Small Biz Matters: People, Policy, Purpose.

Implementing Technology

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 November 2017

Technology plays a crucial role in small businesses. This week we discuss the time it takes to implement new technology, the cost of technology and how to choose the right software for your business.

• Update on events in the Hornsby area
• Wrap up of previous shows
• Implementing technology in your business
  • Who to ask in order to research? other small businesses, networking groups
  • How does a lack of time impede our ability to implement technology?
  • Where to look for the best apps – insidesmallbusiness, smh small business, itunes ratings, newsletters
  • The importance of having a good, notable accounting system
  • Ask yourself does this software solve a problem? Marketing, finance, CRM?
  • Does this software fit in my current processes & skill level?
  • Time management once you’ve decided on which tech software to use for your business – allocate the time & decide with implementation and ask if you need to outsource this – what’s the cost?
  • Is this technology going to evolve with your business - be prepared for change. Ask your mentor!

Discrimination and Harassment in the Workplace

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: 7 November 2017

In the third interview in this series; Small Biz Matters brings back a local expert on Employment Law; Michelle Archer from Archer Law practice based in Hornsby. After the response from the last podcast I’m pleased to welcome back a true, local expert on the subject. So welcome to the show and thanks for sharing all of your knowledge with us this morning.

WHAT IS DISCRIMINATION?

Direct discrimination is where a person with a particular characteristic is treated less favourably than a person or persons without that characteristic.

Some of the specific characteristics or “grounds” covered by Federal Acts include:

•             Race – Racial Discrimination Act 1975;

•             Age – Age Discrimination Act 2004;

•             Disability - Disability Discrimination Act 1992

•             Sex (gender), sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, marital or relationship status, pregnancy or potential pregnancy, breastfeeding or family responsibilities – Sex Discrimination Act 1984

Also note section 351 of the Fair Work Act 2009:

Section 351 of the FWA states:

(1)           An employer must not take adverse action against a person who is an employee, or prospective employee, of the employer because of the person's race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, family or carer's responsibilities, pregnancy, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin.

Indirect Discrimination can also happen when a practice or policy may on its fact appear non-discriminatory or neutral, but which may have a disproportionate detrimental effect on a person/persons with a particular characteristic.

WHAT IS HARASSMENT?

By far, the most common form of harassment is sexual harassment.   Survey results in a 2014 guideline published by the Human Rights Commission, indicates that one in five (21%) of people (including both men and women) reported being sexually harassed in the workplace in the previous 5 years, that 79% of the harassers were men and almost one-quarter of the victims were men.  

The SDA states that a person sexually harasses another person if:

“(a)  the person makes an unwelcome sexual advance, or an unwelcome request for sexual favours, to the person harassed; or

(b)  engages in other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature in relation to the person harassed;

in circumstances in which a reasonable person, having regard to all the circumstances, would have anticipated the possibility that the person harassed would be offended, humiliated or intimidated.”

Note that there does not have to be repeated behaviour, one incident is enough to breach the section, however most cases involve repeated behaviour which often escalates over time.  But whether one incident or many, employers are obliged to treat all allegations seriously.

The SDA provides some of the circumstances to consider as to whether sexual harassment has occurred including, but not limited to:

“(a)  the sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, marital or relationship status, religious belief, race, colour, or national or ethnic origin, of the person harassed;

(b)  the relationship between the person harassed and the person who made the advance or request or who engaged in the conduct;

(c)  any disability of the person harassed;

(d)  any other relevant circumstance.”

Also note the definition of "conduct of a sexual nature" includes;

“making a statement of a sexual nature to a person, or in the presence of a person, whether the statement is made orally or in writing.”

WHAT IS BULLYING AT WORK?

Unlike sexual harassment bullying requires repeated unreasonable behaviour.  The bullying jurisdiction under the Fair Work Act 2009, does not directly allow for any claims for compensation but does allow a worker to apply to the Fair Work Commission for orders for the bullying to stop.  Before orders are made, the FWC will usually require that the person has first tried to resolve the situation internally and if unsuccessful, the FWC will conduct private conciliation.

The definition is found in section 789FD

(1)          A worker is bullied at work if:

(a)          while the worker is at work in a constitutionally-covered business:

(i)  an individual; or

(ii)  a group of individuals;

repeatedly behaves unreasonably towards the worker, or a group of workers of which the worker is a member; and

(b)  that behaviour creates a risk to health and safety.

(2)          To avoid doubt, subsection (1) does not apply to reasonable management action carried out in a reasonable manner.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO AVOID DISCRIMINATION/HARASSMENT AND BULLYING IN THE WORKPLACE?

•             The first and most important reason is that it can result in very real and long-lasting psychological damage in the person being harassed.  It sends a message that that person is not valued and is incredibly destructive to confidence and trust of workers in their fellow workers and in their employer.  There have even been incidents where young persons have committed suicide following repeated bullying at work.

