Success Business Magazine - Issue 5 | Winter 2012

ISSUE 5 | MAY, JUNE, JULY 2012

YOURS

FREE

Jayne

Arlett

In her shoes 15 MINUTES WITH:

Mia Freedman, The Mamamia Empire

The Success guide to A more productive workday

Celebrating 130 years Townsville Chamber

TWO BONUS HIGHLIGHTS featured inside

Celebrating our 1st Birthday Edition

publisher’s panel

cover story

EDITOR

Marissa Candy editor@successbusinessmag.com.au

THE REGULARS

SALES & MARKETING

Katie Brennocks katie@successbusinessmag.com.au Rebecca Hutton

JOURNALISTS

Rachel Licciardello Tracey Lee Gordon Katherine Powell

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DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY Skye Millard Luke Taylor

jayne arlett

Success Business Magazine Pty Ltd PO Box 5660 Townsville QLD 4810 22 Walker Street, Townsville QLD 4810 ph. 07 4771 2669 fx. 07 4721 1974

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THE CONTRIBUTORS 14

Moore Stephens Understanding the new national reforms

35

First National Nicholson Real Estate In the market or just on the market

38

Win Television Everyone loves a winner

43

Choice Training Champion team or team of champions

45

Townsville Podiatry Centre Fitness Walking

47

North Queensland Audio Visual Automated Technology

49

Advance Employment Open up the conversation

51

Jupiters Townsville Showcase Townsville

71

The Marketing Factory Online Business

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All information and images are subject to copyright. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without the prior permission in writing to the publisher. The views and opinions of authors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information at the time of print, the publisher accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or subsequent consequences including loss or damage from reliance on information in this publication.

Circulation: 10,000 copies quarterly Regions of Distribution: Townsville, Charters Towers, Ingham and Burdekin. © Copyright 2012

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Regional Update Andrew’s Angle 15 Minutes With Bits & Gadgets On the Rise Product Review Presenting My Top 5 – New Section!

Word Play Calendar of Events Cheers and Beers News Desk

in her shoes

ACN NO. 147 633 814

www.successbusinessmag.com.au

WHAT’S INSIDE

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kim willoughby

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longboard & lion

HIGHLIGHTS THIS MONTH 15-27

Financial Critical partners for success in business

54-70

Building & Development Showcasing the changes of our North Queensland landscape

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Thank you

North Queensland

for welcoming Success Business Magazine into your business life and allowing us to share the great stories of our region with you.

From the entire team at

ENTER TO WIN

a Whitsunday holiday SMS your name and business to 0412 685 669 to go in the draw to win.

Terms & Conditions: Prize consists of 2 nights’ accommodation in a luxury 2 bedroom cottage at the BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort, plus a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef for up to 4 people with Cruise Whitsundays. Prize valid to 31/03/13 and is not valid during school holidays or long weekends. Prize is also subject to availability.

Celebrating our 1st Birthday

BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort The award winning Adventure Whitsunday Resort is a tropical oasis where the brain is nourished, the imagination fired and the corporate soul re-energised.

Ideal for exceptional value, small to medium conferences and events (blended with a big serve of tropical pleasure) the dedicated Events Manager and support team will ensure even the most unusual, individual needs are fulfilled with warm, can-do attitude and flexibility.

Ph: 07 4948 5400 Email: groups@adventurewhitsunday.com.au www.adventurewhitsunday.com.au/groups

FROM THE EDITOR

A

s we head into the end of financial year, consensus from the business people I have been talking to is that they are looking forward to a fresh start come 1 July. This financial year has been tough for some, but is showing signs of improvement in some sectors. Easter 2012 has seen some of the best retail trading figures in 5 years, which is an encouraging sign for the industry and one that we hope continues.

Our graphic design team have been busy enhancing the magazines readability and presence in the market as a leader of our niche. I am proud to announce that we have doubled in size from our launch edition in May 2011 and these results could not have been achieved without a passionate team working on this project. We have met many truly inspirational people during our first year and our cover stories that include; John Bearne, Sandra Harding, George Colbran and Brad Webb, we thank you for being the faces of our brand.

believed in our vision in bringing something exciting to the region and we welcome our new partners in this edition. The finance industry and building and development sectors are featured in our special highlights.

With both industries vital to the growth in our region I’m sure you will find this of great interest.

We welcome aboard Townsville Qantas Club lounge as a new distributor of our magazine and hope it becomes an essential travelling companion.

I look forward to the next twelve months as the magazine further evolves. We will continue to share with you more untold success stories of our region.

For more news and articles visit us at successbusinessmag.com.au

QR Code Scanner - Marissa Candy

Once again, I would like to extend my personal thanks to all past advertisers who

We’re online...

Simply download a QR Code scanner from the app store on your smart phone to access the QR Codes featured throughout this publication.

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REGIONAL UPDATE Ewen Jones

Glenys Schuntner

Federal Member for Herbert

Chief Executive Officer Regional Development Australia Townsville and North West Queensland Inc.

I recently hosted the Federal Shadow Minister for Environment and Heritage, Greg Hunt, in town for two days. He has a soft touch for Townsville as he is a keen scuba diver and I always tell him I would like him to celebrate the region and our heritage by diving the Yongala. He is yet to do the dive after three visits here in the past 18 months because there is just is too much to show him and too many people for him to meet to let him spend an entire day on a dive!

A topic that came up repeatedly on this most recent visit was Tony Abbott’s proposal for a Green Army. This proposed 15,000-strong band of young unemployed volunteers would work on, and be paid for, projects to benefit the community and the environment. Some local stakeholders were concerned about what outcomes the participants could achieve and what their career path might look like after they had completed the training.

Greg was very careful to explain that the aim would not be to get 15,000 people trained as landscape gardeners or to have 15,000 people walking around with a Certificate 2 in weed eradication. The goal of the Green Army would be to, first and foremost, engage those who do not know how to engage. We all know how easy it is to put something off when we know it will include effort and possibly failure. It is no different to being a 19-yearold and not having a job.

I was speaking to a friend of mine recently, whose son spent the first nine months after school at home. He stayed up late and slept in late. That is a very hard habit to break. The jobs in the Green Army are for people just like him who need a start, where you get on-the-job training in working as part of a team and a demonstrated ability to follow and issue instructions.

So. when these unemployed youth next get an interview, they have an answer to the inevitable question, “what have you been doing lately?”. It won’t guarantee success, but as Chairman Mao once said “the longest journey starts with but a single step”.

So what makes successful and sustainable communities? I think most would agree that social, economic and environmental vitality are the three critical pathways to sustaining communities small or large. However success in achieving sustainability does not happen by accident. Sustainable communities set their own long term vision and through local leadership and collaboration achieve their goals in the short and long term.

Across the Townsville and North West Queensland Region of 15 local government areas, covering more than one quarter of Queensland from Palm Island to Camooweal, and Mornington Island to Boulia, community representatives of the Region’s population of 266,000 have shared with RDA their aspirations, their views on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in our region and developed the region’s vision.

By 2030 our region will have a robust, sustainable economy; caring and inclusive communities that embrace all cultures; a great lifestyle that attracts and retains people; a distinctive and well recognised identity and an environment and natural assets that are valued and well managed. This vision embraces the five key priority areas that are essential to achieving sustainability in our region. Each of these priorities is significant in terms of regional impact, scope, complexity and importance for long term sustainability. To address these, community representatives also developed a list of strategies to achieve positive outcomes. More information on these can be found in the Regional Roadmap and its Executive Summary at www.rdanwq.org.au.

By 30 June, RDA will be revising and updating the Regional Roadmap to ensure the region’s vision, priorities, strategies and initiatives are clearly articulated, continue to represent the communities’ ideas and are prioritised for action by regional stakeholders. The updated Regional Roadmap will be presented to Australian and Queensland Government representatives as well as other regional stakeholders and supporters to drive support for initiatives that can help us achieve our goals. RDA will also shape its own Business Plan for 2012-13 around supporting the prioritised Initiatives.

RDA invites you to have your say in updating the Regional Roadmap and helping the process of prioritising actions. Please visit the above website for further information about the Regional Roadmap, our survey and RDA. You will also find information on grants, tips for success with grants and regional information that may also assist you in leading your local community to drive social, economic and environmental sustainability.

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Dawson Wilkie

David Kippin

President Townsville Chamber of Commerce

Chief Executive Officer Townsville Enterprise Limited

1882 was a remarkable year. The first commercial electrical plant was switched on by Thomas Eddison; Virginia Wolfe and Charles Darwin were born; and British troops occupied the Suez Canal. Closer to home, Townsville’s 4,000 residents saw the completion of the first stage of North Ward Hospital and it is also the year the Townsville Chamber of Commerce was formed.

On Thursday 31 May 2012, we celebrate our 130th anniversary on the actual date of the Chamber’s inception. The black tie event will be a massive gala at Jupiters Townsville and we hope you can join us for a celebration of what makes the Chamber so successful: its members and the many dedicated business men and women of this city.

It is easy to think that Townsville’s economic strength and diversity is recent. However, it was there when Captain Cook anchored in Cleveland Bay in 1770 and when John Melton Black erected the first wharf on Ross Creek in 1864. The commercial history of Townsville is inseparable from the Port of Townsville’s history. It is for this reason that the Chamber is very pleased to announce the Port of Townsville Ltd as the main sponsor of the Chamber’s 130th anniversary program – a program of activities retracing the commercial history of the city and celebrating the people of Townsville.

As the voice of business for more than four generations, the Chamber was as much an agent for growth then as it is now. Early records show the Chamber constantly agitating for developments like railways to the north, south and west of the city, the installation of telephone and telegraphs, and lighting of the coastal sea lanes.

The Chamber has played a vital collaborative role in the establishment of significant agencies like the Institute of Tropical Medicine in 1908, Defence Barracks - now Lavarack Barracks - in the 1960s, James Cook University in the 1970s and Sun Metal Refinery in the 1990s. It helped develop the local wool, banana, tobacco and sugar industries in the first half of the 20th Century and the road infrastructure and transport industry in the second half of the Century. It was an active proponent in the recent redevelopment of the CBD, which just won a national UDIA Award.

Over the past few months the Townsville Convention Bureau has received confirmation of three significant wins for the Townsville Region. The 2RAR/NQ (ANZAC) Battalion Reunion will be held in July 2012 with up to 1,000 defence veterans expected to travel to Townsville for the event.

Townsville also has been chosen as the host city for the Submarines Association of Australia Annual Conference in 2013 and the Townsville Convention Bureau, with support from the Townsville General Hospital and the James Cook University Medical School, has secured Townsville for the 2016 Perinatal Society for Australia and New Zealand Congress.

These are major successes for the local convention and events industry with each conference estimated to have a significant economic impact for the Townsville region. These wins are a testament to our growing strength within this market and reaffirm that Townsville is being recognised as a premier business events and conference destination. We must however ensure we have the facilities to allow this potential to be recognised which is why Townsville Enterprise is assertively lobbying for a new Sports, Entertainment and Convention Centre to be located in the CBD. Townsville Enterprise last month welcomed new Chairman Kevin Gill.

In his current role as Chief Operating Officer of the Townsville, Mt Isa Airports and an aircraft maintenance business, Kevin brings a wealth of experience across economic and infrastructure development and tourism.

It is important for the sustainable growth of the region to have strong links within the transport infrastructure sector particularly airport, sea port and rail. Kevin has the background and networks to move the region forward in alignment with the Townsville Futures Plan and regional infrastructure plans and I look forward to working with him.

Townsville Enterprise congratulates Mungalla Aboriginal Tours on its silver award at the recent Australian Tourism Awards. After winning the North Queensland and Queensland Tourism Awards, it is a great achievement for the Hinchinbrook operator to take out this prestigious title.

As it has done for in the past, the Townsville Chamber will continue to lobby for its members. At a 130 years young, there’s never been a better time to join the Chamber.

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ANDREW’S

ANGLE Do you suffer from “Failure to Implement”?

These days there is plenty of information offering business owners advice on what we should be doing do to build our businesses, in fact in some ways there is too much advice out there. But the problem is not finding smart ideas, it is implementing them.

I use the term “FTI”, which stands for failure to implement and it is a common problem for business owners everywhere. In the course of our crazy days, where on earth do we find the time to take good ideas and make them reality?

emails as they come in, answering calls, flitting from task to task, talking to people, reacting to dramas and so on. We feel like we are getting a lot done, but how well are we doing it all and how enjoyable is it?

Learning to focus really well, to be fully present and committed to the task in front of you is a great way to get things done and to get things done well. Disconnecting from the outside world to be this focused is the real challenge and few people are able to do it.

Recently I read some research that emphatically showed that the average person will get more achieved in one hour of focused time than they will get done in three hours of distracted time. So what is the difference?

We need to reprogram our working habits to break the distracted habits and to become more focused in every way. Master this and you will get more done, you will do it better and you will get a lot more satisfaction out of what you do at the end of the day.

Focused time is when you give whatever task you need to do your undivided attention. This means no internet, no phone calls, no distractions from any area whatsoever. You have one aim – get this specific task done and done well. But how often do we get to work like this these days?

Now apply this to building your business, if you spend just one hour a day, of quality time, focused time, researching and implementing ideas to build your business, you will be amazed at what you can achieve in a very short amount of time. In fact learn the art of focus and every aspect of your life will improve – dramatically.

Most of us work in a distracted sense, where we multitask, checking

www.andrewgriffiths.com.au

Book Review In alignment with this month’s topic, Brian Tracy’s book FOCAL POINT, shows the secret of high achievers, which is their ability to focus 100% on whatever aspect of their life they need to focus on at a particular point in time. Written to help the stressed out professional or business owner, FOCAL POINT gives the reader a plan of attack to address focus in seven key areas. It isn’t a cheesy read, full of clichés, it is a smart book, that certainly helped me to find my focus. If you feel like you do a lot, but never quite know what you get done, or feel totally fried at the end of your working day, this is the book for you.

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in her shoes Jayne Arlett has built a career as

podiatrist, business owner and community leader, and through every challenge has proven herself more capable and more adept. She has even managed to stand her ground in the presence of a Bull.

Story by Rachel Licciardello Photography Skye Millard

J

ayne Arlett may not work in a classroom, she may not grade assignments or be rostered for playground duty, but she is a teacher. In the midst of a successful business career and with a busier schedule than ever – “I could show you my diary for this week but it would take you 20 minutes to read through it!” – Jayne openly shares her knowledge and takes pride in her role as mentor to many. “I have been in business many years, and I’ll admit it can be really tough,” tells Jayne. “You need to recognise when you need help, and you need to ask for it.” Jayne knows this from experience, having built an accomplished career in podiatry and drawn on the leaders in her field to mentor her along the way.

After attending university in Brisbane, tutoring, lecturing and building up a small part-time podiatry practice of her own, Jayne returned to Townsville in 1986 lured by sun, beach, family and lifestyle. “Podiatry was still an emerging field, so while starting my own business wasn’t a particular goal, it was my only option,” explains Jayne, referring to her still thriving business, Townsville Podiatry Centre. “It was the late ‘80s and for a woman to get a business loan her parents or husband had to be guarantor. I considered that demeaning,” she reflects. “So, I used the sale of my small Brisbane practice to fund, albeit cheaply, my Townsville start-up.”

