About Business May 2015

SUCCESS

INNOVATION

INSPIRATION

BLOKES ABOUT TOWN

AMANDA GORE MOTIVATES AND INSPIRES THE MASSES

ONLINE MARKETING GURU MICHELLE EVANS

BUSINESS SUCCESS WITH JOBS, BRANSON AND ZUCKERBERG

RACQ CAREFLIGHT HELICOPTER SERVICE

PLAYING THE DIGITAL GAME ONLINE MARKETING EXPERT MICHELLE EVANS SHARES THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

TIPS ON TIME MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYING THE RIGHT PEOPLE

INTRODUCING

REAL ESTATE

READ ABOUT CURRENT REAL ESTATE TRENDS AND MUCH MORE

AMANDA GORE The renowned speaker shares the importance of waking up to what really matters

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE COASTʼS LEADING LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE www.profilemag.com.au

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JacK and cHris cHilds

WELCOME to the third edition of About Business where we bring you thought-provoking reads on local movers and shakers as well as invaluable advice from some of the most esteemed professionals in their field.

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ith a pair of oversized yellow heart-shaped glasses on, I waved my fluffy pink wand around, and you know what – I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. Amanda Gore has that effect on people, a room full of grown men and women and we were all as joyous as children.

In the midst of her presentation it all seemed like fun and games, but it was incredible to see and hear about the changes people made immediately in their work and personal lives. Who knew spruiking the art of joy would have such a resounding effect on the Sunshine Coast business community?

This month in About Business, we share Amanda’s story and I hope you find your own inspirational messages to take away from this special feature story.

We also catch up with digital marketing machine Michelle Evans who grew cookbook 4 Ingredients’ Facebook page from 2000 to 523,000 followers and swelled their digital reach across multiple platforms! The knowledge within this pocket rocket is truly astounding and even after just spending five minutes with her, your mind will be completely blown. Don’t miss Michelle’s story inside, not only is it an interesting read on where she came from to where she is today, she has also shared some of her tips and tricks with you all.

Rachael Yurko from Insurance Works and Matt Yurko from the Canape Project again team up to host Blokes About Town. This month they dined in the RACQ CareFlight hangar at Sunshine Coast Airport to talk all things business and aviation – talk about dream conversation for this bunch of blokes!

So sit back and enjoy this issue of About Business, we love sourcing interesting and uplifting stories to share with you and hope you find some tips and tricks to take away and apply to your own business.

For any enquiries or to be involved in the next About Business magazine email chris@chrischilds.com.au

WWW.CHRISCHILDS.COM.AU

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BUSINESS gerry morris

There’s something special about sitting in a room full of people, and seeing the excitement spread across their faces as one of their favourite Australians walks on stage.

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e’ve been lucky here at Think Speakers and Events to welcome such a high calibre of people to our shores to speak about their lives and careers, sharing the highs and lows and offering advice along the way.

Most recently we kicked off our Lunch with a Legend series with NRL great Shane Webcke and judging by the line-up of people eager to meet the man and grab a quick selfie, he was a hit.

We also brought you Aussie icon and stalwart of Australian current affairs, Mr Ray Martin. There was a lot of buzz surrounding this highly anticipated breakfast event, with hundreds of people eager to hear him delve into his remarkable career spanning 50-odd-years.

But it didn’t stop there, voice-over extraordinaire Robyn Moore had the audience in stitches when she joined us for a special event at the Maroochy RSL. Her ability to effortlessly slip into character had everyone in awe and who could help but cast a mind back to their childhood or that of their children when she introduced Blinky Bill!

Not one to rest on our laurels, we’re excited to keep the speakers coming and on 26 June, John Anderson is coming to town. John is the founder of Contiki Tours and started with 25 pounds and a great idea and went on to build one of the world’s best-known touring brands.

Then on 31 July, well-known journalist, presenter and co-host of The Today Show, Lisa Wilkinson is hitting the stage. We can’t wait to hear about her experiences in the field and on the silver screen as well as her rise to becoming one of Australia’s most wellloved personalities. This is an event not to be missed.

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AMANDA GORE Leading motivational speaker Amanda Gore is known for instilling inspiration and joy in everyone she meets, what’s her secret?

BLOKES ABOUT TOWN We catch up with another bunch of local blokes to talk all things business and aviation.

MICHELLE EVANS Online marketing guru Michelle Evans takes a brief pause from her busy schedule to share some of her best tips and tricks for the digital realm.

SUCCESS IN BUSINESS Find out what it took to make Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and Mark Zuckerberg successful and follow in their footsteps.

BRIEFCASE We chat with Tracey Rossow from Henzells Agency and Julianne Watson from Vintage Village Life.

MUCH MORE! Don’t miss columns from leaders in their fields including tips on step-parenting, educational training, time management, recruitment, interviewing, and cultivating business.

For a full list of events and dates go to www.thinkspeakersandevents.com.au Like us on Facebook to stay up-to-date with all these great events.

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FEELING

love THE

WORDS INGRID NELSON PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

Regarded as one of Australia’s leading motivational speakers, the highly entertaining Amanda Gore recently spoke to a packed Sunshine Coast audience about the importance of waking up to what really matters. Ingrid Nelson reports.

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ake up! Wake up! This really matters! Have I got your attention? Amanda Gore certainly had mine during a recent presentation where she captivated a Maroochy RSL audience with her highly entertaining and thoughtprovoking delivery.

Author of five books and several video and audio training programs, Amanda has a bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy, a major in psychology, and expertise in ergonomics, stress management, group dynamics, neurolinguistics, neuroscience, and occupational health – this is a woman who knows what she is talking about.

A communications and performance expert, Amanda is a firm believer that success in business and in life is always about feelings. During her interactive presentation, she demonstrates how people often go through life “unconscious”, and takes audiences on an action-packed, rollercoaster journey of self-discovery to awaken their senses and change their life.

Right from the beginning, Amanda forces the audience to step outside their comfort zone and empowers them to forget about what others think.

Her presentations break down the barriers that separate people by demonstrating how they can re-connect to the energy and emotional layers that really drive them.

“Did you know that people are unconscious 95 per cent of the time?,” Amanda asks the audience. “We are unconscious of how we operate and why. Only five per cent of the time are we truly present and in this moment and that is essential to us having an amazing life.”

Amanda cleverly demonstrates her point by asking the audience to turn to the person next to them and introduce themselves to who will now be their official “joy buddy”. She then instructs them to grab each 4 | ABOUTBUSINESS

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amanda gore

“When we start to take OWNERSHIP of our feelings, only then can we stop blaming others and being RESPONSIBLE for our own HAPPINESS.” other by the shoulders and tell each other to wake up, wake up, this really matters! It’s the first of many wake up calls for the audiences during the hour-and-a-half that follows.

Amanda also uses many self-made acronyms throughout her presentation, which help get her message across and stay with you long after she has finished speaking.

From Foofers to Farcers to Fowots, Amanda has an acronym for just about everything! You need to see her in action to fully understand!

But perhaps the most poignant focus of her message is the importance of getting in touch with our feelings.

Amanda believes success in business is always about feelings – the way we feel about something or someone determines how we behave – and whether we do business with them or not. Our perceptions determine our feelings, which directly affect our behaviour. Until we change our perceptions, we won’t change our behaviour.

“Every single thing in life is about feelings, everything. How you feel about yourself is the single most important thing in your life,” she says. “When we start to take ownership of our feelings, only then can we stop blaming others and being responsible for our own happiness.”

Amanda also shares the importance of letting go of what she describes as the real F word – fear.

“We need to completely eradicate fear. Most of the time fear is what is holding us back and controlling our life.”

The importance of recognition and acknowledgement is another topic that underpins Amanda’s ethos.

