Business Essentials

When Paris Cutler left the corporate world to pursue her own start-up dream, little did she know she’d be the undisputed champion of high-end cakes. Her internationally-acclaimed Planet Cake enterprise has created cakes for mega-star celebrities, and developed its own high-rating TV show. When the GFC hit, fewer people were splashing out discretionary goods, sending her business into a nosedive. B...

Too often the role of HR is undervalued, if it exists at all in some businesses. The reality is that people make the difference, despite the benefits of your product or service, you need great people to develop your brand, sell the product, create experiences and connect with your audience. For Ilona Charles, CEO & Founder of HR Specialists, shilo people, she’s seen the impact on countless bus...

Jason T Smith started as an “accidental businessman,” running a small physiotherapy practice from his carport with the sole aim of paying the mortgage. After five years of running the practice, it became a scalable prototype, and they expanded rapidly. Over time, Jason grew the business into a major franchise, launching practices across Australia and New Zealand, eventually selling it for $100m. H...

If you’re looking for customer service inspiration, a large telco probably wouldn’t be your first port of call. But, there is one little-known teleco brand whose customers are raving: Macquarie Technology Group. New York Times best-selling author and customer experience expert, Dr Joseph A. Michelli, has built a career analysing the secrets behind world-leading brands. He’s published best-sellers...

Inflation and cost-of-living pressures have contributed to a tightening of household budgets, which leads to employees scrutinising their pay packets. Some feel they should be getting paid more. If a staff member asks you for a pay rise, rather than dismissing them out of hand, it’s wise to give sincere consideration and be empathetic to their request. That’s according to Karen Gately, CEO of Corp...

Great leaders are there to serve their staff and be of service to others. That’s according to customer service specialist Monique Richardson, author of ‘They Serve Like We Lead’. The more you care for your people, she says, the more they will care for your customers and provide a better experience.  Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61 3 9882 8333 See omnyst...

Successful businesses place people at the core of their strategy, recognising HR’s role in workforce engagement and performance. That's according to Ilona Charles, CEO of shilo.people, who says while HR can be a significant cost for small businesses, its value in attracting, retaining, and optimising talent becomes critical as companies grow. She says, misalignment between HR and business strategi...

Effective leaders stand apart by focusing on people rather than just managing processes. As uncertainty grows, leaders must provide clear communication, even when they lack all the answers themselves. This includes reinforcing the team’s vision, purpose, and expectations. That’s according to communication specialist, Leah Mether, who says leaders must demonstrate care while setting clear, realisti...

If you're hiring new sales staff – or anyone for that matter – don't be lax with on-boarding them, insists sales expert Colin Pearce. A proper induction process is important to get the best out of your sales team, and it's one of the training programs that Colin provides through his Colin Pearce Academy. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61 3 9882 8333 See o...

How often do you think about the way you look, the clothes you wear, the way you sound, and even the way you walk, stand or sit? These are all elements of your personal brand, that can help you make a strong impression with your audience. Personal brand consultant Emma Duzhnikova shares some of her secrets when developing a personal brand and discusses why authenticity is more important than ever....

One of the biggest differences between professional football and business is football's focus on talent and teaching. As an AFL CEO for close to 25 years, Cameron Schwab saw first-hand how elite sport focuses almost entirely on the players and how they work together. Now, as Founder and CEO of designCEO, Cameron reckons that a lot of business leaders don't go deep enough to improve the performance...

Stress has become an unavoidable part of modern life, affecting nearly everyone. Prolonged exposure leads to headaches, poor sleep, irritability and reduced mental clarity. The antidote can be found in nature, says Dr Jenny Brockis, a lifestyle medical practitioner and author of ‘The Natural Advantage: How more time outside reduces stress, improves health and boosts social connection’. Time spent...

On the 29th of October this year, 3G technology in Australia is shutting down. According to Bruce Billson, the Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, the final switchover to the 4G network could cause serious disruptions to the small business sector, if older, internet connected devices aren’t on the 4G frequency in time. Bruce highlights the potential impacts on small, rural and regional...

What happens when the person you’ve hired isn’t performing as you’d hoped? It’s important to have an onboarding process that continues well after the employee’s first day, says workplace expert Michelle Gibbings. Without it, their underperformance could be a result of not properly communicating your goals and expectations. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +6...

You know what it’s like when your phone vibrates or a message pops up on your computer screen. Your attention is piqued. It’s like a dopamine hit – you want to stop what you’re doing and check out the message. But for the sake of your business, you can’t afford to allow interruptions take you away from the important stuff. Productivity expert Les Watson has some timely advice on getting back contr...

Did you know that just 7% of businesses achieve annual revenue of $2 million? There’s a lot of books written and advice given to businesses starting out, but few cater to established businesses looking to scale up. Strategy advisor Jenny Stilwell explores why businesses falter as they approach $2 million and beyond. She outlines the reasons and provides solutions in her book, ‘The 7% Club: How to...

Hiring top-tier candidates is as difficult today as it’s ever been. The post-COVID era, with its focus on work-life balance, has led organisations to rethink their employer branding strategies to attract top candidates. Recruitment specialist Richard Triggs says there are three key options to source candidates: referrals, advertising and headhunting. When it comes to headhunting, LinkedIn has been...

Employers who fail to respond to a formal flexible work request within 21 days, can find themselves being taken to the Fair Work Commission. Paul Cott, Principal at Law on Lydiard, discusses this new rule change to the Fair Work Act. Employees can formally request changes to their work patterns, such as altering hours, location, job sharing, or splitting shifts. These requests must be made in writ...

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 Management in...

One of the best sales opportunities that's too 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 –...

In a world of increasing uncertainty, it’s not enough to just keep one eye on change, you need to know how to adapt quickly and effectively to stay in the game. Adam Bennett, a former CEO and big-4 bank CIO, has written a book on how to turn your plans into reality: ‘Great Change: The Way To Get Big Strategy Done’. He says there are three key tasks leaders need to undertake in order to make change...

The fear of being left behind is driving AI adoption without businesses having a clear understanding of it. Brad Kasell, Principal Technology Strategist for data experience platform, Domo, says ChatGPT for example can provide powerful capabilities for analysing data, but that many businesses only use it for basic tasks. He says, using unstructured AI data can expose hidden biases and deficiencies,...

Retailers that are looking to open to new shopfronts are being hamstrung by huge construction costs and a lack of builders. Business is going so well for Dr. Vivek Eranki’s Cosmetique that he is planning to open 30 new beauty, injectables and laser hair-removal clinics across the country in the next 12 months. The problem is that construction time and costs are blowing out. He says he prefers buyi...

A lot of businesses have a 12-month plan, but if you want to achieve quicker and more focused results, you’re better off combining that with a hundred-day rolling business strategy. That’s according to Michael Fingland, CEO of Vantage Performance, which helps turn around underperforming businesses. He says the 100-day strategy focuses the team on what they should be prioritising for the quarter, w...

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, to build better businesses. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel...