS 300 X Sports model shown. Price shown is the recommended drive away price for a private buyer and includes 12 months registration, 12 months compulsory third party insurance (CTP), a recommended dealer delivery charge and stamp duty. Please note that your actual drive away price may differ depending on your individual circumstances. Accordingly, please talk to your local Lexus Dealer to confirm the price that is specific to you. Statutory charges are current as at 16/09/2011.

GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 39 ®

FEATURE

Nat Martorano, Senior Consultant - The HR Department

The HR Department – Open for Business in Atlas, Norwest Do any of these Human Resources (HR) problems sound all too familiar?

• Do you find yourself spending too much time on staff problems?

• Do you go home feeling like you’re drowning in a sea of staff conflict and will never catch up?

• Staffing: is it all becoming too much…too hard to handle?

If you’ve answered “Yes” to any of these questions, The HR Department may be just what you need.

The HR Department is your highly trained and experienced team who will resolve your staffing and HR issues; whether it’s for the interim or long term. The HR Department’s total focus is to find you the solution to suit your business needs. Do you like the idea of your HR professional operating like a member of your team? Your HR team member will work on site as often as you require, to help you create a high performance workplace.

Services the HR Department provides Most business owners and managers are busy growing revenue streams, keeping costs down, and looking for new opportunities. Many struggle or fail miserably to keep up with the legislation and compliance issues that are part and parcel of having employees. To help you focus on growing your business, and free you up from time consuming and complex people issues, the HR Department can provide the following services: • Employee Relations • Employment Basics • Performance Management • OHS, Return to Work and Workers’ Compensation Management

40 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

• HR System design and implementation.

The HR Department will take the guess work out of interpreting and implementing the various Awards and can negotiate on your behalf with employee representatives.

They can deal with underperforming staff, potentially keeping you out of the tribunal, saving you money and valuable hours.

For some business owners and managers selecting and hiring staff can be both time consuming and complex. The HR Department can assist you with all aspects of this process from writing the job description and undertaking recruitment interviews through to reference checking and preparing the Employee Contracts.

Ensuring you have the correct systems in place with HR policies and procedures can help keep your business running smoothly in a more productive work environment.

The HR Department team know what they are doing. Each consultant has extensive HR experience across a range of sectors and industries. Expertise you can call on from day one.

Benefits of outsourcing Many businesses owners and managers have used outsourcing for various functions to: • Save money • Buy experience • Solve a temporary issue • Expedite an ongoing situation.

But the key to outsourcing is to hire people that will hit the ground running from day one. Every member of the HR Department team has been solving HR issues for at least 15 years. That’s a lot of experience working for you from the get go.

Our success depends on getting results for you, the client.

We are results driven, strong in strategic and operational HR, with project management experience across organisations of all sizes who operate locally, nationally and internationally.

Which option works best for your business?

1. We support you with HR advice on demand.

You just call and we provide prompt and reliable information to help you make informed accurate decisions.

2. We Build your HR Department.

You have a dedicated number of hours each month where one of our HR experts will help you tailor documents, procedures, policies and templates that you will need for sound safe HR practices.

3. We are your HR department.

The HR Department will provide you with HR resources and support relevant to your business needs from once a month to daily. G Put the HR Department to the Test Call us on 02 8850 7124 The HR Department Suite 515, 2-8 Brookhollow Ave Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 e | elly@thehrdepartment.com.au w | www.theHRdepartment.com.au

FEATURE

Spider Control in the Hills District

by Bruce Gow

Spider control in the Hills District is an ongoing battle. So which are the best and safest pest control solutions?

Eliminating spiders from an area for a long period of time is almost impossible.

Spiders do not congregate in a single large nest, so the population cannot be destroyed by targeting one site. Get rid of spiders safely by reducing harmful spider populations using a pest control expert.

Don’t try to kill spiders by yourself by using aerosols or other dangerous poisons. This may be more dangerous than the actual spider threat!

