Small Biz Matters: People, Policy, Purpose.

How to attract and retain talent to your business

Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 13 August 2019

Today’s show is all about how to attract and retain talent to your small business. When hiring, (particularly our first employee), small business tends to get bogged down in WHAT you want this person to DO instead of thinking HOW am I going to get the right person who can start the DOING, then GROW the role into something more. And so, particularly with the younger generation, you’re ultimately competing for their talent with other, bigger businesses.

But that’s no reason to feel like you CAN’T compete or you DON’T have anything to offer.

Why does small business sometimes fail to compete for that talent? Is the issue our portrayal in the media? Or is it US who are stuck in the mentality that we are offering the candidate the same experience we had where we had to work from the ground up; “climb the ladder” and earn our stripes.

Well, the reality is your potential employees aren’t seeing the so called opportunities you’re offering. They’re seeing a Job.

This week we chat to Ingrid Amoils & Jake Andrew from Bamboo Associates who, between them have corporate, start up and advisory experience to help listeners take the leap of faith and attract and retain the right candidate.

Welcome to the show Ingrid & Jake.

Topics we’ll be covering:

Before you approach candidates consider this…

• To succeed, be clear on why your business exists, and what you aim to achieve. Have a clear purpose. If you are clear then you can recruit people who buy into your purpose, and so also feel passionate about the business, and will deliver fantastic customer experience.
• Get clarity on what kind of team you need to achieve that. Know what values (or behaviours) you want and look for in a candidate.
• Consider the essentials skills and knowledge you need, and which are really only nice- to-have. (Focus on skills, as these are often harder to train.) Communicate your plan to train skills and knowledge (business and industry).
• Describe the exciting opportunity and the role you offer the candidate.
• Determine clear business priorities, and explain how the role fits into the bigger picture.
• Be authentic and honest. Show the opportunity is real. Your messages should reflect reality.

Look at the recruitment process from the candidates point of view:

• Small biz is often perceived as the riskier option.
• Candidates often believe they have more options in a corporate role to learn, grow and move around the company.
• However, in recent years candidates are increasingly open to smaller business, new ways of working and new types of careers. This is particularly true of younger employees.
• Plus the jobs market has changed – your ideal candidate may well not actually stay with your business for life. You might need to rethink the role, processes and training, if your new recruit is to work for you for a shorter time.
• Remember that candidates often learn fast – consider what you do to develop them, inspire them, and how you need to think differently about the role.

What could small business do better to attract top quality candidates?

• Deal with this challenge proactively and confidently. Accurately state your size and type of business. Build trust from the beginning by being authentic.
• A good or bad hire can make a big difference to your overall business. Get it right. Recruitment is a significant investment of your time and money. It impacts your team and customers. So plan it carefully to make it a successful hire.
• Sell the business
  • Industry, macro trends - explain why that is good for someone’s career
  • Purpose, what you aim to achieve
  • Describe the team and how you work
  • Clear priorities
• Sell the role
  • Exposure to the whole business - deeper understanding through direct contact with every aspect of the company, not compartmentalised
  • Make an impact - the candidate will not be a small part of a huge machine
  • Flexibility - greater freedom, potential to personalise
  • Diversity - range of tasks, more stimulation, greater variety
• Small businesses are often in niche industries, and you might want candidates with specialist knowledge. If so, you need to be proactive. (LinkedIn or SEEK databases, recruiters etc.) Build a pipeline of potential candidates through networking and communicating to your particular community, long in advance of any hire.
• If recruiting is difficult through candidate shortage, recognise the reality that you as business owner needs to be in sales mode. You need to sell the opportunity in a more compelling way.
• Ensure you map the recruitment and on-boarding process. Create a good impression. Keep good candidates engaged. Help them succeed when they start, and add value fast.

To find out more go to their website: bambooassociates.com.au

Bamboo helps ambitious business owners grow and thrive. They help overcome challenges like how to:

• sharpen your competitive edge
• focus on what really matters
• grow in a sustainable way
• prepare for succession or eventual sale of your business
• and of course, attract and retain a high calibre team

The Launch of ASBFEO & Scottish Pacific’s FitsME Essential Guide to Business Funding

Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 6 August 2019

The Launch of ASBFEO & Scottish Pacific’s FitsME Essential Guide to Business Funding

On 29^th Jul 19 Small Biz Matters interviewed Kate Carnell, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Lielette Calleja, Director of All That Counts and Peter Langham, CEO of Scottish Pacific who collectively launched the new Business Funding Guide. 

