Small Biz Matters: People, Policy, Purpose.

September 2020 Update from ASBFEO & Small Biz Matters With special guest Kate Carnell the Australian Small Business and Family Enterpris­­e Ombudsman

Small Biz Matters – #178 Providing the small business community with educational content and advocacy since 2014
with Alexi Boyd, broadcaster, advocate and small business owner.
Date: 29 September 2020

Intro:

Small Biz Matters is proud to announce our ongoing collaboration with the Australian Small Business and Family Enterpris­­e Ombudsman through regular updates from Kate Carnell about all ASBFEO is doing to advocate and support small businesses.

In the second of the series Kate Carnell will update us about ASBFEO’s response to the crisis facing small business. This week we’re updating you on:

• Jobkeeper, FairWork and the eligibility tests
• The latest on negotiations between ASBFEO, Govt and Banks’ response to the crisis
• Commercial tenancies - who’s helping who here?
• Insolvency laws and what it means to be trading insolvent right now

Kate Carnell, as an independent advocate for small business owners, has the legislative power to influence our nation’s lawmakers, ensuring legislation and regulations are put in place to help small businesses grow and in these times, survive.

Welcome back to the show Kate Carnell.

Topics we’ll be covering:

JobKeeper 2.0

• From 28 September, the JobKeeper payment will be tapered over two stages.
• 28 September – 3 January 2021:
• Payments to be delivered in 2 tier system to employers that meet the JobKeeper criteria –
  • -              Tier 1 applies to employees that have worked more than 80 hours in the 28-day reference period. This payment is $1,200 per fortnight.
  • -              Tier 2 applies to employees that have worked less than 80 hours in the given 28 day reference period. This payment is $750 per fortnight.
•  
• The following extension period from January 4 – 28 March 2021
• -Tier 1 payments reduce to $1000 per fortnight
• -Tier 2 payments reduce to $600 per fortnight 

Turnover test

• Businesses can pass the actual decline in turnover test either through using the basic test or the alternative test.
• Most businesses will likely use the basic test, which is based on GST turnover.
• In applying the actual decline in turnover test, businesses should note that:
• It must be done for specific quarters only.
• They must use actual sales made in the relevant quarter, not projected sales, when working out their GST turnover.
• They allocate sales to the relevant quarter in the same way they would report those sales to a particular business activity statement if they were registered for GST.
• For the first extension period, a business meets the test when current GST turnover for the quarter ending 30 September 2020 (the months of July, August and September) has declined by the specified shortfall percentage in comparison to their current GST turnover for the quarter ending 30 September 2019.
• Likewise for the second extension period, a business meets the test when their current GST turnover for the quarter ending 31 December 2020 (the months of October, November and December) has declined by the specified shortfall percentage in comparison to their current GST turnover for the quarter ending 31 December 2019.

Alternative test

• The alternative test applies to businesses where the normal comparison period is not appropriate. A common example would be if the business has been operating for less than a year.
• Businesses that are looking to apply for the JobKeeper extension using one of the alternative tests will now need to indicate to the ATO that they are doing so.
• This means filling out an extra box on the form.

 

Banks

• The banks are taking a more flexible approach to small business loan repayments. They are working through assessing the position of customers now. From the ABA website, depending on how the business is fairing, the next step for customers will be one of:
  • Those who can resume repayments at the end of their deferral, will be required to do so;
  • Those still in difficulty, will work with their bank to restructure or vary their loan, including converting to interest only payments for a period of time, or extending the term of the loan;
  • Following the assessment once the bank understands the customers circumstances, in some cases, a further 4-month deferral may be granted, but this will not be automatic; or
  • Customers who will be unable to pay their loan over the longer term will be offered tailored assistance that addresses their needs.

Commercial tenancies

• WA – no change, WA announced on 10 September, they were extending the emergency period under its Commercial Tenancies (COVID-19 Response) Act 2020 until 28 March 2021.
• SA – potentially no change, there is legislation before its Parliament (to be debated this week) to extend SA’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Act 2020 until 3 January 2021. We will monitor the passage of this bill.
• TAS – no change, TAS announced on 4 September they are extending the financial hardship period under the COVID-19 Disease Emergency (Commercial Leases) Act 2020 until 1 December 2020.
• VIC – no change, VIC announced, on 20 August extended its Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme until 31 December 2020.
• ACT – no change, the ACT announced on 10 September that it was extending its current arrangements for SME commercial rents until 31 January 2021.
• QLD – no changes, regulation under the ­COVID-19 Emergency Response Act 2020 does not end until 31 December 2020.
• NSW – no change, Retail and Other Commercial Lease (COVID-19) Regulation 2020 is not to be repealed until 25 October 2020. Will continue to monitor.

