Business Essentials

One of the biggest factors holding businesses back from expanding overseas is not knowing where to start. Well, according to Cynthia Dearin of Dearin Associates, you could be missing out on massive opportunities if you don’t give it a go. Don’t rely on your gut feel. To be successful overseas, she says, you need crystal clear vision, a powerful plan and the momentum and resources to make it happen...

With thousands of government and other grants being offered at any one time, applying for funds can be a fast way to expand small businesses, or keep them thriving. However, with thousands of businesses applying for each available grant, the process can seem intimidating. The Founder and CEO of The Launchpad Co, Ruchi Gupta, says the key to success is to know where to look for available grants, an...

The Commonwealth Bank, which has about one million small business customers, has come up with what it calls an industry-leading new technology, that allows owners to draw credit from their unpaid invoices. The new product, called Stream Working Capital, promises to unlock capital so that businesses can put extra cash to work. The bank’s Executive General Manager for Small Business, Clare Morgan, e...

As a businessman, John Wood built Fleetwood Corporation – the largest integrated company of its type in Australia, with caravan parks, park homes, lifestyle villages and much else in between. Then he walked away. Disillusionment set in, followed by a hiatus in John’s life as he explored what really matters in business and life. John discovered a transformative way of thinking. It opened his eyes t...

If you are looking to sell your business, you need to build it to a stage that it can run without you. Even if you don’t want to sell, it’s still a worthwhile goal to shoot for. So says Tony Gattari, who has joined one of the world’s largest business coaching franchises, ActionCOACH. Tony takes us through a 6-step process to build growth, a formula which has been tried and tested by ActionCOACH an...

How can you turn the fantastic customer experience you offer into a goldmine? We’ve heard from Darrell Hardidge, CEO of Saguity before, about striving to provide a 10 out of 10 client experience. So, when it comes to selling your business, he says that accurately documenting the results of extreme client loyalty can make a significant impact. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel s...

Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61 3 9882 8333 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barriers to growth are many - none more so than finding capital. Small businesses in particular struggle to find extra money to fund growth because of a lack of time and resources. Business mentor, John Di Natale offers some interesting alternatives to the traditional means to raising capital. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61 3 9882 8333 See omnystudio.c...

It’s a new world of communication for small businesses, with customers demanding time and attention on their own platforms and on their own terms. And according to Elise Balsillie, Australian Head of the Thryv business software company, any owner or manager who doesn’t do the work to quickly talk to their customers is being left behind. She says businesses today need to build channels...

It’s much tougher to get your message heard these days among all the other messages vying for customers’ attention. Harry Mills, CEO of The Aha! Advantage, says your messages must pass the SAUCE test to pack the punch needed in these days of information overload. It’s detailed in his book, ‘Secret Sauce: How to Pack Your Messages with Persuasive Punch’. Your sales mes...

A manager needs to embody a group of distinct archetypes if they are to reach their full potential, according to recruitment expert and Director of the Talent X agency, Marnie Jones. From the pusher to the mentor, the trainer to the policeman, Marnie Jones explains her seven management archetypes and why embracing them all can lead to a better workplace, the retention of staff, and higher profits....

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 he...

Discretionary trusts have been popular structures among family businesses and other groups because of their flexibility, their protection against assets, and their limited tax consequences. Evan Beissel of Mazars says you need to be aware of a new guidance proposed by the Australian Tax Office, which has set its sights on trustees. Evan explains what this all means and what trustees should be thin...

The old rules of selling won’t cut it any more as consumers become more savvy and far more cynical. CEO and sales guru, Harry Mills of The Aha! Advantage offers a technique which aims to have consumers persuade themselves to buy. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61 3 9882 8333 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 cha...

All the best intentions in the world won’t fix problems down the track if you’ve failed to do proper due diligence. As a lawyer, Jennifer Irwin-Persson has seen a lot of business relationships left in messy and costly break-ups — most of which were avoidable if proper planning was considered in the first place. Jennifer is Principal of JIP Legal, and she explains what small busin...

If you haven’t already, it’s time to automate the repetitive tasks in your business. That’s according to Elise Balsillie, Australian Head of the Thryv business software company. She says most Australian businesses are missing out on sales and growth because they spend too much time on tasks that could be automated. And she says that although the thought of automating might be dau...

The labour crisis being experienced across Australia appears to be getting worse. Marnie Jones, who is an expert in the field and director of the Talent-X agency, calls the current predicament a “vicious cycle.” But she says clever business owners can still stand out from the crowd and attract top staff, with an audit of current employees being the best place to start. Business Essenti...

Those mavericks in your business who do their own thing might be just the people who make changes for the better. Darrell Hardidge of SAGUITY calls them 'positive deviants' and if you think you don’t have any in your business, you might be surprised. Once you find them, Darrell says, you first need to properly engage them to make the most of their talent. Business Essentials Daily is produce...

With staff shortages a big issue in recent times, it’s important to keep your staff happy and motivated so they don’t walk out the door. One thing we’ve learnt during COVID is that working from home has been beneficial to a lot of employees. Many want to continue with that arrangement. But how do you do it well, so it’s a positive for the staff, the boss and the business? W...

The bigger the project, the harder it can be to stay focused – but there are strategies to tackle procrastination. Productivity expert, Dermot Crowley, walks us through those exercises. He says learning how to reduce or eliminate distractions will help keep you focused. Dermot insists on having a plan, otherwise you might be tempted to react to whatever or whoever comes your way. Business Es...

Labor is facing some huge external economic challenges that will help to define the new government, according to Melbourne University economics professor Neville Norman. COVID lockdowns are now over, and the economy is recovering with healthy growth, but with the spectre of higher inflation and interest rates, as well as demands for wage increases, it’s a rocky road ahead for the Albanese go...

They said they wouldn’t, but we all knew they would. So, it didn’t come as a big surprise when the RBA announced its cash rate increase from 0.1% to 0.35%. Still low by historical standards, Greg Keady of APW Partners explains what the hike means to investments, including bonds, deposits, and property. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61 3 9882...

Business leaders need to find better ways to influence others to navigate the world these days, but how? Gone are the days of ‘hard power’ of command and control – it just doesn’t work in business. ‘Soft power’ of engaging and consulting is better, but takes time. Author Yamini Naidu says a powerful way to influence and inspire staff and customers is through sto...

Small business owners who haven’t yet gone digital are wasting more than a day in every week. That’s according to the Head of the Thryv business software company, Elise Balsillie. She says that although the thought of digitizing tasks is incredibly intimidating for some, even taking the first steps can save time and money. She says the trick is to do it in stages — starting off w...