Small Biz Matters: People, Policy, Purpose.

Teaching Your Kids about Everyday Cashflow

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 October 2018

From invoicing to cash flow to bill paying, one of the many strengths (and hats) we have as small business owners is keeping on top of our business’ finances. If we do it in-house we often run our family’s finances too. Now, that can go one of two ways: we’re either sick of dealing with numbers and run away from it in ALL aspects of our lives or we’re pretty good at it and the household budget is smooth sailing.

 

This strength and knowledge can and should be taught to our kids - they look up to us as business owners and admire us for being in charge of our own business and inherently, the “books”. But not all of us run a teaching small business so how are we supposed to know the best way to teach our kids about money?

 

Joining us today is Ray Trevisan, Director at OTG Capital and an expert in getting yours and your family’s finances in order to chat about driving this tough road without hitting too many familiar speed bumps!

 

Welcome to the show Ray.

 

Topics we’ll be covering:

 

• Children of just about all ages need guidance and counsel from their parents/guardians about how best to handle money.
• The Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) recently released an excellent eBooklet that outlines some great tips on how to talk to children about money.
• They’ve segmented their information to address 3 different age groups that include:
  • Children (4 to 8)
  • Tweens (9 to 12)
  • Teens (13 to 18)
• Packed with handy hints, Ray Trevisan, who is a licensed FP and a member of the FPA, will discuss some great ways to engage in discussions with our children that makes sense and will provide a great foundation for both child and parent that will put them in good stead for their future.

 

To find out more go to their website: https://www.otgcapital.com.au/single-post/2018/10/03/Teach-your-children-well

The Role of Innovation and the Small Business Economy

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: 9 October 2018

It’s an age-old question; should business or government drive innovation? Whose responsibility is it to support those emerging businesses who have discovered a gap in the market but may not have the resources to meet the demand?

 

And similarly should it be the role of big business to support small enterprises with this potential or should small business be left to their own devices; to sink or swim on their own self made vision?

 

Today we are joined by Jono Herrman; Chair of the North Sydney Innovation Network who is here to tell us about their work and how they interact with government and enterprise to foster innovation.

 

Welcome to the show Jono.

 

Topics we’ll be covering:

 

• What’s the role of an Innovation Network in the small business community?
  • How does the network interact with Govt at the local and state level?
• Tell us about the recent reports around Innovation and Productivity Scorecard which was released in August?
  • Innovation prescincts    
  • What is monitored in this data?
  • How does the Northern Sydney area compare with previous years’ data and what major fluctuations have been noted?
  • How do we compare with similar areas of Sydney?
• What can small businesses do to foster innovation in their area or even within their own business to tap into the opportunities it offers?
  • What can local and state governments do to improve innovation opportunities in their own areas?
  • Are these lacking in our area of Sydney in your opinion?
• Tell us about some of the the excellent events on the Innovation Network calendar and how the listeners can find out more??

 

To find out more go to their website: http://www.northsydneyinnovation.org/

Publishing your story... from Inspiration to Celebration in print

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 October 2018

We’re not great at cheering ourselves on nor celebrating the journey that is running a successful small business. Isn’t it lovely that someone like Charles Fairlie has done just that. After experiencing true pride in his father, a successful business owner in his own right achieve amazing things in his life and as a yacht builder he was inspired to write about him and others too.

When I first heard about the book 50 Unsung Business Heroes I realised it was a very unique published work. Not only does the book sing the praises of small business entrepreneurs and those who have risen to the top of their field but it equally celebrates the successes and some of their failures.

It’s also a unique business model; a fascinating way to advertising yourself and position yourself as the expert in your field. Charles Fairlie is the Publisher and Author of 50 Unsung Business Heroes and joins us today in the studio.