Insolvency

• The Federal Government has just announced plans to overhaul insolvency rules to make it easier for small businesses to restructure or wind up. These are in line with our Insolvency Practices Inquiry final report.
• The reforms will allow small businesses to restructure their debts while remaining in control of their business and for those businesses that do need to wind up, the liquidation process will be changed to make it quicker and easier.
• The government has extended the temporary insolvency and bankruptcy protections until 31 December 2020. Temporary changes to statutory demand and bankruptcy notices requiring a debt of $20,000 and allowing six months to pay the amount demanded will also be extended until 31 December 2020.
• My office continues to recommend the establishment of a small business viability voucher program, where small business owners facing financial stress can get a voucher valued up to $5000 to access tailored advice on the state of their business.

To find out more go to their website: https://www.asbfeo.gov.au/

About our Guest:

The Ombudsman - Kate Carnell

"In this role I will seek to bring together the many voices within the small business community in a way that promotes growth in this vital sector."

Kate Carnell is the inaugural Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO).

As the ASBFEO, she is an independent advocate for small business owners.  Her office has the legislative powers needed to effectively influence our nation’s lawmakers, ensuring legislation and regulations are put in place to help small businesses grow.

The ASBFEO office also provides small businesses and family enterprises with assistance should they find themselves involved in a business dispute.

Small businesses are the engine room of the economy; it’s a big reputation to live up to, so we need to do all we can to ensure they have the freedom to innovate, employ and thrive well into the future.

About ASBFEO

Australia is a nation of small businesses and family enterprises.  It’s a dynamic and exciting sector that allows people with an entrepreneurial spirit to pursue their dreams.

One of the fastest growing in the economy, the sector presents many opportunities – and challenges – for those who dedicate themselves to pursing a small business venture.

The ASBFEO's role is to support small businesses and family enterprises to enable them to grow and thrive.

The ASBFEO was launched on 11 March 2016 and has two key functions: to assist and to advocate for small businesses and family enterprises.

ASSIST:

We understand the challenges facing small business owners. We provide access to dispute resolution services for those who may be involved in a disagreement, so they can try and find a solution to their problem without having to go to court.

ADVOCATE:

There are a number of different activities the Ombudsman may conduct in fulfilling the role of small business advocate. Broadly these include:

Conduct inquiries and research

Work with other arms of government

Contribute to other inquiries

Promote good business practice.

How to understand the Safe Harbour Laws to avoid insolvency and protect your personal assets With special guest with Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO

Small Biz Matters – #177 Providing the small business community with educational content and advocacy since 2014
with Alexi Boyd, broadcaster, advocate and small business owner.
Date: 22 September 2020

Intro:

There are some changes afoot. No, I’m not talking about Jobkeeper, cash flow stimulus or any other support package, rather a piece of legislation which has crept up on the small business community. But like all things legal - we need to be aware of it.

A Safe harbour “applies where a director, after beginning to suspect a company may become or be insolvent, starts developing one or more courses of action that are reasonably likely to lead to a better outcome for the company than the immediate appointment of an administrator or liquidator”. What does this mean for a small business, and what’s changed about the important dates particularly in the time of COVID?

Today we’re joined by Wayne Wanders, a virtual CFO who brings with him 35 years as a chartered accountant and decades of experience with real businesses at every stage of their lifecycle. He’s chatting to us about what these laws mean for you and your small business.

Welcome to the show Wayne.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• Why there is an increased risk of your business being placed into administration from late December 2020.
• What is the potential impact on your business and your personal assets if you do go into administration.
• What are the Safe Harbour laws and how can you use these to protect both your business and your personal assets.

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

About our Guest:

Wayne Wanders, has been a fully qualified chartered accountant for 35 years including being the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of two businesses listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.

For the last 20 years, Wayne, through his own small business, A Real CFO, has worked alongside many small and medium businesses.  He offers his talents, strengths, skills and experience as an outsourced CFO.  Letting small and medium business owners access the finance and business skills that big businesses take for granted, without the big business price tag.

