One of our guru lads over here is Ross Hill, on his Blog is a great piece of intriguing information I think all businesspeople and educators can learn a lot from.
He starts off talking about games and what makes them addictive… Then he goes on to show the comparison to social media (”aint” that the […]

https://www.yammer.com/
This is like Twitter, but just for your organistation. If you have a bunch of people with intra company email addresses, they can connect and chat, just like twitter does on a global scale. It works on the premise of “what are you doing now?” as the main question. Then as people use it they […]

As more companies go down, and an unrepentant writhing takes place as people follow the sense of fear pervading workplaces, I am left to ask… Were these big companies not smart, or perhaps should they have been conservative?
Ok a boom is a boom, bust is what it says and no one wants to go bust. […]

For many this might seem like a curious title but I hope it makes sense as you read on.
For many the horror of the Victorian bushfires will be an ongoing battle as they come to terms with personal loss on an unimaginable scale. For those watching from a short distance they are living the horror […]

Ok.. some of you are… (not you specifically…)
I wanted to raise your interest in a thought I had this morning watching the news, someone did something dumb and I thought “Derrh! what an idiot”, then I started to mentally add up the dumb stuff…

Stop violence against women, great idea, but why not just Stop Violence…
War, […]

The Australian Government is due to release details of it’s next economic stimulus package today 3/2/09.
The previous stimulus package drew bad reviews from what many saw was a flawed package (handouts to family’s). The feeling seemed to be that the money went to frivilous purchases (gambling among them) while some saved the money for “A […]

Economic indicators for the global downturn etc are rocking the ’system’ to the core, now more than ever we need to innovate rather than blindly continue to do what we always have done.
Businesses need to reevaluate where they are at, what capacity, scope and skills they have. Instead of running scared and waiting for the […]

In the tumultuous financial crisis and the uncertainty it causes, there is one thing for certain, Change is happening. Sure it’s not a change that organisations implemented, and for many it’s a change they did not have a contingency plan for but it’s happening and if your organisation needs to do something about it, then […]

When tough times strike my heart goes out to those businesses on the edge, and of course instead of talking about daily things that can trip up a marginal business, we are now talking about bigger fundamental global meltdown type trip ups.
So when the going gets tough how many of the businesses on the edge […]

In a stand against getting snubbed by some big bands, a Geelong based team put together a music show to set the town toe tapping and grooving to the beat of their own drum… Lets hope they get the support they need to make it successful!

An interesting article in the Melb Age newspaper on the flow on effect to smaller businesses.
In an interesting basic view, if the big banks can’t get money to lend, or they are pulling their heads in “Just in case” then your chances of getting credit of some kind may well be hampered, in the short […]

In the spring cleaning theme… is your leader leading the charge? did they “twig” to the change of season? did they come in the door with a renewed spring in their step? Well if the answer is no, maybe you should take the lead and remind them.
Get them focused - ask them to be flexible […]

With spring just 11 days young, it’s time to clear out, clean out, seek out, innovate, create, get nasty with “stuff” and make way for fresh ideas, colours, thoughts and so on. Explore the ether, the space, the things I know little about (well to some degree).
It’s fine for me to feel this way but […]

Fast thinking and wisdom can work wonders, I saw this today and thought it’s well worth reproducing here, enjoy!
A wealthy old lady decides to go on a photo safari in Africa, taking her faithful aged poodle named Cuddles, along for the company.
One day the poodle starts chasing butterflies and before long, Cuddles discovers that he’s lost. […]

Think in symbolic terms, if you were a warrior or a goddess, then the title of leader can become more, much more. If you imbue your role with this kind of title (perhaps even just internally) you can then develop a model to work with.
Lets go deeper. I have used the terms Goddess and Warrior, […]

In the “game of business” it would pay to know about the important things, what they are. To me my list is fairly short. To you they might be different altogether.

Product and or service - You better have something of value to offer or they won’t buy.
Leverage - Your time, you work hard, then […]

I was at a small trade show and noticed as I walked in there was a group of people standing around a display engaged in watching what was on offer… I heard an MC prattle for a while, dismissed it and walked off… I came back alter and he was still going… what was so […]

Recently over a very serious business lunch, the matter of grading came up in regards to karate, I suggested in one of those “A-ha” moments, that the same principle could be applied to staff training.
You see the person I was lunching with is a karate ‘nut’ and mentioned his new staff member was like a […]

This might seem like the sort of question that might be more suited to a personal development blog or professional development series of some kind, but I felt the issue was of burning intrigue for me so here it is.
It’s of interest to me because I see so many businesses, and as I spend time […]

carnival of australia

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Welcome to the February 27, 2008 edition of Carnival of Australia.
 Thanks to all the contributors, some great stuff there, enjoy your reading! 
Elias presents The day we said “sorry”! posted at Ramblings of an Australian teacher, saying, “I hope I can still squeeze in the current carnival.” - Yes and No Elias! I […]

In an historic address to the nation today Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said “Sorry” to the stolen generation. He said sorry for the pain, sorry for the ongoing indignation, sorry for previous governments not apologising, for taking indigenous children from their families many years ago.
In essence he is saying we are sorry for the […]

From an original article on various business success pointers, here is an individual “how to” option on unique selling ponts for you to explore.
Market leading Unique Selling Point/s –
Creating a unique selling point is all about setting yourself apart from your competition, sometimes called a Point of Difference. It’s all about identifying what makes your […]

