Business Essentials

Many successful business owners swear by the advantage of having a business coach. Unfortunately, it can be hard to find the right one, and even when you do, they’re not always available when you need them. An alternative is self-coaching. Karen Stein has developed self-coaching strategies, which she outlines from her book, ‘Be Your Own Leadership Coach: Self-coaching strategies to lead your way’....

AI’s influence in the business world is rapidly growing. Businesses can leverage a multitude of platforms and tools to enhance efficiency and productivity. The latest frontier is marketing and advertising, where even the smallest business can stand out in the crowd. That’s according to Dav Lippasaar, Founder and Director of digital marketing agency, SAAR Media. He says AI can be used to streamline...

Whether you’re looking to inspire your team or grow your business, public speaking is a skill worth investing in. Business coach Col Fink is a talented public speaker and author of ‘Speakership: The art of oration, the science of influence’. You don’t need to be an extrovert to be a good speaker, he says; it’s more important to be authentic and true to yourself. He advises against rigid scripting,...

Being a leader is one thing, but leading your team to operate at its peak - building a high-performance team - is another thing all together. Jake Bridges is a Partner/ Facilitator at Leading Teams, an organisation best known for its success with high profile Australian sports teams, even though the majority of their clients are in the corporate sector. Jake explains what goes into building a high...

Keeping up with technology is not just for enthusiasts or developers. Being aware of new technology in your industry, that streamlines process or enhances user experience is critically important, because, as James Smith, CEO of digital agency Smith Brothers Media says, if you’re up to date, your competitors will be, which could mean you’re already behind. James explains how to stay ahead of the ga...

Australians are a caring and sharing lot. Some 25 percent of us volunteer on a formal basis. A lot of companies allow their staff to take time off for volunteering activities, including the state emergency services, rural fire brigades, environmental organisations, and so on. Financial advisor Helen Baker, says it’s attractive for employers to offer time away for staff to engage in pursuits they’r...

Businesses will soon face tougher privacy rules, by returning control of personal data to consumers and ensuring they are well-informed about their rights. Lyndall Spooner, CEO of Fifth Dimension Research and Consulting, says the legislation will require businesses to obtain clear, specific consent for data use, affecting everything from marketing to data retention. She says companies will face st...

Because fewer of your competitors are doing it, your marketing efforts during an economic downturn can help capture larger market share. That’s according to Christopher Melotti, Founder and CEO of Melotti Content Media. Rather than cutting marketing budgets, he says, businesses should audit and reassess their strategies to identify and eliminate inefficiencies. High-quality, personalised content t...

An effective website is not a set-and-forget online brochure. Its purpose should be to convert visitors into leads, through good design, conversion mechanisms and clear content. Amy Miocevich, co-founder of Quarterback, guides us through her 7 essentials of a high-performing website, including the six-second impression: if a visitor doesn’t understand what you sell within six seconds, then it’s ne...

Business names can sometimes have a use-by date. If you’re thinking about a name change, there are important things to consider. Luke Faccini, Founder and Brand Strategist of The Sponge branding agency, says sometimes a name change is unavoidable when you move into new markets, for example, and your current name won’t work. Luke takes us through some of the biggest mistakes businesses make when ch...

When someone’s emotional or psychological needs are unmet, they may adopt a victim mentality as a way of drawing attention to themselves. This behaviour is an insidious workplace issue. Its impact can be just as destructive as that of bullies and narcissists, and can ruin company culture. Roxanne Calder, Managing Director of recruitment firm EST10, explains what behaviours to look out for and how...

If you have a client who owes you thousands of dollars or more and who is not returning your phone calls or messages, what can you do? There are several options, says Paul Cott, Principal at Law on Lydiard. Engaging a lawyer or a debt collector is a last resort, which may not necessarily guarantee you getting your money back. You can go to court and win, and still be out of pocket. Paul details th...

A large number of Australian employees are turning up to work unwell due to depleted sick leave and cost-of-living pressures. With no remaining sick days, they go to the office feeling unwell because they can’t afford unpaid leave. Those are the findings from a recent survey from people2people recruitment. Suhini Wijayasinghe, Head of HR Solutions at the company, says the survey underscores the po...