•             A workplace without these issues is a more inclusive and productive workplace and a better place for everyone to work. 

•             Protection for the employer against claims.  Compensation in discrimination claims is increasing and presents a real liability risk. An employer can be sued if discrimination/harassment is taking place.  If you as an employee are the perpetrator then you will not be very popular with your employer if they are sued because of your behaviour.

•             Protection for the employee against sanction from the employer for misconduct.  Engaging in discriminatory conduct can be grounds for dismissal without notice.  This can have flow on effects for an employee’s entitlements, reputation and career.

•             Protection for the employee against claims made directly against the employee. Both the employer and the employee can be sued for sexual harassment. Damages for discrimination matters are increasing and general damages over $100,000 have been awarded in the last few years. This is in addition to any economic loss that may be suffered.

EXAMPLES FROM THE CASES

•             Compensation for sexual harassment

This is an important recent landmark case which has significantly increased general damages for discrimination/harassment cases.

The Applicant was a senior executive with Oracle.  She was working with another executive named Mr Tucker.  The Court accepted that Mr Tucker repeatedly sexually harassed Ms Richardson over a six month period and found he engaged in conduct on 11 separate occasions which involved sexually suggestive remarks in private and in public, text messages and calls.  Ms Richardson repeatedly rebuffed him and the behaviour continued.  Ms Richardson tried to informally complain but this was not successful and an investigation was launched.  Mr Tucker apologised and was given counselling.  Ms Richardson was removed from the projects she was working on, to remove her from Mr Tucker’s presence but believing she had been demoted, eventually resigned.  The Court found that she had not been demoted but awarded $18,000 for psychological injuries suffered for the sexual harassment.

On appeal the Full Court of the Federal Court said that such an amount was out of step with community standards and significantly increased the award to $100,000.  In this case the employer accepted vicarious liability and therefore was ordered to pay this amount although Mr Tucker was also personally sued.  If the employer had not accepted that it was possible that Mr Tucker would have been ordered to pay this amount.

•             Termination for racial/religious comments.  Recent case.

A worker sent an email to a large group of persons in the workplace which suggested Islam was a religion of violence and which attached a slideshow which in the words of the FWC could:

“fairly be characterised as advancing a case through words and pictures that Islam is an aggressive and violent religion which constitutes a threat to the civilized world.”

The Employer terminated the employment of the worker.  The worker made an unfair dismissal claim. 

The sending of the email was found to be a valid reason for dismissal (although compensation was awarded to the worker based on other reasons)

Anderson v Thiess Pty Ltd [2015] FWCFB 478 (Ross J, Hatcher VP, Simpson C, 30 January 2015).

•             Compensation for “sex romp prank”.

Two workers set up a room as if a “sex romp” had taken place and told their cleaner colleague that two other employees were having an affair and had used the room for that purpose.  The Applicant believed that this had happened and he cleaned up the room.

Two days later the applicant was told by his colleagues that it was a prank and that the sex romp had not actually taken place.  The Court accepted that the cleaner was deeply humiliated and distressed by the prank.  The Court rejected claims by the workers that they only “wanted a laugh” and that the cleaner had accepted their “joke”.

The Court found that the intention was to humiliate the cleaner and that his “acceptance” of the joke was his way of coping with the humiliation.  The Court ordered the employer AND the workers to pay the application more than $150,000 in compensation.

HOW TO AVOID DISCRIMINATORY CONDUCT

•             Use common sense – don’t make jokes based on race, sex or age.

•             Recognise that people who are offended or upset by discriminatory comments often don’t speak up due to embarrassment or fear.  Don’t assume that because someone laughs or does not object they are not hurt or offended.

•             If you see/hear behaviour that is not appropriate, say something.  It is important that everyone work to create a culture which is inclusive and free from discrimination.  It is often hard for the victim to speak up and make complaints so calling out behaviour when it occurs creates a better culture.

•             Be careful at work functions especially if alcohol is being served.  Work functions are notorious for inappropriate interactions and you can easily get into difficult territory when people’s inhibitions are compromised.

•             Sexual content and emails – just don’t!!  Don’t access inappropriate information at work, don’t send it to anyone and don’t forward anything you receive. 

•             Be careful with social media.  There are cases where posts on social media even when done outside of work hours have been cause for dismissal and upheld by the FWC.   Don’t be friends with people at work if you are going to vent about the boss or staff members! 

Speaking from the Heart - Transforming Your Message with Your Body and Voice

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: 10 October 2017

Presentation skills…. Not generally considered the forte of small business. But in this age of “genuine connections”, face-to-face networking events and the perfect pitch nailing your message is crucial to getting out there and being heard.

There's a lot of noise online and it's difficult to cut through; we can learn the tricks of this trade easily enough but being present in the room with a potential client or business connection is a harder skill to master. Well, luckily we have an help today for our small business listeners.