From an original article on various business success pointers, here are the individual “how to” possible options for you to explore.
Training to win/win
You and your staff should be trained to make the whole show win, then the customers can win too. A great position to get to and stay in.  For some the idea […]

From an original article on various business success pointers, here are the individual “how to” possible options for you to explore.
Enjoyable to run
Who wants a business, which is a hassle to run? Who wants to work in a tough field? No one… Make it a joy to be part of for you and staff […]

From an original article on various business success pointers, here are the individual “how to” possible options for you to explore.
Creating easily saleable products and services
You want people to buy, not to um and err then walk away, so it should be easy for them to select what they want and then make the purchase […]

From an original article on various business success pointers, here are the individual “how to” possible options for you to explore.
Creating a business that people love!
Customers and staff a like love the business and what it does, heck why have a business that people despise? Go for love, it’s much better. But that’s easy […]

From an original article on various business success pointers, here are the individual “how to” possible options for you to explore.
Is it readily understood?
If your business produces widgets for the trucking industry it’s important for the target market (trucking companies in this case), to readily understand what it is you are providing. If you are […]

I was out and about today, the roads getting busy with Christmas shoppers, the car radio warbling with the odd Xmas song (yes I mean XMAS!) and I had to make two trips to the one location to collect some gear for a client, as well as two trips to another spot out much further […]

Here’s Jerry’s 3 rules of life, pretty simple… so lets add some business thinking points to it.
Print it, use it, tick things off as you do them, make notes, add to the list, include some of these points in your staff training and see what happens.
Thanks Jerry lets see what happens now…
Bust your ass…

Work hard, […]

In business it’s too easy to fall into the trap of just doing business, then it can become a grind, the details become a blur and the idea of lifestyle enhancement as a value you wanted to chase can become minimal, in fact you may as well have just kept a job.
So where is the […]

I have been on about the Guy Kawasaki 10 - 20 - 30 planning device for a while now (since I found it in early 07) Well this week I had the good fortune to use it myself and have created a template to be used in Power Point.
Unfamiliar with 10 -20 - 30? It’s […]

This is the sixth in a set of posts designed as a series to complement the initial post… Strengths in your business The aim being to provide a simple “How to” guide for people daunted by the prospect of “how to” as it can be too easy to read and say “Oh yeah that’s it, […]

In the crazy mixed up world of business we can often forget why we are in business… of course it’s to make a profit but what kind? is it just money or are there other profits to be had?
Other profits might include
• People learning more and benefitting society by utilising their new found skills and […]

“Daddy”, my 11 year old daughter excitedly exclaimed. “All I have to do is sell seven Holiday wreaths and I earn enough money to go on the school trip to the amusement park at the end of the year!”
As I reviewed the info packet with an advertising professional’s eye, I casually asked, “What do […]

I have been doing some work near a newish shopping centre, it was completely revamped in the past few years. It has a supermarket and some other shops to act as a draw cards and so far so good.
I went there for lunch on two occasions, an Asian food shop is near one of the […]

In the service stakes there are those that connect with the people they need to serve and those that quite frankly wish the customers would go away. There are of course levels within that and as always I would like you to focus for a moment on the top end.
People that serve in those lofty […]

Later this morning I have to go and pick up some paintings I have on consignment at a local art gallery. I suspect things have been a little slow in the sales area, as the gallery is only open now at set times on set days and is about to close down. Ok we live […]

Most of you will have heard of the term win win, meaning a positive outcome for both parties, I thought about it as I was pondering some marketing options for a business.
My thought went like this, what if a marketing Co (lets say a newspaper selling advertising) were to only offer win win advertising so […]

In business it seems like we juggle a whole bunch of things, from finances, planning, to marketing and operational issues and lots in between. I often say it’s about how well you juggle as to how well you do in business, however lets take some pressure off for a while and imagine if we stopped […]

In a previous article I mentioned business being like a roller coaster with its ups and downs… This time lets look at some of the causes of this “uppsy downsy” situation.
1. I feel flat - This can be from a build up of things not going too well, everything else can be okay but the […]

An often overlooked area of business is the art scene.
Diverse in its offerings, Art is often seen as the realm of the rich (in mind and $$). And can offer the purchaser more than just a decorative device, it can also boost their stakes in the up and up of social climbing as well as […]

An article by Kirsten Le Mesurier in the Age on innovation struck a chord.
The premise of CEO’s and senior exec’s saying innovation must happen… rarely works, it’s often a directive that can be buried in red tape and politics. Too many times the ideas are wanted but the process becomes a durge and in no […]

In a previous post I mentioned trademarking as a development tool and I discussed “See something - Do something” It’s a nice simple model for business but it can be taken further than a business context, here’s how and perhaps why…
In the branding stakes there is a lot of mention these days about “Brand You” […]

Anything else to do with your business MUST therefore be about supporting the profit.
Before people go all money crazy though and start saying “business is all about taking and here’s another example.” I say if you are not making a profit you run a charity, and as this article is about business it’s therefore about […]

So often people delve into advertising their business, without much thought to the process. This not only a huge waste or precious $$, but it leaves your business vulnerable to cashflow problems. Taking the time to research exactly who your most profitable customer is, will ensure you receive a higher return on your advertising investment. […]