Business Essentials

Today marks the start of eInvoicing week which includes a series of events designed to promote this relatively new way to bill your customers. The event is being coordinated by the Australian Tax Office, which is charged with ensuring software providers consistently implement the new eInvoicing standard adopted by the Australian government and to encourage and help businesses adopt the technology....

Sue Barrett likens sales prospecting to maintaining a fitness regime: for best results you need to do it regularly and consistently, and not just when you feel like doing it. What stops us from picking up the phone to prospect is a fear of being rejected. Sue says you need to change your mindset and have a healthy belief that your sales is benefiting you and your potential customers. Business Esse...

The way social media works has changed dramatically over the past couple of years, and most businesses need to adapt the way they promote themselves. That’s according to the Growth Director for the Attention Experts agency, George Hawwa. He outlines his three methods of attracting engagement on social media, explains how businesses should see themselves as content providers, and explains how savvy...

Consumers trust word of mouth 2.4 times more than branded content. With this in mind, James Smith, CEO of digital agency, Smith Brothers Media, believes that making people feel like they’re part of the experience, and having users generate their own content for your brand can be a match made in heaven. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61 3 9882 8333 See omn...

There are four ways small businesses can benefit from an injection of growth capital. That’s according to the CEO and MD of the Australian Business Growth Fund, Anthony Healy. He says swapping a minority share of your business for an large injection of capital can help SMEs accelerate their growth, open new business opportunities, free up resources and provide additional expertise and access to ne...

How often have you sent an email unsure whether the person you sent it to would read it?  Most of us blithely type an email and click ‘send’ hoping for a good result.  Problem is, with so many emails in their overflowing inbox, yours might not ever be opened, let alone acted upon. Productivity and leadership expert Scott Stein, has five mini hacks to help guide the recipient to open and read your...

New businesses that survey potential customers, and established businesses that make a customer blueprint, are setting themselves up to become a customer-centric success. That’s according to Ruchi Gupta, Founder and CEO of The Launchpad Co. She says that too many small businesses fail to do their due diligence and can rapidly improve their prospects by increasing the value of their customer experi...

With just seconds to grab people’s attention and make an impact, intrigue marketing is one way business owners can cut through the daily advertising clutter. James Smith, CEO of digital agency, Smith Brothers Media, says any business can do this, just think creatively, be brave and give something new a go! Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61 3 9882 8333 See...

Just where does the time go? Do you find that no matter how much you try to get on top of things, there’s just not enough time in the day? Productivity expert Les Watson sees a lot of people are wasting time on things they don’t even realise. Les – also known as the Time Lord – helps us identify seven time-wasting activities, so that we can get more time to work on the things that matter. Business...

A new public/private partnership — backed by the major banks — has invested more than $50M in growth equity for a selection of Australian SMEs, propelling those businesses to a new level. The Australian Business Growth Fund (ABGF) promises millions of dollars of growth equity to businesses with good prospects in return for a minority share and mentoring. The ABGF’s CEO and Managing Director, forme...

Building brand value, rather than brand awareness, and understanding algorithm requirements, is the secret to success on social media. So says George Hawwa, Growth Director of social media marketing agency, Attention Experts. George says the social media landscape has changed dramatically in the last couple of years, and that “likes” and “shares” are no longer a metric of success. He advocates tel...

Have you noticed an unwelcome spike in the number of rude encounters? It may result from the anxiety of living with COVID these last few years, as well as the uncertainty of income and the threat of catching the virus. That’s according to organisational psychologist and leadership expert, Joe Hart. He explains what you can do if you are confronted by a rude customer or if one or more of your team...

We all have stories to tell – they may reveal our vulnerabilities, our very personal thoughts and feelings, but we shouldn’t be afraid to tell them because those who work around us, or who buy from us, will respond positively. Colin Pearce reminds us that we’re not just business people, we’re human beings too!­ Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61 3 9882 833...