Dr Gary Wohlman is one such expert, here to share his  wealth of expertise and years of experience working with individuals, consultants as communications skills coach, bringing people's voice and message out into the world as they've always dreamed possible.

Welcome to the show, Gary.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• Integrating the 3V’s of communication – the Verbal, Vocal & Visual components, delivering your key messages with greater ease, efficiency and inspiring your listeners to action.
• Developing Self-Talk to empower presentations on all stages of your life - Practice 3 keywords and matching gestures you came up with as a way of ‘getting into the zone’ instantly just before speaking or making a presentation, so what you say and how you say it are in tune and aligned – making it easier than ever for you to reach people with your intended message. Feel free to contact me for further assistance in matching your verbal message with your physical delivery, and watch your business and relationships soar.
• The Grid System for ‘walking your talk’ as you place each key PEA (Point, Example, Application) in specific spots on whatever stage you are on, to clearly choreograph your communication and streamline remembering your content, while simultaneously training your audiences to easily grasp what you are talking about as you move consistently through these same spots during any live presentations you give.
• The “Modeling the Hero” exercise to reclaim disowned qualities projected onto heroes, role models and mentors

Other questions:

1) How do you see yourself as a transformational presentation coach?

2) Give us a sound bite of the type of presentation breakthroughs your clients typically have through working with you…

3) What is one of your most powerful tools you can guide our listeners through, to enhance the impact and effectiveness of their live presentations?

4) Tell us what you mean by the 3 V's of communication…

5) What is the Hero exercise?

6) What is one further tip you'd like to share with our audience?

7) What upcoming workshops do you have where people can have an opportunity for a presentation breakthrough?

8) What other means of support can you offer our listeners to help them bring out their voice and message into the world as the've dreamed possible?

To find out more, visit Dr Gary’s website : www.mypresentationdoctor.com

While living in the United States, Gary graduated with honours from the esteemed Horace Mann private school, receiving the Headmasters award for the top student excelling in both academics and athletics. Graduating with a combined Pre-Med. and Psychology degree from Johns Hopkins University, Gary saw his future as a child psychiatrist and set his sights on medical school, yet felt a greater calling from the burgeoning new field of self development.

He moved to the west coast, where he pursued humanistic studies in the Human Potential movement, taking courses in San Francisco at the Californian School of Professional Psychology, which encouraged all manner of innovation. Here he developed his own system of transformational body therapy that grew over four decades into the presentation coaching that is now the Wohlman method.

In 1990, Gary was invited to visit New Zealand as a keynote conference speaker for health care professionals. As a practitioner who was accustomed to working one-on-one with clients, Gary presented in the way he knew how, by inviting individual audience members onto the stage, one by one, to work with them on the challenges they had in presenting communicating and connecting.

News of Gary’s presentations soon spread. His authentic, real life scenarios were a lively change to stultifying power point keynotes which proliferated the stage, and he was invited back to Australasia for a series of workshops. As Gary’s presentations became more popular the triad of his life – athletics, academia and self development – and his devotion to integrating body, mind and spirit – fell into place. As new frontiers opened up for his pioneering personality, he picked up his sticks and moved down under to Australia in 1997.

To Gary, unlocking the dynamic energy system by the ability to feel centred and in command had a natural synchronicity with his early acclaim as a gymnast, track star, and springboard diving champion. Integrating this physicality into the core of presentation coaching is the foundation of the Wohlman method, which was government accredited in Australia in 2002. During this same period he received a PhD in Transpersonal Psychology and Expressive Arts Therapy.

‘Getting into the zone’ is as much a part of preparing for sports competitions as for any stage presentation. In harnessing the power of the zone as an athlete, it became anchored in Gary’s mind that he needed to create tools and resources to coach individuals to connect inner purpose to outer presentation, and align intention with performance.

For Gary, there is always an overarching sense of achievement working with people to unlock the stored physical, emotional and creative energy – and release the related anxiety, tensions and self-talk holding them back.

Dr Gary’s clients generally come from two paths: firstly performers, leaders or high-profile spokespeople. Their goal is to persuade, entertain, inform or educate and leave an impression. Secondly, those that want to achieve similarly, and may be challenged in expressing themselves, lost for words, floundering for material, simply stuck or nervous.

Companies that have engaged Dr Gary include global corporations, such as Chifley, Capgemini, 3M, Xerox, Geovital, American Express, Air New Zealand, the Intercontinental hotel, Australia Post – as well as a string of not for profits, Make-a-Wish foundation amongst them, and thousands of individuals.

Dr Gary’s quest is to assist his fellow presenters find their authority, authenticity and audience engagement with the simplest, swiftest, most sustainable systems possible. “Here’s to unlocking your true self, speaking from the heart and being heard – with your fullest vitality, physical presence and connectedness – on all stages of your life. It’s an honour for me to assist you in enhancing the impact and effectiveness of your live presentations, and in bringing your voice and message out into the world as you’ve always dreamed possible”.