“Recognition is the single most important thing to everyone,” says Amanda. “When we are little we have what I call lots of ta-da moments … when little kids do ta-das adults applause them so they do them all the time! When we reach about eight years of age, it becomes uncool to do ta-das but we are still doing them on the inside! The single most important thing we can do is see people’s ta-das and create a ta-da culture!”

A highlight of Amanda’s presentation, which had the audience in raptures was her introduction of the First World Problem Kit. “It’s basically a plastic zip bag with a straw to suck it up, a picture of a bridge so they can get over it and a cup with a lid so they can shut the full cup! When someone complains about a first world problem, you simply give them the kit and say take your pick!”

Passionate about spreading joy and being an “energy igniter” rather than an “energy sucker”, another clever tool Amanda uses in her presentation to demonstrate how important it is to be grateful in life is her gratitude glasses… I have given each of my three children a pair!

“Get yourself a pair of these,” she says pointing to the huge, yellow love-heart-shaped glasses. “When you are having a bad day, remind yourself to put your gratitude glasses on and be grateful for everything you have and look at all the good you have in your life. I promise you if you do this, 2015 will be the best year of your life.”

Amen sister! Cheers to that!

“Only five per cent of the time are we truly PRESENT and in this moment and that is ESSENTIAL to us having an AMAZING life.”

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micHael yip

andrew caton

BUSINESS

gerry morris

don moffat

simon KincHington

blokes about town It’s not every day you are invited to lunch at an aircraft hangar, let alone get to chat with some of the important people behind the RACQ CareFlight Helicopter Service to learn about the incredible work they do. I recently had the honour and came away both humbled and in awe.

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WORDS INGRID NELSON PHOTOS WADE FUGE SPONSORED BY RACHAEL YURKO INSURANCE WORKS CATERING THE CANAPE PROJECT

eing part of a media outlet, every other day I receive a notification from the RACQ CareFlight Helicopter Service detailing yet another retrieval and rescue mission.

It never fails to amaze me just how often these heroes are needed and how many lives they save.

The iconic blue and yellow choppers fly through our skies daily, helping hundreds of sick and injured patients and regularly attend serious accidents where early medical intervention can mean the difference between life and death. Each crew is made up of a pilot, critical care doctor, aircrewman and paramedic who remain on standby 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

Boasting a rich history, CareFlight operates six helicopters out of Bundaberg, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Toowoomba bases.

On average they conduct 10 missions every single week from their Sunshine Coast base alone.

I recently broke bread with some of the team behind the RACQ CareFlight Sunshine Coast base to discover a little more about the history of the service as well as a behind the scenes look at the lifesaving work they do.

Co-hosting lunch was the lovely Rachael Yurko of Insurance Works. Joining us was Life Member and Deputy Chairman of RACQ CareFlight Don Moffat, CareFlight pilot Andrew Caton, Michael Yip, previous aviation engineer with CareFlight and now director of maintenance with Becker Helicopters, Simon Kinchington, manager

of the capital works and planning team at the Sunshine Coast Airport, and last but not least Gerry Morris of Think Speakers and Events.

We enjoyed a delicious spread created by local chef extraordinaire Matt Yurko of the Canapé Project, who spoiled us with an Americanflight-inspired feast to compliment the aviation theme. profile: Andrew, tell us about your role as a pilot with RACQ CareFlight? andrew: I’ve been with RACQ CareFlight for six years. Prior to that I was a pilot in the Army for 13 years. It’s a great way to earn a living.

It’s challenging and you get to meet some great people and of course help so many people. It’s amazing to see professionals at the top of their game come together for a common goal. Each crew member has their own bit to do to make it all work together and the roles often overlap. When I come to work, I never know what the day has in store. I could be flying to Brisbane to pick up a paediatric or neonatal team to take them to an emergency. We also get involved in quite a few hospital transfers from Hervey Bay and Bundaberg to the Royal Brisbane Hospital if they need a higher level of care. profile: What time frame to do you have from when you get the callout to when you are in the air? andrew: We can do it in six to seven minutes but that would be a fairly simplistic local job. From there it gets more complicated and there is often more planning involved. If we are going off shore I need

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to reconfigure the aircraft. We generally try to be out in 15 minutes during the day and 30 minutes at night. At night it can get a bit tricky, because if you have a crew that is sleeping and the bell goes, they need time to be fully awake and aware, otherwise you forget things and mistakes happen. If it is not immediately life threatening, we like to do proper flight planning and go safely. profile: Don, tell us about your long history with RACQ CareFlight? don: The interesting part of my life starts when I joined the Army and became a helicopter pilot. After I fought in the Vietnam War, I was selected to go to England to do my instructor’s course.

Following that, I was teaching at Amberley Air Base before it moved to Oakey, which signalled time for me to leave. It was one of the motivators to get out of the Army. I was thinking about getting into the airlines as Ansett and Qantas were recruiting at the

of fabulous people. The flying that Andrew does is incredible. The moment the phone rings he is responsible for the entire crew, fuel, weather changes, configuration changes etc. They are coming to work to do a very serious job. You will hear of very few jobs they have to knock back due to the aircraft not being capable. profile: Simon, tell us a little about your role at the airport? simon: I am part of a small team that delivers capital works, design and construction at the airport here at Marcoola and at Caloundra.

A big task we are working on at the moment is an environmental impact statement for a new runway. Approval was given for the runway in 2010 and although it’s still not finished we are at the stage where we are working through the process. There have been some advances of late on the project funding front which is great news. Hopefully we should be operational by 2020. The

“It’s CHALLENGING and you get to meet some great people and of course HELP so many people.” – Andrew Caton time but after realising what a great living my father-in-law was making in the drapery business of all things, I took the plunge and opened Moffat’s Drapery in Nambour in 1972. It was a great success and I ended up with five branches and 21 girls on staff.

It gave me sufficient money to get into property development and I’m still doing that today. It wasn’t until years later when I was 50 that I renewed my helicopter license and starting mucking around with them again. Eighteen years ago Jim Campbell, who was the chief pilot here at the time and flew with me in the Army, asked me if I could come out and share this operation and the rest is history. I am loving it and in the last two years we have had the amalgamation with CareFlight, it’s been terrific and we are very proud of that. We have a contract with the government which assures these guys of jobs and the public of great service and we have been able to order two new helicopters which are twice the size and can do twice the stuff. They are a whopping $17 million each. It’s an incredible industry full

current runway is quite short at just 1800 metres long so we have a dispensation from CASA to fly large aircraft from it. Typically they are 2000 metres long for large jets, it is also quite narrow. The new one will be 2450 metres long so it will do away with all that. At the moment we can’t make Perth or Darwin direct. A lot of our planes fly out of here with space in their bellies because we can’t get them off the short runways at full weight. It will mean the 787, the new large twin-aisle wide body jet, will be able to fly from here to the Gulf states and well into the USA on a full tank of fuel. Our target market is into China and India where there is huge potential. It’s going to be fantastic for the Sunshine Coast economy. profile: Michael, you have quite a history with CareFlight too. Can you tell us about your role as an aviation engineer? michael: My father was a mechanic and I grew up watching him. I was always trying to fix things, whether it was old mowers, watches, cars, you name it. I started off in

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Sydney and learned how to work on aeroplanes and then moved to helicopters. I have travelled around Australia working on helicopters and I also make flight controls for simulators. I also do another specialised role ... balancing helicopter rotors and travel Australia selling the equipment and teaching engineers how to use it. I was very lucky to be an engineer at CareFlight for a number of years which was an incredible experience. These guys are amazing. Then the opportunity came up with Becker Helicopters where I am now employed as chief of maintenance. We have a great team. I am always after a challenge and tend to do things in seven-year cycles. I have seen a lot of changes in technology over the years and I am always learning.