Like many entrepreneurs who are good at what they do, Jayne found her practice was growing, fast. “It became a beast I almost couldn’t handle,” she recalls. “I hired my first staff after a couple of years, and that nearly sank me.” But, Jayne recognised she needed help;

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it was make or break. Jayne attended a course under acclaimed leadership and empowerment speaker Bruce Sullivan and received a small government-funded grant to have a consultant assist her in writing a business plan. “I am very aware of my strengths, but also acutely aware of my weaknesses,” confesses Jayne. “As Michael Gerber [author of the e-Myth] would have said, I was a good technician, a good podiatrist, but did not have the managerial skills to run a business.”

Today, Townsville Podiatry Centre is Australia’s largest physical podiatry clinic, with 750sqm under roof and world-class facilities.

Before building the centre at its Ross River Road location, Jayne visited numerous elite practices around Australia and the world. “This centre has better facilities than any I have seen. Some practices have some of our facilities, but none have them all,” reveals Jayne. “I get frustrated at small-town mentality that suggests if you want to get good treatment you go to Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane. We have amazing people and businesses in Townsville. Some people are here because of the lifestyle – it’s gorgeous here!”

Jayne is herself someone who chose lifestyle over the big smoke.

After pushing through that make or break period and growing a strong team, Jayne sought professional development. “It was the early ‘90s, and the leading biomechanics research was coming out of America, particularly San Francisco,” explains Jayne, “So that’s where I wanted to be.”

Jayne undertook post-grad studies at University of Westminster UK, and also in San Francisco and Chicago. “It took me two years to get the Chicago Fellowship,” tells Jayne, who spent six months interning for esteemed sports podiatrist Dr Lowell Scott Weil, a leader in his field trusted with treating major league Chicago teams the Bulls (basketball), Bears (grid iron) and White Sox (baseball). “I wrote to Dr Weil wanting to work with him, he said no. I waited a couple months, and he gave me more reasons why not,” recalls Jayne.

“I had started working with the Townsville Suns (now Crocodiles), so I wrote again explaining that I was working with elite athletes, Australia’s equivalent to the Chicago Bulls, and I wanted to work with him. He finally said yes.”

“Everything was supersized...

”

I felt like Alice in Wonderland.

In 1994, while still operating her Townsville practice, Jayne landed in Chicago to commence work with Dr Weil, operating in theatre, working in biomechanics and treating some of the world’s biggest athletes – literally. “All the Bulls players are big guys – they need everything custom made, clothes, beds, and even gym equipment because they can’t do leg extensions on regular machines,” explains Jayne.

“Everything was supersized. I can remember being in the club’s bathroom and the bench was up at my chest; I had to reach up to wash my hands. I felt like Alice in Wonderland. “ As a female working in medicine in the mid-90s, Jayne was in relatively new territory. “A female working in high-end medicine was unusual then, and even more unusual in sports medicine because sport was so dominated by males. At that elite level, I was about the only girl.” In fact, for many of the players, Jayne was the first female to enter their locker room. “The guys took great pride in walking around after a shower, knowing how confronting it was,” tells Jayne. “You could imagine,” she continues, motioning, “They’re up here, I’m down here, sitting down to strap an ankle, so I was very much at eye level if you know what I mean.” Faced with intimidation, Jayne stood her ground. “People will treat you how you allow them to treat you. I took a split second to assess their motive, which was purely to intimidate me as a woman, and I decided not to let that happen.”

Today, Jayne’s involvement in elite sport continues.

Not only has she been a podiatrist for the Townsville Crocodiles since the club’s inception as Townsville Suns, but also for the Townsville Fire. “I really regard these players as my players; I get a buzz from their achievements on the court.” Last year, while attending a crisis meeting to save the Fire from folding, Jayne’s involvement in the Fire became more defined. “I found myself involved with the steering committee to rebuild the back-end of the

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Fire. I didn’t put my hand up for it but saving the Fire was just too important not to do.” Now, as Chair of the Board, Jayne admits she has devoted six months of almost full-time hours alongside the five board members she handpicked. “We have managed to get to the second round of finals and attract average crowds of 1600 to games compared to the national WNBL average of 600.

Our big hopes now are to build the Fire up to be the benchmark team in the league, the most professionally run team in the league, make Fire games the hot ticket in town, and be able to pay the players what they’re actually worth.

With eight distinct and well-worn work hats perched on her hat stand, Jayne is undeniably a busy woman. Her time is divided between her roles as Managing Director of her five businesses – a nationwide medical distribution company Kinetic Edge, three The Athlete’s Foot franchises coowned with her partner Laine Arlett, and of course Townsville Podiatry Centre – plus a property port-folio Jayne self-manages and her two very involved community roles as Chair of the Board for Townsville Fire and Chair of the Advisory Committee for Museum of Tropical Queensland. Add to this Jayne’s number one role as mother to Calum, 16, and twins Riley and Melissa, 6. “My hat stand is only so big,” laughs Jayne, looking over her “to-do book” (she has long outgrown a to-do list).

Despite this, Jayne says she always has time to mentor, even if that’ just having a coffee and chat.

“My experience has shown people are generally very willing to share their knowledge if you ask, but I think sometimes we can be intimidated by the leaders in our professions,” says Jayne. “But sitting back and thinking, ‘I’ve helped grow someone today’ is a good feeling,” she shares. “When I was a little girl, my grandmother used to say I would grow up to become a teacher. And I suppose in some ways I am.”

if the shoe fits As a high school student, Jayne didn’t know what podiatry was, and neither did her careers teacher who first suggested it to her.

Jayne and Laine’s first The Athlete’s Foot store (at Castletown) achieved the highest first-year turnover of any of The Athlete’s Foot franchises in Australia.

Kinetic Edge is the Australian and New Zealand distributor of F-Scan – a specialised plantar pressure measuring system that lets podiatrists look “inside the shoe” and is the gold standard in biomechanical and orthotic assessment. “It’s the only way to accurately assess what effect an orthotic device is having inside a shoe.”

Jayne is passionate about giving back to the community by supporting the cultural elements that make community valuable such as sports, arts and history. This is why she is so dedicated to the Townsville Fire and Museum of Tropical Queensland.

National reforms to the Not-for-Profit Sector

By John Zabala. Principal at Moore Stephens.

The not-for-profit (NFP) sector is a major part of our everyday life in the community. It might be the local private school, university, church, hospital, sports club or any one of the many (about 600,000) NFP entities in Australia you are involved with.

criticism. The definition of ‘charity’ is another that requires further careful thought. NFP entities will need to invest some time and effort into preparing for the national reforms and determining any impacts. We recommend they seek advice to better understand the reforms and identify a list of action points.

Having endured many years in a complex reporting and regulatory environment, the sector is welcoming the long awaited national reform agenda that is now underway. The reforms include: • establishing a national ‘one-stop-shop’ regulator for the NFP sector, to be known as the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC); • the greater harmonisation and simplification between Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments on NFP issues, including regulation.

National reform agenda snapshot

The rapid pace with which the reforms have been moving has seen some especially tight timeframes for community consultation on topics. One positive response to consultation has been the deferral of the commencement date for the ACNC until 1 October 2012 (previously 1 July 2012).

The majority of the reforms are welcome by the sector. There are however some reforms that are less than welcome. The taxation of certain commercial activities conducted by NFP entities is one such measure that has received extensive

Reform Measure

Start Date

Taxation of income from certain unrelated commercial activities (1)

1 July 2012

Australian Charities & Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC)

1 October 2012

Not-for-profit governance arrangements

1 October 2012

Statutory definition of ‘charity’

1 July 2013

ACNC reporting and public information portal

1 July 2013

New ‘in Australia’ requirements and ‘not-for-profit’ definition

TBA

National approach to fundraising

TBA

Review of company limited by guarantee structure

TBA

Applies initially to new activities commenced after 7.30pm (AEST) on 10 May 2011.

Connect with your NFP experts today

www.moorestephens.com.au

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Serious about Success®

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHT

SPECIAL EDITION

INSIDE

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHT

What’s Inside

This special highlight edition So we have all heard of the saying “it takes money to make money” and one of the most important functions in any business, is the financial record keeping and direction. Businesses have to ensure their finances are in order for many purposes ranging from survival in bad times, to funding the next successful product launch or service offering. How you finance your business can greatly affect your ability to employ and retain the most skilled staff in their field, purchasing goods, acquiring licenses, expanding, developing and keeping

up with technological advances. While finances are not a skill all business owners possess, it is important to align yourself with a professional. Financial professionals are critical to business success and no matter how good your sales people are, if your finances aren’t in order the backbone of your business is in jeopardy. We welcome you to make contact with the showcase of professionals that feature within this highlight and take your business to the next level.

Helping successful people make smart financial decisions.

TYNAN MACKENZIE As a boutique financial advisory firm, Tynan Mackenzie has been providing clients with rewarding personal service, first-rate technical strategies and specialist investment approaches since 1994.

A very high proportion of clients have been referred by existing clients – a fact that speaks for itself.

The firms people come from a diverse range of backgrounds including accounting, law, finance, taxation and client services. This means the advice you receive covers all the bases. Engaging a network of specialists in related areas such as law and accounting, they work closely with these professionals on your behalf.

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Every Tynan Mackenzie adviser participates in a program of ongoing technical training and professional development. So you can be confident that your adviser has explored all of the options available to you and will recommend strategies and opportunities based on up to date research, expert opinion and their own Advice Committee.

Personal tax returns are included as a complimentary addition to your service (as licensed tax agents they are able to prepare and lodge individual [non-business] tax returns). This helps in tracking and monitoring the tax effectiveness of your investment strategies.

Through Tynan Mackenzie you’ll have access to a range of investment options, structures and strategies to suit your needs.

The use of respected asset consultants and administration services, as well as their own Investment Committee, ensures their investment approach is diligent and rigorous.

Tynan Mackenzie advises on more than $3 billion in assets for their clients, and is part of one of the world’s major wealth management groups, the AMP Group. This means that, while your service is definitely boutique, they are large enough to offer you access to opportunities and investments built specifically to meet your needs.

Success for your business is our priority.

MITCHELL PARTNERS CONSULTING ACCOUNTANT & BUSINESS ADVISORS

Mitchell Partners Consulting (MPC) is an accounting firm that is dedicated to providing a premium level of service to their clients in respect to a vast range of business, taxation and consulting matters. The team at MPC is a group of highly skilled professionals in a range of specialised fields and services. Specialising in services ranging from taxation and accounting, to management and business advice, planning, valuations, self managed super funds, and everything else in between, MPC believe the key to their continuing success has been their commitment to recognising and acting on the needs of their clients. The MPC philosophy represents the beliefs of the practice and the comprehension of their work ethics and client services. With this in mind they place an enormous emphasis on high quality and personal service.

Their commitment to ongoing training and education ensures all staff possess relevant qualifications and knowledge for the fields in which they specialise.

Staff attend regular seminars and training to keep up to date with the very latest developments in the business, taxation and superannuation industry. The experienced team at MPC also utilise a high level of information technology to ensure they are able to provide comprehensive accounting services for all personal and business taxation matters and a prompt response to all enquiries and concerns.

MPC strives to be a firm that uses and maintains high level of quality control techniques. Their clients will be confident in the services they engage and this will enable the firm to maintain a high level of service effectively and to also maintain their longstanding personal relationship with clientele. A high level of customer service is their main priority.

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“After dealing with numerous accountants in the past 13 years of my business life varying from some of the largest firms in Australia to sole operators, it was when I was in a position of need that I was introduced to Mitchell Partners Consulting.

“Dealing directly with the owner of the firm who understands the issues of cash flow and the daily pressures of running a business and can relate to you and advise you from a personal experience offers something that most accountants simply are not able to. The fact that Daryn and his team take an interest in what you do, how you do it and the direction that you are going in especially in the current climate is reassuring in the sense that he is able to advise you on future matters even before they arrive.”

Trent Small Absolute Building Supplies

“Far from just producing the end of year accounts, their friendly and professional service has given to me full explanations of the best options and methods to minimise both the company and personal tax liabilities. An added value has been highlighting potential problems within the business that may require attention to maintain strength within that area, examples of which may be cash flow, stockholding and margin erosion that may have slipped through the net.

“I have enormous faith in Daryn Mitchell and his team at MPC that makes owning and running a business that much easier.”

Berry Carter Office Choice Pen to Paper

More than just financial advice.

MAGNITUDE FINANCIAL Dennis DiBartolo established Magnitude Financial Planning in 2007 and services the financial planning needs of Townsville and surrounding communities. Since establishing his business in 2007, Dennis has managed to grow his business through the toughest of economic times through referrals from accountants, lawyers and most importantly clients.

“One of the biggest myths in our industry is that when seeing a Financial Planner all they want to talk about is investing,” Dennis said. “This couldn’t be further from the truth. At Magnitude, as qualified financial planners we cover a broad range of services

and see ourselves as financial coaches in guiding clients to make good financial decisions and plan for their retirement. Advice on personal insurances, superannuation, investments and estate planning are all just part of the journey in becoming a self funded retiree.”

In the end, financial planning is about having choices of when you want to retire and how much money you want to retire with.

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Building better communities BENDIGO BANK

Bendigo Bank has made over $60 million in community contributions because communities just like yours choose to do their banking with them.

The role of Bendigo Bank is to feed into prosperity, not off it.

With industry leading customer service, competitive rates and products, local Business Banking Managers Geoff Tonks and Andrew Konefal are ready to assist with your business needs.

Over the past 2 years the North Queensland Region from Sarina to Ingham has contributed in excess of $500,000 to local communities, tangible dollars not just operational support like rent and wages.

We see the big picture We see the detail

This has only been made possible because customers chose to bank with their local Bendigo Bank branch.

At the end of the day, it’s your choice where you do your banking.

But before you make a decision, stop and consider the difference your banking can make to your local community.

Geoff Power, Regional Manager North Qld

see results

for your business

Are you looking for a bank that can help your business see results?

Or a business banker who will deliver know-how that will save you time and money?

Or do you just want real service with minimum fuss?

Our local business banking managers, Geoff Tonks and Andrew Konefal, will take a personal interest in your business and can help you with our comprehensive suite of products and services tailored to suit the needs of businesses.

Best of all, when you choose to do your business banking with Bendigo Bank, you’ll make a decision that delivers results for your business and benefits your whole community.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited ABN 11 068 049 178 AFSL 237879 (S39955) (04/12)

www.bendigobank.com.au/business

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To find out more contact Geoff Tonks on 0418 544 707 or Andrew Konefal 0437 733 360.

Do you want your super to work for you?

STRATEGIC SMSF

You don’t need to be “super-rich” to enjoy the benefits of a Self Managed Superannuation Fund (SMSF). Simply combining your superannuation balance with up to three of your family members will usually be more than enough to get you started.

Why Choose a SMSF? 1. Confidence in flexible retirement strategies •

A SMSF is one of the most flexible superannuation products available

2. Pay less tax • Tax concessions within a SMSF are a powerful wealth creation strategy 3. Be in control of your investment portfolio

Peter Carey, Director of Strategic SMSF

Strategic SMSF is an administration business for clients, advisers and accountants. Contact Strategic SMSF to discuss SMSF solutions today. Together, with our Financial Adviser partners, we will look after the administration, insurance investment strategies and retirement strategies for your new SMSF. For more information visit www.strategicsmsf.com.au or phone 1300 2 SUPER (78737).