Marrying the Creative with the Financial Side of 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: 26 September 2017

As small businesses we need to be adaptable. We MUST be adaptable and in truth its one of our strengths. But what happens when you’re on one trajectory and you decide that headspace, that career, those clients, are not for you. Well, you adapt of course!

Today's guest has done just that, beginning his career in corporate finance he’s transitioned to a business advisor specialising in the creative space - a very different path. ….

Welcome to the show Mark.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• Broadly your small business journey and what led you to start your own business
  • Your own transition between the career path of supporting businesses through roles in accounting and CA work to the more creative side of businesses - advising, as well as marketing strategy and implementation
• Tell us about some great productivity apps you recommend to your clients to be more efficient and keep on top of their workload
  • Schedullo
  • Evernote
  • Wunderlist
  • Trello
• What’s the best way to connect those two sides - the creative and the finance - through marketing to predict and measure
  • Ask yourself - was it worth it?
  • Focus on the two very important WHYs of marketing - WHY do your customers need your product, and WHY are you marketing to them (hint: you presumably want a dollar return on your marketing investment, or some other outcome).
  • Have you conducted Beta (or A/B) testing?
  • BUT don’t use that old corporate model of one team vs another - the goal is to form an integrated marketing and finance vision within your business.
• What’s your ultimate dream?

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

Making a Business Work with Local in Mind

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: 19 September 2017

We too often leave ourselves last on the list of priorities as a small business owner. Family, clients and even our employees are treated as more important than ourselves and it means we can end up unwell or worse still, unable to work for a long period of time.

But it IS important to self-care as a business owner; for without us often there is no business, no income and for those employees, no wage!

So how DO we look after ourselves when everything else seems more important? Here to help us today is Kerri Alexander a local Naturopath and Herbalist who’s come on the show to share her expertise with us to help us self care and build long term strategies for business health!

Welcome to the show Kerri Alexander!

Topics we’ll be covering:

1. Broadly, your small business journey and what led you to start your own business?

I have always wanted to help and nurture people, to not only help them feel better but for them to be the very best that they can be. To be strong and healthy and vibrant. I always wanted to be a naturopath, but I had no idea that I could actually go to college and formally study to do so. I thought it was just something that had to be learnt through books, experience and the pearls of women’s wisdom handed down through the generations. Anyway by the time I was about halfway through my first degree, I had developed pretty bad IBS, food intolerances, had terrible headaches and anxiety as well so I took myself off to see a naturopath. It was the best thing I ever did for myself and I found myself on a path towards healing and self-discovery. At about the same time I found that Nature Care College were having an open day, so off I went and from the moment I walked in I knew that I had finally come home. This was what I wanted to be doing and sharing with the world. Not only had I experienced the incredible changes and healing that can happen when working with a naturopath, but now I could learn all of those beautiful tools and do the same for others. Once I graduated I began practicing and have been in practice ever since. Now I work from my gorgeous little home clinic in Hornsby so that not only can my patients can take a much needed break from the busyness of the world, but so that I can also be mum and work around my family.

1. The importance of good nutrition, regular exercise and self-care when working for yourself.

I know that we hear it all the time but we really are what we eat. Hippocrates wrote “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” and if you really think about it that delicious bowl of organic muesli with chia seeds, coconut yoghurt or organic yoghurt with rockmelon or whatever fruit you chose this morning will be broken down into their macro and micronutrients of proteins, complex carbohydrates, vitamin, minerals and probiotics and transported and then incorporated into every cell in your body. So if your breakfast was either nothing or a cappuccino and a muffin, you’re probably not putting yourself in the best position that you can to begin your day.

The best way and one of the simplest ways to care for yourself is to eat fresh, wholesome unprocessed foods so that you can give your body all the nutrients that you need to perform at your best. My best rule of thumb is that if your great grandmother wouldn’t recognise it as food, then you shouldn’t be eating it! And healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated at all. It can be eggs and avocado on toast, or homemade salad with some organic chicken and balsamic dressing. Make it easy and pack yourself lunch and snacks before you head out to work. Take a thermos with a ready made herbal tea so that you can sip on it through the day. Integrate herbal medicines into your daily eating with simple things like drinking nourishing herbal teas and eating the herbs that are growing in your garden. Be sure to feed yourself, if your body and mind don’t have enough fuel then you can’t be at your best, nor can you be of service to your customers

Regular exercise is essential for coping with the stress of running a small business, not only does it increase physical stamina and strength but also improves how we cope mentally and emotionally with the stress. Meditation, even if it’s only 10 minutes a day, is another excellent way to care for ourselves as small business owners and it brings clarity, focus and compassion to our day.

Regular time out can be a challenge for small business owners but is essential. Boundaries and creating time outside of work to look after yourself, to defrag and just enjoy life is extremely important. It’s really easy to get caught in the the mindset of continual overwork, but all that happens is that we become less and less productive. Time out actually increases productivity.