Welcome to the show Charles.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• Tell our listeners about the evolution of your book and how your passion for telling the small business heroes story evolved
• The growth of the storytelling from the starting point of your father, your inspiration
• Why in your opinion are genuine connections so important in this tech world we live in?
• The “backlash” against social media and the disconnect small businesses feel in that environment
• What to expect if you’re dabbling with writing a book
• The ins and outs of publishing, pitfalls and joys
• The different models of book publishers
• The movement back to print from your perspective
   

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

Small Business Updates from ATO & Small Biz Matters: Single Touch Payroll

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 September 2018

I'm proud to announce that Small Biz Matters is now working with the Australian Taxation Office to provide regular updates on how they supports small business including having regular ATO representatives speaking on the show! Today we’re joined by John Shepherd an expert in Single Touch Payroll  to chat about how this big change will affect you as a small business.

Welcome to the show John.

Discussion Points:

• Single Touch Payroll is the largest change to payroll and overhaul of the Tax System since the GST.
  • Why has this been initiated?
  • What is the ATO hoping to achieve with these changes?
• For a small business with up to 19 or fewer employees for example when does this start and what changes do they need to make in their payroll processes to be compliant?
  • Take us through the steps to be ready
  • What takes place in the end of financial year finalisation process?
• Will this change anything about the way we work with contractors as opposed to employees?
• How will this impact employees and what can small business do to inform employees of the changes?
• What resources does the ATO provide to support small businesses in these changes?
• What do you say to those employers and employees who have concerns about their data protection?

 

John Shepherd, Assistant Commissioner – Australian Taxation Office.

John is the Program Lead for Single Touch Payroll.

John has performed a number of senior roles in his 27 years with the ATO, leading significant change programs and projects seeking to improve the client experience. Playing an active role in the implementation of SuperStream, John also led the delivery of a number of other super reform initiatives, including driving online superannuation account consolidation.

John has been a passionate Movember ambassador since 2009, the ATO team he leads raised over $40,000 last year.

John holds a Masters of Taxation and is based in Canberra.

To find out more go to their website: https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Single-Touch-Payroll/

Going it Alone - An interview with Robert Gerrish, Author of Flying Solo: How to go it alone in business & The 1 minute Commute

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 September 2018

There are certain experts in our small business community who truly are leaders in their field, and this week’s guest is someone who has really walked in the shoes of small businesses. Robert Gerrish is one of the leading experts in Australia when it comes to Home Based Businesses. Formally successful in the marketing & advertising space he started the well known Flying Solo entreprise, which began as a support forum website & evolved into a magazine with a huge membership base of over 100k members. These sort of numbers indicating the real need for support and education, which home based businesses still lack.

Welcome to the show Robert.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• Why I wrote this book
  • Tell us about your Small Business journey
  • Your inspiration and former experience which gave you the expertise to share with your readers
• The biggest challenges home based businesses have (and how to overcome them)
  • Mental Health issues, the isolation
  • Distancing yourself from the home as a place you live to enable you to focus on a place where you can work.
  • Bleeding into family time
• What are the main considerations when setting up a business from home
  • Different councils having differing allowances and regulations when it comes to setting up a business
  • Being organised and time management
  • Remembering the importance of ergonomic workspace and your obligations if you have employees in your home
• How do I fill my days…  the notion of a 'portfolio business'
  • Marrying the creative and organised mind

To find out more go to their website: https://www.robertgerrish.com

 

ROBERT GERRISH ~ Bio & Introduction

Following a career in the marketing and design industry in London and Sydney, Robert made the leap to his own business in the mid 1990s.

Seeing a niche in the area of support and resources aimed at the ‘one-person business’, Robert launched the Flying Solo community in 2005.

With a small team, he grew the business to a member base of over 100,000 Australian freelancers and entrepreneurs, before selling to Pinstripe Media at the end of last year.

Back working solo, today Robert pops up regularly at conferences and events; supports individuals in the development of their ventures, and hosts a series of podcasts including: “The Business of Bookkeeping” (for First Class Accounts), “The Flying Solo Podcast” and his own “Mellow Brick Road” a new show that explores creative approaches to business.

His first book, “Flying Solo: How to go it alone in business” was a business bestseller and his latest, “The 1-Minute Commute“ was published by Pan Macmillan at the end of June.

How the State Government Supports Small 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 September 2018

• Since becoming minister for better regulation, in what ways have you helped small business through reducing red tape?