Strategic SMSF - Choice, Control, Confidence Please note: Information provided in this article is general information only and must not be taken as personal advice. Please seek professional advice before acting on any of the above information.

• • • • • • •

With a SMSF, your fund may be eligible to invest in: Share market & ETFs Cash and term deposits WRAP accounts & managed funds Property – both residential & commercial Your SMSF could own the building your business operates in And much more…

4. Enjoy greater choice and peace of mind • SMSFs have access to a wider choice of insurance providers • Pay your Income Protection, Death Cover and Total & Permanent Disability (TPD) Insurance premiums directly from your SMSF 5. Keep it in the family • Join forces and create your own family SMSF • Increased buying power through combining the superannuation balances of up to four family members

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Finance and insurance solutions for everyone.

THE ALL FINANZ GROUP The All Finanz Group offers you the personalised service that you look for from a small business, together with the expertise and support you’d expect from a large organisation.

Experience the difference of a personal Financial Manager that knows who you are when you call and can look after all of your finance and insurance needs.

This expertise, protection, personal service and value for money is what sets us apart from the rest.

All Finanz Solutions AD

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Dedicated to personalised service.

MICHELLE MURPHY ACCOUNTING Michelle Murphy has worked as a Chartered Accountant in Townsville for over 20 years starting her own practice in 2005. She has extensive experience in a broad range of entity types, business sizes and industries, and this enables her to add value to your business.

She can give explanations to complex issues in simple terms and has a strong commitment to service and to helping small to medium business.

Offering you experienced personalised service with a quick turnaround.

Townsville Business Women’s Network award nominations: 2003

Corporate Business Women

2006

Emerging Business Women

2010

Female Business Owner

2011

Female Business Owner

The answer to your lending needs.

LANDY JAMES Landy James is a leading provider of financial services and commercial lending in the Townsville region. Built on more than 50 years of local experience, Landy James operates independently from the banks to find you the best possible lending solutions.

Landy James has a simple mantra, which is to form long term relationships with clients by providing the best possible personalised service, advice and support. Whether it’s securing finance for commercial, business or rural interests, vehicle and equipment, or home and property investment needs, Landy James guarantees they will save you time, stress and money. Better still, when you deal with Landy James, you deal directly with the owners of the business who are always on call for their valued customers. Now that’s a lending manager you can count on.

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Local business expert giving it away for free!

BUSINESS ACTION COACHING The business owner community needs help, and Townsville local business expert Brett Schreiber has stepped up and is offering his services FREE! So how exactly can one man come to the aid of business owners all across Townsville region and do it for them for free?

Brett is going to help business owners and ease small and medium-sized business owners’ worries about their businesses. Brett will be hosting Business Health checks, open to all business owners. The first 20 callers being free.

“This is the best way for me to get my invaluable business advice out to as many local business owners as possible,” said Brett.

He will be doing exactly what most business owners can’t – taking time away from his business, to teach business owners proven strategies that will help them spend less time in their business and make more profits.

already coach more than 15,000 businesses a week world wide and I wanted to help the business people in our community who really are the back bone of the economy,” Brett said.

Brett will be teaching sales, marketing, management, cash flow, profitability, and the five most important metrics toward business growth to every business owner who is ready to listen. Brett brings 30 years of business experience to the community.

“Business owners will walk away with vision and drive to take the business to the next level; instilled confidence in the business owner; an abundance of proven successful business strategies; and the ability to leverage your strengths,” Brett said.

For more information, please contact Brett Schreiber on 07 4723 4893 or email brettschreiber@actioncoach.com.

“Given the fact that ActionCOACH and our clients have actually had a great year in 2011, I wanted to give back in the best way I know. We

Built for speed: faster mobile broadband.

TELSTRA BUSINESS CENTRE In a competitive world, being able to do more on the move can give your business an edge. Kate Hennessy looks at how Telstra’s faster mobile broadband is delivering real benefits to its customers.

There’s no doubt that technology has changed the way we do our jobs. We can work even when out of the office, and travelling time or waiting time no longer has to mean downtime.

We’re armed with the tools to connect with colleagues, data and customers while on the move. We can respond to enquiries faster, without having to wait to “get back to the office”.

Mobile broadband is the force driving this change, and consumer demand for mobile data is doubling every year as more Australians take up mobile broadband, tablets and smartphones. Telstra has responded to this by rolling out its Long Term Evolution (LTE) 4G network in all Australian capital city CBDs and in around 60 regional centres. Anthea Roberts, director of Mobile Broadband at Telstra, says

the 4G network is faster and more powerful than ever before.

“We’ve had customers who are sports photographers able to upload photos from the field as matches are occurring and medical specialists able to send large patient files and images while on call or from patient bedsides,” she says.

The 4G network supports typical download speeds of between 2 and 40 megabytes per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of between 1 and 10Mbps, in all capital city CBDs, associated airports and selected regional areas. “It takes less time to connect to internet pages, or to stream video, making it much faster for businesses to connect to content and cloud-based applications while working away from the office,” says Roberts.

“Increased network capacity on the 4G network means customers can use more bandwidthhungry applications simultaneously, like running a high-definition videoconference while downloading files to share during the call.”

The 4G network integrates with Telstra’s Next G network, so customers with 4G devices, such as the Telstra USB 4G, will automatically switch over to Telstra’s Next G network, an advanced High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) enabled 3G network, when outside 4G coverage areas.

This article first appeared in Smarter Business Ideas written by Kate Hennessy

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FASTER DOWNLOADS UPLOADS WORKLOADS LET YOUR BUSINESS FLOW

4G

SAMSUNG GALAXY S II 4G • First Samsung mobile on superfast 4G speeds • True high quality viewing experience for all your emails, files and presentations with its 4.5" screen

Telstra Business Centre Townsville 149 Charters Towers Road Hyde Park Call: 07 4771 4160

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$

/MTH

BUSINESS MOBILE ADVANTAGE PLAN PLUS $5 /MTH MOBILE REPAYMENT OPTION FOR 24 MONTHS AFTER USING YOUR MRO BONUS. MIN COST $1,800. ($75 /MTH)

BUSINESS HAPPENS FASTER

4G COVERAGE IS INITIALLY AVAILABLE IN ALL CAPITAL CITY CBDS, ASSOCIATED AIRPORTS AND SELECTED REGIONAL LOCATIONS AND AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHES TO OUR FASTEST 3G NETWORK SPEEDS AVAILABLE IN OTHER COVERAGE AREAS THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW: Typical downloads speeds in capital city CBDs (meaning within 5k m from GPO), associated airports and selected regional locations (meaning 3k m from regional town centre) are from 2Mbps to 40Mbps and in other areas speeds will be less. Actual speeds vary due to factors such as location, distance from the base station, local terrain, user numbers, hardware & software configuration and download source/upload destination. Visit telstra.com/mobilecoverage for details of coverage locations. If you cancel early, you must repay the remaining monthly handset payments in addition to any early termination charges for your service. Some location based services currently only work with 3G. Your 4G device may switch to 3G or you may have to manually enter your location to access these services. The Android logo, Android and the Android Mark et logo are trademark s of Google, Inc. The HD Voice GSM logo is registered and owned by the GSM Association. ™ and ® are trade mark and registered trade mark of Telstra Corporation Limited, ABN 33 051 775 556.

ON BOARD WITH

LONGBOARD Story by Tracey Lee Gordon Photography Skye Millard

L

ongboard Bar and Grill is fast becoming one of Townsville’s most popular family restaurants.

Located on the Strand, it’s affordable and truly delicious menu is aptly dubbed ‘Australian Fusion’ and features pizzas, burgers, steaks, salads and two outstanding favorites – Sticky BBQ Pork Ribs and Buffalo Wings. “We’ve definitely got Townsville hooked on our Buffalo Wings, we’re selling over 250kg a week,” says owner Chris Haddad,“ and we’ve complimented our meals with a range of beverages including local and imported beers, wines and spirits.

It’s a family restaurant, but it’s also a bar so we have all genre of clients covered.”

“The site originally housed Jamaica Joe’s, which I co-owned and we’ve kept the value for money concept, but added freshness with the new Longboard brand and refit. My

real desire was to allow all of Townsville to enjoy the Strand location of the restaurant.

I like to think its ‘fine food’, but it’s not fine dining as such, so it’s affordable for all.”

The name Longboard itself is a brand concept that was conceived by ex-ironman and good friend of Chris, Jonathon Crowe and his surfing buddies. “So we carry the brand, stock the boutique Longboard beer and also support the venue with a range of Queensland favorites supplied by Lion including their iconic XXXX brands, Hahn Super Dry, Heineken and the James Squire range. This ensures we are offering a wide assortment of local and imported beverages for all tastes. I won’t stock products that I don’t believe in, but Lion has a great portfolio that is backed by great service. They’re also out in the community getting involved with local activities such as sporting events and that’s what Queenslanders want to see.

“I have a degree in science, but when I was back in the US I decided I would rather be working in social environments surrounded by palm trees, so my move into hospitality has certainly seen me travel some miles to find the right ‘botanical’ fit. I came to Australia for the millennium party in Sydney, did a stint working at the Olympics, spent time in WA and ended up opening a venue with a mate in Airlie Beach called Armada

Lounge Bar and Restaurant. I really wanted to bring the city to the Tropics and we had great success with it. I’m not sure anyone in the area had heard of cocktails such as the Mojito before we opened there but the uptake on our cocktail menu was pretty quick.

“That was the start of my partnership with Lion. They were a great support with that bar and really assisted with the fit out of our beer system and pulled out all stops to help with anything we needed. The good thing about Lion is that they really invest in long term partnership and their people are great.

I have a fantastic relationship with my Lion rep, who I know I can call 24/7 and he’ll do whatever needs to be done.

“My move to Townsville six years ago was purely due to location and aesthetics. I love it here and it’s great that Lion continues to be one of our partners. The transformation of the Jamaica Joe’s site to Longboard Bar and Grill has really been as successful as it was strategic for us.

“Longboard is fully committed to our future with Lion – because I know they’re fully ‘on board’ with us. There’s trust in long term partnerships and that underpins Lion’s entire approach to its client base and their commitment to the community as a whole.”

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Mia

15 minutes with:

freedman

What is Mamamia.com.au?

Women are time poor and information hungry, and they don’t have time to go to numerous websites each day for updates on fashion, news, gossip, food, parenting and whatever else, so we collate information about what’s going on across many topics and act as a hub for information. We really run the gamut from the political to the very personal.

What sparked the decision to create Mamamia?

I’d spent 20 years working in magazines [Mia was Editor of Cosmo at age 24, then Editor in Chief of Cosmo, Cleo and Dolly], but it was while I was working in senior management in TV that I realised I missed writing and that hands-on experience.

I created Mamamia in 2007 solely as a blog and it turned, quite organically, into an online community. I really liked the medium of blogging for connecting with women, and loved the immediacy of instant communication.

How has Mamamia evolved since those early days?

It started out as a personal blog, so initially it had zero business structure and it made no money. It was just me, posting four to six times each day, five to six days each week.

A blog is a hungry beast that needs to be fed, so it’s understandable that bloggers burn out; they just can’t do it on their own. Any blog that is really successful has a support team.

Is that why your husband, Jason, joined forces with you to become Mamamia’s CEO?

and I had no interest in the business or IT sides of a website business, so Jason drove that. In the past two years, Mamamia has grown from just me, to me and Jason and today we have a team of 20, plus external contributors.

How has your role changed?

I find it hard to forward plan past next weekend let alone for five years’ time!

That’s where Jason comes in; he’s the strategist. I cringe at the thought of having another strategy meeting, in fact I hate meetings in general! Without his vision, Mamamia wouldn’t be what it is.

With Jason steering Mamamia, I am essentially an editor again, except this time I’m more hands on. Today I write one or two posts out of the 30-plus posts Mamamia publishes each week. We now have an editorial team of five, including me. We also have contributed posts from celebs like comedian Meshel Laurie, pollies such as Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott, and regular people offering their personal stories.

With Mamamia offering free readership, how does the business make its money?

Mainly through selling advertising space, a business directory, sponsored posts and job listings on our Mamamia Jobs page.

You are about to launch another sub-brand, Mamamia Shopping, can you tell us more?

The thought behind Mamamia Shopping is that we already have the traffic to run a retail store, and we know the stuff that women want to buy. We have a Westfield full of shoppers and we just need to open the shops!

Around the same time I left TV, my husband Jason [Lavigne] sold his business.

He had always worked in the business world, he has a degree from Harvard, and he was considering what to do next. He was investigating investment opportunities and saw his wife spending 16 hours a day blogging from our lounge room and not making a cent, and he saw potential.

Everything is online nowadays so it makes sense for us to expand Mamamia in this direction. I’ve enlisted my dear friend Paula Joye, who launched two magazines – Shop ‘til You Drop and Madison – and who runs her own website www.lifestyled.com.au to be our Mamamia Shopping’s Creative Director and deliver the look and feel of the site. Growing our business has really been about finding the right people with the right skills.

It was two years ago when Jason joined Mamamia with a strategy to turn the site from a blog into an actual business. He said he would give us one year to do it, and if that didn’t work then it would be time to move on. I knew I needed help. I didn’t have the time to sell advertising space as well as feed the beast,

If you ask anyone who’s opening an online business when the launch date it is, they’ll say four weeks ago. It takes time! But we’ll be ready to launch mid-year.

After 20 years working in women’s magazines and a short stint in TV production, Mia Freedman has found her niche in the wide world of blogging. Mia speaks to Success about the evolution of her website, Mamamia.com.au, into a business and how she’s building her empire blog by blog.

Story by Rachel Licciardello

You’ve authored three books already – do you have any plans for a fourth?

We are in the process of launching Mamamia Publishing, which will offer eBooks. Queensland writer Rebecca Sparrow will be Managing Editor of this sub-brand; Bec had a baby earlier this year, so that put a tiny little spanner in the works for our launch!

[Laughing] But we’re aiming for mid-year.

We already have two eBooks; one I co-authored with a 21-yearold Journalism student, which we titled Understanding Your Kid’s Online World, and another I co-authored with my sleep whisperer, titled Gift of Sleep.

Did you ever think Mamamia.com.au would be as successful as it is?

No way!

The Mamamia empire: •

Mamamia Parenting

•

Mamamia Food

•

Mamamia Style

•

Mamamia Shopping – launching soon

•

Mamamia Publishing – launching soon

Mamamia’s online community: •

500,000 women visit the site each month

•

75,000 Twitter fans

•

20,000 Facebook fans

•

15,000 subscribers to the site’s daily newsletter

•

20 million post impressions, growing every second

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Meet the Delonghi PrimaDonna Avante $3499 This machine is in a class of its own. Easy to use and clean and a perfect cup of coffee each time. You can choose to have a short, medium or long coffee, and to taste a strong or extra mild aroma, enjoying it piping hot or at medium temperature. The machine can be used with either coffee beans or ground coffee. This machine will service your workforce with ease it will allow you to prepare two cups of coffee with a single brewing.

