Business Benchmark Group Podcast

Anyone who has ever run a small business can tell stories about the immeasurable value of word-of-mouth referrals by happy customers - some would even argue it is the most powerful form of advertising when someone is singing the praises of your company or product. Likewise, talk about a bad experience is news that travels far and wide - that's why business owners and their staff should strive to m...

We often think about crisis as a negative – but it can also often be considered a positive. In this brain stretch episode, Stefan explores how business owners need to recognise the difference between leadership and management, especially in response to a crisis. As a leader, it is your responsibility to grow your resources, to understanding what is working, what is not working and to determine wha...

You spend 50%-60% of your life at work, so as business owners have the responsibility to fill it with the right people. Stefan discusses how to ensure you're hiring A-Graders to join your team. He describes interview techniques he uses, what to look for in a candidate, and the importance of culture fit. - - - - - - - - - - - - Buy Stefan's Books: "How to Grow a Business" https://www.amazon.com/How...

When it comes to building your competitive advantage, it all comes back to the concept of "Hero or Guide". This means that when you make the customers the hero of the story - by understanding their wants, needs and motivations and focusing on how to better serve them - this will inevitably mean that you will be able to innovate and serve your customers better than your competitors. Stefan explores...

In this episode, Stefan examines the 6 Pillars of Business that you need to focus on if you want to take your business global. As Stefan often says - "Business is not easy, but it doesn't need to be hard". To build a successful strategy to take your business global, you need to have a laser focus on these 6 pillars only, and determine how they will look in 2, 5 and 10 years. - - - - - - - - - - -...

Chris Galea's story as a business owner is an incredibly interesting and eventful ride. He purchased Polyshine - suppliers of polishing compound for the manufacturing industry - in 2008 and by 2010, he was down to his last $1,000 in the bank and was on his way to Singapore to do a deal that HAD to work, otherwise he and his business were in dire straits. Unfortunately, that meeting fell through! H...

In this brain stretch episode, Stefan asks you to think global and think about how your business can serve more customers and take advantage of more opportunities beyond our borders. What does your business, and your life, look like in 10 years time? Stefan discusses the need to engage in forward-thinking, and consider creating that will take you where you want to be. In 520 weeks, you might be st...

This episode of our podcast was recorded at our Your Profit Blueprint event in February 2019. Stefan explores the market conditions we're likely to face in 2019 and discusses how imperative it is for owners of small businesses to plan ahead and be ready in a "ninja stance" ready to react to challenges, and attack opportunities. Stefan discusses the importance of critical and strategic thinking in...

How do you outplay and outlast in the game of business? How do you outlast your head trash - your mental fatigue that says that you can't do something? Stefan explores how to create stamina in today's brain-stretch episode of our podcast. When you give up on something and never complete it - it's a missed opportunity and helps create a pattern in your life of a person who just never finishes thing...

Rob and Rose Seymour are the owners of a unique business - PureProtect. They are specialists in Mould, Damp, Water Damage and Indoor Air Quality and deliver hygiene and infection control solutions to industries where health and safety are paramount. They operate as mould re-mediators, licensed builders and fix buildings and homes with mould damage. They reveal how they have been able to achieve ex...

Marc Montager is the Sales Manager at Alloys - "The Non-Traditional Distributor". With almost 30 years experience in the industry and with hard-earned experience in managing and growing high-performance teams, Marc gives tremendous insight into what it takes to build a high performance team and what to look for when recruiting new members into a team. Marc is not one to tolerate mediocrity, and sh...

This is a "brain stretch" episode in order to get you thinking about how your business is positioned, and how you plan to be innovative. As we enter a new year, this is an important time to reflect upon how you position your business - who you are, what you do and who you do it for. Stefan also explores the concept of whether you position yourself as a hero to your clients - or instead, whether yo...

A recording of Stefan's speech to the graduating class at East Doncaster Secondary College. As an alumni of that same high school years ago and ongoing involvement in the school community, Stefan was asked to speak to the Class of 2018. He gives some inspiring and practical advice, that not only will serve them well in their journey into the big wide world and adulthood, but also provides us all w...

Identifying and serving your ideal target market is vital to the long term success of your business. You need to shape your business from the foundations up, and focus on how you can best serve your ideal customer. If you try to be everything to everyone, you are actually going to be no good to anybody. From a strategic point of view, your desired target market directs the cut of your business. St...

What does it take to build an A-Grade team? Stefan explores what leaders need to do to grow high performance teams and what employers need to look for when hiring new members for your team. Key to building a high performance team is a focus on progression, and not letting perfection get in the way. Stefan also explores the four key attributes to look for when building a high performance team: 1. O...

Our interview with Damian De Vincentis, owner of be0nd plumbing. be0nd plumbing (www.beondplumbing.com.au) is one of Victoria’s leading emergency response and maintenance plumbing companies who offer 24/7 emergency service including storm relief. Being involved in reactive maintenance and having to work closely with insurance companies requires strict adherence to processes and inevitably a lot of...

In business, and in your personal life, you make a choice: Are you a dream maker, or a dream taker? In this brain stretch episode, Stefan explores the concepts of “Mindset, Belief, Identity and Accountability”, and how getting these right is crucial to your business success. The reality is that to be successful in business, you need to have a curiosity-based mindset and be open to evaluating new i...

Matthew Adams founded Motosign (https://motosign.com.au) in 2004 and has grown a business that is passionate about everything to do with signage - vehicle signage, car wraps, shop front signage, wall graphics, outdoor banners and much more. Matthew joined our Board of Directors 12 program in 2017, and within one year, the business has achieved phenomenal growth, including doubling their revenue wi...

Joseph Lattouf, Co-Founder of Hairhouse Warehouse with his brother Tony, shares the incredible story of his life in business. From humble beginnings of buying a single “run-down” hair salon in Doncaster, Victoria in 1987, to eventually becoming Australia’s number one hair and beauty franchise with over 150 stores, he gives us his insight into the highs and lows of his journey, and what it took to...

A "Think Tank" session by Stefan in which he explores how important it is to be able to tell the story of your business, and the identity shift that needs to occur as you progress through the different stages of business. As your business evolves, you need to be telling new stories - not the same old ones you've been telling for years. Tell new stories, and as you act as a bridge builder for your...

Stefan was fortunate to impart some wisdom to the nominees for the 2018 Manningham Business Excellence Awards Young Achiever. As we head into a new year, this is a great opportunity to reflect on where you’ve been, and where you want to head in the new year and beyond. Stefan shares some of his wisom with these up-and-comers in what he calls a “discovery conversation”. This is an inspirational dis...

Our interview with Craig and Jessica Abbott - founders and owners of Heavy Haulers / PHIIT Studio (recorded in August 2015). Craig and Jess offer fantastic insight into what it takes to recognize an opportunity, develop a unique concept and make it successful - and how they overcame all the inevitable obstacles along the way. Starting out as Heavy Haulers back in 2007, there was nothing like it av...

Our interview with Gavin Sloan, the founder of LiveChatMonitoring.com. An incredible story of turning around a business on the brink of folding, to becoming a global leader in it's industry. This interview took place in April 2015, and since then, the business has continued to grow exponentially. In the 14 months prior to this interview, Live Chat Monitoring was just beginning it's huge explosion....

Martin Cooperwaite, co-founder of Kiandra IT (kiandra.com.au), shares the story of starting and growing his award-winning company, along with providing top advice for business owners implementing digital strategies in their business. Martin‘s IT story started over 30 years ago when he wrote adventure computer games for his 2nd grade primary school friends. He's come a long way since, co-founding t...

Stefan interviews the owners of Traffic Diversions Group – Paul McRedmond, Stefan Shulz and Ross McDonald. In 2012, Stefan and Ross took a calculated risk to purchase Traffic Diversions Group, with Paul buying into the business just a couple of months later. The had the vision of being the “best traffic control company in Victoria” – a vision which they have achieved and continue to strive for to...