The key for long term success in both small business and life is ongoing self-care. Remember you are the most important asset that your business has! Exercise regularly, meditate or do yoga, eat wholesome foods and use herbs and nutrients to support your mind and body and make sure that you take regular time out to do things outside of your business. Connect with family, friends and nature. Have fun and laugh.

1. Need a boost? Here are some fantastic remedies that can help support you through the highs and lows of running a small business.

Taking care of your nervous system, brain and adrenal glands would be my best advice when running your own business. The demands and hours are long, and the body and mind need support. So my favourite herbal medicines, foods, nutrients and tips for taking care of your nervous system are would be

• Drink herbal teas that have skullcap, oats, lemon balm, chamomile and nettle in them
• Use the ginsengs, but carefully and best under the advice of a herbalist
• Take either a multivitamin or B vitamins daily
• Take magnesium daily
• Include oats in your diet
• Eat well and regularly
• Exercise

My favourites for taking care of your adrenal glands would be

• Drink licorice, rosehip or tulsi tea
• Take B vitamins daily, especially B5 and B6
• Take vitamin C daily
• Take magnesium daily
• Take regular time out
• Get a good 8 hours sleep
• Meditate
• Do yoga

My favourites for taking care of your brain would be

• Use gingko or bacopa
• Take B vitamins daily
• Meditate daily
• Do yoga

KTA Blurb:

I support, empower and guide you to be the best and most vibrant version of yourself. We all want to live the best, fullest, happiest and most delicious lives that we can, but often times we are overwhelmed or frustrated by not being able to find the right balance or advice that best suits us or our lifestyles. This is where traditional naturopathic practice and complementary healthcare is truly strong, because the holistic viewpoint allows for needs of each person to be considered and adjusted for. That is why each prescription is different, because each person has unique physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs, and that is the exquisite beauty and complexity of what we, as naturopaths, do. I see the process as creating a unique and supportive structure around each person, almost like a piece of installation art, using the tools of herbal medicine, nutritional supplements, whole foods, flower essences, exercise, yoga and meditation. So whether you suffer from digestive issues, hormonal or menstrual difficulties or you feel stressed out, overwhelmed, anxious or depressed I will support and empower you to reconnect with your body so that you can take control of your health and wellbeing on every level.

Learning from the Experts - What can Small Businsesses Learn from Executive Coaches

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: 12 September 2017

As small businesses we are constantly learning, adapting and picking up strategies from the many experts we come across. Vicki Writer is one such expert, with years of experience coaching executives to improve  their performance and she’s here to impart her wisdom and knowledge for small businesses.

Frequently we are made aware of sustainability and the importance to us as small business owners but too often leave ourselves last. When we think of sustainability we think of financial, even environmental - but we need to remember our own ability to sustain ourselves. Family, partners, even employees are put well before us and without realising it we are jeopardising not only our own wellbeing & health but our ability to sustain a business. Because too frequently in small business at the end of the day we’re it. Without us there is no business.

So to tell us a little about sustainability from a wellbeing AND financial perspective (and how the two are intrinsically linked) we welcome to the show Vicki Writer from Dare to Achieve.

Welcome to the show Vicki.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• Broadly your small business journey and what led you to start your own business in executive coaching and education
• Tell us about your model the 360 approach.
  • The 360° Solution – ‘Fit for Life’ program can help you develop a compelling and achievable plan to move you from where you are now to where you want to be, building confidence through tools and strategies to help you live your life on purpose.

We are a global speaking, consulting and performance coaching business specialising in the development of human potential.

The 360 Solution was born as a result of wanting to share my unique insights and knowledge about how to get the best out of yourself, live a happy and fulfilling life, build wellbeing, resilience and achieve your potential.

Our signature program - The 360 Solution - Fit for Life program is an online digital 'whole of life' coaching program that looks at a persons life holistically and is based on 20 years of research into motivation and human behaviour over laid with a professional career in financial services spanning 25 years.

The program follows a seven stage process that helps you create a conscious, deliberate and achievable plan for your future across all aspects of your life. Each stage of the process has a distinct set of program modules and there is continuity from one module to the next.

1. The Life Evaluation
2. The Health and Lifestyle Risk Profile
3. The Values Exploration
4. The Vision Commitment
5. The SMART Game-plan
6. The Lifestyle Continuity Plan
7. The Monitoring System

The online coaching program is available to individuals as well as businesses and has the flexibility to be white labelled and rolled out to your clients as a value added service.

In addition, the program is also being utilised by health and wellbeing professionals & employers to help build resilience, motivation,health and well being as well as improve engagement, culture and performance in the workplace.

You can preview the program by visiting our website http://tellyourlifewheretogo.com.au

We have created a range of additional online programs that can be used in isolation or used in conjunction with our Fit for Life program.

