Business Essentials

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 Talent X, 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, retention of staff, and higher profits. Business Essen...

COVID reshaped the hospitality sector in many ways, but there’s one positive impact you probably haven’t heard about. The crisis forced the industry to unite and form a health advisory council led by Wes Lambert. The goal of the council was to negotiate with government to keep the industry largely open, while still protecting the public. The advisory council has since become the Australian Restaur...

Employees are losing trust in their bosses and their companies, with huge ramifications for small businesses. That’s according to Aaron McEwan, Vice President of Research and Advisory at global research firm Gartner. He says many employees feel their companies no longer value their contributions — especially as office mandates return post-pandemic. Aaron explores why employees’ sense of trust has...

When it comes to influencing people to change their behaviour, we tend to use logic. That doesn’t work, says behavioural specialist Bri Williams. Humans are emotional creatures: we’re lazy, scared and confused, she insists. By lazy, she means we’re creatures of habit and therefore behaving in a new way takes effort. We’re scared because we don’t want to try something different in case it fails. An...

Victoria’s drastically expanded Vacant Residential Land Tax is setting a precedent that, if history serves as a guide, is likely to be followed by other states. The tax is being imposed in an attempt to address the housing availability crisis, and drastically impact homes that sit vacant for more than six months in the preceding calendar year. Forvis Mazars Partner Michael Jones explains how the t...

We’re facing a world of relentless change and uncertainty right now, from industry transitions, post-pandemic impacts, technology advances, skills shortages, cost-of-living issues, and so on. So, as a leader, how do you  guide your team through the challenges of change? Leah Mether says much of it comes down to communicating clearly and consistently to everyone. It’s all outlined in her book, ‘Ste...

Changes to Fair Work laws that make wage theft a crime, are casting new light on the role of the Fair Work Ombudsman, Anna Booth. But with only one per cent of this type of dispute ending in court, she says her 1000 staff are actually at the service of employers, and not just the workforce. Anna Booth describes her desire to help small businesses achieve compliance with workplace laws and lists th...

A toxic workplace culture grows over time but can strike without warning. It’s corrosive and can have a terrible impact internally on staff and externally with clients or customers. Colin D Ellis, a workplace culture specialist who has written extensively on the topic, has some words of wisdom about how bad cultures can be created and how to fix them. He breaks down how toxic behaviours can arise,...

How do you stand out from competitors? After all, it’s the ultimate goal – to differentiate your business in a way that builds engagement and brand loyalty. Well, sales and marketing guru Tom Poland may just have the answer with his marketing message formula. He says your message needs three elements to succeed: it must be benefit-rich, contain specifics and be differentiated. Business Essentials...

If you need a quick energy boost, or to restore your faith in the new generation, just spend a few minutes with Michael Black, the Founder and CEO of Success Tutoring — a business he started in high school. Now in his twenties and with the company established across Australia, he’s looking at international expansion. Michael reveals the unique business model that sets Success Tutoring apart, focus...

It’s not called ‘the silly season’ for nothing. The end-of-year party is meant to be a time to celebrate and recognise a job well done. But a well-meaning reward could turn into a legal nightmare, warns Business Lawyer Tracey Mylecharane. When you add free-flowing booze into the mix, your business could well be facing repercussions the next day. Tracey provides examples of what could go wrong, if...

With so many wellbeing and mental health support apps in the market, could some of the more traditional self-help apps be limited in their offering? For Founder of SafeWatch™, Shane Muller, the answer is yes. For him, the focus should be on the human component of care. Which is why he developed the The SafeWatch™app, a wellbeing companion, based on the core idea that ‘it takes a village’. As a res...

Are you suffering from AI FOMO? There are so many potential benefits from adopting artificial intelligence, but is it just hype? Aaron McEwen, Vice President of Research and Advisory at global research network, Gartner, gives a grounded, down to earth assessment. He discusses the potential benefits small businesses could gain from adopting AI and he highlights how smaller enterprises may increase...