Wayne has seen the ups and downs of many businesses.  Some of these have been through economy wide issues such as the GFC, or the recession we had to have in the early 1990s.  Others are just from the normal cycle many businesses experience.

This experience has led to Wayne developing his own strategies, systems and processes to help business.

One of these is Wayne’s Business Survival Guide which was developed to help business survive and thrive during down times, just like many businesses are facing today.

In Defence of Shame - can this book provide some guidance to Advisors of small business? With special guest Dr Tanveer Ahmed, Psychiatrist, columnist and author of In Defence of Shame

Small Biz Matters – #176 Providing the small business community with educational content and advocacy since 2014
with Alexi Boyd, broadcaster, advocate and small business owner.
Date: 15 September 2020

I enjoy having authors as guests on Small Biz Matters. They’re great talent having researched for their publication and really knowing how to articulate the issues explained within; often drawing on their own experiences to bring the book to life. Much like a small business owner does with their baby.

One could argue that the emotions associated with Shame are common amongst new small businesses; being concerned about what others think, previous failures which follow us around like the Black Dog … but do these ever really leave us?

Today’s guest brings with him a wealth of media and small business experience plus a more personal viewpoint on the topic of shame. And he’s not ashamed to talk about it.

From a book review: ...make (ing) a compelling case for the rehabilitation of the "ugly emotion". The book is rich with arguments and examples from literature and ordinary life. Although demanding, the reading pays off, especially by providing clear and refreshing distinctions between shame, guilt, embarrassment and humiliation.

Welcome to the show Dr Ahmed.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• Let’s begin with your latest book - In Defence of Shame. Tell us about the process of writing and the concepts behind it.
  • Is there something to be learned here for small business owners and their advisers?
• Let’s talk about the small businesses in the Health sector - what are the flaws of the current system and what could be done to support doctors, essentially emerging small businesses start a practice?
  • Being a doctor is spending many years as a wage earner in hospital systems, learning nothing about business or money, then suddenly being thrust out in the private sector and essentially having no idea how to run a business.
  • The changing nature of consumer preferences and the concept of democratisation of this information as clients (patients) seek you out in other ways apart from classic GP referrals
    • the doctor is the traditional "professional" but the nature of doing business has changed significantly and reflects trends in society and economy.

• You’ve written several books, why is this another potential stream of growing your brand as an industry expert?
  • A wage earner part-time in public hospital and writing (which is its own business of building yourself as a brand)

 

• You’ve chosen to lead a public life; balancing politics, journalism and psychiatry in private and public practice. Can this public life affect my brand as a psychiatrist? how might I protect it or do I try and keep them separate?
  • media business is the toughest of all and effectively requires subsidising from my doctoring.
  • What publications’ contributions have been the most challenging for you?
  • the Fin Review column has been useful for me; forceing me to apply ideas I have relating to social issues, but to business. ask about how the workplace, both in small and big business, has become the site for a whole lot of modern clashes in values eg diversity, mental health, gender wars etc.

• Advice regarding good mental health, maintaining boundaries between work and life especially during Covid.

To find out more go to their website: https://www.connorcourtpublishing.com.au/In-Defence-of-Shame--Tanveer-Ahmed_p_368.html

About our Guest:

Dr Tanveer Ahmed is a psychiatrist, author and columnist for the Australian Financial Review, writing about social issues. He is a former local government representative having served in the City of Canada Bay. His private practice is at the Hills Clinic in Kellyville. Dr Ahmed's most recent book is titled "In Defence of Shame".

What’s better than a great small business podcast? TWO! With special guest Dan & Tim from Two Drunk Accountants

Small Biz Matters – #175 Providing the small business community with educational content and advocacy since 2014
with Alexi Boyd, broadcaster, advocate and small business owner.
Date: 8 September 2020

What could possibly be better than one small business educational podcasts? Two!!

Dan Osborne and Tim Garth from Two Drunk Accountants started their podcast a few years ago when they realised that accountants have a lot to give and talk about when it comes to their industry and small business education. Coupled with excellent commentary on the financial services sector and a generally good vibe, this podcast is highly recommended by yours truly.

So... what brings these like-minded vocal entrepreneurs together? Advocacy !

You see, just like Small Biz Matters, 2 Drunk Accountants do it out of a passion to deliver great advocacy for small business and excellent content when it was lacking for years. But there are a lot of companies and business leaders out there who do advocacy for other reasons.

It is time we asked the question: Who has a seat at the table? And who really represents small business when key policies that affect your ability to function, are decided?