As the inflationary squeeze on small business combines with the effects of COVID on the marketplace, there has never been a better time to look for alternative sources of income. The Founder and CEO of The Launchpad Co, Ruchi Gupta, says businesses in many sectors can draw on help from a broad range of sources, from philanthropy to grants and business accelerator programs. Ruchi describes the most...

With 13 years’ experience as CEO at iconic Australian fashion brands, Sportsgirl and Sussan, Colleen Callander is a leader who walks the talk. She says that leadership is inside all of us – you just need the tools to let it shine. Those tools can be found in her book, ‘Leader by Design: Be empowered to lead with confidence in business and in life’. She shares her lessons from 30 years in the fast-...

Search Engine Optimization — or SEO — is crucial for any business with an online presence, but many business owners find it daunting. The Studio Hawke company specializes in improving ­­­SEO for its clients, and its General Manger, Lawrence Hitches, says there are plenty of things a business can do to rank higher on Goolge Search Results. He advises businesses to look at the structure and efficien...

Jordan Fogarty was just 13 years old when he raised more than $100,000 for domestic violence and women’s refuges. That’s just one example of his life-long entrepreneurial flair, that latest of which is the phenomenal growth of his technology company, Be Media. Launched in 2013, Be Media helps Australian businesses get access to Web3, NFTs and the metaverse. Jordan explains the keys to its success,...

Do you know what you really stand for? Perhaps you’re too busy running your business to ask such deep-seated personal questions. But delve deep you must! says John Di Natale, mentor, keynote speaker and author, because these days it’s more important than ever to consider what you represent. It’s all part of personal branding, he says, it’s important for business, and by the way, it’s not just abou...

The vast majority of people consume reviews before they purchase, particularly big-ticket items. What we now know is that a video testimonial or review will give an even more powerful incentive for people to buy. Ainslie Williams, CEO of Reel. Reviews, says those visual cues, body language, tone and emotion in video provide a more authentic and compelling form of persuasion than a written review....

Colleen Callander is a self-confessed recovering workaholic. Indeed, her hard work, street smarts and passion for retail catapulted her to the heights of CEO of Sportsgirl and Sussan. But, on the way to the top, she had faced burnout by saying yes to everything and not giving herself a moment to stop and recharge. Today she understands the importance of setting boundaries to maintain physical and...

Have you considered offering pay rises to your staff to reflect the rise in inflation? There’s a lot to consider, including whether you can afford it, whether your staff deserves it, and what the right salary is for your industry. HR expert Karen Gately says the discussion you have about pay shouldn’t be done in an ad hoc way – it should be prepared well in advance and discussed with employees at...

Too often we’re fixated on finding new customer leads. It’s what sales guru Tony Gattari calls “lead madness”. First and foremost, he says, you need to be able to accurately measure the different variables in your sales and marketing process: customers, transactions, and average dollar sales. If you increase the variables by 10%, you could potentially increase your profit margin by 61%, without ha...

Have you come across an unethical self-promoter? You know the one: someone who claims to know everything, lies compulsively, talks about him or herself, offers too-good-to-be-true promises, and takes advantage of others. They’re not just salespeople, but sales – for whatever reason – seems to get tarnished by the same brush. Sue Barrett, CEO of Barrett Consulting Group, points out the tell-tale si...

The Reserve Bank of Australia is in the spotlight as its board moves to combat inflation by hiking interest rates — in spite of having promised not to do so. But can the bank have any real effect on inflationary pressures coming from outside Australia? Melbourne University Economics Professor Neville Norman says the RBA needs to take its foot off the brake now or it will risk taking Australia into...

If you want to connect – to truly connect – with the people around you, start telling stories. Because storytelling is a powerful way to reach people at a much deeper emotional level - just ask Colin Pearce. He’s spent a lifetime telling stories and relating their importance in the business setting. It’s scientific, he’ll tell us, as our dopamine, oxytocin and our endorphin levels all start workin...