New spiders will quickly recolonise an area if the inhabitants are killed off. In many species, young spiders (or ‘spiderlings’) disperse by ‘ballooning’ - they spin silk strands that are taken by the wind, carrying the spiders over potentially long distances.

Although keeping an area free of spiders is difficult, there are many precautions that can be taken to avoid bites. Avoid walking outside with bare feet, especially at night. When gardening, wear shoes, long trousers and thick gloves to guard against any spiders, scorpions, centipedes or stinging insects. Wandering spiders can enter houses at ground level, often under a door. Fitting weather strips or using draft excluders can block this entry route.

Fitting fly-screens to windows and wall ventilators will prevent any climbing spiders from obtaining access. A cleared area around the house will discourage burrowing spiders from making burrows there.

It is a good idea to educate children to ‘look but don’t touch’ when they find any spiders, and for adults to obey the same rule. It is sensible to be respectful of spiders, rather than be frightened of them.

An effective way of controlling Redbacks is to carry out regular inspections of suitable Redback habitats, searching for spiders and their webs. The spiders may be

removed by pushing a stick into the back of the web and twisting the web, spider and any egg sacs around it. If all the webs on a property are removed, new arrivals will quickly become apparent by the presence of new webs.

Precautions As Redbacks generally make their webs under some form of shelter, they are often not seen. Check any potential web sites before putting your hands there. Wear gloves when gardening.

If you know that White-tailed Spiders are present in your area, check your shoes and clothing before wearing them. It is also sensible to check for this species in bedding and laundry. White-tails are normally active at night. Any wandering spiders seen indoors should be removed from the house.

Wandering spiders such as Wolf spiders and Huntsman spiders are best dealt with on an individual basis when encountered.

They should be left alone if in the garden, or removed from a house using a broom. They are fast moving, but not normally aggressive.

Huntsman spiders can be disconcerting when they jump off walls to make their escape, or appear unexpectedly in your car. Make sure car windows and doors are closed when the car is parked - particularly at night. If a spider is found in a car but evades capture, it can be encouraged to

leave by parking the car in a warm place.

Like Funnel-webs, Brown Trapdoor Spiders and Mouse spiders are often found in swimming pools or unearthed during gardening or construction work. Male Trapdoor spiders wander during summer and autumn. They make a burrow with a neat silk collar around the inside, and no trip-lines radiating outwards.

First Aid For all spiders, except Funnel-web spiders and Mouse spiders, often the only first aid necessary is the application of an ice-pack to relieve pain, if needed. If symptoms are serious or persist, seek medical attention, and always do so in the case of a Redback Spider bite. For suspected Funnel-web or Mouse spider bites, a pressure bandage should be applied to the bitten area as soon as possible, the victim kept quiet and medical attention sought. G

Call Bruce on 0417 251 911 or email bruce@a1pestcontrol.com.au if you have a problem with spiders. We also control cockroaches, ants and specialise in termite inspections and safe termite control. Get your free spider chart at www.a1pestcontrol. com.au/pest-control/spiders.html

GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

41

business ADVICE

Ruchaya Rayya Nillakan, Tax Accountants & SMSF Auditors

Voluntary Deregistration - is it Time to Close Down Your Company?

Many say that we’re not really feeling the Global Financial Crisis in Australia, but a lot of small business owners would disagree. Many business related expenses have increased and interest rates have risen. At the same time, the consumers’ purchasing power appears to have declined as they too, struggle with their expenses, rents and mortgages. With consumers shopping around more than ever for a better deal, many businesses have found the need to invest more money in marketing to attract the same number of customers. For some operations, particularly those that were already operating on a slim margin, it’s simply been too difficult. Numerous businesses have closed their doors due to the economic climate we have experienced over the past two years.

In this and future articles, I’ll outline the processes involved in closing down businesses under different business structures and circumstances. In this article, I’ll discuss voluntary deregistration for companies.

It’s not an easy decision to make however, if a business is no longer making a profit and the owner is going backwards financially, then it’s time for that owner to ask the hard questions, and have a heart to heart with his or her accountant. Closing down as a sole trader is easy enough, but if you have a company structure, the process is more complicated – but it’s one that must be done properly if you don’t want to fall foul of ASIC and the ATO. The company should be formally deregistered.