All of our programs can be found by visiting our online community www.tellyourlifewheretogo.com.au

To find out more go to their website: https://the360solution.com.au

Interview With Emma Heyde, Greens Candidate For Hornsby Mayor

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: 5 September 2017

This week on Small Biz Matters we interviewed Emma Heyde, The Greens Candidate for Hornsby Mayor, and asked her about the upcoming election and what policies she would put into action for people and small businesses of the Hornsby Shire if elected.

Better Workplace Health For Small Businesses

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: 29 August 2017

Health and wellbeing of ourselves and our employees is an aspect of running a small business which is often left last on the list. We spend more time at our desk sometimes than we do with our families and never for a moment think about the long term health implications. But the stats tell us we should, for the purposes of productivity, staff retention and having just a great place to work make this a number one priority.

So in the interest of thinking of the Health and Wellbeing of our listeners today we’re creating Better Workplace Health for Small Business and Improving the health & well-being of yourself and your employees in the office environment.  We’re focusing today on the concept of Move well, Think well and Eat well.

Welcome to the show, wellness experts, Dr Louis and Dr Engrid.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• Broadly can you guys explain the concept of Move well, Think well and Eat well and why it’s important for small business owners to be conscious of this concept for themselves and their team(louis leads)?
• As a small business owner, there is a heavy reliance on you. If you are not well physically and mentally your business suffers. There are no real off days, always constantly something to work on. So forgetting, not priorities time to invest in your health is common problem.
• That may create an environment where the workplace is unhealthy, affecting your employees.
• Loss of health is a key contributor to loss of productivity, can ultimately affect the health of your business.
• The concept of move well, think well eat well is that; Health is like a puzzle - there are many different pieces, that connect with each other to form a bigger picture.
• Health is more than just feeling and looking great, it’s about optimal function of the whole body, physically, mentally and socially. The choices you make on a day to day basis either takes you towards or away from health.
• Encouraging people to be proactive about their health and not waiting for problems to arise. Focusing on making choices that elevate their health, prevention is key. Instead of this idea of “sacrificing health in order to accumulate and make money and then sacrificing money to recuperate health.” -Dalai Lama

Move well (engrid leads):

• Our current lifestyles, involve prolonged extended periods of sitting. Even more so with technology.
• Injecting movement into your day, try not to sit for more than 40 mins
• Stand to work, sit to rest; this aid breathing & working
• standing desks are great - why?, desk setup and posture.
• But for those that don’t, some tips on proper ergonomics.
• Top of the screen should be at eye level, feet flat on floor, no crossing the legs
•       Sit yourself right in the chair first – utilise the back of the chair, bum back in the corner of the chair.
• be conscious and listen to your body if it tells you that something is uncomfortable
• Stand & walk meetings
• There’s an app from Chiropractor’s Association of Australia (CAA) which prompts you to get up and move & has pop up posture reminders (straighten up App)
• Sitright.com.au
• Straighten Up Australia for simple exercises
• Same principles apply when you are working from home!

Think well (louis leads):

• How society runs today, go go go mentality, everything is easily accessible (esp. Social media), constantly engaged, constantly stimulated.
• This has an impact on our bodies as we aren’t designed to function like that all the time.
• There is a whole branch of the NS that is dedicated to rest and digest, (down time) we should be in that state majority of the time.
• Currently society has us in this overstimulated/stressed state, causing us to be driven into a reactive mode/behaviour, constantly reacting to things which then means you aren’t being proactive.
• Stress is good for us, it can makes us clear our desk, set deadlines, be productive.
• How much stress and where stress falls in your day is important, but it can leads us to become reactive and not proactive with your business and your health.
• It’s easy for small business owners to wake up first thing in the morning,  have a cup of coffee and open your laptop and before you know it you’re addressing e-mails 6:30 in the morning and you haven’t even arrived at the office yet.
• The focus should be to break this cycle, this behaviour by introducing small steps in your routine that will help serve you to be proactive and increase productivity.
• Starting your day with structure, perhaps morning routine help get you into a productive mode.
• Gratitude mindset, start your day with 3 things you are grateful for. Studies indicate that beginning your day with gratitude can rewire your brain to have a more positive outlook on life.
• 5-10 minute meditation (Smiling mind app - guided meditation)
• Breathing exercises – it’s important for oxygenating your muscular tissues every so often and we forget that when we’re working.
• Don’t look at your phone and/or address e-mails until you’ve left the house.

Eat well (engrid leads):

• Lots of information about nutrition, diets, things you should or shouldn’t (most aren’t not sustainable)
• Stick to the basics
• Micro-nutrients, macro-nutrients
• If it grows from a plant (good), if comes from plant (not good)
• What you have probably noticed when you are stressed you often make poor choices because:
• Our response to stress – the overwhelm will create a pattern where you react (rather than proactive) , instant gratification.
• Those foods often start with a C and ends with an E  !! cookies/carbohydrates/cake/chocolate

What is it that we commonly encounter as wellness experts (louis leads)

What we commonly see in practice comes back to problems associated with how people are dealing and coping with stresses in their life.