I love what I do.

Rachael Yurko answers your insurance questions. profile: There are so many types of insurance – do I need them all? rachael: In short – probably. But the level will vary considerably depending on what stage of your life you are in. If you have no dependents and no debt, you may not need life insurance. If you don’t work (or don’t need to rely on your income!) then you won’t need Income Protection. As for Trauma and Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) cover – I think everyone needs to have this cover. profile: Is there a standard level of Trauma cover that I should have? rachael: No, there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ approach to insurance.

However, there are some easy questions you can ask yourself to get an idea of ‘your’ best level. Play out the scenario of making a claim in your head. If you were diagnosed with cancer – would you want the best treatment, no matter what the cost? Would you want your home paid off so that you didn’t need to worry about you or your partner working to make the repayments? Ideally, enough Trauma cover to eliminate your mortgage, with a lump sum left over for medical bills is a great start. profile: What about Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) cover?

Once again, Matt Yurko of the Canapé Project wowed us with his three-course American-flight-inspired creation. In keeping with the aviation theme of our luncheon, Matt presented three delicious courses, each of which was a taste sensation. Matt never fails to surprise and delight with his gastronomic flair, using the freshest local ingredients to create an incredible blend of flavours. Starting with a delicious tasting plate, followed by succulent American-style pork ribs and finishing with a decadent ice cream sandwich – Matt hit the jackpot yet again.

rachael: I’d always choose life over death, but to put it bluntly, total and permanent disablement is financially more devastating to a family than death. There is the ongoing cost of living, with no income to support it, and there are likely to be other expensive medical costs as well. Think about how your home is structured currently – could you access all areas with a wheelchair if need be?

Do you have an Income Policy in place to replace the lost income?

The younger you are, the more cover you need – retirement’s a long way away when you’re 25!

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profile: I’ve held my policy for years without making a claim – is it really worth it?

American style pork ribs with barbecue sauce

rachael: It’s surprising how often I have had someone call me, to say they didn’t see the value in their cover as they had never made a claim. That’s good news! There will always be people who hold cover for many, many years, and never make a claim. If you are one of those people, just breathe deep and thank your lucky stars.

Lots of people aren’t so blessed.

Cajun prawns, sour cream and chives Southern chicken wings, coriander and jalapeño Jumbo local prawns with thousand island dressing Crab cake with lime mayonnaise Duck fat potato, speck and melted cheddar MAIN

Buttered corn, green beans and almonds Fat chips and cobb salad DESSERT

Ice cream sandwich TO BOOK YOUR NEXT EVENT, CALL THE CANAPÉ PROJECT 0432 503 282 WWW.THECANAPEPROJECT.NET.AU

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DIGITAL GAME WORDS ANNA RAWLINGS PHOTOS CHESTERTON SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY

It’s not often you get to sit down with someone who shared a technology conference stage in New York with the likes of Google and Facebook. Global digital media and business development manager of recipe book fame 4 Ingredients, Michelle Evans is that person.

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playing the

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ichelle Evans is an innovator in online marketing, cleverly utilising the realm of the internet to translate 4 Ingredients’ business development strategy into a worldwide phenomenon, that’s seen an initial print run of 2000 copies multiply to over eight million worldwide.

The self-confessed ‘high-functioning introvert’ spent her formative years in Brisbane, nurturing an early dream of becoming a professional golfer, before her interest in a diverse range of opportunities saw her pursue a career in banking at the age of 17.

Michelle spent 23 years in banking and finance, working her way through the ‘fast-track role’ ranks from ground level to managing teams, up to the position of national sales manager. She spent a combined total of 20 years with two of the ‘big four’; 10 years with ANZ and another 10 with Suncorp (then-Metway Bank), and brief stints with AMP and Future Financial, before landing at Bankwest.

In 2005, Michelle and her young family, husband Kevin and their two children had moved to Pelican Waters, after buying in the area in 1996, from Melbourne where they had lived for 10 years. Three years later, Michelle grew disillusioned with the shift in banking away from a customer focus and, feeling cynical from the neverending cycle of mergers and transfers, began to reconsider her career options.

Enter Kim McCosker, creator of 4 Ingredients, a cookbook range featuring quick recipes made with four or fewer ingredients.

“Bless Kim she was really clever! We knew each other from the school run, she wanted me to work with her in some capacity. I started off part time with the view to hopefully play golf some days and work for Kim the others, but the job quickly evolved into much more,” says Michelle.

“I knew what I was good at, which was business development – at the time social media wasn’t really there, but there was growth potential.”

At that point, 4 Ingredients had just over 2000 ‘likers’ on Facebook and Michelle quickly identified that without properly utilising this medium, the company was at risk of losing the initial buzz of interest on their page unless the message was nurtured.

“I was the only one who had a Facebook account and the only reason was because I have a lot of family overseas so it was to just share photos of the kids,” Michelle laughs.

“It only took me two weeks to work out that digital media is marketing, PR, customer service and sales at scale.

“It transcends boundaries and can connect you with a customer no matter where they live.

“It was definitely a light-bulb moment … I became obsessive with that space. I saw how a lot of people weren’t taking advantage of it and when you’re an early adopter in any space – if you do it well you can print money basically!”

In December 2010 Michelle took over the very ‘un-nurtured’ business Facebook page and created the Youtube account for 4 Ingredients.

She also attended a course on the Sunshine Coast featuring the ‘web celeb’, Kylie Bartlett and began to read The Thankyou Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk.

Of the 100 people who attended the course that day in 2010, Michelle believes only a handful understood the importance of what Kylie was talking about – at that point Facebook was still a relative unknown.

“I remember Kylie said, ‘there has never been a time in history when we’ve all had a microphone and a television camera at our control. And it was free!” Michelle exudes.

“Within a year I was noted as being the best in my field and being asked to go to New York to the world’s biggest digital conference, AdTech,” she smiles.

“There are tens of thousands of people that attend over three days and I was there on stage with Google, Facebook and Amazon and Sony.”

Michelle was invited back to the next conference the following year in San Francisco, then the following year in New York.

“I was there to tell them how to turn Facebook ‘likes into loves’, we had people online, mums as brand ambassadors, who couldn’t wait for the next post and were talking to us like a family.”

By 2013 Michelle had grown 4 Ingredients’ Facebook page from 2000 to 80,000, and in that same year, she took it to 500,000 and terms like ‘migration’ and ‘cross-platform-pollination’ peppered her business strategy talks.

Today, “we’ve got 523,000 followers, all earnt – people make the mistake of saying organic which sounds like it’s happened naturally, there’s no such thing,” Michelle affirms.

“You need to groom your audience to bloom. Repetition is reputation, you need to be consistent.”

4 Ingredients’ online platforms have now grown to include Instagram, Twitter, a Youtube channel, Pinterest and eBay. At the time of our interview, the 4 Ingredients app was sitting at number two on the iTunes app store in the Food and Drink category.

By tracking the website statistics and online analytics, Michelle reveals that Facebook, with over 12 million daily active Australian users, and Youtube with over 11 million, are key contributors to the business’s online success.

“Facebook is now the overwhelming conversion to online sales for us, bar none.”

Michelle starts her day in her home office around 5am, taking on all of the ‘hard-grind’ tasks first thing, before moving her workspace up to her balcony for the reactive afternoon schedule.

It’s strategies like these which form part of her recipe for success; the biggest ingredient is hard work.

“The biggest tip I could give someone – if you are going to do something, be bloody enthusiastic. Enthusiasm is what you need for effort, and effort is what you need for success.

“It is easier to be enthusiastic when you are part of a team.