It was refreshing to see industry heavyweights Scottish Pacific using their data collected from years of small business reporting for the power of good. When the office of the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman noticed a trend they decided to work with Scottish Pacific to develop a framework to support small business in becoming financially fit. It’s a great guide; assisting small business to understand the how, the why and the practical strategies to prepare for funding applications – no matter the funding you’re seeking. With the advice of seasoned finance professionals like Lielette Calleja the guide supports small businesses to have solid knowledge of their business’ performance and be prepared for growth. In particular the funding decision flowchart is an incredibly affective tool to understanding the complexities of small business finance.

As ASBFEO’s media release stated: The biggest barrier to small business growth is access to finance. Small businesses have been feeling the brunt of the credit crunch as lenders tighten their requirements in the wake of the Banking Royal Commission. That’s why it’s so important for small businesses to understand the range of finance providers in the market and to take the steps necessary to become ‘finance fit’ so they can prove their credit worthiness to the lender of their choice. The Business Funding Guide is an industry-first publication that aims to support small businesses in their pursuit of growth and success, through their trusted advisers.

So, what’s a TPAR and why do I need to know?

Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 30 July 2019

It is probable if you run a business in the construction industry that you are aware of TPAR (Tax Payment Reporting System) as part of your annual reporting requirements for the ATO. But what if you are in the courier or cleaning industries - have you heard of it? And this is your official heads up for security and IT...

No doubt if you have got a great bookkeeper you’re all over it. But for the remaining 95% of small businesses... are you aware of what this reporting requirement is, how to be compliant and why this is in place?

Well, today we welcome the Marcus Chew, Director – Small Business, Australian Taxation Office who looks after this aspect of reporting to the ATO to chat about why it’s in place and how you can ensure you are compliant.

Welcome to the show Marcus.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• What is the taxable payments reporting system (TPRS) and why is the ATO looking after this?
  • Little background about why its in place and why
• Why has it been brought in? (talk about how it is part of the black economy) and what’s the bigger picture and what problem is the ATO trying to solve?
• What industries have to do the report and what are the plans into the future?
• How can businesses getting ready for TPRS? What’s involved; a step by step as to the requirements the ATO expects from businesses?
  • Third party resources - ATO online services for sole traders & individuals, MyGov
  • Others apps & software to help you
• What resources are available – from the ATO and also your local accountant, bookkeeper. The importance of engaging with a TPB accredited professional
  • Professional associations

To find out more go to their website: https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Reports-and-returns/Taxable-payments-annual-report/

Marcus Chew, Director – Small Business, Australian Taxation Office Bio

Marcus leads the Taxable Payments Reporting System (TPRS) management team at the ATO, which has responsibility for the administration and expansion of TPRS.

Marcus’s role is diverse and involves working closely with industry groups, tax professionals, small businesses and their advocates to make meeting TPRS obligations as straight forward as possible. 

Marcus started in the ATO in 1999, and has been a Director across roles in risk management, strategy development, data management, measurement and evaluation, as well as working as an economist in Transfer Pricing. Marcus has also worked for the International Monetary Fund on assignment in the Middle East focused on risk management.

When not swimming in all things TPRS, Marcus enjoys spending time travelling with his young family, training in Muay Thai and is a huge fan of the NBA.

Top Tips for Businesses trying to control Inventory Issues

Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 23 July 2019

Inventory control and management can be one of the biggest headaches for a huge number of businesses out there; particularly emerging ones. Knowing how much you have of each component or ingredient, its location and its age is absolutely essential when each of these building blocks are your bread and butter.

Plus a change to any product component or staff or storage - even when it does means positive growth can sometimes create more turmoil than it is worth. But small businesses all know change IS necessary for success and as our guest this coming week will explain it can, without the right tools in your arsenal, break your business.

Here to share his experience is Rhys Roberts, the founder of Cloudsolve here to share his wealth of experience with businesses of all sizes with inventory management. He knows first hand what the solutions are if you feel like it is all getting out-of-control.

Welcome to the show Rhys.

Topics we’ll be covering:

Why do so many small to medium businesses struggle with inventory? Why is it important to get it right?

What are the main challenges people get stuck on? What do they find difficult?

• Double handling
• Inadequate reporting (excel)
• Inconsistent profit because you don’t have stock on hand
• Trickle down effect into your financials
• Customer service – are you missing opportunities as you run out?

Let’s talk about the implications of poor inventory management. What happens if you get it wrong? For example legal obligations with tracking goods/batches etc?

• Distribution & batch tracking
• Financial what do you need to be aware of in terms of financials?

We have bricks and mortar business, online stores, ecommerce, manufacturing and wholesale business. How are they the same and or different when it comes to inventory? Do they have different issues or similar?