Simone Tsigolis saw a gap in the home-cleaning market: time-poor and exhausted families returning from overseas trips. That was just before Covid hit. She then pivoted her high-quality cleaning service, Jetlag Remedy, and has seen sales soar beyond $3 million. She puts it down to the quality and dedication of her 45 professional cleaning staff, whom she hires with a unique onboarding process. The...

The small business retail sector is collectively holding its breath ahead of this holiday shopping season. The economic indicators don’t look good. So how about some practical advice to keep your head above water? CEO of Fifth Dimension Research and Consulting, Lyndall Spooner, shares achievable strategies to help businesses stand out during this competitive time. From offering higher-quality prod...

The convenience of listening or reading almost anything from your hand-held device is convenient, simple and it’s big business. Steve Potash is CEO of OverDrive, the largest distributor of ebooks and audiobooks to libraries in the United States. OverDrive began in the mid-1980s by digitising reference books and documents for law firms. Today, as he expands overseas, including Australia, he discuss...

As if the economic situation for small businesses wasn’t bad enough, an enormous number are now facing closure due to soaring insurance costs. Sometimes it is seemingly not available at all. Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Bilson, addresses the burden of rising insurance costs, exacerbated by a hardened insurance market due to pervasive natural disasters. Bruce offers solutio...

There are indications that this holiday season will be far from a happy one for many small businesses. With Australians feeling the pinch from inflation and rising living costs, Deloitte's 2024 Holiday Period Survey reveals a tightening of consumer spending, with 90% of consumers planning to stay home and cut back on holiday shopping. Deloitte Partner Elise Shapley shares her insights from the sur...

Some people come to work full of beans ready to take on the world, while others can’t get going without beans – coffee, that is. Productivity expert Les Watson encourages bosses to take their employees’ chronotypes into consideration when it comes to their peak performance. Early birds work best in the morning, he says, while night owls are better later in the day. Les is a big believer in setting...

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has made himself abundantly clear: credit card surcharges will be banned. But what does it mean for small businesses? CEO of the new Australian Restaurant and Café Association, Wes Lambert, discusses the current inquiry into credit card surcharging and merchant fees, and how it could significantly impact businesses. In an increasingly cashless society, the associati...

The CEO of Hatch Brands, Todd Foot, is carving an impressive niche into the e-commerce landscape. With his focus on acquiring and investing in ‘Mum-and-Dad’ small businesses, particularly those in the homewares space, Todd discusses his strategies to help these businesses thrive in the digital age. He emphasizes the importance of e-commerce and highlights common pitfalls and missed opportunities i...

Business owners who choose to deliberately underpay workers will face criminal charges from the first of January 2025. The new criminal measures are the latest to take effect, after the Federal Government’s “Closing the Loopholes” legislation passed at the end of 2023. But businesses shouldn’t be afraid, according to Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth. In this episode, the Ombudsman reassures business...

Many companies today are struggling with a skills shortage, forcing them to offer perks as they attempt to ramp-up hiring. The problem is that relying solely on perks as a lure leads to high dissatisfaction and disengagement. That’s according to HR specialist Roxanne Calder, who says perks alone won’t keep employees. To be effective, benefits must resonate with individual employee needs and align...

What do Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Serena Williams and Victoria Beckham have in common? Aside from being mega-rich celebrities, they are all fans of entrepreneur Olivia Carr’s brand Shhh Silk. Olivia didn’t have a huge marketing budget when she launched her online marketplace of silk pillow cases; instead, she harnessed the power of public relations. For instance, she flew to Los Angeles to pers...

The majority of organisations are too myopic in their sales strategy, pushing monthly or quarterly goals. Sales teams need to understand and embrace the company’s long-term strategy for effective sales. That’s according to Roy Osing, former president of Canadian telco TELUS, who introduced a ‘customer report card’ to refocus sales teams on nurturing the customer rather than foisting pushy sales te...