When you’re just doing things for yourself a lot of self-doubt can creep in because all the behaviours that come from being so egotistical doesn’t work.

“What drives me is I cannot wait to do well. It is essentially just a small business owned by Kim and run by four of us and what drives me is to always serve our team well and be the best.”

Golf may now be just a social tool for Michelle, who has also taken on the role of director of business for the Australian Golf Performance Centre, but that competitive drive has given her the ability to tee off into the online stratosphere.

“I’ve spoken all around the world now and I’m now a mentor at the Innovation Centre, I’ve been acknowledged as one of the best in my field. What that makes me do is keep researching, keep studying to make sure I am good at what I do,” she says.

“Talent is only one of 10 boxes you have to tick. If you know you’ve worked harder than everyone else, you’ve pretty much won before you step onto the golf course or into the boardroom.”

“It only took me two weeks to work out that digital media is marketing, PR, customer service and sales AT SCALE.”

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BUSINESS Be your authentic self at all times.

Build a voice and culture that puts the ‘personal’ in your personal brand. The most successful business brands today are those with a strong, identifiable personality.

Plan 4 success.

Make sure you have a plan that fits into your overarching business and marketing plan.

Finally, DO!

Most people find it easy to dream big, but to be successful you must also work big. Put in the time and effort, practice patience and measure everything that you do.

Use data and results to adjust your plan where needed.

FOR SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY

Content versus context.

Learn how to put the right content on the right platform. What you post and how you post on Facebook is very different to Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Learn the difference and carve up your content accordingly. I always look to migrate the customer to our website from all channels.

Groom to bloom!

Nurture your audience by listening, genuinely listening to what THEY want. Answer questions and look for opportunities to shine and showcase your knowledge, service or product.

I often find the best way to create content online is to look at our most frequently asked questions. Create a post/vlog or blog based on questions asked either via your social channel, email or even in person. It’s the best way to start a conversation online!

PROFILE

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Some parents – having survived death, divorce or separation – find a new loving relationship and remarry or form a blended de facto family.

The problem is that blended families or step-families generally don’t “blend” quickly.

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f the parents first lay a foundation and apply some common sense, then the blended family has a greater chance of success. From what I have seen over the past 40 years working and dealing with blended families, these things can make or break a blended family: Go slowly. Try living in two separate households before you blend the family.

Regardless of whether the marriage or relationship ended by divorce, separation or the passing of one of the parents, give the children on both sides time to grieve.

If your blended family is not working, don’t be afraid to seek some professional help and support from a counsellor or psychologist. You can obtain a referral from your family doctor.

Aim low and avoid disappointment. You may have an expectation that your family will be like the Brady Bunch. However, the reality is that your new partner’s kids may not like you. Your partner may not like your kids. The love and affection that you hope for may not come for a while.

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Let the children set the pace in becoming close to a new parent. Shy children may need a chance to warm up to a new parent.

If you are consistent, patient, interested and caring, most children will give you a chance.

Try to walk a mile in the other person’s shoes. These kids you are wanting to parent may not want you. They may still be tied to their old family and resent you. hang in there. Treat each other with respect, take it easy and be realistic. Within two years, you may have a successful blended family. make rules. You and your partner must have common rules and clear boundaries for your new family.

Discipline. The children must be disciplined by a natural parent, and not a step-parent. The natural parent must be the enforcer. choose your battles wisely. Don’t sweat the small stuff. have fun. Make sure you make time to have some fun in the new family.

Date nights. Nurture the relationship with your new partner and keep it special.

Have some date nights with your partner.

If your blended family is not working, don’t be afraid to seek some professional help and support from a counsellor or psychologist. You can obtain a referral from your family doctor.

Like all great things in life, blended families need some effort and the rewards are endless.

EDUCATION:

MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE or risk losing your money

BY PAUL WILSON, GENERAL MANAGER TAFE QUEENSLAND EAST COAST

Skills are an investment in your future, and like any investment, it is important to do some thorough research of the options before you spend any money on training.

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efore you make a decision, check how long the provider has been offering the course, what experience their teachers have, who they work with in the industry, where your industry placement is, and what jobs their students get on graduation – and of course all qualifications should be nationally registered. to help prospective students conduct their research, tAFe Queensland, the state’s largest and most experienced training provider of quality education, and part of our network, has created a checklist. Visit tafeqld.edu.au Be wary of studying with an unreliable provider guaranteeing to get you job ready in six weeks. The reality is you could be out of pocket, learn nothing and have very limited job prospects.

There are a lot of providers out there offering the earth, but employers demand quality and ridiculously short training courses won’t get you the job you want.

With over 400 quality courses available between Mooloolaba and Bundaberg, make the right choice and enrol with TAFE Queensland East Coast. Call us on 1300 656 188 or visit tafeeastcoast.edu.au. not to blow our own trumpet, but we are pretty good at what we do: ✓ 87 per cent of our students go on to work or further study* ✓ 96 per cent of Queenslanders** recognise TAFE, many who may be your future boss ✓ We offer programs from more than 50 locations across the state as well as online or in the workplace ✓ TAFE Queensland is investing $17 million into online learning ✓ We are all about getting hands on experience, using the same equipment, materials and systems used in industry.

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS Use this checklist when you search the web, contact training providers or talk to current students and employers. Keep this close when you contact colleges, read reviews, and talk to current students and employers. It’ll help you make the right decision.

• Does the provider have the industry knowledge to give you the right skills?

• How long has the provider been offering the course?

• Who are the teachers and what experience do they have?

• Are they offering nationally recognised training programs? will the program help you get the job you want?

• Do students find work after the course?

• Is the provider recognised by employers as providing quality education and training? will you actually learn how to do the job?

• Will you get to experience real life work situations either on campus or part of a work placement?

• Will you get to use the same equipment, tools, materials and systems used on the job? will you be supported during your training?

• Does the provider offer additional services such as access to learning, career or personal support?

• How does the provider support students to successfully complete their training?

Do you know the real cost of your study?

• Does the provider offer governmentsubsidised training?

• If you are eligible for a governmentsubsidised place, how much will the government contribute to tuition fees, and how much of the tuition fee will you need to pay?

• Have you been given a breakdown of the costs for your program?

• Are there any extra costs you might need to pay such as equipment fees or uniforms?

Are there pathways to further study?

• What links does the provider have with universities?

• Would a university give you credit for your study?

*NCVER 2014 Student Outcomes **TAFE Queensland Campaign Evaluation research prepared by MCR

13 | ABOUTBUSINESS

BUSINESS

SUCCESS IN BUSINESS What does it take?

A little research into the business secrets of some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs shows some striking similarities. So what are they? Here is what Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and Mark Zuckerberg believe were the key ingredients to help them build their businesses.

A

COMPILED BY CRAIG LEVITT

ustralia has one of the highest percentages of business ownership in the world with over 230,000 micro businesses and over 500,000 small businesses, not to mention medium or large companies. And while many of these may never grow to be the size of a brand like Virgin, it’s worthwhile looking at what made businesses like Virgin, and entrepreneurs like Richard Branson so successful.

Do what you love, follow your dreams Mark Zuckerberg was a programming enthusiast from his childhood, starting at the age of 10. He stuck to that passion, even dropping out of college to pursue his dreams to connect people together. At 12-years-old he used Atari BASIC to create a messenger, which he called “ZuckNet” connecting all computers to each other to transfer messages between the house and his father’s dental office. By age 20,

14 | ABOUTBUSINESS

create great experiences Just think of the experiences created by Apple products. The Macintosh, iPod, iPad and iPhone have changed the world forever.

The Apple stores today are one of the world’s best retailers. They have innovated, changed the rules in staff to customer ratios and created greater emotional connections with their customers. To quote Jobs, “Apple is not in the business of moving boxes, they are in the business of enriching lives”.

