Business Resource & Lifestyle Magazine Issue #42

GWP M a g a z i n e s

Sydney

速

B u s i n e ss

SYDNEY - Issue 42

M a g a z i n e

S i n c e

| APRIL 2012

2 0 0 5

Skeggs Goldstien

A Strong Business Partnership Leadership, Vision and Badgerys Creek Page 18

Turnaround Your Distressed Business

Entrepreneur Profile:

Ben Freeman Printworks Australia

Page 20

Is Your Business Making Use of the Funding Available for Training?

Page 22

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

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Editor and Publisher: Dmitry Greku Cover Story: Adrian Payne Editing: Leonie Seysan Contributing Writers: Charlie Lynn Adam Goldstien Rick Eardley Ruchaya Rayya Nillakan Daniel Moisyeyev Narelle Stoker

Angry Anderson John Watters Andrew de Wynter Ben Dulhunty Jeremy Carter Larry Woldenberg

Sub-editor, Art Director: Svetlana Greku Executive Officer: Daniel Moisyeyev 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

Kitchen Inc. Copyright GWP Media® and GWP Magazines® 2011.

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

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

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

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29 14 Cover Story 8 Skeggs Goldstien: A Strong Business

Partnership Adrian Payne

42

Regulars

Regulars

Business Advice

Business chamber

26 Do Not Go Bankrupt

36 A is for Advocacy. B is for Business.

Ruchaya Rayya Nillakan

28 What Motivates Staff?

Entrepreneur Profile

14 Ben Freeman, Printworks Australia

Society & Life

Effective Staff Retention Andrew de Wynter

40 Change

Angry Anderson

44 Quick Response (QR) Codes Daniel Moisyeyev

Larry Woldenberg

Features

investment advice

Regulars NSW Agenda

18 Leadership, Vision and Badgerys Creek Charlie Lynn

Business Advice

20 Turnaround Your Distressed Business

Adam Goldstien

22 Is Your Business Making Use of the Funding Available for Training?

24 Accessing Government Grants

Rick Eardley

32 Self Managed Superannuation and

Exotic Investments Jeremy Carter

30 Year 13 Graduation Rates

John Watters

38 Panthers Kick off Season 2012 with the Local Community in Mind Penrith Panthers

Corporate HEALTH

25 Wake Up and Beat That Afternoon

C is for Champion Narelle Stoker

Slump!

Ben Dulhunty

42 How Art Gains Value

market place

46 Classifieds

29 Tuscan Wine Review

Celia Berrell

Local Government

34 Sydney Hills Business Ambassadors

The Hills Shire Council

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

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editor’s letter

Slow Economy or Slow Mind

Dmitry Greku - Editor and Publisher - GWP Magazines®

A character in one book said: “Devastation is not in the country, devastation is in their heads.” This couldn’t be said any better. These days media is trying to create a cheap sensation without caring too much about the consequences of their actions. And the mob is happy to follow and start yelling slogans taken from the headlines.

So, who should we listen to?

Let’s do some quick research and put some facts together. Fact one: according to one source of information, bankruptcies increased 48% in 2011 and small business start ups dropped 95%. Fact two: Australia is the second most entrepreneurial nation after USA according to the study of 54 nations by Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship. Our calculation, according to their data, is that 10% of Aussies are involved in starting and setting up a new business. If you put the two last sentences together, we have only 5% of potential start-ups active (Fact 1) which is 10% of all Aussies (Fact 2). By doing a simple equation, this gives us a whopping figure of 200% of Australians who were in a process of starting-up their business in the normal economic climate. This percentage definitely makes us at least the second most entrepreneurial nation.

I was just trying to show that we shouldn’t listen to everything that we’re told and blindly accept all this information – it’s also recommended to have a think sometimes for yourself.

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most innovative and fast thinking companies grab their market share at the time of recessions.

Let’s analyse what could be done to make it better – not worse.

Introduce new products or services This will create extra revenue which is so needed at difficult times. You just need to undertake the appropriate market research or finally implement those ideas you always had, but never had enough time to develop. For example, innovative and fast thinking photographer Francesca Surace from Stilz Fotografika introduced two new very exciting products – “Image Kiosk - The Fun Photo Booth” and “Pin Up Shots”. Happy clients, more business? No doubt.

Expand your brand and services further in the market place In simple terms this sounds more like: “Bite more, chew later”. Introduce your product or services to new markets or increase the intensity of your presence in the existing ones. Reliable printers who we use on a regular basis, Printworks Australia, don’t miss any opportunity to advertise with us, install more boards, distribute flyers and become better known through sponsorships of kids sport clubs. They cannot loose with this strategy.

Utilise new technologies/techniques

Let’s get down to earth…

Digital technologies provide a decent result when done professionally and thoughtfully. But I have to admit, not all products and services need a Quick Response Code (QR Code) or have to be presented trough social media networks.

Sometimes it can easily backfire.

Difficulties in the economy stimulate innovate behaviour. Some of the most established, heavy, and slow thinking brands collapse and the new,

Do not forget and undervalue traditional methods.

It would be a huge mistake to forget about the traditional media – radio, TV, magazines and

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

newspapers. They didn’t disappear the day after Facebook or LinkedIn were launched. New attractive toys can look fashionable and be more affordable, but they can be correctly exploited only by a small percentage of businesses. At their core, social networks have a completely different purpose to the one many businesses endeavour to use them for. They weren’t designed for bugging strangers with your products and services.

Who are your associates?

Be very careful with people you allow to be in your business, especially representing it before others. Loyal and honest people in and around your business can make a huge difference – they can improve your products and services and be great ambassadors in the business community.

However if you have any doubts, don’t delay with a “Goodbye”. The longer they stay with you the more damaging your experience will be. A loss of a lousy associate can be considered as a positive development.

Does your team perform?

Downtime is the best time to review your employees and their performance.

Underperforming members of your team can drag all good people down with them and demolish the morale.

Let’s stay proactive, innovative and thinking during these times of uncertainty.

Have a great day. Take care of yourselves and your clients. G e | editor@gwpmagazine.com.au

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Nicole Baines • Director, Community Engagement and CSR at Gvirah • Board Member, Sydney Hills Business Chamber • Board Member at Hills Schools Industry Partnership • Program Coordinator, Emerging Nurse Leader at College of Nursing

Peter Dimbrowsky • Owner, Eurolounge Restaurant and Catering • Councillor, Central Ward, The Hills Shire Council • Business Development Manager, Media Monitors

Peter Dunphy • General Manager, Western Sydney Business Connection, a not for profit, membership based, business-to-business networking association.

The Hon Charlie Lynn MLC • Parliamentary Secretary for Veterans Affairs • Adventure Kokoda Trek Leader

Robyn Preston •L iberal Councillor, North Ward, The Hills Shire Council •O wner, Managing Director at Preston Impressions

Whitney Rousham • President, Western Sydney Business Connection • Director, WSI Business, TAFE NSW, Western Sydney Institute

Steve Sebbes • Director, Telstra Business Centre Hills/Northern District • Director, T-Community - A community program supporting clubs, charities and associations

Jill Woods • Chief Executive Officer at Penrith Valley Chamber of Commerce • Chair, Western Sydney Defence Reserves Support Council, NSW • Councillor, NSW Business Chamber Regional Advisory Council, Western Sydney

Mike Yeo • Managing Director at Awards & More • Deputy Chair, Hills Schools Industry Partnership • Past President, Sydney Hills Business Chamber

Stephen Frost • Managing Director at Blacktown Regional Economic and Employment Development (BREED) Taskforce Inc

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Proudly Presented by

Skeggs Goldstien: A Strong Business Partnership

by Adrian Payne

1n 1964 Neil Skeggs began the business as an insurance advisor for AMP. During the early years he found himself working with small business owners, and could see there was a niche.

business, providing a complete range of financial, wealth and accounting services for individuals and businesses”.

Over the next 30 years he built a business that cared about his clients. But as he neared the end of his working life, he realised that if he wanted the business to survive him, he would need to do something about succession.

Adam has 23 years experience in the financial service industry, he specialises in providing small business and Self Managed Super Fund Advice.

He is a Certified Financial Planner, Specialist SMSF Adviser and the NSW SPAA Chapter Chairman. In his free time, Adam enjoys relaxing down by the Hawkesbury River water skiing. He also finds time to get out on his motorcycle.

Today, Skeggs Goldstien defines itself as “a privately owned diversified financial services

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 42 43 | April May 2012

So, the team today is led by four partners each with unique skills and abilities. The partners respective histories with Skeggs Goldstien indicate how well founded the business is, on their individual backgrounds and skills.

In 2010, he participated in the ‘Ride Around Australia’ to raise funds for the Steve Walters Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to raising funds for childhood cancer research. The dream being that one day, all children with cancer will survive. During the five week ride, Adam and his motorcycle passed through many parts of Australia, surviving some close shaves and having a great adventure. By all accounts he had a fantastic time despite being away from family and work commitments for such an extended period.

Jonathan Reynolds has 11 years experience in the financial services industry of which four years have been with Skeggs Goldstien. He is an Accountant, Accredited Mortgage Consultant and Certified Financial Planner. Jonathan specialises in providing accounting, taxation and mortgage

great australian Business People

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 42 43 | April May 2012

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Proudly Presented by Adam was also a pioneer in the concept of self managed superannuation funds and a founding member of the Self Managed Super Funds Professionals Association of Australia. To help develop this aspect as a specialty in the business, he invested in his team. Realising that he couldn’t do everything himself he put staff through further education and training to equip them for the direction in which he was guiding the company.

At the time, training of this sort was not cheap, but his strategy paid off and he soon began to see a return on his investment.

Adam’s vision was to build a larger financial services business with multiple partners providing a range of services rather than being a 100% owner of a small financial planning practice.

But in doing so he realised that he needed to bring people in to grow the business and not be principle reliant. Today it’s a strong team of four Partners and eighteen staff.

In 2008, with the business continuing to grow and after a couple of ‘growing pain’ moves in Parramatta, Adam invested in a property at Norwest Business Park and engaged designers to put together a business premises design that would project the professional image they were keen to present to clients. They now have 300 square metres of highly professional room-space

Bella Vista office reception area

Bella Vista office board room advice for small business. After hours, Jonathan enjoys socialising, playing golf and spending time with his young family.

In 2005 Darryn Fellowes merged his own Castle Hill practice with Skeggs Goldstien. He has 13 years experience in the financial service industry and is a Certified Financial Planner and SMSF Specialist Adviser. He provides Financial Planning and Business Advice, with specialities in the areas of self managed super fund and personal protection. Darryn also provides pro bono advice to cancer patients to assist them and their families through difficult times. This work is conducted via the AMP Cancer Council Pro Bono Program.