BITS& GADGETS Presented by Troy Williams The Good Guys

Meet the Olimpia Splendid Cooling Portable Air Conditioner Priced from $649 A portable air conditioner is the answer if you don’t have the facility to install a built in air conditioner but want to keep your home cool and beat the summer rush. The Olimpia Splendid Cooling Portable Air Conditioner is sleek and elegant with great efficiency and reduced consumption. Extremely quiet and highly efficient, it is the perfect cooling solution for the office or bedroom. Noirot portable air conditioners produce more even room cooling due to the better circulation provided by the unique air flow pattern. They are easy to set up and install and for your peace of mind, they come with a three year replacement warranty.

Meet the Brother MFC-6710DW $348 If A4 paper just isn’t big enough, then Brother’s MFC-6710DW might just be the multi function printer you are looking for. This printer also has an excellent automatic duplexer for printing two-sided documents, even on the largest A3 paper. With speeds of up to 35ppm on black and white and 27ppm on colour this printer ticks all the boxes.

Meet the Kodak Picture Kiosk Standard 6x4 prints start at 9 cents

Meet the Kodak picture kiosk. It’s so easy to use you’ll be amazed by your results the very first time and every time - you print your pictures. Why? You’ll get rich, vibrant colours. Crisp detail. Simply better, brighter pictures - thanks to exclusive Kodak Perfect Touch technology. Every picture is protected by Kodak Xtralife™ lamination, which makes them waterproof and even wipeable. So even with life’s little spills, smudges, and stains, your pictures are sure to stay beautiful for a lifetime. It’s all at your fingertips.

Just touch the screen for quick and easy how-tos. Zoom, crop, and enhance until your pictures look just the way you want them to. You can do it yourself and get amazing results. Try it today!

Visit us online at www.thegoodguys.com.au or phone 07 4755 0300

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ON THE RISE Success Business Magazine talks to Renee Turner, the Strategic Projects Coordinator behind the newly established North Queensland Emerging Leaders Program.

Photography Skye Millard

When did you join the company and in what capacity?

I joined the TEL team in July 2011, on a six-month contract in marketing for the economic development team. Four months into my contract the board at TEL decided to roll out a high level community leadership program that educates future leaders within TEL’s North Queensland footprint (Burdekin, Charters Towers, Hinchinbrook, Palm Island and Townsville). I saw an opportunity to develop and manage a program that is unique, so I decided to apply, and now I’m running the North Queensland Emerging Leaders Program (NQELP). I still work closely with the economic development team on key marketing initiatives.

Describe a typical day for you.

Each day usually has some level of excitement, such as meeting key industry leaders and stakeholders, organising site tours, researching information and implementing innovative ideas, creating marketing collateral or communicating with participants, there’s always a new challenge waiting. I love what I do…

What business-related values do you operate by?

Most importantly, I ensure key stakeholders, members and participants expectations are satisfied. It’s imperative to build effective working relationships, consider other people’s opinions and expertise, and continually look for areas to improve - I don’t believe in maintaining the status quo.

My professional goals are to always push past my comfort zone, grow my strengths, work on my weaknesses and to always have passion for what I do.

If you weren’t doing what you are doing now, what line of work do you think you would be in?

I have a humanitarian streak so possibly rebuilding a community, or at least being a part of an organisation that assists third-world countries.

Do you think our economy will look different in coming years with the rise in generation Ys becoming business owners/ operators?

Gen Ys are stereotypically IT savvy so I think there will be a definite shift to more technically interactive environments – we are already experiencing the change. This generation will be complimented by the National Broadband Network through increased internet speeds that will result in amplified use of online shopping, online business, online technologies, videoconferencing interactions, social media experiences, website development, mobile phone and tablet computer (i.e. iPad) apps. There will be plenty of career opportunities within IT, creative and marketing industries. Everything will be bigger, brighter and faster.

Who inspires you?

What are the advantages and challenges of being a young person in business?

Sir Richard Branson. He has vision, thinks outside the square and has created a globally recognised brand that is innovative and fresh. Whilst his Virgin brand is taking diverse industries by storm, he still seems like a very down to earth and approachable leader.

We have high energy levels, offer a fresh perspective and are determined to succeed. Lack of experience is one challenge and not having access to a mentor would be another. If you don’t have the knowledge or experience, it’s important to surround yourself with people who do.

What are your business/professional goals?

What gives you the most satisfaction in your job role?

My business goal is to ensure that the Townsville region has an alumnus of emerging leaders, who have the contacts, confidence, knowledge and experience necessary to make the ‘big’ decisions in progressing our great region.

Knowing that I’m giving participants access to diverse leaders and experiences they wouldn’t normally have access to.

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the voice:

YESTERDAY, TODAY & TOMORROW As Townsville Chamber celebrates its 130th anniversary this May, Success looks at what this voice of local business and industry has achieved, what it’s working on today and what it’s driving for tomorrow.

Story by Rachel Licciardello

YESTERDAY

TODAY People behind the chamber

1882… the early days It was an exciting time for Townsville in 1882. The first stage of North Ward Hospital was completed, the Townsville Showgrounds opened and the population doubled during the preceding decade to reach 4,000. This was also the year Townsville Chamber of Commerce was founded. As our independent voice of business, the Chamber has helped develop Townsville from sand and sawdust to the burgeoning economic force it is today.

An agent for growth The Chamber helped develop the local wool, banana, tobacco and sugar industries in the first half of the 20th century, and the road and transport industry in the second half. More recently, the Chamber assisted in establishing significant agencies in Townsville, such as the Institute of Tropical Medicine in 1908 and its re-incarnation James Cook University in the 1970s, and Lavarack Barracks in the 1960s.

The Golden Eras According to current President Dawson Wilkie, there are a few golden eras in the Chamber’s recent history: 1980s: “The Chamber participated in the first Qantas flight from Townsville to Los Angeles, oversaw the opening of the casino, airport, Burdekin Dam and the arrival of the first cruise ships.”

1990s: “There was a sense that Townsville was coming of age in the ‘90s… Townsville welcomed the opening of the largest Korean investment in Australia, Sun Metals Zinc Refinery, and kicked off national sporting teams NQ Cowboys, Townsville Suns (later Crocodiles) and Townsville Barras…

“In 1997 the Chamber elected its first female Chair, Fay Barker, who made it her mission to engage the next generation of Chamber members by starting the Young Chamber Committee and Young Business Achievement Awards.”

2010s: “I’m very proud of our involvement in the CBD revitalisation…

The Chamber set up an office at ‘ground zero’ in Northtown, so we could assist businesses impacted by the construction. Redeveloping Flinders Street is an important first step in a long-term plan.”

Today, Townsville Chamber supports over 500 members, with 10,000-plus employees. The group’s purpose is to promote the interest of its members who invest in our region, with 67% of members being small to medium businesses, employing 20 or fewer people. Individually, these businesses don’t have the power to create noise beyond a whisper. Collectively, the Chamber has a real voice.

130 years young The Chamber is preparing to celebrate its 130th anniversary on May 31, the same day the inaugural board held its first meeting in 1882. Fittingly, Port of Townsville is the major sponsor for the celebrations, reinforcing a long-shared history between the two groups. The anniversary will entail a gala dinner and the Chamber’s annual awards, as well as the 15th Young Business Achievement Awards, with McDonald’s Family Restaurants the major sponsor.

History, herstory, ourstory Currently, Townsville Chamber continues work on a retrospective project that will look back on the past 130 years of Townsville’s economic and commercial history – the significant people, projects, events and organisations that have fired the pistons for Townsville’s growth. The outcomes of the project will be donated back to the city.

TOMORROW The big picture With the top two big picture items on the Chamber’s agenda being revitalising the CBD and building Townsville as Queensland’s second capital, Dawson says the Chamber is dedicated to pushing for infrastructure investments like the Bruce Highway upgrade, a secure IPCU for the hospital and the expansion of our airport and port facilities.

The world is our oyster “There is increasing pressure to embrace the global age of today. Townsville is not just competing state or nationwide, we are competing on the world stage. This is a very exciting time to do business in Townsville,” shares Dawson. “[The Chamber is] the independent voice of Townsville’s business and industry community, and the more we are the louder we are.”

Ever agitating As always, the Chamber will lace up its work boots and continue lobbying for the region in which we live, work and play, and most of all, we know has immeasurable potential.

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successbusinessmag.com.au

IS YOUR PROPERTY IN THE MARKET OR JUST ON THE MARKET?

By Wayne Nicholson. Managing Director at First National Nicholson Real Estate.

Regardless of what the real estate agent or seller may think, it is the buyer who sets the market value of the home. Buyers today are very astute and with internet access they know a lot about your competition. Our industry statistics tell us that over 80% of buyers research the home on the internet before they contact the agent.

good sales agent will demonstrate where your price should be by showing you evidence of comparable sales in your area. In pre-internet days agents would sometimes use the S.W.A.G. method to price a home. This was the “Sophisticated Wild Arse Guess” method. Today there is no excuse for over pricing or under pricing a seller’s home.

Professional agents have access to accurate data and evidence. All sellers should ask their agent to show them how they arrived at the asking price and if they can’t provide current and past sales evidence or a C.M.A. (Comparable Market Analysis), they should use another agent.

A professional agent’s job is to position your home just above the market to allow for negotiation. A

I speak with many people who tell me that their home has been on the market for a long time.

After 30 plus years of selling residential real estate the most commonly asked question I get asked is “What is my home worth?” The short answer is “Your home is worth what a buyer is prepared to pay in today’s market.”

When I investigate their situation I find that their home has been on the market but not in the market. That is, they have listed it for sale at a price above the market reaction zone. Today’s buyers are astute and won’t be fooled. They simply won’t take interest in a property priced too far above the market reaction zone.

A good agent will hold strategy meetings with the seller on a regular basis to continually keep the seller informed of what the buyers are saying about their property and of market changes. If necessary they will discuss price adjustments to ensure their property stays in the market and not just on the market.

G reen Tee TERRACE

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Engineering Efficient Energy Success Business Magazine speaks with Ergon Energy’s CEO, Ian McLeod, about the recent unveiling of the first release of Ergon Energy’s ‘Energy Sense Community’ program in Townsville. Ergon Energy reveals its future focus is on more than just electricity.

Story by Tracey Lee Gordon

W

ith the growing cost of living, we’re all a little more conscious each time we flick a light switch. Technology is dictating our growing reliance on plug-in products and by all forecasts, gadgets big and small will continue to hit the market. If our fascination with new technology continues, and our desire to keep abreast of the proverbial Jones family, we’ll find that we’ll need more and more energy to keep us in the lifestyle we have become accustomed to.

Energy consumption peak generally occurs between 4pm and 8pm when we all get home from work and school and start relaxing with airconditioning, domestic technology and cooking dinner. With the low population density across regional areas, increasing overall demand and the looming carbon tax, Ergon Energy has a challenge on its hands keeping costs down, grids efficient and the whole cycle environmentally sound.

That’s why it’s highly focused on developing strategies to understand and manage peak network consumption and leveraging technology and environmental initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint, employ efficient energy solutions and ultimately reduce the financial impact on consumers.

Ergon Energy’s Chief Executive Ian McLeod is leading the team piloting the Energy Sense Community program in Townsville and he’s passionate about identifying smarter, greener

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technology to bring down costs.

“The genesis of the program itself was initially part of our bid for the Federal Government’s Smart Cities Program in order to inform ourselves what technology can be employed in the region to conserve and use energy more efficiently,” Ian said.

“We specifically targeted Townsville, due to the tropical climate, while our national and international peers tend to examine more temperate climates, which are markedly different.”

“Through this study, we developed strong relationships with key bodies such as James Cook University (JCU), Townsville City Council and Townsville Enterprise and although we weren’t successful with our bid, the value in continuing what we were doing was evident.”

Ergon Energy is undertaking a diverse range of pilot and trial activities across the region, including battery storage in the west which charges off peak; solar concentrators at Windorah, a geothermal power station in Birdsvllle and wind generation technology on Thursday Island.

“We are anticipating a high consumer uptake of electric cars in the future so we are trialing a cluster of vehicles in the Townsville community to gauge consumption and recharge times,” Ian said.

“As a supplier of energy, we need to understand the impact on current grids and whether

education, interventions and initiatives will entice customers to change usage patterns to off peak periods.”

“Obviously too, solar power is an option that many customers have chosen across the board. If you’re a producer of energy and not just a consumer, then of course we need a network that can enable that to occur.”

Additionally, Ergon Energy has partnered with both small businesses and larger energy consumers to educate, design and implement cost saving solutions. For example, traditional daily cooling for JCU represents four mega watts, which is enough energy to power a small town. Ergon Energy has worked with them to enable the installation of a centralised water cooling and storage unit to chill water at night or ‘off-peak’ and distributes the chilled water during the day throughout a pipe system across the university to provide cool air. It’s the largest unit of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

“Queensland has more ‘load under control’ than other states and the key to cost management looking forward is finding ways to deliver efficiency and disperse consumption to off peak periods and lower carbon emissions,” Ian said.

“The Energy Sense Community program provides the platform for us to achieve that.”

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ONLINE BUSINESS

By Bree Dwyer. Brand Manager at The Marketing Factory.

As Brand Manager for The Marketing Factory, Bree is responsible for developing campaigns for small business to large enterprise including Catholic Education Office, Jewellery By Design and Knight Frank among others.

Logging onto the internet on a daily basis is not unusual for most of us. Whether it’s for work or pleasure we are constantly exposed to thousands of businesses in the online world with a few simple clicks. So it’s no surprise that businesses are out there looking to make better use of their website. Generally it’s something business owners pay thousands of dollars for, then once designed and uploaded, they just sit there, in cyberspace, looking pretty, but who is looking at them? Have you done the right thing for your business or have you in fact sent out an image that doesn’t reflect your business values and culture?

It’s a daunting feeling to know that someone has already made an opinion about your business after a few seconds of viewing your website online, before they have even picked up the phone to ask about your service.

Take for example a new car buyer. With access to every make and model readily available to an individual, the pre-purchasing decision has already been made online before even visiting the showroom. This puts the pressure on new car salespeople more than ever, as buyers are more educated on their products and are informed to know what they do and don’t want.

Hopefully the above information now has

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you thinking about your current website; what it looks like and what it is doing for your business. Perhaps your business does even have a website. You’re not alone. And while there are many opportunities for DIY websites, why add stress to your everyday work load?

There are a number of agencies available to help your business make a grand entrance into the online world.

Remember, a well-designed website isn’t just about making it look good, it’s about finding the best ways to communicate more effectively to those using it. An effective website will assist with brand building. It generates a confidence in your current and prospective clients by developing brand recognition and positions your business within the market as a leader in its industry. Think of your website as a salesperson for your business that never sleeps. The opportunities for direct sales are endless and by providing great content relevant to your market that is delivered consistently you will gain loyalty from your current clients.

Your website should reflect who you are, your business and your brand. Sometimes it’s the first and possibly last impression new customers or clients will have of your business. It’s up to you what that impression is!

Before taking that step to reviving your existing website or starting from scratch, here are some helpful tips to a successful website: • 1.

What is the purpose of your website? Will yours be sales based or educational based for example? It needs to work for you.

• 2.

