Business News - May 2013

GEELONG | BALLARAT | WERRIBEE FOR BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS

ISSUE 218 MAY 2013

Why flagging LGBTI in the workplace is good for business

Sleepy?

If you often find yourself dozing off in the middle of routine daytime activities like reading, watching TV or even in the middle of a meeting, you might have Sleep Apnoea - a sleep disorder that stops the air from travelling freely to and from your lungs.

If left untreated, it can increase the long term consequences and management of Heart problems, Type 2 Diabetes and Pain.

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Please call Community Care Chemist on (03) 5246 5850, or drop by our Geelong store at 18 Malop Street for more details on Sleep Apnoea testing. www.communitycarechemist.com.au

ISSUE 218 MAY 2013

VIEW ONLINE AT: www.biznewsmag.com.au

FEATURES 12. The 3 Bs of Generation B 26. Training & Recruitment 31. Small Business Smart Business

CONTENTS 4. Editor 5. Biz News 10. New Appointments 20. VECCI update 21. Comment 22. Small Biz 23. Burning Pants 27. Recruitment 30. Tax 32. Rotary 33. Legal 35. Australian Masters Games 37. May Day 38. Tech Guy

16. LGBTI policy good for business

40. Arts 42. Community 46. After Hours 50. What’s On

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EDITOR

Why getting back to black is now grey WHEN the nation heads to the polls in September 14, there is a high likelihood that it will give Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey exactly what they want. But as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.

Five months out from the election and sitting snugly in a winning position, Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey are now having to face some sobering political reality that whatever you shoot your mouth off about now, you had better be able to deliver on come September 15.

And that is why, despite savage verbal attacks on the Gillard Government for backing away from delivering the long-promised budget surplus, the PM and Treasurer in waiting are now echoing the cautionary words of Gillard, Swan and co. when it comes to getting to the budget back in the black – although not exactly echoing each other.

In his recent visit (or barely disguised campaign stop) to the nation’s most marginal seat, Corangamite in Geelong, the Opposition Leader backed up his proclamation that ‘all bets are off’ when it comes to delivering a surplus, saying,

“We will deliver a surplus, surpluses are in our DNA… we will deliver surpluses, but we can’t say exactly when until we know exactly what the starting point is.” The message was that in ‘good time’ before the next election, the Coalition would spell out its plan for a return to surplus.

Good old Uncle Joe, meanwhile, has been busily rejecting austerity as a means to a surplus end.

The other salient point that can’t be made often enough in the surplus debate is that chasing a surplus for a surplus’ sake would be idiotic at best and economically disastrous at worst. Australia is in good shape – we all know this – Wayne Swan has done a fine job of formulating policy around tough domestic and global financial conditions, he really has, but it is the resources boom that has saved the nation’s fiscal bacon. In much the same way, Peter Costello has been hailed as an extraordinary treasurer, mostly for his consistent delivery of budget surpluses, when he was really a fine treasurer made to look extraordinary by a period of strong domestic and global economic growth. Would Peter Costello have single-

mindedly structured his budgets to deliver a surplus even if the net impact on the economy would be risking recession? Of course not, which is precisely why Gillard and Swan did an about turn on the promise of a surplus, and it is also why Abbott and Hockey are backing away from their assurances of delivering a surplus faster than Pauline Hanson faced with a strident refugee advocate.

Watch this space as the likely next government brings their policies closer and closer in line with what is in place under the current government.

This will happen not because left and right politics are moving closer and closer to the centre, but because the job of governments of all persuasions is to govern in the best interests of Australia and Australians, and the job of politicians is not to do anything stupid enough to get themselves booted out of office.

That really leaves surprisingly limited amount of space for ideological differences, despite all the rhetoric to suggest otherwise.

Davina Montgomery

ISSUE 218 MAY 2013 BUSINESS NEWS, an Adcell Group publication, is mailed to more than 6000 businesses across Geelong, Ballarat and Werribee.

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BIZ NEWS

Raising the Bar: IP reforms implemented

New focus on seniors cybersafety

Changes to Australia’s intellectual property laws introduced last year – the most comprehensive reform of Australia’s IP system in more than 20 years - came into full effect on April 15. The Raising the Bar Act promises less complexity and more streatmlined administration of the new rules and reduction in delays in disputes over the granting of patents and trademarks.

A parliamentary commentary has recommended that new cybersafety reporting and awareness portal be developed to help combat cybercrime.

Director General of IP Australia, Philip Noonan, said that Intellectual property rights are the currency of our knowledge economy.

reforms. Brand owners will benefit with increased penalties for counterfeiting and stronger powers for customs to seize fake goods.

“Australia’s IP system is essential for improving productivity and is a cornerstone for a strong and sustainable economy.

These reforms strengthen our IP system and promote innovation and productivity growth.”

The Raising the Bar Act brings less complexity and a more streamlined administration, with new rules introduced to reduce delays in disputes over the granting of patents and trademarks in Australia.

A higher patent standard is fundamental to the reforms and encourages genuine innovation. Exporters stand to benefit, as this higher standard is in line with Australia’s major trading partners, and should give them greater confidence that their invention could be protected in overseas markets.

Increased penalties for trademark infringements is another element of the

Mr Noonan said exemptions for research activities came into force immediately when the Act was passed last year, allowing researchers to experiment and improve existing inventions without having to worry about infringing an existing patent.

For more information about the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Raising the Bar) Act visit ipaustralia.gov.au.

THE new portal is one of 13 recommendations made in the report Cybersafety for Seniors: A Worthwhile Journey, released by the Joint Select Committee on CyberSafety as part of its inquiry into keeping seniors safe online.

Committee Chair, Senator Catryna Bilyk, said many seniors have a legitimate fear of cybercrime and need to build up their confidence before going online.

“The internet has become an essential tool for participation in many aspects of modern life and Australians, including many seniors, are online for business and pleasure,” Senator Bilyk said.

“Unfortunately, however, there are also many seniors who are not taking part in the digital revolution. The reasons for non-participation are various, but fear of becoming a victim of cybercrime is a real deterrent,” she said.

The Australian Human Rights Commission told the inquiry it was concerned that some

tech-challenged seniors were becoming increasingly isolated by staying offline.

“The speed of the information technology revolution has meant that many older Australians have found themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide,” the commission stated.

“Seniors without access to email, which is increasingly becoming a necessary tool for participation in society, are at risk of reduced participation in critical aspects of modern living.”

The report also recommends that the government work with states and territories to support use of public libraries and other community centres as venues for cybersafety training for seniors.

The committee used an online survey to give seniors the opportunity to tell the inquiry about their internet use and their concerns, if any, about cybersafety. The survey received 536 responses, which helped inform the committee’s report.

BUSINESS NEWS | 5

BIZ NEWS

G21 seeks community vision on transport A series of workshop-style forums and a website are part of a comprehensive community consultation process planned to help develop a new public transport strategy for the G21 region.

G21 – Geelong Region Alliance CEO Elaine Carbines said community input was essential to ensure the plan was both visionary and tailored to the specific needs of the region.

“Work for the recently completed G21 Regional Growth Plan showed that the region’s population could grow to 500,000 by 2050. The G21 Public Transport Strategy will help guide governments and the private sector plan to meet our future transport needs,” Ms Carbines said.

“We all know that there are gaps in our current public transport systems. Here we have a unique chance to have a say in how transport might look in the future to help avoid pitfalls.

“The plan is not so much about the nitty-gritty issues of where the local bus stop might be located. It’s more about what modes of public transport will best serve our needs and where should they be situated.

“Our region is a unique mix of urban, peri urban and rural communities. So there won’t be a one-size-fits-all solution to public transport.

Our challenge is to identify what we as a community expect and what solutions are available, affordable and practical for all parts of the region.

“The resulting plan will be the basis on which G21 and its member councils can talk with governments to advocate for the best possible public transport options,” Ms Carbines said.

Five forums will be held across the region during May, to be followed by a regional summit at the end of the month to pull together feedback from the forums.

Registration for the forums is essential as places are limited.

For information on the G21 Public Transport Plan and registrations visit website: www.G21Transport.com.au

Are you with us?

Tell ‘Em What you Think!

Small business owners have a once in a lifetime opportunity to tell regulators how to better do their jobs, and hopefully contribute to changing the way regulators interact with their business.

THE Council of Small Business of Australia (COSBOA), with the support of the Productivity Commission, has opened an online questionnaire that allows small businesses to let their opinion be heard about how regulators impact or enhance their business, to be fed into a Productivity Commission review.

“Normally small business complaints about the way regulators treat them is about as useful as yelling at the TV news,” COSBOA executive director Peter Strong said.

“But this questionnaire will inform an official Government review of the issue, which means we can guarantee our voices will be heard.”

The type of regulation a small business might face includes: The Fair Work Ombudsman, Fair Work Australia, Local Government health and safety inspectors, liquor licensing, development approval agencies, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Australian

Taxation Office, transport regulators and specific industry regulators.

“Having been a small business owner myself, I understand how significant a few changes to the rules would be to my business and my life. I am relieved to have the opportunity to let the government know what I think, and help others do the same,” Mr Strong said.

95% of the businesses are small to medium businesses in Australia, that’s a large part of the economy.

“It is too easy for regulators to dismiss complaints from individual small businesses as ‘whinging’,” Mr Strong said.

“But I hear the most amazing stories from our members – such as the small business person who received a threatened letter from the Tax Office for a 35 cent bill!

The survey is open to anyone and will be anonymous. The 5-10 minute survey can be accessed at http://survey. cosboa.org.au

Morris Finance are offering a *2013 Geelong Cats 11 Home Game Membership for every new finance facility settled before June 30th, 2013. You will also go in the draw to win a Geelong Cats Guernsey signed by Morris Finance Sports Ambassador Billie Smedts.

When calling Morris Finance Ltd please quote code reference MFLGC2013 to make you eligible for the 2013 Geelong Cats 11 Home Game Membership TM

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GET ON BOARD NOW - CALL (03) 5223 3453 6 | BUSINESS NEWS

BIZ NEWS

New social model for solar uptake Green Cross Australia, part of the Green Cross International organisation founded by Mikhail Gorbechav in 1993. The sustainability advocacy and action organisation has launched a new social venture, every rooftop, aimed at making it easier and cheaper for Australians to make the switch to solar.

THE every rooftop project offers solar leasing, potentially allowing more Australian households and businesses to go solar without the large upfront costs. Everyrooftop.org.au introduces a social network to educate and empower community take-up of solar using new finance models that are rapidly growing overseas.

it so easy for Australians to go solar, allowing more people to become aware of just how important solar energy is to our mix. It will also give the power to the people, creating a network of families and friends so we

can share experiences and map participation across the country.

“For people who think they missed the boat on going solar – this program offers a great new way to hedge your bets on the cost of future energy price increases.”

With the reduction in government incentives and the rise in energy prices, every rooftop provides a financial model that allows households and small businesses to go solar with little or no upfront cost – hedging the cost of future energy bill increases while supporting the environment.

By signing up through every rooftop, people will also be supporting Green Cross Australia’s ongoing work, with the not-for-profit organisation receiving a donation from each installation.

To deliver the solar leasing, Green Cross Australia has partnered with Ingenero – the company behind some of Australia’s most iconic solar installations, including Australia’s largest solar photovoltaic installation at The University of Queensland, St Lucia. Ingenero was the first in Australia to introduce commercial solar power purchase agreements.

Green Cross Australia CEO, Mara Bún, said the project was developed with a bold vision: to shift Australia’s energy mix.

“This is an innovation for Australia and we’re really excited about what this will mean for the future of our energy use. In California, 75 per cent of new solar installations are through a leasing model, and we can’t wait to make that a reality here in Australia,” Ms Bún said. “every rooftop will make

Market Square Geelong 5229 0334

BUSINESS NEWS | 7

BIZ NEWS

Hospitality sector on the rise

businesses reported positive outlook than negative outlook for the next 12 months – resulting in a net positive outlook score of +28%.

Australian businesses in the Accommodation, Cafe and Restaurant sectors have recorded better performance than Australian businesses on average over the past 12 months, according to the March 2013 Roy Morgan Business Survey.

“Despite the high Australian dollar, it appears that the Accommodation, Cafes and Restaurants part of the Tourism sector have performed reasonably well over the last 12 months, and expect an even better year ahead,” Nigel Smith, Director of Business Research, Roy Morgan Research said.

Looking forward to the next 12 months, Cafes and Restaurants expect to improve well above the business average.

Over the last 12 months, takeaway businesses reported a far worse performance compared to Australian businesses overall (-33.2% net result compared to -20.8%), and are less likely

to expect improvement in the next 12 months (11.4% net positive outlook compared to 28.0%).

Overall, more Australian businesses reported negative performance than positive performance in the last 12 months resulting in a net negative performance score of -20.8%. However, in terms of outlook more Australian

China’s middle income trap Professor Kamel Mellahi of Warwick Business School has warned that China has to boost innovation if it is to stop the slowdown in its economy and prevent it falling into the ‘middle income trap’.

The Professor of Strategic Management, an expert on emerging markets, believes China is at a crossroads as it looks to stoke domestic consumption to keep its economy on an upward curve.

But Professor Mellahi says for that to happen and for China to reverse a decline in its growth, which saw it slip to 7.7 per cent in the first quarter it has to encourage more innovation.

“China must escape the ‘middle income trap’,” said Professor Mellahi. “Countries that have tried to make the transition from a low income to a high income economy often got caught in the ‘middle income’ trap. Very few countries managed to escape the trap.

This is because it is much easier to move up from a low income to a middleincome economy than it is to make the leap from a middle

8 | BUSINESS NEWS

income to a truly high income developed nation.

“If one looks at why western developed economies and some East Asian countries like South Korea and Singapore evaded the middle income trap and became high income economies, one finds, among other things, two key drivers powering their economy into this position.

“One is the level of education, particularly focused on engineering, and the second is innovation capabilities.

Although China’s education looks solid and there is also evidence that China has made great progress in developing its innovation capability they need to enhance them further.”

Professor Mellahi believes another problem China has to overcome to drive domestic spending power is to improve its social welfare.

China’s savings rate is at 52 per cent, compared to just

the more tourist and travel oriented divisions of this industry. If households, particularly families, have been cutting back on nonessential expenditure, fish and chips shops or home delivered pizzas are likely to among the businesses that suffer.

“The exception appears to be Takeaway food services – this may reflect their greater dependence on discretionary household income and consumption compared to

“It is worth noting that the Roy Morgan Business Confidence Survey for the March quarter 2013, which compares all industry sectors, shows that the Accommodation and Food Services segment has a level of confidence of 124.4 marginally above the total business average of 123.0 and well ahead of a number of other key industries.”

10 per cent in the US and Professor Mellahi believes a better welfare programme would solve this trend to save instead of spend.

propensity to spend, if they get money they are going to spend more, especially if they feel there is a social net for them.

“In my mind the big difference between China and western countries is the social safety net,” said Professor Mellahi, who is co-editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Management Reviews.

“People are more willing to spend when they feel secure about pensions, education and healthcare.

“The core middle class is going to increase in the future and have more disposable income.

“In the short term Chinese people will want to see tangible evidence that the safety net is there before they start spending.

“It is going to be two different segments driving the Chinese economy forward. The biggest segment is going to be the mass segment, those in the lower income bracket.

“Their income is set to increase and they are expected to spend a big chunk of their money on white goods, and by so doing they will drive the lower end of the economy.

“There are many Chinese living in the rural area. It is estimated they represent £500bn of untapped opportunity. We also know from research that this segment has a high marginal

“They are likely to increase their consumption of high-end quality goods. This trend will drive the upper end of the Chinese economy as China moves up the value chain.

“As China goes up the value chain, it needs to sustain the lower end of the economy and the rural areas will absorb that.

“All these different segments need to be stimulated differently.”

Professor Mellahi believes China needs to act quickly to boost its domestic consumption to insulate itself from jolts in the global economy.

“By relying on exports, China is susceptible to external shocks that could have a negative impact on its development,” said Professor Mellahi. “In contrast local consumer-led growth is controlled more by the Government and provides a more sustainable and manageable growth.”

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NEW APPOINTMENTS CIVIL CONSTRUCTION Pat Moulton has recently been appointed as CEO of Aus Pits. Previously the Business Operations Manager, Pat has had the benefit of seeing the company grow from a small manufacturer to the successful business it is today and looks forward to continuing this success into the future.

RECRUITMENT

BIZ DEVELOPMENT Ciaran Keegan joins the Australian Business Development Centre as the Victorian Manager of the Federally-funded Apprentice to Business program, taking recently graduated tradies and supporting them to develop their businesses.

Ciaran is the former Manager of the Western District NEIS.

RECRUITMENT

Sj Personnel co-founder, Sarah Thomas, is an experienced recruitment practitioner who has worked with international recruitment organisations in Melbourne and Geelong. Sarah has a passion for people and this is reflected in her pride in matching the right candidates to our valued clients.