When he’s out of the office, Darryn enjoys motor

by Adrian Payneformula one racing. He also sports particularly likes ball sports and most of all, spending time with his family.

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Khoung Tang has 11 years experience in the financial service industry all of which have been with Skeggs Goldstien. He is a Certified Financial Planner and holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from UNSW. He enjoys the challenges that come with managing the day to day operations of the business. Khoung also enjoys playing golf, family time and travelling overseas.

They had extended their offering by this time beyond AMP products and more into small business support. A business owner might be very good at providing the product or service they sell, but find themselves in need of support and expertise in areas like business planning, financial management, succession planning and staff management.

Prior to Skeggs Goldstien being formed Neil started mentoring Adam Goldstien in 1992 and they began working together. Over an eight year period they laid the foundations for the way in which the business would offer services to small business owners and individuals into the future.

After this period Adam bought the business from Neil and formed Skeggs Goldstien.

Being confident about the quality of his advice, Adam decided to go on a “fee for service” path back in 1998. Fee for service wasn’t seen as the way to go in those days indeed consultancies today are finding it difficult to move into charging a fee for service rather than charging traditional entry fees and receiving trailing commissions from suppliers.

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012 Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 42 | April 2012

in Norwest and an office in Chatswood servicing the North Shore. Most of their clients are in or around these areas and they see these areas as having ideal clients for their services.

Their ideal clients are those who would enjoy the benefits of their collaborative approach, providing financial and accounting services, suggesting greater efficiencies and the sharing of relevant information and ideas.

They define their ideal clients as: individuals or businesses, family oriented, financially successful and enjoyable to work with, prepared to partner with them and prepared to take and implement their advice. In this way they expect to be able to add significant value to their clients’ bottom line.

great australian Business People March 2012 retreat – Staff settle down to a busy day of business planning and workshops.

Front row left to right : Petrina, Darryn, Khoung, Jonathan. 2nd row left to right: Kaylene, Shereen, Bev, Richard 3rd row left to right: Nicholas, Nick, Sandra, Janet. Back row left to right: Celin, Keli, Gayle, Helen.

prepared to offer.

But had they initiated a plan for the business to operate profitably and grow without them, they would have the choice of an on-going income stream without being involved in the day to day workings of the business, or to sell a profitable business that no longer needs its founder.

One strategy is to introduce a working shareholder, with the skills and, as a shareholder, the incentive to manage and grow the business.

Staff retreat team building event

In short, a commitment to an ongoing relationship is critical for success.

An area that is increasingly in demand comes from the realisation by business owners that they are not being able to extract themselves from the daily grind.

The team at Skeggs Goldstien have strategies to help people move into working ‘on’ their business rather than ‘in’ it. Finding ways to release time so they are able to take days off, have holidays and do some of the lifestyle things they have been promising themselves for years. All this without damaging the business’ income stream and maintaining the promise of growth.

One approach that differentiates Skeggs Goldstien

from other advisers is their initial focus being on the business owner identifying those personal and family needs and lifestyle ambitions. Then, looking at the business to see how strategies could be developed to meet not only the needs of the owner and their family, but also ways in which the business can be structured to accommodate the change. Many other consultants focus on either the personal life or the business as individual entities.

Succession planning is very much a part of the process of an owner extracting themselves from full time work in the business. Too many leave it too late. Then, when they look to sell their business to recover retirement capital, their own valuation of the business is more optimistic than the market is

Darryn quotes the example of a business that Adam has been working with for some years.

In this example the founder of the business has been able to leave the day to day running of the business to his sons and confidently retire to watch the business he began grow several-fold under their management. This process has taken place under the watchful eye of Skeggs Goldstien and Adam in particular, being continually focused on their planning and steady growth.

Looking back to 2000 when Adam succeeded Neil, Skeggs Goldstien had three core parts to the business being Financial Planning, Corporate Superannuation and Self Managed Super Fund Advice. However in the past ten years the emphasis has changed and today Corporate Superannuation represents around 8% of the business and has been replaced with high value Business Advisory and Accounting Services to business owners.

Now, business planning and the provision of Accounting services has become a strong part of the core business, and they are constantly monitoring demand for their services so they can Business Business Resource Resource & Lifestyle & Lifestyle| Issue | Issue 4143| March | May 2012 Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 42 | April 2012

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Proudly Presented by

Adam’s Ride Around Australia Badelonia - Border Village

Adam’s Ride Around Australia Craig’s Border Village - Ceduna Caving - Bev abseling down plug hole

prepare for themselves appropriate business plans for the future growth of Skeggs Goldstien. Prudent business planning includes an annual review of opportunities. Their entry into business planning itself was a conscious one which included the engagement of appropriate outside coaching.

They see that constant education and upskilling to meet demand is essential for the provision of a cutting-edge service.

In 2005 the directors identified ten essential criteria that could be used to identify an ‘ideal client’ for Skeggs Goldstien. This led to the realisation that not every family or business is a potential client.

Simple criteria like whether the client is prepared to accept and act on advice. Is the client prepared to partner with them and would they enjoy working with this client?

From a family perspective (which may or may not include a business as well), they have developed a ‘Principal Advisory Service’. They identified the problem that for many years clients came to them confused about which direction to head regarding their financial future. It was identified that clients were obtaining advice from various sources none of which were consistent or in line with their personal values. Many clients were obtaining advice from their financial advisor, accountant, mortgage broker, and even perceived experts among family and friends. Usually this amounted to so much conflicting advice as to be of no value at all.

Skeggs Goldstien believes that their ‘Principal Advisory Service’ equips them to be a genuinely valuable adviser in assisting clients achieving their most important goals in life whether this be financial or personal. Part of the service is not to deny the advice of other expertise a person may have around them. Instead as their ‘Principal Advisory Service’ Skeggs Goldstien can work with their advisers to ‘manage’ the options and incorporate them into one well prepared plan.

“It’s all about helping clients make smart choices about what to do with their money” said Darryn Fellowes. To do this successfully they get to know more about the client, their dreams and ambitions

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Caving - Darryn

than their accountant, insurance broker, mortgage adviser even other members of the broader family.

Because they ask the questions.

In 2006, they realised that they needed to adjust their thinking on the way the client base ought to look. Their decision meant that they would take a ‘hit’ in revenue for a couple of years but in retrospect it has been worthwhile.

They decided to refine their client base to fit the criteria, to become proactive for fewer high quality clients. With a large client base, they were behaving reactively to most clients and providing a service when requested to do so. Today they are thinking ahead on behalf of a smaller, better value client mix. Now they approach their clients when they see an opportunity to be of service and offer ideas to improve the value of their ongoing advice.

The partners also realised that a lot of what they were doing involved engaging an Accountant for accounting and taxation advice administration and compliance work. They had previously been outsourcing their accounting work to various providers. However, the time and an opportunity came along in 2010 where bringing the accounting

great australian Business People function ‘in house’ was considered to be a good move.

longer are four people supporting 4 families like in the early days.

Know when you need help – no one can do everything.

They soon identified an Accountancy Practice for sale which had a good client base of Small Business owners and Self Managed Superannuation clients.

After a long due diligence process they purchased the business. From previous experience working with business owners, they knew that it was

A part of their retreat “bonding” is to undertake challenging activities that pushes the team outside of their comfort zone, For example, some recent retreats have involved quad bike riding, caving expeditions and paint ball games. Whilst some of the team were very nervous in taking part it has bonded the team with the knowledge that they belong to something more than just a job.

Look after the little issues and the big ones will look after themselves.

As usual Publisher Dmitry Greku sought the thoughts of two of the board members, Darryn Fellowes and Khoung Tang, on what key elements of advice they would give to others in business.

Clay Pigeon Shooting. Adam aka Michael Diamond

They responded with: Setting goals and aligning objectives especially among partners so people are all pulling in the same direction.

Skeggs Goldstien, is a business that lives in today’s world. Constantly changing, ever adjusting to meet opportunities for its clients and for itself. It’s always on the lookout for ways to improve services and to deliver good lifestyle options to both clients’ families, and the families of their own team.

We are reminded of a company (some years ago) that manufactured an electric drill. They spent much time in a seminar discussing what it was that their ideal customer really wanted. After much deliberation they recorded their conclusion – “a hole”.

Darryn on Supercar drive day with Audi R8 Sailing - Darryn

Darryn at Gold Cost Indy 2006

important to align the cultures of the two businesses and make the staff of the accountancy practice comfortable with the changes. Naturally the staff in the accounting business were suspicious and had concerns about their job security. So, before purchasing the practice Skeggs Goldstien partners arranged to meet the existing staff to allay fears and to let them know that they were to become part of a dynamic modern business that could offer a much broader service to their combined customer base.

It was necessary to blend the cultures of the two businesses to help the two teams see themselves as one – all on the ‘same page’. This was partly achieved by organising six-monthly staff retreats – once a year they run a two-day ‘get away’ to discuss not only the direction of the business, but also for people to get to know one another. They discuss family things, the partners leading with the thought in mind that the business now supports 18 families, all of these being ‘stakeholders’. No

Sailing - Girls

Look after staff, and their families.

Be constantly aware of the need for personal growth of staff, their education and advancement.

Be truthful and honest with clients and act with integrity, sometimes even to the disadvantage of your own business.

In the end, ‘a great lifestyle’ is the end-product delivered by the team at Skeggs Goldstien. G

skeggs golds ien Business Business Resource Resource && Lifestyle Lifestyle| Issue | Issue 4142 43| March | April May 2012

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Entrepreneur Profile

Entrepreneur Profile

Ben Freeman

Printworks Australia

By Larry Woldenberg

Ben Freeman was a happy-golucky scuba diver who grew up fast when his first child came along. He jokes calling himself a “Balmain Boy who can no longer afford to live in Balmain”.

He left school in Year 10 and now partners a multi-million dollar print firm.

Perhaps one of Ben’s most endearing qualities is his ability to relate to people. He always had the makings of an entrepreneur. When the Melbourne Cup rolled around during Year 7, Ben decided to organise a betting pool. His mistake was taking money from his teacher. When the wrong horse came in, the teacher’s perceived goodwill suddenly evaporated. Consequently, he was dobbed in and nearly got expelled. But, meanwhile, he built up a basketball card trading capacity that netted him some extra spending monies.