Welcome to the show Dan & Tim!

Topics we’ll be covering:

• So, tell us a little about the podcast Two Drunk Accountants and why you started it in the first place?
  • What sort of guests and topics do you cover?
• Let’s talk Advocacy - what do organisations like the business chambers actually do for small business?
  • Who in your opinion can we trust?
  • Who you get contact to help make changes as a business owner
• A big question “who’s is in the room” when those decisions which impact every facet of your business, are legislated?
  • Roundtables and presentations - who speaks for small business?
  • What sort of lobbyists make up small business?
• Inequities in small business loans. Many small businesses are cashflowing their businesses with credit cards @20% as opposed to big business being able to get bank loans more easily.

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

About our Guest:

The Two Drunk Accountants is a weekly small business podcast that dispels the myths and mysteries of running a small business over a lovely beverage. Hosts Dan Osborne and Tim Garth are accountants based on the Central Coast on a quest to support, teach and help grow small businesses. On a daily bases this happens through their accounting firm CATS Accountants but once a week they get together and tackle hot topics like business planning and jobkeeper, interview guests in the industry and provides plenty of banter along the way.

Pivoting from piloting around the world to a worldwide small business With special guest Eric Peck, CEO | Swoop Aero

Small Biz Matters – #174 Providing the small business community with educational content and advocacy since 2014
with Alexi Boyd, broadcaster, advocate and small business owner.
Date: 1 September 2020

The road to small business success is dotted with the pitstops of life. Previous experiences, major milestones in your career, successes and failures in a former working life or maybe the success of failure of a former small business!

But with each of these comes important life lessons that help to build up the pallet of colours that create your small business success.

Some of those transitions are bigger leaps than the norm. Take for example today’s guest. Eric Peck from Swoop Aero who, in a former life was a Australian Air Force pilot. How could you possibly take such unique experiences from around the world and utilise those skills to create a small business? Well that’s exactly what Eric is here to share with us.

Welcome to the show Eric.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• Moving from piloting to the world of business — learnings, challenges and how his pilot experience spurred him on to tackle healthcare inequalities
  • Transitioning from military to corporate culture - where to use the best of both worlds
• Why he decided to create a for-profit business and the impact he believes it has helped become more accountable as a result
  • The mindset you need to be a for-proft business in a NFP world
• Business growth — going from zero to a global medical logistics network in three years
• The importance of creating a fully sustainable business — Swoop Aero’s drones have a smaller carbon footprint than a bike
• The future of healthcare and how it can be improved through technology

To find out more go to their website: https://swoop.aero/

About our Guest & Swoop Aero

Swoop Aero transforms the way the world moves essential supplies and  enables  access to healthcare for millions across the world. Founded in 2017, this Australian born and bred company is bringing healthcare logistics into the 21st century by deploying two-way drone networks capable of delivering essential medical supplies to urban, rural and remote areas globally. Their managed air transport service provides access to the skies to ensure sustainable, safe and reliable provision of essential health supplies. Unmanned vehicles are at the heart of the next significant shift in supply chain logistics. From the UN to USAid and the Gates Foundation, they are trusted to create value by sustainably transforming health supply chains.

JobKeeper 2.0 - Let's unpack JK again! What does this version mean for my small business? With special guest Nicole Lynch from Streamline Management

Small Biz Matters – #173 Providing the small business community with educational content and advocacy since 2014
with Alexi Boyd, broadcaster, advocate and small business owner.
Date: 1 September 2020

Jobkeeper. JK. Stimulus. Handout. …. No matter how you describe it, it’s been a great illustration that we are living in the Lucky Country. Where else in the world has government been able to with one piece of legislation, simultaneously prop up the economy, maintain the employee/employer relationship, keep businesses alive and flush cash back into the broader economy?

But is it all good news? It is FAIR ? Is it EQUITABLE ? and what about those businesses we all know are being just plain dodgy? And another question; was COVID a missed opportunity where those businesses who were on the way out should have folded?

Joining us this week is financial frontline worker Nicole Lynch from Streamline Management who is now, like so many other BAS Agents a JobKeeper ninja. In just a few months these financial experts have navigated the JK legislation (often compared in its complexity to the GST which took months to roll out) and guided their small business clients through this minefield with finesse, expertise and just a little bit of hand-holding.

Welcome to the show Nicole!

