Business Essentials

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...

COVID-19 has impacted the way we buy – we’ve embraced online shopping not just for convenience but in the hope of finding the best deals. Now, with cost-of-living pressures, and the rise of subscriptions services, the infrastructure required to accommodate this switch in consumer buying habits has had to adapt. Richard Thame is CEO of CouriersPlease, Australia’s leading franchised parcel delivery...

As president, Roy Osing guided Canadian telco Telus Communications to $1 billion in sales. He identifies six major drivers that helped to achieve that growth, including differentiation, planning, and championing the frontline staff. He insists that there are no silver bullets – running a business is a game of inches. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61 3 98...

How does your brand stand out from your competitors? Do you use tired, cliched images on your website, or are you a bit more creative? Brand creator and consultant, Bec Hughes, says to succeed in brand design, you need to provide memorable experiences for your potential customers. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61 3 9882 8333 See omnystudio.com/listener f...

Few could  have guessed that an overweight young man with an eating disorder would go on to found one of Australia’s most popular fitness brands, but that’s Aaron Smith’s true story. In this episode, the founder of KX Pilates discusses his new book, “Define Yourself: When Passion, Purpose and Business Collide.” Aaron overcame immense personal and business setbacks to start a company that now inclu...

Being a coach and umpire at the highest level of elite AFL sport has taught Jeff “the Giesch” Gieschen a thing or two about leadership and the nurturing of star performers. Now he’s transferring those lessons to the business world. Leadership’s tough, he’ll tell us, but fairness, empathy and team spirit are paramount if you want to move from good to great. Business Essentials Daily is produced by:...

When it comes to the cascade of AI tools entering the market, be wary of relying too heavily on them to communicate with your audience. Customer service legend Barry Urquhart insists there is nothing more frustrating than having to deal with AI bots, when all customers or clients want is to speak with a real human. While AI can enhance efficiency and productivity, he says, it should be used to com...

More than 60% of Australians over 18 years old have a LinkedIn profile. While the popular social media platform is ideal for sourcing and developing business leads, most people don’t use it effectively, according to Karen Tisdell. Karen helps people to craft their LinkedIn profiles and offers lessons on building connections through the platform. To generate leads Karen recommends proactively searc...

When dealing with government, business owners should be concise, polite, and persistent. That’s according to the Director of Unravelling Red Tape, Elaine Abery, whose spent her career battling the bureaucracy on behalf of businesses. She says owners shouldn’t be afraid of governments or the big businesses they’re having trouble with, and that change — even legislative change — is possible with the...

As we head into another year, have you wondered how other businesses are handling their HR function? Karen Gately, Founder and CEO of Corporate Dojo, reflects on the most important trends in HR and workplace culture right now. They include embracing technology – in particular AI – to enhance the employee experience from onboarding to performance management. Other trends include leadership, hybrid...

Like it or not, customers are always measuring the way they’re treated. The way they feel could be the difference between returning or not. That observation is from customer service guru and CEO of ServiceQ, Jaquie Scammell. To improve customer service, you need to change specific habits. In this episode, Jaquie outlines some tips from her book, ‘Service Habits: 21 habits to transform your service...

Monash University economist Professor Robert Brooks explains why it is that Australia, and the world, avoided a widely forecast recession in 2023. Professor Brooks highlights the unexpected resilience in economic growth, attributing it to factors like sustained demand for Australian commodities and the quicker-than-expected relief of supply chain issues. He also delves into the intricate balance o...

So many different online tools are now available to plan your workday and record the important elements of your business. But whether you use them or old school pen and paper, it’s crucial to record your thoughts, or risk forgetting what you’ve done or the goals you’re trying to achieve. Productivity guru Les Watson explains why he’s a fan of record-keeping and setting time aside for review and re...

Business owners shouldn’t be afraid of taking on government departments if they have a valid complaint. So says Unravelling Red Tape Director Elaine Abery — an expert in dealing with the bureaucracy. Large businesses are constantly talking to governments, but SME proprietors can find it too intimidating. Elaine Abery says that once data is collated and thoughts written down on paper, there’s nothi...

Customers don’t like it when they’re told “No, you can’t do that,” or “No, you can’t have that.” Many organisations insist on rules and regulatory systems to control and handle large numbers of customers. The problem is, observes entrepreneur Roy Osing, they ignore customers as individuals, which leaves them annoyed and upset. And you don’t want that! Instead, Roy encourages businesses to implemen...

Affiliate marketing, or influence marketing, is promoting someone else’s product or service in return for an award. It’s more common these days as consumer’s eyes are glued on social media. But, lawyer Tracey Mylecharane says she will never agree to be an affiliate for someone else’s product or service. She’s happy to give recommendations if someone asks, but she sees the formal process of affilia...