INSURANCE

Adam Charleston has more than 30 years management and executive experience in family, multinational and government agencies. A chartered accountant by profession, Adam brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in manufacturing, finance, marketing, retail and insurance to clients of Sj Personnel.

REAL ESTATE

Allsure Insurance is thrilled to welcome Robyn Jackson to the team. Robyn brings a wealth of insurance having worked with local brokers then the last decade as a commercial underwriter for Australia’s oldest insurance company. Her vast expertise is in property and commercial insurance.

The latest addition to the Whitford team brings with him a wealth of knowledge and 10 years of industry experience. John Brodie is focused on customer service and extracting the best results from all sides, even on the golf course! John has a genuine passion for real estate, and it shows.

Generations of experience tailoring recruitment to your needs.

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www.sjpersonnel.com.au 10 | BUSINESS NEWS

NEW APPOINTMENTS RECRUITMENT Katrina Maurer has returned to her home town to join the team at Direct Recruitment.

Katrina brings 10 years of knowledge and experience in the private sector to the newly created role of Recruitment Executive. Katrina embodies the Direct Recruitment philosophy of “Reliable Staffing…Quality Service”.

HEALTH Stephanie Neal has recently joined the team of physios at Corio Bay Sports Medicine Centre. Stephanie is a wonderful addition to the team and brings not only a wonderful, friendly demeanour (and sense of humour!) but also her extensive experience with core stability and Clinical Pilates.

REAL ESTATE Michael comes to PRD Nationwide Geelong as a Licensed Estate Agent with two decades of industry experience. Specialising in both the established market and major residential subdivisions, he is passionate about the development of Geelong and has many local builders as clients.

REAL ESTATE Shaun Crosby has joined Maxwell Collins Real Estate as a Commercial/Industrial Sales and Leasing Agent, bringing 25 years experience as a business owner and consultant in the retail sector.

His property experience includes the leasing and negotiation of properties in major city and international shopping centres.

EVENTS Katie Kirsopp has joined The Pier Geelong as the new Sales and Events Manager.

Katie gained her Diploma of Event Management and Public Relations at King’s College, London, and was previously a Business Development Representative at AGB Human Resources and Community Veracity.

RECRUITMENT Melanie Oborne has joined HR4Business as a Senior HR Consultant and will facilitate our new mental health awareness training program.

Melanie has over 15 years’ experience in the HR field, with expertise in workplace mediation and investigations and is also a qualified Mental Health Clinician.

Hired New Staff?

We want to hear about it.

Let us know about your new business appointments.

Contact Vinnie Kerr.

E: vinnie@adcellgroup.com.au

GEELONG | BALLARAT | WERRIBEE FOR BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS

biznewsmag.com.au BUSINESS NEWS | 11

FEATURE

Generation B: buggered, basically!

If you were born between 1974 and 1983, get prepared to revaluate your demographic. You are no longer of Generation X you are now Generation B – where the B stands for breeding, busy and burdened. Oh yeah, that sounds familiar… although on a personal note, I strongly object to being referred to as a breeder; it conjures all manner of unpleasant and unnecessary imagery.

Where does all this questioning and rethinking of demographic identification come from? In broader terms, that question would take a lot more time and space that I have here to answer. In more direct terms, general insurance group, Suncorp, recently released a research report that they called, “Generation B: Breeding, Busy and Burdened”. This report allocated a new category for Australians aged between 30 and 39 years of age, and it does not paint a pretty picture.

Generation B, the report states, is a group of individuals redefining their financial priorities, trying to spend more time with their family, while working more

12 | BUSINESS NEWS

than any other generation in Australia. Generation B overlaps both the X and Y generations but is said to be a unique sub-set of these as Generation Bers experiencing the “trifecta of financial responsibility, increased family commitments and work pressure in ways not seen by any other generation”; a perfect storm of obligation, responsibility and expectation. Depressing, isn’t it?

Generational definitions tend to be murky and ill-defined sorts of things, so for the purposes of this article, Generation X is all those born between 1964 and 1978, dubbed Generation X because they supposedly had no war, depression or other

socioeconomic condition to identify themselves with – interestingly, Gen X have since gone to war, the dubiously named ‘War on Terror’, have historically high rates of depression and have been hit with the full brunt of the socioeconomic conditions known that came with the GFC. Generation Y, born between 1979 and 1995, are the last generation to remember to remember the 20th century and the first generation of the digital age…they are also children of Boomers, poor things.

“Like Generation X, Generation Bers are more concerned about paying off the mortgage and rent than any other generation.

However, like Generation Y, Generation B prefers to go on holidays and have an entertainment budget at the expense of investing in shares, property, superannuation and even paying off the credit card,” the report said.

According to the report, there are 3.1 million of out there across the nation making up the busiest generation – that’s right, the busiest. While the previous two generations labelled us as ‘slackers’, almost half of those surveyed suggest quite the opposite, with 45 per cent describing themselves as “always busy” or “busy most of the time”.

Why? Well there are those high mortgage payments

– a gift from our propertyinvesting, nest egg building, serial divorcing parents – that in most cases require two incomes to service, along with long working hours – significant amounts of which takes the form of unpaid overtime (thanks largely again to Baby Boomer business owners and executives) – added to which comes the pressures of raising children in a manner which most of us fervently hope is better than that in which we were raised.

The Suncorp report suggests 71 per cent of Generation B individuals believe that raising children will stretch and challenge the amount of time they have, more than any other generation.

An article on the subject by the Taxpayers Association points out that like the rest of Gen X, Generation B report to feeling more burdened at home than they do at work, probably due to parental guilt over all that work they’re doing… unlike Generation X, who tend to have reduced mortgages and children that are beginning to fend for themselves; Generation B faces increasingly daily living costs, growing credit card debt and low superannuation balances. Generation Y are mostly yet to experience such joys, as they perhaps wisely delay taking on both children and mortgages.

The report rather appallingly labels us as “Australia’s

FEATURE breeders” – which is both cruel and true. Remember, this was the generation that was appealed to so gauchely by then Treasurer, Peter Costello, to bear and raise children, not for the joy that they bring or because all-of-a-sudden clucky Baby Boomers were clammering for grandchildren that they could nurture in ways they forgot to do with their own children, but for the future prosperity of the nation. The cheek!

“One for Mum, one for Dad and one for the nation” was Pete’s now infamous line. At the time, a new generation of educated Australians were largely reluctant to dive into parenthood. Given that it costs in excess of $10,000 per annum to raise a child in Australia, it seems that some of that education sunk in – at least, the basic mathematic of addition and subtraction anyway. The sum goes something like this, Dad$ + Mum$ - Mortgage$ - Car$ Rising Cost of Living$ - Kid/ s$ = Broke. Then came the Baby Bonus, and previously reluctant parents dived into family life with all the zeal of kids hopped up on a heady combination of sugar and preservatives before being let loose on a jumping castle.

“Having children comes with increased commitments, with financial commitments and

time commitments being the most significant. Stretched and challenged for time is a significant concern that is unique to Generation B,” the report said.

“Whether it’s work demands or the fact that younger children are more dependent on their parent’s time, each factor is contributing to more than 70% of Generation Bs being stretched and challenged for their time.”

Unlike previous generations, working harder is not leading to prosperity for those in Generation B – working harder is actually increasing the financial burden on 30 to 39 year olds. What with childcare, after school care, school holiday programs, transport costs, etcetera, ad nauseum, added to the fact that full-time employees these days spend more time working unpaid overtime than they take in holidays each year (this fun fact is courtesy of a 2009 Australia Institute study), the juggle of work and family responsibilities is putting unprecedented pressure on Gen Bs. In fact, many Gen Bs are simply too busy to take annual holidays.

Andrew Conlan, Principal and Financial Advisor at WHK Geelong, says the most important thing for people who fall into the Gen B age bracket to do is to have a

clear understanding of their monthly cash flow.

“Set specific goals in relation to expenditure and debt reduction and make sure those goals are reviewed on either a monthly or quarterly basis. And try not to get trapped into taking on new debt to buy a depreciating asset such as a new car,” Andrew said. “And certainly understanding your superannuation, where it’s invested and the fee structure is important.”

Andrew said that for anyone with big debts such as mortgages and ongoing costs of school fees etc. it is very important they have the right level of insurance in place to protect them, their family and their assets.

“Finding a professional advisor that they get along with and can form a long-term relationship with can go a long way to helping someone achieve their financial goals, but at the end of the day, they’ve got to take ownership of their own finances as well.”

Now, if you are of the Baby Boomer or Gen Z generations and are currently scoffing or snorting derisively at all this, take the time to consider that you, yes you, are the major cause of the high stress levels experienced but Gen Bs – but don’t worry, that doesn’t mean

we don’t love you anyway.

And while we still hold out hope for our children (on a side note, I would suggest that it is actually hope that defines Gen B, not any of that other gumph), there is a silver lining of a dark and tainted sort in the lengthening old age of the Boomer generation.

As I fondly and often point out to my parents, there is a better than even chance that you are going to be old for a long time, and if you pull any more of the kind of rubbish that upset my generation as teens and burdened us with years of existential angst and therapy I will stick you in an aged care facility in adjoining rooms and remove the separating door!

Rather unsurprisingly, this threat elicits a very alarmed response of, “You wouldn’t!” from both parents. Sorry folks, but you raised an angstridden generation, deal with it.

DAVINA MONTGOMERY To read the Breeding, Busy and Burdened report, log on to www. suncorpgroup.com.au. If you are experiencing symptoms of depression, the very kind and helpful people at beyondblue (www.beyondblue.org.au) or Lifeline (phone: 13 11 14) are on hand to help. Need help managing your parents and/ or children? Sorry, can’t help.

Too busy trying to manage my own. For financial advice, please contact your accountant or certified financial advisor.

Cashflow: The lifeblood of businesses If a business doesn’t practice good cashflow management, it is operating at a significant risk, regardless of the profit margin. A cashflow forecast also helps you identify problems that may arise over the course of the year, and therefore put preventative measures in place before the cashflow problem becomes critical.

Matthew Le Maitre, Barry Kittelty, Tahlia Sinnott

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BUSINESS NEWS | 13

Bucking the trend Property is a good investment in the long term. Since the Global Financial Crisis, countless sectors have changed in performance, making the property market difficult to pick as prices have flattened out. Having said that, some areas seem to buck the trend. According to property expert Terry Ryder in the Australian, “Most Geelong suburbs have double-digit growth” and “outlying areas have the best capital growth rates”.

“One of Those areas is Highton, a suburb that’s shown promising growth...”

14 | BUSINESS NEWS

One of those areas is Highton, a suburb that’s shown promising growth since the financial crunch. If you purchased a house in Highton back in 2010 you’d be quietly pleased, as you would have since seen over 17% growth in median value, according to Property Data Solutions. If you’d bought a block of land back then in Highton, you’d be even happier - over the same period, the median price of land has risen by 23%.

Compare that to Melbourne, where property prices actually fell last year, and you’d be bordering on smug.

It’s not a complex explanation as to why land in Highton continues to grow in value so strongly.

According to Rene Mogic, Land Specialist with PRD Nationwide, it’s all about supply and demand.

“The remaining land in Highton is going fast. It’s a very popular place to build and live. With only a few hundred blocks left in the whole suburb, we’re likely to see values continue to increase.” But why Highton? According to Mr Mogic “Right now it’s very good value compared to other areas.

Access to schools, university, shops, Geelong, the Surf Coast and Melbourne is excellent.”

“The remaining land in Highton is going fast.”

“more than tripled since we moved here.”

Residents Nick and Chris Walker bought a block in Highview Estate 10 years ago and built on it. They’ve had no regrets. “The value of the land has more than tripled since we moved here and continues to grow. The ring road has made a huge difference.”

With a limited amount of land left, it’s going to be good news for those who buy-in over the long term. When supply runs out, prices tend to rise. For a lucky few, there’s still the chance to buy a block and build their dream home - comfortable in the knowledge they are in one of the better performing suburbs around.

If you’d like to know more, visit highviewland.com.au.

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“ACcess to schools, university, shops, Geelong, the Surf Coast and Melbourne.”

Geelong CBD 7 Minutes Surf Coast 20 Minutes Melbourne 55 Minutes

BUSINESS NEWS | 15

COVER STORY

LGBTI policy good for business Gender, multiculturalism, freedom of religion and ageism – they are all part of a broader conversation happening in workplaces across Australia under the umbrella of diversity and inclusion, but when it comes to addressing LGBTI, many businesses are still shying away. Yet, the business case for acting on LGBTI diversity and inclusion in the workplace is irrefutable, and you might just be surprised at who is leading the way.

May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia and transphobia, more commonly known as IDAHO Day. IDAHO events are held in over 60 countries across all parts of the world, marking the day in 1990 when the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders.

That day over 20 years ago was a historic day in the

16 | BUSINESS NEWS

fight to end discrimination against people who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex (LGBTI). As a society, Australia has come a long way over the past two decades, and while homophobia and transphobia are still prevalent, these forms of discrimination are increasingly being viewed as unacceptable.

But this isn’t a story about

homophobia or transphobia, and it isn’t a story about same sex marriage or changing laws. This is a business story - a story about why leading employers and some of the most successful organisations in the country are taking LGBTI inclusion as a workplace issue very seriously.

Words are an important part of this ongoing story, so before we go any further, I

think it’s important to clarify just what LGBTI means. The acronym stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex. For anyone unfamiliar with the terms, transgender refers to people who were born with the anatomy of one gender but feel internally that they are of the other gender, while intersex refers to people born with anatomy not typically considered to be male or female. The distinctions

COVER STORY

NAB Pride@NAB is a support program for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) community, whose aim is to continue the development of an inclusive and safe work-place culture with specific emphasis on LGBTI employees and their straight mates.

Pride@NAB was launched on International Day Against Homophobia, 17 May 2012, after the annual NAB staff engagement survey highlighted an opportunity to do more for this group.

Stephen Barrow (GM People & Culture) launched Pride@NAB in an effort to build better support for the LGBTI community and a greater awareness of issues members face at work.

Through Pride@NAB, employees and partners are invited to social and networking events.

Pride@NAB also takes an active role in LGBTI diversity recruitment and training.

“NAB is committed to creating an inclusive and safe work-place culture, which reflects the diversity of our customers and communities,” Mr Barrow said. “We want people to be able to bring their whole self to work, no matter what or who that is.

The next step for Pride@ NAB is to expand across regional Australia, and build on its success in engaging LGBTI members in metropolitan areas. Other diversity initiatives at NAB include programs for Indigenous Australians, gender, mature age, people with disabilities and support for families.

between the words are important and need to be respected.

And respect is at the heart of what we’re talking about when we start talking about inclusion and diversity policies: respecting the right of all Australians to be able to go to work and get on with their job, without fear of discrimination or having to hide who they are. It may perhaps sound like a social conscience issue, but for organisations like NAB, IBM, Alcoa Australia, the Australian Federal Police, Lend Lease, Chevron, Telstra, the Department of Defence, RailCorp, Goldman Sachs, ING Direct, KPMG and many others who are actively working on promoting LGBTI inclusion, it is an area of diversity policy that makes good business sense.

Dawn Hough, CEO of Pride in Diversity, knows better than anyone why so many of the big players in Australia’s business landscape are opening their office doors to LGBTI employees with smiles of welcome.

Pride in Diversity is Australia’s first and only not-for-profit workplace program designed specifically to assist Australian employers with the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees.

She says that for all employers, LGBTI inclusion should be a no brainer.

“When you have a look at most organisations, particularly the large employers, most of them are already very familiar with the business case for diversity.

It’s not news to them and a lot of them have diversity strategies.

“The difficulty in Australia is that while traditionally we have been reasonably good in the area of diversity, that has been focused on a few key areas, but not all.

If you have a look at our counterparts in the US and in the UK, then any large organisation that is doing diversity automatically has

LGBTI as one of those pillars.

“When we started Pride in Diversity in Australia about three years ago, there was only a handful of organisations that were doing this really well.

And so within the last three years, we’ve worked really hard in educating and talking to a lot of business leaders and to a lot of organisations about how important this is and how far behind our international counterparts we are in this space.

“To be honest, a lot of people just didn’t understand the reasoning behind why this needed to be a workplace issue, because it always came back down to this being seen a personal thing that didn’t really have anything to do with work.”

In Australia, it is currently estimated that between 8 and 10 per cent of the population – around 2 million people - identify as LGBTI. That makes not only a very large consumer group, but also a significant pool of working people, including hundreds of thousands of well-educated, talented, highly employable individuals.

And the power of the ‘pink dollar’ is well recognized, particularly in the US and the UK. Globally, in 1998, pink money (referring to the purchasing power of LGBTI individuals and couples) was estimated at $560 billion.

According to Wikipedia, in 2012 in the United States alone, that figure is expected to be around $790 billion. In Australia, gay and lesbian households are estimated to hold around $10 billion in annual disposable income.

According to Human Capital Magazine (hcamag.com), almost three quarters of gay, and more than 2 in 5 straight consumers are less likely to buy products from companies perceived to hold negative views of lesbians and gay men.