• We frequently hear when chatting to small business on the program that one of the biggest hurdles to growing a businesses is NSW Payroll Tax. It feels as though you’re just beginning to grow and then you’re penalised by employing people.

  • We have one of the highest proportions of non-employing businesses in Hornsby, could payroll tax be one of those compliance and cost hurdles stifling employment in our region? Has anyone ever examined why this is the case and thought in relation to how small businesses in your electorate can be better supported?

• It’s disappointing to see loads of co-working spaces, collaborative & networking opportunities, and innovation hubs popping up all over the city and in regional areas. When is the State Government going to support Hornsby in this way? Is this something the State Government is thinking of in support of small businesses in the outer suburbs or will these services always be city-centric?

  • We have the transport infrastructure, over 15,000 registered businesses and Hornsby could potentially be a real hub in the North Shore.

• On Sept 30th The Epping to Chatswood Line Closes. This potentially has huge ripple effects to commuting in our area as people travel through or near area. Both on road and rail lines. (Hornsby – Nth Sydney trainline, Hornsby Epping train line, traffic congestion pac hwy and Ryde Road). Apart from the additional busses being put on to service the epping chatswood route, what other contingency plans are being put in place for outer areas affected by the change.  

• What rebates and grants are currently available to small business, offered by the NSW State Government

How to communicate effectively using DISC and 6 Core Needs principals

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: 4 September 2018

The heart of selling is connections, pure and simple. They should happen organically; you either connect with someone or you don’t, right? Well, sometimes in business some inside knowledge about human characteristics can go a long way to help that connection get started.

Today we welcome Graham Elliott, an expert in DISC and the 6 Core Needs Principles to help us to read and recognise these characteristics we all possess at those first few moments of connecting. We are involved in so many connections as small business owners and knowing the principles of DISC and the 6 Core Needs may help you to see your own strengths and weaknesses in these relationships.  

Welcome to the show Graham.

DISC system

• Step 1 - Step into their world - Take me through the DISC model and how through just two questions to help identify the dominant energy
• How can you use this in those first few moments to read them and connect more effectively   
  • What is their energy like - speaking quickly or slowly
  • Ask a simple question on how their day is to see how they connect with you
  • It’s the part you can see - behaviour and the external
• The Elevator example
• Small startup/pitch example
  • D & I are future focussed - they won’t care that you’re new,
    • D - they just want you to tell them if your product tells them where they want to go. They want you to get to the point. It’s a different conversation; can you solve their problem or not? So you have a conversation to find out their needs.
  • I - energy loves fun and gets excited about you and your product.
  • S & C will care if you’re new
    • S - driven by certainty and you have to testimonials and referrals are very important to them. So is more process focussed so they feel safe & comfortable
    • C - also important to have existing happy clients but they are more technical. They want the methodical knowledge & understanding. They like rules & theories to test if something works. You can lose it hello if you touch them!
  • Firstly recognise where you sit in the DISC model
  • Take the time to know yourself so you can compare to those you meet. You can recognise quickly if you’re going to connect with them when you meet, this can save time
• You buy from people you know, like and trust and you get to that through 2 questions
  • Are they like me?
  • Do they get me?

6 Core Needs - Tony Robbins

Talking through about this model and how does DISC and 6 Core Needs work together to drive decision making - all emotional decisions are made first and then we use the intellectual side to reinforce or justify those decisions we made emotionally in the first place.

• 6 core needs = emotional needs we try and meet consistently but we try subconsciously.
  • First 4 are the needs of the person
    • Certainty & Variety
    • Significance & Connection
  • Needs of the spirit
    • Growth & Contribution
  • The way you meet these needs is important and if you can meet all six (relationship, hobby, job) you’re fulfilled.
• Balance is important as everyone is different - and this is where the DISC comes in (give some examples here)

So why is this important to be aware of these aspects of characteristics. We have all four but why do we need to know the dominance of ourselves, and those we work with in your business?

• The way you meet people when you network
• When you’re presenting/training
• When you’re in a management role
• The selling environment
• When you’re hiring new staff
• When you’re firing staff
• Building relationships with clients and all those around you

 

How can a good well, trained coach with a knowledge of these characteristics improve/ make you more effective in your business?

