Business Essentials

How often do you think about the way you look, the clothes you wear, the way you sound, and even the way you walk, stand or sit? These are all elements of your personal brand, that can help you make a strong impression with your audience. Personal brand consultant Emma Duzhnikova shares some of her secrets when developing a personal brand and discusses why authenticity is more important than ever....

In good times the temptation can be to spend surplus cashflow, a habit that can hurt during an economic downturn. Brad Kasell, Principal Technology Strategist (APAC) at Domo, insists that you need to understand how to analyse your data, and do it regularly. Because, as we know only too well, things like world conflicts, pandemics and natural disasters, drive change all the time. So being on top of...

One of the biggest differences between professional football and business is football's focus on talent and teaching. As an AFL CEO for close to 25 years, Cameron Schwab saw first-hand how elite sport focuses almost entirely on the players and how they work together. Now, as Founder and CEO of designCEO, Cameron reckons that a lot of business leaders don't go deep enough to improve the performance...

Your staff look to you for direction, encouragement and inspiration. And how you lead will directly affect the way they work. So, how do you become a better leader? Corporate psychologist and Director of the Barrington Centre, Rhonda Andrews, examines the three characteristics which shape true leadership: emotional intelligence, social intelligence and technical competence. No industry has a monop...

A coach of coaches, Remi Pearson has built an international training business by practicing what she preaches. In her book 'Simple Strategies for Business Success', she promises to reveal how to dominate markets and conquer competition by providing value to customers, rather than just seeing them as a source of cashflow. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61...

What happens when the person you’ve hired isn’t performing as you’d hoped? It’s important to have an onboarding process that continues well after the employee’s first day, says workplace expert Michelle Gibbings. Without it, their underperformance could be a result of not properly communicating your goals and expectations. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +6...

You know what it’s like when your phone vibrates or a message pops up on your computer screen. Your attention is piqued. It’s like a dopamine hit – you want to stop what you’re doing and check out the message. But for the sake of your business, you can’t afford to allow interruptions take you away from the important stuff. Productivity expert Les Watson has some timely advice on getting back contr...

Over the past few years, the depreciation rules for eligible businesses have changed significantly. As businesses look to prepare their tax returns, it’s important to consider the difference between the temporary full expensing measures available for 2022-23 and the proposed changes that are expected to come into effect from 1 July 2023. That’s according to Joel Orbita, Associate Director at Mazar...

Becoming an authority in your field of expertise and making a heap of money in the process – now that’s not so easy. Why not shortcut the process and learn the lessons of a master at the game? Tom Matzen has spent years perfecting the art of guaranteed scalable success and he loves sharing his lessons with other aspiring entrepreneurs. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcar...

Bosses are often so focused on putting out fires that they neglect to recognise the good work done by their staff. HR consultant Karen Gately, at Corporate Dojo, says employees are energised when their achievements are noticed and then rewarded. And, no, money's not always the biggest motivator in the workplace, as Karen offers some smart and creative ways to reward employees. Business Essentials...

Yes, it's true we can all learn from our own mistakes – but sometimes it's better to learn from others' mistakes. Alan Rodway has a list of common mistakes he sees in business and he takes us through the poor choices that abound in decision-making and planning. A common thread is using a traditional or default way of thinking by avoiding new ideas, not engaging with different people and ignoring n...

There’s a myriad of rules around employment and It’s important that employers understand the obligations to their staff and keep up to date with changes to employment law. Lawyer Paul Cott, Principal at Law on Lydiard, discusses some of the new rules, including flexible working arrangements, domestic violence leave, paid parental leave, and issues around workplace sexual harassment. Business Essen...

Former AFL footballer Wayne Schwass has spent decades dealing with depression and anxiety, so he knows first-hand the debilitating effects it can have on one's personal and professional life. Today, Wayne's a mental health advocate through his organisation, PukaUp, helping to spread the word and provide support about mental health issues in the workplace. He tells his own story and what can be don...

Did you know that just 7% of businesses achieve annual revenue of $2 million? There’s a lot of books written and advice given to businesses starting out, but few cater to established businesses looking to scale up. Strategy advisor Jenny Stilwell explores why businesses falter as they approach $2 million and beyond. She outlines the reasons and provides solutions in her new book, ‘The 7% Club: How...

Have your ever wondered how the best salespeople win over their clients? With decades of experience, Mike Adams says the common thread is storytelling. Mike insists stories help establish rapport and trust, inspire action and close the deal. He shares tips from his book, ‘Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell’, based on extensive research and his own international sales career. Business Essent...

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...