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A collection of articles from a diverse range of Australian small business experts; intended to help small business owners grow their business.
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Let’s Talk Business 1
1
Let’s Talk Business Back To Basics Business Solutions - Support for Small Business
Volume 2 Issue 17 - April 2014
Inside this issue
Cover Story - COSBOA Chairman Resigns ……..........2
The End of the Performance
Review
Dr Tim Baker ……...........…3
When Increased Sales is a
Bad Thing
Brett Chamberlain…….......5
Poor Employee Performance
Dennis Chiron .......... ……...6
Every Pilot Has Got To Land
Sometime
Geoff Butler ………………..7
Outsourcing
Jo-Anne Chaplin ………......8
“…. Learn to be Lazy”
Dan Buzer ………………….9
How to Keep the “Google
Monster” Happy
Karen Ahl ………………...10
If it is to be, Then it is up to
me
Peter Nicol ………………..11
Material Safety Data Sheet
(MSDS)
Ron Court …..…….….…...12
Demystifying the Cloud -
What is it, and why should
you care?
Karen Davey-Thorpe …....13
Your Credit History - What
you must know
Paul Gillmore ….................14
How Good Are Your Listening
Skills?
www.mindtools.com……...16
LTB Objectives …..........…17
Council of Small Business of
Australia (COSBOA)
Chairman Resigns Claiming
Board Misconduct
Let’s Talk Business 2
2
COSBOA Chairman Quits Alleging Board
Misconduct and Legal Breaches
The Council of Small Business of
Australia has been dealt a blow, with
chairman Andrew Conway and two
other directors resigning, alleging
“potentially serious breaches of the
law”.
Conway, the current chief executive
of the Institute of Public Accountants,
is alleging some COSBOA directors
used their position to gain financial
advantage, questioned the solvency of
the organisation and says there have
been “numerous examples of non-
compliance”.
In a letter sent to members yesterday,
obtained by SmartCompany, Conway
says he was unable to effect change
because he was met with continual
resistance from COSBOA directors
and members, including executive
director Peter Strong.
“My sole intention has been to ensure
COSBOA adheres to its objectives in
the [organisation] Constitution and
within the confines of the law. I have
encountered numerous examples of
non-compliance on both fronts,”
Conway wrote in the letter.
“From ignorance of the Constitution
right through to a Director, in my
view acting improperly by
obstructing the business of the Board
with the intention of preserving their
personal financial contract with the
entity.”
Conway says the concerns are not
“minutiae or trivial; they go to the
very heart of the compliance,
governance and the viability of
COSBOA as a business.”
“This is not only improper it offends
any test of reasonableness and any
sense of professional ethics.”
COSBOA accusations a “storm in a
teacup”, former chair says
A former chair of the Council of Small
Business of Australia has spoken out
saying the accusations levelled against
the organisation and its executive
director Peter Strong are largely
unfounded and have been blown out of
proportion.
Institute of Public Accountants chief
executive Andrew Conway recently
resigned from the role of COSBOA
alleging “potentially serious breaches of
the law” and poor governance.
But Geoff Fader, the current chairman
of the Tasmania Small Business Council
and former COSBOA chair, told
SmartCompany the majority of
members were 100% supportive of Peter
Strong.
“I’m disappointed in the turn of events.
My small business council has been a
member basically since COSBOA’s
inception and totally supports the
executive officer Peter Strong,” he says.
“It’s no more than a storm in a teacup.
In a week or so it will be on with
business and the vast majority of
membership totally support the work
which has been done and totally support
the executive office in his role. That
support is based on performance, the
only reasonable measure.”
Fader’s sentiments mirrored those of
another current member who wished to
remain unnamed.
COSBOA directors Yolanda Vega and
Jackie Zelinsky also resigned last week.
Extract from a report from SmartCompany journalist Yolanda Redrup
http://www.smartcompany.com.au/
Conway had only been in the chair
since November 2013, when he took
over the role from Amanda Lynch,
who, in turn, took over the role from
Ken Phillips.
And it was only a little over 12 months
ago that COSBOA was in a similar
turmoil when Ken Phillips resigned as
chair after the council's accounts were
unable to be signed off.
Mr Phillips, at the time of his
resignation stated one of his reasons
for quitting was because of the
involvement of “tobacco interests” in
COSBOA.
“They control the organisation and it’s
financially dependent for its solvency
on money from tobacco,” he says.
Mr Phillips, who then, was the
executive director of Independent
Contractors of Australia, had stood
down from the position of chair of
COSBOA and had been succeeded by
Amanda Lynch, the chief executive of
the Real Estate Institute of Australia.
The most recent turmoil and
allegations raised by Andrew Conway,
allege “potentially serious breaches of
the law” by some board members and
executive director, Peter Strong.
In a letter to member associations,
Conway said he held serious concerns
about the conduct of executive director
Peter Strong as well as the governance
arrangements, business model and
solvency, and has reported these to the
Australian Securities and Investments
Commission.
Strong said he welcomes any
comments from ASIC and denied any
impropriety.
*Front page photograph courtesy of: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-conway-fipa/52/863/759
Let’s Talk Business 3
3
Yes, it’s that time of year again - when
the groans of managers can be heard
over the mere mention of the words,
annual performance reviews. Many
managers see performance appraisals as
nothing more than an empty,
bureaucratic exercise forced on them by
HR.
Small business, like big business, is keen
to extract maximum performance from
their employees. Some small businesses
conduct performance reviews, others do
not. My advice to small business is this:
if you are doing performance reviews,
throw them out. If you are contemplating
bring them in, don't!
Why?
Simple: The don't work and therefore a
complete waste of time and money.
My research of some 1,400 small
businesses demonstrates eight things
wrong with the conventional
performance appraisal:
Appraisals are a costly exercise.
Appraisals can be destructive.
Appraisals are often a monologue
rather than a dialogue.
The formality of the appraisal
stifles discussion.
Appraisals are too infrequent.
Appraisals are an exercise in form-
filling.
Appraisals are rarely followed up.
Most people find appraisals
stressful.
What then do we do, if anything?