• Distribution & batch tracking
• Stock control for goods manufacturing
• Packaging – over-ordering/underordering
• Mismatching what’s been ordered and what’s available! This is integration is a MUST.
• Trickle down effect
  • Distribution holdups
  • Poor customer relations

So if I’m a business owner... I’m treading water with outdated systems that are kind of working, but I can see and feel things could be improved. Is it too late? Do I just have to grin and bear it?

• Absolutely not, it’s never too late to improve your processes

How do I know what’s right for my business, because every busy is different?

• Software selection is a BIG decision
• Examining your business and getting the right solution.
• Talking to all aspects of the business

Tell us more about Cloud solutions for inventory, what are they and how they help businesses?

Emergence of the cloud integrator - how can they help? What do they do?

• Conversation around what they can help you with

Let’s talk about Cost

• Can small business handle the investment that It costs?
• The misconception of DIY and time vs professional implementation

Training and using the system

• Training and upskilling NOT a waste of time.
• Typically a small business owner underestimates the importance of training your staff not you.
• You’re trying to save money because you think you’re teacher as well as a business owner but you’re not. And you don’t have the  time!
• How do you approach training your clients? Is it part of your service?

What’s the one piece of advice you’d like to give businesses struggling with their stock management?

To find out more go to their website: www.cloudsolve.com.au/

 

Rhys Roberts

Founder - Cloudsolve

Rhys Roberts loves nothing more than transforming businesses by implementing smart, tailored inventory integrations.  As a Cloud Integration industry leader with more than 25 years’ experience in the retailing, manufacturing, accounting and technology sectors, his expertise is second to none.

Whilst his corporate experience is extensive, it was the unique combination of his accounting and manufacturing skills that resulted in identifying the gap between bespoke integration and customer needs. Cloudsolve - a business for businesses - was subsequently launched in 2016.

Having implemented solutions for Campos Café, Botanica Brands, Pure Pops and Mr Black Vodka to name a few, Rhys finds enormous satisfaction in seeing businesses grow, flourish and reach their full potential.

Do you want to do it cheap or do you want to do it right?

Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 16 July 2019

Do you want to do it cheap or do you want to do it right? In discussion with an expert bookkeeper Michele Grisdale A question bookkeepers get asked all the time: what is it going to cost to get it right? And that is the crux of it. It DOES take time, money, expertise and sometimes a whole lot of patience to support small biz as they navigate (or rather trip) their way through the maze that is small business compliance. Take Single Touch Payroll for instance (and if you just asked what that was you need to change jobs). It is a big change for the 2.2million small businesses and is just one example of compliance which you need to know about. So the solution is make sure you have got the right expert to help you. How do you find them? What or who do you need to avoid? And what should and should you NOT expect them to do for you? Michele Grisdale is a BAS Agent with clients in all sectors of small business, a speaker and proud advocate for bookkeepers.

Let’s chat about the big change that is Single Touch Payroll and what your employees need to know. What’s changed and what’s the right/mandatory thing to do?

• Group certificates or payment summaries and now called income statements
• Payslips must be issued each payrun on the day
• Allowances, super, PAYGW need to be clearly shown on payslips
• Don’t forget all the minimum awards all went up on 1Jul19
  • How to search on PACT
• What if I’m a husband & wife business owner. Now needs to be quarterly and you need to apply for a concession to report quarterly as a minimum?
  • ATO says not a long term solution
  • Only an agent or business owner can lodge it

Just because it’s the way you’ve always done it, doesn’t mean its right.

Why a good bookkeeper is so important for your business?

• Would you hire an untrained mechanic?
• Ask about their experience, their qualifications. As you licenced?
• Read their emails…
• Business owners, contractors, admin support people are being pressured into doing payroll. They are untrained, and the biggest risk is the business owner because unless you authorise someone else in writing to lodge for you

CPE constantly. It takes us hours each week to keep up with this. How are you, the business owner going to understand all that’s required?

• Bookkeepers can:
  • Follow systems designed by others
  • Process
  • Reconcile & produce results but not if client is relying on them to make financial decisions
  • Raise questions but not answer them
  • Can NOT submit payroll, STP reporting, super, TPAR, BAS, ATO, Tax Decs, arrange payment plans. THAT is a BAS Agent

You have an admin support > Bookkeeper > BAS Agent > Tax Agent

So why are we having this chat and Michele why are you so passionate about this issue in small business? What is a bad or unqualified bookkeeper costing you and your business?

• Time, money, relationships
• More importantly what is NO bookkeeper costing you
  • Your relationships

With allowances, super, PAYGW being reported to the ATO each payrun now in your experience as a bookkeeper what do you think the ATO will be looking for with STP?

