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

Do you understand your employer obligations under the National Employment Standards? Whether you have one employee (even if it's just you, the business owner) or many, these are rules you must follow, including understanding changes in the past couple of years. Paul Cripps (PK People Solutions) gives an overview of the eleven points of the National Employment Standards, including the newest c...

Are you ready to turn your passion into a business? Sister2Sister pop duo did exactly that when they opened the popular Sister2Sister School of Singing in 2004. They successfully moved from a performance career to balancing running a singing school with being professional freelance, session vocalists. So how did they do it? Learn about the exciting journey of Sharon and Christine Muscat and find o...

Is being passionate about your product or service enough to warrant starting a business? What about skill or quality - if your product or service is 'the best', does that mean you should start a business selling it? A successful business requires more than just passion, skill and an amazing product or service. Paul Sweeney (Pretium Solutions) looks at what you need to do before you start...

Do you have a great business idea, but not sure where to start? Are you confused about what you need to do first?   If this is you (too many questions and not enough answers) then you are in the right place! Paul Sweeney, chartered accountant and business advisor,  explores what you need to know before you launch your new business. This episode is the first in a series focusing on starting a busin...

As a business owner, have you ever avoided getting advice because it was too expensive, then had to fix up a legal problem which cost even more money? Have you turned down opportunities because getting advice was too hard and too expensive? Do you worry about being appropriately covered for risk but not sure who to turn to? Running a successful business means staying up-to-date with your responsib...

As an employer, what are you doing to look after your employees?  These days, employers are investing more into employee wellbeing than ever before. Employee relations and getting the most out of your employees is one of the most critical things for any business, but it's particularly important for small businesses. Paul Cripps from PK People Solutions has some practical tips to improve the w...

How can we support better mental health in our communities and workplaces?   What training is available to help workplaces promote mental health and recognise when someone needs help? Who can you turn to if you are worried about the mental health of someone at work or at home?   Michael van Dyk  from The Black Dog Institute shares some of the key things that the Black Dog Institute does, including...

Do you feel like your days are spent running from one thing to another and never getting anything done? Do you look at those 5 and 10 minute gaps between speaking to this client and invoicing that client and picking the kids up from school and think, "That's not enough time to do anything, why bother?" Is your business suffering from not enough of your attention because there just i...

What is revenue and why is it so important? Let's start with looking at profit. Profit is the outcome; the end result. It’s quite simply what’s left over from your revenue when you deduct your expenses . Profit is the final score . Just looking at the final result and saying how much you want it to increase won’t make any difference. By focusing on the four factors that will create more profi...

How do you determine what your business strategy and plan should be? How do you identify what your successful business should look like? What goals and targets should you set for your business this year? The first question you should be asking is 'why?' Asking 'Why'? Has become a key process for business owners, made popular by Simon Sinek’s book “Start with Why”. With a strong...

Did you know there are many grants and  incentives to help fund early stage innovation companies? And small and medium businesses can access them - they are not just for the large companies. Peter Towers from ESS BizTools explains what opportunities are available around research and development. Find out about the application process and steps you will need to take to gain early stage innovation c...

Planning for your retirement? Or do you look at retirement as something to think of 'down the track'?  Many business owners don't plan properly for their retirement. And many rely on selling their business to fund their retirement. But will that provide the lifestyle that you've been dreaming of?  Find out what else you should be doing. In this episode, Jim Mills from Merit Pla...

Is your business losing profits to expensive and unnecessary FX conversions? These costs are often 'hidden' but can go up to 5% each time you bring money back, or pay global expenses. In this episode we talk to Henry Broad from Airwallex who have developed a solution to this problem. Essentially, Airwallex provide a cheaper and easier way to manage money globally. We discuss how Airwalle...

We hope you got some inspiration from last week's 'kick-start your business' podcast. We have another dose ready for you this week on The Business Behind Your Business . While we have all been experiencing many challenges over the past couple of years, we want to see businesses flourishing, despite the bumpy road. That is why we are working hard to get resources and support out to b...

Have you been reflecting on your business over the holidays? Maybe you have found some things that aren't working well, things that you want to do differently. Or perhaps you aren't even sure where to start. Don't worry, we have some inspiration to help you kick-start your business this year. Paul Sweeney shares some of his favourite tips to help make 2022 a great year for your busi...

Raj Nathoo from Keystone Active Learning explores how your business can manage change in this constantly evolving business environment. It all starts with your personal mindset. Raj discusses why it's important to reduce negative thoughts and stop punishing or blaming yourself for circumstances beyond your control. You need to accept change as being inevitable - change will happen whether you...

Why is documenting your business systems important? Mitch Kenny from Maus Software explores the benefits around having your business processes documented.  Some of the benefits include:  Less reliance on a single business owner/manager  Opportunities for scale and growth  Improved overall efficiency Mitch discusses barriers that often prevent business owners from documenting their systems. The myt...

Technology is wonderful for business, make no mistake. It helps you deliver a more efficient, consistent and effective outcome. For instance, using technology to improve efficiency with compliance and administrative activities gives you more time and resources to apply to value-producing activities like marketing and sales. But we can also fall into the trap of spending money on software and techn...

How will your business be affected by the events happening in the domestic and global economies? What can you do to prepare your business to take advantage of the opportunities and minimize risk from adverse conditions? Jim Mills from Merit Planning Hills talks about what is happening in the markets and in the economy and what small business owners need to know. There's a bigger picture at pl...

The introduction of director ID will create a fairer business environment by helping prevent the use of false and fraudulent director identities. This will go a long way to better identifying and eliminating director involvement in unlawful activity.  Shareholders, employees, creditors, consumers, external administrators and regulators are entitled to know the names and certain details of the dire...

Part 2 of our Future of Work series with Harry Nathoo from Keystone Active Learning.  What skills will you need to successfully navigate the future of work? The future of work is characterised by rapid and large-scale changes that will affect all industries, in how work gets done over the next decade. This will be influenced by technological, generational, and social shifts. For example, the growi...

This week, we're excited to have Paul Cripps (PK People Solutions) back to shed some light on The Great Resignation Race that we've been hearing about in the media - and how it will impact Australia. Some reports indicate that between 25% and 40% of people are considering moving on in their jobs. Find out what it all means and what you can do to prepare your business. The key will be to...

Harry Nathoo from Keystone Active Learning talks about the future of work.  The future of work is characterised by rapid and large-scale changes that will affect all industries, in how work gets done over the next decade. This will be influenced by technological, generational, and social shifts. For example, the growing adoption of artificial intelligence in the workplace and the adoption of a mor...

As businesses begin opening up, there is the added responsibility of enforcing the government's mandate on restricted access to the unvaccinated. Some important questions need to be asked: Are you confident about dealing with potentially aggressive confrontations at work?  What training do you or your staff have in handling conflict?  What are the benefits and what are the repercussions if yo...

The challenges facing businesses just keep piling up. But by being adaptable in your thinking, you can create a better path forward for you and your business. Avoid that sense of deja vu with some solid business planning (and implementation!) Paul Sweeney explores how you can keep your business moving forward once lockdowns end and businesses start opening up. We'll all be dealing with a chan...