I suggest adopting the Five
Conversations Framework. This new
approach consists of five 10 to 15
minute conversations. Each
conversation occurs once a month over
a five month period. The Five
Conversations Framework shifts the
emphasis from appraising employees
to developing employees.
Let's look at each of the five
conversations briefly.
Climate Review conversation
A climate review is about determining
the current atmosphere in a particular
workplace. It is mainly concerned with
employees' job satisfaction, morale
and communication. Although people's
opinion about these matters can - and
often do - fluctuate over the course of
a year, it can be useful to take a
snapshot of the business occasionally.
By having a conversation with direct
reports about the state of the current
climate, managers and owners have a
handle on the current state of the
business, and what needs to be done to
improve the fundamentals of
satisfaction, morale and
communication. Listening and
responding to this feedback is a good
place to start.
Strengths and Talents conversation
Most appraisals are fixated with
what is going wrong; in other
words, they focus on weaknesses
and by-pass strengths and talents.
Tom Rath in the # 1 Wall Street
Journal bestseller: Strengths Finder
2.0 underscores the value of a
conversation on this subject:
Society's relentless focus on
people's shortcomings has turned
into a global obsession.
What's more, we have discovered
that people have several times more
potential for growth when they
invest energy in developing their
strengths instead of correcting their
deficiencies.
Apart from being an edifying place
to start discussing performance after
the organizational climate, this
conversation capitalizes on people's
innate talents. As the positive
psychology movement has preached
for two decades: Building upon
strengths has a higher payoff then
working on overcoming
weaknesses.
Opportunities for Growth
conversation
This conversation invites an
opportunity for employees to
consider how they can improve
their own work performance in key
result areas. By doing so, the
potential for both to gain a common
perspective on areas for improved
performance is possible.
A dual understanding of current and
expected standards performance is
an important first step. The second
step is to discuss and agree upon
some tangible ways and means of
improving the employee's
performance to match expectations. *Continued on page 5
Dr Tim Baker
Managing Director
WINNERS AT WORK Pty Ltd
www.winnersatwork.com.au
www.about.me/tim.baker
Telephone. +61 7 3899 8881
Editor’s Note:
Dr. Tim Baker is an international consultant, successful author, keynote speaker, master trainer, executive coach, university lecturer and skilful facilitator.
"“Dr Baker leads the world in offering an
innovative new approach to appraising
employee performance. His research and
energy in the specialised field of
performance management is evidenced
by his international profile as a
renowned speaker, management
consultant and facilitator". Stephen
Hartley, Australia’s leading expert on
project management and author of
"Project Management: Principles,
Processes and Practices.
The End of the Performance Review
A New Approach to Appraising
Employee Performance
Let’s Talk Business 4
4
The End of the Performance Review
*continued from previous page
Thirdly and finally, this conversation is
important in aligning performance
expectations will the strategic direction
of the business. Some opportunities
identified can be put into practice
straight away.
Learning and Development
conversation
Conversations about learning and
development capitalize on the previous
two conversations. The core question
here is: What leaning experiences can
assist in building upon strengths and
lifting performance in critical areas.
Learning experiences can be either
technical, personal development or
problem-based. All three dimensions
are important for growth in a small
business.
Innovation and Continuous
Improvement conversation
This conversation is about practical
ways and means of improving both the
employee's own efficiency and
effectiveness and the business in
general. What can I, and what can we
do, to improve? is the focus here.
Imagine for a moment the power of this
conversation occurring in an enterprise
during a particular month.
Some of the ideas that surface will
undoubtedly be too costly or
impractical. But some would also be
worth considering.
Give this approach a go. It works. And
it is far better than persevering with the
dreaded performance review.
This is an extract from Baker's newly
released book: The End of the
Performance Review: A New Approach
to Appraising Employee Performance
(www,winnersatwork.com.au)
Dr Tim Baker is an international
consultant to small business. You can
contact [email protected]
All’s Fair In
Business
A shopkeeper was
very concerned
when a brand new business much
like his own, opened up next door
and erected a huge sign which read
'BEST DEALS.'
He was equally horrified when
another competitor opened up on the
other side of his business, and
announced its arrival with an even
larger sign, reading 'LOWEST
PRICES.'
The shopkeeper was in a real panic,
until he got an idea. He put the
biggest sign of all over his own shop.
It read: 'MAIN ENTRANCE'
He’s a Good Boss
Smith goes to see his
supervisor in the front
office.
"Boss," he says, "we're doing some
heavy house-cleaning at home
tomorrow, and my wife needs me to
help with the attic and the garage,
moving and hauling stuff."
"We're short-handed, Smith," the
boss replies. "I can't give you the day
off."
"Thanks, boss," says Smith, "I knew
I could count on you!"
Everybody,
Somebody,
Anybody, and
Nobody
This is the story
of four people named Everybody,
Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.
There was an important job to be
done and Everybody was asked to do
it. Anybody could have done it, but
Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that,
because it was Everybody's job.
Everybody thought Anybody could
do it, but Nobody realized that
Everybody wouldn't do it.
Consequently, it wound up that
Nobody told Anybody, so Everybody
blamed Somebody.
Drum Up
Business
A few
years ago,
a large
Sydney
shoe
company sent two sales
representatives out to different parts
of the Australian outback to see if
they could drum up some business
among the locals.
Sometime later, the company
received telegrams from both agents.
The first said, "No business here...
the local don't wear shoes."
The second one said, "Great
opportunity here... the locals don't
wear shoes!"
Let’s Talk Business 5
5
It happens all the time. The
business owner looks pensively at
the chart on the wall, showing sales
results over a period of
time. Sometimes it’s an upward
trending chart. Other times the chart
is flat or heading ‘South’.
Whatever the case, the business
person tries to interpret the chart to
work out what they should be doing
next. Increased promotional activity?
Increased production? Different
pricing? A new marketing
strategy? A whole new product!?
Problem is, the LEAST valuable
decision-making tool in your
toolbox is the sales chart, or
consideration of sales results in
general. Sales results are usually the
WRONG measure of performance
and a horribly misleading indicator
of what should be done next.
Yet sales results are, by far, the most
commonly considered data.
Don’t think that’s true? Try this test: ask
the next dozen business people you meet,
“How are your sales figures compared
against last month?” Most will be able to
confidently tell you sales are up, down or
sideways.