• The main thing is matching super liabilities with what the
• Correct entitlements data matching with industry benchmarks

Top 5 tech products for optimising your workflow

Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 2 July 2019

What better way to kick off the new financial year than to feel super organised and efficient with the latest tech products! There are lots of shiny gadgets out there to help you be more time efficient, streamline work, organise your staff... and with EOFY having just passed you may have bought a new toy for you and your staff and like a kid in a toyshop, be ready to play.

But some may NOT be the best fit for you and your business; don’t forget about the time it takes to implement change in your own processes and procedures; time is often one of the aspects we don’t quantify on our Balance Sheet but needs to be carefully considered.

Here with us today is an expert who lives and breathes these products and can help to navigate the myriad of options - the good, the bad and the ugly - to help us small businesses to find the best fit. Carl Robertson from Rocketbook Australia is a technology professional with over 10 years experience in telecommunications and consumer electronics across product development, sales and marketing.

Welcome to the show Carl.

 

• What are the top 5 Tech Products you should be aware of to improve efficiency, productivity and save time working on your business?
  • There are so many fantastic tech products available to business owners and you could literally update this list on a daily basis. Previously larger organisations with slow product development cycles dictated the products available to consumers to buy. But crowd funding, venture capital investment along with the online marketplace have made it easy for great ideas to be commercialised. But I thought we would start with something that almost all Australians have - which is our mobile phone.
  • Product 1 - The Mobile phone - for many of us our mobile phone is the single most important asset for our business - enabling us to conduct business from anywhere. It has revolutionised the way that we communicate but whilst they are certainly one of the most popular tech products I also think that they are one of the most misunderstood.
    • We are seeing the introduction of 5G into selected cities which is the buzzword of the year yet many won’t realistically get to enjoy the benefits for the next year or two. (Telstra are advising they have achieved 1.2GB - 1200MPS per second during testing vs 20-50MBPS on 4G 10x faster, 3GB ps on the Gold Coast using MM Wave - introduced from 2021)
    • Many of the major phone manufacturers run these asirational marketing campaigns promoting aesthetically beautiful mobile phones but as business owners I think we need to step back and ask ourselves - do I need what they are selling me? I draw comparisons to a tradesmen and their tools - you wouldn’t see a tradie showing up to a job site in a sportscar with his tools hanging out the window - they have a vehicle that is fit for purpose. The same goes for mobile phones - business owners should be looking at mobile devices that match their requirements.
    • If you are indoors and work in an office then you are likely to consider the typical consumer devices, but if you work in a outdoor environment, onsite or have an active lifestlye then you may want to consider a rugged device.
    • Google have done a great job over the last few years in making the Android platform less clunky and much more user friendly. They have taken significant strides forward to reducing the gap in terms of ease of use vs Apple’s iOS. The main benefit of an Android device is that you can choose from a wider range of different products across multiple brands where as with Apple you are limited to their annual iPhone range. If you need to take beautiful photos for your job and want to do so using a mobile phone then you may want to look at the flagship devices from the likes of Samsung with their Galaxy range or iPhones but you aren’t going to get much change from $1500. The Pixel is $1200 and takes an amazing photo. If you are looking for a value for money device then the Samsung A series  is at a great price point. They have a very good camera with many of the features you see in the Galaxy at a third of the price. For most office-based business owners this is going to give you all of the functionality you need in a device. If you work in an outdoor environment or on job sites then I can’t recommend the Cat S41 highly enough. It is drop proof from 1.8 metres and the screen has a 24 month warranty providing you with complete peace of mind. Its $700. You may note that my recommendations didn’t include some of the second tier smartphone brands who have some nice products available. However I would recommend holding off on these until there is clarity on the trade discussions between the USA and China before looking at these.
  • Product 2 - Asset Tracking
    • The Internet of Things is yet another buzzword that gets us tech types excited. It relates to anything that is connected to the internet and in the next few years that’s going to be pretty much everything. The big telcos are rolling out specially built IOT networks which use low power to enable assets to be connected to their networks for long periods of time without drawing too much power. For mine the idea of everything being connected is the most exciting direction that technology is heading towards.
    • Whilst a connected fridge or kettle probably isn’t a game changer at the moment, if we look ahead a few years when you are getting a self-driving Uber car home from the office and the temperature on the air conditioning adjusts to be just right for your arrival, the front door unlocks as you approach it, the home delivered pizza is delivered just as you arrive home this will be the new norm. Its a combination of location based tracking and artificial intelligence.
    • So how does this apply to business? Well there are a number of asset tracking solutions available that enable us to ensure that we do not lose or have important business assets stolen. For items that are always on you such as the office keys or wallet with business credit cards, Tile is a fantastic solution. It is a Bluetooth based solution so it is limited by a range of around 30 metres. One of my favorite uses of Tile is when I travel with a checked bag. By putting the Tile into your bag you can check that your bag made it onto the plane and when you arrive you will be notified when its coming around the carousel as it comes into range. One of the other great features of the Tile is that it utilises other Tile app users to find Tiles when you are out of range.
    • In the next year or two we will see more devices launched that utilise the telcos networks. At the moment the solutions available are quite limited. I would recommend that business owners get familiar with the Tile in preparation for the trackers and connected products to follow.