There are three possible ways to go about deregistering a company:

42 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

1. Voluntary deregistration 2. Winding up a solvent company 3. ASIC initiated deregistration.

Voluntary deregistration is often the preferred path but your company must meet certain requirements in order for this to be possible. Those conditions include:

value.” Who are we to argue with a genius?

You might not be a genius, but closing down your business if that’s what needs to be done is certainly the smart thing to do. G

• All members of the company agree to deregistration • The company is not carrying on business • The company’s assets are worth less than $1000 • The company liabilities

has

no

outstanding

• The company is not a party to any legal proceedings • The company has paid all fees and penalties payable under the Corporations Act 2001.

If you’ve decided it’s time to close down your company, speaking to a qualified accountant is quite important as the process can be complicated and getting it wrong can be costly.

It’s also a stressful time for a business owner who is closing down because the business is no longer viable. Things haven’t worked out and for many financial difficulties will be taking their toll on a very personal level. It can be demoralising too – it’s easy to feel that you’ve failed because your company wasn’t successful. But success is relative, and in speaking of success and relativity, I’ll leave you with some words from Albert Einstein – “Try not to become a man of success but rather become a man of

Any questions you have, you can email me at info@supersmartplans.com or visit me at Norwest Business Park or City branch Visit our website at www.supersmartplans. com.au or LIKE US on Facebook.com / supersmartplans and have access to our Tax regulation updates.

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GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 速

43

Government

Get Excited About Sydney Hills Gross Regional Product Valued at $6.5 Billion A Year Since the excitement of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, another exciting event has taken place - the Sydney Hills economy is now a third bigger than it was when Cathy Freeman lit the Olympic flame.

Bella Vista Lake Norwest Business Park

The region’s economy has grown by about $1,589 billion in real terms since 2000 – or around 32%.

According to recent figures produced by the National Institute of Economic and Industry Research (NIEIR), the Sydney Hills Gross Regional Product (GRP) - a measure of net wealth generated by the economy is valued at $6.5 billion a year in real terms (at 2007/08 constant prices).

Bella Vista Waters at Norwest Business Park

General Manager of The Hills Shire Council, Dave Walker, said the figures show that the Sydney Hills is a great place to do business as it’s one of the fastest-growing economies in NSW. “This growth translates into better business opportunities, more jobs and an excellent quality of life for locals, and is a boost for the New South Wales economy in general,” he said.

The top four productive sectors adding value to the local economy for the year ended June 2010 were Finance and Insurance, contributing $941 million; Construction with $758 million; Manufacturing at $645 million, and Professional, Scientific and Technical adding $626 million.

The report also outlined that retail trade, at $467 million, was an important contributor to the economy, contributing over 11,728 jobs, and representing by far the biggest employment sector at 22%.

The region’s GRP per worker is above the NSW state average ($83,602) at $92,717, and from 2006 to 2010 the region’s population - currently 179,716 - grew by around 20,000 people and is projected to increase to 250,000 in 2031.

44 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

“Not only is our region growing, it is contributing significantly to the bottom line of the nation,” Mr. Walker said.

Mr. Walker pointed out that a challenge for the region was indicated by the fact that only 45% of local jobs are taken up by residents, with a high proportion of workers travelling out of the area each work day.

“The 2006 Census data shows that 35 per cent of the population is under 24, which is slightly higher than the Sydney average.

As the new suburbs of Kellyville, Rouse Hill, Beaumont Hills and Box Hill expand rapidly over the next 20 years, more and more of this younger age group will start travelling to and from jobs each day.”

“We have a skilled workforce, and we are gearing up to accommodate 47,000 new jobs locally in the next 20 years. However,

it is critical that we work with the State Government on transport infrastructure projects such as the North West Rail to improve future travel times to and from the workplace.” G

The Hills Shire Council maintains an extensive database of local demographic information at www.investsydneyhills.com.au.