Then ask, “What’s your gross profitability
in dollars this month, compared against
last month?” In the majority of cases,
you’ll see the business person blink ... and
then go quiet. (They might have a vague
notion of the difference, but most will be
nowhere as clear about their $GP as they
are about their $Sales.)
That’s a worry, because $Sales is a measure
of activity whereas $GP is a basic measure of
productivity. If you have to make a choice
between ‘active’ or ‘productive’, where
would you prefer to invest your time, money
and effort?
$Sales tells us how active things have
been; how busy the business is. That is
absolutely not the same as $GP, which gives
a basic idea of whether all the running
around has been worth the effort.
Business people who ‘get’ this idea have a
much better opportunity to make powerful
decisions which produce results where it
really counts.
For example, would you rather have a 10%
increase in sales, or a 5% increase in GP?
The two are not necessarily directly
linked. If I discount my price, I might make
more sales transactions and might even
generate more $Sales revenue. But will that
result in improved $GP?
To find out, look at things like this...
I sell for, say: $100 / unit
I buy for, say: - $70 “ “
So my gross profit is: $30 “ “
Reducing my price by 10% will
mean a sell price of: $90
After my cost of: - $70
My GP is reduced to: $20 / unit
“But the lower price will result in
increased sales,” say
some. Possibly true. The lower
price might produce more
transactions.
In fact, let’s say it generates a very
significant 20% increase in
sales. (Realistically, in the vast
majority of cases, a mere 10%
discount would be unlikely to
generate such a positive
difference.)
If we made 10 sales at full price, we
made 10 x $30GP = $300GP from
$1,000 in $Sales revenue. After a
20% increase in sales as a result of
our discount, we make 12 x $20GP
= $240GP on $1,080 in $Sales.
See the problem? Sales
transactions and $Sales are up – and
so is your ‘busy-ness’.
Yet the actual reward for your effort
is way down. You’re working
harder and earning less.
Watching the $Sales will never alert
you to this. Watch your $GP
instead and you’ll enjoy a much
better grip on your business – and
you’ll be able to make much better
decisions as a result.
Level 23, 127 Creek Street
Brisbane Qld 4000 GPO Box 1092 Brisbane Qld 4001 Telephone: 07 3218 22172 Facsimile: 07 3839 4649
Email: [email protected]
Editor’s Note:
Brett Chamberlain is an International
Speaker; Author; Advisor and Consultant,
and is one of Australia’s leading business
improvement consultants and
management advisors.
During a 15 year consulting career he
has been responsible for dramatically
improving the profitability of literally
hundreds of businesses around Australia
and overseas, including many major
corporations and hundreds of smaller
businesses, by showing how to master
fundamentals that deliver profitable
growth.
When Increased Sales
Is A Bad Thing... CorpDev
Let’s Talk Business 6
6
Poor Employee Performance
It’s Not Always Their Fault
Dennis Chiron Marketing Means Business
0451 184 599 www.marketingmeansbusiness.com
[email protected] Skype: dennis.chiron2
What exactly is Poor Performance?
Poor performance is essentially a
belief by you, the employer, that an
employee’s work is not up to
scratch. They may be missing sales
or other business targets set by you,
or they could be making mistakes
at work.
Capability (or lack of) is a
potentially fair reason for
dismissal.
In order for a dismissal to be fair,
however, you must also
demonstrate that you have
followed a fair procedure.
There are fours basic reasons for poor
employee’s performance, and they
are:
Ineffective guidance
Inexperience
Limited abilities
Lack of motivation
A simple definition of unsatisfactory
job performance is a gap between the
employee's actual performance and
the level of performance required by
the organisation.
There are three basic types of poor
performance:
1. Unsatisfactory work content or
conditions— in terms of quantity,
quality, etc;
2. Breaches of work practices,
procedures and rules — such as
breaching occupational health
and safety requirements,
excessive absenteeism, theft,
harassment of other employees,
etc; and,
3. Employees' personal
problems — usually 'off-the
-job' issues that affect their
performance at work.
The key to dealing with the problem of
poor performance is to determine which
of the above point, or combination of the
above points, lies at the root of an
employee’s problem.
1. Ineffective guidance: The
employee’s job needs to be more
clearly defined
2. Inexperience: The employee should
receive more training and experience
3. Limited Abilities: Possible
restructuring of the job and the
employee’s tasks will improve this
4. Lack of motivation: Will a change or
a new challenge rekindle interest?
In particular, if the employee lacks
motivation, this can create low morale in
the workplace and you will find that the
employee is prone to making numerous
mistakes.
Mistakes in the workplace cost money in
terms of:
Rework
Material usage
Poor quality product or service
Untimely production
Accidents
Regular and frequent communication
is important with all employees, but it
is especially important when dealing
with a possible performance problem.
Ongoing communication between the
supervisor and the employee should
ensure that there is a common
understanding of how the supervisor
views the work being produced.
While there may be disagreement,
there should be no surprises.
Usually, when an employee
performs poorly owners and
managers typically do not blame
themselves.
The employee doesn’t understand
the work, or they are not
motivated. Or the employee isn’t
driven to succeed, can’t set
priorities, or won’t take direction.
Whatever the reason, the problem
is assumed to be the employee’s
fault.
But is it? Sometimes, of course,
the answer is yes.
Some employees are not up to
their assigned tasks and never will
be, for lack of knowledge, skill, or
simple desire.
But sometimes an employee’s
poor performance can also be the
fault of you, the employer.
The term is called “Set up to
Fail”, and it simply means that
you (or your manager) have hired
the wrong person for the wrong
job.
Sometimes, if you have tried to
resolve the problem and the
employee still lacks motivation, still
making mistakes, and impacting on
workplace morale, you may have no
alternative but to terminate
employment for the good of all.
SOLUTIONS
Let’s Talk Business 7
7
This may seem to be an unusual
title for a business article but
when you think about it there will
be a time when you will want to
get out of your business. For most
of us there are only three main
options; Sell it, Shut it down or
Give it away.
Nearly everybody’s preferred
option is to sell it, because to shut
it down or give it away (usually to
the kids) seems a very poor option
for disposing of something we’ve
invested so much time and effort
into.