  • Product 3 - changes pace a little as this is a not a physical product but is just as important as some of the hardware we have discussed, and that is online software. For almost every business task there is amazing software available online at either a low cost or even free.
    • I’m sure that many listeners would be familiar with Quickbooks or Xero accounting software, and there are now thousands of online software tools available to business owners to implement in your business. I’d like to take you through a few that your users can implement very quickly to promote your business.
    • Canva is one of Australia’s latest unicorns - which recently had investment from venture capital which resulted in a $1 billion valuation. It is a drag and drop graphic design tool and is free to use. When you combine it with a free stock photo website like Pexels or Pixabay you can create content very easily at zero cost for use on digital assets like websites, social media or even for flyers, vouchers or print ads. It is absolutely brilliant.
    • Once Canva has got you started and you have built a database of customers, you can start a regular newsletter. You can design it using Designmodo and send it via Mailchimp. Embrace online software - it will revolutionise your business.
  • Product 4 - Accepting Payments
    • There are a few point of sale solutions now available for accepting instant payment. By implementing this into the business service businesses can avoid the old “cheques in the mail” excuse, and product based businesses can transact almost anywhere. These connect to smartphone apps to process the transaction.
    • The two most popular solutions in Australia are the Paypal Here reader and Square. Both are brilliant and if you are already using Paypal to accept online payments you may want to utilise their device, however the Square Reader at $59 for mine is the best solution. It has a lower commission rate than the PayPal reader at 1.9% and less buttons which means less room for error! The brains is in the app which drives it and you enables tax invoices to be sent to the customer at the point of sale.
  • Product 5 - Note taking solution
    • Most roles require note taking. Tablets such as the iPad and Microsoft Surface have provided a brilliant alternative to pen and paper but for many of us you just can’t beat a pen and paper. A few years ago the Rocketbook Wave was launched which is a reusable pen and paper notebook. The way that the Wave works is you write your notes in the notebook as you usually would and at the bottom of the page are 7 icons which when you scan the page with the free smartphone app will arrange for your notes to be instantly sent to your favourite cloud service or email. Once you scan your notes you then stick the Wave in the microwave with a mug of water and in 1-2 minutes you have a blank notebook ready to use again.
    • So the Wave was a huge success, and the guys from Rocketbook USA then backed it up with the Rocketbook Everlast which became the largest crowd funded office or school product of all time raising over $2 million. The Everlast has the same cloud connectivity but instead of clearing the whole book you can wipe individual pages clear with a damp cloth.
    • A few months ago email transcription was added, so you can write your notes, and if you send them to an email address your notes are transcribed from handwriting into typed text - as you can imagine this has proven to be a game changer.
  • Backup 6 - Whiteboard
    • There is nothing like a white board for brainstorming in the office or keeping track of important items. Rocketbook recently partnered with Think Board to release the Think Board X - which utilises the Rocketbook app to send scans straight from the whiteboard to cloud destinations or email. Think Boards connect to any surface so are great for start ups or businesses that are leasing space, or just dont want to drill a whiteboard into the wall.
  • Implementation of the product into your business and lifestyle
    • How do you test a product without buying it?
      • Testimonials from relatable & reliable websites (Google Reviews, Facebook reviews, Canstar, Choice).
      • Network - learn from others in your industry that may have implemented the technology solution
      • Don’t buy it the minute it’s released / software updates
        • Technology products can have some teething issues when they are launched - no amount of testing in a lab can exactly replicate the way you use a product, so sometimes you are better off not being the first in line to buy that new product. If you wait a month or two often there will be software upgrades to fix the issues that the public have raised and you may even see some improvement in price.
      • Do’s and Dont’s of introducing a product into your business.
        • Do embrace technology - It will make your life easier. Artificial intelligence is helping to reduce repetitive tasks.
        • Before you make a decision to introduce a certain technology do your research. What you think may be a low cost decision may end up costing you more in the long run. The perfect example is printers - printer ink will cost you more to buy than a printer because you are locked into that ecosystem. Most tech products are exactly the same.
        • Don’t buy based purely on price - make sure you are buying the right solution for your business. The right option may be the cheapest but you need to ensure you are valuing your time when making a technology purchase - is one product easier to use and therefore more efficient?
        • Dont forget about security. Cyber attacks cost our economy over $1 billion per year. Cyber criminals are constantly evolving the way they attack small businesses. Protect your business with security software, don’t share passwords and listen to the Governments advice.
      • Section 3
      • Why is it important when implementing technology in your business to still have the ability to extract yourself from the product so that it doesn’t become another addiction?
        • Switching off from technology is very important. As we discussed earlier technology has revolutionised the way that we communicate - where as previous generations may have been able to leave the office at 5pm and not have any business related activity until 9am the next day, our connected lifestyle has eliminated the ability to switch off.
        • This can increase stress and fuel anxiety.
        • Its certainly something I believe is very important - being present and having tech free time.
      • Top websites to research the latest tech with your industry in mind
        • Choice
        • EFTM - Trevor Long
        • Canstar
        • YouTube
        • Be careful as some reviewing sites do have a commercial interest
        • Facebook
      • Keep security top of mind
        • Is the software reliable? Can it be updated easily?
        • Does it adhere to Australian & International cybersecurity standards?
        • Is it being shipped from Australia or from an overseas country?
        • Does their website have a privacy policy?

