Business Essentials

What does it take to lead a leadership organisation? Well, former AFL player and two-time Hawthorn Grand Final winner, Dean Anderson explains why in 2022, he took the role of CEO at Leading Teams. Leading Teams is an organisation well known for its leadership and high performance models, that have had a huge impact on businesses across so many industries, including media, education, government, ut...

This is the 1,000th episode of Business Essentials Daily! So we stop, and discuss with Nick Schildberger, Managing Director of SoundCartel, why we started the podcast, how we navigated the pandemic, and reaffirm our focus on providing SMEs the information they need to grow their business, during the rollercoaster economy of the last four years. Nick also takes a look at podcasting as a medium and...

As a business owner, it behoves you to work on those activities that bring in a better return on investment. Don’t do the menial, repetitive stuff, when you could be delegating to someone else in your business, says productivity expert, Les Watson. As a leader, you should be working on your business – bringing the dollars in – not in the business. Les Watson shares his prioritisation system which...

The key to effective sales and marketing is collaboration, according to sales expert and CEO of Barrett Consulting Group, Sue Barrett. Having a customer-centric mindset across the entire organisation will ensure everyone is on the same page. This can be achieved by nurturing the customer at each marketing touchpoint, e.g. emails, social media digital marketing, and direct communication with sales...

How detailed are your employment agreements? If, as lawyer Tracey Mylecharane has observed, it’s a simple one-pager outlining the role, it’s nowhere near good enough. You want to legally protect you and your business from a disgruntled employee by providing a comprehensive document, that defines not only the role and responsibilities, but also items like social media policy, confidentiality, intel...

Business owners often struggle with setting the right price for their products or services due to self-doubt, observes business coach and trainer Jim Cocks. It’s important, he says, that business owners have the confidence in their offerings and be willing to increase prices to reflect their quality and value. Finding the right pricing balance requires consideration of competitors, affordability,...

One of the most effective marketing strategies is tapping into other people’s networks. But, Marketing Specialist and Founder of Leadsology, Tom Poland says, it requires finding partners whose audience aligns with your target market: offering something that people are already looking for is key. Tom explains how to identify and approach potential partners, and the importance of building an email l...

As a business owner, have you let the sales process fall by the wayside? If you’re like many others, perhaps what stops you from selling is fear. Well, according to sales guru Trent Leyshan, you need to regain your mojo. Afterall, he says, sales is the lifeblood of any company. Trent is founder of BOOM! Sales and author of two sales books, 'Outlaw' and 'The Naked Salesman'. He outlines the three k...

Attitudes about diversity and inclusion in the workplace and marketplace have change dramatically over recent decades. Hamid Senni, a veteran Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, shares his two-decade journey witnessing the evolution of the market's approach to diversity. He discusses the paradigm shifts from initially addressing discrimination, to the current focus on belonging. And he emphasizes...

While discussion around mental health is becoming far more open and less taboo, poor mental health costs the Australian economy around $17 billion per year. So, there’s an increasing need for businesses to provide a physically and physiologically safe environment. Liz Ralph is Learning Manager at Lysander, an award-winning consultancy firm that support businesses in leadership development and cult...

A new law has been introduced to address the blurring boundaries between work and personal life. The ‘Right to Disconnect’ bill allows employees to refuse to monitor, read, or respond to contact from their employer outside of working hours, unless the refusal is unreasonable. Ryan Price, Head of Content & Training at Employsure, says business owners should prepare for the new rules by setting...

ChatGPT is the best-known example of a large language model which is transforming the way in which we communicate. It’s now leading to other innovations, including ChatGPT-specific apps that anyone of us now can create to help our own businesses. Futurist Steve Sammartino explains some of the advances in artificial intelligence and how they will impact the way we work and live. Future AI trends, h...

Do you feel as if you have too much on your to-do list, both at work and at home? There are not enough hours in the day, and you’re constantly thinking about the next thing. Mindfulness is becoming a well-known ability to navigating all that chaos. Customer service expert, Jaquie Scammell achieves mindfulness through meditation, which helps her with calmness, clarity and happiness. She explains ho...