• Being aware of where you sit
• Recognising the weaknesses in your own characteristics and how to improve them

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

Bio:

Sales Training - Consistent Sales Results - Major Account Sales Strategy  

I have over 30 years experience working in direct sales, and sales management. I have primarily worked in the business to business area, and also have experience of business to government and selling directly to consumers. I teach people proven techniques that provide consistent sales growth.

How consistent are your sales results?

Often I find that good salespeople have inconsistent results. This impacts their ability to generate income for themselves and the business they are in. I work with people to show them the causes and teach simple, proven techniques that deliver consistent results.

What do you need help with?

• Consistent results
• Strategies for complex accounts
• Techniques to reach decision makers
• How to avoid discounting
• Cold-calling
• How to build trust with clients
• How to build long-term relationships

What is my offer?

One on one training tailored to your needs:

I will discuss your target outcomes and establish a training plan to deliver them.

For more details: https://gelliottassociates.com/coaching-packages/

Team training:

Every member of a team has a contribution to make. In this training, we will look at the causes of communication issues within the team and outside. Training the sales team together sets-up team bonding and brainstorming opportunities.

For more details: https://gelliottassociates.com/sales-training/

Strategic development:

Using my proven 7 step programme, we will go through a strategic action plan to build consistent sales growth into your business.

For more details: https://gelliottassociates.com/contact/

Want to know more?

Call: 0405 990 338

Email: graham@getraining.com.au

Visit: www.getraining.com.au

The fabulous world of Processes and Procedures

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: 28 August 2018

My regular listeners will know I adore processes and procedures and really believe they are the backbone to a business’ success and growth. But let’s be practical. Where does one start with automation? Do you need to know all the universe’s apps before choosing one? And which aspect of your business should you systemise first? Well, here to help us is an expert in the Tools of Business. Mohamed has been working with a variety business large and small across the world to get this aspect of business growth under control.

Welcome to the show Mohamed.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• Broadly your small business journey and what led you to start your own business
  • Your journey from South Africa and the comparison between the two countries when it comes to running your own business
  • Your previous experience as a financial advisor
  • What led you to think this was where small business really needed support?
• In your experience what sort of tedious tasks should a business try and remove from the day to day running of a business and get automated FIRST and what’s the best way of going about this?
• Competing with the best experience a customer has ever had
  • What do you mean by this term?
• Business Structures/Operating types (we're not talking a sole trader or company structure)
  • At what stage of your business journey do you need to be aware of this?
• Business Scalability and why it’s important to have your procedures and processes in place before you scale…or is it?
  • Why do you think the attitude of “surviving the future” is such an important part of running a business?

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

How to Improve your Personal Branding to Embark into Social Selling

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: 21 August 2018

Personal Branding and Social Selling are two buzzwords at the moment which are somehow connected. A unique company brand is needed to differentiate the offering and communicate with potential customers, but creating a proper personal brand is also important in a small business. Social Selling comes from the enterprise world with their large sales departments. How does that apply to small businesses?

Let’s ask an active networker and LinkedIn expert who is using social media and digital tools to sell services to small and medium customers in Australia. Gunnar Habitz is a regular to Triple H being featured already talking about his cloud services.

Welcome to the show again, Gunnar.

1.     How to differentiate a company brand from a personal brand?

• People still do business with people in companies, not with the company
• Personal Branding is about what the individual can do for others in their view
• “personal” stands for art and story, “brand” shows the packaging
• Which problems do you solve so that your customers move from solved pain points to a state of comfort and are willing to refer you further

2.     How to differentiate versus the competitors?

• Use creativity and storytelling to stand out within the crowd
• The LinkedIn profile includes rich media and creative case studies
• Add videos in the LinkedIn summary to show the real person behind
• Great example for differentiation is the boutique law form Lawthentic

3.     Any further tips after applying all the rules for personal branding?

• Consistency is key, therefore reserve possible names on all social platforms
• Setup a Google Alert for the own name to see search performances accordingly
• Blogging on the own website helps to position with thought leadership
• Check the current state of your brand on www.brandyourself.com

