BiziNet Magazine Issue #78 - Mar-Apr 2016

SYDNEY - ISSUE 78 | MARCH - APRIL 2016

Smart Ways to Protect Your New Business When the Market Gets Rough Page 22

Unfair Contracts with Small Business: The New Rules after 12 November 2016 Page 24 Let'sTalk Mental Health at Work

Sean Howard AO MY CROWDED HOUR

BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

Page 26

1

3 EASY STEPS TO GET

CHOOSE AN AREA Norwest Business Park $480 + gst per run Macquarie Business Park + Lane Cove West $480 + gst per run

CHOOSE A MONTH January February March April May

Castle Hill Trading Zone $480 + gst per run

June

Seven Hills + Kings Park $480 + gst per run

August

Parramatta $480 + gst per run

2

YOUR

BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

July

September October November December

FLYERS TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE

CALL NOW!

flyerdeliveryguys.com.au BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

3

BiziNet Magazine Distribution Key locations for a free pickup MACQUARIE BUSINESS PARK Avenida Cafe Westpac Bank Cafepronto Cafe Pinnacle Glasshouse Just Catering Ellate Coffee Bar Presse Cafe LANE COVE WEST BUSINESS PARK La Kantina wickedfoods.com RYDE Ryde Planning + Business Centre NORWEST BUSINESS PARK Servcorp Novotel Norwest The Hills Shire Council Westpac Bank Telstra Business Centre Sushi Culture IC Frith Caterez - Woolworths HQ Bella Vista Hotel Jazzveh Woodfired Pizza Parkview Cafe Rave Cafe Anais Restaurant Cafe Peregrine

Editor and Publisher: Dmitry Greku Cover Story A. Charles Smith Contributing Writers: Charlie Lynn Angry Anderson Bekir Kilic Daniel Moisyeyev Francesca Saccaro Rebecca Cushway Bruce Gleeson Steven Brown

BAULKHAM HILLS CBA Branch - Stockland Mall

CHATSWOOD CBD Touche

Art Director: Svetlana Greku

CASTLE HILL TRADING ZONE Cafe Tsakali Hillz Kitchen Westpac Bank Café Gionta

ST LEONARDS CBD Blue Duck Cafe

Executive Officer: Daniel Moisyeyev

FRENCHS FOREST BUSINESS PARK Equinox Café Forest Cafe

Director of Public Relations: Angry Anderson

BROOKVALE BUSINESS PARK Cafe 20

Printing: Bluestar

AUSTLINK BUSINESS PARK Cafe Locco

BiziNet Magazine is published by GWP Media® ABN: 82 096 352 064 www.bizinet.com.au

ROUSE HILL CBA Branch - Town Centre DURAL BUSINESS PARK Get Stuffed Catering PARRAMATTA CBD TAFE Di Pacci Caterez Espresso Coffee House Cafe 31 Rendevous Point Café 460 Church St Office Complex ROSEHILL BUSINESS PARK Cafe Grand RHODES CORPORATE PARK Cafe Rhodes Caterez

WARRIEWOOD BUSINESS PARK Cafe Quattro WETHERILL PARK Wetherill Park Bakehouse BLACKTOWN Lander Toyota Blacktown City Library M.T.O. Cafe SEVEN HILLS Lilys Restaurant, Bar & Function Centre

Cover Design & Cover Story Layout: Xabier Goñi, XDesigns

Office Address: F78B. 24-32 Lexington Drive Bella Vista NSW 2153 International Standard Serial Number ISSN 1837-199X Advertising Enquiries: p | 1300 889 132 e | info@gwpmedia.com.au w | www.bizinet.com.au

Copyright GWP Media® 2016.

4

BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

The opinions expressed in this journal do not necessarily reflect and are not to be regarded as the official opinion of the editor, publisher or their agents. All information contained within this journal is provided for general information purposes only and on the understanding that none of the content herein constitutes professional advice. The editor, publisher or their agents accept no responsibility for any claim, loss or damages arising out of or in connection with any materials contained in this journal.

Readers should not rely on the publications in the journal and seek appropriate professional advice in respect of their own circumstances.

Contents Cover Story

10

Sean Howard AO My Crowded Hour A. Charles Smith

Regulars

08

EDITOR’S LETTER

You are in Business – Stay Strong, Never Surrender!..

28

DIGITAL CORNER

Digital Credit Card & Identity Theft Daniel Moisyeyev

Dmitry Geku

16

LEADERSHIP

What the Bloody Halal is Going on in the Army?

32

SOCIETY & LIFE A Fair GO

Angry Anderson

Charlie Lynn

18

WORKFORCE

The Health Industry is Living and Growing Francesca Saccaro

20

BUSINESS ADVICE

To Credit Repair or Not? Time for Regulation!

Features

30

No Greater Chamber Award than Life Membership Parramatta Chamber

Bruce Gleeson

22

Smart Ways to Protect Your New Business When the Market Gets Rough Bekir Kilic

24

Unfair Contracts with Small Business: The New Rules after 12 November 2016 Steven Brown

26

Let’s Talk Mental Health at Work Rebecca Cushway

Watch More @ bizinettv.com.au

BiziNet Magazine BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

5

Introducing Our Contributors

Bekir Kilic Bekir Kilic is the Managing Director of PRO IT. Founded in 1999, PRO IT’s objective is to provide an alternative to the conventional IT support and outsource services model for banking, finance and the media industries by focusing and understanding the clients core needs, can do attitude and close client/vendor relationship.

IT support and outsource services is delivered throughout all major cities located in Australia and New Zealand.

Today PRO IT provides data centre “smart & remote hands” for many multinational organisations.

Rebecca Cushway Steven Brown Charlie Lynn Charlie Lynn served in the Australian Army for 21 years.

This included tours of duty in Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and the United States.

Charlie has led adventure treks across the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea for 21 years and has just completed his 78th crossing.

Charlie was elected to the NSW Parliament in 1995 and was the NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Veterans’ Affairs from 2011 until his retirement from Parliament in 2015. Although retired, he continues to lead treks across the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea!

proit.bizinet.com.au

PRO IT Pty Limited p | 1300 727 553 www.proit.com.au

6

BiziNet Magazine

Steven Brown founded Etienne Lawyers in 2003. They are best described as having an ‘International Reach with Small Firm Personal Service’.

With qualifications from Sydney and Macquarie Universities, Steven has gone on to have over 30 years in the law. With his own practice and a passion to help others succeed, Steven is a total professional, informing and educating along the way.

Steven specialises in all aspects of helping businesses to stay out of trouble and grow. He enjoys the cut and thrust of litigation and is a balanced negotiator for all alternative dispute resolution methods.

etiennelawyers.bizinet.com.au

Charlie Lynn p | 1300 783 303 www.kokodatreks.com

#78 Mar-Apr’16

Steven Brown p | 02 8845 2400 www.etiennelawyers.com

Rebecca Cushway is a Registered Organisational Psychologist and the Managing Director of Careers Excelled since 2005. Being about to support individuals, teams and organisations to create engagement, positive culture, develop their leaders and people is not only a passion for Rebecca but a privilege.

Rebecca has 20 years experience as a psychologist, consultant and manager.

Rebecca has worked with corporate and government clients, SMEs along with individuals and EAP programs over her working career.

careersexcelled.bizinet.com.au

Rebecca Cushway p | 02 9899 9674 www.careersexcelled.com.au

Bella Vista Business Alliance Coffee Morning When:

8 March 2016

When:

9 March 2016

12:00 - 2:00pm

10.00am Where:

Bella Vista Business Alliance CEO Lunch with Etienne Lawyers

305/25 Solent Circuit,

Where:

Bella Vista Hotel

eNRGy3 Business & Networking Referral Group When:

Every Tuesday

10:00 -11:00am Where:

Suite 1, Level 3,

Baulkham Hills

Bella Vista

1 Horwood Place, Parramatta

Cost: Free for first visit

Cost: $85

Cost: Free for first 2 visits

Contact: 1300 889 132

Contact: 1300 889 132

Contact:

bellavistabusinessalliance.com.au

bellavistabusinessalliance.com.au

Stephen Parkins

State of the City Address

Parramatta Chamber After Five

Bella Vista Business Alliance BAF with Charlie Lynn

When:

18 March 2016

11:30 - 2:30pm Where:

Oatlands House,

When:

5 April 2016

5:30 - 7:30pm Where:

TBA

When:

0401 751 420

6 April 2016

15:30 - 7:30pm Where:

TBA

Parramatta

Cost: $40

Cost: $50

Cost: $150

Contact: 02 9635 002

Contact: 1300 889 132

Contact: 02 9635 002

parramattachamber.com.au

bellavistabusinessalliance.com.au

bellavistabusinessalliance.com.au

BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

7

EDITOR’S LETTER

You are in Business – Stay Strong, Never Surrender!..