Somehow he managed to last to Year 10. What followed was a series of jobs as Ben tried finding his feet. The first job was spray painting. But that proved too dirty even though he had been a “garbo” for a spell. Then he got his first printing job with Focus Press in South Strathfield and became an apprentice film planner/plate maker (which are now superseded by computer-based systems).

He was there for two years when he got his first big promotion.

The production manager left to go on holidays and the rest of the workers weren’t interested in moving from their positions, except for Ben who was always interested in advancing his career. So all of a sudden he found himself managing twenty five staff for two weeks as production manager. He felt pretty honoured at the ageSudanese of 18. Bystudents the age undertaking of 20 he had fulfilled his promise to his training parents at to House complete an apprenticeship. Now Mamre it was time to see the world.

Eve and Ben in front of the Arc of Constantine and Colosseum, Italy on 10 year Wedding Anniversary

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

Entrepreneur Profile

was going to become a problem since we lived so far south of Bangkok. My son would have to stay there to go to school and international schools are very expensive. You’re talking $35,000 Australian dollars a year for private international schooling.

When you have a business in Thailand, you have a business for lifestyle, not for money; you don’t earn lots of money.”

Back to Australia So, somewhat reluctantly, Ben and his wife came back. After starting with another print firm, Ben became edgy. The position was an account management job with nowhere to go within the company. So he contacted his old associate Steve who had another partner at the time and asked if he could come and do graphic design. Since they were only a 2 person business working out of a garage, they were happy to have some creative input. They called themselves Printworks Australia and were located in Toongabbie. But when the property owners wanted to sell they had to relocate and ended up in a factory in Seven Hills.

Ben’s family on holiday in the Pacific

As Ben tells the story: “I’ve known Steven since I was nearly 16 years old. He had some clients Susan Sharon Director that he’s Hartigan had from with his old days Kerr, as a sales repof and Education accepting Skills for Sustainability some names. So we slowly built up business as – Educational Institution Award at the 2011 little businesses do. At Seven Hills we had more Australian Training Awards

Hello Thailand With a parent-funded ticket to China in his pocket, Ben set out from Australia. The first stop was Bangkok. One of his pastimes in Australia had been diving and he had become a dive master. So when he read about the diving opportunities on an island to the south called Koh Phangan, it caught his eye.

Once there, he fell in love with a local beauty who impressed upon him the need to get a job. Since he liked the culture, he decided to stick around.

Luckily, he had his diving skills and with her being the daughter of a local resort owner it wasn’t long before he had steady employment.

Ben’s Wife (Eve) and Ben doing the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb 2010

The relationship proved to be a permanent one, for she fell pregnant and they got married. Ben had a facility with languages and quite easily picked up Thai. He fit in quite easily with the locals and was soon more Thai than Westerner. He never did make it to China. By this time Ben became an active partner of the diving business in which he worked.

As Ben puts it: “We were lucky. We had a nine bedroom house on the beach. I had a house maid. My son had a nanny. Do you know what I mean? And all this cost $450 a month. But living the dream becomes a problem. You’re living on an island and when the seas get rough you can’t get off. My son was almost turning two. Education

street frontage. Then after one year Steve and his business partner decided to split. At this stage I was just a casual graphic designer inside the business doing this and that. But I could see Steve needing a partner and I saw opportunities and me, being what I am, I kind of took the bull by the horns and thought: ‘I’ll help you out. We’ll do this as a partnership’. It’s been like that for 6 or 7 years now.

Eve and Ben in front of the Eiffel tower, France on 10 year Wedding Anniversary

“2008 was the toughest climate for any business.

It was a global recession. Everyone was scared and nobody wanted to spend money. Yet we got hungrier and meaner. We turned over more money in our global recession time than most other businesses wanted to.

Business Business Resource Resource && Lifestyle Lifestyle| Issue | Issue 4142 43| March | April May 2012

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Entrepreneur Profile I mean, it’s been very hard because I had to invest a lot of capital into the business. I don’t live a high life. But I know that the business will pay off, everything will come. But to have the clients that we have on board as the business now…I mean we’ve got the Sydney Roosters and the East Group as clients. We’ve got Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL; we’ve got one of the largest lawn bowls manufacturers - Green Master Bowls, etc. And it’s the power of networking. You make one little person happy and that could turn into hundreds of people along the way.

“Now Steve and I work fulltime at sales. I always believe that business owners make the best sales

Under 9s - Ben’s under 9 team, Ben coach and sponsor

Family portrait

“Naturally, it’s been a lot of hard work since then….just long hours — twelve, fourteen, sixteen hour days, because when you’re a small business you have to take what you can take to grow.

There’s been days when we’ve had to do 24 hours, 2 days. But you have to do what you have to do to please your clients and get the work. And it has paid off.

“I start work at 4 o’clock in the morning. I like the peace and tranquillity of no-one bothering me for hours so I can get work done. I might finish 5 or 6 o’clock at night. But the weekend is for my family, my kids. Yet over the last year I have had to slow down. I’m not Superman. I can’t work a million hours without sleep; so I try to start very early and finish by 3 or 4 o’clock in the afternoon, then take my kids to sport.

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 42 43 | April May 2012

Steve Ryan

One of The Printworks Australia sporting Clubs they sponsor, Holoryd Parramatta Goannas Presentation Day

“Last December I celebrated my 10 year wedding anniversary. Putting up with me is like having a kid; so as a present to my wife I gave her a surprise.

We went to Europe for a month for our honeymoon that we never had. I got to bring my marriage back into perspective and came back with a new fire and blood for business and where we wanted to go. In September last year we’d had a record month. We’d upped our figures by over 30% in one month. The most important thing I ever do is over-service my clients and network. Wherever I go, somebody knows I’ve got a printing company.

GWP is actually the only magazine we’ve ever advertised in.

“We’ve now got an annual turnover over $2 million which is pretty massive considering 5 years ago we were only a quarter of a million dollar business.

reps because it’s their money. We put a ¾ million dollar digital press in. While we didn’t have the work for it, it was a goal for me to fill it and we have, inside of one year. We now employ 9 full time staff and 4-5 casuals. Now we’ve got other issues with a growing staff and a family to rise.

It’s a constant challenge, yet I love it, thrive. It’s the pressure and everything else. And the biggest thing is proving wrong the people who had said that you can’t do it. I mean I’m happy, I’m a 32 year old guy, I’ve got 3 lovely kids and a lovely wife. I still don’t know why she puts up with me because she never sees me. I think that’s what a perfect marriage is. And a business that looks like it’s just going to keep growing.

“There’s no such word as ‘can’t’. Can’t means you don’t want.” G

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

17

NSW Agenda

Leadership, Vision and Badgerys Creek The Hon. Charlie Lynn - Member of the Legislative Council

Imagine what could be achieved if we were able to turn back the clock and redesign the Sydney basin.

The city’s commercial hub would be based in the current CBD and surrounded by educational, retail and recreational facilities and institutions.

Industrial parks would be located north, west and south of the city adjacent to road-rail corridors radiating westwards from the CBD and northsouth at 15 kilometre intervals. These parks would be co-located with major inter-modal transport terminals. Residential developments would be linked to employment land.

The major transport hub would be based around an international airport accessible from all points of the compass where east meets west and north meets south. In an ideal world such a place would be in the vicinity of a place called Badgerys Creek.

Helen Keller once said ‘The only thing worse than being blind would be to have sight but no vision’. She could well have been referring to former State Premiers who have been blind to the transport needs of a modern metropolis.

There are many monuments to the political pygmies who shirked the big decisions by appeasing developers and special interest groups. Perhaps they should be identified and inducted into a political Hall of Infamy.

A contender would be the Minister who took the cheaper option of allowing Hyde Park to be sliced in half by linking Park and William Streets between the CBD and Kings Cross.

18

connecting the Newcastle expressway also qualifies for an induction. How could he have missed? Didn’t anybody tell him that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to have a ring-road around our nation’s biggest city?

Western Sydneysiders will have to bear the economic and social costs of these political deficiencies for generations to come because 70 per cent of the population live west of Olympic Park but 70 percent of jobs are located east of Olympic Park. Current road and rail links simply

The report advises that Badgerys Creek is adjacent to the residential growth areas of southwest Sydney and to the key transport corridors of the M7 motorway and the future Sydney outer orbital corridor. It is also proximate to the Western Sydney Employment Areas and is therefore ‘best placed to meet Sydney’s spatial demand growth for aviation services’.

A new airport at Badgerys Creek is the circuit breaker western Sydneysiders need to move jobs nearer to where they live and ease the looming traffic gridlocks cannot cope with the demand caused by this imbalance. Planned north and south-west rail links will ease the situation but won’t resolve it.

A new airport at Badgerys Creek is the circuit breaker western Sydneysiders need to move jobs nearer to where they live and ease the looming traffic gridlocks. It has been estimated that up to 70,000 jobs would be created after the airport was operational. This would be the greatest catalyst for jobs ever implemented in Greater Western Sydney.

Another would be the Premier who sold off land reserved for transport corridors for public housing in the late 1970s. Sydney traffic flows have never recovered from this short-sighted political decision.

Badgerys Creek is the only realistic option available. The government already owns the land which was set aside by the Hawke Labor government almost three decades ago.

Former Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating has acknowledged that the land parcels available for the airport could never be assembled again.

The M5 funnel is deserving of special mention and is almost worthy of two inductees – the Premier and Treasurer who signed off on it. The current generation of motorists from South Western Sydney are destined to crawl towards retirement as morning and afternoon peak hours converge.

Whoever designed the M7 to fall short of

An $8 million study into Sydney’s aviation needs has reported that the demand for flight services at Sydney Airport are forecast to double by 2035 to 87 million passengers and then double again by 2060. The report advised that failure to address the challenge will result in ‘$59.5 billion

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

in foregone expenditure and $34 billion in gross domestic product as well as 77,900 national jobs by 2060.’

Dr Stephen Covey’s analogy of a team cutting their way through a jungle with leaders and managers in charge of direction, operations and logistics is relevant to the debate for a second Sydney Airport. According to Covey the leader is the person who climbs the highest tree, surveys the surrounding terrain and calls out, ‘whoa, wrong jungle’. The managers hacking their way below call back, ‘Shut up - we’re making progress.’

We need braveheart leaders who understand the difference between sight and vision and who are prepared to climb the tallest tree in Western Sydney. Badgerys Creek will then be confirmed as the best option for a second airport. G

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

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

19

Business Advice

Turnaround Your Distressed Business Adam Goldstien, Wealth Adviser - Skeggs Goldstien

With the recent tightening of the Australian economy, influenced by both domestic and international factors, there has been an increase in the number of companies facing financial distress. Those companies generally have viable businesses and have been around for some time – so for those companies in distress, the question often arises “can the company be saved?”