Topics we’ll be covering:

• How do I get it?
  • What is the criteria for the new 2.0 JK payments? Whole quarter rather than monthly sales downturn
  • What’s changed compared to JK 1.0
    • ... and what about that 1july employee change?
  • What changes at the end of September?
    • Retest turnover decline (ACTUAL not estimate)
    • Test staff - fulltime vs part-time
    • Stuff we don’t know about yet (changes on changes)
    • Is it happening with the BAS?
  • What are the traps for young players / bookkeeping DIYers?
    • What happens to those doing it yourself? Many are not reporting, not testing correctly and not keeping records!
    • What’s the ATO doing to claw back those who assumed they were eligible or just plain dodgy. What have they been doing to data match and what questions are they asking?
    • When is an Eligible Business Participant not eligible?
    • How have good BAS Agents such as yourself bailed out those DIYers. What’s involved in this process? (I just run! You got yourself into this mess, you need to call the ATO to fess up before they catch you)
  • What about startups and those covered by the alternative testing for 2.0?
  • Have you noticed which businesses/sectors of the small business economy have benefited more for jobkeeper in the past few months?
    • Yes, those that are still trading are opting in (you need to be able to fund it for a whole month - not easy with no income), business with lots of staff need to have a good cash reserve to be able to pay ALL eligible staff before they are reimbursed
    • It’s all about hanging onto employees who you still need to pay first
  • As an adviser how to do if you think JK has helped the economy at large?
    • The money is being spent – the younger generation is more likely to spend it.
    • Or is it keeping the businesses alive which should probably go and get a JOB.
    • Businesses need to be aware of insolvency protections and the impact JK will have on this.
  • Generally JK legislation with all its trappings is a great example as to why it’s good to have a BAS agent on your side and already knows your business!
    • BAS agents are doing a lot of these claims, they have access to industry professionals to help them, a business owner just doesn’t have access to the same info and support.
    • BAS agents assist many of their clients run payroll - so they are in a great place to assist.

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

About our Guest:

Nicole Lynch is a co-founder and director of Streamline Management.

Nicole is a senior bookkeeper and has worked closely with countless businesses from differing industries over 20+ years – that’s plenty of experience in office administration and bookkeeping.

Nicole is our office Xero champion and loves helping small businesses make the switch from desktop to the cloud using connected business apps.

Nicole wears a lot of red!

About Streamline Management

We pride ourselves on our professional, confidential and personalised bookkeeping service. We are a small business, just like you, so you’ll never be just a number to us (pardon the pun!). Let’s put the fun back into your financial FUNdamentals!

Since 1997, our team of Australian based bookkeepers (we don’t and won’t offshore your work) use cloud technology to provide a seamless, continuous service. We will be there for you now; when you expand; and help you achieve your goals for your business. We offer bookkeeping & beyond.

My experience of StartUp Support Programs - the Good and Bad and the Ugly With special guest Caroline Lepron, founder of Skoutli

Small Biz Matters – #172 Providing the small business community with educational content and advocacy since 2014
with Alexi Boyd, broadcaster, advocate and small business owner.
Date: 25 August 2020

With a welcome influx of innovative startups into our small business community it is helpful for experienced small business owners and newbies to understand the Startup Support Landscape.

Your idea can be grown, collaborated with, mustered, incubated, and accelerated so with no many opportunities to choose from (and pay for) the scene can appear cluttered. Beware to the inexperienced charlatans claiming to understand what it means to be starting out, or have any inkling of what the path to growth looks like.

We need to have information to help our friends the startups and (insert descriptive text here)-Preneurs to navigate the brave new world.

So we’ve invited Caroline Lepron, the founder of several successful startups including Skoutli to share with us the good, the bad and the ugly experience that is the Start Up Support world.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• Tell us about the concept of Skoutli and how you got started
  • It’s about the sharing economy sharing space
  • Avoiding waste and going against the idea of single use items
  • In our first company we found kitchen spaces to share at certain times of the day when they weren’t being used (such as evenings inside a lunchtime cafe)
• In what ways have small businesses been tapping into this concept of Skoutli?
• How do you think the gig economy is changing the economy as a whole?
  • Allowing more people to share what they have
• Tell us about your experience in the Fishburners environment?
• What’s your best advice for startups when choosing your support program. What should tech startups be looking for in terms of support?
  • What makes a good program? KNOW what phase your business is in, especially if you’re paying for the program
  • What to avoid
  • What overseas options are there - Austrade support - and what should you be prepared to do?