When you think of it in those terms you can see why, for many businesses, this is an important workplace policy area. But just using

DEAKIN One of Deakin’s key strategies to promote an inclusive university community is the Deakin Ally program. This comprises strategic events and educational activities designed to create a university culture that welcomes staff, students and other members of the Deakin community who are of diverse genders and sexualities (also known as LGBTIQ).

The Deakin Ally Program aims to promote awareness and understanding of diverse genders and sexualities and to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for staff and students. The Deakin Ally Program is advanced through the Deakin Ally Network, an alliance of people of diverse genders and sexualities all working together to create a positive university environment. the words, ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’ doesn’t mean anything if active policies are not being put in place.

“Sometimes I think leaving the word ‘diversity’ out actually does us some good,” Dawn said. “We tend to think of particular programs, like gender for example, which is very prominent in Australia, and rightly so; it’s important.

But I think if we focus more on inclusion, about creating those workplaces where people can just come to work, put their head down and do their job, without feeling like they have to put on this false persona then I think that is when we are talking about inclusion. It takes an enormous amount of conscious effort and energy to be constantly self-editing conversations, avoiding questions and hiding a part of who you are, just to be able to do what you need to do.

BUSINESS NEWS | 17

COVER STORY

IBM Steven Preston, IBM Marketing Executive and lead for IBM’s LGBT Business Resource Group in Australia and New Zealand, says IBM’s Diversity and Inclusion policies have included references to sexual orientation for over 20 years.

“We place a great deal of value on diversity in our workforce, to enable people to bring their whole selves to work.

IBM’s position is that diversity is an essential part of the company’s strategic direction and worldview. In 1984, IBM was among the first major companies to That’s where the question has to be asked, how do we create that inclusive workplace?”

The list of organisations that are putting significant resources into LGBTI inclusion policies is an impressive one, and you only need to log on to the Pride in Diversity website to see the range of industries represented – including some surprise inclusions. While the financial, legal and education sectors have traditionally lead the way when it comes to diversity and inclusion, helped along by prominent messages from organisations like the Australian Federal Police, it came as a surprise to me to see organisations like Lend Lease, Alcoa Australia, Chevron and the transport sector so prominent in their support of LGBTI inclusion.

“I think there are many organisations here that are doing this really well,” said Dawn. “For those organisations that stand up and say, ‘I believe in a diverse workforce and it’s important for us’, then it’s automatically there, but in Australia there is still a lot of nervousness about it. It’s still not really understood and it’s still not commonplace.

“There are still a lot of organisations out there

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include sexual orientation in its equal opportunity policy and the company continues to lead the way by creating an atmosphere where LGBTI employees are not just valued, but empowered to think freely and to be themselves.

“We understand that in order for us to help make the world a smarter place, we need a constant flow of new and diverse ideas,” Mr Barrow said. “We also realise that these diverse ideas must come from a diverse workforce. We want to attract the best people in the marketplace and to be seen as an Employer of Choice, including for LGBTI.” that will say they will look at some areas of diversity, but that LGBTI isn’t on their agenda, or that they’re too conservative for this, when in actual fact, the demographic that we’re talking about is larger than some of the demographics that they’re paying attention to.

“That’s not to dilute, or to say that any one strand of diversity is more important than any other, because they’re all important; but inclusion is about saying ‘What can we do to create a workplace that is inclusive for everybody,’ instead of saying, ‘We’re going to focus on this one particular area and do that area really well first’. I don’t think that works.”

This is one area of business where size doesn’t matter; the messages and the actions are essentially the same. The first step for any business wanting to improve their LGBTI inclusion has to be building awareness, and that means having the conversation at the senior decision-making level.

“It’s all well and good to have a few people within the organisation who think this is important and who want to run with it, but unless it’s

taken up at an organizational level with senior support, then it’s never going to happen,” Dawn said.

“We’re talking about things like have you got up to date bullying and harassment policies in place, and are you clear in your inclusion of LGBTI employees?

Because what we do know, for this particular group, is that unless there is a clear indicator that the organisation is inclusive, the assumption is that perhaps it’s not; because that’s the way it’s typically been in the past. And when I say that it’s not, I’m not talking about if you work there then you’ll be bullied or harassed, but what I am talking about is that if there is nothing that tells a person that if they are open about being a gay man or a gay woman or a transgender person that it wouldn’t impact their career, that it would impact on their workplace relationships or that it wouldn’t make a difference to how they progress through the organisation.”

And when it comes to coming out at work, it seems that it is young gay workers, not those from older generations, who are far less likely to be ‘out’ in the workplace.

A survey of Australian workplaces participating in Pride in Diversity’s 2012 Australian Workplace

ALCOA Alcoa of Australia is the first mining and resources member of Pride in Diversity. EAGLE is one of Alcoa’s successful employee diversity groups and is aimed at strengthening an inclusive workplace environment, which values relationships that transcend differences in one another. EAGLE membership is open to all Alcoa employees globally.

The Alcoa of Australia chapter of EAGLE (Employees at Alcoa for

Equality Index revealed that 16 to 24 year-olds are the least likely of any age group to be out with their colleagues, clients and customers. This goes against a popular perception that younger generations are more comfortable with being open about their sexuality.

Dawn said there are several factors that contribute to young people staying in the closet.

“Young people joining the workforce for the first time are just finding their feet and probably a little scared of rocking the boat.

“Starting work for the first time is daunting enough, without the added pressure of coming out to everyone in the office. They also don’t know how people will react to working with an LGBTI colleague, or what support might be available for them in terms of being themselves at work, free to engage in conversations, talk about what they did on the weekend, who their partner is; something their heterosexual counterparts take for granted.”

Of the 770 respondents, drawn from a range of companies in the public and private sectors participated in the survey, 70 per cent of LGBTI employees reported being out with colleagues, only 56 per cent were out with their managers, and less

Gay and Lesbian Equality) membership is made up of Alcoa employees identifying as either lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, as well as employees who are LGBT allies and friends.

EAGLE’s Australian Executive Sponsor Jann Kinsela said, “The business case for engaging all of our employees in inclusion and diversity is strong. It is inspiring to be a part of an organisation progressive in nature and supportive of an often silent minority within our business - our LGBT colleagues.”

COVER STORY

TAC Through its Workplace Equity Policy, the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) aims to create an environment in which employees are able to work without fear of discrimination or harassment.

The policy promotes equality in the workplace and addresses direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment sexual harassment and victimisation.

The TAC treats any complaints of discrimination, harassment or victimisation confidentially, seriously and impartially.

All new TAC employees complete compliance training when they join the TAC, and employees undertake this training on a biannual basis to promote respect and equality in the workplace. than one third – 28 per cent – were out with their clients or customers.

Thirty-eight per cent of LGBTI employees did not yet feel that they could be themselves at work, while 29 per cent could not confidently say that their work environment was safe and inclusive and 12 per cent would not feel confident in reporting homophobic bullying/harassment. Dawn said that the survey also attracted an alarming number of hate comments from employees opposed to LGBTI inclusion in their workplace.

“These comments come from organisations that actively promote diversity and inclusion,” she said.

“We suspect that data from organisations that continue to exclude LGBTI initiatives from their diversity agenda would be even more alarming.

“There is a lot of fear around that. A lot of people can go to work and feel okay and not feel like they’re being bullied or harassed, but still there’s enough hesitation there to feel that it might impact them going forward if they disclose that part of themselves. An enormous amount of energy is spent hiding that, and that is the concern, because we do know that leads to heightened levels of workplace stress and we also know that impacts on productivity.

“Once people are aware and once they see the impact that it actually has on people, then the business case for doing something about LGBTI inclusion really sells itself.”

A company or organization’s stance on LGBTI inclusion is increasingly being seen as a litmus test of not only where people will seek to work, but also where people will choose to do business.

“It’s amazing to us how many young people we get calling us up and asking us who our members are, and they don’t identify as LGBTI,” Dawn said. “It’s really interesting when we have those conversations, because they tell us that even though they’re not gay or don’t identify, they believe that social inclusion is really important, or that corporate social responsibility is really important. They tell us that, for them, if an organisation is getting it right in this space, then they’re probably getting most things right.

“It has been a surprise to us to realize how many people want to work for employers that are getting the toughest part of inclusion right, because for some reason, they see that as the litmus test. We really weren’t expecting that.”

In response to the growing interest in LGBTI-friendly workplaces, Pride in Diversity will release the first national LGBTI Recruitment Guide later this year.

“What this will tell people is that these organisations are

working on LGBTI inclusion.

It might not mean that they’re best practice, but it means that there is sufficient work being done within the organisation to feel confident that if anything backfires on them at work because of who they are then it will be addressed. Those are the organisations that many people want to work for.”

“This is not only about the ability to attract people to your organisation, it’s also about the ability to keep them, because let me tell you, when someone works for an organisation where they can freely be themselves, they’re not going to want to go back in the closet again to work for someone else. That’s certainly something we hear, time and time again.”

Pride in Diversity also produce the Australian Workplace Equality Index, which benchmarks on an annual basis what organisations are doing in this space. Any business operating in Australia is eligible to nominate for the Index, which has become a go-to guide for diversity and inclusion leaders.

Topping the 2012 Top Ten list were Price Waterhouse Coopers, with the list also featuring KPMG and Accenture. Dawn said that the big, international firms tend to feature heavily on the list, because their policies are actioned globally.

Australian organisations also feature prominently however.

Australian Federal Police have made the Top Ten Employer list twice, for example.

“We’re starting to see organisations taking the Index and really working with it, implementing those changes to move their policies forward that is seeing them climb up that Top Ten list each year,” Dawn said.

The 2013 Australian Workplace Equality Index, including the Top Ten Employer list, will be released on IDAHO Day.

CoGG CEO Stephen Griffin said the City of Greater Geelong is proud to be an inclusive employer.

“Without diversity in our workplace we cannot adequately serve the diverse needs of the Geelong community”, said Mr Griffin. “Several of our employees will soon be taking part in a program called ‘How to create a GLBTI inclusive service’ run by Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria, which will help us think about the inclusiveness of our practices both in the workplace and in the services we provide to the community.”

GASP Our Youth Services includes the Geelong Adolescent Sexuality Project (GASP), which we have supported since 1996. In 2011 we received $860,000 from the State Government to increase community awareness of the impact of homophobia on the health and wellbeing of Same Sex Attracted and Gender Questioning (SSAGQ) young people.

The City of Greater Geelong was officially represented at St Kilda’s Midsumma Pride March for the first time in February 2013. Community representatives and several employees marched under a specially made City of Greater Geelong banner sending a clear message in support of sexual and gender diversity.

IDHAO Day In 2012 the City of Greater Geelong raised a rainbow flag to show support for International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

Davina Montgomery BUSINESS NEWS | 19

VECCI platforms Facebook and Twitter, and via short video messages, with the aim of directing these messages to Canberra. These will be complemented with advertising in print and electronic media.

Your business is too big to be ignored In the lead up to the federal election in September, it is vital that the Government realises that small business is too big to ignore. An historic national campaign, which provides the small business community with a united voice, is calling for reform in four core areas – government costs and red tape, tax relief, employment reform and infrastructure development.

VECCI is proud to be a part of the ‘Small Business – Too Big to Ignore’ campaign, which is being lead by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and state business bodies.

The campaign encourages small business owners and employers to voice their personal business stories on the campaign’s website toobigtoignore.org. au, through social media

This campaign provides a channel for the collective voice of Australia’s two million small businesses and seven million employees to be heard and respected.

At a time when small business is facing an increasing regulatory burden, a suffocating workplace relations system and higher operating costs than ever before, the ‘Small Business – Too Big to Ignore’ campaign will allow small business to voice its needs and push for reforms that will ensure stability and maintain the health and wellbeing of the Australian economy as a whole.

To complement our involvement in the campaign, VECCI will continue to demand answers to the following questions in the months leading up to the federal election: Why must small business bear an unreasonable burden of government costs and red tape?

How can we make it easier to employ and maintain staff while remaining competitive?

How can we make the tax system simpler and fairer for small business?

What can be done to improve infrastructure and boost productivity for small business?

We look forward to helping to unite the many voices of small business around the country, to changing the attitudes and actions of politicians and governments, and to showing them that small business is simply too big to ignore.

We urge all small businesses to visit the toobigtoignore. org.au website and add your voice to this national campaign. VECCI will keep you updated on the campaign’s progress in the months leading up to the election.

JAMES GULLI VECCI Regional Manager vecci.org.au

VECCI offers a range of workplace relations services, from a telephone helpline to one-on-one consulting.

For more information, visit vecci.org.au.

20 | BUSINESS NEWS

COMMENT industrial stagnation through being able to creatively meet the challenges of global change. The redevelopment of Geelong’s Performing Arts Centre is also, therefore, critical to Geelong’s transition.

Why Geelong needs a Strategic Investment Strategy Shell’s recent announcement reinforces the Committee for Geelong’s long-held view that Geelong is entering another period of significant change. This is a difficult time for everyone, not least the refinery employees and contractors, and our thoughts are with them at this very uncertain time.

IT is good to know that there is a ‘global deal’ team seeking a buyer whose operational integrity we can be confident of, particularly with regard to looking after the Shell workforce.

The Geelong refinery has done a fantastic job in ensuring that the corporate professionalism of Shell’s operations and safety record has been consistently upheld in our region. The refinery workforce are its biggest asset and I am hopeful that the great work they have done, and continue to do, will lead to a new owner being found.

It is clear to see that Geelong has its challenges - but it always has. With every challenge comes opportunity and with every change comes renewal.

Geelong’s history is characterised by an ability to adapt. Our economy has evolved and changed over time, responding to technological advances, shifting trends in the manufacturing and service economies, and globilisation.

Like our past, we have a future that will be shaped by diversification, change and opportunity. However, in order to move forward, we have some serious choices to make about these changes.

Firstly, any future Government subsidies must transition

industries out of business, or into new businesses.

Secondly, we need to review how we can better diversify and transform to become a global player in new manufacturing and technology, underpinned by world-class education, research and cultural assets.

In addition, we have to continue to attract significant organisations, like the Transport Accident Commission, to be based in Geelong and further grow our economy. Regionalisation of Government agencies takes time, and a longerterm strategy of the types of organisations we want to attract to Geelong will be essential.

The recent funding cuts to the tertiary sector are very disappointing, especially given the pivotal role Deakin plays in equipping Geelong’s workforce for economic transformation, and the new jobs that flow from that.

It is well known that the economic performance of a city or region is improved by its attractiveness to highly educated, well-paid professionals in a variety of industries, including the arts. These people are drawn to certain locations by opportunities for creative work and a good quality of life. These places become centres of innovation in part because of the ‘talent’ that is attracted, and can avoid

In the case of Shell, it is important that the City keeps an open dialogue, so that collaborative transitioning strategies can be developed should they need to downsize their workforce. By being proactive, rather than reactive, we can help avoid future jobs shocks to the economy. Our region is willing to work with industries on these issues, and it is hoped that this will be reciprocated.

Given all of this change, it is essential for us to address disadvantage and work towards bringing people out of poverty. Northern Futures and other organisations are key to this work and we should continue to support them.

For the Committee’s part, we will continue to play a significant role, both locally through our membership base and nationally through advocacy, but also through the growth of international relationships and leveraging those to attract new players and opportunities for the region.

To do all of this successfully, we need to develop a strategic investment plan that will address the bigger

As we enter a Federal election period, there is no time to lose in advocating for our region.

“ Geelong’s history is characterised by an ability to adapt... Like our past, we have a future that will be shaped by diversification, change and opportunity.”

All of these factors will play a significant role in determining Geelong’s future liveability.

in the long term, or help to transition them, and their workforce, over a reasonable period of time.

issue of our iconic industries downsizing, and will also be clear about how Government handouts are used.

This regional plan for our economy should be developed in partnership with major employers, education and training organisations.

Deakin University is already showing leadership on this, as is the Gordon with the ‘Skilling the Bay’ initiative.

However, we need to put more resources into initiatives like this, make sure it has practical outcomes and that it has a framework which can be used to guide future investments.

It is important for our economy that future recipients of government subsidies are forced to work within this type of framework. This will either make them more sustainable

I understand that it may be difficult for people to remain positive after the news from Shell. Being optimistic takes courage, but we have to advocate for Geelong with passion, pride and one voice.

After all, if Geelong does not shout out for itself, then who will? If we don’t all stand together, then what do we stand for? And if we don’t act for our great city now, then when?

REBECCA CASSON Executive Director Committee for Geelong

BUSINESS NEWS | 21

SMALL BIZ

Changing gear: the art of business development Most small businesses are like a car stuck in first gear. It’s fine at the start, but very soon the noise and bother begins to annoy even the most harden driver. The business owner either gives up the idea of getting a good income or works like a thrashing machine. Long hours and physical demands soon take their toll. This article is about finding second and third gear for your business.

THIS concept of getting trapped in a low gear happens whether the business is based on lawn mowing or welding or, in the case of Lisa Charleson, when it is based on being a health practitioner. She combines two modalities of kinesiology and Bowen Massage therapies.

