SME ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA
SMEAA News 2012 ActionCOACH My Business Awards
SMEAA News September is a great time of the year. It not only marks the beginning of Spring, but it is also a month of many business events and celebrations. The SME Association of Australia and My Business are pleased to work with Mark Bouris in presenting the ‘Secrets to Business Success’ Seminar in Melbourne at The Sebel, Albert Park on September 13. The SMEAA and My Business was also proud to be supporting partners for the first Australia China Business Week event on 29 August at The Shangri-la in Sydney, featuring NSW Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner as the keynote at the Breakfast Forum. And on 29 August, our SMEAA networking and Hot Topic business event was once again sponsored by Succession Plus. More on that in a future issue. The most important event for the SMEAA in September is the celebration of our first anniversary (almost one year since we launched on 6 October 2011) at the My Business Awards gala dinner on 28 September at The Hilton, Sydney with the star finalists, winners and supporters in business. We hope to see many of you there. 56
SEPTEMBER 2012
This year, the My Business Awards event has chosen the Vinnies CEO Sleepout 2013 as its Charity Partner. The Vinnies CEO Sleepout event is a charity event taking place on 20 June 2013, where business leaders sleep out rough for one night to raise awareness and funds for homeless services. The SMEAA and My Business team wants to take the lead in encouraging social investment in the community. We believe it is important that business events support a charity. We chose the Vinnies CEO Sleepout 2013 charity event because we want to encourage more business leaders to support by sleeping out rough for one night in any of the capital cities in Australia on 20 June 2013, to raise funds and awareness of this insidious social issue. Registrations are now open at www.ceosleepout.org.au for a really worthy cause for homeless services. We are also privileged to have the NSW Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner accept our invitation to give a keynote address. NSW Minister for Small Business Katrina Hodgkinson will also be joining us in support of this prestigious and happy event.
2012 My Business Awards, also celebrating the first anniversary of the SME Association of Australia. Date: Friday 28 September Venue: The Hilton, Sydney Major sponsor: ActionCOACH Charity Partner: Vinnies CEO Sleepout 2013 (20 June 2013) Category sponsors: ActionCOACH, GIO, Virgin Australia, Reckon, SME Association of Australia and others. Last year’s My Business Awards on YouTube: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=LGTkrJR4g9w There are 10 Award categories: 1. The ActionCOACH Award for Outstanding Excellence. 2. The GIO Award for Best Small Business. 3. The Reckon Award for Best Medium Business. 4. The McAfee Awards for Best Use of Technology. 5. The My Business Award for Best Start-Up Business. 6. The GIO Award for Women in Business. 7. The SMEAA Award for Best Business Leader. 8. Best Employer. 9. Best Employee. 10. The Virgin Australia Award for Best Growth Strategy. To book tickets for the event to network with the SME business stars, visit www.mybusiness.com.au/awards/ my-business-awards. You do not have to be an entrant of the Awards to attend the gala dinner event. It is a great opportunity to catch up with industry colleagues and SME peers and join in the fun and celebrations. Above left: Celebrations at the 2011 ActionCOACH My Business Awards.
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Small Business Forum On 1 August 2012, SMEAA CEO Caroline Hong was invited to attend the Small Business Forum, hosted by Minister for Small Business Brendon O Connor at The Sebel Albert Park in Melbourne. O’Connor updated a full room of industry representatives on government reforms which have impact on small business. Most of what was presented had already been reported in previous issues of My Business, including tax reforms already reported in our
SMEAA and Government cover story in the June 2012 issue of the magazine. Other points that we were reminded of include the appointment of a Small Business Commissioner, the NBN, the Superannuation Clearing House and the Small Business Support Line. There was a robust Q&A session at the end, which provided much welcomed opportunities for voices to be heard, including that of the SME Association of Australia.
Cloud and NBN Forum L-R Greg Stone (Microsoft), Brad Horwarth (Author and Journalist), Keith Besgrove, DBCDE Assistant Secretary, Dave Abrahams (Chair Regional Development Australia Central Coast) – panel discussed ‘Where to from now with the Cloud +NBN?’. CEO Caroline Hong represented the SMEAA at the Cloud NBN Forum, which was held on 8 August 2012 at the Four Seasons in Sydney. While about 250 people were at the forum, the forum was also telecast live via webcast to anyone who had pre-registered. The audience was dominated by industry and association representatives, government department staff, business owners and cloud technology services companies. The event was organised and hosted by the Australian government Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, showcasing the benefits of cloud computing combined with the NBN. Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband,
Communications and the Digital Economy, gave the keynote address, assuring the audience that Australia is ready for the NBN and the cloud. Putting political agendas aside, the SMEAA is supportive of encouraging all SMEs to seriously consider moving to cloud technology to maximise their competitiveness in a digital economy. I think no-one denies that having access to faster broadband connectivity will definitely facilitate the uptake of cloud technology for SMEs. The question is, how is Australia helping SMEs to be ready for cloud. Read more on this on page 10 of this issue.