Businesses and companies considering relocating or expanding to the Sydney Hills can contact Council’s Economic Development team on 02 9762 1108 to find out more about the Sydney Hills.

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GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 速

45

government

Local Leaders Create History The two ‘Ws’ – Councillors Wearne and Whitfield – have heralded a new era in local politics, following their election as civic leaders of neighbouring cities Parramatta and Holroyd.

Cr Lorraine Wearne was elected as Lord Mayor of Parramatta on 28 September; just days behind Holroyd Mayor, Cr Yvette Whitfield, and the two experienced female councillors have plenty in common.

“We were both elected as Councillors in 1995, and apart from also sharing a strong sense of community, we’re also committed to improving the services our Councils provide,” Cr Wearne said.

“While we both understand our responsibilities as civic leaders, we also realise that we’re here to act on behalf of our communities,” she said.

Cr Whitfield and Cr Wearne’s elections have created history on a number of fronts.

Cr Whitfield is the first ever female Mayor of Holroyd, while Cr Wearne is the only woman to be elected Lord Mayor of Parramatta twice, having first held the position in 2000, the year she became the City’s first female Lord Mayor.

“Cr Wearne and I have strong links to our communities, which is sure to encourage more residents to become involved over the next year,” Cr Whitfield said.

“We are both approachable leaders and have a similar outlook of making ourselves more accessible to the public,” she said.

This is the first time in the history of Holroyd and Parramatta that both cities have had concurrent female civic leaders. G

Shared Bond: Councillors Lorraine Wearne and Yvette Whitfield are keen to build on their strong connection with the communities of Parramatta and Holroyd.

46 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

government

Council’s Modern Day Solution for Age-Old Problem Finding a parking spot in Parramatta is set to be a problem of the past thanks to a new mobile phone application that enables users to check available spaces.

is also set to make life easier for commuters, through its Parra Shuttle Bus Tracker application which provides realtime tracking of Parramatta’s popular shuttle bus.

technologies is an initiative of the ParraConnect Advisory Committee, an ongoing program that aims to help businesses, community groups, government stakeholders and residents.

In an Australian-first, Parramatta City Council unveiled its Smart Parking Parramatta, smart-phone application last month, offering live navigation to car spaces through the use of live GPS tracking.

Frank Dorrian, Managing Director of SGS Australia and Program Manager for Parramatta’s Digital Concierge program, said that the two applications will help to improve future traffic management.

Council’s goal of creating a ‘smart’ city is centred on improving the way its communities connect and the development of Parramatta’s digital infrastructure.

“I don’t think there’s any other government

“The Smart Parking Parramatta application

in Australia that has leveraged connective technologies like we have here in Parramatta,” said the Lord Mayor of Parramatta, Cr Lorraine Wearne.

will identify capacity data trends, which will ensure Council can provide the necessary car parking spaces required for Sydney’s growing second CBD,” said Mr Dorrian.

“Already, consumers are experiencing advanced mobile applications that make positive contributions to daily life. It’s exciting that Council is continually looking at ways it can use technology to improve the way we deliver services.”

“The Parra Shuttle Bus feature is a convenient tool for commuters that will allow them to know where the bus is positioned and reduce the amount of time spent at bus-stops.”

Council’s focus on digital technology

Parramatta’s

focus

on

The Smart Parking Parramatta and Parra Shuttle Bus Tracker applications are

available for download, for free, on all android phones and will also be made available on the iPhone and Blackberry and other popular devices. The apps can be downloaded from the ParraConnect website at www.parraconnect.net. G

connective

GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

47

Business advice

Google AdWords – The Right Management Can Make the Difference

By Claire Wendell

Whether you’re running a small online business from your home, or managing a national company, you’ve no doubt heard experiences many people have had with Google’s ‘Pay-per-click’ advertising platform, AdWords.

If not, some quick Google searches will quickly tell you that this method of advertising can either be a money pit for your business that eats up thousands of dollars with little return, or the golden ticket your business needs to see it grow and prosper.