To find out more go to their website: https://getrocketbook.com.au

Security! Get to know the risks, your failures and how to fix them

Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 25 June 2019

We all know about online cybersecurity and the risks involved with being wedded to the online world - the viruses, the hoaxers, the scammers, the fraudsters and even our own staff. But are we losing sight of what’s really at risk?

What about security? The risk of loss, theft, destruction and the people factor who simply can make mistakes? Have you thought about that and the assets we need to protect? 

And importantly, what’s at stake if you lose it all. Sure, you can ensure you’re insured but why put yourself in that position in the first place? What can be done to mitigate the risk in that space?

Daniel Lewkovitz is a self-confessed Security Evangelist and CEO of Calamity Monitoring and he’s here as an expert to share with us how to protect your business from all the potential risks.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• Why you can’t ignore security (even if you’re insured) or you’ll learn the hard way.
• Daniel’s small business journey and what led him to start his own business in security monitoring, security consulting and disaster recovery.
  • Marrying an IT and security background
  • Security is all about protecting assets – whether these are tangible assets like buildings or cash as well as assets such as people, intellectual property, reputation.

• What are the security considerations for business these days and are you only as strong as its weakest link?
  • Examples of risks small businesses face who don’t do a regular audit - From ‘glamorous’ threats such as armed holdup or terrorism to more mundane things such as credit card fraud, environmental catastrophe or electrical and Internet shutdown.
  • How much should you spend on security (money, time and thought)?
  • As you go through the list think about loss of clients in each and the recovery phase for each risk. Think of the time we needed to get back on your feet and NOW consider what you need to do to protect that asset

• What can a small business do to Audit themselves
  • Start by identifying what are the ‘assets’ and the things you’re trying to protect.
  • What are all the things that can threaten these assets?
  • Risk changes whether you’re a government facility or a corner store. Adjust your review based on your unique threats and how comfortable you are with risk.
  • Determine how much (or little) is justified to address each identified risk.
  • How can you transfer risk to others in order to get it to an acceptable level?
  • Repeat the exercise every now and then as your risk level can change over time.
  • Preventable disasters
    • Benchmarks & experiences of similar businesses
    • Cameras, alarms, access control, fire risk
    • Consider your business location and your clients in that location
    • Protecting stock (which an insurer cheque won’t be able to replace)

• Using different tech as a different uses to protect your business
  • Online security such as encryption, backups and firewalls
  • Security alarms and camera systems
  • Monitoring of alarms and cameras as well
  • The Human factor

• What does security mean for everyone broadly in our community?
  • Mass crowds
  • Child safety
  • Security Industry

To find out more go to Calamity’s website: https://www.calamity.com.au/

About Calamity:

Founded in 2008 Calamity Monitoring (Calamity) is a modern, disruptive security and life safety company, unburdened by legacy systems, practices and old habits which plague older competitors in the security space.

Calamity in 2012 built Australia’s most advanced central monitoring station with the Centre for Advanced Security Technology and Leadership Excellence (CASTLE), a multi-million dollar project located in Sydney.

Calamity’s monitoring centre is A Graded and certified against Auutralian standards and was also the first provider in Australia to ever receive Five Diamond Certification which is an internationally recognised benchmark. Calamity also won the Optus Business Awards for Personal and Business Services Provider of the Year in 2016 as well as being an award winning employer of people with disabilities.

Calamity can install and monitor alarm systems and camera systems and is an industry leader in video monitoring, able to support hundreds of different camera makes and models. The company’s Silent Sentinel technology is also a leader in the fall detection and elder care space and has won awards for saving numerous lives.