Lisa is a diligent worker who has opened her second practice; one in Geelong and now one in Melbourne.

Being on the road gives her plenty of time to think things through; while it is true that

her work is not back breaking, it still needs her full attention and she is exhausted after a full day of clients. Being young and enthusiastic can compensate for now, but she can see the wall approaching a few years down the track.

Ten or fifteen years ago, we would have reached for a copy of Michael Gerber’s ‘The E-Myth Revisited’, which was the primer for getting over the work hurdle. Michael describes what he calls the entrepreneurial seizure that besets most businesses – this is where somebody with

excellent technical skills jumps blindly into business thinking that because they are good at their trade they will surely be good at business.

This confidence comes from the belief, that a business is simply the application of these technical skills. Michael goes onto explain that the reason that most businesses fail in the early years is because businesses are just not based on technical skills – work is. Businesses are much more sophisticated and demanding.

There is a kernel of truth in Michaels writing, but it alludes to the blind application of ‘systems’ that are just hard to put together when you are in the middle of a busy days work. Something about alligators comes to mind…

So, back to Lisa; she wants to get things happening and now is the time to do it. The professionalising of a small business is not something that is easy, nor does it happen overnight, indeed it is quite challenging with no set pathway. Lisa has a few ideas that are worth exploring.

Some of her choices are to build the next practice in a prime location, add additional income streams, and/or becoming a de facto standard among other choices. Adrian Slywotzky identifies 20 possible mechanisms, and these changes in effect alter the business model (how the whole thing works). Until she chooses a business model that suits her there is no benefit in constructing a business plan; that activity comes much later. Planning now would be a retrograde step.

Her next move is to explore each of these models and project how they would change her business. She might find that some of the possible changes are very appealing and others may not deliver the same values.

The difficulty at this stage is to get information to be able to evaluate the relative merits of each model. Asking fellow business operators is a hit or miss affair, because

22 | BUSINESS NEWS

few have experience with the various models – their advice is usually derived from their immediate experience. For example, someone who has gone into a large practice with multiple services will offer useful comments on that option, but will not necessarily have experience with the concept of de facto standard, so Lisa will need to interview lots of people and collate many opinions.

An example of judging the relative merits of business models comes from Tom McKaskill (look him up on YouTube, he presents 12 topics and while they are aimed squarely at big business the ideas are useful for judging a small businesses model).

All this evaluation and information gathering takes time and this again is one of Lisa prime skills, as she has given herself a useful time frame to make the decisions.

She doesn’t need to act immediately, but she still has a driving passion to get things done soon and done well.

My last lesson that I picked up from Lisa is that she is willing to change the way that she thinks about her business. Most people have a real challenge in letting go old ways of thinking. Particularly when this thought process has served the business well, but a transition to a new model would be foiled by old thinking. To be effective, the transition from “work thinking” to “professional practice” requires that your thinking and value systems change as well. People who fail to change their thinking most often fail to make the change in their business. The process is as much internal as it is in the external process of the business.

My gut feeling is that with her intellectual honesty, her passion and drive and her professionalism Lisa will have this new business up and thriving in a quick time.

CLINT JENNINGS Thinker on big ideas for small business.

COMMENT

China on the Brink It’s almost 8 years since CoreData opened its first Chinese office in Beijing and in that time not only has our business changed, but the country has changed, probably more than anyone could have.

[LAST month’s] trip there to present at a conference reinforced not just how far the country has come – but how far it has to go and why the opportunity might well be now.

It’s impossible to tour the popular tourist sites, like downtown Beijing or the Bund in Shanghai, without seeing wealth on a truly staggering scale, but even now (15 years into the Chinese experiment with capitalism), the glossy success of places like The Bund and Pudong in Shanghai are cheek by jowl with real poverty.

But on this trip it wasn’t the rich or the poor that interested us so much as the middle class and, in particular, what they want from financial services.

class of around 12 million people.

For the purposes of this article, the middle class means anyone earning $A25,000 a year or better.

In Shanghai alone there are about 10 million of them.

It’s this group that is most interesting to CoreData, because they are fundamentally driving the growth of the country.

Putting the Genie back in the bottle While it’s all OK for the Chinese Government to say that it’s experimenting with capitalism and will see if it works, after talking to lots of middle class Chinese there

is no way they can put this Genie back in the bottle. In fact, the president of China, Xi Jinping, achieved his role by campaigning on what are clearly middle class issues, property ownership, and superannuation and, of all things, insurance.

What they want China’s middle class want what the middle classes all over the world want – a better future for their children. On their minds are education, health and savings reform.

That’s it, which means that growth is by and large assured, because while about 10 per cent of the country can be classified as middle class there is another 10 per cent working really hard to get there in this generation.

What they want from Australia The short answer is grim: not much. They like our produce, because they perceive it as “green”, they like our currency because they perceive it as stable, they like our banking system because they perceive it as well run (all of the people we spoke to could name the Commonwealth Bank and many of them knew of all of the big four) and they

would be very happy to invest their money in Australia – but none of them knew how.

What they curiously don’t like are the beaches, with both America and Europe perceived as better tourist destinations. By and large the people we spoke to find Australians likable, if not particularly good at business China 2023 From what was observed last month and what the government officials we met told us, it’s clear that the Chinese growth path continues. The next phases of growth will come from internal demand as China shifts its manufacturing base.

What’s also clear is that Australia has an unparalleled opportunity in this space as an investment manager and investment destination – a future which we seem to be intent on handing to the Americans, the Germans, the English and the French, who are all building financial service empires there while we sleep.

This has been another article from the insightful minds at Burning Pants. Burning Pants is a product of CoreData.

Let’s get the numbers out of the way for a start, because when dealing in China it’s always easy to gasp at just how large the pools of customers in each market segment are.

While there are nearly 2 billion people in China (numbers vary because demographers think that there is a mobile population of about 350 million), to narrow the focus somewhat I’m going to focus on Shanghai, where about 40 million people live.

Shanghai is a rich place, partly because of its geography (it’s a nice place to live) and partly because it has a history of tax breaks for manufacturing starting in the 1990’s. Shanghai is home to an estimated 85,000 $A millionaires and a middle

BUSINESS NEWS | 23

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Professional. Practical. Proactive.

Human R R ee ss o o uu rrcc ee SS o o ll uu tt ii o o nn ss

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A HR4Business is a relatively new and proud addition to the Geelong CBD. Based centrally on Yarra Street, the business was established in 2010 through the passion and drive of Sue Kelly, HR4Business’ Principal Consultant. With the change in the industrial relations framework as the key instigator, Sue identified a need for local Human Resource Management Consultancy services and has not looked back.

Our professional offices are spacious and include a separate training room and a meeting room available for hire by clients in need of a confidential space to undertake discussions of a sensitive nature. Being central allows our clients to visit our offices should they prefer this option.

Sue stated, “During the past 12 months, the HR4Business client base has experienced significant growth and, as a result, the business now employs 6 experienced consultants.”

Sue has very carefully selected and appointed individuals from within the Geelong marketplace, including Elisa Walerys and Melanie Oborne. The

SUE KELLY

Principal Consultant

24 | BUSINESS NEWS

knowledge, expertise and practical experience across the team is very diverse and supports the key service areas offered across the Geelong region.

Recruitment, Training and Outplacement Services: We offer flexible Recruitment services and options, which range from developing and implementing organisations recruitment strategy, through to permanent placement services and organising and facilitating an assessment centre on behalf of our client.

At the other end of the spectrum a range of individual or group Outplacement services provide support to departing employees and organisations alike.

Trained and experienced facilitators conduct interactive and practical sessions on topics including Equal Opportunity and Prevention of Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying Awareness Training for Managers and Employees, Effective Management of Employee Performance, Managing Mental Health - Developing a Productive and Proactive Framework and Leadership Basics.

ELISA WALERYS

Senior HR

All of the training programs offered may be contextualised to suit the individual needs of a business. This includes delivery of a program at the client’s premises or on site at the HR4Business offices.

HR Compliance Auditing This service was identified early in the life of HR4Business.

A comprehensive HR Compliance Audit ensures your business ticks all the boxes in terms of people management compliance.

The process includes a comprehensive audit, which goes beyond simply checking the systems and process in place – it identifies actions to minimise your exposure and risk. Wages paid, policies and procedures are on list.

Mediation and Investigation Services Professionally trained in this area, our consultants understand that management of an internal complaint by a member of an organisations management team or HR team can be very time consuming and that it can be difficult to maintain transparency and fairness.

Hence this is another service area that is growing at HR4Business.

MELANIE OBORNE

Senior HR

Our trained staff can assist with independent investigation services in relation to matters including a bullying, harassment or discrimination allegation.

Mediation services offer positive and proactive assistance to resolve a workplace complaint and are often the most effective way to work towards restoration of a relationship before it escalates to another level.

Outsourced HR Services This is another service area on the rise. Many of our clients can’t justify an ongoing HR resource within their business – the preferred option is support on an as needed basis.

Be it hands on assistance with the management of a performance issue at a clients premises or via phone support. We work with an organisation on an ongoing basis as their HR team on call. We offer a range of advice options, including written follow up being confirmation of the advice provided.

Industrial Relations This services assists clients to navigate the current industrial relations system, whether it be Award interpretation, enterprise agreement

LAURA JOHNSON

Admin.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

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Human

preparation and negotiation or management of an unfair dismissal or underpayment of wages claim.

HR4Business clients range from small to large organisations, from within both the private sector and not for profit sector, and across manufacturing, disability and community services, retail, construction and professional services. We are definitely seeing a shift in local businesses seeking out local advice and assistance that would perhaps have traditionally utilised the services of a Melbournebased HR firm. We genuinely feel that Geelong businesses want to support Geelong businesses, which is evident in discussions we are having within the business community.

Our ethos is to develop longterm relationships with our current and future clients.

We do not offer Band-Aid options; we offer practical and sustainable solutions to

clients. The success of our approach is evident in the number of follow up service engagements and the high number of referrals our business has secured.

After a 2-year association with the Geelong Chamber of Commerce, HR4Business became of Silver Partner in 2013. Sue believes membership of the Chamber has assisted to raise the profile of HR4Business, and equally, the regular convening of the HR Colleagues Professional Network has impacted on the business profile. Sue established the Network in 2009 and it now meets up to 4 times per annum, with a guest speaker presenting on a topical subject. Sue is also member of the Geelong Australian Human Resources Institute Chapter.

Another successful business avenue for HR4Business is participation as a host employer in the annual Geelong Small Business

Festival. We registered and succeeded in gaining a session to be held on the 15th August 2013. The session provides participants with our view on the fundamentals of HR for Small Business.

Corporate responsibility is important to the team at HR4Business and, with this in mind, we participate and offer support on a regular basis.

Our most recent contribution was as a sponsor of the Duffs Annual Ladies Golf Day, of which all funds raised went directly to Give Where You Live. We are proud to be active members of the Geelong business community and offer support where we can.

We offer the following range of services:

✓ HR Consulting ✓ HR Compliance Auditing ✓ Outplacement and Support Services

✓ Training and Development ✓ Industrial Relations ✓ Mediation and Investigation ✓ HR Project Management ✓ Recruitment ✓ Essential Document Packages

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS AND ADVICE FOR BUSINESS Call us for a confidential discussion in relation to your HR and employment needs and concerns.

Level 1, 77 Yarra Street, Geelong, Vic, 3220 Email: info@hr4business.com.au Human R R ee ss o o uu rrcc ee SS o o ll uu tt ii o o nn ss

Human

(03) 5222 6695 BUSINESS NEWS | 25

RECRUITMENT

Training & Recruitment

AGB Human Resources is dedicated to the continual improvement of our RTO. In coming months there will be new courses added to our scope which aren’t currently being delivered by many of our competitors. These new courses will help move us forward in this exciting age of training. The courses coming on board have been chosen specifically to create more pathways for our students when engaging in training. The areas which we will be intending to go into are as follows: - Vocational Preparation - Active Volunteering - Community Services Work - Workplace Health and Safety - Plumbing and Services - Hydraulic Services Design - Civil Construction Design With sites in Geelong and Melbourne, our RTO is consistently growing and is looking to spread its reach further into other states to eventually become a provider of nationally accredited training Australia wide, not just in Victoria.

Many employees identify professional development as a key contributor to their satisfaction levels at work.

Whether you or your staff are looking to update current skills or branch out into a new area of the business, The Gordon has the scope, experience and know-how to get you there.

Aside from the hundreds of accredited and short courses offered at The Gordon, we also offer skill-sets for those already working in various industries. These are becoming increasingly popular, providing key skills and knowledge in specific industry areas, which are perfect for those looking to up-skill.

The Gordon currently offers industry skill sets across a range of areas including business, engineering, hair and beauty, health, heavy industry, construction, hospitality, OHS, retail and sustainability. They can also be tailored to your specific business needs.

Wonder if there’s something applicable to your industry?

Visit thegordon.edu.au or call us to discuss your training requirements.

Gain the leading edge in your INDUSTRY THE GORDON HAS THE SCOPE AND EXPERIENCE TO HELP YOU AND YOUR STAFF UPDATE AND GROW YOUR SKILLS. • Tailored training programs • Industry skill sets • Traineeships and apprenticeships • Full qualifications • Industry short courses Wonder if there’s something applicable to your industry?

Visit us online or call to discuss your training requirements.

Phone 5225 0800 or visit thegordon.edu.au

26 | BUSINESS NEWS

RECRUITMENT

The Right Staff How do you get the right staff in the right place at the right time?

A major factor in answering this question is how stable the organisation is. The higher the rate of change in your organisation or industry then the more complex it usually is to get the right people in the right place at the right time.

This often means getting the most capable people now!

But motivation is important. If someone has the capability but not the motivation to do something required to perform, then the necessary behaviour is very unlikely to arise and they will not perform; similarly, if someone has the motivation but not the capability. You need both motivation and capability for performance.

The dynamism of the organisation is likely to have an affect on the motivations of the staff in the organisation, although this effect may be dichotomous with some staff being motivated by a fast changing environment, while

others are demotivated by it.

So it can be hard to predict what motivates individuals and simple analyses are often wrong. For example, there is a lot of research indicating that there is a “myth” around bonuses. The myth is that external rewards in the form of bonuses improve productivity or results. In fact, research shows that it can lead to team members to make poorer decisions and then focussing on trying to get their bonus, even when it is at odds with what is best for the organisation.1 A good model on human motivation is necessary because it helps you to understand people’s motivations, and motivations underlie their behaviours and resulting performance.

Once we can understand motivation better, then you need to integrate all the

“people” systems in the organisation to maximise staff performance. Systems such as: Organisational Branding & Recruitment; Selection & Assessment; Induction; Performance Management; Training and Development; Promotion; and Exit & Redundancy.

Some people systems tend to have a greater effect on the calibre of employees than others, and the selection and assessment system is a critical one.

As the saying goes: “You can train a turkey to climb a tree but it is much easier to hire a squirrel.”

One way to get the capability right in the organisation is to use a “talent pool”. If a talent pool is set up right it can help make sure that three important systems are all addressed, which get you right staff in the right place at the right time: performance management, training and development and promotion.

Principles for setting up talent pools in organisations Clear Purpose: Be clear about what is the reason and benefit you want to get from the Talent Pool. For instance is it to help retention of good people or to help ensure a succession plan?

Commitment of Senior Team: Get the buy in of senior managers to develop a leadership culture in the business (as opposed to management one) and a strong leadership pipeline at all levels of the business.

Real Leadership and Development Needs: Understand the essence of authentic leadership through formal on-going leadership development learning and then identify key leadership development needs and priorities versus the wants.

Make sure the program increases self-awareness, as a prerequisite to leading others is self-awareness.

Map Out the Whole Process: Develop a practical, broad ranging experiential learning program, including significant cross functional business orientated projects and

addressing unique business challenges, together with leading a functional team at a senior level.

Delegate Key Responsibilities to the Participants. Ensure they know to take control of their career development like it is their own strategic plan. Help them develop their brand and a what’s possible 5 to 20-year career plan which incorporates business, career, family and personal aspirations and goals.

Measure Progress: Evaluate both performance (what is being achieved) with competencies (how it is being achieved). The ‘hows’ are the keys to long-term success of the program. This is in the spirit of what is not measured is not managed.

Support with the Right People: Involve both organisational executives so they interact periodically with the talent pool face-to-face share leadership experiences, war stories and lessons on the leadership journey and an executive leadership development coach to provide a critical objective perspective.

Setting up and implementing talent pools offer many more benefits than just the obvious ones if they are done well, so they are tailored to the needs of the specific organisation, resourced appropriately (not too much or too little), and a “cookie-cutter” approach avoided.

MARK OLIVER Mark is the CEO of MarkTwo Consulting, and over the last 20 years has designed and facilitated advanced leadership and assessment courses for Australian ‘Top 100’ and American ‘Fortune 500’ companies in Australasia, USA, China, Singapore and India.

He has three honours degrees from Cambridge University and lives in Melbourne. The revised second edition of his book, The Seven Motivations of Life, was released in April 2013.

