Business Essentials

Customer service is not for the faint-hearted – it requires everyday attitude, mindset and commitment. So how do you find the right frontline staff and nurture them to be their best? Customer service expert Monique Richardson says it comes down to you and your leadership ability. Monique is author of ‘They Serve Like We Lead: How to take care of your people, so they take care of your customers’. S...

Yours is not the only company looking to hire highly skilled and talented staff. How do you find and persuade them to not only join your business but stay? According to Jonathan Perumal of Safeguard Global, you might need to explore several different hiring options, and ensure you have an excellent onboarding process. If, for example, your business is set up for remote workers, there is a large ov...

Andrew Ford, Founder of Social Star, has turned the elevator pitch on its head with his own pitch structure which aims to be more conversational. The standard elevator pitch, he insists, is one-directional and lacks true engagement. With practice, your pitch shouldn't feel like selling; instead, it should feel like you're providing answers to someone's questions. The challenge Andrew sets out to s...

If you want your team to be fully committed to your idea, first it's worth spending time with them to connect and develop a level of trust. That's according to Simon Dowling, business coach and author of ‘Work With Me: How to get people to buy into your ideas.’ You’ll achieve the best results, he insists, if you have a team who’s as enthusiastic and willing as you are about your idea. Business Ess...

The swings and the roundabouts of running a business can be stressful at the best of times. But it doesn’t have to be that way, according to business consultant Roger Perry. He advises his clients to build business resilience by concentrating on two key aspects of their enterprise: what he calls organisational fortification, and organisational adaptability. Business Essentials Daily is produced by...

If you want to motivate your team, retain good talent and create an environment where everyone is performing, it’s important to take the time to get to know your team members individually. Michelle Gibbings is a workplace expert and author of award-winning ‘Bad Boss: What to do if you work for one, manage one or are one’. She says people thrive under different circumstances; for some it’s the flex...

Consumers are bombarded with ads across social media, TV, radio, outdoor all day, every day. So, how can you market your business in a way that doesn’t add to the noise? Marketing guru Moby Siddique says content marketing can encourage authentic connections with your target audience, if done well. He says you must get out of your comfort zone and talk about industry problems, which others are like...

The levels of stress, burnout and mental illness are increasing rapidly, societally, but also within the workplace. It’s more important than ever for business leaders to be able to talk with their staff about their mental health. Wellbeing leadership expert Fleur Heazlewood says despite providing psychologically safe and mentally healthy working environments, leaders lack the skills and training t...

Automation and systemisation might work at the supply chain level or in fast-food production, but be careful about being too efficient with your communications, you don’t want to ruin the customer experience. That’s according to sales guru, Sue Barrett, CEO of Barrett Consulting Group. She outlines the three C’s of customer experience: clarity, consistency and communication. Business Essentials Da...

Sometimes your most talented employees are also the hardest to manage. How do you keep them in line It’s a common dilemma for business owners. The standout performers in your business are often the hardest to manage. They make good money for you but in the process, they upset others and can be unwieldy in conforming to the best interests of the business. Aaron Goonrey, Partner at Lander & Roge...

More than 20 million wet wipes are used every day in Australia. The traditional ones produced by foreign multinationals contain microplastics that don’t break down and are toxic to the environment. In 2021, The Hygiene Co’s Phil Scardigno and Corey White decided to take on the big players by manufacturing a plastic-free, bio-degradable product. The Adelaide-based compostable wipes – called CleanLI...

Entrepreneur Kobi Simmat sold his accreditation consultancy for a cool $20 million dollars. It was a 16-year education, not only on how to run a business but what was needed to sell it for a whopping profit. If he knew then what he does now, he believes he could have sold it in half the time with half the effort. He says it’s important to start with the end in mind. Business Essentials Daily is pr...

Sure, it’s easy to be a fine upstanding business citizen when everything’s going well. But what happens if times get tough – like now? Are you tempted, just a teeny bit, to compromise your integrity for the sake of a few dollars more, or just to get that deal over the line? Well don’t be, warns veteran business coach, Alan Rodway. That slippery slope will lead to nowhere good, fast. Business Essen...

They can be annoying and time-consuming, but without written agreements you could be in a world of hurt, should things turn sour. Ryan Solomons is the Head of Legal at Vault Legal, and he’s seen how handshake agreements can result in bankruptcy. Ryan offers 5 reasons why documenting agreements should be standard practice for business owners. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel so...

If you forced yourself to do a six-hour workday, could you do it? Entrepreneur Steve Glaveski and his team gave it a go and discovered that in fact they could achieve all their goals in shorter days, which gave them more time to do the things they wanted. As a consequence, they lead happier and more fulfilling lives. Steve Glaveski has written about this in his book, 'Time Rich: do your best work,...

If a company’s cybersecurity is compromised the consequences can be devastating. Regulators have stepped up their expectations and level of scrutiny, including the imposition of large-scale penalties for data breaches. Brad Kasell, Principal Technology Strategist APAC of Domo, explains what a business can do to ensure they’re as cybersecure as possible, and how to react if a breach does occur. Bus...

Doing business in an environment of higher inflation has dealt challenges for listed Australian companies, translating to tougher conditions for investors. Investment expert Elio D’Amato says some industries are doing better than others, and it’s certainly not all doom and gloom. He explains how China’s price deflation is affecting other world markets and currencies including our own. Elio also co...

The making of a high-performance team doesn’t always come easy, especially when feedback is a key part of the process. Gavin Mahony of Leading Teams says providing feedback is crucial to building resilience and peak performance. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61 3 9882 8333 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 book, Urgent! In this episode, he outlines how we control urgency and improve productivity, all the while keeping our stress levels in check. Business Esse...

Without prior experience in the construction or travel industries, Tony Gattari, Managing Director at Achievers Group, managed to massively exceed the sales targets in his senior sales roles in recent years. No matter the industry, Tony applies five core principles when advising some of Australia’s leading companies and their sales teams. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel sound...

We all have the same 168 hours each week. But why do some effortlessly breeze through work and life, while others struggle to keep up? Performance Coach, Andrew May says planning can shift us from chaos to control, without stifling spontaneity. We can learn to sculpt our days for ultimate productivity, incorporating work, exercise, socialising, and vital sleep without too much effort. It helps, he...

An HR manager with commercial nous is invaluable. Not only can an effective HR team help work through complex business challenges and sensitive issues, they can also assist with achieving longer term, strategic objectives. That’s according to Karen Gately, Founder and CEO of Corporate Dojo. She explains what professional capabilities and characteristics to look for when hiring a high-performing HR...

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...

About 5 million Australians claimed work-from-home expenses last financial year. Now, the ATO is cracking down on the fixed-rate method – you’ll need to record the total number of hours worked from home. This is just one of the myriad of new rules the Tax Office has implemented this new financial year. Deepra Sen, Associate Director at Mazars, discusses this and other major tax changes that busine...

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 the needs of t...