Too many client presentations are self-serving with badly organised and complex content. Moreover, great ideas are often lost in a sea of slides that don’t connect with the audience. That’s according to David Fish, a globally recognised strategist and business leader, who’s worked with some of the world’s largest advertisers. He’s also author of ‘What it takes to create winning presentations’, in...

Numbers have a magnetic effect on people and can anchor their behaviour. Behavioural specialist, Bri Williams discusses a golf study which found that professional golfers tended to take fewer strokes when the same hole was labelled as a par four compared to when it was labelled as a par five. The implications of this research extend beyond golf and into daily business life. It highlights how expec...

How does a busy business person slow down and take back control in a world of constant noise and interruption? Occupational therapist, Angela Lockwood, addresses those issues in her book 'Switch Off: How to find calm in a noisy world'. She has espoused everyday activities to cut out the clutter and bring focus back into our lives, including breathing exercises, outdoor play, healthy eating, laughi...

Whether you’re new to the investment game or not, investing without proper planning or financial organization can lead to poor outcomes. Former financial advisor, Glen James is host of the successful Retire Right podcast and author of ‘The Quick-Start Guide to Investing’. Glen spells out his five steps to an investment strategy: setting goals, determining the time horizon, choosing investment styl...

Building a business that operates independently of its owner increases its appeal and value to potential buyers. Bill Withers understands this all too well, he’s the Founder of ADAPT by Design, and former owner of global, geoscience tech company, acQuire. He’s also the author of ‘Succession Thinking: Build a resilient business and deliver sustained value’. Succession thinking requires building a r...

Give your team the tools to do their job and watch your business shine. That’s one of the messages from Diederik Gelderman, a successful veterinarian, who now advises others – not just vets – on how to grow successful businesses via his consulting firm, Turbo Charge Your Practice. He says being nice to people is important for not only business success but in its own right. Business Essentials Dail...

As business owners, we often get stuck in the day-to-day activities, and neglect working on the business. Systemising business processes will allow us to break free. That's according to Joel Gerschman, Managing Dire­­ctor of The Change Coach, who’s written a book on escaping the shackles of your business to achieve wealth, freedom and fulfilment. ‘The Mindful Entrepreneur’ is all about how to make...

Swearing is becoming more commonplace in the media, in social circles and at work. It’s not necessarily a bad thing – in fact, Adrian Baillargeon reckons it can be good for you and your team. Adrian is a leadership team performance specialist and author of ‘Teams That Swear: By each other, not about each other’. Swearing can be cathartic and it can build connection within the team. But Adrian errs...

Self-motivation driven by a personal need to prove oneself is the first key to entrepreneurial success. Alan Manly believes this internal drive can be both a powerful motivator and a harsh critic. Alan is an entrepreneur and CEO of CampusQ, and he offers his five skills entrepreneurs need to succeed: entrepreneurial flair, finding a good idea, confidence, risk-taking, and having a business plan. B...

Disagreements are crucial for a high-functioning team that makes effective decisions. However, we’ve lost the art of disagreeing effectively, which can lead to unnecessary conflict. In an increasingly polarised world, both on social media and in the workplace, it’s vital to relearn how to debate ideas without attacking each other. Communications specialist Leah Mether offers several tips for disag...

Consumers trust word of mouth 2.4 times more than branded content. With this in mind, James Smith, CEO of digital agency, Smith Brothers Media, believes that making people feel like they’re part of the experience, and having users generate their own content for your brand can be a match made in heaven. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61 3 9882 8333 See omn...

If you find that you’re spending more time working on your business but getting little reward for it, you may have hit an ‘entrepreneurial ceiling’. Now’s the time to look at your systems, redesign your strategy and shift your mindset.  Chris Green is a mentor, strategist and author of ‘Business by Design: Take your business from chaos and overwhelm to scalable and rewarding’. He says, if you’re t...