Our CEO Caroline Hong has been vitally active, representing the SME Association of Australia at various government forums. As the SMEAA gains increasing membership, increasing relevance and increasing benefits to its members, there are also increasing invitations from government to the SMEAA, recognising the importance of SMEs in driving the economy of our nation. The SMEAA is not government funded and is in a good position to work with government to disseminate information to SMEs and vice versa, with a focus on services and support to help SMES connect, grow and prosper.
SME ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA PLATINUM MEMBERS
GOLD MEMBERS
BRONZE MEMBERS
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SME ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA
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SMEAA MEMBERSHIP DRIVE NOW ON! The SME Association of Australia is keen to partner with all ambitious Australian SME owners who want to grow their business. SMEAA membership is available at three levels: Individual Business Membership, Corporate Membership, and Student Membership. Membership is open to any and all small or medium enterprise business – which we define as any business with up to 199 employees. Whether you’re a concreter, a tradie, a retail owner, a business adviser, an accountant, a services provider, or any other type of SME owner – we want you to join the SME Association of Australia. There are 2,045,000 highly varied and highly ambitious SMEs in Australia – and the SMEAA has something to offer all of them. Here are a few reasons why you and your business will benefit by becoming a member of the SME Association of Australia: 1. 2. 3. 4.
5.
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Ongoing and exclusive events and networking opportunities. Exclusive member loyalty program. Subscription to My Business magazine (11 issues per year). Rapidly expanding online resource library for all your business needs. Access to a number of soon-tobe-launched services – HR and Legal Hotlines, Industry Forums and additional free online business training.
SEPTEMBER 2012
NSW government support to SMEs There are numerous NSW government initiatives that support SMEs. NSW Minister for Finance and Services Greg Pearce says the aim is to encourage and help small businesses win a greater share of government service contracts. With this in mind, the government has moved to make it easier for small businesses to bid for state government work by introducing changes in the procurement processes. Applicants can apply at www.procurement.nsw.gov. au. Businesses are encouraged to reengage with government to take advantage of these new changes, which simplify the procurement process. Opportunities for the business events sector in Asia continue to grow. Minister for Tourism and Major Events George Souris announced that Business Events Sydney achieved one of its most successful financial periods in securing 103 business events in the 2011-2012 financial year, in total worth
about $225.6 million to the NSW economy. This includes 33 events from the Asian business market, with an economic impact of $91 million. NSW Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said that the NSW government is actively building trade and investment relationships with China. Stoner says Finance and Insurance are the biggest business sectors in NSW, generating $60 billion for the State’s economy each year and jobs for 170,000 people. The recent Worldwide China Life Insurance Congress held in Sydney is a first in Australia, attracting 3,300 delegates, and many business opportunities with China in the business sector. Stoner says this congress choosing Sydney as the host location was a show of confidence in the ties between NSW and China. SMEs looking to expand their business should consider seizing opportunities doing business with Asia.
Victorian Government support for SMEs
Government submissions
A new Business Victoria web portal was launched on 13 August in Melbourne to help businesses grow, making compliance easier and solving problems and improving skills. The SMEAA has undertaken to spread the awareness of this new portal, so log on to www.business.vic.gov.au to find out more. Victoria also ran a busy Small Business Festival with over 250 events to attend, which ran from 1-13 August. The festival is an annual small business month coordinated by the Victorian government, through Small Business Victoria, and collaborates with industry groups, businesses and agencies across the three levels of government to deliver the events.
SMEAA made a submission to the Australian Contract Law Reform and also to the online survey about the NSW Small Business Commissioner. You can subscribe to the updates about these important issues on their websites: • Australian Government Attorney General’s Department website www.ag.gov.au/ Consultationsreformsandreviews/Pages/ Subscription-list---Australian-ContractLaw-Reform.aspx. • NSW Small Business Commissioner website www.smallbusiness.nsw.gov.au/
Did you know that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) comprise 99.7% of all business in Australia? Who we are: The SME Association of Australia is a membership-based not-for-profit association to support and equip small and medium enterprises for success and economic growth. We exist to provide membership services to help SMEs connect, grow and prosper through a business friendly platform.
