Business Essentials

Divorce can be stressful enough, but more so perhaps when running a business. Is there a way to separate, without breaking up the business and without resorting to law courts? Yes, there is, says family lawyer Jennifer Hetherington. It's called collaborative practice – a mediation process for couples to finalise the legal aspects of their separation without court. It’s about meeting th...

The acronym UGRs stands for Unwritten Ground Rules. UGRs drive people’s attitudes and performance in the workplace - but they’re seldom talked about openly and you may have no idea what’s going on behind your back unless you actively check those UGRs out. Steve Simpson can help. He created the UGR concept and has been telling businesses for years that, good or bad, they’re...

Bob Beaumont is one of Australia’s best known entrepreneurs. He’s built Beaumont Tiles from a small fragmented operation back in the 1960s to an empire. Bob always aims high and generally succeeds, even if others think he’s chewed off more than he can manage. His story is remarkable, and he’s agreed to speak candidly to us about success, business principles – and neve...

People do business with people they like and trust. That's why it's more important than ever these days to build your personal brand. That's according to Andrew Ford of personal brand building company, Social Star. He explains how to build your profile online to reflect your personality and credibility and to help you stand out. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com...

Move over Gen X, Y and Z. There are new kids on the block, they’re called Generation Alpha, they’re the largest generational group that the world has ever seen – and we should take note of them if we want our businesses to thrive into the future. So who are they, what do they want, and how do we capture their thoughts and aspirations? Social researcher Mark McCrindle has been doi...

No business is immune to cashflow issues. And now, with COVID-19, many business owners are feeling the pinch more than ever. Cashflow specialist, Paul Roach draws upon decades of experience assisting SMEs to provide a practical guide to business growth and profitability. He offers simple changes and ways of working smarter, which are outlined in his book, Smarter Business Stronger Cashflow . Refer...

Business partnerships seem like a wonderful arrangement when everyone’s happy - complementary skills, the sharing the workload and resources, enjoying the wins, fun and friendship. But partnerships can turn from good to bad in no time when things aren’t going well - and that’s when the arguments begin. Lawyer Paul Brennan has seen it all and has some sanguine advice for those fac...

It’s so much easier and safer to isolate ourselves from the uncertainties and risks we face outside our homes, on the street and in the workplace. For a lot of people, working from home has been a safe haven and cushioned them from confronting their fears. But, as people go back to work, bosses need to be able to manage the fears of their staff. Workplace psychologist, Dr Amy Silver explains...

Our preoccupation with making ends meet, paying the bills, the wages, sorting out stock levels and generally keeping the lights on may lead us to overlook the fundamental reasons why people do business with us. It’s our ASSETS, says Author, Trainer, and all-round storyteller Colin Pearce, and he means it in a very personal way. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcarte...

Implementing a business strategy is important: it gives you and your team a clear roadmap to business growth; it outlines the responsibility for each team member; and it keeps everyone accountable and on track. Creating a strategy is one thing, but executing it effectively is something else entirely, says business coach, Mandy Holloway, co-founder and owner of Courageous Leaders. She outlines the...

If you don't have strategies to tackle the onslaught of incoming emails, you'll spend even more time trying to find the important ones and be distracted by the ones that are less so. Email expert Steuart Snooks, of Solutions 4 Success, has a tonne of tips to manage your emails and get more time back in your day. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61 3 9882 83...

Just where does the time go? Do you find that no matter how much you try to get on top of things, there’s just not enough time in the day? Productivity expert Les Watson sees a lot of people are wasting time on things they don’t even realise. Les – also known as the Time Lord – helps us identify seven time-wasting activities, so that we can get more time to work on the thin...

Whether you’re in business already, a student, or simply looking for a change, launching an online course could be a path to building your own entrepreneurial empire. That’s according to online course guru, Tina Tower, who has written a practical, step-by-step book on the process, ‘Million-dollar micro business: how to turn your expertise into a digital online course’. As t...

An Australian veteran business leader shares the lessons he's learnt from the rough and tumble of five decades of business life. Geoff Slade built Slade Group to Australia's biggest executive search firm through a combination of hard work and developing trusting and meaningful relationships. He's identified many truths along the way - his personal perspectives on what really counts to achieve succ...

Like all farmers, Chris Balazs understands how much tastier meat is from animals he slaughters on his own farm. For those and other ethical reasons, he and his team have built Provenir, Australia's first and only mobile abattoir. Provenir oversees the whole operation from purchasing livestock on-farm direct from their partnering farmers, to the on-farm processing and into their artisan butchery. I...

If you think about it, there are very few businesses that aren’t reliant on some form of technology or digitisation. And with the pandemic speeding up the process, the move toward automation isn’t so much a choice anymore, as much as a requirement, if you want to remain competitive. Alex Kain, CEO of Human Pixel, says “digital is just purely an evolution of business”, and h...

We’d all like to sail through business life without legal hitches – but sadly, they happen. In fact, Paul Brennan, Principal at Brennans Solicitors tells us, it’s easy to get caught up in a legal wrangle if you’re not careful - which is why he’s drawn up his hit list of the ten biggest ones, the most expensive legal mistakes you’re likely to make, and how to avo...

We all have stories to tell – they may reveal our vulnerabilities, our very personal thoughts and feelings, but we shouldn’t be afraid to tell them because those who work around us, or who buy from us, will respond positively. Colin Pearce reminds us that we’re not just business people, we’re human beings too! Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcarte...

Are you overwhelmed by urgency? Do the distractions throughout the day feel as if you don't have the time to get the important things done? Productivity expert Dermot Crowley has pointed out the problems many of us have in taming urgency in his new book, 'Urgent!' In this episode, he outlines how we control urgency and improve productivity, all the while keeping our stress levels in check. Busines...

So you wake up one morning and say to yourself “Today I’m going to sell my business – and I’m going to get top dollar for it”. If only it was that simple. But the reality is that preparing a business sale can take years. In fact, according to business sales expert John Blight, the process should begin on the day you first started the business. Business Essentials Dail...

If there are any lessons to come out of our experience with COVID, it’s how we’ve learnt to adapt to change. Many businesses have discovered that flexible workplaces, for example, have empowered employees to get on with doing what’s important. Karen Gately, CEO of Corporate Dojo, says we’re seeing a move away from a command-and-control style of leadership. Business Essentia...

There have been many business lessons we’ve learned because of COVID, particularly in sales. For one thing, says Sue Barrett, CEO of Barrett Consulting Group, the pandemic has underlined the importance of ethical behaviours and virtues like trust, cooperation and gratitude. Sue says your strategy, processes, people, and culture, should be underpinned by a holistic approach. Business Essentia...

Being on time matters. In business, punctuality reflects your integrity and builds trust with others whom you honour with a promise of not being late. That’s according to business coach, productivity guru, Les Watson, whose own punctuality you can set your watch to. Les has some tips on how to combat distractions which can prevent us from arriving to events on time. Business Essentials Daily...

Changes to the Franchising Code of Conduct are rolling out in 2021, after years of scandals and enquiries into the sector. Bruce Billson is the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, and it’s ASBFEO that handle initial disputes between franchisor and franchisee. Bruce says that while there are many outstanding examples of Australian franchising, there are those who’...

With 13 years’ experience as CEO at iconic Australian fashion brands, Sportsgirl and Sussan, Colleen Callander is a leader who walks the talk. She says that leadership is inside all of us – you just need the tools to let it shine. Those tools can be found in her book, ‘Leader by Design: Be empowered to lead with confidence in business and in life’. She shares her lessons fr...