Business Essentials

Don’t be too distracted by the chatter around augmented reality and artificial intelligence. And if you’re not sure what they are exactly, don’t worry! Moby Siddique, CEO of RedPandas, says you should focus on developing content – whether that’s video, audio or blogs – for your website and social media channels. Moby discusses the latest trends in digital marketing, including podcasting and video...

How do you focus on making quality decisions that drive real impact? Too often data is misused, resulting in irrelevant, misleading, or incorrect analyses. Brad Kasell, Principal Technology Strategist (APAC), at Domo, says good decisions depend on data quality, analytical integrity, and most importantly business context. He insists that business growth comes, not from the decisions themselves, but...

'It's All Possible!' – the book title sums up Rob Hartnett's positive approach to personal development and business. From positive thinking to positive action, he says we can all achieve our dreams. Rob outlines his four-step possibility system to help us all achieve our goals. He combines his own story of personal development and achievement, with the inspirational stories of other everyday peopl...

One of the best sales opportunities that's too often ignored is customer enquiries from inbound phone calls. Colin Pearce explains how to win long-term loyal customers with his six-P's approach. When the phone rings in your business, Colin insists, be prepared to answer promptly. And then, be positive from the outset, be precise when scheduling an appointment, be personal, and – most importantly –...

It might be that you meet someone that comes across as your new best friend, but the charming behaviour of a sociopath is merely a front for their own selfish intentions. The best thing you can do, says Professor Gary Martin, is not hire them in the first place – but it's not always easy to spot someone with sociopathic tendencies. Professor Martin, CEO of the Australian Institute of Management in...

In a world of increasing uncertainty, it’s not enough to just keep one eye on change, you need to know how to adapt quickly and effectively to stay in the game. Adam Bennett, a former CEO and big-4 bank CIO, has written a book on how to turn your plans into reality: ‘Great Change: The Way To Get Big Strategy Done’. He says there are three key tasks leaders need to undertake in order to make change...

A lot of businesses have a 12-month plan, but if you want to achieve quicker and more focused results, you’re better off combining that with a hundred-day rolling business strategy. That’s according to Michael Fingland, CEO of Vantage Performance, which helps turn around underperforming businesses. He says the 100-day strategy focuses the team on what they should be prioritising for the quarter, w...

By employing what she calls her “Critical Alignment Model” for both herself and her clients, Remi Pearson has built an expanding, international coaching institute. In one of her many books 'Disruptive Leadership: Four Simple Steps to Creating the Winning Team', she explains how to question the status quo, to build better businesses. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel...

Are you a gazelle, a bear or a tiger? Gazelles bounce out of bed in the morning and can concentrate just as the day is beginning. Bears are the opposite: they work best when Gazelles are ready for bed. Tigers, like most of the population, perform best in the late morning and afternoon. Performance coach Andrew May encourages organisations to allow their members to work at a time that best reflects...

Start-up life is never easy, but entrepreneurs are born with an innate desire to create and build. There are however some well-worn pitfalls that entrepreneurs keep tripping up on. Tara Shelton is founder of a number of successful businesses, including 'Dream & Do', a creative agency that helps start-ups build their brand and communications. She says that she’s seen it all before — the good, t...

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,...