However, very few owners ever
think about consciously building
the value of their business prior to
putting it on the market, even
though most of us plan for it to be
a significant part of our retirement
nest egg.
The average business owner in
Australia is 56 years old, which
means that 80% of all businesses
are likely to come onto the market
within the next decade.
In a supply driven market buyers
will be looking for well presented,
self managed and systemised
business with good potential for
growth.
This means it critical we focus on
growing the value in the right
parts of the business.
In truth, there are only four assets
in your business that can grow in
value, and these probably aren’t the
ones you’re focussing on. They are:
Your Brand – Just because you own
your company name or a registered
business name doesn’t mean you’re
protected. The only way to really
protect your business name or logo is
by trademarking it, and despite what
you think this can be a simple and
relatively inexpensive process.
However, there are a few tricks of the
trade that can make it more effective;
Your Intellectual Property and
Systems – If you put yourself in a
potential buyer’s position what they
will be most interested in is how well
the business will run without you, the
current owner being there. If you
haven’t documented your systems
and procedures you will have
immediately lessened the amount
someone is likely to pay for your
business.
Similarly, if you haven’t patented an
innovative process it’s going to cost
you in the end;
Your Database - This is not only
your client and supplier contacts but
also anyone who is engaged with
your brand or business. The better
structured and managed this
information is, the greater the value
to your business.
In today’s market information is a
key commodity and will significantly
raise the value what you have to sell
when you want to exit your business;
and lastly
Your People – It amazes me that
people will buy a new vehicle or
piece of equipment for their business,
and they shine it up and service it
meticulously, but they will bash
every ounce of enthusiasm out of that
eager new employee.
What we all fail to realise is that our
people are one of those few assets
that have the ability to grow in value
if we invest in them. If you take the
people out of your business you just
end up with a pile of depreciating
assets.
Tom O’Toole, the famous
Beechworth Baker says ‘People will
say why train your staff because
they’ll just leave. But what happens
if I don’t train them and they stay?’
Spend some time focussing on the
things that really count. I suggest
getting your business valued every
year or so to see what the market
thinks its worth. When you see the
figure the professionals provide, what
you have to ask yourself is if the
business was for sale for that amount,
would you buy it?
Geoff Butler FAIM AP, MAITD
MACE
Principal/Business Improvement & Implementation Specialist
Business Optimizers
Mobile: 0414 943072
Fax: 3036 6131
Email: [email protected]
Skype: business.optimizers1
Every Pilot Has Got To
Land Sometime
Let’s Talk Business 8
8
Jo-Anne Chaplin
Tax & Superannuation Professionals Pty Ltd
PH 07 3410 8116 / Mobile 0457 960 566
Email : [email protected]
Web: www.taxandsuperprofessionals.com.au
I am a qualified Accountant and will celebrate my 20th anniversary as a
Registered Tax Agent this year. During my time in Public Practice I have
assisted clients to achieve business growth and prosperity. My earlier career
included positions in banking, manufacturing, construction and retail. My
particular interest is in promoting a culture of using local industries and
business in order to build a strong community.
Outsourcing
Is it Really For You?
A few thoughts on outsourcing.
The Internet has dramatically changed
the way we do business.
Opportunities now exist for us to
work from any location and at any
time of the day or night.
With these efficiencies has come a
new industry, in the form of
outsourcing to overseas countries to
take advantage of lower wage rates &
currency variances. Savings made by
Australian businesses using these
services can be substantial, hence
their popularity.
New laws are being implemented
requiring business owners to disclose,
and obtain permission from their
clients, where personal information is
transmitted over the ‘cloud’ to service
businesses overseas. Protection and
security of personal information is
paramount.
There is a dark side to this new way
of doing business which is the human
cost. The processes being outsourced
are those which have traditionally
been filled by unskilled or semi-
skilled labour such as school leavers,
part time workers such as students,
single parents with young family's or
older workers not wanting to work
full time.
These groups are now being forced to
find work in the servitude industries,
in areas for which they are over
qualified, or obtain government
benefits, putting a further strain on the
public purse.
The question has to be asked. How do
we give our school leavers & university
graduates the basic experience they
need to pursue fulfilling careers in their
chosen field?
A graduate with a business degree does
not emerge from university with enough
suitable experience to be a fully-fledged
business advisor, bank manager or
financial controller. Similarly, for a
graduate with a law degree or science
degree.
Who will employ them? Why have they
invested thousands of dollars in
obtaining a Bachelor degree if there is
no work other than in restaurants and
bars.
With the growth in this industry being
so strong, it's unlikely that the trend will
reverse. However, I would urge all
small business to strongly compare the
benefits of outsourcing overseas with
the benefits of hiring or outsourcing to
local labour.
And to use the overseas contractor
services judicially.
The economic benefits of supporting
the local community need to be
considered. We all like to do business
with people we know, and can easily
contact. I’m sure we have all had an
issue with the 'faceless' corporation
and not benefited from the
experience.
The benefits to your business of
receiving word of mouth referrals
which come from community
involvement will enhance the
goodwill of your business. There are
“slow food” and “shop local”
movements which are a testament to
value of these benefits.
Other important issues to be considered
is the degree of control over the work
being done, who has access to your
clients information.
Using overseas sources will not provide
the security of Australian laws &
regulations should something go
wrong.
Most importantly you need to consider
who will buy your product if most of
your target market are unemployed.
I believe that Australian academics and
government should be opening a
dialogue with the business and industry
sectors in an effort to address the issues
raised.
Changes need to be made to our
education system to provide
appropriate skills for our workforce to
enable them to cope with the changes
in work methods as we move into the
global environment.
Let’s Talk Business 9
9
“… Dan, if you’re serious about getting rich, you’re going to have to learn to be lazy …”
This was advice I was given from Mr
Maloney, a self-made BRW Rich List
member worth $350 Million Dollars.
At the time I didn’t know Mr
Maloney was worth that amount. I
knew he owned the Bondi Beach
Hotel, where I was employed at the
time, but not the other vast portfolio
of Real Estate he controlled.