BUSINESS NEWS | 27

COMMENT

Time to make a deal The COAG meeting of education ministers today is a multibillion dollar game of Deal or No Deal. There’s a lot at stake and not just the money. At $14.5 billion over six years, the cost of the federal government’s proposed school funding reform is still too high, but has shifted from the realms of the ridiculous. The main problem is the power over school education it accedes to the federal government through the National Plan for School Improvement. The NPSI ought to be the real deal-breaker, but it has been sidelined by bluster about the funding model itself.

THE funding model is not terrible. If the same model were implemented by the states, it would basically be a variable voucher system, that is, child-centred and weighted for disadvantage.

Yes, there are some key points of weakness. A real voucher model would have a truly sector-neutral funding system, without the penalty for non-government schools.

While this aspect of the model is disappointing, the non-government school sector seems to have accepted it.

A real voucher model would also devolve all funds to schools. This is already the case for independent schools and would remain so. Catholic school systems will likely continue to do

their own sums. In the case of public schools, though, funding devolution is a state issue. It’s a bit rich to criticise the federal government for meddling in state schools and then berate it for not forcing state governments towards school autonomy.

One of the strongest criticisms of the funding reforms is that they do not explicitly progress school choice. This is true, but neither do they suppress it any more than the existing system. Indeed, they create more potential for school choice. There is nothing in the plan to prevent the development of future policies such as the United Kingdom’s ‘free’ schools, and it would arguably make it easier.

The risk is that in rejecting a pretty good funding model because it is not perfect, we end up with something much worse. If the state and territory ministers say ‘No Deal’, we can kiss goodbye any chance of significant funding reform in the next decade. Although the government says it will go ahead with some states on board, it will be all in or all out under a Coalition government.

By focusing on the wrong part of the proposed reforms, the time available to negotiate on the important aspects is dwindling. The prime minister wants these reforms to go through and has already shown willingness to make concessions. The states and territories should accept the funding model but push back on the regulations and red tape. That achieved, we’ll have a school funding model that is at least a step in the right direction. Jennifer Buckingham is a Research Fellow at The Centre for Independent Studies.

Milton Friedman was right about Japan Surveying Japan at the end of 1997, Milton Friedman didn’t like what he saw.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal , Friedman said Japan was ‘an eerie, if less dramatic, replay of the Great Contraction in the United States’ of the 1930s.

His observation was prescient. In late 1997, Japan was still dealing with the

consequences of the asset price bust of the early 1990s and the Asian financial crisis was still unfolding. But Japan was otherwise still seen as an economy experiencing something like a normal business cycle.

Friedman argued that Japanese monetary policy was too tight.

His evidence was low inflation, low nominal GDP growth, and low interest rates. The Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) overnight call rate had not yet hit zero per cent, but the zero bound loomed large. Friedman argued that ‘the answer was straightforward: The Bank of Japan could buy government bonds on the open market, paying for them with either currency or deposits at the Bank of Japan’; in other words, engage in quantitative easing (QE).

The BoJ did resort to QE from 2001 to 2006, but with little conviction, serving only to accommodate an increase in the demand for additional reserves on the part of Japan’s troubled financial institutions. With the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008, the BoJ pursued QE again, but with insufficient commitment. Today, the level of nominal GDP in Japan is almost unchanged from its level in 1992.

Last week, the BoJ embarked on a much more aggressive approach to QE with a view to raising the inflation rate to 2% in two years. In principle, this goal is achievable, but will be much harder to reach in practice because the BoJ lacks credibility after so many false starts.

Japan’s problems are much deeper than just monetary policy, and only thoroughgoing structural reform can raise long-run growth in real GDP per capita. But Japan’s problems have been made much worse by the BoJ’s failure to follow Friedman’s advice 15 years ago.

Structural reform is harder to achieve in an economy devoid of a long-run nominal anchor. Dr Stephen Kirchner is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies.

28 | BUSINESS NEWS

ADVERTORIAL Actuaries, September 2010

EoFY planning with King’s Funerals As the end of financial year approaches, many of us are turning our minds towards our personal affairs. One item that is frequently overlooked is organising a funeral plan for yourself and your relatives.

THERE are significant financial benefits to preplanning a funeral with Kings Funerals. Under current legislation, your investment is exempt for the purposes of the assets test, income test and deeming provisions of both social security and veterans’ entitlements legislation.

Kings Funerals offers fixed price funeral plans, which is an attractive option for many people as it allows them to pay for their funeral at today’s prices and guarantees that their agreed funeral service will be provided without additional cost.

All funds are invested with Foresters Friendly Society and the investment is capital guaranteed.

As well as offering fixed price funeral plans, Kings Funerals allows clients to pay by instalments, either regularly or sporadically. Unlike funeral insurance, all funds invested through Kings Funerals will contribute to the cost of the funeral.

Call Helen Trigg on 5248 3444 to arrange an obligation-free appointment to discuss your options.

If you would like to learn more about funeral planning options, Helen Trigg and Barbara Abley are available on request to conduct a free education session with your community or business group.

Please call 5248 3444 or email info@kingsfunerals.com.au if you would like further information about this opportunity. kingsfunerals.com.au

Funeral Insurance: Caveat Emptor Many people are signing up with so-called ‘funeral insurance’ schemes that have been intensively promoted in recent years. There are some circumstances in which this product is appropriate to a person’s needs, but if death is not expected within 1 to 7 years of commencing coverage the consumer is likely to end up paying more in premiums than the actual cost of their funeral. For example a person who takes up funeral insurance at age 60 for a $6000 funeral will pay: Over $7,000 in total by age 70 Over $14,000 by age 75 Over $28,000 by age 80 Over $85,000 by age 90 Source: Rice Warner

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Call us for prepaid funeral options Louise, Michael & Beth King

BUSINESS NEWS | 29

TAX stakeholders and external funding and may gain a competitive advantage.

The three common components of working capital that drive cash flow are: trade debtors, inventory (including work in progress) and creditors. These absorb and release cash to fund business operations. It is great to make profit, but how much cash profit is left as surplus after its partial absorption onto the balance sheet?

Improving your Cash Flow Management 1 Turn your Profit and Loss Budget into a 3 way Cash Flow Model - Factor in seasonality and determine breakeven points.

- Test cash flow by performing best and worst case analysis.

- If you are planning for growth, can funding be based on historical cash flow drivers?

- Understand the impacts on your balance sheet.

2 Understand your trade debtor’s days - this a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) as part of monthly management reporting.

Managing cash flow through growth

- Review inventory levels by line. If there is a build up, this may indicate poor inventory management.

30 | BUSINESS NEWS

- Implement a system so covenants are reported as part of performance management.

- If you foresee problems or need cash flow to grow, advise your financiers early.

Know where you stand so you can review your options.

- If you are seeking extra funding, use tools that can analyse your business from a banker’s perspective.

A qualified financial advisor can assist in assessing your working capital position and developing tools including dashboards and three way cash flow models that help manage your working capital.

- Assess bad debt risks early.

MANY businesses manage a short-term cash flow crisis with knee jerk reactions. This may have been adequate when the economy was booming, however in the current economic climate, any business managing cash flow problems with ad hoc responses will put more pressure on its long-term sustainability, not less.

The only way to assess cash flow is to understand

- Understand the covenants you agreed to when you raised the debt and ensure these are reflected in your 3-way cash flow model.

- Review individual clients and exposure. Renegotiate engagement terms.

3 Understand inventory levels and turnover times.

Excess inventory is an overlooked source of cash.

Working capital is one of the most significant measures of a firm’s ability to support day-to-day operations.

Businesses who focus on working capital efficiency reduce their dependence on

5 External funding

- Evaluate the historical debtor days and set new targets.

Successful business owners know the importance of cash flow. After all, ‘cash is king’. But there is often a gap when it comes to understanding what drives cash flow and ultimately how much an owner can draw. the balance sheet and how much cash it has absorbed or released into the business, together with the preparation of an adequate 3-way cash flow model (balance sheet, cash flow and profit and loss).

- If your debtor days are 70 and your creditors are 30 days, you have a gap of 40 days in which the balance sheet is absorbing cash.

While creditors are being paid quickly, debtor days have increased by 8. You could consider negotiating new terms with your suppliers, including the use of consignment stock.

- Implement strategies to realise inventory.

PAUL ROBSON

- Review purchase and disbursement processes.

- Understand inventory lead times 4 Creditors - Do you pay early and collect cash later?

These tax planning tips are a general guide only and your specific circumstances need to be considered.

Accordingly seek expert advice to discuss your personal situation before undertaking any strategies, to ensure all of your circumstances and objectives are considered.

SMALL BIZ

From little things big things grow The idea is a simple one and by no means new – provide a one-stop-shop for small business people to access the many advice and incentive programs available to them.

This is what the newly launched Small Business Smart Business program, run through the Geelong Chamber of Commerce aims to do.

THERE is a no lack of advice and help available for small businesses in Victoria to thelp them start and grow, but in many cases, small business owners find themselves lacking the time to access the various programs. Liz Grant, who is coordinating the Small Business Smart Business progam says there are plenty of successful examples of programs of this type, including the Ballarat Business Centre, launched in 2001.

“There are a huge number of businesses in Geelong, around 15,000 and the vast majority of those are small businesses with 20 or less employees, including many home businesses and micro businesses,” Liz said.

“What we know about many of the people running these businesses is that even though they are working very hard in their business, when it comes to working on their business, many are just muddling through. That’s where we want to be able to help, to make working on their business something they can feasibly do, without it being an expensive process or one that will take up too much time, because let’s face it, a lot of small business owners are already stretched.”

Big business attracts a lot of attention across the nation, but across Australia, and particularly in Victoria, small business is the lifeblood of the economy.

When you consider that in Victoria, small businesses contribute around 30 per cent of the state’s total production and nearly half of the state’s private sector jobs, you start to see why it is important that everything that can reasonably be done to support small businesses, and help them to survive and thrive, is done.

“We also know that around 14 per cent of small businesses close down every year and all levels of government are looking at how to better help small businesses so that they grow, instead of closing down,” Liz said. “This isn’t a role for Big Government, it has to come with a grassroots approach at a regional level if it’s going to work.

“We’ve seen this in Ballarat with the business incubator there, they’ve been going since 2001 and they are doing some really quite interesting things.”

Offering workshops, professional advice and mentoring, the business incubator in Ballarat has helped countless small businesses get out of the various holes they find themselves in, or help them avoid such holes in the first place by developing some solid business planning, providing a good example of what can be achieved.

“They have serviced offices that businesses can hire out, as well as conference facilities, meeting rooms,

hot desks and even virtual offices. What’s great about that is that for businesses that need a space outside of the home or garage to have meetings or to work from for a few days a week, they can access that without the costs of having to maintain a fully separate office. And just to have a separate address adds a level of professionalism to a start up or micro business.”

While the initial two-year funding allocation won’t allow for the development of office spaces, Liz has set a challenging goal of helping 2,000 businesses in the first 24 months of the program.

“It’s a big goal, but we have more than 500 small businesses who are members of the Chamber and we will be looking to various networks to contact local businesses and spread the word about Small Business Smart Business.

“The idea is to put together a series of programs using existing networks to communicate to and engage with small businesses.”

The widespread availability of business advice online has, Liz said, in many cases added to the confusion of business owners, rather than solving their problems.

The types of assistance to be offered under the Small Business Smart Business banner will range from helping develop business concepts and start ups, including support and mentoring, developing to do lists and assistance with establishing a business plan through to many of the areas a business needs to address in order to grow successfully.

These include assistance with recruitment, creating new contacts and networking, marketing and building customer relationships, business infrastructure and security.

“A lot of businesses are too busy to be looking for this type of assistance,” Liz said.

“We have to get into the existing business networks

and the get the message out about what we’re doing. And it can be daunting, accessing support and services. Small business people just don’t have the time, they really need someone to do it for them but can’t necessarily afford to pay someone to do that. That’s where we can help.”

While the information and resources available from both public and private entities covers many of the issues faced by small business, what Geelong small businesses have asked for is one place for them go to receive relevant local advice and information.

In response, Ausindustry have awarded funding to the Geelong Chamber of Commerce Small Business Smart Business Program to coordinate existing resources and fill gaps in information and services to help small businesses in the region start, operate and grow.

“We recently asked Geelong small businesses if there was a need for a ‘one stop shop’ for information and advice and more than 50 per cent of respondents said there was a great need, and a further 41 per cent said there was a moderate need. Almost 80 per cent of respondents also said that they would support such an opportunity in the Geelong region,” Liz said.

“We recognise that there are already a lot of great resources available to small business, so what we’re doing is putting this information in the one place. This will also help us identify any gaps for local businesses, where we can create opportunities for Geelong providers to deliver services at minimal cost to small business.”

Watch out for the launch of the Small Business Smart Business website in the coming weeks.

For more information on Small Business Smart Business, call Liz Grant on 03 5222 2234.

DAVINA MONTGOMERY BUSINESS NEWS | 31

ROTARY

Welcome back to Rotary!

Ron Riddle likens his first Geelong Rotary Club meeting as a “welcome homecoming.” The design manager for Select Architects was certainly no stranger to the service organisation.

RON had been a Rotarian in the 1980s and early 1990s before heading to the Middle East to oversee several major building projects in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. He was a founding member and a president of the fledgling Moorleigh Rotary Club, which takes in the Melbourne bayside suburbs of Bentleigh and Moorabbin, and continued his involvement in Rotary International over the next two decades. But moving to Geelong two years ago presented an opportunity to immerse himself again in grass roots club activities.

“Select Architects decided to take up a Corporate Membership with the Geelong club last November and I jumped at the chance,” he says. “It was like returning home. The welcome and the camaraderie were as I remembered them and the commitment to serve had not waned in the slightest.”

Ron says as a newcomer to Geelong, the club opened the door to the local community.

“Rotarians are well connected in every sphere of business and social life and this amazing network gave me an insight into what is happening in the community and across the region.”

He also appreciates the benefits of the vast experience of members.

“They make things happen; they provide you with the opportunity to be part of a team that is giving something back to the community.

“That, in my view, is the very essence of Rotary.”

Select Architects, a multi-discipline company specialising in architectural services, town planning, land surveying and construction administration, has offices in Melbourne and Geelong. The firm decided to participate in the Geelong club’s Corporate

Membership trial last November and is represented by company principal Peter Serra and Ron. Peter also is a current Rotarian.

Ron says the new membership category allows people with busy business schedules to share meetings and club activities.

“It is the perfect solution if you want to serve your community but find your time outside of work is limited.

The arrangement is working well for Peter and I and we are thoroughly enjoying the experience.”

Already, they have put up their hands for committees; Peter has become a member of community services and Ron has joined the international committee. Here too Ron is in familiar territory.

In the past, he undertook significant pro bono work in Papua New Guinea. Projects there included the Martyrs school at Popondetto, north of Port Moresby, where Rotary built additional student accommodation, a rotunda, an extension to an existing chapel and an ablutions block. He was also involved in construction of a new school at Bougainville Island.

In his new committee role, he is working on several projects simultaneously. They include developing architectural

documentation for a new school at Sariri, in north-east PNG, and a new hospital kitchen at Viqueque in East Timor, and designing DIY bush houses for indigenous communities across northern Australia.

“It is extremely satisfying contributing to projects that benefit people in difficult situations,” says Ron. “Of course, I am in the fortunate position of working for a business that makes available without cost facilities and resources, such as junior architects, for important community projects in Australia and overseas.

“We are making a contribution through our area of expertise, notably architecture and construction. It is very rewarding and we are totally committed.”

Ron has advice for individuals and companies contemplating community service.

“Rotary is the ideal vehicle for giving back to the community in which you work and live. It has the people, the contacts and the means to make a difference.”

Further information about Corporate Membership with the Geelong Rotary Club can be obtained by telephoning 5222 3775 or visit the website at geelongrotary.org.au

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For further information call Andrew Lawson on 5222 3775 or visit us at:- geelongrotary.org.au

Rotary Club of Geelong Inc. E: info@geelongrotary.org.au

32 | BUSINESS NEWS

LEGAL sexually harassed her, which were incurred by them from the date that the victim had rejected the offer of $55,000.

Cautionary tale on sexual harassment claims In 2010 there was a lot of publicity regarding the sensational sexual harassment claim made by Kristy Fraser-Kirk against Mark McInnes and David Jones Limited (the DJ’s case). The claim sought damages of over $35 million.

Employers all over the country ought to have been concerned about the proposed magnitude of such a claim. In October 2010 it was reported that the claim by Ms Fraser-Kirk was settled for $850,000. This was considerably less than the original amount claimed, but still an extraordinary amount. Since the DJ’s case, the expectation of some victims of sexual harassment in relation to damages that could be awarded was dramatically inflated.

However, there have been two recent cases that have produced devastating results for the claimants.

In Dye v Commonwealth Securities Limited the Federal Court held that the employee’s claims, including sexual harassment and discrimination, were “each without any factual

foundation or legal substance”. The Federal Court ordered Miss Dye to pay almost $6 million in legal costs to her former employer.