Dmitry Geku, M. Sc., Editor and Publisher - BiziNet Magazine

Our trip during the Christmas break was to Angourie, a small village near Yamba in northern NSW. People are hospitable, beaches are unreal and the wildlife is simply wonderful.

This place lures surfers from everywhere.

Waves are world class. And it’s where I learned to understand how to surf.

I have surfed a stand up paddle (SUP) board for almost three years and love it. SUP surfing (I’m not sure about traditional surfing, having never done it) is extremely addictive. It’s a healthy addiction, bringing you lots of joy and adrenaline rushes. Sometimes it can be scary, but you need to find a successful exit from precarious situations. I would like to tell you about one of those.

For the first few days the conditions in Angourie, (aboriginal word for Noisy Ocean) were pretty rough. I was still keen to go out and catch a couple of waves. On the way, an unexpected set came over. I was confronted by the biggest wave I’ve ever seen during my surfing “career” - a daunting prospect.

This monster kept growing with every passing moment. I was standing in the worst possible

8

BiziNet Magazine

spot – it was going to break exactly where I was, taking me and my board into a boiling cauldron. For less than a second, which was like at least ten minutes for me, I felt sorry for myself, screaming inside (in polite magazine editor speak: What kind of a stupid idea was this to get out here in such conditions?..), and expecting heavily promoted heroes to come and save me – Batman, Spiderman or at least Captain Australia, for God’s sake someone!

These good things were not going to happen.

It was all up to me.

After this protracted yet tiny fraction of a second, I finally decided to keep paddling against the wave and had only enough time for one and a half strokes. This resolved the situation in the best possible way. The wave started breaking just as I got on its top. A happy moment later, I was airborne and it took me some time to get back into the water. Lucky me, there were no other waves of that size in this set. I stayed outside of the surfing zone for some minutes, recovered my breath and came back safely to the shore to my and all other marine inhabitants’ joy.

The moral of the story is that when it’s tough and looks like there is no or almost no exit from a serious dilemma, you are almost ready to surrender or expect some help from your heroes – don’t waste precious time. It’s all up to you. Deal with it! Do it yourself, do it faster, mobilise all the resources available and get over this “Wave” as expeditiously as possible with the least loss and, as in our real-life situations, for your business.

Any successful business project requires and

#78 Mar-Apr’16

must have top quality gear. That can be your equipment, your team, clarity of reasoning and clear understanding of what to do best at a critical moment. Experience from more simple previous situations will help when all your resources need to be gathered upon being confronted by complex and scary circumstances.

So, get your business fit and ready for possible gigantic waves, think quickly and keep you mind fresh, concentrating on what is necessary to be done, not what is looking easier and might lead to a wipe out!

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

e | editor@gwpmedia.com.au

BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

9

PROUDLY PRESENTED BY

GWP MEDIA

by A. Charles Smith

Sean Howard AO MY CROWDED HOUR

At 56, he is perfectly at home in a skin tempered by hardship and experience. Quietly confident, Sean Howard is measuring his next foray into the high-tech world he first entered in 1980, rising to become founder of OzEmail, formerly Australia’s largest Internet company.

His measured manner may derive from a fractured early life and being at the centre of conflict. It is evident that he eschews it but that has not embittered him.

His father, a lecturer in chemical engineering and a widower with two daughters, married a divorcee. He and two younger sisters were born. The marriage was volatile and combative and as a young boy he endured fights, arguments and violence that no child of tender years should have to bear.

“Seeing your parents in the front yard battling over piffling goods with a long-handled axe was very scary for me. I still suffer nerves from what happened.”

Yet a spirit of entrepreneurship seems to have been derived in part at least from witnessing

10

BiziNetMagazine Magazine BiziNet

#78 Mar-Apr’16

his father’s venture into magazines in the late sixties. Utilising a narrow laneway in Chippindale to house a printing press, the operation was a successful adjunct to his work at the University of New South Wales.

The home environment remained unstable and untenable. His mother took matters into her own hands, relocating with the three children to his grandmother’s home in Melbourne.

“It was cloak and dagger, midnight flit stuff in 1971, but necessary. She had to get us away from that poisonous atmosphere.”

They had no money. His grandmother was a widow living in a tiny three- bedroom house in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick.

He shared a room with his older sister. His

GREAT AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS PEOPLE

description of the sloping floor, telling of the home’s integrity, is the first window into Sean’s sense of humour.

“At twelve I realised the slope was not a design feature to improve the interest with which one played the game of marbles. The foundations had given way and Nanna could not afford to fix the problem.”

Still they managed, not just becoming adept at marbles but financially, things improved when his mother obtained a position with the Road Traffic Authority.

Sean was a brilliant student demonstrating particular excellence in pure mathematics.

He won the Science Prize on that account.

Somehow he avoided the vicious canings meted out by the Marist Brothers but their cruelty left an indelible impression upon him when in later life, endowed with bounty, he focused on philanthropy to children’s charities such as Youth Insearch Foundation.

He was accepted into the Faculty of Medicine at University and well on his way to becoming a doctor after three successful years of study.

But it was not what he desired to be.

“I had no problem with sawing up cadavers,” he says rolling his eyes mischievously. “My issue was blood, not what came from me but what drained from my face. I’m told that the professor supervising the pathology heard a thud and his enquiry as to the source of

the noise was met with the laconic response from another student-‘It’s nothing sir, just Howard on the floor.’”

Business beckoned and it was a blood-sport with which he could live. He went to Britain and was instantly mesmerised by microcomputers. He studied the magazines there and decided he would launch one in Australia.

Having contacted many publications, one owner was an eccentric entrepreneur called Felix Dennis.

“Felix was my only respondent and he sent me many back copies of his publications.

Out of it all I cobbled together my first issue.”

That effort did not happen by chance. Shoe leather and savings were sacrificed as Sean trudged from one computer store to another seeking advertisers drawing on money he had put aside from unemployment benefits.

Yes, he ‘saved some of his dole.’ Tell that to the politicians today!

The initial run of Australian Personal Computer was 15,000 copies at 32 pages.

And he was grateful for the sixty-day credit grace from the printer.

It met with outstanding success. In just a year on the stands, he set up his own production facility after joining forces with a printer called John Lewis who had an offset machine.

“I bought the binder and the magazine was saddle stitched.”

( l-r) Jared Goodwin, Youth Insearch Director, Sean Howard OA and David Hurley OA, Governor of NSW after receiving the Order of Australia

But it was not long before burgeoning editions overwhelmed that method of stapling the pages. The printing and binding was outsourced again.

“The market had shifted in the 80’s and pretty soon we had displaced the electronics mags. Computers were the new ‘go to’ for the tech-heads.”

It was a monthly publication that eventually outputted to four hundred pages. To this day APC remains the longest running magazine on computers in the English speaking world.

Four years into its development, Sean received an unsolicited phone call from Trevor Kennedy, the CEO of Australian Consolidated Press wanting to buy into the magazine. He was keen to arrange a meeting with Kerry Packer.

The day at Government House when Mr Howard became an Officer of the Order of Australia. (l-r) Gerard Kohne, Jared Goodwin, Youth Insearch Director, Sean’s secondlongest serving employee, Cedric Dewey and Dani Howard, Sean’s wife. Cedric skippers Sean’s boat and has been with him for seventeen years.

“He told me they published the Women’s Weekly and the Bulletin and noted that, “You may have heard of us. Somewhat tongue-in-cheek, I conceded that, ‘I had heard of them!’”

BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

11

PROUDLY PRESENTED BY

GWP MEDIA

he volunteers of Mr Howard’s Arctic Escape. This one was taken at Kulusuk, Greenland when they were about to attempt to climb T high enough to fly over a lofty mountain range, hampered, of course, by ice building up on both the wings and fuselage.

Not long after that, another similar call from the rival Fairfax organisation set Sean to thinking that he might be in comfortable territory occupying the centre of a bidding war.

had not bought already. Up until 1992, ACP had acquired interests in Sean’s publishing business incrementally starting at 60% and

advancing from there.

“Packer in his inimitable style said, ‘Son, you

His father, with whom he had little involvement up till then, drove him around to the various appointments.

“As the meeting with Kerry Packer ended, he offered me a lift back to Melbourne in his private jet. I regretted my inability to do so on account of an assignation with Mr Gardner of Fairfax. A realisation that I might have overplayed my hand dawned when Packer replied nonchalantly, ‘Oh well.’”

Fortunately ACP and Fairfax did compete and ultimately Sean felt more comfortable with the Packer group.

During the 1980’s along with publishing, Howard developed the email service, Microtex. In 1988, he injected capital into ISYS Search Software, a pioneer in search engine products.