An opportunity came up to run the
bistro in the hotel and I convinced the
manager to give me the chance to
improve it. Mr Maloney personally
met with me every few weeks to
review the performance of the
business and gently gave me advice. I
was 19 years old and had nothing but
enthusiasm and a vague idea in my
head to become an employer
someday, instead of an employee.
Mr Maloney gave me three distinct
lessons …
Lesson 1: If you’re serious about
getting rich, you’re going to have to
learn to be lazy.
Mr Maloney did not work hard. He
had lots of people working hard for
him. He had managers, accountants
and employees that did the work. This
is the same philosophy as Richard
Branson. Joe Polish, one of Branson’s
charity partners, asked Richard ‘How
do you manage over 300 companies,
when most people struggle to manage
one?”.
Richard’s answer was “The secret is I
have to make sure I do nothing”. This
is the biggest mistake I personally see
many business owners make. They are
not comfortable to not be seen as the
hardest worker, biggest contributor or
smartest person in their business. This
is what keeps them small.
Lesson 2: Business is about ‘who’ you
know.
I found a better butcher to supply the
bistro meat. I took the initiative and
sought out better quality meat for a
better price. After interviewing several
alternative suppliers I chose one and
started ordering from him. I gave the
previous butcher a chance to match the
quality and price and he didn’t, so I
went with the new supplier.
A few weeks later the old butcher
turned up with the order of meat. I was
surprised by 2 things. First, the quality
was much better and second, the price
was reasonable. The 60 year old local
butcher said that Mr Maloney was
going to ‘have a chat’ with me.
Mr Maloney said I had done the right
thing for the bistro, but he had other
businesses dealings that involved a few
key people. Many of these key people
were involved with this butcher. The
lesson was to look beyond the first
connection and learn to be aware of and
manage the next levels of connection.
Lesson 3: Make a little bit of money
every day and put it away.
This is probably, the simplest, most
commonly known and yet the most
challenging lesson for most people
today. Small steps done regularly
compound into bigger things in the
future. The actor Will Smith was taught
by his father at a young age to “focus
on laying each brick perfectly, rather
than the big wall you’re aiming to
build”. Mr Maloney was always
experimenting, tweaking and changing
things in his businesses, but he always
remembered the important thing was to
consistently put a little bit of money
away every day.
At the time I didn’t understand how
lucky I was (and how rare the
opportunity) to be mentored by
someone like Mr Maloney. He was
wealthy, happy and a true Gentleman.
He calmly managed and built a very
successful chain of businesses. Since
this time I have read many books,
attended many seminars and owned a
few companies of my own. Only after I
have had more experience in the world
have I come to realise that these lessons
are the most important and helped
guide me in my journey of becoming a
successful business person.
I hope these lessons resonate with you
as well.
Mention this article and you can also
have a copy of the Profit Mechanics
Sales & Marketing Diagnostic
Questionnaire along with a 30 minute
phone chat to help guide you through
the tool and apply your business
objectives to it.
Remember … Business is More Fun,
When There’s Profit!
Dan Buzer
Profit Mechanics
0414 567 188
www.profitmechanics.net/ [email protected]
Let’s Talk Business 10
10
The purpose of any search engine,
and Google does this very well, is to
provide a list of the most relevant
websites when someone does a
search. The more relevant the
website, the more likely it is to
appear on the first page of search
results.
In my previous article, What is Link
Building, Why Bother and Where to
Start? I covered the benefits of Link
Building (adding your website to
online directories) and how this can
influence your website. Google, and
most of the other search engines do
take these “links” into consideration.
Link building is commonly
classified as OFF-SITE
Optimisation as it does not directly
happen ON your website.
ON and OFF-SITE Optimisation
My favourite example is the word
“Marshmallow”. If you want your
website to rank for the word
“marshmallow”, mention it several
times in your website wording.
It should also be mentioned in the
background coding/Meta Tags of
your site (known as ON-SITE
Optimisation) as well as in any
directory LINKS you create (OFF-
SITE).
Example: If you are creating a
Truelocal Listing, ensure the words
you want to rank for appear in the
description wording (OFF-SITE). If
a search engine reads your
Truelocal listing (or any other
directory listing) and it sees the
word “Marshmallow” it is going to
assume that your site is about
“marshmallow”. Now, if it gets to
your site and there is no mention of
“Marshmallow” – then expect a poor
rank.
This is how both On-Site and Off-Site
Optimisation are meant to
complement each other.
Make it relevant!
Here is a checklist on how to make
your site RELEVANT.
Review and change the words on
your website. The search engines
can “Read” all of the text within
your website using this to help
assess a websites’ relevance.
Example: If you want to rank for
“Pest control Caboolture” you
need to have this mentioned
within the physical words on your
website to even have a chance of
appearing in the search engines.
NOTE: The search engines cannot
read words inside a graphic e.g.
your logo.
If you have a website which is all
photos, graphics and very little
text, this can limit the likelihood
of ranking on the first few pages
(if at all). Add wording…Google
recommends up to 300 words.
Add Alternative Text (ALT
TAGS) in behind your images.
These need to relate to what is on
that page and use some of the
same keywords found in the
physical wording on that page.
Add the necessary code into the
background of your website.
These are called Meta Tags –
Title and Description and are
what Google displays on their
Google search results page.
The more competitive your
industry, the more important all
of this is.
Finding the right balance
between a great visual impact
and keeping Google happy = a
successful and profitable
website.
Here are some tips:
1. Use wording that relates to your
industry as well as use general
terminology that your potential
customer might type into
Google.
2. Do not copy – Google can
penalise your site if you have
duplicate content…don’t just
copy and paste the same wording
on every directory listing, blog
post or page on your site. Tweak
it each and every time.
3. Pick out 5 to 10 search phrases
that you think people are most
likely to search for – these are
usually pretty generic, broad
things that you offer e.g.
“Morayfield Mechanic” as
opposed to “Fan Belts
Morayfield” – most people will
assume a Mechanic can fix a Fan
belt and are more than likely to
search for “Morayfield
Mechanic”.