“Turnaround management” is a concept that has been well recognised in the United States for some time, but has only become an active concept in Australia over the last 4 or 5 years.

What is Turnaround Management?

“Turnaround Management” is really just one phase of a series of steps taken by a company to re-invent itself or address important issues. To recognise how turnaround management works, it is important to understand where it fits within the corporate life cycle and whether it is in fact a suitable approach for a company in financial difficulties.

Harlan Platt, a professor at Northeastern University in Boston, identified 3 main stages in identifying and resolving corporate difficulties1: 1. Corporate Transformation – where a company (even a healthy one) asks itself two questions - what are we doing wrong, and what can we do better?

2. Turnaround Management – this can occur when a company with one or several major problems has sufficient time and resources to find solutions.

3. Crisis Management – when a troubled company approaches the end of its existence.

Corporate Transformation is the result of well grounded proactive management – seeking continually to improve on performance and take advantage of opportunities that may arise at any time.

Crisis Management is often the end of the line – a company may have opportunities or strategies to implement but no liquid assets with which to fund those strategies or develop those opportunities.

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

In these cases the company is generally forced to seek the assistance of an insolvency practitioner.

The company in Turnaround Management phase has the hardest task, as it must decide, quickly, between various options available to it, none of which have any guarantee of success and all of which have considerable risks attached to them.

What are the Factors Leading to Turnaround Management?

To successfully develop and implement strategies for turnaround management, it is important to understand the reasons for corporate financial difficulties and failures. The most common causes of business failure include: - - - - - - -

economic downturns poor choice and/or execution of strategies weak forecasting and projection skills under capitalization excessive debt high operating costs and fixed costs inadequate financial controls

The reasons for failure will also vary depending on the company’s individual life cycle – for example the problems facing a start up company (e.g. lack of sufficient capital) are very different from those facing a company that has been around for a number of years (e.g. a dying market). The strategies that are developed must address each of the reasons for the company’s difficulties to reduce the risks of failure.

There are generally five stages in a turnaround: Management Change – recognition of the problem and calling in outside consultants to advise and manage the turnaround.

Diagnosis Stage – analysis of the company’s situation, development of strategies, and preparation of plans to implement those strategies.

Emergency Plans – maximising cash flow by staff reductions, sale of excess assets etc.

Stabilisation and Implementation – putting strategic plans into place and introducing systems to enable reporting and evaluation of plans.

Return to Normal Operations – once the company becomes profitable and the changes introduced become part of normal operations.

What are the Strategies used in Turnaround Management?

Turnaround strategies are often classified as one of three types – strategic, operating or financial.

Strategic turnaround - will focus on marketing, production or engineering functions, in an attempt to change the strategy for competing in the same business (e.g. increase market share) or to define how to enter a new business.

Operating turnaround - is concerned with increasing revenues, decreasing costs and decreasing assets.

Financial turnaround - is a restructuring of debt and equity – for example, coming to an agreement with creditors regarding the amounts to be repaid or interest to be charged, or even swapping debt for equity.

Regardless of the type of strategies employed, it is always recommended that external parties are used to develop, implement and monitor those strategies. The main reasons for using external parties are: Independence, Experience and Impartiality.

The external advisors won’t know the business as well as present management, but they know how to deal objectively with the issues that the company faces now and in the future. G Platt, Harlan “Principles of Corporate Renewal”, 2nd Edition, University of Michigan Press, p. 5. Article content contributed by dVT Consulting Pty Ltd.

1

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 feel your business is in distress and wish to discuss your situation before it becomes too late, contact Skeggs Goldstien who can assist and if required refer you to a specialist.

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

skeggs golds ien

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

21

Business Advice

Unique Businesses are More Competitive… and have Unique Needs In the hugely competitive global marketplace of 2012, business differentiation is a key strategy for business success. Consumers are presented with many choices for the products and services they require and so attracting their attention – and their loyalty – has become dependent upon their perception of the uniqueness of your business.

According to Theodore Levitt, author of Thinking about Management, “differentiation is one of the most important strategic and tactical activities in which companies must constantly engage. It is not discretionary.”

This vital need for differentiation has grown steadily over the last ten years, and the result is that modern businesses have developed unique missions and strategies, unique brands, unique products, unique processes and behind each of these, a unique workforce bringing it all about.

All this uniqueness adds up to businesses having unique needs for workforce skills and training, requiring unique, customised solutions.

According to Lynette Eyles, Business Unit Manager from TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute (WSI), providing customised solutions is the core of WSI’s business differentials.

“We listen intently to the needs of our customers, whether they are individuals, government organisations or businesses. After gaining an intimate understanding of how to assist them we are able to customise not only the content of training but also the way it is delivered.”

WSI Senior Training Consultant Irene McAdam says that consultancy and training provided must be tailored to help businesses become competitive in the global marketplace.

“The current marketplace is one of ‘sink or swim’ for many businesses. These businesses need to find ways to adapt so that they can flourish and it is very much a unique process for each business,” Irene says.

“There are many reasons these businesses

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

initially come to Western Sydney Institute for help. It might be prompted by a workplace health and safety issue, or a leadership need, or there may simply be a need to increase efficiency in the workplace.

“Whatever the reason, we are able to provide a raft of solutions designed specifically for them.

We analyse the needs with help from our trainers, who are industry experts, and work at gaining an understanding of all related needs such as the timeline for developing skills, who the training is for and any cultural backgrounds which might impact upon the needs. We also assist businesses to access funding.

“The methods used for delivering training also take into account the uniqueness of the business.

Training can be provided in the workplace, at another location, online, by distance or any combination of these delivery methods.

Mentoring is also a feature of some of the customised solutions we provide to businesses,” Irene says.

“Western Sydney Institute is a strong supporter of local businesses. We are inviting businesses to contact us to find out how their bottom line can be improved through training and consultancy services. We are happy to visit

Modern businesses have developed unique missions and strategies, unique brands, unique products, unique processes and behind each of these, a unique workforce bringing it all about.

“Sometimes it is a case of providing ‘gap training’ which builds upon existing skills and offering a selection of competencies to meet the ‘gaps’.

Recognition of prior learning – which includes acknowledging a person’s relevant experiences as well as their previous study and training – is used. At other times, training is delivered to confer employees with new qualifications.

“In this ‘sink or swim’ marketplace, some workers are at risk of retrenchment, so one of the ways that we have tailored our services to suit the unique needs of businesses is by stepping in to support workers at risk of retrenchment by giving them additional skills for their future employment.

“In other cases we have helped businesses to meet changing legislative requirements or to work on enhancing leadership skills within their business – it all depends upon their unique situation.

businesses, provide a free assessment and make recommendations to help them to flourish within the modern marketplace.” G

To discuss your how WSI can develop solutions for your unique business, please call Irene McAdam on (02) 9208 9576.

Is your business making use of the government funding available for training?

We can unlock the door for you

For more information (02) 9208 9421 trainingsolutions.wsi@tafensw.edu.au www.workforcedevelopment.edu.au Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

23

Business Advice

Accessing Government Grants Clean Technology Investment Program Rick Eardley, Director - Grants Spectrum Australia

Is it easy being a green manufacturer?

The answer is usually “No”. However, for the next few years, it has become easier thanks to a new government incentive announced by the Federal Government.

As everyone would be aware, the Federal Government has committed to reducing carbon admissions by between five and twenty percents from 2000 levels by 2020. Much has been made of the “stick” approach with the carbon tax and the eventual carbon trading scheme. Recently the government has announced one of the “carrots” to encourage companies to reduce their carbon footprints.

The Federal Government has just announced the $1 billion Clean Technology Program.

The aim of the program is to encourage manufacturers to improve their energy efficiency and reduce pollution. $800 million is allocated to general manufacturing, $150 million to food manufacturing and $50 million to foundries. The program plans to provide this assistance over six to seven years.

Eligible projects are capital investment that relate to implementing one or more energy efficiency or emissions reduction measures. The program is designed to assist manufacturers in: • Replacing part(s) of your existing manufacturing plant, equipment or upgrade their capital equipment in Australia • Modifying part(s) of your existing manufacturing plant, equipment or upgrade their capital equipment in Australia • Changing energy source(s) for your existing plant or processes in Australia • Establishing new facilities or modifying your current facilities to enable production of new low emission products.

The grant ratio is dependent on the size of the grant and the turnover of the applicant (in the year prior to the grant application).

• If you are applying for a grant of between $25,000 and $500,000 and your turnover is less than $100 million, the applicant to grant funding ratio can be up to 1:1 – effectively matching funding

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

• If you are applying for a grant of between $25,000 and $500,000 and your turnover is greater than $100 million, the applicant to grant funding ratio can be up to 2:1 (e.g. for a project of $150,000 would require you to pay $100,000 and receive a grant of $50,000) • If you are applying for a grant of between $500,000 and $10 million then irrespective of your turnover, the applicant to grant funding ratio can be up to 2:1 • If you are applying for a grant of greater than $10 million then irrespective of your turnover, the applicant to grant funding ratio can be up to 3:1.

• Be developing new products, processes or services • Have effective ownership of the intellectual property which underlies the technology • Have planned the research in advance • Have a project which entails innovation and/or high levels of technical uncertainty • Undertake systematic, investigative and experimental activities to eliminate or reduce the aforementioned technical uncertainties.

To be eligible for the additional “small company” benefit of the R&D Tax Offset you must:

The Federal Government has just announced the $1 billion Clean Technology Program There are other criteria, such as a minimum amount of electricity or gas used in the prior financial year. You will also need to demonstrate savings in energy usage or a reduction in your carbon footprint by undertaking the project.

However, if some of your manufacturing equipment is getting a bit long in the tooth or you are contemplating upgrades to make your business more competitive, then accessing this grant could be of great benefit to your company.

• Have a grouped turnover of less than $5,000,000 • Have a grouped eligible R&D expenditure of less than $2,000,000 • Have current or prior tax losses available.

Please note that in order to access the R&D Tax Concession for the 2010-2011 financial year an application must be lodged prior to 30 April 2012. G

Research & Development (R&D) Tax Concession Closing Soon The closing date for claiming the R&D Tax Concession is looming. Are you eligible? The financial advantages of the R&D Tax Concession are considerable. The standard tax concession is effectively worth 7.5 cents for every dollar spent, whilst a “small company” may effectively receive up to 37.5 cents of benefit for every eligible dollar spent.