Bear in mind everyone is different and these symptoms may be different for you. We often see with people who are overstressed or constantly in a stressed state have;

• Poor posture – your spine and nervous system is not supposed in this position (SD)
• Headaches
• Neck pain / back pain
• Irritable
• Reduction in concentration and memory.

Remember the pain is your body to trying to communicate to you to and to bring your attention to something but is not necessarily the source of the problem.

BUT not all is lost - what can you do to reverse these worsening problems? (engrid leads)

Our professional training is that we are Chiropractors, when we say that most people will immediately think of neck and back pain. Professionally we are good at helping with those problems.

Louis and I we are at Complete Health Chiropractic in Chatswood and we are passionate about:

• Helping improve the health of families of all generations by ensuring their body’s isn’t in this constant stressed, fight and flight state and that it’s functioning properly. And also showing them ways to being proactive about their health, small simple steps that over time hopefully can put them on a better path to health.
• What we don’t do is leave them in being reactive state and mode, being unproductive.
• Take the time to review your morning routine, and is it serving you in a proactive, positive manner.
• See what small steps that were discussed today that is easy for you and your team to incorporate. We have a client that started an “hour-aerobics” at their workplace, where they all get up and move for 5 minutes, every 40 minutes.
• Get yourself checked.
• Find out how is your body dealing with stress in your body, function of your nervous system. Find out the cause.
• Investing in yourself.
• Functional tests to help you determine if now is a good time to see a chiropractor
• Search for a chiro on the professional association website.

Being a better employer (louis leads)

• Taking care of yourself.
• Creating a healthier environment and encouraging healthy behaviour and routines.
• Walking/Standing meetings
• Stand up to take a phone call
• Use earpieces when talking on the phone
• Encourage drinking water from the tap – hydration & the formula for how many glasses is right for you differs for everyone!
• Regular breaks – we used to accept the smoko to let’s encourage the Healtho!
• Inviting health professionals to impart knowledge to your employees on better health
• Consider this an option for productivity workshops & health and well being of your employees (ultimately saving you in the long run)
• This is something we do regularly at CHC is provide workplace talks to educate and encourage healthier workplace environments.

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

How Can The State Government Offer Help?

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: 22 August 2017

It’s always great to access some Govt support when in small business and there are some great resources out there if you know where to look! Matthew Lye is our guest today. He is a Business Advisor with Realise Business a service provided by the NSW Department of Industry and comes under the banner of the NSW Small Business Commissioner. ….

Welcome to the show Matt.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• All about Realise Business and the support services they offer
• What can small businesses expect when they come and see you?
• Tell us about the workshops and events Realise Business runs for the businesses of Sydney

Since 1989, Realise Business has provided trusted and affordable business advice, education and support for thousands of business owners across Sydney.

We operate as a Not-for-Profit enterprise, and are proud to be funded by all levels of Government, which means you can get advice from our highly experienced Business Advisors for a fraction of the cost of private business coaching. Plus, FREE membership gives you access to our growing network of up to 300,000 other Sydney businesses, regular events and education for every stage of business.

As a provider of the NSW Business Connect Program (funded by the NSW Government Dept of Industry) and a provider for the Federal Government Australian Small Business Advisory Service (ASBAS), we receive direct funding from these Government programs, which enables us to retain expert Business Advisors with years of experience operating their own successful businesses and running large corporations. As a result, you can benefit from commercial quality business advice at a reduced (and often free) rate. Joining Realise Business helps you access affordable business services that are tailored to the stage of your business growth.

Established in 1989 and most recently known as Business Enterprise Centre (BEC) Southern Sydney, we originally offered support to businesses based in Southern Sydney and Sutherland Shire. From January 2017, we are proud to have been awarded the NSW Business Connect contract to provide free one-to-one business advice sessions, business advisory services, and training workshops to up to 300,000 businesses and disrupted industries across the Sydney area; including Southern Sydney, Inner West, Sydney’s CBD, Eastern Suburbs, North Shore, and Northern Beaches.

To find out more go to their website: https://realise.business

Contracts And Your Business - Managing The Risk

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: 15 August 2017

Engaging in business naturally means you take on risk. Not everyone you engage with is going to be trustworthy and if they’re likely to take risks, they might take you along for the ride. But covering yourself legally is expensive, right? Maybe, sure lawyers earn more per hour that we do. But what MORE expensive is going to court and if you don’t have the right compliant contracts in place that’s where you could be heading.

Who best to sk than an expert in Commercial Law we welcome to the show Allan McDougall from Key Point Law Firm.

Welcome to the show Allan.

Topics we’ll be covering:

Q: “When do you typically need ‘Engagement Contracts in Business?”

 

A: You typically need contracts in business when you supply products or services over time, or on-line.