Contact: https://calamity.com.au or telephone 1300 300 24 7

Learning about what it means to get involved with a Charity

Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 20 June 2019

Being the International Week on Rheumatoid Arthritis it is good timing to discuss the business of managing Australia’s Charity supporting half a million Australian sufferers and carers of RA Dragon Claw Charity.

This wonderful organisation which runs almost entirely on partnerships with private organisations, some funding but incredibly with the hard work and passion from it’s three Executive Directors supports not only the half a million australians, but those who support, work with and care for them - plus the millions of others around the world with this condition.

The website provides excellent advice, support and importantly a real connections with other sufferers where the real magic takes place.

Welcome to the show, Founder Michael Gill, former Strategic Director of Cisco Systems, Susan Hughes co-founder, formerly Corporate Business Development executive and Marketing Director Terry Jones former global advertising executive including Advertising consultant for Westpac bank.

• Why have you established this charity?
• Why is it called Dragon Claw?
• What were your backgrounds in business and how do you use your experience in managing the business of a charity?
• What are the benefits of managing a charity business compared to your corporate work?
• What would you say to other charities about how you maintain accountability and transparency for your charity business?

Thanks everyone and if you would like to know more about Dragon Claw go to dragonclaw.net or enquiriesinfo@dragonclaw.net

How does ASIC work to support the small business community?

Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 18 June 2019

Sometimes large government organisations can seem untouchable or completely out of touch with the everyday workings of small business. Whilst we toil to be the engine room of the economy it can sometimes seem that they are tying us up with the silly string … red tape.

But that is rapidly changing as government bodies like ASIC and ATO  reach out to us to educate on us on their workings and strategies to support the vast majorities of small businesses who are doing the right thing. What used to be secretive bureaucracies are slowly realising the importance of explaining to small businesses, in clear, simple terms why they do what they do, and how ultimately creating a level playing field is best for all of us.

Today we welcome Warren Day, Executive Director of Assessment & Intelligence at ASIC who’s here to explain how ASIC works with small business through controlling registrations, transitioning sole traders into company status and importantly, helping us understand the responsibilities when becoming a director of our company.

Welcome to the show Warren.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• Who is ASIC and how are we working to make business and company registration easier for small business?
• Business name and company registration – now register online & national, legal name vs trading name (bit technical), costs, find business.gov.au
• Why does ASIC get involved with the small business community as opposed to the big boys?
• What are the most common questions small businesses have about registering a company?
  • How to choose which structure is best for a business
  • What about the transition from sole trader to Pty Ltd
• Which sectors typically have difficulty with business registrations, transitions & issues they faceWhat are the basic legal requirements for company directors? What are the common challenges we see?
  • What are the company director’s responsibilities?
  • What mistakes does ASIC see directors make?
  • What are the company director’s responsibilities?
  • What are the liability when things go wrong? What does it mean when you’re liable as a Director? > Google search results around small business and company directors
  • Lots of stories to tell

• If you want to close your business what’s the best way to do this?
  • Deregistration – the right way to do this

• What is illegal phoenix, the warning signs and where to report it if you suspect it is happening?
  • Working with ATO, what does ASIC look for - rebirthing
  • How to report it
  • Assetless Administration Fund – supporting liquidators in their role to investigate
  • Level playing field – what does ASIC’s court action do for the business community, ponzi schemes

ASIC small business tips

96% of all companies and businesses registered with ASIC are considered small businesses, with fewer than 20 employees.  If you run, or are looking to start, a small business, check you follows these tips:

• register a business name via the Business Registration Service. Need help? See the support for business names page for step-by-step user guides.
• find out best business structure for your business. ASIC explains the benefits and disadvantages of each business structure here. Business.gov.au also has a great 'Help me decide' tool that can help you work out the business structure that will best suit your needs.
• know your legal requirements by reading ASIC’s simple guidance to check your business or company complies with requirements under Australian law.
• understand your key responsibilities as a director or find out how to become a company director on ASIC’s website. As a director, you must be fully up-to-date on what your company is doing, including its financial position and question managers and staff about how the business is going.
• be aware of Illegal phoenix activity, read about the warning signs and find out where to report it.
• keep up to date with InFocus, ASIC’s monthly newsletter for the small business community. It provides ASIC-related news, and important information and reminders about company and business name matters.

Visit https://asic.gov.au/for-business/small-business/ for an overview of resources, tools and services ASIC offer.

Warren Day - Victorian Regional Commissioner and Executive Director, Assessment & Intelligence

As well as being Regional Commissioner for Victoria Warren is Executive Director for ASIC's Assessment & Intelligence group, which includes ASIC's Misconduct & Breach Reporting, Licensing and Small Business Compliance & Deterrence teams. Warren formed and leads ASIC's Office of the Whistleblower (since February 2014) and ASIC's Office of Small Business (since February 2017).