Decide on a look and feel that you are happy with – work with a qualified designer to establish your website. It should represent another staff member of your business (one that never sleeps!).

• 3.

Decide who your target audience is – it’s important to get the right people visiting and using your site.

• 4.

Where possible, a website should have a content management system, so your business has the luxury of keeping it up-to-date with information. A stale website is like stale bread – no one wants to touch it.

• 5.

Have links to relevent industry associations and partners.

• 6.

Have feedback and contact forms that are simple to use.

• 7.

Use a blog where appropriate to educate the market and position you as a leader in your field.

• 8.

Ensure your SEO (search engine optimisation) is working to its full potential.

Andrew Wallis

Stockland North Shore

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townsville’s

martin locke Managing Director Martin Locke Homes Multi-Award Winning Martin Locke Homes is a builder of superior quality homes in Townsville. He does not mass produce homes, and is able to show people, tangible differences in his building practices, which ensures his team delivers on the promise of a perfectly crafted home every time, guaranteed.

Martin’s love for the construction industry started back in his days on the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane as a plumber, where he also combined his trade with being a semi-professional footballer, husband to Melissa and father to two girls, Candice and Kristy.

In 1996 Martin’s construction dreams were put on hold, as he took up an opportunity to play for five years, and then work for a further five years with the NQ Cowboys football (NRL). It was during this time his two sons, Mitchell and Isaac were born to complete his family. In 2005 Martin decided it was time to follow his heart, and take the step back into the building industry. That move seven years ago, and the swap from business shirt and tie, back to steel cap boots and shovel saw Martin become the site supervisor, plumber, estimator, landscaper, project manager, site labourer and builder for numerous construction projects throughout Townsville under the Ramlock Properties banner.

However in 2010, Martin’s passion and desire to fully focus on building homes, saw the establishment of Martin Locke Homes. The full circle has been complete and life could not be better for Martin, his family and small and dedicated team of employees and contractors who make up Martin Locke Homes.

Martin has always made decisions based on what is best for his family and dedicated his spare time to being a ‘Dad’ and can’t wait to throw more time into growing his business and building dream homes. Just as importantly, he is dedicated to giving back to the community that has given him and his family more than they could have ever dreamed of.

P. 07 4755 1410 W. www.martinlockehomes.com.au

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marissa candy Director The Marketing Factory With a strong passion for the North Queensland region, Marissa Candy operates two fast growing companies based in Townsville. As the Director of The Marketing Factory she is actively involved with clients including Stockland, Ergon Energy, The Athlete’s Foot and Catholic Education to name a few. A team of seven make up The Marketing Factory, who pursues a common vision of being a dynamic and innovative leader for building business brands in regional Queensland. A highlight for the team was being named in the top 7% of creative industries in Australia (source: Australian Bureau of Statistics). Marissa and the team look to educate the broader community on the high skill levels that exist throughout the North Queensland business community, further promoting our great region.

Marissa is passionate about creating a unique place to work, where fun and proficiency collide.

“It is important that each team member enjoys their daily rituals and is given the opportunity to flourish in an environment that fosters innovation and new ideas,” says Marissa. This casual yet competent approach has seen a small turnover of staff and aims to setup the business to attract the best skilled people in their field of expertise.

Marissa is also the Publishing Editor and founder of this great magazine, Success Business Magazine. Her role as Editor involves meeting with our region’s leaders to gain their success stories and reporting on activities in the business community of North Queensland.

Marissa has strong determination to achieve her goals and looks forward to future learning with the Townsville Enterprise Emerging Leaders Program.

As we work together to address the issues of today, she believes we can make our region one to be celebrated beyond tomorrow.

P. 07 4721 4640 W. www.themarketingfactory.com.au

A spotlight on Townsville Enterprise Emerging Leaders

bevan hill

mark kelly

Business Manager Jewellery By Design

External Relations Specialist Queensland Nickel Pty Ltd

Bevan Hill is the Business Manager for Jewellery By Design.

Bevan is a dedicated and goal driven person who has a hands on work ethic with a can do attitude. In the past Bevan has overseen the management and growth of a local sporting association and a community based day care centre.

Bevan has had a long history of involvement with Tennis Townsville for which he was president for several years. He was also actively involved on the committee that successfully won the bid for the first ever Davis Cup Tie for Townsville.

Bevan started his own very successful business almost 10 years ago now.

With Bevsan Agencies he travelled all over Queensland, especially in the North, selling to local small businesses. Bevan’s business expanded into importing products from various overseas companies and selling items wholesale to local small businesses. It was through his own personal business ventures that an opportunity arose to work for the McGeachie family of Jewellery By Design. Bevan has managed Jewellery By Design for three years now.

Throughout his life Bevan has met several people who have inspired him to be the best at what he does. He has a supportive wife and family who over the past 25 years have allowed him to take risks, make mistakes and venture out with whatever new project he felt passionate about. He has been lucky to gain sound advice from experienced people in business, with whom he’s networked and established good friendships.

Being born and bred in Townsville, Bevan is passionate about the growth and development of Townsville and local business. With 25 years of experience within the small business sector of Townsville, Bevan is committed to securing the city’s infrastructure and growth for the future.

P. 07 4772 1001 W. www.jbd.net.au

Mark is the External Relations Specialist at the Palmer Nickel and Cobalt Refinery. Married to Burdekin girl Amaya and with three children, Joseba, Maite and Ainara, Mark has lived in North Queensland for 15 years.

Attending St Augustine’s High School in the Italian community of Brookvale, the school was across the road from the Manly Sea Eagles Rugby League club. Despite being schooled in the hulking shadow of the Brookvale oval grandstand, soccer and cricket were the sports of choice.

Mark helps to coach the Under 10 Saints Fury soccer team, plays the occasional Futsal game and is a NQ Fury (RIP), Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao fan. The annual pilgrimage every Australia Day weekend for the Goldfield Ashes is an ongoing tradition with the Yabulu Cricket Club – a team which, like the famous song, you can check out of but never leave.

After high school, Mark enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts degree, taking a four month detour to South America to participate in a development program in Guyana with Youth Challenge International. The experience in Guyana was life changing. With a colleague, Mark co-founded an Australian branch of the international organisation and co-led the first Australian led program to the Solomon Islands in 1993. Youth Challenge Australia continues to operate to this day.

Returning to Australia, Mark accepted a role as Festival Director with the Australian Italian Festival, a position he held for three years. In 1999 Mark moved to Queensland Nickel as Communications Co-ordinator, and has since worked in the resource industry, including two years in an External Affairs capacity with BHP Billiton in Perth.

Mark returned to the Palmer Nickel and Cobalt Refinery in 2010 and oversees community, media, communication and government relations activities for the refinery.

P. 07 4720 6200 W. www.qni.com.au

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AYR OF EXCELLENCE Story by Tracey Lee Gordon Photography Skye Millard

After an executive career in finance spanning almost three decades, Carmel Dal Ponte is back and she’s combining metropolitan technique with NQ spirit to drive improved results for Queensland Country.

A

fter an executive career in finance spanning almost three decades, Carmel Dal Ponte is back and she’s combining metropolitan technique with NQ spirit to drive improved results for Queensland Country.

In November 2010 as Queensland Country’s Branch Sales Manager - NQLD & FNQLD, Carmel was awarded the cross industry, Australian Institute of Management (AIM), Excellence Award as NQLD Rural Manager of the Year 2011.

The award recognises remotely based business managers and owners that have been acknowledged by their own organsiation, for leadership talent and management excellence.

“It’s been fantastic to be credited for injecting intensity into the industry here. Achieving great things is always rewarding, but it’s never a solo effort. The support I‘ve received over the last 18 months from AIM’s John Honeycomb, Queensland Country senior management and the organisation as a whole has just been overwhelming.

I manage the Bowen to Weipa sales region and from a business development perspective, I’m getting out there, I‘m meeting current and potential clients and networking to promote our products and drive growth. It’s about being proactive and really standing out from our peers.”

A Burdekin girl, Carmel commenced her career

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with Westpac Ayr after high school and 10 years on, as one of the youngest female managers at the time, was offered a 12-month secondment at the Westpac Head Office in Sydney. “I was engaged to undertake the integration of technology into branches nationally, when the old typewriter and manual systems were superseded by technology.”

But one year turned into 16 and Carmel carved an impressive career as finance executive, managing a diverse range of initiatives including the integration of the Bank of Melbourne into Westpac, the Olympic Games Banking project and the retail Y2K project. “I also held the National Change Manager role and as State Manager for NSW/ACT, had a staff base of 1,200 across 90 branches.”

That’s an impressive portfolio and it’s certainly a gain for both Queensland Country and North Queensland having Carmel back, but you may start to wonder what the instigator was for her exit from the world of corporate high fliers.

“I call it a sliding doors moment. I had a career many would envy, but I just simply wasn’t happy with what I was doing anymore. It was decision time for me. To leave on a high note or commit to continuing the corporate climb. When I threw it all in to take on the role of receptionist at Fitness First and a 90% pay cut, my family thought I was losing my mind. It was a massive risk.

“But the decision paid off – I learnt a different sales and marketing perspective and being surrounded by 32 positive and motivated personal trainers was totally inspiring. It led to a number of personal achievements I would have not thought possible.

“I’ve competed in marathons and biathlons, worked in orphanages in Africa, successfully climbed Mt Kilamanjaro and paddled Dragonboats for Australia in China.

“In 2010, I decided it was time to come home and the Queensland Country opening presented itself straight away. I’m passionate about this role and really focused on giving back to the region, its youth and my family based on both my personal and professional experience.

“Ayr is where it all started for me and it was great to present recently at my old high school and advocate that it really is possible to achieve your goals, wherever you come from.

“I live by the mantra I’m happy to take the hard road - taking risks and making tough decisions will always pay dividends. You just have to believe in yourself and follow your heart.”

Champion team or team of champions?

By Kathryn Chapman. Managing Director at Choice Training.

This is a phrase commonly used for sporting teams and is just as relevant in the world of business. Do you have highly skilled employees who just aren’t quite the high performing team you’d thought they’d be?

greater than the sum of its parts. Whether you have a small or large team it is important to develop the team to ensure individuals are pulling together and working efficiently.

In business we all have strategic plans and goals that we want to achieve to remain a productive and profitable business. We all know that you can’t work in isolation to achieve goals – all employees have their part to play.

Here are some ways you can start developing your work teams: • Make sure strategic directions and goals are made explicit to the whole team.

• Articulate what working towards and achieving goals looks like and how you report this.

• Describe what it means to achieve goals.

• Let each work team get to know each other and how they each like to work.

Often we assume everyone works the same way and this is not necessarily true.

My question is this; do you have a champion team or a team of champions? You can employ highly skilled individuals, but unless they are pulling together in the same direction, you won’t be achieving your business goals as efficiently as you could be. The old saying is true; the whole is

Informal team building activities can be a great way to get team members familiarised with each other. They can sometimes fall short if team members don’t like the different ways we solve problems and communicate with each other. You don’t have to like everyone’s way of doing things to work well together, but you do have to respect the way each team member prefers to work. You may choose to engage a professional trainer to facilitate the process of team building and to identify each other’s work preferences. This can build a foundation of knowledge that team respect can grow from and you can turn your team of champions into a champion team.

Every player is different.

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PRODUCT REVIEW Story by Rebecca Hutton

Mac Book Air 13”

“...light, fast, and easy to use, even for the most novice Mac users...”

T

here comes a time when lugging around a 5kg laptop just isn’t practical anymore. As we move into the mobile age and we need to be able to do business on the run, the latest Macbook Air 13”, weighing in at around 1.3kgs is light enough to carry with you every day, and powerful enough to get down to some serious business.

Apple has mastered mobility with the Macbook Air 13”, by creating a notebook that weighs practically nothing, and has the ability to run for around five to seven hours on a single charge. The battery life is significantly improved from previous models and allows you to work for longer periods of time.

Just like the iPhone and iPad, the Macbook Air now comes with built in flash storage, which is up to two times faster than a conventional hard drive. The first thing you will notice when turning on your machine is the mere 15 seconds it takes to start up. In no time at all your Macbook Air is on and ready to go. It is up to two and a half times faster than the previous generation notebook and applications run more efficiently than before, thanks to the latest Intel Core processors, Core i5 and i7. Everything you would normally do on your PC you now do even quicker on your Macbook Air. You can also leave it in standby mode, conserving battery life for up to 30 days, and when you come back to it, it switches on straight away.

The full size keyboard is now backlit, which means you can now type in the dimmest of light. There is also a built-in ambient light sensor, which detects changes in lighting conditions and adjusts the brightness automatically. This means that even when using it in bed, the light won’t blind you.

The Macbook Air has some great applications that come standard with each machine. iPhoto is an easy-

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to-use photo application that allows you to keep track and sort your photos by who is in them, and where and when they were taken. Editing tools let you perfect your shots with just a few clicks. Photo Stream in iCloud automatically pushes new photos to all your devices, including iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch so you’re never without your images. You can also use this application to make animated slideshows quickly and easily, and print your very own high quality books using your photos.

Perfect for business people that don’t have the time to set up templates or spreadsheets, Numbers is an application that allows you to select already created templates to keep track of just about anything.

Whether you want to prepare budgets, employee schedules, create checklists and planners, or put your finances and life in order with the savings tracker, loan comparison, home inventory and retirement savings, there is a template that will suit you. Simply enter in your data and let Numbers take care of the rest. You can move tables, change fonts and colours and with just a couple of clicks you can make the spreadsheet uniquely your own.

Overall, the Macbook Air 13” notebook is light, fast and easy to use, even for the most novice Mac users. A great entry level notebook that is not to be underestimated. Its fast start up and efficiency means you will spend more time working and less time waiting.

It is small and light enough to carry around all day, while leaving a lot more room in your bag.

For more information on the Macbook Air 13” or other Apple products, check out www.thegoodguys.com.au or give the team at Troy Williams The Good Guys a call on 07 4755 0300

Fitness Walking

By Darren Barclay. Senior Podiatrist at Townsville Podiatry Centre.

It is recommended that you perform at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days. For those that are slightly more adventurous, additional vigorous activity will provide extra health and fitness.

Walking is an inexpensive, accessible, low impact form of exercise that has multiple benefits; • • • • • •

Studies have shown that if you walk for three hours per week, the risk of coronary illness is reduced by 35% compared to those that did not walk.

Walking at a moderate pace for 30-60 minutes burns stored fat and can build muscle to speed up your metabolism.

Walking reduces your risk of osteoporosis.

Women who walked briskly at least two hours weekly decreased their breast cancer risk by 18%.

Research has shown that walking 150 minutes per week and losing 7% of your body weight can reduce your risk of type II diabetes by 58%.

A 12 week program consisting of moderate physical activity for 30 minutes, three to five times a week, reduces symptoms of depression by 47%.

Before beginning your walking program, check with your doctor if you have any health concerns. Pre-existing conditions will not necessarily prevent you from walking, as routine walking can help prevent disease progression and other disease symptoms.

Shoes are the only expense that you will incur, so investing in a good quality walking or running shoe is a must. Comfort is king when it comes to footwear and a podiatrist can address your individual needs.