Sean recalls an extraordinary meeting with Packer when it came to the issue of acquisition of the remaining portion of the publishing business which Kerry Packer

12

BiziNet Magazine

recent photo of Sean and his longest serving employee, Gerard Kohne. He was with A Sean for fully thirty-six years.

#78 Mar-Apr’16

GREAT AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS PEOPLE had not bought already. Up until 1992, ACP had acquired interests in Sean’s publishing business incrementally starting at 60% and can keep your f**king R and D division.’ I told him I would have to buy it back and the consideration was $1. We shook hands on it and I retained Microtex.”

That was 1992. Microtex morphed into OzEmail which ultimately became the largest internet service providers in the country.

“Trevor Kennedy was interested but we needed another partner. He recommended Malcolm Turnbull. I had known that he was good in a stoush when he was in-house counsel working for Packer. Liking the idea, Turnbull wrote out a cheque for $500,000.”

In March 1999, OzEmail was sold for $520,000,000. Five years after Turnbull’s relatively modest investment, he collected $55 million.

“I walked away with one hundred and twenty million bucks before tax and so even after the ATO’s grab, I was now seriously wealthy.”

Not smug about his fortune, he approached Turnbull’s wife Lucy about a worthwhile charity for young people. She introduced him to the actress Rachel Ward who in turn recommended Youth Insearch, a group supporting victims of physical and/or sexual abuse.

The business started off in a large building in St Leonards with just eight employees. One of those who headed up customer enquiries asked what had to be done as they were getting swamped.

“I told him, ‘just keep hiring people’ and we grew from there I can tell you.”

He has donated millions of dollars to that entity over the years both in money and in kind. It was not the amounts donated that earned his appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2015. Rather, the citation pointed to the time he devoted to helping disadvantaged youth and distinguished service to a range of charitable organisations, medical research, and to his contribution to business.

Sean credits Turnbull as being instrumental in having OzEmail listed on NASDAQ in the United States and this led to spectacular success for the partners after its launch in 1996. It was listed on the ASX in 1998.

The sale was propitious as to timing. The dotcom crash followed with the U.S. buyer going into bankruptcy. Interest in such stock bottomed. Aside from a board seat on a domain provider, Howard developed other interests.

Swimming pools at Kewarra Beach Resort

Aged care and retirement facilities attracted his investment dollars. One of the biggest in the country, Cumberland View in Wheelers Hill in Melbourne’s southeast he acquired with Trevor Kennedy.

Before the Global Financial Crisis, he had purchased Double Island near Cairns in the Great Barrier Reef and would fly sixteen to eighteen Youth Insearch young people there.

In all there were some thirty six such flights.

As well, he used his helicopter to ferry Youth Insearch volunteers to the Double Island resort as a ‘thank you’ for their unstinting efforts.

“I derived enormous satisfaction from hearing one of these lads saying years later, ‘Sean Howard changed my life. He gave me ambition.’”

Howard spent ten years as the chairman of Youth Insearch.

Sean had a serious health scare that forced him to confront the spectre of his own mortality. He contracted encephalitis about four years ago. It sent him into a coma for six days. Since then, he wrestles stoically with the sequelae that have included a profound loss of vision in one eye.

BiziNetMagazine Magazine BiziNet

#78 Mar-Apr’16 Mar / Apr’16

13 13

PROUDLY PRESENTED BY

GWP MEDIA

Sean about to attend his first day of school at Mosman Preparatory School, probably about three years of age

ean Howard when about S 30 years of age

Unfortunately, the GFC forced him to sell the Island and his private jet. But he clawed his way back from these setbacks and has a new venture firmly in his sights.

For the first time in 18 years since the OzEmail sale, Howard is creating a new dotcom. He is about to launch a new company to be known as, “My Life”. The byline for the company will be, ‘A better way to compute.’

Conscious of the second chance he has been given, he is determined to make it work.

“God still has me on the radar,” he asserts pointing to a reversion to habit, writing computer code in the wee hours.

He is developing a series of tools he says will be able to augment the education system and modernise the archaic principles it is based around, as well as providing some other mobile-based services.

“We might be reinventing the wheel,” he declares with conviction, “but it’s going to be a much better wheel.”

He posits a range of ideas and benefits to those he hopes to buy the products on offer including the issue of four tokens to every customer. If each of those tokens are acquired and registered with the company, then the original purchaser will receive a refund of his/her money and so, we hope, it will proceed exponentially.

“I’m coming back!” he declares musing rakishly that the Elton John song, The Bitch is back, may well be the promo vehicle.

He highlights the features of flexibility that his products will contain.

14

BiziNet Magazine

“You can make the applications the way you want them instead of the way they might be designed. For example, if you don’t like the user interface, our applications will permit customers to change their User Interfaces, changes that will be retrieved from one session to another.”

The products will be available both for computers and mobiles.

“The Media Manager application will sift through historical hard disks, Outlook and Zips, find photos and videos and arrange them in a tree based on the years, months and days the photograph or video was taken.

Ultimately that pyramidal database can be assembles to a customer’s taste and printed into a book which MyLife will have printed and delivered to the customer.”

MyLife’s suite of products, along with education, includes home security through mobile devices, enhanced cloud storage and e-learning, and is in beta or audience testing.

Howard, always the enthusiast, says it will be “world class stuff’’ when it is launched.

“MyLife” intends to become an Internet customer service centre for the world. Fiji will be the intended locality for the call facility.

Fiji has wonderfully fast, reliable and cheap internet facilities. People are well-educated and it is the ideal location.”

Sean Howard has also acquired a 99-year lease of a remote Island in the Fiji group that is twice the size of Double Island.

“This is a place of extraordinary beauty and purity.”

#78 Mar-Apr’16

Because of its isolation, no one has ever lived on the Island, be they Fijian or European. It is virgin, fertile soil and the air as clean as any Sean has breathed.

“I have a twin jet-engine chopper that is one of the safest machines in the air that can ferry people around.”

He also intends to purchase in 2019 (when they are expected to be available) a new concept in amphibious aircraft that will be fitted with a parachute should any difficulties arise.

“From the Island, it will mean a twentyfive minute flight to the shops. There’s an expanse of 3,400 square kilometres around my island which should provide some idea as to its remoteness.”

He has already constructed accommodation for up to forty people.

Sean looks back on a life well lived, an unimpeachable work ethic and delights in the prospects for the future of his MyLife enterprise.

He embodies the words of Thomas Mordaunt’s, One crowded hour of glorious life is worth an age without a name. G

GREAT AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS PEOPLE

ean and the caretaker of Double Island which is located one S kilometre off Palm Cove in Far North Queensland.

ewarra Beach Resort, view with rainforest of Sean’s K beachfront resort 20 minutes north of Cairns airport.

BiziNetMagazine Magazine BiziNet

#78 Mar-Apr’16 Mar / Apr’16

15 15

LEADERSHIP

The Hon. Charlie Lynn

What the Bloody Halal is Going on in the Army?

The role of the Australian infantry is ‘to close with and kill the enemy’.

There are no ambiguities in that mission statement. In order to train for their assigned role infantrymen practice with guns and live bullets to shoot at targets shaped as humans.

They lob grenades to practice blowing people apart. They use fixed bayonets on sandbags to hone their killing skills. They practice ambush drills so they can kill as many enemy as possible in one massive shoot-out. They are trained to be tougher, stronger and more courageous than their foe. And they know they must be prepared to die for each other.

At the end of their training day they come home to help their wives with the housework and their kids with their homework. Next day they resume their training in how to kill people.

They are aware that any enemy they are likely to face has a similar purpose. Some even practice blowing themselves up!

Seven years ago an army team was committed to clearing up a compound which housed a suspected insurgent in Afghanistan. It had to be completed in the dark. As they entered the close confines of the compound all hell broke loose. The troops took cover and called on the insurgent to stop firing and surrender. He answered with another hail of bullets. One of the troops got close enough to hurl a grenade through an opening before his mates stormed the room just as they were trained to do. When the smoke and dust had settled six people, including the insurgent and four children were dead.

Canberra was mortified when they learned that the commandos they sent to Afghanistan to kill people actually killed people. An officer who was trained to write reports and had mountains of files worth of experience was appointed to investigate. He recommended they be charged with manslaughter. A female lawyer dressed up as a Brigadier took up the issue and charged the men.

16

BiziNet Magazine

The army judge who heard the case was a young lawyer who I worked with at the 1st Brigade in the early 1980s. He had worked with troops for decades and had a close working knowledge of what they were trained to do, their values and the pride they had in their uniform.

He threw the case out. The Brigadier made a few cat-calls but to no avail. The commandos returned to their duties.

biscuits were subject to stringent OH&S checks and promptly banned. It was found that if a supply of bully-beef was ever captured and consumed by the enemy it could cause severe gastronomical upsets and trigger a class action. If our troops and troopettes ran out of bulletts and had to throw dog-biscuits as a last resort they could cause significant injuries to their non-friends shooting back at them.