Below are some tips to help ensure that rather than waste your precious time and money, your next attempt at running an AdWords campaign is as effective as possible.

Utilise the help of a Search expert. Unlike many traditional forms of advertising, AdWords cannot simply be launched and forgotten. In fact this is the mistake many people make when running a campaign.

Your campaign must be carefully constructed, then monitored, analysed, and optimised on an almost daily basis.

And while you’ll be able to run a basic campaign yourself, performance will be optimal when you’ve got an experienced professional doing the work for you – think of your AdWords campaign like your car.

Sure you’re able to pick up a book and perform a basic service by yourself, but it takes a professional to spot the real problems that may end up costing you big money later on down the track.

Track absolutely everything! The beauty of AdWords is that with the right set up, you’re able to track almost everything. From the amount of traffic you’re generating for your website, to the search terms people are using to find your advert, all the way to which search terms have resulted in a sale on your website. This information is a necessity in ensuring your campaign is running at its highest potential. So ensure that AdWords’ built-in ‘Conversion Tracking’ software has been installed onto your website before running any activity.

48 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

This will allow you to quickly see which keywords you should be spending money on, and which keywords are performing poorly and therefore should be removed from your campaign.

Qualify your traffic at the advert level. As you’re paying for each click on your Google ads, it’s extremely important to ensure that every click on your ad has potential of making a sale/enquiry. This can be done in a number of ways, including: • Make sure your adverts are very clear in conveying what you want visitors to do once they’ve entered your site. Whether it’s to buy one of your products or enquire about a service, make sure your ad creative is crystal clear in telling people exactly what you’re offering.

• If you’re advertising a service, always mention your service area in your adverts.

This will prevent people from outside your service area clicking on your ad and therefore wasting your advertising budget. Google does allow you to target your audience by location; however there can be issues with this occasionally so using locations in your adverts will ensure your traffic is as qualified as possible.

• Mention pricing. This will ensure that the people clicking on your advert (and therefore consuming your advertising spend) are happy with your price before being sent to your website, and are therefore more likely to convert into a sale. Some advertisers will try to steer away from this – especially when their prices are above that of their competitors

- but to ensure your conversion rate is as high as possible it’s best to make sure your site visitors are happy with your price before they click your ad. If your prices are higher than some of your competitors. It’s also a good idea to use incentives in your adverts to show added value (e.g. free delivery, special deals etc.).

Work on your ‘Click-Through-Rate’ (CTR) – and don’t stop…ever! AdWords is designed in a way that incentivises advertisers to make adverts as appealing as possible. It does this using a measurement called ‘quality score’, which gives your keywords a rating between 1 and 10. The higher your quality score, the lower your click costs (aka ‘Cost-Per-Click’ or ‘CPC’) will be and therefore the better your campaign performance will be. The

strongest variable in increasing quality score is your ‘Click-Through-Rate’, which is calculated by using the formula ‘advert clicks/number of searches’. Therefore, you must do everything you can to improve your CTR and never stop working to improve it. Ensure your adverts are highly relevant to your services/products; make your adverts stand out in any way possible via the use of special deals, incentives, etc. and make sure your keyword list is targeted to the products/services you offer.

Make use of AdWords’ transparent reporting functions. AdWords has a range of reporting functions that allow you to see exactly what your campaign is doing. Here are a few of our favourites:

• Search Query Reports. This report shows you exactly what people are typing into Google to find your ads, and the importance of this information is massive.

If you’re running a campaign to sell cars, you might have the keyword “buy cars” within your campaign. Because of AdWords’ broad targeting function, Search Query reports might show you that you’re wasting a lot of money on searches made by people using “buy toy cars”. You’ll then be able to add the word “toy” as a negative term within your campaign to ensure your adverts no longer appear when someone makes a search containing this word.

• Location reports. This report allows you to break down your clicks and conversions by city. Information like this is extremely helpful in improving conversion rates for your campaign. For example, if you’re running an Australia-wide campaign and see that Brisbane traffic isn’t converting for you, simply disable your ads from showing in Brisbane!