To prevent tight muscles and over-use injuries you should stretch your calf muscles, thigh muscles, inner thigh muscles and chest muscles. Commence your exercise slowly, building up the volume (time) as your endurance increases.

For those that have more experience and conditioning, challenge yourself with hill walking. If you feel faint, dizzy or experience pain, stop and rest until the symptoms subside and contact your GP or health professional for further investigation.

Make sure that you protect yourself from the dangers of dehydration and heat exhaustion. Drink 150-300ml of water to replace lost fluids for every 15 minutes of walking and wear appropriate clothing and protection.

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PRESENTING

Kim Willoughby Army Reserve Finance Officer Photography – Luke Taylor

Success Business Magazine speaks with Kim Willoughby, Finance Officer in the Army Financial Services Unit of the Australian Army Pay Corps. Kim talks about her civilian life along with her Army duties over the past nine years with Army Reserves.

Tell us about your day job.

In my civilian capacity I am currently employed in the Australian Taxation Office as a Director where I am responsible for Capital Gains Tax Compliance in the Micro Enterprises and Individuals Business Line.

What do you enjoy most about your role in the Reserves?

I have enjoyed meeting so many different people, some of whom have become life long friends. I love the challenges that I have encountered, and the confidence I have gained from ‘stepping outside the square’, particularly with regard to becoming proficient in operating three different weapons and learning to navigate at night. I love the fact that I can now stand up in front of a large audience and have the confidence and skills to be a good public speaker.

What are some achievements you have attained?

(Within the Reserves) I received the Student of Merit Award on my Regimental Officers Basic Course after only joining the Reserves eight months prior to the course. I was lucky to have the opportunity to undertake a short deployment to East Timor as the Finance Advisor on the Joint Task Force Headquarters in 2010. This was an amazing experience and I am looking forward to doing a full deployment in the near future.

What is something interesting about the Army Reserves that not many people would know?

Not many people realise that there are actually accountants in the Army Reserve. We play a pivotal role in supporting Regular Army on deployments and in day to day management of corporate governance and finance related training for both reserve and regular Army units. I have enjoyed taking my

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business and accounting skills and corporate experience and applying these to my work in the Reserves. As Specialist Service Officers with relevant business or accounting degree, entry into the Reserves is as a Lieutenant and basic officer training is undertaken at Royal Military College, Duntroon.

What advice would you give someone looking at joining the Army Reserves?

If you are looking to do something different and at times challenging, while also enhancing your professional career and meeting new people, the Army Reserve offers fantastic opportunities. As an officer, the leadership training delivered is of the highest standard and I have found this extremely beneficial and rewarding, both in the Reserves and in my civilian career. The tax-free pay is also a great; getting paid to do something that you absolutely enjoy is an added bonus.

What is your most memorable moment?

I was fortunate and privileged to travel with a group of fellow Reserve colleagues to PNG in 2007 to walk the Kokoda Track. This is not something I would have ever thought that I could possibly do prior to joining the Reserves and it was one of the most challenging and memorable experiences of my life. I was also very lucky to have met my wonderful husband Mark through Reserves, he too is a Finance Officer.

For further information on joining the Army Reserves please contact 13 19 01.

Automated Technology – move your business into the future

By Kevin Booth. Managing Director at North Queensland Audio Visual.

Sometimes it seems easier to ignore the harder, more tedious, tasks than to actually do anything about them. This is a common misconception; it is possible to save time and money by utilising automated processes.

Automation is an extremely beneficial use of technology that offers a simple and autonomous solution to any number of tasks, from simply controlling a few boardroom lights’ brightness, monitoring the output temperature of an office building’s air-conditioning, to even recognising the person entering the room and setting the environment to suit their personalised tastes.

Already, home and business owners are beginning to embrace this growing world trend and have begun seeing significant benefits from day one.

Automating equipment doesn’t necessarily have to

involve performing just one task either, with newer technology comes extended capabilities that have been utilised in large sustainable projects over multiple sites throughout the world.

One of the paramount features of automation is not only that processes can be built and manipulated to be presented in a format that is streamline with all current systems but, also, the simplicity that is provided to the end users in the unlikely event that human intervention is required.

Many people believe that automated systems are only suited to audio visual devices; this could not be further from the truth. A majority of the newest technology being released has an interface that allows for automated control and monitoring, some common examples include; air-conditioning, lighting, temperature sensors, world clocks, video

conferencing equipment... the list goes on.

A number of businesses are now automating their energy consumption control saving significant amounts of money, helping the environment, and allowing for less chance of human error. This is being achieved through tasks that would otherwise require human intervention, such as; turning off lights when there is no human presence, automatically controlling the temperature of a room based on occupancy, shutting down and powering up equipment at the beginning and end of a day. Whilst all of this is happening a live-feed of use is always accessible for analysis and display.

You will be amazed by the exponential benefits a simple, scalable automated system can offer to your business.

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A SALES TRAIL Home Hill based business My Pets has been a barking success for animal lovers Ross and Tracy Tapiolas and they’re leveraging retail’s greatest threat – the World Wide Web to make it happen.

Story by Tracey Lee Gordon Photography Luke Taylor

I

t’s not news that the retail environment is suffering a hit as a result of the technology that we now rely so heavily on. It’s changed the face of communication forever and how we go to market.

But when Ross and Tracy conceived the idea for their business venture, they inadvertently stumbled across a winning equation of traditional storefront trading and an online shop face that now sees repeat business into Home Hill, from Townsville to the US. “We started out with Tracy working from home clipping and grooming and I’d bought back a container of pet products from China, but we had difficulty finding the right physical premises for a store,” explains Ross. A mate suggested we try e-Bay, so we started marketing and selling online. We planned to keep the online store as the backbone and just find a small shop front to run the local retail sales, but remarkably in a town of only 3,000 the walk in business has been much better than we had expected. We actually had to move to even bigger premises.

“My Pets caters for the broad range - rural, domestic, show, event and working animals and

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we’re groomers. We relate to our customers and it’s the real crux of our success.

Tools for Success

“When our customers come in and sight our own happy, healthy dogs in the shop, they’re comfortable straight away. I’m a horse trainer and Tracy has been grooming for over 15 years.

If you’re an animal lover, entrusting your pets and their welfare with someone is like leaving your kids with a babysitter.

“Consumers have access to more information online than ever before, so they’ll research products and benchmark pricing to make more informed choices,” says Ross.

“We have people come from Townsville and Ayr to have their animals groomed. We try new products out on our own animals or locally before we pick up new stock lines, so we’re providing tried and tested advice, products and services. Animals are 24/7 for us; we’re just ‘animal-centric’. Tracy was one of my father’s apprentice jockeys, that’s how we met and we just love what we do. We’re living our dream.

We are also involved with the RSPCA and the council and we’re all working together to re-home animals and promote their wellbeing.

“It’s incredibly rewarding and its definitely not just about the bottom line for us. But, in saying that, if the business is doing well we know we can go and play with our pleasure horses.”

“Our online market works well, because we don’t load our freight up with unnecessary margins and it’s pretty clear that we know our stuff.

“The retail environment is heading into a whole new realm and the two key things to embrace for survival or successful venture into retail are the web and business coaching.

“You have to focus on the internet in some capacity and you need to expose yourself to people that have been there and done that. The New Rule to Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott is a great tool to start with and I also recommend Michael Gerber’s The E-Myth as well. The rules of the web evolve constantly, so you need to be abreast of changes to the likes of E-Bay and Search Engine Optimisation as they occur - and it goes without saying you have to know your market and be passionate about the industry you sit in.”

Open up the conversation

By Wayne Giese. CEO at Advance Employment.

With a background in banking, small business, management and now as the Chief Executive Officer of a not-for-profit community organisation, I have experienced many different working environments.

I have found each working environment is built on the same basic foundation: good people. With good people, come good intentions. So why is it so difficult to discuss mental illness in the workplace?

I believe sometimes our very best intentions to not offend anyone has lead to avoiding the mental illness conversation in the workplace. Are we scared people might think less of us if we share our experience? Some of these conversations need to be held. Conversations about mental illness, about suicide, about people’s own experience need to be shared across Townsville and throughout Australia.

If we can’t talk about mental illness, how can we speak of mental health? How can those who need help feel comfortable enough to ask for it when the conversation is never raised?

People experiencing mental illness can seek treatment and learn to manage their symptoms.

Considering 1 in 5 Australians will be affected by mental illness in some way, 20% of your workforce may be affected right now. Maybe a family member lives with bi-polar disorder, maybe they themselves suffer with anxiety, either way, treatment and support is available.

By appropriately discussing your experience with mental illness and mental health, you are opening up the conversation. You never know who is listening.

Maybe your audience needs to hear that they are not alone.

You can discuss mental illness with respect, the same way you would discuss your experience with diabetes or heart disease. Many people who live with mental illness lead lives just like anyone else.

They participate in work and interact with family and friends. Many of these people say the most disabling aspect of their illness is the way people treat them.

As colleagues in the workplace, we need to be able to open up the conversation. We need to create an environment where all people are comfortable to talk about mental illness and mental health.

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T

oday’s workplaces, in whatever industry, are facing constant change, and where there is change there is conflict. Most workplaces experience some level of conflict on a daily basis. Conflict might be related to a contract with another organisation or supplier, a customer complaint, or a bullying claim made by one staff member about another.

On a lesser scale, there is also frequently low-level conflict between staff members about day-to-day tasks and interactions.

We tend to think of conflict as a bad thing, and something that we want to try to reduce in the workplace. However, conflict (when managed effectively) is a very positive thing. Conflict provides an opportunity for organisations to develop and improve the way they do things. It discourages premature decision-making – when people disagree about what the right decision is, they need to explain and argue their case, which frequently leads to a more considered and often improved outcome. Similarly, when two people disagree about an appropriate outcome and meet a stalemate in negotiations, this can often prompt lateral thinking and creative ideas about how to move forward. Good conflict management maximises the opportunities and minimises the risks that conflict presents.

How can an organisation establish a strong and constructive conflict management culture? There are three important, and inter-related requirements: a comprehensive conflict management system; conflict competent staff; and a proactive approach to managing conflict.

Managing Conflict in the Workplace Dr Samantha Hardy, Associate Professor for the Conflict and Dispute Resolution Program at James Cook University, speaks to Success Business Magazine about how to avoid conflict in the workplace.

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A comprehensive internal conflict management system provides opportunities (and ideally support) for people to constructively engage in conflict at an early stage without having to move to a formal complaint process. For example, many conflict management policies say that staff should first try to sort out the issue themselves, directly with the other person, and if they are unable to resolve the matter this way, then they should make a formal complaint. The problem with this kind of approach is that many people cannot resolve the matter themselves (otherwise they would have done so) but they do not want to turn the issue into a full-scale investigation. What they need is some support to manage the conflict in a more informal way. Support could be in the form of individual conflict coaching, or mediation or facilitation of a conversation between the people in conflict to assist them to resolve the matter. Often this support is not provided because organisational management feels that it is too expensive.

However, where it is provided, it frequently minimises the need for even more costly investigation process (where matters can be resolved) or the need to employ and train more staff (when one of the parties resigns because they can see no other effective way to manage the situation).

Providing this kind of support also has longer-term cost savings, as staff who are supported through processes such as conflict coaching and mediation frequently develop new conflict management skills that they can implement themselves in effectively managing future conflict situations.

Organisations should also consider the benefit of ensuring that their staff are trained in basic conflict management skills. One of the biggest costs and time-wasters for today’s manager is dealing with conflict between staff that has not been handled effectively at an early stage. An investment in one or two days of training for all staff will not only provide them with some basic skills and processes for constructively engaging with conflict, but will also ensure that all staff are on the same page in terms of what is expected of them.

Finally, organisations that have a proactive approach to managing conflict tend to have better staff satisfaction and retention. A proactive approach means not avoiding and suppressing conflict in the workplace; rather, providing a forum in which staff can raise conflict issues in a constructive and timely way, and supporting them to manage those issues effectively at an early stage.

Showcase Townsville - support business that supports you

By Marc Romanella. General Manager, Hotel Food & Beverage at Jupiters Townsville.

Townsville has long been regarded as the capital of North Queensland and in order to consolidate that belief, the professional community must band together to form a ‘broader collective’.

Jupiters has invested almost $25 million on the venue over the past three years, with a significant portion of that funding staying in the region. We pride ourselves on supporting local businesses through the use of local suppliers and contractors and we encourage all other Townsville businesses - great or small - to do the same.

Not only is the investment that you’ll be making likely to stay in the region, there’s an even greater opportunity that it will come back to your business in the long run.

However, in order to grow as a region and maintain strength within the business sector, we must showcase not just the uniqueness of our region but

also the formidable strengths and talents that make up Townsville as a whole.

That means not only supporting locals in order to assist growth, but also creating unique opportunities and events that differentiate us from other cities.

Some great examples of this are events such as the Townsville 400 V8 Supercars, the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, Groovin the Moo music festival and the upcoming second annual Townsville Food & Wine Festival at Jupiters.

While all are unique in their own right, we need more events that aim to showcase the things that differentiate us from say Cairns and the Whitsundays, or even the likes of culturally diverse cities like Melbourne.

everything Townsville has to offer with a myriad of local producers, suppliers and restaurateurs all doing their bit to further expose what we, as a region, have to offer.

The overall aim is to grow the event annually with the hope that it will eventually mature into something of its own where every local restaurant and supplier can reap in the benefit and tourism that the festival will bring with it.

Not only would this assist in further cementing Townsville’s status as the unofficial capital of North Queensland, but would bring it a great boost to our economy.

As a city we can compete on a nationally recognised level but we must have the audacity to aim high, deliver what we say and ultimately accept the triumphs that come with doing so.

The Townsville Food & Wine Festival will showcase

SUNDAY 3 JUNE, 2012 12 NOON - 5PM JUPITERS TOWNSVILLE Showcasing the region’s finest restaurants and featuring Australia’s best wines.

ENTRY TICKETS $30* PER PERSON

Food and Wine sample tickets available for pre-purchase and for sale at the event.

Purchase in person from Townsville Entertainment Centre Box Office, Dial ‘n’ Charge the Box Office on 4771 4000, or purchase online at www.tecc.net.au

*Handling fee of $3 per booking for phone bookings and $3 per ticket for internet bookings applies. Guests must be aged 18 years and above to attend event.

Subject to availability, change and cancellation. Jupiters Townsville practises the responsible service of alcohol.

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To: e d i u G ccess u S e Th

E R O M A IVE T C U D O R P

Y A D K R O W

1. Make a to-do list and prioritise tasks Making a to-do list can be a great way to summarise and put into perspective your task list for the next few days. Colour code or clearly mark the most urgent tasks and delegate or set aside the ones that aren’t.

2. Diarise your day

Story by Katherine Powell

One in five Australian workers are spending more than 50 hours a week at work according to an Australian Bureau of Statistics report. However, 2.1 hours a day are being lost due to workplace distractions*. This would suggest that at least 10 hours in our work week are non-productive!

Unlike a computer, our brains cannot function effectively on more than one task at a time. So how do we block out the rest of the world and conquer that ever-growing task list? We’ve compiled some easy and effective tips to help you get more out of your workday.

Allocate specific times in your diary to complete set tasks. An hour in the morning to check and respond to urgent emails, set times for returning phone calls and messages and half an hour at the end of the day to evaluate and set your to-do list for the following day.