The R&D Tax Concession does have a number of eligibility criteria. Some of the main requirements are that you must:

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

CORPORATE HEALTH

Wake Up and Beat That Afternoon Slump!

Ben Dulhunty, Managing Director – Fitness Revelation Corporate Solutions The full-time corporate worker is typically time poor and budget conscious and likely to go for the cheap “quick fix” fuel to get them through their hectic daily schedule.

Unfortunately, this “solution” is contributing to our ever-growing obesity epidemic and depleting productivity levels. It doesn’t have to be this way – a few smarter food choices can turn everything around!

Australia is currently ranked as the second fattest nation in the world; the prevalence of obesity in Australia has more than doubled in the past 20 years, with over 17 million Australians now classed as overweight or obese. Contributing to these alarming facts is not our fat intake (which is actually decreasing) but our stress levels, poor sleeping patterns and high sugar consumption.

Sugar is everywhere in our diet, in fact around 75% of the sugar we consume is already mixed into our food so we never see it. Sugary breakfast cereals, white bread sandwiches for lunch and standard afternoon snacks such as chocolate, biscuits or anything from the vending machine all contain hidden sugars. These common dietary

habits put your blood sugars on a recurring rollercoaster ride and lead to sugar addiction, an expanding waistline and an unproductive day’s work.

breakfasts that will fill you up with nutrients and release neurotransmitters that help you to think more clearly and make smarter choices for the rest of the day. G

So what is the solution? While it is very hard to completely avoid sugar you can prevent sugar cravings and addiction with a little preparation and education. Below are a few protein-based

Fitness Revelation Corporate Solutions p | 1800 383 242 e | corporate@fitnessrevelation.com w | www.fitnessrevelation.com

Poor Quality Breakfasts

High Quality Alternatives

Wheat-based cereals: Weet-bix, Just Right, Sultana Bran, Special K

Any oat-based muesli is an improvement.

If you’re making your own, rolled oats with natural yoghurt, a sprinkling of crushed nuts and some fresh fruit

White toast with honey, jam or Nutella

Rye toast with peanut or almond nut butter or the best toast topping – an egg

Glass of Fruit Juice

Protein shake containing nuts, a good-quality protein powder, fresh fruit and a scoop of fibre to drag down your cholesterol levels.

Coffee -While coffee itself contains very few calories once you start adding things like sugar the calories pile up fast

Americano, Macchiato, brewed coffee or a long black are much lower calorie options that still provide the same buzz

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

25

Business Advice

Do Not Go Bankrupt Ruchaya Rayya Nillakan, Tax Accountants & SMSF Auditors

Many people want to file bankruptcy the moment they realise they are in over their heads, and they feel like there is nothing they can do to get out of debt. Bankruptcy however, should be used as an absolute last resortafter all other options have been thoroughly researched and exhausted.

Today I will help you in finding alternative ways to recovery yourself from this unfortunate situation.

Let see what other alternatives you could have.

Before making the decision to file bankruptcy, consider each of the following alternatives: • Refinancing • Debt Consolidation • Debt Settlement • Debt Negotiation Refinancing If you are a home owner and have not refinanced your home in the last year, it may be possible for you to obtain additional money from the equity you have in your home, and use it to pay off your other debt. This will eliminate the monthly payments on each of your credit cards or loans that you have used your refinance to pay off, and allow you to make a single, more affordable monthly payment.

If you are able to use refinancing of your home to manage your debt, make sure that you do not run right out and get another credit card or car loan, because before you know it you will be right back where you were before the refinance!

Debt Consolidation Many individuals are able to consolidate all of their monthly credit card and loan payments together by taking out a debt consolidation loan. Typically, a consolidation loan will require some form of collateral to secure it. Unfortunately, you do need to have fairly good credit in order to obtain a debt consolidation loan, but this is a viable option for someone who finds themselves in over their head before the payments start becoming late.

Debt Settlement Sometimes you can settle your debt out of court.

While it is possible to get a debt settlement on your own, it is advisable that you find a reputable company to help you negotiate with your creditors

26

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

to reduce the amount of money that is owed.

Typically, creditors are willing to accept less than the money that is owed to them if they believe you are going to be filing bankruptcy. They realise that a settlement is going to give them more money on the balance owed than the bankruptcy will, and it is in their favour to work with you in this situation. In order to settle your debts, you should have money on hand to immediately pay your creditors and get them to close the account, and report it as “paid as agreed” to your credit report.

If you’ve just received a fairly large tax return for example, you could consider attempting to settle your debt with each creditor by offering them less than the total amount owed to close out the account.

of three steps: 1) having enough income, 2) saving an adequate portion of that income and 3) investing what you save prudently. Getting on the path that leads to wealth begins with a thoughtfully constructed plan and diligent execution of that plan. The one who stays on that course should in time find that he or she is successfully building wealth. G If you have any questions or suggestion regarding this article, email me anytime at your convenience at rayya@supersmartplans.com. I’m happy to give you further advice your personal financial situation or your business accounting, wealth or tax obligation. This does not exclude anyone who has problems with the ATO.

Bankruptcy should be used as an absolute last resort- after all other options have been thoroughly researched and exhausted.

Debt Negotiation Negotiating your debt can be helpful, although it doesn’t eliminate your debt. Call each of your creditors and let them know that you are having financial difficulties. Explain that you are considering bankruptcy, but before you take that leap you would like to see if you can negotiate your debt with each of your creditors to obtain payment arrangements that work better with your financial situation. Some credit card companies will lower the interest rate and stop late fees and finance charges from occurring, and it really helps you start paying down on the balances.

The trouble with credit cards is that once you get behind, the interest and finance charges each month are as much as or more than your minimum monthly payments, so you are paying every month and never reducing your balance.

With lower interest rates, and creditors who stop the finance charges and late fees temporarily, you can start chipping away at the actual balance, and hopefully pay off a few accounts during the negotiation period.

After all debts are clear, the next step you should think about building your wealth. Building wealth over time depends on the successful execution

I and the team are here to assist you.

Thank you for reading our article. Look out for our article in the next GWP issue too. Have a great day!

Super Smart Plans Financial & Accounting Level 4, Suite 888 311 Castlereagh Street, Sydney NSW 2000 p | 02 8093 1683/85 (Head Office) Norwest Business Park Centre A15/24-32 Lexington Drive Bella Vista, NSW, 2153 p | 02 9672 6279 e | info@supersmartplans.com w | www.supersmartplans.com.au

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

27

Business Advice

What Motivates Staff?

Effective Staff Retention Part 3 – Job Descriptions and Recruitment Andrew de Wynter, Senior Consultant - The HR Department

Before you even consider employing another person you need to clearly define the role you wish to fill.

Clarifying what you need before the process begins provides the best chance for the successful recruitment of a long term employee. A well written job description gives you the basic framework.

The job description should clearly outline the position objectives, tasks and responsibilities, as well as the qualities, experience and educational requirements of the person. This is critical to clearly communicating performance expectations and in setting the scene for effective communication between the employee and their supervisor/manager.

It must be consistent with and provide a clear link to the Vision, Purpose, and Values of the organisation. Whilst relating to the daily activities undertaken by the employee it must be capable of translation into meaningful performance outcomes irrespective of the level of the employee. In order to achieve this, the job description needs to be written in a way that ensures that performance expectations can be clearly understood and delivered. Employees need to have a clear understanding of their job to feel capable, and to be satisfied that they are valued as a part of your business.

The content of the job description assists in communicating the requirements of the job in the advertisement, thereby attracting the most suited candidates, and keeping them once they have commenced employment. If the actual work after commencement doesn’t fit their expectation of the position advertised, then it’s highly likely they may leave.

The interview process allows you to choose the people who will have the necessary skills for the role based on the content of the job description.

Therefore as the first step in your recruitment process use the elements of your job description to cull the applications you have received. This will give you a range of candidates who on paper meet the criteria for the advertised role.

The next step is how you verify that the person’s

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

skills and experience match what they have stated on their application. Preparing an interview guide with questions appropriate and relevant to the job will assist in targeting not just the right education, qualifications and skills, but also in assessing the behaviours and attitudes of your candidates.

The more thorough this process is, the better it enables you to choose the best person for the job. Select staff who can demonstrate an

If you need advice or assistance on job descriptions or any other HR topic please contact the HR Department.

Refer to the next article in this series: What motivates staff? Effective staff retention.

Part 4 – Staff Development and Performance Management.

Your Job Description Should at a Minimum Include: Position Title Position Purpose Values Statement Essential Selection Criteria Key Responsibility Areas Significant Relationships/Interactions

affinity with the Vision, Purpose and Values of the organisation. Therefore, recruit for aptitude and attitude, not just qualifications.

The HR Department Suite 515, 2-8 Brookhollow Ave Baulkham Hills NSW 2153

Applying a consistent approach to your recruitment and selection will ensure an efficient and equitable process, and ensure that your selections are made based on merit. Selecting employees who are capable and suited to the position applied for will strengthen your business and help build respected teams. Ensuring the job as outlined to the candidate matches the actual role will increase your retention rates. G

e | elly@thehrdepartment.com.au w | www.theHRdepartment.com.au

Market place

Tuscan Wine Review from Direct Wine Cellars that represents the elegance of Tuscany! Every mouthful presents smooth, unique, sophistication that any exclusive wine vintage should represent.

Production Area: The vineyards that surround the Castle of Bolgheri (in the Province of Leghorn), in southwest Tuscany, are so unique.

It is a small town sheltered by the sea on one side and mountains on the other. The sea spray stops any nasty bacteria forming on the grapes, which is remarkable. The soil composition also features three distinct soil types, thanks to the combination of volcanic soil with alluvial soils and seabed deposits.

Sensi “Sabbiato” Bolgheri IGT is a 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot & 20% Sangiovese blend. Tuscans consider this “Supertuscan” to be more premium than Brunello di Montalcino as its vintages are more exclusive and limited.

This distinctly Tuscan, Bordeaux style wine will truly tantalise the tastebuds. Once you start on Bolgheri, you will be coming back for more. It will open up your palate to a whole new world of wine

Climate: The vicinity to the sea enhances the microclimate of Bolgheri. The sea breezes mitigate the summer heat and the rigors of the winter, while a constant wind allows for low rains and long hours of sunlight.

“Sabbiato” is a very versatile wine and matches perfectly with first courses (pasta dishes), red and white meat, cheese and all kinds of game-based dishes.