Warren joined ASIC in 2003 as a Senior Lawyer in Enforcement and from 2007, was the Specialist Director, Investor and Consumer Protection. Warren has led investigations about consumer protection, credit and unlicensed conduct and illegal schemes.

He was appointed Regional Commissioner for Victoria in October 2008 and in addition became the SEL of Assessment & Intelligence (and its predecessor group) in 2009.  Before joining ASIC, Mr Day worked as a solicitor at Clayton Utz and as an auditor and analyst at the Australian Taxation Office.

He holds undergraduate and Masters qualifications in the disciplines of Accounting and Law and a Masters degree in Business Information Technology.

How to successfully implement change in your business

Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 11 June 2019

Flexible, adaptable and nimble: the strengths of small business and something in which we take pride in. We also know that evolving along with software is a better and more efficient way to work. So why do we fear change and the implementation in our business? Are we avoiding putting off our clients with a new process? Is it our employees who are nervous of change or is it just us… who’s stuck in our own self-made rut, avoiding change because of the fear of something new?

Change management in the corporate world is handled by entire consulting firms like KPMG or Deloitte. It’s hard enough in small business to keep on top of existing processes and procedures let alone creating what we could potentially be unnecessary change for ourselves, our clients  and our staff. But we are constantly bombarded with the latest apps, latest best practices and ever-evolving compliance changes from one govt organisation or another which means we need to adapt and change.

Good news, there is help at hand. Donnie Buchanan is an expert in his field who supports small and medium sized businesses to navigate this change and support them through the process. After working at Xero to implement complex and compliant heavy software into large accounting firms he knows the most practical way to break down the steps of change management and avoid putting all your stakeholders offside.

Welcome to the show Donnie.

Topics we’ll be covering:

Why hire a consultant when you’re undergoing change?

• Consultants offers an external point of view, honesty in the process & they’ve seen it before across different industries
• How to find one? Tap into your network, do you need someone with Industry specific experience?
• What does a transformation consultant do and why do you need one in your suite of experts.
• There is constant change in every industry and these experts are tapped in – seriously you don’t have time to explore all the options.
• They should have People skills, change management, empathy (breaking down the barriers, repau, building relationships)
• A consultant should offer a template for the process. But if you’d rather do it yourself Project management templates can be found online but they can be different so might take time to find yourself.

The 4 P’s - Product

• What are we trying to achieve with this change? Are you introducing a new product? Product improvement? Improving efficiency or processes?

The 4 P’s - Platform

• g. The difference between a crappy CRM excel spreadsheet to SalesForce
• This is crucial
• The investment isn’t in the cost of the platform, its in the TIME for your team
• Duplicated databases is a real issue
• You’re probably only going to “test’ 25% of the product
• Many people try free trials and it lasts a couple of weeks and give up
• Software vendors such as at conferences might upsell you, not mention what it’s not capable of, leads to frustration & loss of time & month
• Allow time to explore product
• Your change will affect your clients’ engagement in your product.
• How do they respond? What will this product do to the way they engage with you and your products
  • g. an accounting firm moving to Xero

The 4 P’s - People involved in implementation

• OK, you’ve made a decision. Accounting firm is Using Xero now
• Who’s using it? Who WAS the expert in the last piece of software?
• Different ways of rolling it out
  • One staff member might learn it and pass it on
  • You might go away
  • Put aside a whole day (there is where a consultant can shorten the time it takes) They analyse who’s doing what, where the efficiencies lie, and where the money can be saved.
• Perception - Fear in your workplace that this change means automation and they could be made redundant
• This is a real balancing act – an empathetic consultant recognises that people are nervous and balancing a personalities. Can I do this? If I can’t learn this in time

The 4 P’s - Process of product delivery – bouncing between people and processes

• Why you know who does what and
• Its essentially a flowchart of work
• Be kind; you won’t have a process for everything from the beginning. You need to learn the
• Find the repetitive tasks to automate that process first
• Think back to your customer impact.
  • Is it going to add more steps for the client to pay us
  • Think about customer experience

 

To find out more go to their website: http://www.entrycounts.com/

 

All About Donnie Buchanan

Known as a mover and a shaker, Donnie likes to help people transform their business and their mindset.

For over 7 years, he has helped businesses and accounting firms maximise opportunities, cut costs and achieve thier goals.

Specialising in Xero, he has worked with clients from all fields, all shapes and sizes and with all different personalities.

He uses a methodology he calls the "4 P's" to ensure the clients transformation is as successful and as headache free as possible.

He loves to see things change for the better.