3. Turn off phone and email notifications during designated times Set aside allocated no-phone periods and turn off the mobile phone. You might also want to turn off those pesky email notifications so you won’t be tempted to check what’s just arrived in your inbox.

4. Break down large tasks into smaller sections Large projects can be daunting so break them up into smaller more manageable tasks.

Once you’ve completed a section, tick it off your to-do list.

5. Reward yourself once the job is done Have a reward in mind before you start a particularly large task. Once you’ve ticked the item off your list; treat yourself to a coffee or a nice lunch. A good incentive can do wonders for your motivation levels.

*Psychology Today 2012, Sussex Publishers New York, USA <ttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-brain-work/200910/easily-distracted-why-its-hard-focus-and-what-do-about-it>

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New section!

my top 5

BUSINESS TOOLS with Peter Jepson, Director, Jepson Media

Photography Skye Millard

1. iPad

2.

We’re out of the office on shoots quite a bit. It keeps me connected and has great production apps we can utilise on location as well as heaps of family snaps.

Clapper Board

This is another important tool on location. Everyone has seen it in action at some point. We label all our takes with this, making it easier to identify individual shots, and then easier in post production.

4.

3.

Getting the figures right is essential when quoting on the big jobs. It’s always close by on my desk.

It’s a Smiggle calculator - my daughters picked it out for me.

Canon 5D Mk II

This camera revolutionised the visual media industry a few years back. It enables us to shoot HD vision on ‘film’ which was previously expensive, at an affordable price.

Calculator

5.

Spalding Stress Ball

It can be stressful making deadlines, we have heaps of balls, gizmos and ‘toys’ in the office to keep us sane when the pressure is on and creative when the pressure is off.

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BUILDING & DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHT

SPECIAL EDITION

INSIDE

WHAT'S INSIDE

DID YOU KNOW?

THIS SPECIAL HIGHLIGHT EDITION

Featured throughout this highlight are a number of key stakeholders that contribute to the changing North Queensland landscape. During a recent report that provided a review of the current climate of Queensland’s construction industry, the current state-of-play is summarised as follows: Economic growth data suggests that Queensland’s economy is bouncing back following the disaster-affected March quarter 2011.

Strong growth attributed to business investment, particularly engineering construction.

Business sentiment indicators paint a cautiously optimistic picture in terms of economic outlook for Queensland in 2012.

Construction is the third largest employing industry in Australia, employing 1,030,700 people (or 9% of the total workforce) as at February 2011.*1 The construction sector contributed $834,055 million (6.7%) of total value to the region’s economy, being the fifth largest contributing sector behind mining, manufacturing, real estate services and public administration.*2

*1 source Australian Government SkillsInfo report. *2 source Townsville Enterprise Limited, Economic Development Construction Sector Analysis 29 March 2012.

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THERE'S MORE TO LIFE AT NORTH SHORE

Construction of a $6 million Town Square that will connect to parkland 44 times the size of Dairy Farmers Stadium is underway at Stockland’s $1 billion North Shore community.

at its heart, North Shore boasts an impressive list of infrastructure that, after just three short years in development, has positioned it as North Queensland’s premier address.

The North Shore Town Square will evolve to become the vibrant, civic heart of the Northern Beaches and incorporate everything from a tavern, restaurants, free wi-fi, cafes and more, all connecting to a 33 hectare Central Park.

North Shore welcomed the $5.1 million Northern Beaches Leisure Centre before a single resident had even moved there. The $25 million Stockland Shopping Centre that boasts 13 specialty shops threw open its doors a year ago to join St Clare’s Catholic School, McDonald’s and a $5 million medical centre precinct in serving the local community.

Purpose built to host the North Queensland Farmers Markets; the Town Square will be easily accessible to residents via a 6km green spine corridor that links to a multitude of quality neighbourhood parks.

Designed with a sense of community and family

And 2013 will see even more construction activity, including the second of four schools planned for North Shore and a $29 million Bunnings store.

The North Shore master plan includes a subregional Town Centre that will boast a 40,000 sqm Stockland Shopping Centre and approximately 60,000 sqm of civic, commercial and ancillary retail uses. In addition, the community will welcome two Neighbourhood Convenience Centres; four schools and two child care centres which will help it serve a 60,000 strong population expected to call the Northern Beaches home over the next 30 years.

North Shore is building a community where people can live, learn, work, shop and be entertained - all without leaving the area.

Vista Homes and Design a new view on life

Recognised for the distinguished character present in each home they build, Vista Homes and Design creates a reputation of their own.

Principal and Owner, Natasha Whiteside brings forth her vast experience within the building industry, which has enabled the company to offer a point of difference experience in offering “a new view on life”. The premier level of finish and detail on each home is second to none, and one that an owner occupier or investor would be proud of. The extensive plan range comprising of over 30 unique designs has been crafted

by one of Australia’s leading architects, with energy efficiency and sustainability of living in North Queensland’s tropical climate taken into consideration. When comparing Vista Homes with others in the industry, you will find what Vista Homes includes as standard, others charge as extras. Their high level of inclusions not only ensures a stunning finished product, but also represents great value for money. The team at Vista Homes prides themselves on exploring new and fresh ideas, whilst ensuring each building project is aligned with each owner’s vision and expectations. Expect nothing less than the best, with a multi award winning builder – Vista Homes and Design.

INTERVIEW WITH:

SIMON GRIGGS owner of Tribute Homes

What makes Tribute Homes different from other local family builders?

Being family friendly we focus not only on the initial costs of the house but also on the future costs to maintain and run the home.

We do this by being energy efficient in our style of construction.

This style of building is very sustainable and therefore reduces the need to artificially cool the house to achieve comfortable living.

Consequently, the energy bills are significantly reduced saving hundreds of dollars every year.

What is your style of building?

TRIBUTE HOMES THE FAMILY FRIENDLY BUILDER

The conception of Tribute Homes began in 1972, with the aspirations of a young father to adequately provide the foundations for the future of his family. With an interest in carpentry, and a desire to further his knowledge and acquire new skills, the young father gained a traineeship as a builder. During the ‘70s and ‘80s, the flourishing building industry pushed the young builder out of his comfort zone as he tackled challenging projects as a contract worker completing developments in housing estates, schools, and government institutions. He enjoyed the services he provided to the community and the friendships of the adjoining industries as he implemented innovative designs tailored to the individual requirements of each customer. During the ‘80s the builder’s son expressed interest in the trade and began assisting on worksites, gradually attaining the necessary qualifications. Tribute Homes a family business passed on to the son from the father’s dream.

Tribute Homes believe that their success is not determined by decisions of the past, but by the way they take care of the environment and their customers. They believe this is done by listening, caring and enabling free decision making. They believe in family friendly homes that will save home owners money on energy bills every year.

Tribute Homes is one of a handful of local builders dedicated to building this style of construction. Check them out at www.tributehomes.com.au

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Tribute Homes builds houses with 90mm timber framed external walls that have a cavity of air in the centre slowing the heat transfer from the outside of the home to the inside. This air cavity is protected with reflective foil that envelops the home covering the sides and top of the house. The foil reflects most of the heat that tries to change the temperature of the air cavity. Finally, 80% of this cavity is filled with bulk insulation that almost eliminates the remaining heat trying to enter the home. All this is achieved while maintaining cyclone strength, due to the fact that all our houses are structurally engineerdesigned from the very bottom to the very top. Every family that builds with us receives a copy of the Structural Engineering Design.

How DO timber frame homes compare to concrete or masonry construction?

In short, a concrete or masonry block home, rendered with more concrete, is a near perfect conductor of heat and once heated by the sun will cool by releasing the heat into the cooler shaded interior of the home. Timber framed construction is engineered to reflect and repel heat to prevent it transferring into the cool interior.

What are the benefits of building traditional timber frame homes?

The home is naturally more comfortable to live in without the need to use air-conditioners constantly. This results in energy bills being reduced as the air-cons will be set at an easier to reach temperature, or be turned off. Timber framed construction has a lower embodied energy which reduces the carbon emissions and the costs to the planet.

UDP GROUP

POSITIONED FOR BRIGHT FUTURE

After two years of unprecedented regional and offshore expansion the Townsvillebased UDP Group of Companies will consolidate its specialised resources in a landmark inner-city office building.

The UDP Group, which includes four integrated yet independent engineering, traffic management and project management firms, will take up the first two levels of the heritage-listed Sun Skill House on the corner of Denham and Sturt Streets.

The 1500 sqm building has undergone significant restoration work such as the installation of a new roof, external painting, replacement of windows and full internal fit-outs to include offices, boardrooms and foyer facilities.

The UDP Group includes foundation company UDP Consulting Engineers, which has offices in Townsville, Mackay and Papua New Guinea; Base iGi Consulting, a civil, structural and environmental engineering firm; specialist traffic management and engineering company UDP Horman Traffic; and Qalitas, a development management, project management and quantity surveying company.

UDP Group Managing Director and development industry identity Pat Brady said the new office would provide the growing group of companies with a landmark regional headquarters. “The past 18 months have been one of strategic and calculated growth for each of the companies operating under the UDP Group umbrella,” Pat said.

“In that time we have opened new offices for UDP Consulting Engineers in Mackay and Papua New Guinea and launched both UDP Horman Traffic and Qalitas in Townsville. We’re now in a fortunate position where our clients have access to a full range of specialised engineering and project management services under the one roof and we’re still growing. This structure allows us to continue building strong working relationships with all levels of government and the private sector, regardless of the size or complexities of a project. The UDP Group offers the level of integrated services that was previously only available in a capital city.”

Pat said the building’s renovations would help restore the iconic property back to its early 20th century beginnings while providing a modern workplace for staff and clients. “Our group now has more than 45 staff and we felt it was time to upgrade our work environment to accommodate current and future demands,” he said.

“This building gives us a strong presence in a high profile location and enough space to continue growing our resources.”

UDP Consulting Engineers was launched in 2004 with just four staff, but quickly grew on the back of alliances with the region’s property development sector. Base iGi was the next company to operate under the banner and is still headed up by Pat’s long-time friend, Henry Fracchia, who now manages a team of 10. In 2010 the group added the north’s only specialist traffic management and engineering company to its umbrella when industry veteran Colin Horman merged his company to form UDP Horman Traffic. The following 18 months would continue the group’s expansion, with the opening of UDP Consulting Engineers’ offices in Mackay and Papua New Guinea, and the announcement that highly experienced project and development managers, Bill Douglas and John Rosel, had launched Qalitas.

PAT BRADY MANAGING DIRECTOR UDP CONSULTING ENGINEERS

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BRAZIER MOTTI

PLANNING FOR A STRONGER NORTH QUEENSLAND

For more than 50 years, Brazier Motti has been a partner in North Queensland’s prosperity.

The company is well and truly at the forefront of community-building and city-defining projects and has had successful involvement in some of the most significant projects delivered to the region.

Brazier Motti Senior Principal, Stephen Motti, said the challenges and opportunities for development of this region have never been greater and the company remains well placed to continue to set the standard in the provision of surveying and town planning expertise.

“Brazier Motti has grown with North Queensland over the long-term and we have developed a strong, modern workforce with the capacity and resources

to deliver practical, tailored and innovative solutions to projects of any size and complexity,” Stephen said.

“We continue to set-the-standard by investing back into modern equipment and into the training and development of our staff.”

“We have decades of experience in the region and we understand the foundations of its growth, its community, its skills and resource base.

Brazier Motti is active in the local community and remains a proud corporate citizen and community participant.

“Our strength lies in our passion for North Queensland, our focus on enhancing our service to our clients and in our ability to connect with government and industry to achieve outcomes.”

“The company has a strong history of support for city-making events and projects, and many staff contribute to a wide-range of service clubs and to professional industry organisations,” explained Stephen.

With offices in Cairns, Mackay, the Burdekin and Townsville, Brazier Motti has a large and accessible team of qualified planners, surveyors and development professionals to meet the needs of the region.

The company’s work and partnerships extend to projects to the west to Mount Isa, the Bowen basin and includes services to the Gulf country and Papua New Guinea.

“Our approach to service is driven by unmatched experience, intimate local knowledge and industryleading practice,” Stephen said.

For town planning and surveying solutions from small to complex projects, Brazier Motti remains at the forefront of the growth this region.

UDIA State Conference 23-24 August 2012 Each year, the State Conference brings together the entire property development industry to share expertise and enhance industry relationships. This year’s State Conference will take place 23-24 August at Jupiters Hotel and Casino, Townsville.

For more information, visit http://www.udiaqld.com.au//?pageid=115

TCS CIVIL AND BUILDING INNOVATION IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT

TCS Civil and Building is a locally established and owned business and has been operating in Townsville for 20 years. In this time TCS has significantly contributed through its projects to Townsville’s growth into a vibrant and modern city.

projects within budget, reducing original capital costs through redesign, the use of alternative materials and construction methodologies, ensuring that the Client’s desired scope of works has not been compromised.

Some of TCS’s projects include the Ibis Hotel, Grand Mercure Apartments, Reid Park (V8 Supercar) Bridge, duplication of George Roberts Bridge over Ross River (Nathan Street) and Mater Hospital extensions.

TCS has recently expanded its operations into the Northern Territory with the completion of the Defence of Darwin Experience which presents the story of the Bombing of Darwin through an immersive, interactive and multimedia experience.

More recently TCS has delivered iconic projects including the Townsville Civic Theatre extension and Townsville RSL Stadium. In both these projects TCS’s extensive experience as a design and construct contractor ensured the successful delivery of these facilities.

This project exemplifies TCS’s experience in implementing innovative design practices to ensure that a state of the art building was delivered within the project budget and meet the ambitious deadline to coincide with the Commemoration of the Bombing of Darwin.

Through TCS’s innovative approach to design and construct, TCS has assisted its clients in delivering

Current projects include the Pacific Marine Group Head Office which is another example of TCS’s

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ability to work with its Client from concept through to delivery of a fit for purpose facility.

With a reputation for delivering complex, sensitive and fast-tracked projects on time, on budget and at superior quality, TCS demonstrates a rare combination of expertise and experience, along with a dedication to best practice in project and corporate management. Coupled with a strong Townsville-based team, in-house workshop and modern pre-cast concrete facility, this makes TCS a leading company of this type in North Queensland.

For more information please contact TCS Civil and Building on 07 4774 8374 or office@tcscon.com.au

LAND SALES OFFICE

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BUSHLAND BEACH RIDING A DOUBLE WAVE

Northern Beaches suburb Bushland Beach is riding a double wave – land values have doubled since 2005 and the community’s population is tipped to more than double in the five years to 2014.

More than 1200 lots have sold since the listed Sunland Group launched what is Townsville’s only beachside estate in 2005. Traditional land that was selling for $88,000 back then, is today fetching more than $170,000. The reputation of the masterplanned community as one Townsville’s fastest growing suburbs, has resulted in Bushland Beach being ‘discovered’ by a rising number of investor clubs and savvy individual investors.

Jessica Baker, who has been marketing Bushland Beach since its launch, says purchasers recognise the suburbs long term future due to its beachside location and the growth dynamics of the Townsville area. Bushland Beach will eventually have more than 2500 homes, land allocated for a school and 85 hectares of parks and open space.

