Business Essentials

We all have the same hours in the day, but some highly successful people are able to use that time better than others. Organisational psychologist Dr Amantha Imber wanted to learn more about productivity, so she interviewed hundreds of go-getters on her podcast, ‘How I Work’. She’s just written a book based on the podcast, called ‘Time Wise’. In this episode, she shares some of her podcast guests’...

After spending seven years at university studying science and engineering, Michael Togias took a major life turn, setting up his first small business enterprise — a lottery shop on Melbourne’s urban fringe — in the year 2000. Since then, he’s followed his heart into hospitality and his beloved CBD, and now owns six cafes and eateries. Working from his flagship establishment, the landmark Mr Tulk C...

Playing the long game pays dividends, particularly in tough times. Carving out time for learning and connecting with other business owners is not only important for information gathering, but for your mental health. Leanne Faulkner is a small business, mental health advocate and the Founder of Fortitude at Work. She’s a small business owner, researcher and is completing her PHD in the mental healt...

Do you have a narcissist in your business? At first glance, they may be just the cool and confident go-getter you’re hoping for. But, if it turns out that their supposed confidence is pure arrogance, and they’re putting others down to inflate their own ego, you’re probably better off without them. HR expert and CEO of Corporate Dojo, Karen Gately, explains how to recognise a narcissist and how to...

The pandemic has certainly changed the working landscape, with CBDs almost becoming ghost towns thanks to the huge number of employees working from home. But should business owners be fretting about whether their workforce is actually working? The answer is a firm “no” according to the founder and CEO of the Evolve to Grow consultancy, Tristan Wright. He says that any leader who is worried about p...

What are the most important things in your life? Do you have enough time to do those important things? For many people they don’t, because they spend too much time on other things that don’t matter. If that’s you, you need to learn how to set limits, and that means saying “no” to things and people that suck our energy. That’s according to productivity Donna McGeorge, who offers her 5 tips on creat...

At this time every year University of Melbourne Economics Professor, Neville Norman joins us to look back at the year that was, so as to dig out any possible positives that businesses can build on for the year ahead. It’s a big challenge in 2022, which saw a doubling in consumer price inflation, a huge rise in interest rates, a sliding dollar and the shock of both widespread flooding and the war i...

The tidal wave of the Great Reshuffle has seen a lot of people start their own businesses, many going all in on their side hustles. But of course, starting any kind of business is hard, it’s like running a marathon, made up of hundreds of sprints. To keep momentum and feel like you’re achieving things along the road to success, Alita Harvey-Rodriguez, Managing Director of the MI Academy, an award-...

As the economy staggers from worldwide inflation, supply issues, the war in Ukraine and more besides, how is the Aussie stockmarket behaving? Investment expert and founder of Spotee Consulting, Elio D'Amato, says despite the turmoil things aren't that bad. In fact, we’re off to a surprisingly good start to the financial year, compared to a disappointing 2021-22. Also, Elio provides his 'stocks to...

Who’s the Goose to your Maverick? The person who’ll be there no matter how close you fly the plane to the control tower? A Goose is someone with whom you have mutual trust, someone who won’t try to fix the situation but just hear you out. Leanne Faulkner is a small business mental health advocate and the Founder of Fortitude at Work. She says that having someone listen without judgment is a fantas...

A business owner spends many years of long hours, hard work and sacrifice to build the business. After all that effort, how do they ensure they get the best price when they’re ready to move on and exit? Well, it mostly comes down to planning properly and avoiding costly mistakes. That’s according to Lawyer Joanna Oakey who details the selling process in her book, 'Buy, Grow, Exit: The Ultimate Gui...

Despite there being no changes to superannuation in this year’s federal Budget, it’s a good opportunity to think about your own super and – particularly SMSF members – to prepare your fund balances to manage tax today and for any possibly future changes. That’s according to tax specialist Michael Jones who discusses some of the current super items, including downsizer contributions, SMSF members’...