Canberra based defencecrats in Fort Fumble were incensed. They enlisted their own coffeeshop commandos and had a conversation - in their space - to deliberate on matters of such import as gender inequality and ethnic diversity in Commando Regiments.

The psychological state of troops and troopettes at the time of consumption had to be considered. How did the past owner of that 20g piece of meat in that packet die?

Was it shot? Was its throat cut? Was it a lethal injection or just old age. Was it given last rites?

And by whom?

The role of the Infantry was discussed. Was it too brutal? Should it be ‘to close with and counsel the enemy’? What if somebody took offence to being labelled as enemy? Should it be ‘to close with and have a conversation with those opposite’?

Training regimes at the Australian Defence Force Academy were adjusted. Instructors were forbidden to raise their voices at young cadets to protect their self-esteem. Crusty old drill sergeants were dispatched to re-education camps. Red marker pens were banned as it was deemed to be too aggressive a colour for marking papers. Male and female quarters were to include an ‘undecided’ section in each barrack block.

The next challenge was to look at the dietary requirements of the troops, troopettes and undecided in the field which is defined as any space beyond the border of the ACT. It was here that all halal broke loose.

Combat rations were examined calorie by calorie. My Kitchen Rules staff were enlisted to join the conversation. Ministers, priests, rabbi’s, imams, agnostics and organisers of the gay mardi gras congregated to bless and blaspheme menus. Bully-beef and dog-

#78 Mar-Apr’16

Surveys of troops, troopettes and the undecided to determine their ethnic origins were necessary to determine the proportion of rations required to meet their needs on operations outside the ACT. How many days each year should they spend amongst those on the other side who lived in suburbs like Boganville before returning to the safety of their PC bubble? So much to ponder!

In light of these considerations the recent decision of the Chief of Army to declare that 30 percent of combat ration packs must carry halal certification to cater for the 0.35 per cent of Muslims in his army makes a lot of sense. PC scribes are already drafting up his nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.

‘Combat ration balance’ could well be their next international cause celebre! G

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

BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

17

WORKFORCE

Francesca Saccaro, Director TAFE Western Sydney

The Health Industry is Living and Growing It is a great inspiration to talk to our students and hear what has brought them into their chosen careers. Recently we spoke to a number of nursing students, many of whom had chosen to work in the health industry because of the satisfaction of helping others.

The health care sector is the second largest industry in terms of jobs in Western Sydney with the number of jobs expected to grow substantially over the next five years.

An ageing population and an increase in chronic diseases have led to greater reliance on health care providers. This demand for services is driving growth in the health care sector, where demand for appropriately skilled workers is currently exceeding supply.

With a large and younger-than-average workforce, and recent government investment, Western Sydney is well placed to lead the sector with innovative solutions.

Five health and education precincts in the region provide hubs for excellence and will add growing numbers of researchers, entrepreneurs, clinicians and investors as well as linkage to teaching hospitals and medical schools.

In Penrith, a Health and Education Precinct stretching from Nepean Hospital through to Western Sydney University’s Werrington campus is set to increase employment and respond to demand for these services in the region.

TAFE Western Sydney Institute’s Health and Support Services training facility, located at Kingswood, is within the footprint of the Penrith Health and Education Precinct. This Health and Support Services training facility has recently opened for business, providing TAFE training in a range of health areas. It represents a significant investment by the NSW Government and includes high tech facilities which allow students to learn and use their skills in a simulated work environment.

In this facility, nursing students are put through medical scenarios similar to those which they would experience in a workplace through the

18

BiziNet Magazine

use of SimMan, an interactive, technologically advanced manikin. Teachers can observe behind one-way glass as students respond to situations such as cardiac arrest, anaphylaxis and more using the responsive mannequins.

The mannequins also provide students with experience in checking blood pressure and a number of other day-to-day activities of enrolled nurses and related roles.

Sydney provides customised workforce training to businesses. This can be an efficient means of an organisation ensuring that its workers have the exact skill set to fit the requirements of their roles. Our new Health Services facility, for example, has enabled us to continue to deliver training to employers of enrolled nurses, dental assistants, audiometrists and optical dispensers.

The facility includes a fully functional dental wing with intra-oral x-ray machines and commercial business grade machinery for optical dispensing. Industry standard equipment is also provided for students to gain relevant work skills in audiometry and sterilisation.

The health industry includes attractive career development opportunities which allow workers to build on their qualifications. For example, students can complete studies and gain employment as an enrolled nurse and then continue into registered nursing.

These are areas which are experiencing strong jobs growth in the region and through relevant training and experience, students are well placed when applying for jobs.

There is also currently a strong demand for personal care workers. These workers provide individual support within an aged care, home care or disability setting. According to data from the Australian Government Department of Employment, there is a projected occupational growth of 54,000 for aged and disabled carers, nursing support and personal care workers between 2013-2018, however growth in enrolments in qualifications relating to these qualifications have grown at a steady but slower rate over recent years. We are hopeful that the new health and education precincts will go a long way to boost the numbers of people training to work in nursing and health services assistant roles.

We are working with our university partners to ensure that such workplace opportunities as well as pathways from TAFE into universities are easy for students to navigate.

As well as training for individuals, TAFE Western

#78 Mar-Apr’16

The health industry is a living and growing sector with many opportunities and the potential for great job satisfaction. I invite individuals and employers to contact us for assistance with their training needs. More information on our new Health and Support Services facility can be found on our website. G

TAFE NSW - Western Sydney Institute (WSI) p | 02 9715 8135 e | francesca.saccaro@tafensw.edu.au www.wsi.tafensw.edu.au

Sunday Breakfast 8 a m - 1 1 p m

U s i n g o r g a n i c a n d l o c a l ly s o u r c e d p r o d u c e F a m i ly F r i e n d ly 13-15 Lexington Drive Bella Vista | 02 8884 2800 | www.bellavistahotel.com.au | Find us on BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

19

BUSINESS ADVICE

Bruce Gleeson, FCA – Principal, Jones Partners Insolvency & Business Recovery

To Credit Repair or Not? Time for Regulation!

A Report commissioned and released by ASIC’s Consumer Advisory Panel (“CAP”) in January 2016 titled “Paying to get out of debt or clear your record: the promise of debt management firms” makes a number of key findings/observations.

Specifically, the Report labels firms that promise to help consumers (or individuals) in financial hardship or with listings of payment defaults on their credit reports as “debt management firms”. Typically these firms promise to help individuals by: • developing and maintaining budgets; • negotiating with creditors or debt collectors; • advising and arranging formal debt agreements under Part IV of the Bankruptcy Act 1966 (known as debt agreements); and • cleaning, fixing or repairing default listings or other issues on credit reports.

Many debt management firms operate as “one-stop” shops offering a combination of many of the above services. The promise of these firms to individuals who are “between a rock and a hard place” is alluring and quite often leads to heightened expectations as to what may be achievable. There is also the risk of individuals that are in significant financial hardship and in need of specialist advice from a qualified professional not actually getting the right advice.

One could potentially say that some debt management firms are to individuals what preinsolvency advisors are to directors of family businesses. That being, both types of service providers operate in an unregulated (i.e. not required to be licensed) space and may also offer advice on asset structuring or enter negotiations with creditors that later turns out to cause more issues than they are trying to solve.

A key finding from the qualitative research undertaken by CAP was that fees and costs were opaque, making it difficult for consumers, often in significant financial hardship, to assess the cost of the services relative to the issue trying to be resolved.

Clearly the growth in debt management firms

20

BiziNet Magazine

is linked to both the increasing use of credit by individuals/households and also the ongoing changes to credit laws. It is difficult to see the use of credit card usage slowing and the way that Generation X & Y (and future generations) will utilise credit is indeed both interesting and scary as the risks are not properly understood.

Importantly the Report indicated that recent research showed that a staggering 31.8% of households in Australia are financially distressed. Yes, almost one-third and all during a time of a relatively benign interest rate environment. One wonders what will happen if interest rates eventually increase (Yes please say those self-funded retirees!).

Leading indicators of financial distress include those individuals/households who: i. are in mortgage stress; ii. are behind with loan payments; iii. have been declined some form of credit; and iv. consistently borrow again to repay an existing loan.

Importantly, the Report highlights via research undertaken by the World Bank that there is growing evidence showing that financial stress can adversely impact an individual’s effective cognitive capacity.

Relevantly the relationship between cognitive issues and financial stress may potentially see the services offered by some debt management firms more attractive to individuals in some form of financial hardship.

As a Registered Liquidator and Registered Bankruptcy Trustee (and therefore subject to Federal Regulation) I have seen first-hand individuals who are for example eligible for a “debt agreement” be given the wrong advice.