Karen Ahl Bac. Bus (Mark, Man), TAE40110,
Cert IV IT Caboolture, Queensland
Ph 0415 142 178
www.web-sta.com.au [email protected]
How to keep the “Google Monster” Happy
Let’s Talk Business 11
11
Peter Nicol
Wisdom Marketing & Management Services
0417627097
www.wisdommarketing.com.au
If It Is To Be Then It Is Up To Me On an almost daily basis we seem of
late to be bombarded with negativity. It
is real and very concerning. Layoffs
seem to happen everywhere. It is not
about blame it is about the raw realities
of the way the next year or so are going
to pan out. At my age I have seen these
periods come and go. The periods in
the early 1990’s recession, 1980-83
was not real flash and as a very young
executive in the 1972-73 period I was
caught up in the middle of it all. And, I
can still recall a period as a boy that
was called the “Credit Squeeze” during
the Menzies days. Yes I will be 70 next
year.
Bad times bring out the fighter in all of
us and I think anyone in business will
have a fight on their hands over the
coming year or so. Failing to plan is
planning to fail as they say and now is
the time to have a plan for your
business and yourself that will allow it
and you to weather the stormy patches
we are going to have yet enjoy the
economic sunshine that usually
follows. So just where do you start?
Like many of you reading this column
I am self-employed and experience
those days (even weeks) where the
phone does not ring or it just goes as
quiet as the grave. Now you have
several options. Shuffle papers and do
some filing in the hope that it will get
better, go home and mow the lawn
(and be riddled with guilt) or just get
out on the road. Yes make some
appointments with some customers,
take them for a coffee. Ask them how
they are finding things (probably they
will be in a similar position as a rising
tide lifts all ships). Share your
thoughts and ideas freely as to what
the cause of this might be and help
each other. In the process you have
workshopped the problems, made a
closer relationship with that client, and
just possibly developed a few leads.
You can also go to network meetings
like Chambers of Commerce,
Government sponsored workshops,
maybe even do an Accredited Course,
and use the time to enhance or have
your skills upgraded.
Some 6 years ago I found myself in
this position and set about doing a
series of qualifications via Dennis
Chiron. Dennis is a most able trainer
and assessor and was able to take me
through a series of competencies that
made me a trainer and assessor. He
also took me through a number of
business qualifications. I ended up
with a role that allowed me 4 of the
best commercial years I had in a long
time.
So use these times to better yourself
and work through the issues that you
will have to address when you come
out the other end. No point in being
there at the end of this period without
the tools to take advantage of the
economic sunshine that follows these
tough times.
So what can you do? I can tell you
now that the Government want
everyone in the Australian workforce
to have at least a Certificate111.
That is a Nationally Accredited
qualification. You can pick the
subject but I encourage you to talk
with Dennis as to what you might
able to do with him. It is a wise
and indeed shrewd investment. As
a young man I wasted a lot of time
thinking that it would get better
and I would just pick up where I
left off. Self-improvement was not
on my radar. Having no kids and
having a fair degree of a particular
talent I just thought that it would
all be rosy. Not so I am afraid.
Those who studied after work,
took degrees are now in positions
that I would never have dreamed
they could achieve. In no way am I
jealous of their success. I am just
peeved (and I am using polite
words) at myself for not
recognising the elephant in the
room.
Yup it is a tough time but as they
say when the going gets tough the
tough get going. If the numbers are
not coming in and no amount of
work on your part is going to make
a difference in the short term then
use the time to get some formal
training under your belt.
There are plenty of trainers around
but my money is on Dennis
Chiron’s capacity to train. He has
been doing this all of his life.
Your call. Your future.
Let’s Talk Business 12
12
greater level of control the
employer has over working
conditions, compared to the
employee, and the employer's
consequent greater control over
matters affecting OHS.
In common law, an employee may
claim damages through a civil
court for injuries arising from an
employer's failure to take
reasonable care. These are
commonly called "negligence
claims".
Under statute law there is no need
for an injury to occur before
enforcement action can be taken to
have an unsafe situation fixed. The
focus is on prevention of such
unsafe situations, through
enforceable duties.
Under statute law, the courts may
impose fines for breaches of the
legislation, and there are usually no
payouts for negligence to injured
parties.
In common law, each case is
decided on its merits and the courts
determine whether the action taken
by the employer is reasonable in
any particular case.
A workplace is defined as any
place where employees or self-
employed persons work or are
likely to
be in the course of their work.
A safe system of work implies that
all aspects of the work have been
considered as an integrated whole.
Instruction to Experienced
Employees Employers should continue to
provide information instruction and
Ron Court,
AMC Dip (Funerals) MQJA JP
OH&S Advisor
0419 679 619 [email protected]
DUTY OF CARE
training to experienced employees
who have previously had relevant
health and safety training. An
employer should not assume that an
experienced person does not need
to be instructed about the obvious.
Further training or re-training is
particularly required when the
methods, environment, equipment,
procedures, or job change; and if
new laws are introduced.
All injuries are preventable; one
would hope that it is all of us.
The emphasis is on health as well
as safety. Injuries caused by
mechanical equipment are usually
quite obvious. Workplaces should
have a reporting and recording
system which includes details of the
location where the accident
occurred and the action taken to
prevent further similar injuries.
Reporting of all incidents or "near
misses" to the employer is also
important (as required under the
employee's duty).
Recording of these incidents
provides valuable data to improve
health and safety, and allows for
steps to be taken to prevent injury.
You can get information about your
OH&S obligations and other
valuable OH&S resources both in
hard copy and online from their
websites. http://
www.deir.qld.gov.au
Always seek independent legal
advice on what is applicable to your
situation.
Duty of care is owed by one person
to another and the concept of
general duty of care is the
cornerstone of OH&S in many
jurisdictions.
The terms "general duty of care",
"duty of care" or "general duties"
relate to broad responsibilities,
expressed in general terms, of a
wide range of persons who are
connected with the work or working
environment. These may include
employers, employees, self-
employed persons and others, such
as people who control workplaces,
design and construct buildings or
manufacture and supply plant. The
concept reflects the fact that a "duty
of care" is owed in law by one
person to another. Examples of such
duties include:
An employer must, as far as
practicable, provide a work
environment in which
employees are not exposed to
hazards;
Employees must take
reasonable care for their own
health and safety, and that of
others, at work; and
Self-employed persons must, as
far as practicable, ensure the
work does not adversely affect
the health and safety of others.