• Hour of day reporting. This level of reporting can be very useful, especially for services such as emergency plumbing where most people will be looking for a

company at a particular time of day.

Negative keywords. The key to any conversion-focus AdWords campaign is negative keywords. Negative keywords allow you to stop your adverts from appearing for unwanted searches relating to your services or products. If you’re running an ecommerce site, add negative keywords such as “courses”, “training”, “jobs”, “free”, etc. You can also use your search query report to find high volume but low converting search queries and set these as negatives.

Hopefully with these tips, you’re ready to start work on your own AdWords campaign and start generating that positive ROI. To summarise: • I nvest in the help of an expert. They’ll find the holes in your campaign’s leaky (and money filled) pipes!

• Ensure you’re tracking everything, right down to your on-site conversions!

• Constantly work on improving your ‘CTR’.

The better your CTR is, the less you’ll pay for traffic. This is the key to getting the edge on your competitors!

• Utilise all of the AdWords reporting tools.

The more you know about your traffic, the easier it’ll be to target the right people.

• Make use of negative keywords. Only show your ads to people who are likely to result in a conversion on your site! G Would you like to learn more? Please contact Claire Wendell or Jeremy Decker on 02 9654 3323.

Click Click Media Suite 2, Level 1, 4 Nelson Street Kenthurst, NSW p | e | w | |

02 9654 3323 info@clickclickmedia.com.au www.clickclickmedia.com.au linkedin.com/in/clairewendell

• Qualify your traffic at the advert level.

Make sure the people clicking your ads are as likely to convert as possible!

GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

49

FEATURE

Michael Trask – Director, Living Workspace

Serviced Offices – An Elegant Business Solution When storm clouds gather it’s hard to see the silver lining and when it’s the world of business facing uncertain economic times, it takes quite some vision and focus to find ways to enhance business performance. For many businesses, a Serviced Office solution provides just that – a highly cost effective and low stress way to project company image and improve the work day experience for those working within.

Not to mention the flexibility of having total control over office accommodation costs each month.

What is a Serviced Office?

The first trap we fall into is assuming everyone knows what a Serviced Office is and how it works. How many times have we heard the line “if only we had known…”?

The second is assuming that all Serviced Offices are the same, when in fact they are not.

In essence a Serviced Office is office accommodation with various essential services provided, so the customer doesn’t need to worry about them. For example, the provision of fitout, furniture, reception staff, telephone and internet services, insurances and utilities, to name a few.

Then packaging it all into a short duration product – an hour, a day, a month, 6 months or longer generates added value.

How about a Virtual Office?

Some businesses just need a suitable address and an assurance that their phone calls will be personally answered and referred as necessary - hence the terminology ‘Virtual Office’. Many Serviced Offices offer both physical office facilities and Virtual Office services, so again, check what is on offer.

50 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

Who uses a Serviced Office?

Serviced Office users come from a diverse range of business backgrounds, from micro one person businesses to large international corporations.

Major corporations, with a head office in another city, find they can make major savings by shedding a branch office and reception staff and accommodating their local executives in a suitably presented professional Serviced Office.

For the micro or one person business, working at home may be an option, but success brings with it the need to employ more staff, hold client meetings and present a more professional external image. Often, the reality in going from a ‘buzzy’ corporate office where they once worked, to the solitude of working from home in their new business, is a great shock. The good news is that a corporate style Serviced Office can offer a highly comfortable, attractive and productive work environment, with a sense of community and that familiar corporate ‘vibe’.

Whilst nothing much comes at a low cost, and neither does a Serviced Office, spend some time estimating what you would realistically spend to set yourself up in a traditional empty, 3 year lease term office.

Think about whether you would need full time reception staff and don’t forget the two month’s rent bond payment. That will at least give you a reference point to compare various quoted Serviced Office costs.

Then there is the image of the Serviced Office you are considering. Is it appropriate to your business? Inspect the facilities and let your instinct tell you if it is the right place for you.