In a more recent sexual harassment case handed down on 19 April 2013, the Federal Court in Richardson v Oracle Corporation Australia Pty Ltd (the Richardson case) found that a senior Oracle employee had in fact been sexually harassed by a male colleague, however the award of compensation was $18,000.

Unfortunately for this victim of sexual harassment, the Court found that she had rejected a genuine offer to settle the case for $55,000 in September 2010. As a result, the victim was ordered to pay the costs of Oracle, as well as the costs of the male colleague who had

Confused by Workplace Laws?

In an affidavit produced by the victim’s lawyers, it was revealed that the victim’s costs for her own lawyers had reached $224,475.80.

The Judge was critical of the victim’s lawyers and held, “… the proceeding would have been conducted solely for the financial benefit of her lawyers.”

The Richardson case is a stark example of the complexity involved in bringing a sexual harassment claim. In the Richardson case, even though the Court had found that the victim had been sexually harassed, the economic result has been financially devastating for the victim who will now suffer a huge costs burden, not only in relation to her own costs, but also in relation to her obligation to pay the significant costs incurred by her former employer and the perpetrator of the sexual harassment.

The Richardson case is also instructive in relation to the importance of having adequate sexual harassment policies. Oracle argued that it had a “Code of Ethics and Business Conduct” policy, which required employees to undertake online sexual

harassment training every two years. However, the Federal Court found that the policy was inadequate because it did not state that sexual harassment was against the law.

Employers are vicariously liable for the wrongful conduct of employees in the workplace, including engaging in sexual harassment. One factor in defending a claim for sexual harassment is for an employer to prove that it has a properly drafted sexual harassment policy.

Such a policy not only helps protect the employer from sexual harassment claims, but also assists in educating employees that such conduct is unlawful and will not be tolerated.

JIM RUTHERFORD Principal, Accredited Specialist in Workplace Relations Law

SONIA McCABE Lawyer

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www.harwoodandrews.com.au BUSINESS NEWS | 33

ADVERTORIAL

Masters Games volunteers to lead the way Hosting Australia’s largest multi sporting event is no easy feat – but Geelong has it covered.

WHEN the 14th Australian Masters Games rolls into town this October, it will come with over 8000 participants competing in 55 different sports across more than 50 local venues. And as is the case with any large mass participation event, the wheels don’t turn without the invaluable support of volunteers.

Such is the recent interest and development in this area

that today’s volunteering environment is a far cry from years ago. Now, the benefits of volunteering are being reaped both ways.

Australian Masters Games has chosen to participate in Volunteer Geelong’s Leading with Standards Program, recognising that the current generation of volunteers have higher expectations of volunteering than previous generations.

The program will ensure the event meets or exceeds best business practices with its volunteer program and that the benefits taken away from each individual volunteer’s experience are both satisfying and rewarding.

Gail Rodgers, Manager of Volunteering Geelong said, “Over a quarter of the Geelong population volunteer, providing critical support and service provision within our community. The Leading with Standards program ensures that this valuable human resource is managed and supported effectively.”

Volunteering allows former logistics manager, Chris White, aged 69, to continue to get this satisfaction and reward from one of his life’s loves, sport, despite no longer being a participant.

Following a heart attack that prompted his retirement in 2001, Chris has volunteered at the 2003 Rugby World Cup, 2006 Commonwealth Games and 2009 Australian Masters Games.

USE YOUR TALENTS, MEET NEW PEOPLE, LEARN NEW SKILLS

XIV AUSTRALIAN MASTERS GAMES

GEELONG 5-12 OCTOBER 2013

34 | BUSINESS NEWS

“I got so much out of my love of sport when I participated – social skills, team work and life skills – so I really like the opportunity to remain involved and give back to the sport community that gave me so much.”

The Leading with Standards

Program is conducted over 6 months and, although not mandatory, is viewed by Australian Masters Games as vital in their vision as an event for all.

Cr Ron Nelson, Chair of Geelong Major Events, highlighted the broader role of events like the Australian Masters Games.

“The Games provide a tremendous opportunity to be a part of a big event team, and deliver what will be one of Australia’s largest multisport festivals right here in Geelong,” said Cr Nelson.

“We’ve had large volunteer teams come together for many of the major events that Geelong has hosted, including the UCI Road Cycling World Championships in 2010 through to the Victorian Open Golf Tournament held in February this year. It’s always good when the participation opportunity with these major events extends beyond the sports field or spectator stands, and I hope that many from our local community will take up the chance to get involved.”

To find out more about what you can achieve as a volunteer with the 14th Australian Masters Games, visit AustralianMastersGames.com

LEGAL The Court found that the Google search response is entirely determined by the key words or terms chosen by the advertiser and the user’s search terms. It was made clear that Google does not create (as an author would) the sponsored link that it publishes.

Google cleared of misleading and deceptive conduct Google has been cleared by the High Court of Australia of engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct through its online advertising service, AdWords.

IN February 2013, the High Court held that Google Inc did not engage in misleading and deceptive conduct under Section 52 of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), for representations contained in the AdWords service.

AdWords uses key words or search terms as a trigger for advertisements to appear in a Google user’s search results.

The key issue determined by the High Court was whether or not Google was liable for misrepresentations contained in advertisements communicated to users.

The case was first heard in the Federal Court of Australia, where the Australian Competition and Consumer

Commission (ACCC) alleged that sponsored links were misleading and deceptive because an ordinary consumer would be confused as to whether or not they were advertisements. The evidence presented in the High Court provided the example of a user entering “Harvey World Travel” and obtaining results for “STA Travel”. The Court rejected this argument in its entirety.

On appeal to the full Federal Court of Australia, the ACCC claimed that Google was acting as a conduit or provided the medium through which misleading and deceptive advertisements were communicated to users.

Having looked at the mechanics of the AdWords service, the High Court found that “members of the relevant class” (as defined by the High Court) would not believe that Google had endorsed or adopted the contents of those advertisements.

As a result of this decision, Google Inc will no longer monitor and restrict keywords for advertisements in response to complaints made by trade mark owners. Trade mark owners will now have to pursue each advertiser directly if they believe their trade mark has been inappropriately used.

The decision is also consistent with similar cases recently heard by the Court, which indicate that Google is in a similar position to a television network or newspaper and is not liable for the content of advertisements placed by its advertising customers.

The case highlights the importance of language and copy in advertisements. It serves as a reminder that punchy tag lines and sales pitches (regardless of the method which it is delivered to customers) may trigger breaches of Section 52 of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) and / or its equivalent under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth).

GIZELLE MANOLI Senior Lawyer and Trade Mark Attorney

Disclaimer: This article contains general comments only. Specific legal advice should be obtained in relation to any matters associated with the topic discussed.

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BUSINESS NEWS | 35

NEWS

Budding horticulturists enrol at Werribee Park The doors of the Australian College of Agriculture and Horticulture (ACAH) have been opened for the first time at the historic Werribee Park farm homestead. The college is a joint venture between Parks Victoria and AMES, Victoria’s largest multicultural services provider.

THROUGH their program, Working Beyond the Boundaries, Parks Victoria is encouraging more community partnerships and greater involvement in park management.

The new college has 18 future horticulturists enrolled, with many more to come.

Local high school students have chosen the course for vocational training prior to seeking an apprenticeship, other enrolments are from the local community, and all are seeking a career in horticulture.

Courses on offer include Certificate II and III Amenity Horticulture, which can be combined with Vocational English.

Parks Victoria has negotiated for more flexible study options offering student’s shorter days over an extended period of time, to accommodate sole carers of school children.

Furthermore, this year’s courses are fully subsidised by a Federal Government grant.

they can be involved in many different gardening projects and directly see the results of their work. They will have hands-on experience working alongside garden staff in the formal gardens, kitchen garden and historic orchard.

Training co-ordinator with ACAH, Alvin Gopal, believes they have a fantastic learning environment.

“Students absorb and retain knowledge much better when they’re in a place like this where they can see and practice what they’re learning,” he said.

Students have already been involved in their first handson assignment, replanting the newly renovated Parterre garden with 7000 flowering annuals.

The stunning garden is fast

becoming popular with bridal parties for its coloured gravel walkways taking you amongst the floral beds.

The walkways have also made the garden much more sustainable, saving water and many hours of weeding and maintenance, according to the park’s Horticulturalist, Adam Smith.

The renovation of the Parterre garden is part of an overall drought protection plan, Ranger in Charge, James Brincat, said.

“By reducing the overall number of plants in the display, we will save over 100,000 litres of water a year.

This means that the health and future of this special park garden is now guaranteed, regardless of future drought conditions.”

Horticultural students at ACAH have the advantage of on-site learning where

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MAY DAY donation to the appeal.”

Sending out a May Day appeal Like many of the best ideas, Give Where You Live’s May Day Appeal is simple – in a city of around 220,000 people, imagine if every resident donated just $1.

“It’s a funny thing, because this idea started as more complicated than that, but in the development stage the idea became more and more simple until we suddenly said, ‘Why don’t we just ask everyone for $1?’ We all looked at each other and said, ‘Hey, that’s a good idea.’

So, that’s what we’ve done,” said Give Where You Live CEO, Bill Mithen.

“We ran the campaign for the first time last year and it kicked off pretty well. We had a really good day at the Geelong game down at Simmonds Stadium and were able to collect some pretty good funds on that day, and we were able to get the message out to all the people there as well. Unfortunately, because of the stadium redevelopment there are no games there in May, but the message is getting out there again, if every man, woman and child gives $1 we could raise over $200,000. We may never quite get to that, but you never know.”

Businesses throughout Geelong could have a significant impact on the success of this campaign, which is why Bill and everyone at Give Where You Live are calling on as many businesses as possible to get behind the appeal, to request a donation pack (including donation bucket and posters).

“We would love for as many businesses as we can get to have a donation bucket on their front counter for the month. For businesses that don’t have an active front counter, we’ve had businesses do some really unique things during the month to help us along.

For example, at Mr Penny’s butchers in Newtown, instead of asking for people for $2 to buy bones for their dogs, they asked them to put that money into the tin. We really want businesses involved in any way they can – that can be having a morning tea, or a casual dress day or some sort of social function, with staff making a gold coin

One of the beauties of a campaign of this kind is that almost everyone can affordably manage to scrounge up a gold coin donation for everyone in their home. It’s a small individual cost that when shared across the region could result in a funding windfall for vital local community services.

“We regularly ask people for money, obviously, and we’re not the only ones. Many other organisations are regularly asking people for money, which is why we didn’t want to make this too complicated or too onerous. Let’s just ask people to throw in a dollar, and if you’ve thrown in your dollar, you’ve done your bit and we thank you very much.

If you can afford to throw in more than a dollar, then even better and that’s fantastic, but that’s not the ask; the ask is for one dollar from every person.

“What we really want to achieve out of this, and I think we will achieve it over time, is that it becomes really part of the Geelong psyche - that the month of May becomes the May Day Appeal month.

“I guess what we would really like it to become is, in a way, like the Good Friday Appeal in Melbourne. Everyone associates Good Friday with the Royal Children’s Hospital Appeal and they know that if they are out and about on Good Friday that there will be tin shakers out collecting coins for the Good Friday Appeal. This is a similar sort of thing and we wanted to develop something that is solely dedicated to Geelong. This is a Geelong organisation, collecting money from Geelong people to be spent in Geelong.”

Official donation sites around the region include any Bendigo Bank branch, any GMHBA branch and all City of Greater Geelong customer service centres.

For businesses who want to be involved, they can register their interest on the Give Where You Live website at www.givewhereyoulive.com. au; call: 5229 4364; or email: admin@givewhereyoulive. com.au.

You can also donate online via the website by clicking on the May Day Appeal window.

“It’s Geelong’s appeal, it’s an appeal for Geelong. The money stays in Geelong, the money gets spend addressing vulnerable communities and helping vulnerable people in Geelong.

BUSINESS NEWS | 37

THE TECH GUY

The Tech Guy Every month, our Tech Guy, Jon Mamonski, brings us the wildest, most mind-blowing gadgets he can find...

I know what you’re thinking; the only thing missing from this ridiculously expensive, excessively tricked-out toilet is a USB port.

Well, it’s time you welcomed your posh-terior to the 21st century, because Kohler have just released the second edition of its now $6,000 throne, the aptly named Numi Comfort Height.

Apart from the aforementioned port, it has an enhanced commode with a Bluetooth receiver for streaming tunes behind you and an SD card reader for importing playlists and

personalised welcome greetings.

There’s an accessible battery pack for flushing in the dark and ambient lighting so you can keep the party going when it’s time to... well… take care of business.

If that wasn’t enough to inspire your toilet time, Kohler’s lifted the seat to a more comfortable 46 centimetres, which it says, “makes sitting down and standing up easier for most adults.”

If you’re flushed with success, it’s time to save up for your new cistern chapel.

Dogcam Connected Loo

If you’re in Japan anytime soon, you can pick up this Sony dog cam mount for $55.

The mount is compatible with Sony’s HDR-AS15 rugged video camera and it features adjustable straps to fit medium-

38 | BUSINESS NEWS

to-large sized canines.

Sony says the lightweight 128g design won’t wear dogs down and imagine the joy of keeping an eye on Fido at home, asleep in his cot, on your work PC.

THE TECH GUY Lightroom 5 is here

Can you believe it? A 4K TV for $1500

Adobe has just announced its next version of Lightroom, which adds some pretty nifty Photoshop features to the company’s lower-priced editing and archival offering.

Photoshop Lightroom 5, which is available as a free public beta now, brings features like Smart Previews and an Advanced Healing Brush, delivering access to tools previously only available with full versions of Photoshop.

image once the source comes back online.

Another tool, called Radial Filter, adjusts levels for a highlighted area while adding a gradual, naturallooking shift.

The Advanced Healing Brush lets you paint in corrections, rather than using the round dropper to make tweaks.

Editors who often work with scanned prints and negatives might find the Visualize Spots tool to be quite useful, which helps you easily identify dust spots and remove them, while perfectionists can take advantage of Upright, the app’s new perspective shift technology. It’s some kind of code that more or less works like magic (see pic).

Smart Previews enables you to edit images even when you’re not connected to your archive and any changes you make to them will be automatically applied to the original

Lightroom 5 beta is compatible with Windows 7 SP 1, Windows 8, Mac OS 10.7 or 10.8, and expires on June 30th so prepare to hand over some cash to keep going after that date.

Whether you’re looking to instill fear in the hearts of enemies at work or just want to edit spreadsheets in style, this Iron Man mouse will do everything a normal mouse can... just way cooler.

Ironman or mouse?

To capitalise on the hype around the third installment of the superhero film franchise, Japanese company e-blue (aka E-3LUE) has released this gold and hot-rod red peripheral with Tony

Stark’s blessing. Two AAA batteries power the wireless mouse (the Arc reactor was too expensive), which has a resolution of 1000 dpi and most importantly, light-up eyes.

For roughly $115, you also get a “Proof that Tony Stark has a heart” presentation case to show it off in.

Make sure you’re clutching it in your right hand while watching Ironman 3 at the cinema.

Yes, its real and the Gizmodo analyst is in love with it - a 50-inch 4k ultra high definition TV. It’s basic, but it really delivers twice the resolution of the best picture you’re watching now.

Building upon its reputation as the value-driven HDTV maker, SEIKI Digital, Inc. (www.

SEIKI.com), has introduced its 50-inch class LED 4K Ultra HDTV, featuring a panel resolution of 3840by-2160, which is twice the resolution with four times as many pixels as full 1080p HDTVs. Shipping to the US this month, the SEIKI Model: SE50UY04 will be priced at an MSRP of $1,499.99. SEIKI plans to roll out a 65-inch screen size model later this year Frank Kendzora, executive vice president at SEIKI says, “The SEIKI 4K picture quality is stunning, with clarity and vivid

It just makes such good sense.

Honda’s 2014 Odyssey will ship with one very practical addition, a built-in HondaVAC, so you can leave your vacuum cleaner and long extension lead back in the cupboard inside.

Why hasn’t somebody thoughT of this before?

The integrated vacuum cleaner lets you tidy up around the vehicle outside as well - and with integrated

colours that far surpasses conventional HDTVs. “At the SEIKI price point, today’s TV buyers can futureproof their next purchase with the latest Ultra HDTV technology, enjoy current highdefinition video content and be ready to experience 4K content as it becomes available in the near future.”

The SEIKI 50-inch 4K2K Ultra HDTV model features 120Hz response rate with builtin digital and analogue channel tuning and multiple video and audio connections to support current high-definition video content.

The model is also packaged with a HDMI 1.4 standard cable to enable video resolutions beyond 1080p.

Let’s hope Ruslan Kogan is onto this one, as it would make a stunning Christmas present.

power, meaning it doesn’t need to be plugged in for use.

It can keep sucking when the engine’s running or for up to eight minutes with the car turned off. It’s integrated within the rear cargo area and includes a replaceable filter and a canister bag for easy rubbish disposal.