The general duty of care concept is
based on principles established
under common law and has
subsequently been incorporated into
statute law.
Courts have determined the
common law duty to mean that all
employers must take reasonable
care for the safety of their
employees. This recognises the
Let’s Talk Business 13
13
such as an external hard drive from
your local computer store and
backing up your data each night,
you simply pay an ongoing
subscription fee to the cloud
vendor to store it on their servers.
The amount you pay is often based
on the volume of data you have to
store and the level of security,
availability and reliability you
need.
One of the benefits of cloud is you
no longer have to make a capital
outlay to purchase technology.
The cloud subscription model
provides businesses with greater
flexibility to meet dynamic changes
in the market without impinging
heavily on their cash flow.
Further, you never have to worry
about managing licenses, upgrades
or patches as these are taken care
of by the cloud vendor and
included with your subscription.
Why should you care?
A recent study conducted
by KPMG found that 81% of
businesses were either evaluating
Karen Davey-Thorpe AAIDC CC
Smart n Savvy Business Solutions
1800 899 198
cloud services, planned a
cloud implementation or had
already implemented a cloud
strategy. Fewer than one in 10
said they had no immediate
plans to start using the cloud.
No matter how businesses
decide to move to the cloud,
one thing's clear: businesses
are transitioning to the cloud.
So what does this mean for your
business? Well, it will mean
different things for each business
depending on the type of business
you run and the industry you are in.
Some businesses will have to
rethink their operating model in
order to remain in business.
For others, cloud may provide them
with opportunities for growth and
expansion. For others there will be
very little impact.
The marketing of cloud has been
very effective in promoting the
positive aspects of what cloud
computing can deliver for business
(quicker, cheaper, better) however
it’s very rare for the potential risks
and business impacts to be
discussed in equal measure.
Next month we’ll explore some of
these further.
In the interim, if you’d like to learn
more about whether cloud should
be part of your business strategy,
please call me.
Not so long ago when you
heard the word ‘Cloud’ you
knew exactly what it meant.
Today that same word seems
to generate blank looks and a
lot of confusion.
This article will be the first in
a series to explore the subject
of cloud computing. The
intention is to help you better
understand what cloud computing
is, how it may benefit your
business, or why it won’t. I will
also share some of the risks you
should be aware of before you
begin transitioning your business to
the cloud, thus avoiding some of
the costly mistakes other
businesses have made.
So what is cloud computing?
Simply put, cloud computing is the
delivery of on-demand computing
resources – including everything
from applications to data storage -
over the Internet on a pay-for-use
basis.
With cloud computing, instead of
outlaying a lump sum to purchase
licensed software and installing it
on your computer, you sign up to a
‘pay-as-you-go’ service on the
Internet and access the program via
your web browser.
You pay the cloud vendor for
access to the software until you no
longer need it.
The scenario is similar for data
storage. Instead of buying
additional data storage devices
Demystifying the Cloud – What is it and why should you care?
www.itpro.co.uk
Let’s Talk Business 14
14
From March 2014, there is more
financial data recorded and stored
about you and this extra data is
available to a lender or anyone else
who accesses your credit history.
Negative vs Positive Data
Until now, only negative data was
recorded on your personal credit
file. That is, all applications for all
types of credit such as home loans,
credit cards, store cards, phone
contracts, personal loans and
online applications for credit were
listed. On first impressions this
might seem OK but if you wanted
to get a comparison or better still,
make them compete for your
business, you could easily end up
with a series of “enquires” on your
credit file. Each time an
application for credit is made, an
entry is listed on your file
immediately, that is, before any
assessment is made on the loan,
mobile contract, credit card or
home loan.
It goes further because there is no
record of which, if any, of the
credit contracts you took – only
that you applied. So you could
have several applications for a
credit card or a phone contract
listed. To a potential lender it
appears that you are ‘madly
seeking credit’ (credit assessors are
very negative thinkers because
their job requires it). In truth, you
might just be seeking the best deal
however, you could be viewed as a
credit risk and potentially declined.
Positive data records which contracts
you took and you ‘Loan Conduct”
which is whether you made payments
on time. Broadly, you will be allowed
three days grace but anything longer
will be recorded. Credit institutions
have collected this data for the past 2
years but as of March ’14 they are
recording it on your credit history.
Naturally, this means that if you only
take conservative credit contracts and
always make your payments on time,
this will be reflected in your credit
file. However if life deals you a blow
such as unemployment, a relationship
split from a spendthrift partner or
injury preventing you from working
then things can look very bad very
quickly.
Being Funnelled
Please be aware that credit providers
will funnel you through a process
where they will obtain your
permission (usually in the fine print)
to access and place entry on your
credit file. We are all vulnerable to
this but particularly when we research
credit products online. When you
click ‘Yes” to the terms and
conditions you are receiving an event
on your file.
The Problems with Direct Debits
(DD’s)
Direct debits are usually taken from
your account on a pre-determined date
Paul GILLMORE DFS
Founder and Director
Southern Cross Financial Services
07 5429 5561
0402 685 032
in the month. Most people are paid weekly
or fortnightly. This means that up to twice
a year, your DD’s will fall ‘out of sync’
with your pay cycle creating a potential
default of which you may not be aware. If
you don’t keep your eye on it, your default
could end up on your credit file. The
problem is that DD’s are marketed as ‘You
don’t have to worry about making
payments’ but the ultimate responsibility
remains with YOU !
Another problem is that you might be
charged a penalty by your bank for failing
to make a payment creating a reduction in
your account balance for which you
probably haven’t budgeted. This can lead
to further defaults because of ‘lack of
funds’. This ‘snowball effect’ can go
unnoticed for some time meaning that you
gain defaults on your credit history without
knowing it !
Credit providers’ attitude will be “It’s up
to you to ensure that there are sufficient
funds in your account”
When you allow a DD you are giving ‘the
right’ to access your bank account. You
might be surprised to know that you lose
the right to cease the DD. That’s right, if
you tell the bank to stop a DD, they will
not follow your instructions. You have to
politely ask the credit provider to stop but
they may not comply, might continue to
debit for an unspecified time citing costs
or ‘the agreement’ or they might deduct
‘penalties’.