Not only were they told a debt agreement was not an act of bankruptcy and that it would not be recorded on the National

#78 Mar-Apr’16

Personal Insolvency Index (both comments are incorrect) but the debt agreement was proposed to go for a period of 5 years. In such circumstance the individual would have been better off considering their position from many angles, for example by entering into voluntary bankruptcy. It was clear that seductive internet based advertising was the carrot backed up by the wrong advice.

The Report perhaps not so surprisingly highlights that internet advertising appeared to represent the largest source of referrals for debt management firms.

I believe that we are at a point where with the continued and increasing use of credit, coupled with businesses being much more savvy about how to use the internet to advertise that debt management firms need to be regulated or subject to some form of licensing. It will not cure every instance but when was the last time you went to the doctor to discuss an important issue without being sure that they were appropriately qualified?

As an Insolvency Practitioner it is plainly evident that the individual in financial difficulty is under enormous pressure mentally and physically. It is critical for them and their creditors that they seek out and obtain the right advice on how to deal with their financial position so that all parties can move forward. G Jones Partners Insolvency & Business Recovery p | 02 9894 9966 e | bgleeson@jonespartners.net.au b | www.brucegleeson.com.au www.jonespartners.net.au

GETT

CONTROL

Has your business outgrown its systems capability?

Are you meeting your customer’s needs?

Do you have access to real-time information?

Are operational inefficiencies adding up?

Are you ready for Cloud, any device, any-where?

OF YOUR BUSINESS GET TECHNOLOGIES THAT WILL DRIVE GROWTH, REDUCE COST AND INCREASE MOBILITY.

At GET TECHNOLOGIES, we are highly experienced in business management solutions for small to medium business.

We work with you to find the best solution for your business, whether that be enhancing your existing systems or implementing a new integrated solution.

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE: · Business Management Solutions: - Customer Relations Management (CRM) - Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) - Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) - Business Intelligence (BI) - KPI and Custom Reporting · Business Process and System Design · Systems Integration and Development · E-Commerce and EDI Integration · IT Consulting and IT Strategy · Project Management

Call us Today on 1300 00 GETT (4388) to arrange a free consult and find the solution that’s right for you. www.gettechnologies.com.au | info@gettechnologies.com.au Solution Provider

BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

21

BUSINESS ADVICE

Bekir Kilic, Managing Director, PRO IT Pty Limited

Smart Ways to Protect Your New Business When the Market Gets Rough The equity market is going through another period of uncertainty and it is making business leaders in new companies nervous. I have been operating my business since 1999 and have experienced the ups and downs of the economy. It is tough running a small business in the early expansion phase. You need to stick to your vision, be resilient and address the challenges head on.

Here are some of my learnings and advice given to me: 1. Don’t panic The first thing you should do as a leader is vent your fears away from your employees and then ask yourself some questions. Where are our profits coming from? Which customers and what industry segments are buying the most from us and why? How can we invest so those customers and others like them will keep buying or buy more?

If you have honest answers to these questions, you will be in a great position to think about which parts of your company must be protected and which parts you should sever in order to extend its survival.

2. Monitor your cash burn rate It’s worth mentioning that when capital is not heading your way soon, you need to keep a much tighter control of your cash burn rate.

To do that, add up all the cash you have in your company’s bank and short-term money market accounts and divide that amount by how much cash goes out of your accounts each month.

This ratio will give you the number of months’ worth of cash remaining before you have to shut down.

And once you see that number, you will probably need to get working on ways to lower your burn rate.

3. Manage out the people who are not producing your profits Start the process of reducing your burn rate by examining the monthly pay of your employees.

If you know who is producing your profits, the other employees are candidates to be managed out of the company.

Before you do that, consider how you will have to change the way your company works once

22

BiziNet Magazine

those individuals are off the payroll.

If you can make the company run more effectively without those people while lowering its burn rate significantly, then you should manage them out.

One company used the capital freeze to swap less productive sales people for ones who generated more revenues and to expand into a market where demand growth was highest. This is tough with the current labour laws, however with proper performance management rigor swapping out of less effective sales staff is achievable.

4. Tell your banker about your cash collections If your company borrowed from a bank, you ought to update your banker about how things are changing with your company’s cash flow.

The moves you take to lower your monthly burn rate should boost the odds that you will be able to make your principal and interest payments.

And you should give your banker a best-efforts forecast of how your cash flows are likely to evolve over the next year or two in light of your estimates of cash collections from customers and payouts to your employees and suppliers.

By taking the initiative to communicate with your bankers, you can avoid any surprises that might make your banker nervous.

5. Give your customers a reason to pay their bills faster Another thing you ought to do to improve your company’s cash flow is to ask your customers to pay their bills more quickly.

OF course, asking nicely might be unproductive.

In that case, you could consider offering them a discount if they agree to pay their bills in 15 days instead of the customary 30 days.

#78 Mar-Apr’16

Just make sure that the discount is not so big that it costs more than the benefit of collecting your cash more quickly.

6. Ask your suppliers if they’d accept later payment Conversely, you ought to explore whether your suppliers might be willing to extend the time you have to pay your bills.

This could be a harder sell -- but if you have some suppliers that are particularly dependent on your company for their business, you may be able to convince them to extend your payment terms from say 30 to 40 days.

7. Engage your employees Explain the situation to the employees. Tell them that you value their contribution and you need them more than ever. Then ask them if they would be willing to help the company survive by offsetting income with small equity in the company. This is not for everyone but most likely will appeal to your higher paid team members who are the one in most instance you want to keep to grow your business. G

proit.bizinet.com.au

PRO IT Pty Limited p | 1300 727 553 f | 02 872 4 3311 www.proit.com.au

BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

23

BUSINESS ADVICE

Steven Brown, Etienne Lawyers

Unfair Contracts with Small Business: The New Rules after 12 November 2016 From 12 November 2016, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission Act 2001 (Cth) (“ASIC Act”) will mirror the unfair contract term provisions in the Australian Consumer Law (“ACL”).

The new law will protect small business from unfair contracts as consumers are currently under the ACL. What will the new law say?

The amendments that are mirrored in s24 of the ACL can be seen from the amendments to s12BF of the ASIC Act. S 12BF Unfair terms of consumer contracts and small business contracts (1) A term of a consumer contract or small business contract is void if: (a) the term is unfair; and (b) the contract is a standard form contract; and (c) the contract is: (i) a financial product; or (ii) a contract for the supply…. of services that are financial services.

(2) The contract continues to bind the parties if it is capable of operating without the unfair term.

(3) A consumer contract is a contract where at least one of the parties to it is an individual…(and)…what is supplied… is…for personal, domestic or household use or consumption.

(4) A contract is a small business contract if: (a) … at least one party to the contract is a business that employs fewer than 20 persons; and (b) either of the following applies: (i) the…price…does not exceed $300,000; (ii) the contract has a duration of more than 12 months and the…price…does not exceed $1,000,000.

What is a standard form contract?

A contract is an agreement made between two or more parties that is intended to be legally enforceable.

The simple, rule of thumb, is that any contract that is entered into on a “take it or leave it” basis is most likely a standard form contract.

24

BiziNet Magazine

What is ‘unfair’?

In deciding whether a term is ‘unfair’, the court applies a three-limbed test for unfairness. A term of a contract is unfair if it: 1. would cause a significant imbalance in the parties’ rights and obligations arising under the contract; 2. is not reasonably necessary to protect the legitimate interests of the party advantaged by the term; and 3. would cause detriment (financial or otherwise) to a party if it were to be relied on.

All three limbs must be proven, on the balance of probabilities, to exist for a court to decide that a term is unfair.

The effect of an unfair term on the contract A finding by a court that a term is unfair, thus void, means that the term is treated as if it never existed. However the contract will continue to bind the affected parties to the extent that the contract is capable of operating without the unfair term.

On ruling that a term of a contract is ‘unfair’ the court’s powers of redress are wide. Remedies may include: • Disqualification orders • Infringement Notices • Public warning notice • Injunctions • Damages • Any other orders the court thinks appropriate If you are considering drafting or challenging standard form contracts for dealings, consider the following questions: - Variation - does one party have more power in varying the contract terms than the other?

- Indemnities - does one party (e.g. the supplier) bear no risk for breach whilst the other party bears all

#78 Mar-Apr’16

- Termination - is the supplier entitled to terminate the contract without the customer having the same rights?

The amendments are significant and farreaching. They have the potential to expose businesses to significant risk if not managed carefully.

Your Business in the future Work with your legal advisors to: • Review existing standard form contracts and consider possible unfair terms; ask are the terms ‘reasonably necessary’?

• Consider and document why your terms are included; • Ensure there is an appropriate and well communicated procedure for creating and entering into standard form contracts that involve some compliance or legal review; • Ensure staff are trained on the use of standard form contracts and potentially unfair terms.

