How many times have you heard terms like, “Never give up”, “Play hard”, “It’s all about taking risks…”, “Put your money where your mouth is”, “To make money you need to spend money” “If only we can make it through this rough patch”, “Set lofty goals to get results”, “Put it on the plastic…”, “It’ll […]

We wanted to know more about some of our active forum members…… so we asked them
Steve spoke to Sue from Abacus Screens……..

1. How did you get started in business?
LOL I think I got started in business from birth. My Mum and Dad had corner stores and I was taught business skills at […]

Yes if only the big Co’s going down in these tough times had set up some form of Structural integrity system that had been ready to support a system in criscic then this  current downturn would be quite different.
Call it  debt reserve fund, or a risk management strategy…. either way it could have aved the […]

In turbulent times there are the basics that need to be looked after like revenue needs to be more than expenses, but then again that should always happen, but in doing the basics an asset protection policy is always good too, who would like to loose a good performing asset right? but I am seeing […]

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 […]

An interesting letter to the editor in a local paper about Ben Chifley’s (past Australian Prime Minister) idea of a nationalised bank being a must have.. Well we had that in Australia with the commonwealth bank then that was privatised…
Okay so what if We had a bank that had some form of Co-operative approach or […]

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!

In a recent interview with an Art Gallery Director the team at the Visual Arts blog Art-Resource have compiled a seven step list for artists wanting to get represented by an Art Gallery. Great list, but I also think it’s of value for us in a wider business context and how we match what we […]

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 […]

I have seen a range of TV current affairs shows recently pointing out businesses (reasonable sized ones on occasions), going under and taking investors with them. If you invest in a business it is risky, any sort of business (and I don’t care what glossy brochure or figures they show you…)
So there are risks involved […]

I have just been to see WALL•E the animated film, it was fantastic, the graphics, the story, the whole concept was exceptional. So the environmental message? Yep there was one, and as such I figure on a local basis we can be doing things to prevent a “Wall - E - World” from happening… (hey […]

So what were the Risk Managers telling the management at Lehmans bank… maybe they should be fired… GROSS Negiligence perhaps? or did their “leaders” not listen…???
I have often said that organisations should have a “Debt Reserve Fund” large or small, if they had a range of assets (cash is a start) then they would have […]

The USA banks, the market slide, you name it the financial markets are taking a battering with trillions of $$ in value lost… The media is alive with speculation, and sensational headlines.
WOW the guys with the money seem to be in a squeeze, now watch as the rest of us suffer in the aftermath.
But hey, […]

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 […]

In the “topsy turvy” world of franchise contracts, agreements etc, (which many franchisees have little understanding of) it’s painfully obvious that many of these documents ask the franchisee to jump through hoops, but how about working things the other way?
Over time the franchisor will build a “watertight contract” and expect the franchisee to know a […]

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. […]

Maybe you have been in business for quite a while and have most things figured, but how much are you really making?
With so many variables, fixed costs, and “things that challenge your earnings” it can be hard to tell what the take home earnings are.
If you have fixed costs it pays to make sure you […]

Starting a business is a great idea, you think about the possibilities, get emotionally wrapped up in it and then make a start… But there are a few things you may not have thought of, namely how much money you will need to get started and how long you will need to “feed the beast” […]

How about this, an organisation has the following core values as part of it’s vision.

Responsibility and Leadership
Achievement and Excellence
Citizenship and Community
Initiative and Commitment

Sounds great, things to aspire to… one problem they don’t do it, well not all of it, here are some points…

Staff are failing to take responsibility, citing they do not have the resources […]

In our local area, the media are reporting that 500 businesses have failed during 2006.
Even if half of that is true it’s too many, some might be secondary businesses that are operated by a family or an off shoot of a group of investors. Some might be moves to new locations, others could be re […]

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 […]

Many of you know I have a business seminars listing service on another site, I have a bunch of events put in there as a service to the wider business community so people can find events in a “one stop shop” approach for aussie businesses.
I list only publicly available events and have done for about […]

If like myself and other business people I have come across you probably have thought about the ideal business and what it might be like.
Well here’s a list to get you started on thinking about it, feel free to add any points via the comments.
1. It provides value - The product or service is […]

In business you deal with people and as such they are an important aspect to the business (in fact read that as VITAL to your business!) so vital that without them things don’t get purchased, sold, manufactured etc… So in the scheme of things you need them, and as such the big question is do […]