Since the lifting of lockdowns, the ideas around how we work and indeed why we work, have been thrown into question and rather than ‘The Great Resignation’ it’s actually the ‘Great Reshuffle’ Alita Harvey-Rodriguez, Managing Director of the MI Academy, an award-winning digital marketing and customer experience consultancy, has noticed five recurring themes that require business owners to shift foc...

It’s not so much what you say, but how you say it – a good lesson for communication in general, and certainly when it comes to delivering a presentation. Dan Williams, Asia Pacific Business Coach for coaching network EOS Worldwide, suggests that people can receive the same presentation quite differently from each other. So to ensure you reach as much of the audience as possible, great content is i...

The latest Working Capital Research report from American Express delivers some of the harsh realities, that people are really hurting out there.  Leanne Faulkner, small business mental health advocate and Founder of Fortitude at Work, says it’s important to understand the nuances of small business and not lump the issues into the same bucket as large businesses. References: Find out more about Lea...

Many of us are so wrapped up in work, that we don’t have the space to think and breathe. That’s not good, not only for our physical and mental health, it doesn’t bode well for our businesses either. Productivity expert Donna McGeorge has five simple things you can do every day to give yourself more capacity, the benefits of which are often felt in the future. Business Essentials Daily is produced...

Your reputation is your most valuable intangible asset and critical to sustainable business success. That’s according to Ros Weadman, brand communication and reputation specialist and author of ‘Enhance your reputation: how to build a brand people want to work for, buy from and invest in’. Ros offers her BrandCred Method to building reputation: align your organisation’s culture (what it thinks), c...

The performance of most people at work is influenced by the extent to which they feel acknowledged and appreciated. That’s the view of Karen Gately, CEO of Corporate Dojo, who explains what business owners and managers need to consider when implementing a reward and recognition program. She discusses alternative ways to recognise good behaviour – and it needn’t rely on a monetary reward. Business...

Whether or not you’re looking to sell your business, it’s well worth preparing your business with the intention of a sale. And that means putting protections in place as the business grows, which helps build value and minimise risk. That’s according to lawyer Joanna Oakey, managing partner of Aspect Legal and author of ‘Buy, Grow, Exit: The Ultimate Guide to Using Business as a Wealth-Creation Veh...

How much attention do you pay to the way you speak? Do you leave people scratching their heads wondering what the heck you were on about? The ability to persuade and inspire is essential in business, and you do that by the words and sentences you use. Business coach and consultant, Anneli Blundell, has three tips on good verbal communication: think in headlines, employ short sentences, and use sim...

Working harder and doing more is not going to make you more productive. You’ll only be more burnt out if you try to simply increase your workload. No, you need to work smarter, and prioritise those activities that produce the results. Productivity expert and author, Donna McGeorge, outlines three productivity myths that hold us back from delivering quality output. She says that by paying attention...

What sets successful people apart from everyone else? What do they have they that we can implement into our own lives? In her research, Mandy Hollway, CEO of Courageous Leaders discovered they possessed common attributes, including resolve, willpower, and determination. She discusses how you too can develop these attributes and apply them to your work and your life. Business Essentials Daily is pr...

All Australian company directors have until the 30th of November 2022 to apply for a new identification number or face possible penalties. The new Director ID registry is being set up by the government in an attempt to combat fraud. In this episode, the Australian Tax Office’s Director of Onboarding for the scheme, Robin Hayes, explains who needs to apply and how to do so. Reference: For more info...

As your typical commercial law firm lawyer, Tracey Mylecharane had spent many years representing business clients in litigation and dispute resolution. A lot of the activity could have been avoided had those businesses put their legal houses in order from the start. Tracey discusses three important business documents all businesses should have to prevent falling foul of the law. Business Essential...

The disastrous Optus data breach has shown that no company, no matter how large, is immune from cyber-attacks. Businesses of all sizes are being attacked, with one falling victim every eight minutes in Australia. But what should a business owner do if they find that their website or email or business software has been compromised? Should ransoms be paid? In this episode, the co-founder and Chief T...