There are still some inconsistencies within the unfair contract provisions and as a result, the new provisions are likely to become among the most litigated provisions in the ASIC Act. Spend some time with your legal advisors ensuring your business doesn’t end up a victim. G

Etienne Lawyers are experts in drafting, negotiating and litigating price review clauses in contracts. Call us to discuss your price review clauses. Your first consultation is free.

Pick up the phone and speak to one of our experts today.

Etienne Lawyers p | 02 8845 2400 www.etiennelawyers.com

Gain more customers in your business To help your business reach its full potential join Bartercard and get new customers every day‌ who keep coming back.

Billy Moore Rugby League Legend

Download the free eBook 8 ways to attract new customers Scan the QR code or visit: go.bartercard.com.au/bizinet

1300 BARTER (1300 227 837) BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

25

BUSINESS ADVICE

Rebecca Cushway, Organisational Psychologist and Managing Director of Careers Excelled

Let’s Talk Mental Health at Work We are only starting to “touch the sides” when it comes to dealing with mental health issues. One in four of us will suffer with a diagnosable mental health condition over the course of our life and most of us will know or perhaps even live with sufferers. To make a dint in the looming impacts of workplace stress and mental health, leaders need to re-learn their ABCs… and Ds! A is for Awareness Mental Health impacts us physically, emotionally, cognitively (thoughts), behaviourally and motivationally. The key to identifying whether someone may be unwell is to identify changes in these areas, from what is “normal “or “usual“ for that person. Common signs include irritability, flat mood, lethargy, changes in appetite and disrupted sleep, social avoidance or withdrawal and reactivity. It is also important to pay attention to how often signs occur, how severe and how long they persist, and perhaps what might be triggering them.

Anyone at any time can experience distress and poor mental health for a whole range of reasons.

B is for Boundaries When we employ people we want the best person for the job who fits in and can perform under pressure. Legislation protects employees from having to disclose any form of illness, including mental illness. Once we are familiar with the signs of mental illness it becomes easier to identify.

As leaders we might be compelled to try and manage a person with a mental health issue. It is important to maintain boundaries to keep the employee and the leader safe. Here a few key principles that will assist you.

1. Choice – individuals have a choice to talk or not about their condition. They also have a choice to seek help or not seek help. However, there are consequences to all choices. Telling an employee that they must seek help for their psychological issue is unjust and not helpful.

Encouragement is fine.

2. Confidentiality – If someone tells you they have a mental health issue, make it clear to them who you can tell, or who you need to tell. Don’t promise confidentiality if you

26

BiziNet Magazine

can’t keep it. Only break confidentiality when there is imminent danger of a person harming themselves or harming others. Under these circumstances safety comes first. In non-safety critical situations, get permission to share information and explain the impacts of not sharing the information. Ask the person what they want you to tell others and who you can tell.

3. Safety – Employers are responsible for managing the safety of all of their staff. In situations where there is potential or imminent danger of harm to employees, workplaces need to activate their safety plans. These may include, contacting police, Mobile Mental Health Teams, ambulances or EAP providers.

Looking after bystanders who may be impacted is also critical.

Safety also includes ensuring the workplace is free from threats, physical and psychological harm. Having a strategy in place to deal with issues like workplace bullying and harassment and ensuring the culture is respectful is critical.

4. Workplace Expectations – Don’t lower your standards or expectations when dealing with employees with mental health issues. Reducing standards for one person is stigmatising, and sends a message that you don’t believe in them. Lowering standards could also isolate that person from their colleagues and can create resentment.

Team based solutions to time critical tasks are more effective. Re-tasking, offering flexibility and collaborating with the employee to come up with a plan is generally more useful and empowering.

Set your limits up-front when allowing people to work flexibly. Make sure the plan leaves the person with responsibility and accountability.

Give and take is important. Additionally,

#78 Mar-Apr’16

consider what flexible options you might be able to offer (reduced hours, working from home) and ensure you are able to offer these to others as required. Unfortunately sometimes performance management may be required, and should be fair, consistent and no surprise.

C is for Conversations Ignore it and it will go away, is not a helpful mantra when dealing with mental health issues.

It is important that people are acknowledged even if they don’t want to talk. Asking open questions like “Are you ok? I’ve noticed you don’t seem yourself!” And “I’m here to talk if you ever want to!” Checking back in is a simple way to connect and encourage people.

Never use labels or make assumptions. Never give advice or try to solve the person’s problem.

The deal is to get them to a professional that can assist them. Having a simple, open and non-judgemental conversation, will not make the situation worse!

D is for De-Stigmatise We tend to categorise people as “normal” or “not”. Colloquial language can be dividing.

Words like “psycho” or “crazy” or she is a “hypo” increase stigma, and makes it harder for people to ask for help when they need it most.

Consider asking a psychologist or mental health worker to facilitate information sessions for staff. Often sessions like these encourage people to seek help, rather than suffer in silence. G p | 02 9899 9674 www.CareersExcelled.com.au

Your flyers personally delivered to every Office Reception Desk in Norwest Business Park and Macquarie Business Park + Lane Cove West

Norwest Business Park $480 + GST per run ($450 + GST per additional flyer) GWP MEDIAÂŽ info@gwpmagazine.com.au www.flyerdeliveryguys.com.au

Macquarie Business Park + Lane Cove West $480 + GST per run

($450 + GST per additional flyer) Please contact Daniel

1300 889 132 BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

27

BUSINESS ADVICE

Daniel Moisyeyev, B.IT, GWP Media

Digital Credit Card & Identity Theft Just 10 years ago it was impossible to convince anybody to supply their credit card details to any online merchant. Fear of credit card details being stolen, thousands of dollars being withdrawn with no recourse for the thief and general irrational paranoia held e-commerce back for a long time. Today, the situation has completed a complete 180 degree turn and it’s common to see credit card details and sensitive personal information passed around via email and other insecure means.

The good – true e-Commerce Security When you supply your credit card or personal details to a website over a secure connection (e.g. directly to a merchant during payment or via a payment gateway such as Paypal), the chance of your credit card details stolen is virtually zero. Even if your entire transaction content is captured by a bad guy somewhere in the middle between you and the destination, there is nothing that can be done with this information. The standard for encrypted connections used for this purpose (commonly called SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). Secure websites have an address that begins with a https:// prefix in your web browser) uses encryption of very a high grade.

It will take a supercomputer and specialised facilities to brute force the common kind of encryption used to protect credit card details.

The cost in supercomputing power of breaking the code to obtain your credit card details would not quite be covered by the money available on your credit card limit. Since your typical credit card thief will not have access to this kind of technology, it is a mute point. And if somebody is infact using a supercomputer to decrypt your communications, you have much bigger problems coming than credit card theft.

There is a whole science on the subject called cryptography. This is a very advanced field that has been in development for a long time and is well matured.

The bad - Storage The problems with credit card details and personal data being stolen usually arise from their insecure storage after collection. Once the merchant receives the details, they are most likely be stored in a database for future utilisation (unless they are used and immediately discarded – a good practice). This database would need to be encrypted using some sort of

28

BiziNet Magazine

technology to be secure. There should always be an assumption that the database could be stolen at any time if a hacker or a disgruntled employee were to gain access to the server or PC where the details are stored.

It is never a good practice to store raw customer credit card details in a spreadsheet on your computer. It is probably safer to store credit card details in print in this case – at least physical access would be required to commit credit card theft. Small business owners often do not take enough precaution when it comes to IT security and it takes theft and disgruntled customers to force change.

The good – Paypal The point above highlights why a gateway service like Paypal is almost always safer to use on a website, than it is to supply credit card details directly to the merchant. Paypal handles credit card details without passing them on to the merchant, hence avoiding the situation mentioned above. The merchant only receives the final payment.

A large corporation specialising in collection and processing of credit card details is likely to have already developed better and more secure facilities than a standalone web developer is capable of. For this reason, I always recommend Paypal as a collection facility for my web development clients.

The Bad - Credit Card details by Emails It is now a common place to send credit card details directly by email. This is a very dangerous practice – especially if you use a standalone mail application (non web-based). Consider this – your details are saved in your Sent Folder, sent insecurely over the Web, stored on a mail server and stored on the recipients computer somewhere (or email account). If any of these facilities are compromised, your details will be

#78 Mar-Apr’16

stolen.

Sending credit card details in the form of images (such as scanned forms) is also insecure. A more appropriate way to send forms with credit cards filled out would be using a fax. Faxed documents are unlikely to be compromised and are not stored in a digital format in most cases (if a traditional fax machine is at the destination number).

It’s a bit odd that the same people that would be afraid to use a properly secure e-commerce website in the past are sending their credit card details by emails at the present date!