Jessica says the suburb has been dominated by owner-occupiers who make up more than 75% of residents. “Bushland Beach is a brilliant place to start a family, raise a family, or to enjoy retirement.

It is therefore not surprising that this family-focused community has attracted owner-occupiers and renters alike. “This has resulted in a rise in interest from investors - they want to place their money in an area of proven strong population growth, where

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capital gain is constant, and where tenants are longterm and stable.

“A research report completed by PRDnationwide three years ago predicted that the Bushland Beach population, which was 4200 in 2008, could rise to 11,000 by 2014. The growth of Townsville and its suburbs is being underpinned by its exposure to the mining, manufacturing, tourism and construction industries. It also contains one the country’s largest army bases and is expected to be home to a growing list of State Government offices.”

Bushland Beach developer, Sunland Group, was established close to 30 years ago, and has developed residential projects, including numerous estates, along the eastern seaboard. Major projects have included two elite apartment towers in Melbourne, the Q1 tower on the Gold Coast, and the world’s first fashion-branded hotel, Palazzo Versace, also on the Gold Coast.

Jessica says that Sunland’s reputation for quality and focus on design was used to masterplan Bushland Beach and this has been a distinguishing factor in drawing buyers from all levels of the market.

“Our traditional blocks are between 500 and 1000 square metres – sizes which enable buyers to build everything from compact residences to substantially larger homes.”

Bushland Beach is home to some of the most

exclusive architecturally-designed homes in Townsville. One of them, in the estate’s ridges area, won the over-$2 million category in the 2010 Housing Industry Association’s home of the year awards. Our Goicoechea Drive is now well-known as the new Yarrawonga,” says Jessica.

Bushland Beach residents are served by an awardwinning 1,000 sqm convenience centre with plans for expansions to 5,200 sqm. It is anchored by an IGA supermarket and includes a bottleshop, hairdresser and fish and chip shop.

Sporting activities available at Bushland Beach include a boot camp and rugby league facilities. The 250-player strong Norths Club is based at Bushland Beach’s Peggy Banfield Park.

Lots in the estate’s latest release are between 500 and 968 square metres and priced from $165,000.

A display village, showcasing six contemporary homes by a range of Townsville’s top builders, opens from 11am to 4pm, Friday to Tuesday.

For further information phone 4751 8487.

EVERYONE LOVES A WINNER

By Marco Della Valle. Station Manager at Win Television.

As Station Manager, Marco is responsible for putting together the comprehensive news bulletin five nights a week, supporting 23 staff on a daily basis and watching his clients businesses grow.

There is one thing for sure, Townsville people love and live for their sport. Whether it be taking their kids to soccer training or watching the Boxing Day Test, we as a community have always been very parochial and proactive when it comes to supporting our sporting teams and their events.

Just think about when the Cowboys got into the Grand Final against the West Tigers back in 2005.

The whole city got behind ‘our team’ with businesses going all out and decorating their offices and shopfronts with Cowboys paraphernalia and the public lining the streets all to support the Cowboys as they headed to the airport enroute for Sydney.

Townsville is the only regional city in Australia that houses and has been able to sustain three National Sporting Teams including the North Queensland Cowboys, the Townsville McDonald Crocodiles and the Townsville McCafe Fire. On any given home game, these sporting events can generate up to 27,000 people locally, some travelling from our surrounding drive markets generating extra revenue into the city for our hotels, restaurants and our retailers.

When we don’t get the opportunity to physically attend one of our much loved sporting events, the

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next best chance to see your favourite player score a try, kick a goal or hit a home run is to watch it on the our beloved televisions.

Since the launch of Survivor back in May 2000, reality television quickly dominated our viewing habits and changed the landscape of the television industry. The networks modified and tweaked their viewing schedules in accordance with the demand of the viewer, however one thing remained the same, the public’s desire for sport stayed at the forefront of television viewing.

With the turn of each NRL Season, the premiere sporting event is always the highly anticipated State of Origin Series. Each year, passionate fans get together and crowd around living rooms and sports bars to rally behind their state to support the battle between Queensland and New South Wales. With the first installment upon us people are already starting to dust off their jersey’s for Game 1 on May 23rd.

With the ultimate sporting event, the 2012 London Olympic Games knocking on our doorstep, millions of eyes will be tuned in to watch the world’s most covered and largest sporting event, unless of course, you are lucky enough to be there in

attendance. For the rest of us who will not be globe trotting to London in July and August, you can be guaranteed, that the WIN Network will be on location and in your living rooms to deliver the 29 sporting events across the 15 day event.

With the Opening Ceremony kicking off on July 27th, the Olympics will play home to 205 counties and up to 17,000 athletes all competing for those gold, silver and bronze medals. With everything from Handball to Swimming and the most prestigious track and field events, the Olympics include a huge variety of sporting activities offering something for everyone.

This is why in previous years the Olympics generated astronomical ratings and secured nearly 90% of the Australian viewing audience. This year, with the Games being held in London and with a nine hour time difference, the WIN Network will be delivering 80% of this year’s Olympic coverage completely live and free to air. That means that you will have the opportunity to see it as it happens!

There is no doubt that the WIN Network will be at top of the ratings podium during July and August, now is the time to update those televisions and tune in your set top boxes. The London Olympics is coming!

WORD PLAY 1.

2.

3.

4.

Bouquiniste

See if you can find the correct meaning for each of our unique words and challenge yourself to use them in your next business meeting.

Please turn to page 77 for answers.

just for fun.

5.

Jectigation

a. a used book salesman

a. to digest

b. a poetic term for mist or fog

b. to be rejected

c. to make multiple bouquetsd

c. to confuse things

d. a scent of wine

d. to tremble

Colologist

6.

Malapert

a. the art of handwriting

a. a fisherman’s trap for catching oversized fish

b. someone who takes up space

b. a collector of taxes

c. an Irish hoaxer

c. one who is clever in manners and speech

d. a warm, friendly person

d. to be remorseful of one’s mistakes

Etymology

7.

Pollinctor

a. scientific tracing of word origins

a. a well educated person

b. the study of a male dominated government

b. the scientific term for a bee

c. describes the causes of a disease

c. a person who talks nonsense

d. refers to the study of dirt

d. an undertaker

Hoddypeak

8.

Typocrat

a. a type of bird

a. a Democrat’s understudy

b. a foolish person

b. someone who can control the press

c. to swindle or cheat

c. the use of metaphors in speech

d. something artificial

d. an informer

successbusinessmag.com.au

73

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

MAY 1-31

4

May Month of Learning City Libraries

Townsville Tourism Expo Strand Park

4

North Queensland Toyota Cowboys Vs St George Illawara Dragons Dairy Farmers Stadium

5

Allaro Homes Display Home Launch Bushland Beach

Network your way to success with our three month business outlook.

6

Groovin The Moo Townsville Cricket Grounds, Murray Sports Complex

14-15

The 2nd Annual North Queensland Mining, Processing & Energy Conference (NQ-MPEC) Rydges Southbank Convention Centre

14-20

National Volunteer Week

18-21

North Queensland Toyota Cowboys Vs Penrith Panthers Dairy Farmers Stadium

22

2011 North Queensland Business Women’s Awards ‘Meet the Finalists’ Townsville Brewery

30

North Queensland Emerging Leaders Program - Transport and Infrastructure

31

TVL Chamber 130th Anniversary Gala Event Jupiters Townsville

10 & 24 June TVL Chamber Coffee Flinders Square

74

successbusinessmag.com.au

JUNE 7

15-18

21

22

22-25

27

TVL Chamber Coffee Flinders Square North Queensland Toyota Cowboys Vs Brisbane Broncos Dairy Farmers Stadium

2-3 June

TVL Chamber Coffee Flinders Square

Eco Fiesta and Smart Lifestyle Expo

2011 North Queensland Business Women’s Awards Gala Presentation Evening Jupiters Townsville

Queens Gardens

North Queensland Toyota Cowboys Vs Canberra Raiders Dairy Farmers Stadium North Queensland Emerging Leaders Program - Law and Order

JULY

6-8 July Sucrogen Townsville 400 Reid Park

1

The Pyjama Foundation Movie Fundraising Day Event Cinemas Townsville City

19

TVL Chamber Coffee Flinders Square

20-23

North Queensland Toyota Cowboys Vs Wests Tigers Dairy Farmers Stadium

21

Ladies Day Townsville Turf Club

25

North Queensland Emerging Leaders Program - Climate Change

28

Townsville Cup Townsville Turf Club

31

2011 North Queensland Business Women’s Awards Winners Forum/2012 Awards Launch Townsville Brewery

successbusinessmag.com.au

75

CHEERS &BEERS XXXX Summer Bright Launch

Townsville Yacht Club

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1. Jane Crowdey, Debbie Clark & Ray Carstens 2. Glen Cummins, John Kehoe & Joanne Hain 3. Andy Robb, Dave Lyons & Paul Henry 4. Matt Marquardt & Matt Windsor 5. Joel Solinas, Karla Malouf & Mark Napier 6. Carole & David Bradbury

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1. Barry James, Bree Dwyer & Bevan Hill 2. The Townsville Enterprise Team 3. Neville Hoehne, Kate Hagenson & Brett Edwards 4. Warren Heath, Natalie Flecker & Darryll Gilchrist 5. Kim Meikle, Adam Dean & Amee Porter 6. Kelly Carrigan & Shannon Barrett

76

successbusinessmag.com.au

TEL Emerging Leaders Launch

The Brewery

Nicole Marles & Michelle Phillips PRD Breast Cancer Fundraiser

PRD Breast Cancer Fundraiser

Altitude Apartments

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1. Christie Leet & Kerrie Young 2. Wayne Haller, Lyn Haller, Megan Flux & Aaron Flux 3. John Dooley, Peter Collings & Chris Haddad 4. Alicia Skinner & Derek Campbell 5. Justine Tappenden, Michelle Phillips, Nathalie Brown & Nicole Marles 6. Bevan Hill & Katie Keam

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Zonta International Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day

Clove Restaurant, Ayr

1. Janai Giddy & Gay Lewis 2. Lex Davies & Robyn Haller 3. Lyn McLaughlin, Corrina Polga & Mary Pattinson 4. Raelene Grantz & Cath Previtiera 5. Judy Mitchell & Beth Hancock 6. Beth Hancock, Raelene Grantz, Robyn Haller & Marissa Candy

Word Play Answers - 1.a

2.c

3.a

4.b

5.d

6.c

7.d

8.b

Prize Winner - P. Harding winning a Swarovski Pen Set from Jewellery By Design.

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77

NEWS DESK NEWS PAGE NAME

new appointments.

Endeavour Foundation Establishes New Role in NQ

your local news feed.

First Things First Turns 11 First Things First Wellness Centre will celebrate turning 11 Years Old in June.

Director Megan Flux attributes the success of the wellness centre to passionate staff and a loyal clientele.

Coffee Club Wins Big The Coffee Club Franchising Group has recently awarded Townsville’s own Carolyn and David McManus for achievements with their five cafés. At this year’s Awards, Ben Lowmow (Head Chef at The Strand) won the International ‘Good Food’ Award with Brittany Adams (Chef at Stockland Townsville) coming a close second. Lydia Van Den Berg (The Willows) came third in the ‘Great Service’ Award and The Coffee Club Domain won the ‘Merchandising’ Award for a perfect cabinet display.

9point9 Architects Opens Local architect Zammi Rohan has recently launched his new firm in multiple locations across Australia. 9point9 Architects is now operating from studios in Townsville, Melbourne and Hobart with a wide range of bespoke residential and commercial projects currently underway.

Much Needed Funds Raised for Disadvantaged Youth The Brewery’s held its inaugural Corporate Trivia Challenge recently and raised $5,380 for the Cowboys Community Fund. The money will go towards helping disadvantaged youth in North Queensland. A fantastic night was had by all and the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys staff team proved to be the smartest of them all by finishing first out of 15 teams.

PRDnationwide Raises Breast Cancer Awareness PRDnationwide celebrated the launch of the Altitude Apartments penthouse with a fundraising function to help the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The who’s who of Townsville gathered to bid on local auction items and raised over $8,000 in the process.

The Athletes Foot Turns Five Congratulations to The Athlete’s Foot Castletown on their 5th birthday. The Athlete’s Foot have celebrated many retail awards during their 5 years in the centre under the guidance of store manager Karey Corrie and special mention to Ashley Pillieron.

Endeavour Foundation has just appointed Verena Coombe as the new Business Development Manager for North Queensland. This is the first time a Business Development Manager has been appointed for any region and Verena is tasked with finding and developing new opportunities for Endeavour Foundation enterprises in North Queensland.

Jupiters Welcomes New GM Jupiters recently welcomed its new General Manager of Hotel, Food and Beverage Marc Romanella. Replacing Trudy Semler. Marc joins Jupiters bringing with him an extensive and varied 28-year background in the hospitality industry.

Learning Partnerships Grows Learning Partnerships welcomes three new facilitators to its growing team; David Pierce (Leadership, Executive Coach and Management specialist), Emma Goodwill (Literacy and Workplace Communication specialist) and Martin Boorer (IT, Management and Business specialist).

RDA Announces New Chairman Regional Development Australia Townsville and North West Queensland (RDA) has appointed its new Chairman CR Paul Woodhouse and four new Committee members Dr Scott Crawford, David Kippin, Jenny Pryor and Mike Westerman. They join the inaugural members Cr Lyn McLaughlin (Deputy Chair and Secretary), Cr Rick Britton, Cr Tracey Forshaw, Cr Greg Jones, Jeff Jimmieson (Treasurer), Trevor Goldstone and David Glasson.

Choice Training Grows Choice Training is pleased to announce the appointment of their new Business Development Manager; Kim Perrin, who will oversee both Townsville and Rockhampton offices. Kim comes to Choice Training with a wealth of business development experience and will be the key contact for organisations wanting to arrange quality training for their staff.

Barrier Reef Institure of TAFE Welcomes New Director Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE welcomes Bob McAulay as Institute Director.

Mr McAulay previously held Chief Executive positions with the Gold Coast and Moreton TAFE Institutes. Mr McAulay brings to the Institute extensive knowledge of vocational training practices and experience in senior positions within public and private enterprises. The Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE also welcomes Rob Grant as the Institute Council Chairperson.

Mr Grant has given many years of service to the community, particularly with TAFE Institute Council and Cootharinga North Queensland.

Meet our new Sales and Marketing Manager Katie Brennocks has recently joined the Success Business Magazine team and looks forward to meeting all advertisers and partners. Katie is sure to bring a new element to the magazine with her previous experience in car sales and knowledge of the media industry.

Submit your business news, achievements, staff movements in 75 words or fewer to info@successbusinessmag.com.au

TOWNSVILLE, YOU’RE DRIVING QUEENSLAND’S FUTURE. As Queensland’s very first Energy Sense Community, Townsville is currently testing world-leading technologies to help us all become more energy efficient in the future. We’ve put five electric cars into the community so we can track their consumption and study the way they’ll eventually fit into everyday life. So next time you see one of these little supercars on the road, give them a wave – they’re helping us prepare your energy network for the day more of us plug in and recharge. This is just one of many exciting Energy Sense Community initiatives driving Queensland towards the future.