Business Essentials

Promising your employees bonuses or promotions, but never following through is known as “breadcrumbing”. The term originates from modern dating, where someone is being led-on with small morsels of interest, like phone calls and texts, but nothing eventuates. Karen Gately of Corporate Dojo says breadcrumbing in the workplace is dishonest, disrespectful and unfair. A more effective way to motivate s...

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...

Inflation, supply chains, staff retention, a possible global downturn. There are so many issues facing businesses now, and they all end in one place: a cash flow spiral. The Commonwealth Bank’s General Manager of Working Capital, Elizabeth Huxley, says cash flow has become the chief concern for business across the country in recent times. But she’s offering some help, with a new system that grants...

It’s something a lot of people would never admit to being. Insecurity manifests itself in many ways but can have a devastating effect if left unchecked and unresolved. Jaemin Frazer has made it his life’s mission to help people overcome their insecurities. He’s founder of The Insecurity Project and author of ‘Unhindered: The Seven Essential Practices for Overcoming Insecurity’. In this episode Jam...

Like it or not, customers are always measuring the way they’re treated. The way a they feel could be the difference between returning to you, or never coming back again. That observation is from customer service guru and CEO of ServiceQ, Jaquie Scammell. To improve your customer service, you need change specific habits. In this episode, Jaquie outlines some tips from her book, ‘Service Habits: 21...

No matter how much you try to plan your day, do you find yourself interrupted or going over the allotted time? Perhaps the answer is a Pomodoro kitchen timer. Business coach Les Watson – aka the Time Lord – explains how the useful device can break work into intervals of 25 minutes to allow you to concentrate on the task at hand and get more done during the day. Business Essentials Daily is produce...

Do you love social media, or do you find it a chore to constantly and consistently post content for better business engagement? If you can’t or won’t do it in-house, it’s worth considering to outsource your social media posts. That’s according to social media strategist Bec Stenner, founder of Creative Seed Co. Done well, a social media marketing campaign can help build a massive online following...

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 noth...

For-purpose business, mtime, gives busy parents their time back by matching them with a moncierge - a family assistant trained by mtime, to help parents with not just one form of at home support, but across the board help - cooking, cleaning, babysitting and even grocery shopping. Founder and CEO Sarah Agboola has won multiple awards for her work creating mtime and her insights to success are a mu...

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...

At a time when so much feels out of our control, there are some things we can be disciplined about and that will likely result in highly successful outcome. In three highly practical ways, Mike Goldman helps to build individual and team discipline. Mike’s a leadership team coach with more than 30 years coaching and consulting experience, and as a speaker and author of the number one best-selling b...

While some people may only just be getting back to work, others – plenty more are likely still on holiday. Business coach Emma McQueen reckons the January lull is the perfect opportunity for business owners to focus on planning for the year ahead. One of the most important things to concentrate on, she says, is your pricing strategy. With inflation through the roof, it might be worth considering r...

Culture is often regarded as an advantage of world-class organisations. But, how do you build a great culture and how much does it rest on the person at the top? Business coach Shane Hatton addresses this in his new book, ‘Let’s Talk Culture: the conversations you need to create the team you want’. He discusses five types of conversations leaders should have with their team to help bring their cul...

A self-entitled employee is someone who thinks they should be paid more, who always wants promotions, the best opportunities, bonuses and take holidays only when it suits them. Often, a self-entitled employee is not particularly good at what they do, they do less work than their peers and add less value. So, how do you handle them? Workplace expert Michelle Gibbings says you need to address their...

A new free trade deal with India has opened up a massive market for Australian small businesses, according to the CEO of the Small Business Association of Australia, Anne Nalder. And she says it’s not too difficult to start selling to India’s massive, and growing, middle class, which is hungry for Australian goods and services. Anne Nalder describes the steps that need to be taken. Business Essent...

There are four key questions that a business owner needs to ask themselves about why their customers choose their business. That's according to Dan Williams, who is the Asia Pacific Coach for EOS Worldwide, a global network of business coaches. In this episode, Dan explains how studying your customers can lead to insights and increased profitability. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: Sound...

There is, as they say, a first time for everything. And that includes stepping into a leadership role. To help first-time managers, we hear from leadership expert Anna Marshall, founder of People Mastery and author of ‘On you marks, get set…LEAD!: A beginner’s guide to people leadership’. She outlines her five essentials for business leaders. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel s...

When you find what you love and you can make a buck form it, you’ll never ‘work’ another day in your life. That’s according to Stephen Hunt, whose success stems from a $100 beer garden in his parents’ backyard to building a $100-million beer empire decades later. Stephen’s Hunt Hospitality has a portfolio of seven pubs on Australia’s east coast and employs 350 people. He explains how he has turned...

The labour crisis gripping the small business sector is putting many owners on edge. Not only can they not find new workers, but there is also a constant concern that top talent could be poached at any time. Recruitment expert Marnie Jones says it’s not just a matter of offering higher wages, and that the best staff can be retained if a company is willing to look at its policies and make changes....

Accepting that you can safely delegate to trustworthy staff can be difficult for some small business owners. But not handing work over to your employees can actually hold a business back from attaining its true potential. That’s according to business coach Tristan Wright, who says leaving one’s ego at the office door and delegating tasks to others, can lead to better physical and mental health out...

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...

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 Managing Director at Q5 Partners, an international award-winning consulting firm that specialises in "organisational change". She explains why Wellbeing is so integral t...

Google Analytics can seem intimidating, but without question it should be the foundation for all of your digital marketing - monitoring and guiding you towards successful outcomes. Leigh Hanney, SEO and Analytics Specialist and Founder of DataCraft Digital, offers five ways that Google Analytics can help support your marketing strategy. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundca...

Paul Taylor knows resilience better than most. A current PhD student in Applied Psychology, Paul’s a former Airborne Anti-submarine Warfare Officer in the Royal Navy, a former professional boxer, Australian Fitness Industry presenter of the year, and founder of MindBodyBrain Performance Institute. He offers seven daily rituals that can help boost brain performance and shares his tips on how to bui...

Despite the intensity of competition and the power of consumers, it surprises Roy Osing that most businesses are doing very little to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Many resort to the same clap-trap and aspirational statements. If you really want customers to notice you, Roy recommends using the ONLY statement, i.e., “We’re the ONLY ones that…”. Roy Osing is a former company pres...