BUSINESS NEWS | 39 37

ARTS

J o

Frankenstein

Tommy Fleming

May 16 - 18

14 May

The production that astonished and enthralled audiences and attracted rave reviews in its London season, now British playwright Nick Dear’s reimaging of Mary Shelley’s classic gothic tale, Frankenstein, is coming to GPAC this May.

Artist Network presents the “Voice of Ireland” as Tommy Fleming returns to Australia in May 2013.

Forced to survive in the real world, a man-made creature soon loses his childlike innocence and transforms into an adult being – an adult with bitterness, lust, vengeance and deadly reasoning.

The Creature is cast out by his creator (the young Doctor Frankenstein) and unleashed upon the world. He is shunned for his grotesque appearance and spurned by society wherever he goes.

When a blind man takes Frankenstein’s monstrous creation under his wing and educates him, the Creature begins to question his existence and to yearn for a future without loneliness. His search for a partner brings him back to his maker, with vengeance foremost in his mind.

This spine-tingling adaptation was a huge hit for the National Theatre in London in 2011, soon you’ll know why.

Not for the faint hearted!

The Playhouse, GPAC www.gpac.org.au

40 | BUSINESS NEWS

Tommy brings his own beautiful interpretation of classic and contemporary songs such as Bridge Over Troubled Water, The Isle of Innisfree, Something Inside So Strong, and what Eric Clapton describes as: “the best version of Danny Boy bar none”, and many others.

His recording and performing credentials speak for themselves; with over 32 platinum albums under his belt and has already brought his mesmerising voice to audiences around the world, performing in prestigious venues such as New York’s Carnegie Hall.

Returning to Australia for his third tour will delight Tommy’s legion of fans across Australia, having built a reputation of drawing capacity crowds across his previous Australian tours.

Alick Tipoti Zugubal 2009 Linocut

Alick Tipoti + David Bosun Printmakers from the Torres Strait Islands 16 May – 01 June Alick Tipoti and David Bosun are members of an important ‘school’ of contemporary Torres Strait Islander artists.

Traditionally, small Islander audiences experienced TSI culture through storytelling and dance. Tipoti and Bosun are two artists who are translating their culture

into a contemporary visual art form, and their linocuts are acclaimed in Australia and internationally.

From the tiny community of Badu Island in Torres Strait, situated between the northern tip of Australia and Papua New Guinea, Alick Tipoti and David Bosun are highly collected Australian artists, with works in many important Australian and international permanent collections.

Metropolis Gallery, Geelong www.metropolisgallery.com.au

A Tommy Fleming concert is a musical experience not to be missed. He has a universal appeal to all ages and backgrounds with a fan base that is growing stronger worldwide year by year.

GPAC, Geelong www.gpac.org.au David Bosun Kek-Monsoon Season Linocut

ARTS

Jon Frank - Untitled (Seascape #1) 2010, archival pigment print on fibre rag © Jon Frank

Jon Frank - Untitled (Eastern Beach, Geelong) 2012, archival pigment print on fibre rag © Jon Frank

Seascapes — Jon Frank

Lee Kernaghan Beautiful Noise Tour

18 May – 14 July

Large format photographs inspired by local bodies of water: portraits of bathers enjoying Geelong’s Eastern Beach on a single 40-degree afternoon are juxtaposed with seascapes that capture the power of the ocean and its waves.

Geelong Gallery, Geelong www.geelonggallery.org.au

GPAC’s Family Magic presents Possum Magic 25 May A Garry Ginivan Attraction Based on the book written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Julie Vivas Grandma Poss made bush magic. She made Wombats blue and Kookaburra’s pink, Dingo’s smile and Emu’s Shrink, but the best magic of all was the “POSSUM MAGIC”, that made Baby Hush invisible. First published in 1983 Possum Magic was an instant success with children and parents alike. In 1990 the musical stage adaptation had its world premiere, which was SOLD OUT before it opened. Since then Possum Magic - The Musical is now firmly established as the most successful musical for children and families EVER. There have been three extensive national tours, funded by Playing Australia

and countless shorter seasons across the nation.

2013 will mark the 30th Anniversary of publication and over 20 years on stage.

Possum Magic - 2013 - will be the Final Farwell Tour and with the support of the publishers, it is bound to be the highlight of children’s theatre for the year.

GPAC, Geelong www.gpac.org.au

Sundowner 25 May “It’s the strangest thing. No longer being able to tell what is the past and what is the present...”

The realm of memory remains a great mystery. Through the eyes of three generations, Sundowner tells the story of so many Australian families. If a loved one starts to lose their memories, what roles can we play in holding on to them?

How can we care for them in the present while honouring their memory?

Starring Helen Morse, Sundowner combines theatre, dance and physicality in a story of lament and at times, grief and sorrow. Ultimately though, this is a story of love: love of family, love of history and love of life. ‘...it succeeds in what it sets out to do; engage, affect, educate and entertain’ The Australian Tickets available from Box Office 8734 6000 Wyndham Cultural Centre, Werribee www.wyncc.com.au

25 May Since barnstorming his way onto the country music charts with the mega hit Boys From The Bush Lee Kernaghan has notched up 32 number one hits on the Australian Country Chart, won a staggering 28 Golden Guitars and has sold two million albums in the Australian market.

His music gave birth to rural rock and songs like Hat Town, She’s My Ute and The Outback Club gave voice to a new generation of country Australia. Now he is back, stretching the musical envelope yet again with what industry insiders are calling another ground-breaking album - Beautiful Noise.

Lee will be taking his new album on the road throughout 2013 with a new show featuring new songs and sounds from the Beautiful Noise album plus all of his classic hits including Boys From The Bush, Hat Town, Dirt, Planet Country, Texas QLD 4385, The Way It Is… and more.

Lee’s special guests for the tour are The Wolfe Brothers. Hailing from Hobart Tasmania, The Wolfe Brothers burst on to the scene in 2012 when the nation voted them into the Grand Final of Australia’s Got Talent. Their first album, It’s On, was released in January 2013.

Lee Kernaghan is one of Australia’s greatest live entertainers. When you add the energy and excitement of The Wolfe Brothers in one show you get what will be the country music event of the year. Book now.

Deakin University Geelong Waterfront Campus www.gpac.org.au

MOON BY AUSTRALIAN VOICES 27 May MOON is a stunning a cappella choral-theatre experience by The Australian Voices – recently returning with 5 stars from Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The first half is a classical choral concert with beautiful choral works by Rachmaninoff, Bruckner and Beibl alongside pieces like The Australian Voices YouTube hit The Facebook Song and other contemporary Australian works by Stephen Leek, Gordon Hamilton, Nigel Butterley and more.

Following interval, the show enters choral-theatre mode with the intergalactic love story, MOON. This epic song of love, featuring 10 movements (songs), MOON tells the story of the lonely Diana, her search for love and the twists of a very long-distance relationship.

Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat www.hermaj.com

BUSINESS NEWS | 41

COMMUNITY

Local art competition honours artists of all abilities The annual KarnivART exhibition and competition celebrates the talents of artists with a disability or mental illness. KarnivART 2013 was officially launched with a gathering of over 90 art enthusiasts at Karingallery in James St, Geelong.

Organised by Karingal through its initiative BacLinks, and sponsored by Technology One, this year’s KarnivART event showcased artwork created by artists over the age of 18 from Geelong, Barwon South West and Southern Metropolitan regions of Victoria.

The winner of KarnivART 2013 was ‘Girls with Roses’, a delicate watercolour painted by talented young artist Zoe Zanos. To further develop her artistic endeavours Zoe was awarded $800 in prize money, which included purchase of her artwork by Karingal.

The second place award, in honour of former very talented Karingallery artist, Ian Scarlett, The Ian Scarlett Prize and $150 was awarded to Shirley Parker for her untitled etching. Third prize of $50 was awarded to Aaron Deans for his pencil and fineliner pen drawing ‘Severe Thunderstorms around the World’.

Submissions came from Art Limited, Karingallery, as

well as independents, each judged for originality, use of materials, elements and composition to determine the winner of the coveted KarnivART trophy.

Karingal CEO, Daryl Starkey, said that the exhibition, now in its fifth year, welcomed 46 entries in a range of mediums, including sculpture, drawings and paintings.

“This year’s work was very impressive,” said Mr Starkey.

“We encourage the artists to tell us the story behind their artwork, including what inspired the piece they submitted to the exhibition.

“One of the most important things we can achieve is working together with people with a disability and mental illness to support them to lead the life they want, including creative achievements,” he said.

Guests previewed the artwork, mingled with the artists, judges and patrons while they enjoyed live music, and wine and fine finger food prepared by Karingal’s catering arm, Kommercial.

Jamie Daddo with former Geelong footballer Doug Wade at the KarnivART launch.

42 | BUSINESS NEWS

‘Girl with Roses’ KarnivART Prize winning entry by Zoe Zanos.

Inset: C heryl Graham, Chair of Karingal Board, presenting the 2013 KarnivART Trophy to Zoe Zanos VIP guests included representatives from sponsor Technology One and Karingal Senior Management and Board; Cr Kylie Fisher; Liberal Member for Corangamite, Sarah Henderson; former Geelong Footballer Doug Wade; local artist Ray Reardon, and a number of Geelong identities.

Prize winners were announced at the launch

by Karingal Board Chair, Cheryl Graham, along with Behnam Roohizadegan, State Manager, Technology One, who as one of four judges also had the difficult task of choosing prize winners from the very competitive field of entries.

The launch was also attended by two other judges, acclaimed artist Jamie Daddo and Art school/Gallery owner, Susan Hayward. Local illustrator Robert Ingpen

made up the fourth member of the judging panel, who were unanimous in choosing the winning artwork.

Events such as the KarnivART and community-based projects rely on the generous sponsorship and/or volunteer support from businesses and their employees. BacLinks facilitate a number of events and projects requiring a variety of support options to meet a range of community needs.

If you are interested in learning how your business can contribute to our community in a meaningful way please talk to one of the BacLinks team on 5249 8989 or visit www.baclinks.org.au.

COMMUNITY

Government strangles charity Government reforms of Australia’s $43 billion charitable sector will threaten the good work of charities nationally.

The reforms are intended to boost public confidence, but risk turning the charitable sector into just another branch of government, according to a new report from The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS).

While charities originally depended on private, voluntary action, today they depend more on high levels of taxpayer funding and therefore risk becoming lobbyists on behalf of the government, warns CIS researcher Peter Kurti, in CIS report In the Pay of the Piper: Governments, Not-for-Profits, and the Burden of Regulation.

Last year, the Gillard government set up the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission to regulate the nation’s charities and supposedly build public trust in the sector.

burdens already borne by charities, it also threatens to fundamentally change the meaning of charity,” he says.

Kurti has a simple message for our government: “The voluntary spontaneity that lies at the heart of charitable endeavour in a healthy civil society is in danger of being stifled,” he warns.

“Government needs to get out of the way of charitable giving.”

The CIS report, In the Pay of the Piper: Governments, Notfor-Profits and The Business of Regulation is available at www.cis.org.au from April 23.

ACCI to focus on workplace mental health Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) Chief Executive, Peter Anderson, and beyondblue CEO, Kate Carnell AO, have signed a Letter of Collaboration as part of a partnership working towards improving mental health in Australian workplaces. beyondblue’s workplace

mental health initiatives reach small and medium enterprises as they represent the majority of Australian workplaces, the partnership with ACCI aims to provide further support and raise awareness.

“By working with the ACCI, beyondblue will be able to raise awareness, exchange information and support good mental health practices in the workplace and among business owners,” Ms Carnell said.

The initiative will draw upon existing knowledge and experience of mental health issues in Australian workplaces, as well as people’s personal mental health stories.

The day the partnership was signed, ACCI Chief Executive Peter Anderson shared his personal experience of losing his brother to suicide and the impact it had on his family.

Ms Carnell believes sharing stories such as these will help erase some of the social stigma of speaking openly about mental health issues.

People’s personal stories

and experience will help beyondblue to develop relevant and engaging ways to communicate with Australian workers who may be concerned about a colleague, family member, friend, or themselves.

Over three million Australians live with depression or anxiety, and even if you don’t experience depression or anxiety yourself, it is likely someone you know will.

This is why partnerships with business organisations are so important and all Australians will benefit from more mental health friendly workplaces.

Ms Carnell says SMEs have the ability to make positive changes because they have more face-toface interactions, but face additional challenges in not having access to the infrastructure and resources available to larger organisations.

The partnership between beyondblue and ACCI also aims to help address these challenges.

Dwindling income from voluntary contributions may have provoked fears that the public has lost confidence in charities.

However, international evidence indicates that every dollar the government gives to charity drives away up to 40 cents in private donations.

“The real problem is that charities appear to have lost confidence in the true concept of charity and have become used to depending on government,” says Kurti.

Plans to extend the meaning of charity with a new statutory definition to include political activism will result in charities finding it harder, not easier, to do their work effectively.

While some level of regulation of the charitable sector is necessary to prevent fraud, Kurti believes the true spirit of charity is threatened by the extent of these reforms.

“The new regulatory regime will not only add to the administrative

Peter Anderson and Kate Carnell at the signing of a Letter of Collaboration between ACCI and beyondblue.

BUSINESS NEWS | 43

COMMUNITY

Restored Eureka Flag returned to Eureka Stockade site Australia’s most iconic symbol of democratic struggle and defiance is now on display at Ballarat’s new national Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka (M.A.D.E).

The Flag of the Southern Cross (Eureka Flag) has been returned to the site of the Eureka Stockade for the first time since it was hoisted there more than 150 years ago.

The Eureka Flag flew over Australia’s only armed uprising, when rebellious gold miners took a stand for their rights in the 1854 Eureka Stockade.

M.A.D.E was built on the site of the Eureka Stockade and is open from May 4 with the Eureka Flag as the centrepiece.

The Flag will be on display in a purpose-built, darkened, temperature-controlled gallery.

The precious Australian treasure was re-located into the new museum in a high security, highly confidential three-day operation.

Following the Eureka Stockade battle, the Flag was taken down by trooper John King, and it remained with the King family until 1895 when King’s widow placed the flag on loan at what is now known as the Art Gallery of Ballarat.

conservation is always a painstaking process.

The Gallery has been the Flag’s custodian for more than a century, and has generously loaned the Flag to M.A.D.E.

The Art Gallery of Ballarat has loaned the Flag to M.A.D.E for an initial two-year period, after which the agreement will be reviewed. Subject to that review, the loan will then be confirmed for a further three years, making it a five-year agreement.

M.A.D.E Chair, Professor David Battersby, said they are extremely appreciative of the generous loan, which will be used for display and educational purposes.

“The Eureka Flag is a potent symbol that resonates with many Australians,” Professor Battersby said. “To us, the flag represents much more than a battle. The flag shows how the actions of a few, who want a fairer, more just world, can ignite changes that are still relevant to Australian democracy today.”

Recently, conservators spent several months, including 300 hours of hand stitching, to preserve the 159 year-old textile.

The conservation team was led by Kristin Phillips, the Principal Textiles Conservator at Artlab Australia, who said

“The flag’s life has been hard. Most of the damage happened after the actual battle when parts of it were cut off and given away as souvenirs,” Ms Phillips said.

M.A.D.E is open from May 4 with an exciting program of events planned for the weekends of 4 – 5 and 11 – 12 May. Full program of activities is available online at www.made.org

PwC Transparency Awards honour – The Leukaemia Foundation of Australia celebrates three years running The Leukaemia Foundation of Australia is celebrating a Top 10 finish in the PwC Transparency Awards – for the third consecutive year.

The PwC Transparency Awards were introduced to Australia in 2008 to recognise improvement in the quality and transparency of reporting in the not-for-profit sector.

The accolade has reinforced the Foundation’s unwavering commitment to transparent reporting and the effective stewardship of the resources entrusted to Australia’s peak body for blood cancer.

Adrian Collins, CEO of the Leukaemia Foundation of Australia, said that being named a Top 10 finalist for three years in a row was an honour and welcomed recognition of the Foundation’s firm belief in open reporting practices.

“The Australian public rightly expects charities to be accountable and not just in the obvious financial areas.”

“Our reporting covers volunteer development and recognition, environmental sustainability and more comprehensive corporate governance disclosure.”

This year, more than 11,500 Australians are expected to be diagnosed with leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma or a related blood disorder, equivalent to 31 people each day.

Although survival rates are improving, blood cancers are the second highest cause of cancer death in Australia, higher than better known cancers like breast cancer and melanomas.

Each year, The Leukaemia Foundation raises vital funds and awareness through The World’s Greatest Shave.

The Leukaemia Foundation invests millions each year in research to improve treatments and find cures and provides free services to support thousands of Australians and their families.

“On behalf of the thousands of people who turn to the Leukaemia Foundation every year, thanks to everyone who makes our important work possible,” Mr Collins said.

44 | BUSINESS NEWS

WINE AFTER HOURS Craig Brock and Sue Brock

It happened on one Autumn night GIVE Where You Live supporters gathered for an intimate evening amongst the wine barrels at the beautiful Clyde Park Vineyard for the annual One Autumn Night dinner. Guest speaker Shaun Connor who works with the United Nations, spoke on the importance of giving back to the community while the guest

Nichole Manks and Matthew Damen

dined on a stunning menu of locally grown produce.