What is the economic outlook for 2024 and how will depleted household savings influence the situation? Monash University Economics and Business Statistics Professor Robert Brooks, explains the reasons behind a more cautious approach to consumer spending, which may impact many small businesses. Professor Brooks highlights the government's policy choices, including infrastructure investments and add...

If you ask questions and listen to the answers, you will learn what your customers want. Selling becomes easier and you don’t have to talk so much, says sales expert Colin Pearce. Colin has been training salespeople for many years and has a bag full of tips on how to sell more, easier and faster. Talking too much is a bane for many salespeople, and it's their "overselling" which often puts people...

Whether interest rates start to drop or not, the share market’s relatively robust at the moment. That’s according to investment expert Elio D’Amato, Team Member at Stockopedia Aus & NZ. Property and housing will be strong, he says, so long as the Australian economy performs as expected in the long-term. Elio says the share market is somewhat two-speed because of what he calls “price makers” an...

Ros Handley wants to change the conversation around retirement to renewal. Our mindset, and the way we think about this phase of our lives is really important. If we have potentially 20 years or more ahead of us, why wouldn’t we see it as an opportunity to start something new? And, it’s never too early, she says, to think about and plan for retirement. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: Sou...

This year’s Australia Day holiday fell on a Thursday. Some employees around the country saw that as an opportunity to take a sickie, and have an extra-long weekend. But, other’s were genuinely ill. As a boss, how do you know if someone’s being legitimate? Karen Gately, CEO of Corporate Dojo, says it’s important to have open and honest conversations, in person. Employers should have policies in pla...

Is your workforce as diverse as the customers they serve? It’s an important question to ask. As a Diversity & Inclusion and Culture Transformation Consultant, Hamid Senni explains how diversifying your workforce can lead to new efficiencies and a better customer experience. Hamid emphasizes that diversity goes beyond race and gender, encompassing various characteristics such as age, abilities,...

Failure isn't something we should avoid at all costs – on the contrary, failure is a powerful force on the journey to success. Entrepreneur and key-note speaker, Gabe Zichermann, says if you don't feel the fear of failure, then you're not pushing yourself hard enough. In other words, fear often indicates you're on the right track. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.c...

Understanding your clients’ needs and desires is a crucial step in the sales process. And it’s only through asking the right questions and having the ability to listen well, that you can source this information. That’s the first of five steps to increasing sales convertions. Sales and business strategist, Maree Kirkpatrick says pricing and bundles should be tailored to meet specific client require...

Each year, leading sales advisor Sue Barrett reveals the top sales and business trends. For 2024 those trends embrace the concept of collaboration. To be effective, you needn’t choose between being a hunter or a gatherer, or a manager or leader. These binary choices are not helpful, Sue says. You can be both profitable and ethical, an effective leader and manager, and combine human capability with...

Apple worked hard to keep things simple - we see it every day in its products and its success. From the man who named the iMac and who was integral to Apple’s ‘Think Different’ marketing campaign, Creative Director Ken Segall spent 12 years working with Steve Jobs and experienced first-hand his obsession with keeping things simple. Ken wrote about it all in his book ‘Insanely Simple: The Obsession...

No matter how tough times are – and we’re facing economic challenges right now – there is always opportunity. That’s according to Andrew Griffiths, entrepreneurial futurist, keynote speaker, and best-selling author. It’s up to us to adapt in the face of change, he says, and be proactive in chasing those opportunities. He provides seven practical steps you can take to guide your business to new hei...

What’s worse than having people talk about you behind your back? In a business sense, it can be worse if nobody’s talking about you at all. So, if you want your brand spoken about, it’s best that you control what people say. You can do that by telling your own stories. These days more and more businesses are discovering the powerful benefits of brand storytelling. Gabrielle Dolan is a business sto...