4.     How should I choose which social media is the right channel?

• You need to know more channels than a TV station provides
• Every target audience group hangs out in different places
• If the prospects are on Instagram and the providers post only on Facebook, then they are missing their potential clients
• Twitter is rarely used by small businesses, but helps to find out which topics are discussed, also a good way to check if the own offering is in demand

5.     What is Social Selling as it sounds for many like selling products via Amazon?

• A combination of social media, digital tools and the traditional channels to advance the sales and business agenda
• It is about finding people online, connect with them, educate them, engage with them and developing your network
• Never connect with anybody without providing a personalised invite
• Combine online and offline with networking events of other meetings

6.     How to provide well perceived value to people you don’t know?

• Creating own unique content is one of the best ways to achieve regular attention of a living brand
• Posts of 600 to 900 words can cover current events, provocative headlines and valuable insight into topics for the target audience
• Creating long-format articles on LinkedIn Pulse shows credibility and are visible in the “articles” section while daily posts won’t be easily found afterwards
• Good example is web developer Kevin Fouche of Pixelfish

7.     How to position yourself between your self-produced content

• You complement own expertise by curating from others as context is king
• Most target audiences perceive surrounding thoughts as a positive gesture
• Important to tag the respective content owners and related associations
• People like to conduct business with people who they know, like, trust – and who inspire, educate and entertain them

8.     How do you measure those efforts?

• The LinkedIn Social Selling Index (SSI, www.linkedin.com/sales/ssi) has four equal categories up to a maximum of 100
• Many believe they are already Social Selling just by having a high number
• The target is to turn an initial online conversation into offline appointments by phone or meeting with the right prospect at the right time
• Social Selling doesn’t replace using the phone, rather complements it

9.     What can you offer our listeners from Small Biz Matters?

• I run a two-step “Social Selling Mentoring Activity” with two calls or meetings
• The first checkpoint covers the existing personal brand vs. the desired targets
• My clients apply the provided activity worksheets within three weeks
• Then we capture the improvements and prepare the future journey

About Gunnar Habitz

Coming initially from a family business background, Gunnar has a passion for helping service professionals with the transformation of modern workplaces using new technologies. After moving from Switzerland to Sydney in 2016, he enjoys connecting people and is a regular guest at networking events such as the NSW Business Chamber or BNI.

Gunnar is blogging about productivity tools, personal branding, sustainable networking, sales excellence and leadership without management. At the Institute of Managers and Leaders (IML) he is mentoring the next generation of leaders. As a published author of 15 books in German, his first book contribution in English has been launched in August under the title “Leaders of Influence”. Currently he is on a mission to help businesses discovering the possibilities of social selling.

www.gunnarhabitz.com.au, www.linkedin.com/in/gunnarhabitz

Interview with SQUARE

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: 14 August 2018

Innovation and technology ….  Many small businesses would be surprised in the variety of ways we already implement many aspects of our small business. We use smart phones and tablets, cloud drives and some of us even used cloud based accounting. There’s many ways we can utilise it better to save time and money.

From using little of it only 10 years ago, small businesses in Australia are world renown for being fast adopters of digital technology and the most innovative when it comes to technology implementation in their businesses.,  Whether it be cloud based accounting solutions, hardware to improve payments, sales analytics and everything in between Square can be one of those powerful tools your business can use to be faster and smarter.

Today we welcome Ben Pfisterer, the Head of Asia Pacific & Australia Country Manager at Square to chat all about how we can improve our payment services to make them faster and more efficient.

Welcome to the show Ben.
 

• Square is a relatively new company starting only 9 years ago. Broadly tell me about the their  own small business journey and why SQUARE is so passionate about supporting Small Business
  • Finding a gap in the market with small businesses reluctant to go cap-in-hand to the banks asking for an archaic eftpos machine
• “Getting paid quicker and not “missing out on sales” was how Square started. Does that remain the cornerstone of the relationship with your customers?
  • How it began as a fairy (unattractive) credit card reader
  • Developing more and more sales analytics to support small businesses with their business growth
  • Now diversifying into payroll software, invoicing and working with existing

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