Zuckerberg, an avid enthusiast of Jobs, has brought the world together with Facebook.

Think big or as Jobs said “put a dent in the universe” When Steve Jobs started Apple in 1976 his vision was to make a computer available to everyday people. In 1979 after seeing a crude graphical interface at Xerox, he saw the opportunity. That vision led to the Give it everything you’ve got, learn to take Macintosh which changed everything about and manage risk how people would interact with computers.

In 2011, Richard Branson recalled the early Xerox scientists’ focus was on copiers so they days of Virgin Atlantic. “Many would-be never realized its potential. A great example Sir Richard Branson entrepreneurs give up too soon. You have to of how two people may see the same thing overcome early adversity. The inaugural flight but perceive it differently according to their of Virgin Atlantic to the U.S. almost brought vision. Or take Zuckerberg. In the early days, the group down... On my return to London, I was met by our bank Yahoo offered Zuckerberg $900 million for Facebook. His vision manager sitting on the steps of my house. He had come to tell me was bigger than that. Today the social network has passed 1.35 my bank was not able to extend my overdraft… to help finance the billion monthly active users and its value has passed $200 billion. new airline. Instead if we went over our overdraft limit of £3m, the bank would have bounced our cheques…I had to move fast. Over Believe in yourself the weekend I pulled in money from our overseas businesses to shore Self-belief is absolutely critical. You can’t build a business by pushing up the bank account and, as soon as I could, I changed banks. It was a responsibility onto someone else. Having a passionate commitment sobering lesson. It taught me a good entrepreneur looks for solutions, to your personal and business objectives can make all the difference. not excuses. We’ve been doing that ever since.”

Branson put it this way, “if you aren’t proud of what you’re doing, Your vision may not be as big as Branson or Jobs or Zuckerberg. why should anyone else be?”

That doesn’t mean following these steps isn’t relevant to you. No Don’t get suckered into blindly pursuing profits and growth. If you matter what you aspire for your business, maybe, just maybe it might stay focused on being the best at what you do, it’s more likely that be worth taking in these lessons. the rest will follow.

“if you aren’t proud of what you’re doing, why should anyone else be?”

Sources: Carmine Gallo, The Innovation of Steve Jobs; Richard Branson, www.theentrepreneur.com/article/24144; Mark Zuckerberg, www.mytopbusinessideas.com/success-secrets-mark-zuckerberg 15 | ABOUTBUSINESS

BUSINESS

Facebook was born. Branson says, “You will live a much better life if you pursue your dreams. People who work on things they love usually enjoy life more than everyone else simply because they are chasing their dreams”.

BRIEFCASE

WORDS NICOLE FUGE

tracey rossow

Julianne Watson

Henzells Agency Location: Caloundra

Vintage Village Life Location: Buderim

B

orn and raised in Landsborough, Tracey Rossow is a Sunny Coast local through and through and has seen the region grow from strength to strength.

And it’s this intricate knowledge which has put her in good stead for her chosen career in real estate.

Now working as the acting Business Development and Investment Manager with Henzells, Tracey is focused on building and maintaining customer and client relationships and securing new properties for the team to manage.

Through her role, Tracey says she is required to maintain an extensive knowledge of relevant legislation and market conditions, as well as educating landlords on their rights and obligations under relevant legislation.

“Everyone has diff erent wants, diff erent needs from their life and from the investment they are entering into.”

“My favourite part of the job is, every day I get to meet different people from all walks of life,” she says. “You get to know them, their history, their family, and everyone is different. Everyone has different wants, different needs from their life and from the investment they are entering into.

“I feel honoured that someone would entrust me and my team to care for their biggest asset.”

Since joining the real estate industry in August 2011, starting in holiday letting, Tracey has worked in a wide and varied range of roles, each giving her great insight into the industry.

“There is so much room for freedom and to make the job your own, be your own boss so to speak,” she says. “But it is also structured and planned, you need to be very organised. It’s a challenge and I love it, every day is something new and exciting and you’re always learning new information.”

Given her job keeps Tracey so busy, during her time off, she enjoys the best of the Coast in keeping fit and healthy.

“I love swimming at Currimundi Lake, climbing mountains (most recently conquered Mount Tibrogargan) and bush walking. I have two beautiful dogs who demand a lot of my time and attention as well so they help me to keep active on a daily basis.

J

ulianne Watson has been interested in interiors since she was a child, having nice surroundings in her home and garden has always been important to her. “When I lived in France 10 years ago, it really cemented my interest – there is so much history there” she says. “I also lived in London for about four months in my twenties, and I loved visiting all the beautiful antique and designer shops.”

A year ago, Julianne opened her shop Vintage Village Life in Buderim and draws on the lessons taught by her mother who owned a gift and kitchenware shop in Melbourne for many years.

Julianne is also well versed in using decorative furniture paint, Chalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan, having had training on painting techniques, styles and how to get the best effects from the paint. “Annie Sloan created Chalk Paint™ 25 years ago and lives in England,” says Julianne. “She is an amazing, very creative woman, and has sold over two million books worldwide. She is very inspiring, and really has her finger on the pulse!”

“I hate to waste stuff, and if I can make it more beautiful along the way – even better.”

So when Julianne opened her shop, she wanted to share what she had learnt, while still running a viable retail business.

“So many businesses these days don’t make it through the first year, and I believe it is better to start small, then outgrow your first shop, and expand!”

Julianne says opening her own shop was a very big learning curve, especially with so many more factors to consider than “the old days”.

“You have to be internet savvy, know about social media, find product lines that are different as there is so much competition in High Street as well as online boutiques, you have to keep your shop interesting, and also be able to afford to keep investing in your business,” she says.

“On top of all this, you need to find vintage and antique pieces at a reasonable price, you have to do your own accounting, paint furniture and hold painting workshops. I am never bored!”

And at the heart of it, Julianne loves recycling furniture and breathing new life into a treasured vintage piece. “I hate to waste stuff, and if I can make it more beautiful along the way – even better,” she says. “I hate the ‘throwaway’ society that we are today … where we buy furniture and then just take it to the tip when we want a new trend.”

16 | ABOUTBUSINESS

BUSINESS PROFILE

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.” ~ Albert Einstein

FIONA ROBERTS TIME MANAGEMENT

ALL ABOUT awesome

Time management is a crucial part of running a business, family household and your personal life. Whether it’s a few notes scrawled on a piece of paper so you don’t forget important appointments, or something more elaborate and detailed, it pays to be organised. Small business mentor Fiona Roberts shares some of her helpful hints for dealing with time management.

W

hat does time management look like for you? Is it a to-do list (or a ‘ta-da’ list as I like to call it – you know, when you’re done you get to say ‘ta-da!’).

Is it a calendar in the kitchen with everyone’s commitments pencilled in? Is it a phone that syncs with your online calendar and reminds you that you have to be somewhere in 30 minutes? Or do you simply wing it and go with the flow?

Regardless of your personal time management style, it’s worth considering these few things when you are planning your calendar: understand what is important. When you have limited time, you need to be clear on what is really important so you can focus on that alone. If you struggle with this, investigate Eisenhower’s Urgent/Important principle.

Know your intention. What do you want to achieve for the coming day, week or month? Depending on the day, and indeed the time of day, my intention can change substantially. Once you are clear on what you want to achieve, your whole mindset changes, and other things fall away. Which brings me to my next point…

Be present. Remember the quote “Wheresoever you go, go with all of your heart”? I reckon Confucius was on to it. When you are fully in the moment, you are more effective and you are more likely to get it right the first time. And let’s face it, having to do something over because you weren’t paying attention is ridiculously frustrating.