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

About our Guest:

Caroline is French and Australian. She discovered Australia 12 years ago for a 6months internship and never left! She is 35yo, Serial Entrepreneur, Mum of a 3yo girl. She loves traveling, food, extreme sports, she is a Kite Surfing Instructor, and she focused on creating a positive impact on earth! She is an expert in Marketplaces, her last one Cookitoo was about commercial kitchens. She soft launched Skoutli almost a year ago and just launched Skoutli properly! She loves helping entrepreneur and she particularly wants to help women entrepreneurs as she thinks that there are not enough of them.

Skoutli (www.skoutli.com) helps content creators (photographers /producers /influencers) to find locations for their next photoshoot. These sets are people home / environment /backyard/ vehicles that can be used for advertisements, social media posts, and movies. The way Skoutli is different from its competitors is that it offers location rentals by the room by the hour. The price is also different according to how many people come on the set to be fair for small and big teams. It’s possible to rent a yellow bathroom for 2hours, a modern kitchen for a full day or a swimming pool for 3hours!

Adventurous and passionate person. Highly motivated and positive thinking individual. Lived and studied in France, Mexico and Australia and was part of the Australian Landing Pad in SF for 3 months.

When is a good time to mediate a business dispute? With special guest Crombie Pitts from CP Mediations

Small Biz Matters – #171 Providing the small business community with educational content and advocacy since 2014
with Alexi Boyd, broadcaster, advocate and small business owner.
Date: 18 August 2020

Despite the best intentions and our hard work at building relationships, sometimes it can all go to the proverbial. A dispute over an unpaid invoice, incomplete work, timing issues or workplace grievances can lead to your small business’ downfall.

We’re fearful of lawyers and the legal system perhaps because generally we worry about being in trouble. But the legal system can support you, protect your rights, and help you recoup losses and income which is rightfully yours.

The role of the mediator is one which small businesses should familiarise themselves with. Crombie Pitts joins us this week to explain the role of mediation, how the small business commissioners’ offices supports and generally what the process is to resolve disputes.

Welcome to the show Crombie.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• As a small business owner can you give me some examples of how and why we might seek mediation in a small business dispute?
  • What sort of legislation can they support you and your business
• What the difference between mediation and going to court?
  • Parties come together at a time convenient for both
  • Costs are lower and resolution is faster
  • 80% success rate which you’re not guaranteed at court and you could have to pay costs too
• In a practical sense, how do mediators work with govt organisations like state based Small Business Commissioners
  • Mediators are on a panel
  • How does the process work?
• What to look for in a mediator
  • Accreditation via National Mediation Standards Board
  • Do both parties need to agree on a mediator?
  • They can work across state boundaries and online
  • What are the qualities you need to be a good mediator
  • Fair, open ended questions, a professional
• What is the mediator’s role?
  • The process…
  • Do I need to have a lawyer at a mediation?
  • What are my rights? What happens if it fails in private and commissioner settings?

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

About our Guest:

Crombie Pitts from CP Mediations is a National Accredited Mediator and Licensed Real Estate Agent. He has over 30 years commercial experience in senior roles within the property industry. He is married with one 21 year old son and a labrador called Roxy! Originally from the UK, Crombie and his family have now been living in the northern beaches for 15 years. He is a volunteer with Warringah Rugby Club.

 

The journey of a Non-Tekky Tech Founder With special guest Sharon Melamed, founder of Matchboard

Small Biz Matters – #170 Providing the small business community with educational content and advocacy since 2014
with Alexi Boyd, broadcaster, advocate and small business owner.
Date: 11 August 2020

Not all Tech Founders are cut from the same cloth. We imagine an uber-cool twenty something hipster in designer ripped jeans in their inner west grungy garage,  spouting bourjois ideals and claiming their commercial idea is there to make the world a better place.

But what of those founders who fell into the role - coming up with one of those once in a lifetime nuggets that might, just might make them a fortune. Oh, and make the world a better place too.

Sharon Melamed, the founder of Matchboard is one such creator. She’s a self proclaimed Non-Techy Tech Founder who wears life experience and a distinct lack of IT fluency with pride. Her approach to nurturing what she recognised as a brilliant idea and turning it into a hugely successful company was very different and drew more on her past than the tech future she now owns.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• What’s it like to be a Non-Tekky Tech Founder
  • Some stats on tech founders - they’re not always millennials!
  • Discussion about what’ it’s like to come into this world after leading a successful internationally successful corporate JOB career.
    • With corporate experience you take the best of the best of their business
    • Building a network and collaborated with so many others.
    • Didn’t need an accelerator to understand the execution but rather it became around learning the tech.

