The Business Behind Your Business - Real Advice to Help Small Business Owners Build, Lead and Thrive

Standard operating procedures (or SOPs) are about making things simpler at work and saving time. The work day is full of so many tasks and it makes sense to keep things as easy as possible. SOPs help you organise and streamline your activities to make the best use of your time. This is especially important for small business owners who may be wearing many hats and having to carry out a variety of...

We assume accuracy is beneficial all of the time, but perhaps not always necessary. You can think of situations where accuracy might be sacrificed for speed perhaps, creativity, or just to get the ball moving on a project. Remember the saying by  Catherine Carrigan, 'Perfect is the enemy of done.' But when is accuracy essential in business? Accuracy is required in your business' fin...

Running a successful business is all about the profit, right? While being profitable is the ultimate goal of a business, one of the most important factors (and one of the biggest pain points) is management of cash flow. So what can you do to improve your cash flow? Paul Sweeney from Pretium Solutions explores some crucial aspects of cash flow: Understand what cash flow is - and how it is different...

Running your own business is amazing, right? The freedom, the power, the money - more like, the STRESS! Stress is something that everyone experiences, but for small business owners, it can feel extreme as you try to grapple with every problem imaginable and find solutions to please everyone. It's an uphill battle that can leave you feeling very much alone. There are strategies to help you dea...

Sales is commonly listed as a problem area for businesses. But where to begin with fixing things? What can you do to improve your sales? Nathan Williams, founder of Customer Return, joins us to look at some of the biggest sales issues faced by businesses including: Developing the right pitch Creating a sales process that works How you can target your 'ideal' client Getting repeat sales M...

It's something that all businesses (and individuals) dread - a data breach. We all know by now how important it is to protect our data. But despite the tools and education available, these data breaches still happen. And sometimes, like the recent Optus breach, they are massive. This incident has led to many important questions being asked: How did it happen and how can we keep it from happen...

As part of our celebration of our 100th episode, we asked our listeners what topic they would like covered. The consensus was to do a compilation of the best business advice from listeners. So that is what you will find in this jam-packed episode! We heard from business owners and professionals about the strategies that have made a positive difference in their businesses. From human resources tips...

Delegation can be a great tool for business owners to use - but only if used correctly! Otherwise, employees can feel resentful ("I'm getting the jobs no one else wants!") or overwhelmed ("This isn't my job, why am I doing it? I have no idea what to do!") Raj Nathoo from Keystone Active Learning shares some helpful tips on using delegation successfully. Find out why i...

Do you need to know more about your customers or competition? What about trends affecting your industry? Or generational shifts in society? Successful businesses are all about providing great solutions to difficult problems faced by your customers. To make sure you are on the right path, it is crucial to have the right information to build your business. Access to data can help your business grow...

We'll be back after a short break - there's more podcast episodes to come It's been a busy year! Between running a small business, sharing business information in this podcast and keeping up with family, we are always hopping! We have decided to take a short break from producing weekly podcast episodes, but rest assured, we'll be back with more content to help you run a success...

Does your business rely on labour? An aging population and falling immigration rates already reduced our labour market and then COVID-19 made staffing challenges that much harder.  So how can your business grow and prosper during these challenging times? Paul Cripps from PK People Solutions explores the issues around labour shortages and provides some ideas for how businesses can successfully navi...

Getting a tax refund is good, right? Everyone loves a tax refund! But, if this tax refund is for your business, then it may be a sign of trouble! It's time for a closer look at what is happening in your business. Find out why tax refunds are bad for business in this episode with Paul Sweeney, from Pretium Solutions. Hint: it's all about the cash flow! Luckily, there are things you can do...

The premise of 'keep it simple' has been widely used and helpful for many people in many scenarios. It's about not overcomplicating things which can leave room for problems to develop. 'Keeping it simple' also applies to business. As a business owner, the more complicated you make things, the more steps that you add in a process, the more errors you may be introducing into...

You may have heard that Australia is adopting eInvoicing, a new standard and network to help businesses with their invoicing needs. Larissa Walker, the ATO's eInvoicing Business Adoption Lead, joins us to raise awareness of eInvoicing and to share information on the many benefits to businesses. When we're talking about eInvoicing, this isn't just the act of emailing your invoice to...

Following on from our episode on the benefits of automation, Paul Sweeney (Pretium Solutions) takes a closer look at how you can get started using automations. First of all, it's important to decide what would benefit from automation. Some of the key things to look for in tasks are as follows: Is it a repetitive task? (Those boring tasks like data entry) Is it a fragile tasks? (Easily affecte...

Are you feeling time-poor in your business? Maybe you're looking for ways to free up time in your busy days? Automation is the key! Learn how some simple strategies and tools can help you make better use of your time.  Your business will be more productive and efficient. Some of these time-saving strategies include: Develop business systems - plus document, review and update them regularly Au...

Are you ready to grow your start-up but not sure how to attract funding? It is important to have your business ready before you try to gain investors. Roshan Sidhu from Frank Law looks at some important things you need to do to make your business investment ready: Make sure your business structure, documentation and processes are clear  Have good cash flow and all systems running as efficiently as...

Do you struggle to forecast the right amount of stock to order?  Are your manual systems and processes letting you down? Find out how ERP (enterprise resource planning) software, like Jiwa, can help your business be more efficient and profitable. It combines inventory management, accounting and other tools in one complete package. Getting the right business tools can make a world of difference. Da...

Do you have trouble keeping track of what is going on in your business? Does the idea of business planning leave you feeling overwhelmed? Are you ready to grow your business, but not sure where to start? If any of this sounds familiar, maybe you need an 'all-in-one' business tool! Chris Palmer, from Maus Software, shares how their cloud-based management system can help you create a succe...

Do you have a business that buys and sells products? Or do you manufacture products to sell? Or, maybe you are looking at starting a business that will have stock? If your business has inventory, then you need a tool to help you manage your stock and grow your business. If you don't already have an inventory management system, then this is a tool that your business needs. Know where your stoc...

What can you do to gain a competitive advantage over other businesses? Raj Nathoo from Keystone Active Learning  discusses how business owners can use the knowledge within their business to its greatest capacity.  Some important points that Raj discusses include the following: Identify training needs within your organisation Offer staff training - this helps keep skills and knowledge within your o...

What traps do you need to avoid this end of financial year? What is the simple strategy behind tax planning? End of Financial Year (EOFY) activities should include, but not be limited to taxation planning. There are some traps that every business owner should avoid at this time of year. So what do you need to look out for this EOFY? What tips and tricks will make the next year better? Join Paul Sw...

Intellectual property (IP) is frequently overlooked by businesses. But by looking at your IP issues early, when you are setting up your business, you are both protecting your business, as well as adding value to it. André Meyer, founder of Meyer West IP, joins us to take a closer look at intellectual property and the issues facing business owners when they are setting up their businesses. André ex...

So you have just started your business -  why would you want to look at exit planning? Well, the more you focus on having a great exit plan, the more profitable and successful your business will be.  A good business plan is a long-term plan, with both a start and a finish. By planning your business exit strategy before you begin (or at least early!) your journey will be more rewarding, and your bu...

What's the difference between a 'start-up' and 'starting a business'?  A start-up is all about scale, it's about creating a business that is built to grow quickly. We are joined by Meryl Johnston from Bean Ninjas. Meryl looks at start-ups and ways you can scale your business. She also looks at supports for businesses such as  mentors and strategies for determining if...