For this wine and many more unique, fully imported, Italian wines, check out our website www.directwinecellars.com.au. Quote “GWP” upon ordering to receive $50 off a half case of “Sabbiato” Bolgheri! Become a member of our site to receive 10% off your first order & keep up to date with the many wonderful wines we have on offer! G

Where to buy: Direct Wine Cellars p | 02 4773 4400 w | www.directwinecellars.com.au

Characteristics: This wine features a range of tones between ruby red and garnet. It has an intense, winy aroma when young which becomes fruity and spicy upon aging. It is dry, warm, round and harmonious to the palate.

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

29

feature

Year 13 Graduation Rates John Watters, Executive Officer – Parramatta Schools Industry Partnership Inc.

It appears that education is never far from public policy or public opinion debate. For the most part, Year 12 graduation is the primary focus for schools, parents, students and holiday destination marketers. However, what would happen if Year 12 wasn’t the focus, but rather Year 13?

Each year approximately sixty thousand students complete the HSC. Of this cohort, about thirty per cent enter university; of which thirty per cent leave within the first year. Thus, at the end of Year 13, about fourteen thousand students remain in university of the original sixty thousand; or approximately twenty-five per cent. How is it then, that so few students often drive the agenda for the majority? Where are all the remaining young people going?

For most young people, Year 13 is a tumultuous year where social structures and protections are in a constant state of flux. Higher learning facilities do not afford the same protections for young people as most school environments. If students don’t attend or hand in work, they exercise their right to fail. If young people don’t attend work, they exercise their right to seek alternative employment. If young people can’t manage the demands of ‘the big bad world’, they become a statistic.

Year 13 is a better measure of success than Year 12. Great HSC results get you a ticket to the game; Year 13 determines whether you stay in the stadium.

High school is the greatest chance we have as a society to prevent our sons, daughters, nephews, nieces, cousins and grandchildren from becoming a statistic. High school is not only a time for great academic learning, but life learning that can only come from outside the school grounds. Schools cannot do this by themselves.

Students’ learning is enhanced and deepened by events and opportunities outside school. One of the greatest advantages of school that frequently goes unrecognised, is that school provides a structure that can support and nurture students whilst reflecting on experiences. For example, students will frequently reflect on their career intentions after undertaking work experience. Their period in the workforce will generally spark further inquiries in the field, or prompt them to explore related career

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

pathways or to completely review their trajectories.

All are positive outcomes. Unfortunately, most students either do not take up such opportunities or have taken them up so late, that altering subject selections is almost impossible.

Young people who have not been exposed to life beyond the school gates are more likely to suffer from such inexperience in Year 13. In a similar vein

and direction for young people. More importantly, it develops self-efficacy; a critical factor underpinning the success of Year 13. G Organisations such as AusSIP, BREED and Penrith SIP actively work with business and education to improve opportunities for all stakeholders.

Year 13 is a better measure of success than Year 12.

Great HSC results get you a ticket to the game.

Year 13 determines whether you stay in the stadium. to uni student graduation rates, completion rates for apprentices are woeful. Statistics indicate that in many trade areas, completion rates are as low as fifty per cent. However, similar studies also indicate that if first-year apprentices are nurtured through Year 13, their completion rates exceed eighty per cent.

If we changed the focus from Year 12 to Year 13, what would be the consequences? If we knew that we would be judged more harshly at the end of Year 13 than the numerical figure derived at the end of Year 12, would we not invest more heavily in careerbased programs, mentoring, mental health, parental engagement, industry visits, work experience and career advice? As a society, would we not want to help our children, future employees and those that will help pay for our pensions when we grow older?

Year 13 is a better indication of young people’s education and skill development attainment than Year 12. However, the success of Year 13 depends on incremental and aggregated learning throughout high school. Ongoing learning outside the classroom can be supported by in-school learning, skill development and reflection. The combination of both is conducive to developing timely advice

For more information on Partnership Brokers, please contact your local office listed below.

Members

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

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

Aus SIP

explore.inspire.engage

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

Sketching

Inspecting diamonds

Re-modelling Repair & restoration

Ring-cleaning

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

31

investment Advice

Self Managed Superannuation and Exotic Investments Jeremy Carter, Partner - Fusion Private Wealth

Self Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSF) are allowed to invest in exotic assets beyond just shares and property including artwork, antiques or even collections of rare coins or stamps.

The generous tax concessions available to Superannuation can allow you to reduce personal income tax and grow and protect your wealth in an environment in which you can more effectively manage capital gains tax.

What Assets are Allowed?

Any asset purchased by an SMSF must pass the “sole-purpose test’’, an overriding super requirement that says any investments made by the fund must be made with the sole purpose of providing members with retirement benefits. The existing rules require you to have an appropriate investment strategy for the fund and to manage it according to that strategy.

Note: It is important to seek individual advice to determine if the asset you wish to purchase qualifies to be purchased as an investment asset.

What Restrictions Apply?

SMSFs must comply with all relevant legislation and regulations. Trustees must ensure that the level of investment in exotic assets is in line with the fund investment strategy, including diversification of assets, liquidity, and maximisation of member returns in the fund.

Risks to Consider

An SMSF cannot borrow itself but in some cases is able to use an entity called a Bare Trust to borrow on its behalf. The Bare Trust holds the asset until it is fully paid for. It does this on behalf of the SMSF which is the beneficiary and ultimate owner of the asset. When the loan is fully repaid, the SMSF is entitled to have the legal title transferred to it without incurring further stamp duty.

We recommend you seek professional advice regarding any investment asset purchase.

Purchasing the right asset at the right price improves security, income and long term growth prospects. Some assets are illiquid, that is, they can be difficult to convert back into cash quickly when you need it. You should also consider issues such as fund cash flow, personal risk and asset storage and insurance – shares can’t be stolen or damaged but exotic assets can.

The most common answer to this question is “No”, however the ATO DIY Super factsheet NAT11393 stipulates that as long as an asset is valued at less than 5% of the total fund assets, it can be leased to a related party from the fund at a commercial rate. If no lease payments are being made, you would be getting an immediate entitlement to the benefits of your super before you are entitled to it, resulting in a breach of the sole-purpose test.

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

Superannuation is all about building tax efficient assets to take into retirement improving your financial security. For full details of SMSF investment rules, visit www.ato.gov.au and look for the super pages. Fusion also has a fact sheet on exotic investments available upon request. G Fusion are teaming up with Davson Art to run seminars on “Art and Investment” in Norwest Business Park in April and May. Fusion also run regular events covering Property Investment with Self Managed Superannuation. Visit the Fusion website at www.fusionfs.com.au to register or for more information.

Fusion Private Wealth located in Norwest Business Park is a boutique financial services

The generous tax concessions available to Superannuation can allow you to reduce personal income tax and grow and protect your wealth in an environment in which you can more effectively manage capital gains tax.

Is Borrowing Allowed?

Can You Enjoy the Asset Personally?

32

Trustees are required to keep a written record of their decision making regarding where to store the assets. They must also ensure that the assets are insured in the name of the fund within 7 days of acquisition and that they are not able to be used by any related party. Artworks can be leased for display in a gallery as long as the gallery is not owned by a related party.

In Summary Investing in exotic assets through your SMSF can be worth considering: • If you seek advice to find the right assets with the potential for growth and to derive income • As a strategy for diversification of your investment portfolio • For assets with potential to realise a high capital gain

business specialising in Self Managed Superannuation and holistic financial advice. For more information or to arrange an appointment, please contact us.

Fusion Private Wealth p | 1800 FUSION (387 466) e | info@fusionfs.com.au w | www.fusionfs.com.au Corporate Authorised Rep. No. 410582 of Australian Financial Services Ltd (ABN 50116 900 362), Australian Financial Services License No. 297239 *This information does not take account of your objectives, financial situation or needs. No part of this information should be construed as a solicitation to make any financial investment

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33

LOCAL Government

Making Numbers Count What do you really know about The Sydney Hills? Get knowledgeable about the region with facts and figures to enhance your conversations with friends and colleagues.

spread the word about The Sydney Hills as a business location of choice to the rest of the nation and the world.

1,370 audio books available through Digital Downloads online.

785,595 visits were made to The Hills Shire Council’s website in 2011.

329 local parks and reserves are available for the community to enjoy.

Business Facts and Figures The Sydney Hills has a rapidly growing economy and is fast becoming known as a service hub for businesses providing professional and financial services. The figures tell the story.

5.9 per cent is what the economy grew by in the last 12 months.

8 billion dollars is the value of local Gross Regional Product (GRP).

Urban Graze Cooking School Local Facts and Figures

reserve

keeps

127 species of bird have been found in Bidjigal Reserve.

2 accredited Visitor Information Centres in the Hills direct people to many local attractions.

The Hills Shire offers a great quality of life for residents, with some of the State’s top schools close by, as well as homes surrounded by parks and bushland, and significant heritage locations like Bella Vista Farm and Castle Hill Heritage Park.

The numbers describe the region.

8 dog off-leash areas keep our pets entertained and socialised.

47,000 new jobs by 2031 is the target set for the region under the Sydney Metropolitan Strategy.

171,000 plus people currently call The Hills home.

20,000 plus home-based registered in The Sydney Hills.

are

100,000 additional people will move to the region by 2031.

4 free plants are available to every resident of The Hills Shire per year from Bidjiwong Community Nursery.

5,237 people had manufacturing jobs in The Sydney Hills in 2011.

29 suburbs make up The Hills Shire – these include (all or parts of) Northmead, Winston Hills, North Parramatta, North Rocks, Oatlands, Carlingford, West Pennant Hills, Bella Vista, Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill, Kellyville, Glenhaven, Beaumont Hills, Rouse Hill, Dural, Middle Dural, Annangrove, Box Hill, Nelson, Kenthurst, Maraylya, Glenorie, Cattai, Maroota, South Maroota, Sackville North, Lower Portland, Leetsvale and Wisemans Ferry.

874 million dollars worth of developments were approved in The Hills in the last financial year.

businesses

13,298 jobs were held in the retail industry in 2011 – the second largest local industry.

19,106 jobs were in the construction industry in 2011 – the largest employment sector in The Sydney Hills.

8,206 people were employed in professional and technical services locally.

83,087 was the total number of jobs in The Sydney Hills in 2011.

0 parking meters exist in The Hills Shire.

2,000 people are registered volunteers.

58,900 plus meals were delivered by meals on wheels to the Shire’s aged and disabled population last year.

35,000 kilos of chemicals were collected at Council’s last Chemical Cleanout recycling day.

1,800 old fridges have been collected in The Sydney Hills through the Fridge buyback program, saving over $540,000 on local power bills.

4 Council wards make up The Hills Shire – North Ward, East Ward, Central Ward and West Ward – with each ward represented by 3 Councillors.

500,000 additional dollars will be allocated in 2012 to Council’s reactive roads maintenance budget to repair the Shire’s rain ravaged roads.

147 hectares of employment land is planned for the Box Hill precinct in the future.

10 young people make up The Hills Youth Committee, advising Council on matters important to the Shire’s youth.

1.56 tonnes of waste was collected at the 2012 Clean Up Australia Day in The Sydney Hills. G

120 hectares of space exists in Annangrove Light Industrial Area.

2006 was the year when the Centenary of The Shire was celebrated.

800 plus businesses are based in Norwest Business Park – home to major national and international companies.

5 libraries comprise The Hills Shire Library Service – Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill, Carlingford, Dural and Vinegar Hill Memorial Library.

Do you need business information? Need facts and figures to help with a business submission? We can help. Council has a range of business information that can assist you with informed decision making.

Contact us today for a confidential discussion on 9762 1108 or visit www.investsydneyhills.com.au.

700 plus business are located in the Castle Hill Trading Zone, with a focus on home maker services.

135,057 people are members of The Hills Shire Library Service.

21 ‘Sydney Hills Business Ambassadors’ will

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

1,100,000 plus visits are made to the Shire’s libraries each year.

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

35

LOCAL Government

New Green Building Initiative Provides Boost to Local Economy The next generation of modern, sustainable buildings are on their way thanks to a new and innovative green-building initiative announced by Parramatta City Council.

The Council is one of only two in NSW to establish Environmental Upgrade Agreements (EUAs), a financing model that aims to make it easier for building owners to implement upgrades to their properties.

36

through water and electricity savings.

Parramatta has one of the lowest A-grade office vacancy rates in the country and Lord Mayor of Parramatta, Cr Lorraine Wearne, said building stocks in the CBD need to be improved.

“A significant number of buildings in and around Parramatta were built over 20 years ago, which should make EUAs attractive for many local building owners,” she said.

“Research shows that building owners can

An EUA is an agreement between a building owner, financier and local council to finance building upgrades to existing non-residential buildings. It offers a number of advantages to traditional commercial arrangements, including removing the need for upfront capital, improved loan rates and making repayments through cost savings.

reduce their vacancy and outgoings, whilst improving yields and higher tenant retention, by undertaking environmental building upgrades.”

EUAs in Parramatta’s CBD alone can potentially attract $150 million of investment in building upgrades; create148 full-time jobs; and reduce building owners’ outgoing costs by $26 million

The $800 million competitive, merit-based grants program aims to help Australian manufacturers stay competitive in a carbon constrained economy. It provides grants for eligible

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

As an additional incentive, eligible manufacturing and industrial business owners can effectively align an EUA with the Clean Technology Investment Program.

businesses interested in investing in energy efficient capital equipment and low pollution technologies, processes and products.

Projects that can be supported include switching to less carbon intensive energy sources or installing new manufacturing equipment, processes and facilities to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.

Co-contribution requirements for the program are designed to be attractive for small and mediumsized firms. Manufacturers with turnovers of

less than $100 million requesting funding under $500,000 must match government grants on a dollar for dollar basis. For all other grants under $10 million, applicants will be required to contribute $2 for every $1 from the Government.

To find out more about Environmental Upgrade Agreement and the Clean Technology Investment Program, contact Matthew Fisher on 9806 5755 or visit www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/EUA. G

LOCAL Government

Environmental Upgrades Make Good Commercial Cents An iconic Parramatta address has received a new lease of life thanks to a state of the art, environmentally friendly refurbishment.

The 100 George Street building has been restored as a premier asset in Parramatta through a dramatic $6 million re-skinning. What was once a C Grade building now carries a 4 star NABERS energy rating and has introduced approximately 3,000 square metres of Premium B Grade office space to the Parramatta property market.

The Lord Mayor of Parramatta, Cr Lorraine Wearne, said that the site is proof that owners can make their existing investments more attractive to tenants who want modern, efficient and sustainable buildings.

“There are many buildings in Parramatta ripe for this type of development. Coupled with the high demand for premium office space, the potential this has for investors and businesses alike is very exciting,” she said.

The development involved many significant changes to the exterior and interior of the building, with an emphasis on energy efficient systems. This included a completely new air-conditioning system and a new external casing for the building made from insulating materials. These improvements have resulted in a 50% saving on electricity usage.

Hendri Rahardja, Director of Sola Gracia Property Group, property manager of the building, said the decision to re-invest in Parramatta was made because of the expected economic growth of the area and the opportunities that will arise over the coming decades.

“Within the next 20 years, the majority of Sydney’s population will be in the west and Parramatta will be a major source of their employment. Thanks to its refurbishment, 100 George Street will now very effectively tap into this market,” Mr Rahardja said.

A major goal of the refurbishment was to make the building more attractive to tenants, both potential and current, through improving workspace facilities and amenities. It has worked, with the building already having secured the NSW Business Chamber as a tenant.

100 George St – Before and After Refurbishment

“As the host of the only public child care centre in the CBD, 100 George Street also offers tenants a great work-life balance. Coupled with a completely re-designed ground level forecourt area, featuring a new café and restaurant, 100 George Street is a location people will be excited to work at or visit.

“We have already seen a significant increase in rental return, with an expected 20% increase forecast once the building is completed,” Mr Rahardja said.

The refurbishment of 100 George Street has been undertaken very quickly and will be completed within 12 months from its start date. This is faster than a traditional ‘brand new’ development and has the potential to see return from investment much faster.

Agreements when making these refurbishments,” Cr Wearne said.

Parramatta City Council has recently introduced Environmental Upgrade Agreements, a financing model that makes it easier for building owners to implement similar upgrades to their properties. For more information contact Matthew Fisher on 9806 5755 or visit www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/EUA. G For more information please contact Solaire Eggert, Manager Economic Development. p | 02 9806 5730 e | seggert@parracity.nsw.gov.au

“We know that other owners in Parramatta will begin to do the same thing once they see the success of 100 George Street. I encourage them to utilise Council’s Environmental Upgrade

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

37

feature

Panthers Kick off Season 2012 with the Local Community in Mind Season 2012 is underway, and the Panthers are busy training hard to prepare for their weekly games. But as always, there is a lot happening off the field as well in terms of communitybased events.

Fighting domestic violence is something I really believe in, and I think this is a fantastic initiative.

I hope everyone continues to get behind this program...I’m honoured to be a part of it.”

The Panthers’ own Clint Newton is proud to be part of the ‘Change Your Ways, Australian Men Speak About Domestic Violence’ campaign, playing a major part in a DVD being used to spread this important anti-violence message.

The Panthers are also joining forces with the local PCYC, to launch the inaugural PCYC Cup, to be played against the Wests Tigers in Round 7.

The NRL has joined forces with the NSW Government to send the DVD and an information kit out to every grassroots rugby league club in the country: that’s almost 11 hundred.

38

If you’d like to take a look at the Change Your Ways DVD, visit http://www.youtube.com/user/ communitiesnsw.

Art students in high school years 10, 11 and 12 in the areas surrounding both clubs have been invited to get creative and submit paper or model designs for the trophy.

The program will also be the foundation of domestic violence education workshops to be held with over one thousand regional rugby

Penrith Panthers captain Luke Lewis and the Wests Tigers’ Robbie Farah, along with NSW Police Youth Liaison Sgt. Jim Duignan, will then select a winner, whose creation will be made into an actual trophy they’ll help present to the

league players this year, as part of the ‘Tackling Violence’ program.

winning team on the night of the game at Centrebet Stadium.

Clint Newton says “This is a tremendous step forward for Rugby League in the community.

We’re looking forward to receiving some unique and exciting entries! G

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

Clint Newton

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

39

Society & Life

Change Angry Anderson

The Dictionary definition of change reads: “The act or an instance of making or becoming different.” They say that two things are certain in life and they are death and taxes but there is one more thing that is as certain and as all pervading and that is change. In fact, it is said, and wisely so, that the most constant thing in life is just that, change.

Death comes at the end of life as a reward or as just the natural result of a life spent, well spent or wasted, as the individual sees it. A reward, if you choose to acknowledge the divine plan and that death is part of that plan, is the very natural result of a life ‘well spent’. Those who believe in that view also accept or believe that death is not the end of the experience but only of this earthly phase. So in that case a change takes place, but I digress, more on that later. Taxes, on the other hand, are of course a fact of life, a burden, an annoyance and a responsibility we must bear as part payment for being allowed or able to live the good life.

Change - constant and all pervading, encompassing all that we are all that we do, all that is, and pretty much every aspect of our existence. There are, of course, all sorts of changes we experience, all manner of change that we must endure in order to get through a day, a week, a month, a year and indeed our life.

Some changes are so subtle that we are never really aware of them and just how they affect our lives. Some we see or become aware of through the daily news. Prime example, political current affairs and shenanigans - and we are only too aware of how they do, or will, affect us now and in the future. Some changes are just like that, in that we can readily see what the outcome or result of the changes will be or we can have a calculated guess at the probable outcome. But then, of course, there are those changes which we find it impossible to predict or envision the outcome. These are usually those that come, as it were, out of nowhere and are the least expected at that particular time.

All too often our reaction to these unexpected events is: “Geez where did that come from?”

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

or “This couldn’t have come at a worse time” or “Just when I was getting ahead, this has to happen” or words to that affect. These situations are sometimes really hard to understand and accept because we hastily evaluate them on present circumstances or the state of play in our lives at that particular time and the way our life has been going to date. Sometimes things happen to change our lives that, at the time, go against our own plans for ourselves. How many times have we been cruising along operating within the framework of a well thought out and (to date) well executed plan when all of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere, an unforseen occurrence hits us right between the eyes and knocks us for a loop. All of our best laid plans and expected or desired outcomes are thrown out of the window.

The plan that we conceived for our own lives, has now been rendered completely null and void by this uninvited and unwanted intrusion. Of course, our first reaction is usually one of anger and annoyance at the unexpected. We didn’t plan this, we didn’t want this, and we didn’t need this to happen.

Our plans are now thrown into disarray and now we are back to square one or we now have to re-think our whole strategy. Somehow we have to dig our way out of this mess that has been thrust upon us through no fault of our own. All this is totally annoying, frustrating and seemingly for no good reason - but therein perhaps lays the lesson.