My Own Story I have completed all kind of purchases online for a long time and have experienced credit card theft just once. When my credit card statement contained a debit from a casino in Europe, I knew something was a foot. I traced the theft to a US-based website that I used to make some purchases – that was actually quite a large and reputable business. My only theory is that they did not securely store details after collection. G If your business needs a website with secure credit card transaction facilities, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

GWP Media p | 1300 889 132 e | daniel@gwpmedia.com.au www.gwpmedia.com.au

We Print Overnight* Quantity

A4

A5

DL

Business cards

S/S

D/S

S/S

D/S

S/S

D/S

S/S

D/S

250

$125

$175

$125

$140

$110

$125

$40

$45

500

$180

$235

$165

$175

$150

$165

$45

$50

1,000

$250

$350

$180

$235

$165

$198

$69

$86

2,000

$450

$480

$250

$359

$235

$275

$100

$120

5,000

$749

$912

$490

$558

$375

$470

We also print:

10,000

$1202

$1332

$777

$954

$673

$770

15,000

$1600

$1803

$1099

$1330

$812

$1024

20,000

$2000

$2329

$1244

$1632

$980

$1332

booklets brochures menus notepads

*Small jobs accepted today – Ready Tomorrow! *Flyers are printed on 150gsm premium stock.

BC are printed on 310gsm stock.

All prices are GST exclusive.

Artwork is not included.

u printing@gwpmedia.com.au u www.gwpprinting.com.au

1300 889 132 BiziNet BiziNetMagazine Magazine

#74 #78 July/Aug’15 Mar-Apr’16

33 29

FEATURE

No Greater Chamber Award than Life Membership This month’s Business After Five, proudly hosted by Parramatta City Council in the beautiful open-air courtyard of Riverside Theatres located on the banks of the Parramatta River, was particularly special for two reasons. Receiving a Life Membership at the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce are few and far between.

Parramatta Chamber paid special tribute to two unique individuals for their dedication, contribution and talent to the community.

Alan Overton AM OAM was the first recipient of a Life Membership, recognised for his ongoing support and commitment to the region reflecting on his lengthy achievements in the community.

Alan has had a long and distinguished career in and around Parramatta and also with his contribution to the local community.

Alan worked for James Hardie & Co for 47 years and in this position became involved with the building of Ronald McDonald House Westmead when it was re-located from Camperdown in 1996. He is still a director and is working closely with the team on their current relocation plans.

Over many years Alan has held many positions including: President/Chairman Parramatta (EELS), National Rugby League Club (2000 – May 2009), President/Chairman Parramatta District Rugby League Club (1985 – December 2008), Dept Corrective Services Community Consultative Committee, Silverwater Prison, Director, The Millennium Foundation Westmead Hospital Medical Research, Director Westmead Medical Research Foundation just to name a few.

Alan has been a massive advocate for the community, wearing numerous hats. He has represented various committees and associations across western Sydney, simply too many to mention.

A proud Board member of the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce since 2010, Alan continues to support the community with passion, currently Patron for Parramatta Eels Supporters’ Club, Parramatta PLC Fishing Club, Parramatta PLC Golf Club, Parramatta Wheelchair Rugby League Club, Parramatta Junior Eels & Sports Inc., Parramatta District

30

BiziNet Magazine

(l-r) Michael Mekhitarian, President of Parramatta Chamber, Alan Overton AM OAM and Lord Mayor of Parramatta, Cr Paul Garrard

Cricket Club, Parramatta Memorial Amateur Swimming Club, City of Parramatta Police & Community Youth Club amongst other associations.

Parramatta Chamber of Commerce also highlighted Alan’s impressive length portfolio of Awards and Achievements including the Order of Australia - OAM (Order of Australia Medal) in 1994 and in 2004 Order of Australia - AM (Member of Australia Medal), for service to the community through a range of sports clubs and other organisations, particularly in the Parramatta region.

Parramatta Chamber are honoured to recognise and reward Alan for his service, involvement and work with the Business Community.

Stephanie Dale also received a well-deserved Life Membership from the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce.

Stephanie is a Corporate CEO, Entrepreneur and successful business owner with four successful businesses. Her career began as a graphic designer, progressing into Sales Promotion, including strategy, concept, design, production and project management.

#78 Mar-Apr’16

As General Manager Marketing with Response Systems International, she moved into the financial market, managing advertising accounts for large financial and insurance related organisations in Australia and NZ. Taking the position of General Manager with RL Polk - an international company and one of the largest Direct Marketing production and database marketing companies in Australia, she was the youngest and first female General Manager in this field in Australia.

She has developed, instigated, or managed programs for Toyota, IHG Hotels, Pizza Hut, Vodafone, Streets, AMP, Sun Alliance, Oticon, 3M, Roche and Citibank to name a few.

Following the sale of RL Polk in 1996, she launched DMC Advertising Group, a marketing and advertising company offering affordable creative ideas and production. The business has grown to now include D~M Connection a full service advertising agency, Net Response a mailing house and The Winning Process a sales promotions creation and management service. This was awarded Best New Product Innovation at the Suncorp Western Sydney Business of Excellence Awards in 2010. DMC Advertising Group also won Business of the Year.

We wanted to take this opportunity to inform you of our upcoming events for 2016. We thank you for your continued support. G

Stephanie has also been awarded Entrepreneur of the Year in both 2007 and 2009. In 2008 Stephanie developed a business womens’ mentoring program - Lingerie Logic, wrote the book Lingerie Logic (published in 2010) and is often booked for corporate speaking engagements throughout Australia .

Business After Five The Business After Five is a great networking function for all members and their guests. It is held on the first Tuesday of each Month.

Stephanie holds Board positions on Parramatta Park Trust, is a Past President of Parramatta Chamber of Commerce the 6th largest CBD in Australia and is a member of the Greater West Appeal Committee for the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal. Stephanie has been a long time member of the Parramatta Chamber.

Stephanie was President of the Chamber in 2005/2006 and 2006/2007. She was re-elected as President in 2012/2013 and served on the Board for over 10 years.

The Business Before Nine is a morning event held 4-5 times a year typically seminar or presentation style but can be delivered in a number of ways subject to your product or service and your creativity. eNRGy Networking and Referral Group Have you joined? Four successful business networking referral groups – on each week.

Stephanie’s dynamics reinvigorated the Chamber and lead to a more inclusive relationship and with women and heightened our appeal across a broader spectrum.

(l-r) Lord Mayor of Parramatta, Cr Paul Garrard, Stephanie Dale and Michael Mekhitarian, President of Parramatta Chamber

“Congratulations to both Alan and Stephanie for their inspiring contribution to the community” says Michael Mekhitarian, President of the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce.

Commerce, we were delighted to award these two special people Life Membership in a special presentation in the presence of over 160 guests from the business community.

In light of Alan’s and Stephanie’s service to the Business Community and to Parramatta Chamber in particular over many years, on behalf of the Parramatta Chamber of

On behalf of the Board at the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce, we are excited to welcome 2016 and hope everyone had a great start to the New Year.

We hold an annual State of the City Address with a presentation by the Lord Mayor of Parramatta. We are proud to present this year at the beautiful Oatlands House. This prestigious event will be held on 18 March.

Reserve your interest today. Sponsorship and promotional opportunities available. Contact the Chamber to discuss and Book you tickets today!

For the last 25 years, we have been proud to host the prestigious Western Sydney Awards for Business Excellence (WSABE). This major event will be held on 19 August. Speak to our Chamber office to discuss sponsorship, marketing and promotional opportunities.

BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

31

SOCIETY & LIFE

Angry Anderson, AM

A Fair GO A fair go is one of Australia’s oldest cultural traditions. Traditionally we have been brought up to believe that giving other people ‘the benefit of the doubt’ or ‘a fair go’, was the go!

I was brought up to believe that it was not only fair but moral, Christian, and above all else it was the right thing to do.

I was brought up this way. I believed it then and I believe it now; in fact I live by it.

I honour that principle and I try my best to practise it in all levels of life.

Another great Aussie wisdom is...’ Don’t be a mug or ‘He’s a mug’ or ‘don’t fall for that, he’s making a mug of you ‘ No Aussie likes being called a mug or a bludger for that matter!

Another saying is ‘don’t mistake my kindness for weakness’; just want to put this in here so we don’t forget it later.

I finished last time with you, hopefully, contemplating Inconvenient Truths. There was a healthy amount of feedback about my last article which prompts me to continue from whence I left off or a least rap up so I can move on.

Inconvenient Truths! Hmm... Well one is that Global warming is no longer global warming.

It’s been replaced with climate change, among other things because the ‘Lie’ was not proven.

It did not and does not stand up against factual scrutiny, not in the way it was presented, not as a lie dressed up as a truth.

we are, or are becoming aware of, coming to realise is the truth.

So you can say, therefore, that another inconvenient truth is that ‘they’ lie!

Remember that no matter how many times you tell a lie you cannot or will not ever make it the truth! A lie is always and will always be nothing more than that! A lie.