When yo got started in business you probably didn’t figure on how much it would cost to get started, I guess no one really knows until they have done it. and for so many people in business they find they just don’e have enough to really cover their marketing costs to get a decent response.
There […]

So what do you do when things get quiet in the business?
Do you…
- Wonder why?
- Start to do all the little things that you mean to do when you are busy?
- Start marketing?
- Sack some staff!?
- Sit and wait…
- Check how things were this time last year?
- Ask what’s happening?
- PANIC!
- Change things?
- Go back […]

At this time in the morning many are open and ready to go, but there are those that seem to not get in ’til later… It sets me to wondering what business was like for them say… yesterday. Did they not get enough people in the door that they felt it’s not worth it? They […]

Here’s a short video from Tom Peters, if ever you wondered what comes first passion or skills, here’s Tom’s answer…
Thanks to Tom and the team at Skill Soft.

Are you burning business bridges and denying yourself possible valuable opportunities down the road? Is it possible that those who matter to you least today, will have value to you tomorrow? It’s worth thinking about.

A friend and I were chatting, he is to be made redundant, and after many years in his role with a big multinational he stands to get a good pay out. He’s still got plenty of time as an able bodied worker and wants to work… But.
There have been a number of larger businesses fold […]

Current news 26th may 08 Victoria Australia. It was announced today that an aged care facility is in the hands of administrators today, 100+ residents are unsure if they will have a place to live. lets leave the emotions to one side for a moment and look at it from a business viewpoint.
Here is a […]

The weekend has been and gone, and here you are back at Monday, ready to face another week… Firstly are you excited about the prospect of another week? Or is it something you wish would end quickly? Whatever your state of being right now, take a moment to focus.
Grab a sheet of paper, […]

Whether you recruit new members to your team by yourself, or use an external recruitment firm, the same requirements apply. If you aren’t clear on their role, accountabilities, what you’re looking for and what your priorities are, then don’t expect anyone else to be able to find the right person for you.
The following ‘test’ […]

When it comes to recruiting new people into your business, or expanding someone’s role, or identifying where to add more resource into the business, it needn’t be that difficult.
Follow these 4 steps to start creating and defining roles within your business, and writing the necessary Position Description:
1. Ask yourself these questions first:

What functions are being […]

Leaders are an interesting lot, often found wandering, “dazed”, plodding, planning, scheming and making sure everything is in it’s right place for the team to do what the team does best. So in the plodding and wandering the astute leader searches and hunts down exceptional people to be part of the team. They also work […]

The reason people select the wrong person is because they don’t ask the right questions in the interview, they don’t probe to uncover real competencies and capabilities, they don’t explore the person’s true personality and attitude, and they get swayed by enjoyable ‘chats’ that should in fact be probing interviews.
We all like to work with […]

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 […]

Think about the leaders you’ve had in your life – that is, the people you’ve respected and listened to, and in many cases followed. School teachers, uni lecturers, people you’ve worked with, mentors, coaches, captains of sporting teams, friends, family.
Why did you see those people as leaders? Why did you accept them as your […]

Just because you select an ideal recruit for your business, doesn’t mean they will automatically want to work for you. Why not?
Many businesses overlook the fact that they have to sell their offer and make it an attractive option for prospective new employees.
If you operate in a competitive environment where good recruits are scarce, or […]

If you want to run a business that has a team with real power in what they do I have one piece of advice, in fact I will give you a really easy way to take that advice and put it into action… ready?
Coach them… too simple eh? but it works, you be the coach […]

Your business is all it can be due to a few factors and often it boils down to how people connect, customers to staff, staff to staff and any other stakeholders you may have in the equation.
You see it’s about your values and beliefs and theirs, if you are employing staff it is important for […]

Leadership is it… If you have ever wondered about what makes a solidly compelling and successful company, well check the list and see what you think…
A leader leads by example… If it’s a brilliant business the leader is brilliant and that excellence is passed down with ease. They follow excellently because they were led excellently, […]

Let’s get simple with the $$ and the practicalities of business.
$$ in, this comes from the sale of goods, services and the income from investments made on behalf of the business.
$$ out, these are the expenses your business has.
Profit (or loss) is the difference between the $$ out and the $$ in.
The aim of the […]

When you start out in business or develop a new product there is an inevitable challenge to figure out if the emotion that motivates the initiative is the only thing making it happen or the $$ are a motivator as well.
I guess the ideal is both. People want the product, you make it, they pay […]