I personally believe that life, the Divine, throws these changes at us so that we are constantly forced to grow. We survive because have to.

We are equipped with the mechanism to do just that. We survive because our strongest instinct is to survive - it is inbuilt and is the one thing that allows us to battle from day to day and live to tell the tale. We get through these changes because we are meant to. We are constantly being asked to grow and be part of the living experience and sometimes it may be that we have become lazy or too comfortable in our own lives and have forgotten to look for the real wonderment in our life on a day-to-day level. So the Divine steps in and saves us from ourselves by upsetting our plans and causes us to adapt and survive by being forced to embrace a new and unexpected situation. Ours is not the great wisdom but we can learn to catch glimpses of it if we are alert and open to all that is being ‘taught’ every day in

the ever changing world we live in.

The wisest and most spiritually aware, the most spiritually conscious human being that I have ever met showed me this simple and structurally sound ‘truth’. Change, he taught, is one of the true gifts of the Divine, one of the great experiences of living. I remember him talking about it in this way:” Picture a rock in the desert, every day the sun shines on it. Some days the wind blows over and around it and sometimes the rain falls on it.

Every day it is changed ever so slightly, so slightly in fact that you or I could never see that change but in one million years from now that rock will be smaller, a different shape but it will still be that rock. Such are some of the changes in the natural realm, some changes are not meant to be ‘seen’ by the eye of man only by the eye of God.” Then there are the changes that are given to man as a gift. Some of those changes we experience are those that we don’t see but feel, for example, a mid-life crisis (more on that later) and some are clearly evident; a death in the family, the loss of a partner, the ending of a romantic relationship due to one party falling out of love and moving on, or an argument so bitter that it destroys a friendship forever. These are the changes that will and do shape us. Pain causes growth and it is how we deal with our pain brought about by changes that will define us.

I strive every day to roll with the punches, to surf the swells, to go with the flow and ebb that my life brings me. I work at my faith in the Divine and it works for me as I do. So my advice is firstly to find that which you can believe in and work to have that be your truth. Keep the faith brothers and sisters. The road will be rocky and danger waits at every crossroad but the rest at the close of each day will be our reward. Go with your God.

Your friend, Angry.

G

e | angry@angryanderson.com

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

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FEATURE

H OW A R T G A INS VA LU E

by Celia Berrell tours in public art galleries to the female artist?

1. Yayoi Kusama 2. Cindy Sherman 3. Marlene Dumas 4. Sharon Davson

A. 2002 B. 2009 C. 2011 D. 2012 Answers: 1C: 2D: BD: 4A

Whether you are viewing a painting for its inspiration or investment potential, there are ways that enhance the appreciation process - both for the viewer and the painting. How can we really tell if a painting is good or not?

The beauty or impact of a painting can be a very personal thing. But there’s more to valuable art than just a pretty face.

Doing Things Differently Most aspiring visual artists look to Commercial Galleries for support in promoting their career

studio/galleries. She seeks out her own clients Clint Newton and provides them with the art works they desire.

Consequently, Davson’s patrons and supporters are the people who own her work, rather than Commercial Gallery dealers.

She held her first Solo Exhibition Anti-Apathy at the Village Frame Shop Gallery in Sydney in 1982; and her first public gallery Solo Exhibition Melting Transitions at Manning Regional Art Gallery in 1990.

This is the second article in this series of articles that provide an edge-on perspective for determining the merits of an art work.

Exposure and going Solo Are Australians becoming arty? Did you know, art gallery goers outnumbered football fans attending matches in 2007/8? Getting the most out of your Gallery viewing experience is a comparably quiet procedure. Buy or borrow a programme, take your time and generously pause in front of any image that draws you in. Then check the programme for the art’s provenance and choose a winner.

If a painting hangs in a professional Commercial Art Gallery, the proprietor believes the painting is good enough to sell and earn them a commission. Most artists develop a symbiotic relationship with one or more Commercial Art Galleries, and are promoted through the Commercial Gallery’s operations with Group Shows and Solo Exhibitions.

Public Art Galleries aren’t motivated by art sale profits. Much of the time, Public Art Galleries (national, state and regional) provide the opportunity to view and enjoy art that is beyond the fiscal value commonly found in many Commercial Galleries. Having a Solo Exhibition in a Public Gallery is a great honour for any artist. Having a major Retrospective Exhibition displaying works from two or more decades of an artist’s life is deemed valued acknowledgement of the artist’s worth to the greater community.

Very few female artists have had a Solo Retrospective Exhibition tour in Public Art Galleries. This honour is reserved for the higher echelons of living (and deceased) artists, of which most are male.

Can you match the years of the Solo Exhibition

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43 | April May 2012 Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 42

Opening of the Davson Arts Museum peace & environment centre February 2010, guests include from front right Aboriginal elder Mick Davidson playing the didgeridoo, the Right Reverend Dr Brian Farran, Bishop of Newcastle and Lord Mayor John Tate.

Meditations Drifting on a tranquil lake of mottled hopes and patterned faith.

Feeling peace and tenderness, amidst your lucid water ness.

And like the caterpillar, nigh, transforming to a butterfly, I know there is a part of me transcending through eternity.

Poem by Celia Berrell inspired by Davson’s painting, Melting Transitions Rise

path. However this places the business-end of the art process with a Gallery owner. Davson chose to manage her own career instead by creating art on commission and setting up

“Whenever I sell a painting, I gift about ten percent of its value to not-for-profits, frequently in the form of custom framed small artworks to various public galleries. It’s my way of supporting

FEATURE our regional art galleries” Davson admits. “This may have been the catalyst for my being invited to hold a Solo Exhibition at the Manning Regional Art Gallery in 1990.”

Since then, two Major Survey Exhibitions of

Davson’s art have toured in 20 Public Galleries around Australia. Most of the pieces for these exhibitions were lent from the collections of Public Art Galleries, Corporations and private collectors, as well as superannuation funds.

“I have been delighted that the owners of my

work have been willing to loan the art back for exhibition so that many people can see and enjoy the art. This exposure also adds to the provenance of each artwork” explains Davson.

Davson is also frequently a guest speaker at dinners

Davson in her office with catalogues from her major retrospective touring exhibitions. and events, and will speak at a series of seminars in Sydney being hosted by Fusion wealth, advisory and strategy group in April and May 2012.

A Quality of Understanding Required

Through exhibitions and events, many of Davson’s artworks have been improving their credentials with interesting results. Davson’s On The Ark of Salvation sold for $1.3 million in 2011, making her the highest valued artist in Australia and placing Davson among the top female artists in the world.

Another example, her A Quality of Understanding Required (1.8m x 3m - 10 ft by 6 ft) has gained extensive exposure since its controversial beginnings in 1986 as a commission for Sydney’s Japan Week Festival. The ownership of the painting was returned to the artist when Festival organisers were unable to complete the final commission transaction.

The painting featured in both the major touring retrospective exhibitions of Davson’s art. This master work re-sold some years ago for a very good quality six figure amount.

It is currently on the market again, this time being progressively sold to a consortium of investors for a quality seven figure amount. After all, it is an expansive painting!

Contact Davson Art management to learn more about why Davson’s art has experienced better than approximately 20% per annum growth for collector / investors for more than two decades, or acquire her art from $5000 upwards. enjoy the benefits… m | 0416 026 426 e | sharon@davsonart.com w | www.davsonart.com

Detail from Davson’s painting Reflections in the collection of the Northern Territory Art Gallery & Museum, Darwin, NT, which was loaned for her major retrospective exhibition tour 1999-2002 in public galleries.

43 | April May 2012 Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 42

43

BUSINESS& ADVICE Society Life

Quick Response (QR) Codes

by Daniel Moisyeyev, B. IT – GWP Media

If you have been flicking through magazines and other print media lately you may have noticed advertisements that incorporate peculiar little squares with dots inside of them. You probably passed it off as some kind of a print artifact, however it is actually a fresh development called “Quick Response (QR) Code” designed to take advantage of Smartphone technology.

Read on to see how these QR Codes can help you market your product and provide extra interactivity to your potential clients.

What do they do?

In essence QR Code is a specially encoded barcode that can carry a wide array of information such as website links (hyperlinks) and text messages. It can be easily scanned using a camera-enabled Smartphone and save readers valuable time by completely removing the need to type out long cryptic URLs. Keep in mind that expecting the viewers of your advertisement to type out long URLs on mobile devices is a very, very bad strategy.

QR Codes resolve this issue completely.

QR Code Scanners can be freely downloaded and can enable virtually any recent and decent Smartphone to utilise this technology. Using a scanner application is a simple as turning on your phone, loading the desired barcode scanning application and snapping a photo of the barcode.

What happens next, is instructed to the application by the QR Code.

There are no practical limitations to displaying QR Codes as long as the print quality is sufficient to enable them to be recognisable by scanning applications. For example, you could place the code on virtually any printed advertisement, your business card and even a t-shirt if you really wanted to.

A little big of history behind the technology The actual technology behind QR Codes was invented back in 1994 (!) and they were used in the automotive industry for a while. QR Codes belong to a group known as two-dimensional barcodes, where information can be encoded into an image using a mathematical algorithm and de

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

Business Resource & Lifestyle Magazine QR Code Just Scan It!

coded accordingly. This is in contrast to onedimensional barcodes found on items your local hardware store, where the barcode simply serves as a unique identifier.

The QR Codes have resurfaced into the mainstream since Smartphones became widely used. Note that at the time of development of QR Codes, Smartphones were not in existence – there would have been no way at the time to predict that they would end up being used in this manner.

Error Correction Error correction is a very important feature of QR Codes. An amazing feat is that QR Codes can work even if part of the code is corrupted. The reliability of QR Codes is quite spectacular and the error correction feature also allows for some very interesting modifications and personalisation abilities.

How can it help my business?

Wide use of QR Codes in print media has not yet taken hold. However, their use is gradually increasing and they are an effective tool to increase the experience of the more technologically-savvy viewers of your advertisements. They also create

an impression of your brand as progressive, cuttingedge and ready to embrace new technological advancements.

Where can I get scanning applications?

Simply head to Google and search for “QR Code Scanners” and add the brand of your Smartphone at the end. You will find a vast array of applications for free download that will get you started taking advantage of this technology today.

If you are interested in personalised QR Code for your brand, please do not hesitate to contact GWP Media today. G

Please do not hesitate to contact GWP Media for any inquiries in regard to custom web development. p | 02 8090 1730 e | daniel@gwpmagazine.com.au

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 43 | May 2012

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