MC, Ian Cover also acted as auctioneer of a barrel of specially blended wines donated from Clyde Park, Austin Wines and Lethbridge Wines. The night raised over $22,500.00 for the Geelong community.

Kate Mutsaerts and Sam Wawn

Shaun Cannon, Bill Mithen and Michael O’Brien Kylie Warne and Brett Warne

Karen Mansell, Pam Hansen, Lesley Lightfoot and Trish Merrett

1 | |BUSINESS NEWS 46 BUSINESS NEWS

AFTER HOURS

Scott Gerard, Keith Fagg, Lydia Cover and Heather Fagg

Leigh Johnston and Kerry Greagen

Sheridan Salmon and Alice Fraser

Nick Collins, Claire Barrett and Pam Hansen

Heather Fagg, Ian Cover and Lydia Cover

Sarah Somerset and Bill Mithen

Tara Iacovella and Morry Iacovella

Sarah Albon, Kate Betts and Jess Dallimore

BUSINESS NEWS | 47

AFTER HOURS

A beautiful evening THE ‘Sensation by Smooth and Tan’ salon in Geelong West hosted over 100 people keen to learn more about their new Dermox Clinic, the first in the State outside Melbourne.

The Dermox Clinic offers a wide range of affordable antiaging solutions and is staffed by highly qualified practioners

with specific experience in administering anti-wrinkle injections.

“This is a natural and exciting extension to our business,” says Lillian Caron, salon director. “We couldn’t be more pleased about making this service available to everyday people.”

Katheryn Ackland, Jessica Hose and Ashley Corica

Karryn Misso and Lauren Little Paula Kontelj and Faye Colenso

Jess Green and Juanita Bennett Peter Larsen, Charles Hornor and Mary-Anne Larsen

48 | BUSINESS NEWS

AFTER HOURS

A collective future vision OVER 100 of Geelong’s decision makers attended the April Geelong Business Network Breakfast forum sponsored by Harwood Andrews, to hear Mayor Keith Fagg discuss his first months in office.

On October 27th 2012 the City of Greater Geelong became the first Council outside of Melbourne to publicly elect its Mayor. The aim was to encourage independent voices with direct community support to provide leadership to council.

When elected, well known and respected business identity Keith Fagg said, “The future is not about the Mayor or the Council it is about Geelong and our collective future.

I expect I will need all my business acumen to help steer Geelong through challenging times and encourage the region to embrace change.”

During his first 25 weeks in office has faced many big issues including the announced sell off of Shell, job cuts to Ford and Avalon and has seen himself heavily engaged in the CBD redevelopment taskforce, Enterprise Geelong and the Armstrong Creek development. All the while the contentious issues of hard waste collection, building height regulations and CBD parking, to name a few are still hot topics on the agenda.

Cr Stretch Kontelj (City of Greater Geelong) and Dr Paul Davey

So how does the role of Geelong’s Mayor compare in practice to what he expected?

Keith delivered a frank insight and shared his perspectives and experience so far and invited questions from the business community at the sell out forum on what they would like to see for his remaining 3½ years in office.

Mayor speaks to the large audience of local business people.

Toby O’Connor (St Laurence Community Services) ,Sarah Henderson (Liberal Party) and Bishop Philip (St Laurence Community Services) Rebecca Casson (Committee for Geelong) and Kevin Roache (Coulter Roache Lawyers)

Craig Bremner (Lake Imaging) and Cr Bruce Harwood (City of Greater Geelong)

Digby Hughes (Geelong Business Network, Mayor Cr Keith Fagg, Dan Simmons (Harwood Andrews).

BUSINESS NEWS | 49

WHAT’S ON in a shed they could barely afford. Now the furniture business turns over millions of dollars annually and has 9 stores across Australia. Ever the mother, In 2006 Margot Spalding was awarded the ‘National Winner of the Westpac Business Owner Award 2006’, and the ‘Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year 2006’.

Simonds Stadium, Geelong Tickets available at www.trybooking.com

14 May

01 – 31 May May Magic in Central Geelong May Magic encourages more people into Central Geelong to shop, eat and do business throughout May. To participate, shoppers spend $25 in one day in Central Geelong between 1 to 31 May, fill in the entry form at participating Central Geelong businesses, present the receipt(s) at the temporary May Magic redemption booths to receive a free gift.

All entries go in to the draw to win a major prize.

Visit the Central Geelong website for full terms and conditions.

Central Geelong www.centralgeelong.com.au

07 May Empower yourself learn to successfully negotiate your retail lease These in-depth workshops will provide retailers with the knowledge and confidence to successfully negotiate their retail lease.

Attendees will learn more about the Retail Leases Act 2003 and their rights and responsibilities as well as the fundamentals on how to research and evaluate retail lease terms. The Victorian Small Business Commissioner, Geoff Browne will be in attendance at each workshop and will explain in 50 | BUSINESS NEWS

further detail how his office can assist Victorian retailers.

Please contact the Australian Retailers Association to book for this event.

Geelong City Hall, Geelong www.retail.org.au

a stand alone donation to the Mother’s Day Classic for breast cancer research, you can do so from our website.

Eastern Beach Road, Geelong www.mothersdayclassic.com.au

11 – 12 May

12 May

Ballarat Heritage Weekend 2013 The Ballarat Heritage Weekend 2013 program will showcase a theme of ‘Entertainment’​. Explore the trail of by-gone entertainment brought to life in a range of activities for one weekend only. Exciting collections, performances, activities and tours will be on offer from 10am - 5pm both days. Take a ride on a double decker bus around the city or take in a short trip to the welcoming townships of Learmonth and Buninyong.

Ballarat CBD and surrounds ballaratheritageweekend.com

The Italian Sports Club of Werribee Mother’s Day Lunch Enjoy a Three Course Meal - Gourmet Platter per table, Main Meal and Dessert.

Including Tea and Coffee served to table.

Beverages are available for purchase at the bar.

All Mothers will receive a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine.

Tickets are available for purchase at ISCW Heaths Road, Werribee www.isw.com.au

12 May Women in Super Mother’s Day Classic For more than 15 years, the Mother’s Day Classic fun run and walk has provided communities with a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day and raise funds for breast cancer research. The Geelong event involves a 4km and 8km walk and run around Eastern Park Circuit.

Register online for the walk or run. If you wish to make

14 May BPW Moving On Up Breakfast Business and Professional Women Geelong are hosting their annual Moving On Up breakfast event. The topic for this year’s event is: Success is Built on Passion, Focus and Creative Thinking.

The guest presenter for the event is co-owner of Jimmy Possum Furniture and multiaward-winning successful Entrepreneur, Margot Spalding.

Jimmy Possum was started

by Margot and her family

Business Marketing - Tips and Tricks to Best Market Your Business You have your marketing plan and want to develop your businesses brand to take it to the next level.

In this session you will learn the hints and tips on how to create effective: web content, brochures, logos, photography, and much more to strengthen the image and direction of your business.

Bellarine Highway, Queenscliff www.centralgeelong.vic.gov.au

17 May Powercor Star Search Star Search has been run by the Rotary Club of Highton for over 30 years as a community service project, with the primary aim of fostering local talent.

It is recognised as a first class opportunity for local talent to showcase their abilities. Star Search is now a respected starting point to achieve local, national and international recognition, as a musician and performer in the world of music, with Missy Higgins amongst past winners.

Deakin Waterfront Campus, Geelong www.starsearch.net.au

15 May Geelong Chamber - May After 5 After 5’s allow Chamber members the opportunity of networking with other business owners to promote themself and their business.

These events are very popular and normally attract

WHAT’S ON

by Margot and her family in a shed they could barely afford. Now the furniture business turns over millions of dollars annually and has 9 stores across Australia. Ever the mother, In 2006 Margot Spalding was awarded the ‘National Winner of the Westpac Business Owner Award 2006’, and the ‘Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year 2006’.

Simonds Stadium, Geelong Tickets available at www. trybooking.com

14 May

01 – 31 May May Magic in Central Geelong May Magic encourages more people into Central Geelong to shop, eat and do business throughout May. To participate, shoppers spend $25 in one day in Central Geelong between 1 to 31 May, fill in the entry form at participating Central Geelong businesses, present the receipt(s) at the temporary May Magic redemption booths to receive a free gift.

All entries go in to the draw to win a major prize.

Visit the Central Geelong website for full terms and conditions.

Central Geelong www.centralgeelong.com.au

07 May Empower yourself - learn to successfully negotiate your retail lease These in-depth workshops will provide retailers with the knowledge and confidence to successfully negotiate their retail lease.

Attendees will learn more about the Retail Leases Act 2003 and their rights and responsibilities as well as the fundamentals on how to research and evaluate retail lease terms. The Victorian Small Business Commissioner, Geoff Browne will be in attendance at each workshop and will explain in 50 | BUSINESS NEWS

further detail how his office can assist Victorian retailers.

Please contact the Australian Retailers Association to book for this event.

Geelong City Hall, Geelong www.retail.org.au

11 – 12 May Ballarat Heritage Weekend 2013 The Ballarat Heritage Weekend 2013 program will showcase a theme of ‘Entertainment’​. Explore the trail of by-gone entertainment brought to life in a range of activities for one weekend only. Exciting collections, performances, activities and tours will be on offer from 10am - 5pm both days. Take a ride on a double decker bus around the city or take in a short trip to the welcoming townships of Learmonth and Buninyong.

Ballarat CBD and surrounds www.ballaratheritageweekend. com

12 May Women in Super Mother’s Day Classic For more than 15 years, the Mother’s Day Classic fun run and walk has provided communities with a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day and raise funds for breast cancer research. The Geelong event involves a 4km and 8km walk and run around Eastern Park Circuit.

Register online for the walk

or run. If you wish to make a stand alone donation to the Mother’s Day Classic for breast cancer research, you can do so from our website.

Eastern Beach Road, Geelong www.mothersdayclassic.com.au

12 May The Italian Sports Club of Werribee Mother’s Day Lunch Enjoy a Three Course Meal - Gourmet Platter per table, Main Meal and Dessert.

Including Tea and Coffee served to table.

Beverages are available for purchase at the bar.

All Mothers will receive a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine.

Tickets are available for purchase at ISCW Heaths Road, Werribee www.isw.com.au

14 May BPW Moving On Up Breakfast Business and Professional Women Geelong are hosting their annual Moving On Up breakfast event. The topic for this year’s event is: Success is Built on Passion, Focus and Creative Thinking.

The guest presenter for the event is co-owner of Jimmy Possum Furniture and multiaward-winning successful Entrepreneur, Margot Spalding.

Jimmy Possum was started

Business Marketing - Tips and Tricks to Best Market Your Business You have your marketing plan and want to develop your businesses brand to take it to the next level.

In this session you will learn the hints and tips on how to create effective: web content, brochures, logos, photography, and much more to strengthen the image and direction of your business.

Bellarine Highway, Queenscliff www.centralgeelong.vic.gov.au

17 May Powercor Star Search Star Search has been run by the Rotary Club of Highton for over 30 years as a community service project, with the primary aim of fostering local talent. It is recognised as a first class opportunity for local talent to showcase their abilities. Star Search is now a respected starting point to achieve local, national and international recognition, as a musician and performer in the world of music, with Missy Higgins amongst past winners.

Deakin Waterfront Campus, Geelong www.starsearch.net.au

15 May Geelong Chamber - May After 5 After 5’s allow Chamber members the opportunity of networking with other business owners to promote themself and their business.

These events are very popular and normally attract

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WHAT’S ON 200 – 250 people. After 5’s are sponsored by a Chamber member who presents to the attendees on their business.

The Esplanade, Torquay www.geelongchamber.com.au

16 May 19th Annual Rotary Club of Geelong ‘Barry Bell Classic’ Charity Golf Day Proudly sponsored by Malishev World Class Homes.

Geelong’s premium charity golf day is fast approaching and it’s very entertaining with novelty holes galore!

The 19th Annual Rotary Club of Geelong ‘Barry Bell Classic’ Charity Golf Day presented by Malishev World Class Homes occupies both the beach and creek courses at Thirteenth Beach Golf Links with an 8am tee-off.

Last year the precedent was set with a great day out and a large amount donated to the Geelong Hospital Appeal and Rotary Club of Geelong charities.

Entry to play is via the purchase of a gold or silver sponsorship package.

Packages are now available including naming rights to a hole, green fees, food and beverages and team photos.

Don’t miss out on this prestigious yet fun networking opportunity.

Contact the Barwon Health Foundation for more information on 03 4215 8900 or email foundation@ barwonhealth.org.au

17 May IDAHO Day Come and support Wyndham’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer (GLBTIQ) community and join us to raise the Rainbow Flag and show our support against homophobia.

The event is FREE to attend and will involve IDAHO Flag raising, light lunch, guest speaker and information stalls.

Wyndham City Council Chambers, Werribee For further information call Kylie Hayes-Lee on 9742 8193 or email kylie.hayes@ wyndham.vic.gov.au

18 May

24 May

Ballarat Get into Games 2013 Ballarat ICT Limited, with the support of City of Ballarat, and the Game Developers Association of Australia (GDAA) are running an electronic games focused event for the Ballarat Region.

The event highlight’s the potential career options within the gaming industry, and exposes the games industry as a legitimate and viable career option. The event will also highlight potential business opportunities within the Ballarat region to Australian Game Developers.

Ballarat Mining Exchange, Ballarat www.ballaratgig.com

Geelong Chamber Presidents Luncheon with guest speaker Mark Bouris Members and guests have the opportunity to network with other key Geelong decision makers and listen to a prominent key note speaker on topical issues facing Geelong business and the region.

Mark Bouris is an Australian businessman who is best known as the founder and chairman of ‘Wizard Home Loans’, Australia’s second largest non-bank mortgage lender behind Aussie Home Loans, the host of Celebrity Apprenticeship and now Yellow Brick Road Wealth Management.

The Pier, Geelong Waterfront www.geelongchamber.com.au

19 May RSPCA Million Paws Walk Million Paws Walk is a fun day for any animal lover. Whether you’re a pet owner or not, it’s a great day out. The main purpose of the event is raising funds and with over 144,000 animals finding shelter at the RSPCA annually, every dollar counts. As well as the walk, there will be entertainment, displays, stalls, giveaways and a host of other activities.

Million Paws Walk is a terrific day out and an important fundraising event for the RSPCA. Funds raised through entry fees, online fundraising and the sale of merchandise help assist the RSPCA to operate its animal shelters, support its Inspectorate services and provide community education.

Eastern Park, Geelong www.millionpawswalk.com.au

22 May Negotiating your Lease with your Landlord In this session you will learn: the general principles of negotiating your lease, who is responsible and how to get the landlord to fix/maintain your premise by the tenant, lease options and the top 10 tips for negotiating or renegotiating your lease.

Geelong City Hall, Geelong www.centralgeelong.vic.gov.au

24 May National Walk Safely To School Day Walk Safely to School Day is an annual, national event that encourages all primary school students to walk safely, and commute actively, to school.

Now in its fourteenth year, this community event promotes better attitudes to road safety, health, public transport and the environment. Parents and carers are encouraged to walk their children to school on Friday 24 May 2013. www.walk.com.au

30 May Leadership at Work Everything DiSC® Work of Leaders™ Focus on the real leadership demands in the workplace using the ‘Vision, Alignment and Execution’ framework.

Discover a clear path for action and tangible steps directed at leading people and the business toward goals and desired outcomes.

DiSC® identifies behavioural styles by measuring personal attributes and aspects of personality, and has highly versatile applications for a range of workplace situations. Everything DiSC® Work of Leaders™ benefits leadership, team relationship

building, communication, collaboration and decision making.

Mercure Geelong Tickets available at www. trybooking.com

30 May Recruit, Retain and Exit Staff Aspects of Human Resources (HR) can be daunting for a small business to undertake.

Discuss why striving for people excellence is critical for success, explore elements of an effective recruitment process, review sample recruitment tools and case studies as well as learning the tips on how to effectively handle dismissal, redundancy and resignation.

Bellarine Highway, Queenscliff www.centralgeelong.vic.gov.au

07 – 08 June Queen’s Birthday Giving Weekend – volunteer or donate The Geelong Hospital Appeal needs your help to raise money on Friday and Saturday before the Queen’s Birthday. New volunteers are often surprised about how much fun tin shaking is!

Donate three-and-a-half hours of your time to shake tins on the main roads or sell merchandise in shopping centres. Last year 200 volunteers were involved and more help is needed this year.

Friday is the day for businesses and organisations to volunteer. Organise a team of eight colleagues in the early morning to shake tins together. You will be in charge of one intersection and together you can raise lots of money. Why not challenge another department and see which intersection can raise the most?

Saturday is for individual and small groups of volunteers so get a group together and make a difference.

Please contact the Barwon Health Foundation for more information on 03 4215 8900 or email foundation@ barwonhealth.org.au

BUSINESS NEWS | 51

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