*Continued on next page
Your Credit History – what you must know
Let’s Talk Business 15
15
Your Credit History – what you must
know
Continued from previous page
Bill Shock and Dominos
Ever had a phone bill, power or
water bill that was MUCH higher
than you expected and budgeted
for? Most of us have and it might
be out of your control.
Things such as international
roaming charges on your mobile
when you are on holidays,
dramatic or continual increases in
power or water prices or simply all
your bills coming at once !
You might have a triple mobile
bill direct debited, which takes the
money set aside for other bills,
which means you experience a
default which creates the next and
the next . . . (domino effect).
You might not be aware of this at
the time because’ DDs just occur’
but when you experience several
defaults and you do not pick them
up in less than three days, you will
be breached on your credit file.
The Result
We give away control but we are
encumbered with the TOTAL
RESPONSIBILITY.
Solutions
It’s a new world of credit reporting
that we must master so please
consider whether my solutions might
be appropriate for you.
1. Resist DD’s – that is, tell credit
providers that you do not wish to
allow a DD because you away
control of your finances. Instead,
you could offer a Direct Credit.
This is where you set up your own
regular payment through your own
internet banking. There are still
penalties if you don’t have the
funds available but you can turn it
on or off and you can negotiate
with your credit provider if your
circumstances change. With a DD,
you have little power of
negotiation if any. Resisting DD’s
is difficult though because many
providers will tell you that it is
THE ONLY WAY they will do
business.
However, stand your ground, insist
that a DC is almost identical to a
DD, and then ask for the manager
because call centre people are not
allowed to vary the rules their
employer lays down.
If enough of us resist then more
flexible and user friendly
arrangements might prevail – it
won’t be easy though !
2. Improve your budgeting system –
you might like to consider a ‘sub
account’ for bills only. You could
work out your bills for the year,
month or quarter and set funds
aside each pay. Please separate
from you regular spending
account so it isn’t depleted
accidently
3. If you use a credit card for DDs
you could pre-pay your credit
card. That’s right, it’s possible to
run a credit card with a positive
balance rather than a negative
balance. Banks don’t necessarily
like it (because they are not
making money out of you) but it
is entirely legal. If your bank
won’t allow this then research
credit cards and seek a good
change over deal.
4. Set your diary and pay your own
bills – I know this can be tedious
but it is becoming ever more
necessary to be on top of your
finances and nothing beats doing
it yourself regularly to know
where you are.
5. Internet Banking – is very good
these days i.e. sites are well
encrypted and if you run your
anti-virus/anti-malware software
just prior to internet banking you
should be right (please refer to
your IT consultant). You can
make a cuppa, sit down and pay
your bills allowing you to stay
on top and be in control.
Finally, you could write to your
federal member of parliament and
the Minister for Finance complaining
that you are being forced into DDs
against your will and you want laws
passed that give consumers more
suitable options.
You can find out how to manage
this, how to get a copy of your credit
file and how to ‘Clean your Credit
File’ by simply contacting us.
Let’s Talk Business 16
16
For many of us, listening is the
communication skill we use the
most. Yet, many people listen
poorly, and they rarely think to
improve this important skill.
Poor listeners "hear" what's being
said, but they rarely "listen" to the
whole message.
They get distracted by their own
thoughts or by what's going on
around them, and they formulate
their responses before the person
they're talking to has finished
speaking.
Because of this, they miss crucial
information.
Good listeners, on the other hand,
enjoy better relationships, because
they fully understand what other
people are saying.
Their team members are also more
productive, because they feel that
they can discuss problems easily,
and talk through solutions.
You can learn to be a better listener.
Test your skills below, and then find
out how you can improve.
Preparing to Listen
Good preparation is essential for
effective listening. Without it, it's
hard to listen to people successfully.
Before you have an important
conversation, remove anything that
may distract you from it, so that you
can focus, and so that you can show
the other person that she has your
full attention.
Switch off your cell phone, turn off
instant messaging and email alerts,
put your work away, close your
meeting room door, and do what
you can to make sure that you won't
be interrupted.
If you know that you won't be able
to offer the other person your full
attention – for example, if you're
working on an urgent task – schedule
a better time to speak.
However, make sure that the other
person knows that the conversation
is important to you.
Also, do what you can to make the
other person feel at ease. Use open
body language, and a friendly tone.
If he indicates that he wants to speak
about a sensitive subject, and if this
is appropriate, remind him that the
conversation is in confidence, and
that he can be honest with you.
(If you're a manager, there may be
some things that you cannot keep
confidential. If your conversation is
beginning to encroach on these,
make this clear to the other person.)
Active Listening
When you listen actively , you not
only make a conscious effort to hear
the other person's words, but, more
importantly, you try to understand
their whole message.
To do this, learn how to read
people's body language and tone, so
that you can identify "hidden"
nonverbal messages.
Also, don't interrupt people, and
don't allow yourself to become
distracted by your own thoughts or
opinions. Instead, focus completely
on what the other person is saying.
Nod or say "OK" occasionally to
acknowledge that you're listening.
If you don't understand something,
wait for people to finish what they're
saying before you ask for
clarification.
Above all, don't formulate a response
until people have communicated
their whole message, and avoid any
judgment or criticism until it's your
turn to speak. If you argue or "play
devil's advocate" while you listen,
you may discourage them from
opening up to you.
Tip:
It can be difficult not to formulate a
response while the other person is
talking.
This is because we typically think
much faster than other people can
speak, so our brains are often
"whirring away" while they are
talking. You'll need to concentrate
hard to stay focused on the person
who's speaking, and this can take a
lot of effort.
Empathic Listening
When you demonstrate empathy, you
recognize other people's emotions,
and you do what you can to
understand their perspectives.
As such, it really helps you take
active listening to the next level.
To listen empathically, put yourself
"in other people's shoes," and try to
see things from their point of view.
Then, summarize what they say, in
your own words, to show them that
you understand their perspectives.
Reproduced in part, with the permission of Mind Tools: www.mindtools.com
How Good are Your Listening Skills?
Let’s Talk Business 17
17
“Let’s Talk Business” Small Business Publication
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