Business Essentials

How do you explain to a member of your team that they have body odour? It’s a delicate conversation – you don’t want them to feel terrible, but it’s important to let them know. For help, we turn to HR guru and CEO of Corporate Dojo, Karen Gately. Body odour aside, most businesses require a certain standard of appearance, particularly in customer-facing roles. Is it okay to expect staff to cover th...

More than a third of all businesses in Australia are female-owned – a significant proportion, with the vast majority being mothers. Incredibly this demographic is an audience that remains largely untapped. Kate Christie is a time management expert and author of five books, including her latest, ‘The Life List: Master Every Moment and Live an Audacious Life’. She discusses what business can do to e...

Business Coach Dan Williams says he can chalk up most business failures to weak processes. An Asia Pacific business coach for coaching firm EOS Worldwide, he says successful firms need to have strong processes at their core, otherwise their possible growth and ability to scale will be hobbled. And he says strong processes will lead to fewer people leaving the company. Business Essentials Daily is...

The end of pandemic repayment breaks from the tax office is crippling many small businesses who are struggling to keep up with their existing liabilities. Sandra Blake, who is a financial counsellor for the Small Business Debt Helpline, says 90% of callers can’t meet ATO demands. She says that it is, however, possible to find ways through the impasse, and that the free helpline’s qualified counsel...

The good old days in agency land saw long lock-in contracts, mark ups on media buying and the money flowed. At a time when there are more ad, digital and PR agencies than ever, James Smith, CEO of digital agency Smith Brothers Media, explains why there’s a shift in monetization strategy across the industry. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61 3 9882 8333 Se...

Australia has had a series of ten consecutive rate rises to the official cash rate to 3.6%, which is the highest since May 2012. Businesses are faced with a higher inflationary pressure from a rising cost of doing business. Mazars’ Financial Advisory Partner, Owen Dingle, says budgeting is important for business owners to stay on top of cash flow. And if you’re looking to refinance, it’s worth dev...

Are you constantly distracted by those voices in your head. You know the ones, urging you to check emails or social media, but you really need to concentrate on something else, or they keep replaying a memory or a fear of yours. Or perhaps you’re trying to break a habit, like over-eating or drinking. Well, behavioural scientist Darren Fleming has come across a solution so that you can have more co...

There’s a goldmine of extra income a lot of businesses are missing out on because they don’t follow up effectively. Sales expert and founder of BOOM Sales!, Trent Leyshan, reckons businesses haven’t implemented a proper follow-up process or structure. Trent explains how to follow up, using both traditional and digital methods. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.a...

Many businesses are being held back because their owners either can't, or won't, identify what they are bad at. That's according to Dan Williams, Asia Pacific Business Coach for EOS Worldwide, a global network of business coaches. Dan says it is crucial for business owners to identify what they "suck" at. He says that by slowing down and taking stock of everything you do, it's possible to identify...

Google has become almost synonymous with the internet. For many people, it’s the first place they go to find out about a business’s product or service, especially Google reviews. But, what can you do if you receive a bad Google review? Marketing consultant Jessie Weatherley goes through the steps, depending on whether it’s a legitimate or fake review. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: Soun...

Employers have to make a genuine effort to accommodate an employee’s request for flexible work arrangements. That’s one of the new rules to take effect on 6 June, 2023, following changes to the Fair Work Legislation. The changes also mean more employees will have the opportunity to request flexibility in the workplace. Head of the HR and IR Division at Mazars, Cheryl-Anne Laird, explains the rules...

Several years ago the corporate world was going crazy over the latest business fad of Blue Ocean Strategy. The book of the same name won a slew of awards and sold millions of copies worldwide. The concept was simple: try to capture "blue oceans" of unexplored new markets. Like many theories, it just doesn’t work in a practical sense. Entrepreneur Roy Osing unpicks the problem of Blue Ocean Strateg...

Your staff really are your number one resource, so to make sure you attract the best talent and are able to hold on to them, looking after them holistically is going to give your business a competitive advantage. Lyndal Hughes, is the Managing Director at Q5 Partners, an international award-winning consulting firm that specialises in organisational change. She explains why wellbeing is so integral...

The so-called “Great Resignation” following COVID is over. That’s according to the CEO and Founder of ELMO Software, Danny Lessem. ELMO surveyed about 1000 Australian workers and found that 70 per cent are now keen to stay with their current employers. He says economic conditions, like inflation and higher interest rates, have taken the heat out of the employment market, and that employers can now...

Business owners can be their own worst enemies if they have a fixed mindset. That’s the view of Tristan Wright, a business coach and founder of Evolve to Grow. He says the way we are brought up can give us a blinkered view of the world and our own abilities. Tristan also says self-belief, the development of good habits, thinking laterally and embracing challenges can all be ways to remove obstacle...

Workplace culture is fundamental to the success of your business. If your people aren’t happy, the productivity and profits of your business are greatly impacted. Corporate mental health advisor, Kerry Howard, addresses the issue in her book, ‘How to heal a workplace culture: Tackle trauma, foster psychological safety and boost happiness at work’. She says it’s up to the business owner or boss to...

Have you ever stopped and thought about what you actually want in your life? Is your business helping you to achieve those goals? Now’s the time to write down what you want and create a money plan for that. Clare Wood is an accountant, money mentor and author of ‘Intentional Profit: Master Your Mindset & Money For A Wildly Wealthy Business’. She outlines an effective and simple budget to help...

Sure, most things today are done digitally and online, but when it comes to building relationships and sourcing quality leads, answering the phone can in in fact be the answer. James Smith, CEO at digital agency, Smith Brothers Media explains why businesses need to lift their game when it comes to picking up the phone. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61 3...

Some of Australia’s best-known and largest companies are some of the worst exemplars of customer service. That’s according to Milton Collins, Principal of The Action Business Coach. He says one of the biggest mistakes is forgetting or ignoring what the customer wants. Milton discusses all this from his recently released book, ‘Delight, Disrupt, Deliver: Grow your business using the power of small...

Attracting staff in a hot jobs market is a huge problem for businesses across the country. The Asia-Pacific Business Coach for EOS Worldwide calls it the “talent lottery.” Dan Williams says employers need to become more astute, find ways to engage new recruits and offer them something they can be part of. He says direct and friendly conversations with staff about their desires, outside of regular...

Without doubt, there has been an increase of burnout across the board in recent years. That’s according to mindfulness and high-performance coach, Melo Calarco, who says much of it comes from a residual fatigue, or a hangover, from the pandemic. Melo’s book, ‘Beating Burnout Finding Balance’, offers tools to achieve mindfulness. And, he shares inspirational stories of his trekking adventures in re...

While staff health is of vital importance as we head back to work, the health of your business is just as crucial. With the flux of the last couple of years, where are things really at, how are things really operating and how healthy is your organisation? Tom Leary, Partner and MD at Q5 Partners, an international award-winning consulting firm that specialises in "organisational change", discusses...

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...

There’s no doubt that this is a tough time for small businesses, with a series of disasters and disruptions being followed by supply constraints, inflation and interest rate rises. So where can you turn when you hit a debt wall? In this episode, the General Manager of the Small Business Debt Helpline outlines how the free service can help businesses — and their owners — who find themselves in an i...

How detailed are your employment agreements? If, as lawyer Tracey Mylecharane has observed, they’re a one-page document outlining the job’s 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. It should define not only the role and responsibilities, but also things like social media policy, confide...