Delegate wherever possible. Are you the only person who can do this ‘thing’? Or can you delegate – to a team member at work, your partner or a family member? Consider how you can free up your time to focus on what you are good at and enjoy.

For me, I’m still learning to find the balance between being super organised so I can fit in everything I want to do, and having time to stop and smell the roses when the mood strikes.

Remember – taking time out is just as important as everything else on your list. Sometimes the best things happen when you’ve not planned it!

Fiona has many hats. She and her husband Scott own IBN Direct: Alternative Funding Solutions, a small business mentor, blogger, celebrant, wife and mother. Visit www.allaboutawesome.com.au

18 | ABOUTBUSINESS

BUSINESS

best person

FOR THE JOB MICHALLE FAULKNER

MANAGING DIRECTOR EASTCOAST HUMAN RESOURCE GROUP

No matter which side of the desk you’re on when it comes to filling a job position, it pays to be well prepared.

M

ichalle Faulkner, Managing Director of EastCoast Human Resource Group gives you some tips to help you recruit staff like a professional, and for those of you who are looking for a job – here is some helpful advice when it comes to the interview. recruit staff like a professional Be clear and specific about the skill level, qualifications, experience and expertise you require for the role you are recruiting for. Also consider your unique work environment.

Make sure you have this documented before you commence your recruitment strategy in a position description or selection criteria so that you have something to measure applicants against to assess a suitable fit.

Design your advertisement to attract the perfect person you are looking for. Applicants want to know about the business so include information on what makes your business special along with your minimum criteria and all relevant qualifications.

Assess the applicants and rate their applications against the selection criteria to shortlist possible interviewees. Assess gaps in their CV, consider if they have addressed the criteria you outlined in your advert.

Structure a professional interview and consider the questions you need to ask before they arrive. You may even need to conduct further second interviews.

Remember – an interview is where you are supposed to see the “best representation” of your future new team member.

19 | ABOUTBUSINESS

TOP TIPS FOR AN INTERVIEWEE Do your research. Re-familiarise yourself with the job criteria and if possible seek information on the company prior to your interview such as who is going to be interviewing you and their position.

Ensure you present for the interview professionally (even for less corporate roles, good presentation at any interview is critical) – first impressions count.

Speak half as much as you listen! Listen carefully to the questions being asked and ensure responses are brief, informative and answer the question asked. You can always add more specific information where needed.

Body language communicates a lot to your prospective new employer. Have good posture, use direct eye contact and be interested.

Give yourself plenty of time. Arrive early, check directions/location well before your interview – you don’t want to arrive hot, flustered or late – remember those first impressions.

BUSINESS

HOW TO CULTIVATE AN

awesome business CHRIS CHILDS

OWNER OF THINK MONEY AND EIGHT OTHER SUNSHINE COAST BUSINESSES.

It is funny that most of us don’t run our business as a business. We do stuff, or make stuff or sell stuff, we don’t RUN a business. In a lot of cases we work reactively rather than proactively. We jump to fix things as they go wrong, instead of putting planning and procedures in place to make things go right.

I

t wasn’t until in my normal business of teaching people to create wealth through property, when I was teaching them to run their investment properties like a business, that I realised to most business people that meant throwing out any semblance of order, having no plan and stumbling around in the dark reacting to what the world threw at them.

The most important lesson I learnt was if I wanted to run and expand a business, and stay sane, I needed to get and stay organised.

I work on the CANII system – constant and never ending improvement and innovation. Upside, my businesses stay relevant and ahead of change, downside, you never really finish!

And to stay organised I apply this thinking constantly to five key areas of business – I call them my ‘High 5’. Get these right and the end result should be that you have much more money, and much more time to enjoy it. In other words, you may get your life back.

Chris’s HIGH

friction and unhappy clients. It is the ability to say no, and recognise when a client won’t fit the business model that will elevate your business and bring a level of service that enables you to have exceptionally happy clients. This leads to more client referrals and positive feedback into the community, and in turn generates more business and attracts more of the ‘perfect’ client.

THE RIGHT TOOLS, MARKETING AND PLANNING: While every one of the five points is important, this point is certainly dear to my heart. Getting your marketing right, testing and measuring the results, keeping your database clean, working ON the business on a weekly basis as well as working in the business are all vital parts of running a successful business. This is so important and vital for business success.

THE RIGHT ETHOS:

�

THE RIGHT PEOPLE: When you set yourself up with the right people, the business runs itself.

Sometimes the most difficult thing to see is that you have surrounded yourself with the wrong people. The flow-on effect of hiring the wrong people is that work becomes just that – hard work. With the right people, the passion for business just flows and it can’t help but attract the perfect clients, and must be profitable. People are drawn to businesses that are internally happy and professional.

THE RIGHT CLIENTS: As soon as a business realises it can’t be all things to all people, that it has to have a model of a perfect client and only that client, the sooner it will be successful. It comes down to financial stability. When you ‘need’ to accept all clients that come to your door, you will always have

You need to be the right ‘boss’ to attract the right people. You need to have the right ethos to attract the right clients. A business owner who has the right intentions, who puts people and clients first, and has an ethos of giving more than taking, will create such a positive environment that the business can’t help but grow and prosper.

THE RIGHT MINDSET: Mindset is a choice. You can be as happy or depressed or as excited as you decide to be. It really helps if you decide to have a happy, positive and motivational attitude. Staff are more inclined to bring problems, mistakes and issues to you if you have a positive can do/can fix attitude, rather than if they think they are going to get a negative or volatile reaction. Mindset also includes a positive look to the future, goal setting, team spirit and leadership.

Get these right and your business can ‘High Five’ itself to success.

20 | ABOUTBUSINESS

REAL ESTATE

22

Auction Vs Private sale …

What’s best for you?

29 31

welcome home

Grant Smith shares the secrets to prepare your home for sale

home improvements

Tanya Mungomery gives you the top tips to increase the value of your home Home is not a place it’s a feeling. henzells agency caloundra www.henzells.com.au

21 | ABOUTBUSINESS

REAL ESTATE

WORDS BY

JASON JAEGER General Manager HENZELLS AGENCY

JJAEGER@HENZELLS.COM.AU

AUCTION vs PRIVATE TREATY

what’s best for you?

Auction and Private Treaty are the two most popular methods of selling a home but what are the benefits of each and which tactic is best for you? Let’s take a close look at both to help you decide.

S

elling by private treaty still rates as the most common method of selling a home. Put simply, it is a formal sales process with no specified closing date where the buyer and seller negotiate with the assistance of a qualified agent.

Most commonly, the steps involved in a private sale treaty include advertising your property across various platforms to expose it to as many potential buyers as possible; negotiating the sale with a buyer in close consultation with your trusted local agent and finally signing a written contract to formalise the sale.

A private sale treaty remains a popular option for a number of reasons. For example some buyers are nervous about bidding at auction and prefer the sale treaty process.

Vendors (sellers) can benefit from having more time to consider offers made by potential buyers and it can also lead to a faster negotiation process by helping buyers make offers which address a desired selling price.

Closely behind private treaty in the popularity stakes is selling by auction, which is a public sale organised for a specific date, time and place.

Under the auction process, prospective buyers are invited to bid for your home with the highest bidder entering into a contract to buy the property at the offered price.

Most commonly, the steps involved in selling by auction include advertising your property across various platforms to expose it to as many potential buyers as possible and working with your local licensed real estate agent to establish a minimum “reserve” price that will be accepted.

Agents can assist sellers in setting a reserve price by providing a comparative market analysis (CMA) which provides information on like properties which have recently sold in the same area.

On auction day, the auctioneer will explain the agreed conditions of sale to registered bidders which might include the required deposit, inspection details or other relevant matters.