 

In other words performing the transaction  isn’t instantaneous, like paying to have your someone mow your lawn, unless of course it’s a repeating arrangement (but maybe not even then)

Also the product or service you provide is complicated or required to be of a certain standard eg painting the inside of a house

 

Business Terms & Conditions

So, if you are selling products or services, whether from a physical or digital/online presence, you will need to have a well-drafted set of business terms and conditions.

 

These standard Ts&Cs can even be displayed on your website. Some large businesses may display not just standard sales terms, but also standard purchase terms as well.

 

If you provide services you will need a “client agreement”

Client Agreements set out the services you provide your client and on what terms.

 

This agreement will include information on your obligations, your client’s obligations, as well as standard provisions to limit your liability (risk) and protect your legal interests

 

If sell products (things) you will need a set of sales terms & conditions.

A set of sales Ts&Cs covers similar things to a Client Agreement, as well as your delivery, repair and exchange policies.

 

The sales Ts&Cs should also ensure that, as a supplier of goods you are complaint with product quality laws

 

(Talk about the Australian Consumer Law and recent “B2B unfair contract” amendments)

 

Online market place term and conditions

If your website allows parties to buy and sell products, services or even information you will need a set of Ts&Cs to facilitate transactions on your marketplace/website platform.

Website marketplace Ts&Cs need to be a little more comprehensive than the other two sets of business Ts&Cs, because they must protect your website platform as well

2.              Contract with employee or contractor

Yu should always have a written contract of employment with all award employees, and probably management employees as well.

For the sake of good order probably casual employees too, although the contract will most likely be briefer

These agreements will set out things like the role of the worker, their remuneration and benefits, any leave entitlements, and what expectations you have of them

And for the award employees a written document is a way of proving to the Fair Work Ombudsman for example that you are observing the conditions of the award, should that ever become necessary

As regards a contractor you will need to make clear their independence of the cso that you are not responsible for his on-costs, and that he/she is a genuinely independent agent

 

3.              Shareholders Agreement

If your business is in a company and you have shareholders other than immediate family then hopefully you have Shareholders Agreement in place.

Sets out what each shareholder’s role in the company is, what their duties and obligations are, how profits are divided, how a shareholder can exit, and generally what happens if something goes wrong

A kind of a business “pre-nup” 

 

4.              Buying or Selling a business

 

If you engage a lawyer this will generally cost a lot. Sometimes you will think the final amount is out of proportion to the sale price.  I often say the more you’re paying or getting the better it is to engage a lawyer.

Even if it’s for a small sum you at least get peace of mind with a lawyer being involved.

To save money involve your accountant from the word go, and negotiate as much as you can with the person buying or selling.

Really get all the commercial details settled, including doing a “due diligence if you are the buyer

There is a standard form contract, similar to the real estate version, but I think it’s a waste of time, except perhaps for the smallest business.

 

5.              How detailed do theses contacts need to be?

Their level of detail depends on how complicated your products and services are.

Generally one A4 page, with two columns of small type size should suffice.

Note though that the font cannot now be too minute otherwise the contact may be deemed to be unfair, under the new laws

 

 

Why is it better to seek advice rather that downloading from the internet?

 

You take a risk that anything on the internet might not be truly suitable for your purposes.

Also I notice that many of the ‘free” documents on the internet are from American of UK law firms which are quite different from what we use over here and are sometimes alarmingly uncomplete.

Very much a case of buyer beware

Also from the internet you can buy contracts and legal documents for various purposes but you still take a risk that you know what you are doing.

I see that from some sources you can pay substantially extra for legal interpretation and advice to accompany the purchased document. From what I can tell the advice is Ok, but I only know that because I’m a lawyer!

I think you are better off delegating this task. Your time is better spent working on or in your business

 

7.              If you engage with a commercial lawyer like me, how can you expect the meeting to go.

Well, firstly it is my practice to give you the first hour free so you can explain your needs and try to give you an estimate of what it will cost.

Maybe I will need to go away and think about it, then get back to you, but an estimate you will get.

If you like how the meeting went and the number I come up with then I will send you a fees agreement setting out that estimate. If you are happy with that you tell me and we can proceed.

At the beginning of the show Alexi you mentioned that we lawyers charge by time at hourly rates. That’s usually the case where we can’t control the amount of time we spend.

For example, in a court case, a dispute situation or where we have to negotiate with another lawyer.

For myself, about all I can do is keep you fully informed in those circumstances. Court matters are particularly h problematic.

 

8.              When is the best time to engage a lawyer?

When  you’ve agreed all the important bits with the other party and you’ve personally resolved to go forward.

Also you’ve been talking to your accountant in detail and you know the numbers look OK.

 

9.              How can you minimise the costs?

Do your homework:

if selling, be realistic about what you are letting go and what you want in return

if buying, do you DD early and thoroughly.

 

Allan McDougall

Principal

Keypoint Law

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