Finally, the web: if you begin your search there, you’ll find it a crowded space, with many offers of Serviced Offices, and many of those from agents, brokers or forwarding sites. Identifying the actual Serviced Office providers in your locality may save you time in your search. G

Finding a Serviced Office Unfortunately there is no substitute for doing your own research. Think about whether you want a physical office that you will use every day, or whether you only need an office for a few hours every month.

Living Workspace Norwest Central 610/12 Century Circuit Baulkham Hills NSW 2153

Think about location. You can choose somewhere close to major facilities, where you can walk to do your lunch time errands; or you might be happy to jump into your car to get what you need.

p | 02 8853 7800 f | 02 8853 7801 m | 0419 620 893 e | mtrask@livingworkspace.com w | www.livingworkspace.com

Think about budget and whether you’d prefer a package that is ‘all in’, or whether you’d prefer to go with a ‘pay for use’ arrangement.

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GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 速

51

Feature

A Super Day Out West The Penrith Panthers’ inaugural Super Tag day held on Sunday the 25th of September has sparked a new craze out West, with over a thousand kids now wanting to know when the next gala day is and how they can get involved.

(l-r) Luke Lewis, Jonathan Thurston, Phil Gould

Panthers Media and Communications Manager Michelle Keighran said: “The recreational form of rugby league proved a hit that’s for sure. I’m still fielding calls from people wanting to know about the future of the game in Sydney’s West.

“We never anticipated the day would be as big as what it was, given the disastrous weather conditions, but the kids had a ball. I must say I was quite surprised at how competitive they were, given it was a gala event”, she added.

Plenty of Panthers stars turned up to show their support for the game as well as Cowboys sensation Johnathan Thurston.

“I couldn’t believe the amount of kids here given the rain”, he said. “I’m all for the Super Tag concept. We do have to recognise there are people out there who aren’t comfortable with Rugby League being a contact sport, but they still want to be a part of the game. It’s a good alternative, especially for the girls”, Thurston said.

Luke Lewis, who was born and bred in the West, thinks many junior league competitions will adopt Super Tag, once they learn how enjoyable it is and its benefits. “The players are happy to support the initiative because it not only encourages kids to put down their electronic toys and enjoy the outdoors; it’s physical and will bring people together”, he added.

Panthers General Manager Phil Gould, came up with the concept in conjunction with Oz Tag Australia. Gould is hoping Super Tag will provide those close to the game, who don’t wish to engage in tackle football, with an alternative sport in winter.

“It is a full field option and open to men, women, boys and girls of all ages”, he added.

“The day was outstanding, despite the rain and wind. At times the kids were given the chance to call it off, but all of them wanted to continue to play, which was fantastic to see.”

A stack of junior clubs from Sydney’s West

52 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 ®

participated in the day, as well as players who travelled from The Central Coast, Wollongong and the Sutherland Shire.

The games were played across six fields, including three fields at St Dominics College, the Panthers’ training field, and Centrebet Stadium.

A number of government officials, community leaders, media and special guests enjoyed the spectacular from the Chairman’s Lounge, while McDonalds, Coke, Asics and the licensed club supported the event with giveaways for the kids.

Each player took home a special pack which included a pair of Asics socks, a Powerade drink bottle, free lunch from McDonalds, a ball

from Panthers and various special coupons.

The day highlighted one of out most important strategies of engaging fans of all ages in Western Sydney, to make Panthers and rugby league a part of their healthy lifestyle for life.

“Super Tag is about fun and participation, and those two aspects were certainly highlighted on the day,” Mr Gould added. G

GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 速

53

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54 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 速

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55

LANDING SOON AT OUR NEW HOME STEEL STREET BESSEM

SUNN YHOLT RD

ER ST

NEW SITE

SACKVIL LE

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RI O M H C

THIR

D N

DA VE

RD

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In November 2011, Lander Toyota will relocate to

MA

IN

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ST

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56 GWP Magazines | Issue 39 | November / December 2011 速