Once bidding is underway there are several important rules to remember. In Queensland you are permitted to bid on your own property – this is called a vendor bid – up until the reserve has been reached.

The auctioneer must disclose if a bid is a vendor bid, and any vendor bids or other false bids by family, friends or planted individuals made after the reserve has been reached are deemed illegal.

Once bidding passes the reserve price, the seller must accept the highest bid and then formalise the sale by signing a written contract.

Auction remains a popular sale method due to a number of advantages such as generating competition for the property and creating a sense of urgency. With no maximum price, there is also the opportunity to achieve a figure beyond your expectations, while the minimum reserve price provides protection.

Other methods of selling a home include by expressions of interest and by tender, all of which have certain advantages as well, depending on circumstances.

The first step is to talk to your trusted local agent who can help tailor the right approach to suit your individual needs.

22 | ABOUTBUSINESS

In the beginning figuring out the forms Knowing which rental forms to use and when can be overwhelming, so we’ve listed the most commonly referred to forms and what they are for when it comes to your tenancy.

Application Form The Application Form is used to determine whether or not the tenant can abide by their obligations as set out in the General Tenancy Agreement – Form 18A and is given to the potential tenant when they view the property. It should be 100 percent complete before being accepted and all references provided should be contacted, preferably in writing, before the landlord makes a decision.

and lodged with the bond money to the Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) no later than 10 days after the bond has been received. The Form 2 can be lodged in person, by post or online at the RTA website – www.rta.qld.gov.au. The bond money is then held in trust by the RTA until the end of the tenancy.

Entry Condition Report – Form 1A The Entry Condition Report documents the condition of the property and any inclusions at the beginning of the tenancy. It is used in comparison with the Exit Condition Report – Form 14A at the end of the tenancy to determine the bond refund when the tenant vacates.

The Entry Condition Report must be completed with absolute attention to detail, from the colour of the wall paint to the size and location of stains on the carpet. Photographs and video material may be used to support the documentation. The report must be completed and signed by the landlord and given to the tenant on the day the lease begins.

The tenant then has three days to return the signed report to the landlord, and a copy must be given to the tenant within 14 days. n

The better you take care of your investment now, the better it will take care of you in the future

General Tenancy Agreement – Form 18A The General Tenancy Agreement, referred to as the Lease, sets out 44 standard terms of legislation from the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act, 2008 that the tenant and landlord must abide by for the duration of the tenancy. It is recommended that any additional terms (referred to within the lease as ‘Special Terms’) be written by a solicitor instead of the landlord to ensure they are legally binding. The tenant must see a completed copy of the lease that they are to sign, including all special terms, before they are asked to pay any bond or rent. Once the tenant has signed the lease the landlord has 14 days to give them a signed copy.

Bond Lodgement Form – Form 2 The Bond Lodgement Form must be completed, signed by all parties

Tracey Rossow Investment Manager

49 Bulcock St, Caloundra 0448 616 055 trossow@henzells.com.au

REAL ESTATE

HOUSING CONSUMER CONFIDENCE A very high correlation exists between house prices and consumer sentiment, according to Credit Suisse senior adviser Robert Parker. He says if house prices increase at twice the rate of inflation, it has a very positive impact on consumer confidence. “If, however, you have a housing bubble like they had in 2013 in Singapore and arguably still have in Hong Kong, as they did earlier in 2014 in London, that actually has a negative impact on consumer sentiment, because everyone is assuming the bubble is about to burst,” he says. “I don't see that happening here in Australia.”

REAL FACTS Whether you’re looking to enter the real estate market or are already a seasoned home-buyer, it pays to know the trends and predictions within this often-fickle industry. Profile keeps you in the know for all things real estate.

11.5% INVESTORS OUTPACE HOME BUYERS Bank lending to investors for housing grew twice as fast as lending to owneroccupiers in 2014, but home buyers still dominate the residential property market, according to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. While loans to owner-occupiers rose 5 per cent to $851 billion, lending to investors to buy residential property increased 11.5 per cent to $454 billion.

Those numbers came out just weeks after APRA warned lenders to pull back on lending on investment property.

On 9 December the regulator called for a 10 per cent cap on growth in investment property lending, saying that “portfolio growth materially above a threshold of 10 per cent will be an important risk indicator for APRA supervisors in considering the need for further action”.

The percentage that lending to investors to buy residential property increased by in 2014.

BORROWERS SEEK BETTER DEALS WITH REFINANCING The number of mortgage customers refinancing their loans has risen to the highest levels in over two years. Figures by mortgage brokers Australian Finance Group show refinancing of all home loans rose to one-in-three in December.

Their data found refinancing climbed to its highest levels since March 2012, increasing from 33.5 per cent to 37.3 per cent. At the same time, demand for fixed rates loans petered off, dropping from 17.1 per cent to 14.5 per cent.

AFG general manager of sales and operations Mark Hewitt says it is common for borrowers to refinance over the summer period.

APRA DOESN'T DETER INVESTORS Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows an increase in investment lending for December 2014 despite Australian Prudential Regulation Authority warning the banks about risky lending practices. Commitments on investment loans increased six per cent, while owner-occupier loans, which had been flat for the past 12 months, increased 3.6 per cent from the previous month. Year-on-year, new loans for owner occupiers increased five per cent while investment loans rose 18.8 per cent. In December, owner-occupiers owed $12.3 billion on new loans and investors owed $12.6 billion, the latter reaching a record high. The number of owner-occupier new loans was an all-time low 40.1 per cent of housing finance commitments compared to a near record high 41 per cent of commitments for investors. The balance of 18.9 per cent relates to refinanced loans.

24 | ABOUTBUSINESS

• Brand new two bedroom apartments • Air-conditioning and window treatments • European appliances and quality fixtures • Allocated secure car parking • Exclusive roof top facilities

34

BoutiquE Apartments

BRISBANE CBD

GO BETWEEN BRIDGE

QUT

KURILPA BRIDGE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

SUNCORP STADIUM

SOUTHBANK PARKLANDS

QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY

DAVIES PARK

MATER HOSPITAL

WEST END STATE SCHOOL

ALDI MONTAGUE RD

EvErything within EAsy rEAch

Enjoy An EnviABlE wEst End locAtion invEst or livE

Set in a small cul-de-sac street elevated above the Brisbane River Walk, ‘Boston West End’ accentuates the backdrop of one of Brisbane’s most lively and popular residential areas. With all West End has to offer on the door-step, ‘Boston West End’ is likely to be home for busy professionals, small families or even pre-retirees.

‘Boston West End’ has the ultimate blend of amenity and practicality, from large spanning balconies to lavish rooftop entertaining, convenient dedicated car parking to a variety of adaptive functional floor plans.

A rare boutique offering of just 34 apartments in this location equals serious appeal! Attracting sophisticated home-owners and savvy investors alike. Appeal is also a big part of the recipe for capital growth and ‘Boston West End’ is sure to provide great growth over time.

For your Free inFormation pack CALL 07 5451 1080 www.thinkinvestmentrealty.com.au

The West End property market has risen strongly in the past year. The median house price has risen 19% and average ‘time on market’ is under 30 days.

Houses are now expensive, with a median price above $900,000, but apartments are more affordable around $500,000.

West End is one of inner Brisbane’s most notable lifestyle suburbs. It sits in a “peninsula” created by the path of the Brisbane River, just outside the Brisbane CBD. It shares the peninsula with South Brisbane, which contains the city’s cultural precinct, including the Performing Arts Complex, the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art and the Queensland Museum.

West End has benefited from a program of urban renewal designed to replace older industrial uses with modern residential and lifestyle developments in near-city riverside suburbs.

This has brought considerable change to the area and today around 60% of dwellings are apartments and townhouses.

