Business Essentials

Small Business Australia has launched a new “Keep Well and Buy Local” campaign so as to help businesses struggling as a result of the pandemic. The organisation’s Executive Director, Bill Lang, explains how big businesses are coming to the rescue for some of the half of small businesses fearing for their future. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.co...

‘It’s All Possible!’ – the book title sums up Rob Hartnett's positive approach to personal development and business. From positive thinking to positive action, he says we can all achieve our dreams. Rob outlines his four-step possibility system to help us all achieve our goals. He combines his own story of personal development and achievement, with the inspirational stories...

If you find you don’t ever have enough time in your day, it might be because you are saying yes to everything that comes your way. Business coach Les Watson – aka the Time Lord – says you need to filter out those requests from people that take you away from the important things, whether it’s in your business or in your life. If saying no is just too hard, Les has some tips...

One of the best sales opportunities that's often ignored is customer enquiries from inbound phone calls. Colin Pearce explains how to win long-term loyal customers with his six-P's approach. When the phone rings in your business, Colin insists, be prepared to answer promptly. And then, be positive from the outset, be precise when scheduling an appointment, be personal, and – most importantly...

A coach of coaches, Remi Pearson has built an international training business by practicing what she preaches. In her book “Simple Strategies for Business Success,” she promises to reveal how to dominate markets and conquer competition by giving value to customers, rather than just seeing them as a source of cashflow. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.co...

The price of your favourite cup of coffee is about rise by around a dollar thanks to a perfect storm of supply issues, bad weather and changing economics in the countries that traditionally grow the bean. The Managing Director of Café Culture International, Sean Edwards, outlines the reasons behind the price pressures, and looks at the impacts in a café industry that has lost about a...

It might be that you meet someone that comes across as your new best friend, but the charming behaviour of a sociopath is merely a front for their own selfish intentions. The best thing you can do, says Professor Gary Martin, is not hire them in the first place – but it's not always easy to spot someone with sociopathic tendencies. Professor Martin, CEO of the Australian Institute of Managem...

By employing what she calls her “Critical Alignment Model” for both herself and her clients, Remi Pearson has built an expanding, international coaching institute. In one of her many books "Disruptive Leadership: Four Simple Steps to Creating the Winning Team," she explains how to question the status quo so as to build better businesses. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: S...

If COVID-19 has taught us anything over the last 18 months, it’s the importance of workplace culture. Greg Halse, Partner at Mazars, says now is a good time to connect with your people, and understand what motivates them. It helps to nourish a sense of pride and purpose, and allow social connection to flourish within the team. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel...

Making important decisions in an uncertain environment can not only be crucial to the success of a business but it can also play havoc with the decision-maker’s personal state of mind. Management Consultant Roger Perry explains how to lessen stress when it comes to making important decisions, and how decision makers should stand back and look at how they go about the process. Business Essent...

Start-up life is never easy, but entrepreneurs are born with an innate desire to create and build. There are however some well-worn pitfalls that entrepreneurs keep tripping up on. Tara Shelton is founder of a number of successful businesses, including 'Dream & Do', a creative agency that helps start-ups build their brand and communications. She says that she’s seen it all before —...

Automation and systemisation might work at the supply chain level or in fast-food production, but be careful about being too efficient with your customer communications. You don’t want to ruin your customers’ experience. That’s according to sales guru, Sue Barrett, CEO of Barrett Consulting Group. She outlines the three C’s of customer centric experience: clarity, consisten...

Andrew Ford, Founder of Social Star, has turned the elevator pitch on its head with his own pitch structure which aims to be more conversational. The standard elevator pitch, he insists, is one-directional and lacks true engagement. With practice, your pitch shouldn't feel like selling; instead, it should feel like you're providing answers to someone's questions. The challenge Andrew sets out to s...

The past year was certainly one marked with COVID outbreaks and restrictions, but 2021 also saw huge growth in shares and house prices underlined by bargain-basement interest rates. Melbourne University Economics Professor Neville Norman looks back at 2021 by comparing it to the preceding decade, and outlines where the 2021 federal budget got it wrong. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: Sou...

If you want your team to be fully committed to your idea, first it's worth spending time with them to connect and develop a level of trust. That's according to Simon Dowling, business coach and author of ‘Work With Me: How to get people to buy into your ideas.’ You’ll achieve the best results, he insists, if you have a team who’s as enthusiastic and willing as you are about...

The swings and the roundabouts of running a business can be stressful at the best of times. But it doesn’t have to be that way, according to business consultant Roger Perry. He advises his clients to build business resilience by concentrating on two key aspects of their enterprise: what he calls organisational fortification, and organisational adaptability. Business Essentials Daily is produ...

Do you often feel like you’re a fraud or a fake? Perhaps you started your business because you were good a particular thing, but then you question whether you’re any good at running a business. These are signs of Imposter Syndrome, and if left unchecked they could impact the very thing you’re unconfident about: your business. Behaviour change expert Suzanne Mercier says there is...

Sometimes your most talented employees are also the hardest to manage. How do you keep them in line? It’s a common dilemma for business owners. The standout performers in your business are often the hardest to manage. They make good money for you but in the process, they upset others and can be unwieldy in conforming to the best interests of the business. Aaron Goonrey, Partner at Lander &am...

At a time when many small businesses are already struggling, a global energy crisis is promising to spark an electricity price shock. To make matters worse, it appears a large proportion of Australian SMEs are spending more than they need to on electricity. A study by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has shown 16 per cent of Australian small businesses are missing out on c...

Sure, it’s easy to be a fine upstanding business citizen when everything’s going well. But what happens if times get tough – like now? Are you tempted, just a teeny bit, to compromise your integrity for the sake of a few dollars more or just to get that deal over the line? Well don’t be, warns veteran business coach, Alan Rodway. That slippery slope will lead you nowhere. B...

The relentless nature of running a small business, tied up sometimes with family demands, can tire out the best of us. But your energy levels are a key to business success. The Managing Director of Bevington Group, Roger Perry, says mindfully maintaining energy levels is crucial for business success. He offers sound advice on how best to attain peak energy but warns that it can often require a cha...

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. Reference Les is offerin...

The workplace should be one that is safe and free from discrimination, bullying and harassment. To help ensure the workplace is safer for employees, a new bill comes in effect today which aims to prevent sexual harassment. Cheryl-Anne Laird, HR and industrial relations expert and Partner at Mazars, explains the Sex Discrimination and Fair Work (Respect at Work) Amendment Act 2021 and what it means...

You’ve tried everything including mediation to settle a dispute, but nothing’s worked. Despite the costs involved, and the time and emotional energy required, court action sometimes seems the only way forward. Paul Brennan of Brennans Solicitors discusses the litigation procedure. Reference Find information on all the topics Paul’s discussed over the last several weeks in his e-b...

Sales and marketing, it rolls off the tongue, but these two disciplines working in harmony, can sometimes be a struggle. In a landscape entirely reshaped due to technology and the pandemic, selling like we used to, is a thing of the past. So how can we optimise these two powerhouse specialities for selling in a new world? Adele Crane, CEO of Sales Focus Advisory explains in her new article –...