Why join: The peak body and leading voice for SMEs, businesses and industries in Australia. • Networking and member events • SMEAA e-newsletters • Subscription to My Business • Education seminars magazine • SME Events • My Business Awards • Online resources • SME Advantage Group • International linkages Buying Program • Gen Y-SMEAA • SME suppliers directory
Join now to become a member of our fast-growing SME association
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Prosperity for Australia through successful SMEs 59
Membership Application Form Company name: Company website: Trading name: How to pay Complete this form and... Fax this form to: (02) 8923 8050 Post this form to: SME Association of Australia, Level 12, 99 Walker Street North Sydney NSW 2060 Australia Cheque payable to: SME Association of Australia Scan and email to: info@smeaustralia.asn.au Pay by Phone: 02 9929 4146 (Have your credit card details handy!) Join online at: www.smeaustralia.asn.au/ membershipinformation/join www.smeaustralia.asn.au Phone: (02) 9929 4146 Fax: (02) 8923 8050
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Prosperity for Australia through successful SMEs
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World SME Day – Inaugural SME Day launch in Malaysia: July 4, 2012 CEO Caroline Hong has the pleasure of establishing collaborative international linkages with Wayne Lim, the Group CEO of MALAYSIA SME. Here are some interesting insights he shared with our CEO. World SME figures: Total businesses - 138,012,519 In the 132 economies covered, there are 125 million formal (micro, small and medium enterprise) MSMEs, of which 89 million operate in emerging markets. These results are in line with a recent study published by IFC and McKinsey & Company in 2010 (‘Two Trillion and Counting’) which found that there are between 80 and 100 million formal MSMEs in emerging markets. Globally, the number of MSMEs per 1,000 people grew by six per cent per year from 2000 to 2009. Europe and Central Asia experienced the biggest boom, with 15 per cent growth.
MALAYSIA SME CEO Wayne Lim sharing his thoughts on the importance of SME Day with more than 1,000 attendees in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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SME ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA
SMEAA Member Profile: 10 Thousand Trees
Who: Business Owner: What: Where: Operating Since: Website:
SMEAA: Tell us a little about your business. Raj Rajendra: We build awareness about the environment and how we can reduce our impact as well as help organisations offset their paper use by planting trees and assist with marketing their efforts to be more environmentally friendly. SMEAA: How has your business evolved since its inception? RR: The concept came about three years ago, but getting it out to the market started about two years ago. Since it is a not-for-profit, it’s very different to most businesses and has its own unique challenges. SMEAA: What motivated you to start your own business? RR: It is not so much a business, but more a cause and I wanted to make an impact and show others how they could make a positive impression on the environment. SMEAA: How many staff do you currently employ? RR: Currently one full-time staff member with two part-time and a couple of volunteers who intern with us every semester. SMEAA: Who are your clients and where are they mostly based? RR: Anyone who uses paper or wants to reduce their environmental impact can be a client, but our main partners are printers and companies that sell paper products. We have clients from different parts of Australia and are working on getting a few from abroad too. 62
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10 Thousand Trees No owner – run by a board Raj Rajendra (point of contact) Environmental not-for-profit organisation Sydney, NSW 2009 www.10thousandtrees.com
SMEAA: Tell us about some of the bigger successes your business has enjoyed? RR: We’re slowly getting our message heard and have presented in quite a few seminars, webinars and exhibitions via invitation. We have also now got more than 10 channel partners and are hoping to double that number in the next financial year. SMEAA: Are you targeting new clients, or more so focusing on getting more business out of your existing customer base? RR: We definitely have to ensure our channels are happy and are also getting their customers on board the program to offset paper use. However, we also need to focus on getting more channel partners as well as direct clients on board. SMEAA: What business challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them? RR: One of the major challenges was getting the product offering right and ensuring the clients get the benefit they wanted. Once we fixed this – and I must say it’s also a process of continuous improvement/ adjustment – we attracted a much larger base of clientele. SMEAA: Many businesses are doing it tough at the moment; how’s the outlook for your business? RR: Especially when it comes to the environment! That seems to the one of the first things people do away with in their policies and
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“The environment was a key issue before the GFC, and we are seeing an upward trend again – but it’s a slow climb.”
spending, along with other things that fall in the CSR category. The environment was a key issue before the GFC, and we are seeing an upward trend again – but it’s a slow climb. SMEAA: How did you find out about the SME Association of Australia and why did you decide to become an SMEAA Member? RR: I found out about the SME Association of Australia from the staff at My Business magazine and felt it was a good way to increase my network and also find what help was out there for small organisations like ourselves. SMEAA: What benefits have you and your business enjoyed from joining the SMEAA? RR: It’s a good network of people and there have been a few good networking events where I have met (and still remain in contact with) quite a few people. I believe networking is an important aspect of
business development – not only in sales but supply, information, collaboration and partnerships. I enjoy the many speakers that SMEAA brings in for the events as they do make you think and broaden your experience with theirs. SMEAA: Will you be renewing your SMEAA membership? RR: Most likely. SMEAA: What would you say to other small business owners who are considering becoming a member of the SME Association of Australia? RR: I think it’s a great association that can benefit small business owners and operators. It can help in terms of suppliers, broadening your network base and you can also benefit from the knowledge and experience of others.
Want your business profiled here? For your chance to have your business profiled on these pages, become a member of the SME Association of Australia now by visiting www.smeaustralia.asn.au/membership/category/smeaa-memberships. 63