In the past year, there were three times as many unit sales as house sales.

Be entertained…

Wander the bars, cafés, restaurants or even South Bank. The planned Kurilpa Waterfront renewal precinct will also provide endless options in the coming years.

Be minutes from your job…

Large employment hubs and the CBD are all minutes away via the City Glider and City Cat Ferry network.

Be educated…

An abundance of tertiary / university facilities, schools and early childhood centers all close by.

Be inspired…

Walk or cycle the river at sunrise, take in the sunset while entertaining, relax by the pool or enjoy sundowners and a BBQ with friends.

West End has a good supply of café and restaurants. The suburb also has considerable ethnic diversity, with 43% of residents born outside Australia. This is reflected in the shops and restaurants in West End, which adds to the suburb’s lifestyle appeal.

The suburb is popular with young adults, helped by its proximity to the cultural precinct and to universities, which can be accessed by river ferry. Around 45% of the population is aged 20 to 39, much higher than the Brisbane City average of 32% in this age group.

Accordingly, there is a high component of rental properties.

More than half of households in this postcode rent, well above the Brisbane City average of 34%.

The West End market has had two peaks in recent years – one in 2007/2008 when price roses 20%-plus and another in 2014, when the median price rose 19%. In between, there was a decline in values following the 2011 floods. The longterm growth rate is 6% (average annual growth over the past 10 years).

West End has a median apartment price of $505,000. The long-term growth rate is 7.4% per year, following a 3.5% rise in the December Quarter. The median rental yield is 5%.

Apartments take longer to sell than houses with an average time on the market of 89 days, according to Domain.

Discounting is low (around 5% on average), which is better than Brisbane City averages.

Investors need to keep an eye on vacancies in inner-city apartment markets. Over the past five years, vacancy rates in postcode 4101 have fluctuated between 2% and 4%, and are currently 3.5%, according to SQM Research.

For your Free inFormation pack CALL 07 5451 1080 www.thinkinvestmentrealty.com.au

why wEst End? • A riverfront suburb located within 2 kilometers of the Brisbane CBD • Population growth in the West End catchment has outperformed past projections and is forecast to increase significantly • Investment in infrastructure has acted as a substantial catalyst • Growth in employment opportunities is driving demand for local accommodation the west End catchment has had a significant infrastructure boost over the last decade, benefiting from substantial public and private infrastructure investment in the region.

• $4.1 billion currently built or under construction • $1.2 billion planned for the near future west End is within walking distance of the Brisbane cBd, queensland’s largest employment hub. And even closer to home, south Brisbane has evolved into a major white collar employment node.

• Over 115,000 new jobs within 6km by 2031 west End is located less than 2km from queensland’s two largest universities, with demand for local dwellings influenced by this large student population.

• Totaling over 100,000 students within close proximity of West End

two BEdroom ApArtmEnts $

$ 569,000 to 609,000

home

WORDS NICOLE FUGE

grant smitH

profile: What difference does it make to pay attention to the details? grant: One thing I have always had a reputation for is attention to detail, it is the little things that count and quite often I say to clients, buyers may not notice the attention to detail, but they will quickly point out when something isn’t right. By having a good relationship with your estate agent, you should be able to work together in each room to ensure the staging is right for both photos and inspections.

I ensure furniture lines up with tile or floorboard lines, cushions are fluffed, bedspreads are straight, hospital corners on beds and that there is nothing out of place.

W

alking through an open home, you want to be able to visualise yourself living there, building a family and creating memories. But sometimes that’s hard to do when it’s cluttered with someone else’s stuff.

Grant Smith, principal of Century 21 Grant Smith Property, prides himself on properly preparing a home for sale and catches up with Profile to give a few insider’s tips and to answer some of the questions we all want to know like – should we really have a tray of cookies baking in the oven? profile: What are your top tips for preparing your home for an open home/inspection? grant: Despite what people say, furnishings and stylings can be the make or break for a buyer to fall in love with your home and pay you that little bit more.

Keep the home sparkling clean and fresh, pressure clean any external surfaces, re-mulch gardens and keep lawns and hedges trimmed.

Remove clutter and personal belongings, less is more, buyers want to visualise themselves living in the space, not feel as though they are encroaching on yours.

There are a lot of design magazines and styling television shows at the moment, so get an idea of simple design tips that are on-trend, your agent should be able to assist with this also, such items can be styles and colours of cushions, rugs and throws, which are all items at minimal expense that can change the feel of a room and add value to your home.

Create a relaxed lifestyle, candles burning, fresh vibrant flowers and a bottle of wine with a table setting are all very inviting to a prospective buyer.

profile: What cosmetic changes can you make to the outside of your home and garden? grant: Make sure there is clear access and visibility of the front door to invite buyers. Trimming gardens, pressure cleaning surfaces and touching up any paintwork will create an inviting presence for potential buyers considering your home. profile: What is the first thing people look at when going to an open home/inspection? grant: Most buyers will consider spatial awareness and light. This considers the importance of decluttering and creating as much natural light as possible. If there are dark corners in a room, consider an upright lamp or table lamp rather than putting on ceiling lights as buyers are less likely to turn them off when checking for light. profile: What is your stance on sellers having personalised items around their home? grant: I always suggest personal items are removed, for a few reasons, buyers want to picture themselves in the home and also for privacy, the Coast is a small place and you don’t want buyers walking through your home seeing if they know you, then ask why you are selling. profile: What can people do to make their home smell nice? grant: I suggest that fresh flowers and fresh air are always inviting, or air-conditioning in our hot months. A scented candle can create a great scent, there are a number of candle distributors and choosing the right scent for a style of home can be made quite easy.

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REAL ESTATE

WELCOME

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REAL ESTATE

HOME

improvements WORDS NICOLE FUGE

Whether you’re preparing to sell your home and looking for cost-effective ways to make a good impression on a prospective buyer, or wanting to increase the value of your home for future re-sell, Tanya Mungomery from McGrath Estate Agents shares her top tips. tanya mungomery

What are some cost-effective ways people can spruce up their home to sell? maintenance: the rule of thumb is – if something needs repairing, fix it. cleaning: every area of the property must sparkle and shine! Each hour spent will be worth the effort. Make it easy for the buyer to want your home. set the scene: this part of preparing your home for sale can be the most fun and involves the use of colour, lighting and accessories to emphasise the best features of your home. exterior: first impressions count. Don’t let your property’s exterior turn a buyer off before the interior has a chance to turn them on. Check your property’s exterior carefully for any necessary maintenance required.

Kitchen: a visually appealing and functional kitchen is high on almost every buyer’s priority list and therefore warrants extra careful attention.

Building and pest inspection: engaging a building and pest inspector to detect any problems your home may have prior to sale is important as these problems can be fixed before they turn into expensive problems later eg- water leaks.

A visually appealing and functional kitchen is high on almost every buyer’s priority list and therefore warrants EXTRA CAREFUL attention.

How can people increase the value of their home?

Paint: painting is one of the most costeffective improvements that will add value to your home. When selecting paint colours keep in mind that neutrals appeal to the greatest number of people, therefore making it more desirable. interior designer: invite a stylist or interior designer to your home.

They will give you styling tips that will not cost the earth such as paint colour or furniture placement that will go a long way toward improving the look and feel of the home.

How important is it to stay on top of the maintenance of your home?

Extremely. Small problems can easily become big, expensive problems quickly and the longer you put off maintenance the more expensive the repairs become.

How often should people have their homes re-evaluated and what are the benefits?

Yearly. There are many benefits including: prior to taking the home to market you can make sure the value is accurate; making sure you do not over capitalise before renovations; refinancing; taking the equity out of a property to invest in other investments; insurance purposes; and buying out a partner.

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