• Setup & Collaboration - a different approach
  • So, rather than co-founding which is what techpreneurs typically do, you partnered with a company based overseas
  • Negotiating a different sort of contract with an overseas company
  • How did you think of that approach?

• How has social marketing has been important in developing your credibility as well as growing your business.
  • Organic LinkedIn strategy to get your business off the ground
  • What does it mean to be targeted by the LinkedIn gods in their ivory tower?

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

About our Guest:

Sharon is a multi-award winning entrepreneur. Following a corporate career across 5 countries, she founded Matchboard, a free-to-use website where companies can enter their needs and get matched with “right-fit” suppliers. In 2018, Matchboard was crowned “Business of the Year” at the Optus My Business Awards. And in 2017, Westpac named Matchboard as 1 of Australia’s top “200 Businesses of Tomorrow”. Sharon was named Suncorp Innovator of the Year 2018, and Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2019 Women in ICT awards. Sharon has a double honours degree and University Medal from the University of Sydney and speaks five languages.

Adventures in the new media landscape - how can small business tap in?

Small Biz Matters – #169 Providing the small business community with educational content and advocacy since 2014
with Alexi Boyd, broadcaster, advocate and small business owner.
Date: 11 August 2020

Podcasts, videos, radio, TV, socials, posts, comments and notifications. The world has an unquenchable thirst for content, and no shortage of new platforms for you to tap into. And the pressure is on to nail the communication with your potential clients or audience across a number of these online spaces.

We all know that we should be constantly working on our marketing strategy as our business grows but are you tapping into all the best channels available to you as a small business? We are spoilt for choice and many of these are free but we can drown in the options too.

Here to join us on Small Biz Matters this week is Stefan Sojka a Media expert who will take us on an adventure through the new media landscape where you can learn how to tap into this unique marketing resource to grow your business.

Topics we’ll be covering:

What sort of media opportunities are available to small business?

First define what we mean by “media”, because understanding that will go a long way to where we might fit in and discovering the opportunities.

The digital age has redefined the meaning of the word ‘media’.  It used to refer mainly to mass media, like TV, radio, newspapers, magazines as it has with a few other words, like, platform and channel.  A USB stick is media, as is a Website, a billboard, a t-shirt with a message on it, social media post, a reaction to that post, a search engine result a text message.

I take an extremely broad view, that media is the delivery of information, material or data via a delivery mechanism that reaches a destination and/or audience.

When we say media now, we can mean the content, the platform, the delivery mechanism, the format, we can even be talking about artificial intelligence algorithms and agents sorting, ranking and delivering information to us.

This broad definition ensures you take into account every possible format, channel, device, touch-point, reaction.

Also media is a two way street now.  It used to be one to many, now it is one to one, one to many, many to many and everything in between.  

Before digital technology, media opportunities were plentiful, but now they are almost limitless.

Traditional channels vs digital - The huge spectrum of touch points available, from social to directories, podcasts (of course) magazines, how to videos, walk throughs, Google’s numerous channels, like Google my Business, reviews, street view, 360 degreee walk-throughs of your shop, business networking groups, newsletters, etc.  Even things like old school discussion forums, local groups, complementary channels that may not seem logical but may have your target audience there.  Sports clubs use apps to communicate to their members.

The huge range of channels actually creates a unquenchable thirst for content, so you can tailor your output to suit what they are looking for (kind of like what I am doing right now).  Councils and other levels of government provide many opportunities for businesses to engage and feed their channels, too.  Exchanging reviews between customers if you are B2B (I’ll review you if you review me - so long as it's genuine)

Finding the right media to align with There are as many right answers as there are people looking for the answers.  I’d be asking a bunch of questions first, because if you don’t, you risk disappearing down a digital media rabbit hole:

What do you do?

What do you have to offer, both as products/services but also as good content?

What are your values?

Who is your audience? Where do they hang out? What are they looking for?

What are you best suited to create?  Are you a good writer, or presenter?  Or more technical?  Helpful hints, etc?

Where are the gaps in the media landscape that you can fill?

What are your competitors doing?

Can you use tools like Google’s keyword tool, to inform your content?

