Business Essentials

With economic figures looking little more than tragic at the moment, Melbourne University Economics professor Neville Norman explains what businesses should watch out for in 2022, and throws in some good advice he’s gleaned from working with larger enterprises. He says sound strategies for all contingencies are a wise and inexpensive exercise to undertake. And he says while we should all wat...

To be a better and more productive team member, don't get distracted and don't disrupt others around you. That’s advice from Dermot Crowley, author of ‘Smart Teams: How to work better together.’ Two disruptive patterns we all create at work are emails and meetings. Dermot asks, do you really need to copy someone on a message who doesn’t need it? And, must you always drag so...

SEM or Search Engine Marketing is paid or pay per click ads, the ones that appear at the top of search engine results pages and drive visitor action and engagement. Leigh Hanney, an SEO and Analytics Specialist and the Founder of DataCraft Digital, is a huge advocate of SEM and he outlines five ways that business owners can build an SEM strategy. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCart...

Are you and your staff slowly heading back to the office? (COVID restrictions permitting, of course!) It’s not easy to manage. Not everyone’s as enthusiastic about it as you might be, so don’t be surprised if your request is greeted with a “Thanks but no thanks, Boss - I’ll see you on zoom!”. Leading demographer Mark McCrindle has been researching the latest on...

It can indeed be lonely at the top with executive loneliness being a very real issue. Exacerbated by the pandemic, executive stress can lead to some very serious consequences. Nick Jonsson is the co-founder and MD of EGN Singapore, Asia’s number one Executive Peer Network. He’s also the best-selling author of ‘Executive Loneliness’, a book he wrote after going through his o...

If your team isn’t performing as best as it should, perhaps the reason is you. The ingredients to building a successful team comes down to the boss’s accountability, ownership and leading by example. That’s according to Karen Gately, CEO of Corporate Dojo, who offers a six-step solution for leaders to effectively influence the success of their team. Business Essentials Daily is p...

What's your story? Every business has one, and it will help you better connect with potential customers by telling it. Sales expert Colin Pearce says storytelling works if you want to build brand value. Stories move people and they’re a wonderful way to create memorable experiences about your business which will build loyalty and keep your customers coming back. Business Essentials Daily is...

Rather than the big sales tactics it can be the smallest tweaks to your website that can drive the biggest conversions. Leigh Hanney, SEO and Analytics Specialist and the Founder of DataCraft Digital, explains that Conversation rate optimization or CRO is the enhancement of the website experience for your visitors, thereby increasing the conversion rate from your marketing efforts. Leigh offers hi...

Changes to superannuation contribution rules means that substantial tax deductions and a boost to your super balance can be made by people finding themselves in the right circumstances. Mazars Australia Senior Manager Joel Orbita says that anyone who has not regularly maximized their super contributions may be able to catch up by increasing their current super contributions using prior year unutil...

After two years of COVID, retail sales are still down as consumers are more risk averse and less willing to go out and buy. With fewer leads on offer, sales expert Tony Gattari says your sales plan needs to include a better conversion rate than before the pandemic. That includes a combination of traditional off-line activity as well as clever online processes. Tony reflects on the last two years a...

Sales isn't just about turning up and relying on your instinct or other skills. Each customer is different with his or her own wants and needs, and you need to prepare for each one. Rachel Bourke of SalesSPACE says salespeople should go through checklists before even stepping into a sales meeting. Rachel's sales meeting preparation pack includes a personal checklist to ensure you look the part and...

Whether retirement is a long way off or just around the corner, it’s something you should always be planning for. But, retirement can be complex. You need to consider investment assets, tax implications, downsizing, superannuation and whether your money will last. Noel Whittaker, Australia’s most trusted finance writer, explains what you need to consider when investing in your future....

Purchasing large household items online is risky. They’re often costly and if they need to be sent back, it’s an effort in time, energy and additional cost. But online rug retailer, Miss Amara, is changing this perception with risk free purchasing. Co-Founders Alexandra Tanya and Aaron Weller explain what’s different about their offering and why their sales figures are through th...

In spite of the pandemic, it’s still a good time to expand your business wings abroad, according to Anne Nalder, the founder and CEO of the Small Business Association of Australia. She says technology now allows even the smallest of businesses to grow by tapping into vast overseas markets. And by starting to generate income from foreign customers, businesses can remain stable when there is d...

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...

Are you sick of not charging enough for what you do – but you don’t dare jack up your prices in case your customers desert you in droves, then sit back and listen to some salient advice from Australia’s number one business author, Andrew Griffiths. Enough’s enough, he’ll tell you. Be brave and take a leap into “expensive” territory. It’ll transform y...

As people spend increasing amounts of time online, it's worth being strategic about how your business uses social media and other online tools to target potential customers. But, how much time do you really need to invest in making it work? That's one of the biggest misconceptions about using social media, says business consultant, Nicola Moras. Author of a new book, 'Visible'. Nicola says you don...

Life, income and TPD (total and permanent disability) insurances are often included in a superannuation policy. That might be fine to some people, but it could impact the eligibility requirements and tax paid when a claim is made. Jackie Crane, Life Risk Adviser with Personal Risk Professionals, takes Clive Todd, Partner at Mazars, through the ins and outs of super insurance. Any information or ad...

Waiting an unreasonable time for big companies to pay their bills could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to the Federal Government’s new Payment Times Reporting Scheme. Under the system, companies will have to publicly disclose how long they are taking to pay their small business clients. Even though it has only become law this year, the small business minister says the scheme has already...

As a health-conscious foodie, Jordyn Evans was unimpressed with the line-up of old, traditional spices and seasonings on the supermarket shelves. They were full of sugars, preservatives and artificial flavours. So, she decided to start her own range -  Mingle Seasoning, which is now sitting beside the older brands at Coles, Woolworths and at more than 2000 other stockists across the country....

When a customer is upset with product or service, it’s often the frontline staff who cop the complaint. To ensure a bad situation doesn’t get worse, it’s important to know how to deal with a customer’s difficult behaviour. Customer service expert, Monique Richardson outlines strategies businesses can adopt to handle customers in different challenging situations. Business Es...

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 p...

Everyone has a role to play in a winning team — and leadership is an important part of that. Having played 378 games for the Essendon Football Club, footy legend Simon Madden has proven his mettle on the field both as a player and as a leader. And now, as founder of Simon Madden Consulting, Simon advises organisations on how to build winning teams. He says if you can improve your people, you...

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...

If tyre kickers are tying up your time seeking quotes and proposals without coming through with the work – then it’s time to call them out. Preparing detailed proposals is a time-consuming part of a sales person’s job. There’s a substantial cost involved, says respected sales expert Sue Barrett, Director of Barrett Consulting Group, and you can’t afford to waste time...