Another inconvenient truth is that the more Muslims there are in a host country the more problems they can potentially cause.

If recent history is to teach us anything it is that globally, Islam has contributed very little of any good to any host country that has welcomed them as immigrants or asylum seekers. This is an inconvenient truth.

Their constant pursuit of special treatment and consideration, in the name of ‘tolerance’, for their religion is causing far too much aggravation, disruption and ill feeling to the host population, to ever have any chance of them becoming assimilated and wholly welcomed into that very host population.

Assimilation into the host population, if it’s a Christian based country, is essential for the two, diametrically opposed ideologies, ever having any chance of peacefully coexisting.

Another inconvenient truth is that Islam is not the truth that it is being presented as, it is a lie dressed up as a truth... the way it is being presented!

We know that individual Muslims can because they do but what we do know is that the greater the numbers the greater are the problems they cause for their hosts. This is an inconvenient truth.

The truth is, the inconvenient truth is that the perception presented daily, in all manner of our printed press and television media, is a lie dressed up as a truth.

Australia must learn from others’ mistakes. We must control our borders, we must control our immigration, we must control our population, we must control our own destiny.

Their version is far from the true picture that

We must never surrender our sovereignty…

32

BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

Never!

Fewer Muslims mean fewer problems with Islam, an inconvenient truth.

Halal certification is a rort against the Australian people; inconvenient truth.

Growing dependency on welfare handouts is a rort against the Australian people; inconvenient truth.

Failure to even attempt assimilation is a rort against the Australian people; inconvenient truth.

Constant aggravation in the name of religion is a rort against the Australian people; inconvenient truth.

Fostering and encouragement of home grown radicalism and terrorism is a rort against the Australian people, inconvenient truth.

In plain speaking English, our kindness is being treated as our weakness.

In plain speaking English, we are being taken for mugs.

In plain speaking English, we are not getting a fair go! Inconvenient truth!

I agree with the new conservative party, The Australian Liberty Alliance when they say we need to have a ten year moratorium on Islamic immigration to ensure our survival.

Those who will disagree will have to show me where in the world this greatly flawed social experiment of enforced multiculturalism ever previously worked.

Those that will disagree will have to show me how Australia will benefit from the implementation of Sharia law.

Un Australian, anti-Australian abhorrent practises have already been established in Australia by radical members of the Islamic community.

The Australian Liberty Alliance members and their candidates for political office have already been described by our press as radicals or extremists. Well, you can count me amongst their numbers because then so am I. We live in radical and extreme times and if we are to do battle and battle we must, with any chance of winning, we need to be as radical and extreme as our common enemy.

Gird yourselves for battle brethren for the battle is upon us.

I go with my God, go then with yours.

Your friend, Angry

G

For your office And your client’s office All kinds of sizes A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8 Or your custom size Custom designs available Visit our office to discuss your job, paper and requirements 31/7 Hoyle Av., Castle Hill, 2154

angrymarketing.bizinet.com.au

We’ll make your business look tops!

Call us now 1300 889 132 www.gwpprinting.com.au

BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

33

BiziNetwork AUTOMOTIVE Lander Toyota 02 8884 4888 112 Sunnyholt Road Blacktown NSW landertoyota.com.au

HR People Co 0409 044 657 Suite 508, 2-8 Brookhollow Ave Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 peopleco.com.au

BUSINESS SUPPORT All My Admin 02 9894 8682 Suite 305, Macarthur Point Solent Circuit, Bella Vista, NSW 2154 allmyadmin.com.au

INSOLVENCY Jones Partners Insolvency & Business Recovery 02 9894 9966 Suite 301, Level 3, 4 Columbia Ct, Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 jonespartners.net.au INFLATABLES

CHARITY

COMPUTER SOFTWARE

FURNITURE Bowermans Office Furniture 02 9630 9756 591 Church Street North Parramatta NSW 2151 bowermans.com.au GRAPHIC DESIGN

IT GET Technologies Pty Ltd 1300 00 GETT (4388) Level 5, 4 Columbia Court Baulkham Hills NSW gettechnologies.com.au Pro IT Pty Limited 1300 727 553 12-18 Fairfield Street, Fairfield East NSW 2165 proit.com.au IMMIGRATION Teleo Immigration Specialists 02 8080 3840 Suite 214, 25 Solent Circuit Baulham Hills NSW 2153 teleo.com.a

HEALTH Clinic Francaise 1800 193 820 Level 5, 4 Columbia Crt Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 clinicfrancaise.com HR iPlace Recruitment 02 8865 9200 PO Box 7915 Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 iplacerecruitment.com.au

34

manufacturinganddesignsolutions.com.au

PSYCHOLOGY

REAL ESTATE

GWP Media 1300 889 132 F78B 24-32 Lexington Drive Bella Vista NSW 2153 gwpmedia.com.au

Nova Employment 02 8818 7700 Suite 105, The Cutaway RHTC, Rouse Hill NSW BiziNet Magazine novaemployment.com.au

Manufacturing and Design Solutions 02 9614 7068 PO Box 213 Northmead NSW 2152

GWP Media 1300 889 132 F78B 24-32 Lexington Drive Bella Vista NSW 2153 gwpmedia.com.au

DESIGN & FITOUT

TAFE WSI 02 9208 9304 2-10 O’Connell St Kingswood NSW 2747 tafensw.edu.au

MANUFACTURING

PRINTING

Sydney Idroid Developer 0452197801 sididapps.com.au

EDUCATION

Etienne Lawyers 02 8845 2400 Level 57 MLC Centre, 19-29 Martin Place Sydney NSW etiennelawyers.com

Careers Excelled 02 9899 9674 Suite 420, 4 Columbia Court Bella Vista NSW careersexcelled.com.au

Norwest Sunrise Rotary 0418 298 274 PO Box 7039 Baulkham Hills NSW

Apex Executive Interiors 02 9635 9100 Unit 17, 12 Kendall Street Parramatta, Sydney NSW 2150 apexei.com.au

LAW

#78 Mar-Apr’16

Coutts - Castlecorp 02 8883 4000 F126/24-32 Lexington Dr, Bella Vista, NSW 2153 coutts.com.au TRAVEL Pure Travel 02 9407 8400 Suite 202, 10 Century Circuit Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 puretravel.com.au List Your Business in BiziNet Magazine

1300 889 132 info@gwpmedia.com.au www.bizinet.com.au

40 %

F OF

furnishing special J a n 1 st - F e b 2 8 t h

DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION AUSTRALIA WIDE

WE LOAD. WE DESTROY. WE RECYCLE.

PRE-PAID MIN. 2 BINS MAX. 2 WEEKS

1300 629 875 $ 59 PER BIN CALL US

sales@eshred.com.au

INC. GST

WWW.ESHRED.COM.AU

Doonas & Quilts $34.50 (ALL SIZES)

Bedspreads

$34.50

2x Blankets

$34.50

All Curtains $24.95P/M

(EXCLUDES RUBBER BACK)

Prepaid/Conditions Apply

STORE LOCATIONS BEECROFT | 02 9481 8188

CASTLE HILL | 02 9634 2393

HORNSBY | 02 9477 3736

BELLA VISTA | 02 8824 8385

DURAL | 02 9651 2776

MANLY | 02 9977 1212

BAULKHAM HILLS | 02 9639 1553

EPPING | 02 9876 1498

PARRAMATTA | 02 9635 9147

SHOP 17, WONGALA CRESCENT B44, 24-32 LEXINGTON DRIVE SHOP 39 STOCKLAND MALL

SHOP 231, LVL 1 CASTLE TOWERS DURAL MALL

SHOP 56, RAWSON STREET

BiziNet Magazine

WESTFIELD SHOPPING CENTRE SHOP 40, BELGRAVE STREET SHOP 87-89 GEORGE STREET

#78 Mar-Apr’16

35

LAND A BETTER DEAL AT LANDER TOYOTA The Lander Toyota better buying experience starts from the moment you enter our stunning showroom. Our professional consultants will discuss your needs and present all the options available to you from the exceptional Toyota range.

3 Flexible finance options. Expert business managers on site

3 Service centre equipped with the latest Toyota technology

3 Large stocks of cars, SUVs, 4WDs and commercial vehicles

3 Fully trained service technicians 3 Accessory and parts department There’s a lot more on offer at Lander Toyota.

3 Over 100 quality checked used vehicles

WESTERN SYDNEY’S NO.1 DEALER Lander Toyota

112 Sunnyholt Road, Blacktown T 02 8884 4888 landertoyota.com.au

36

BiziNet Magazine

#78 Mar-Apr’16

Toyota Finance Australia Limited ABN 48 002 435 181, AFSL and Australian Credit Licence 392536. Highland Autos Pty Ltd trading as Lander Toyota dealer license MD20304.

YPA6226