Where do you see yourself positioned in the marketplace?

How much time/effort/money have you got to dedicate to marcomms?  Usually never enough so go for the low hanging fruit and quick wins.

Etc.

The answer to all these helps you determine where to focus and what to create.

As a small business, you are now a publishing house and a Public Relations agency.  So you need to think like this.

Publishers are in the business of creating content and finding ways and means to publish that content.

Public Relations agencies are on the lookout for opportunities to get their clients’ messages out there.

This is what you need to do. 

How to make the most of every media opportunity and get your goals when it comes to your marketing strategy and business planning?

Analytics and measurement to help decide what is working and what isn’t.  Try different things.  Be creative.

There is no magic formula, although certain things are more measurable and certain than others (eg GoogleAds can give you all the data and stats, but you still need to have your own unique way of dealing with the customer when they arrive)

Tighten up and improve all the related activities and processes within the business.

Marketing is much more a holistic exercise now, so the entire business needs to look at itself holistically to ensure better outcomes.

This digital age is also an age of information overload and overwork.  No one can really afford to do absolutely everything (big businesses have whole teams looking separately at every aspect of digital marketing - analytics teams, user experience teams, media buying teams, content creating teams etc) Small business must be realistic and work within limitations so try to find out what fits and works well for you and focus on that, with a little openness to explore new channels and opportunities.

Now that you are a small business media publishing mega corporation, you can find your niche, and your most suitable channels and mediums, and start feeding the digital media machine.  Every morsel you give it, creates an expanding and more refined unique footprint of your presence and your activities.

Tips

Develop your own skills and get experience – jump at learning opportunities

Spend time googling to devour as much information as you can about media, marketing, publishing, content

You can never do everything, so focus on what works, what you are good at and get help if you need it.

The one irony about the web is so much of it is free, so considering the huge benefits a small business can get that traditional businesses never had, why not spend some money here and there to achieve what you want.

Even business is different every industry more or less competitive.  If you are in a competitive industry, you need to try harder, because your competitors are, or you need to find your niche

Examples/Anecdotes
Political Video

Rotary Afghanistan School
Message - Flag eCommerce - “Wholesale enquiries welcome”  

Ideas International - Tech journalists, Twitter

Envato - MVP then SEO.  Build ecosystem with Freelance Switch / Job Board / Blogs / Tutorials

Cleverseal - Facebook, Blogs, Focus on USP and Family Business angle, nurture installer network
Star Jewellers emphasise 50+ years trading and bricks and mortar presence, custom Commerce theme and constant iteration and customer engagement, reviews, Google merchant, SEO, Consulting
GSSM - Single Product Websites with dual language.

Wavelink - 20 years.  PRL

Motexion - Walk-through videos, ecommerce, SEO, facebook, one-on-one meetings with key people eg dealers and manufacturers, refine the business processes, team, supply chain, etc

Me personally: Youtube planted link on journalist site. 
SEO Good Website - messaging prequalifies, establishes trust, communicates values.

About our Guest:

Cyrius Media Group http://www.cyrius.com.au/about

A media, events and marketing consulting agency, centrally located in Ryde, we design, produce and manage all aspects of digital media, marketing, events, Website design and Web development for: individuals, businesses, agencies, departments and community organisations across Australia.

We’ve been building and managing online assets since the mid 1990s and more recently have expanded into live events, podcasting production and taking the opportunity during the pandemic to pivot towards doing some of our own in-house pet projects. 

Stefan Sojka  https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefansojka/

Stefan spent the first 20 years of his career as an entertainer and musician, playing thousands of gigs from major corporate events for companies like Microsoft, Optus and Sony to backyard parties, weddings, clubs and pubs all over Australia. When the internet came along in the mid-90s, Stefan became a convert. 

He became a staff writer for numerous national Internet magazines, then gradually evolved into a small business owner, employing designers, programmers and multimedia creators in what became the Cyrius Media Group digital agency.  His background in music and entertainment seemed to fit nicely into the new media landscape, as he found his writing, creative and communication skills were a great asset for the business and for his clients.

Stefan is big on mentoring and encouraging others to succeed, and many of his employees have gone on to be hugely successful, and his clients have benefitted by increasing their combined revenue by hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of working with Stefan’s agency.

He’ll probably write a book about it all, because a brief biography simply can’t cover everything. But today we’ll be focusing on helping your small business improve digital networking, search engine visibility and positioning your business with the right messaging and image.