Spark Magazine: Autumn 2016 by Spark Magazine #FuelForBusiness

spark THE FUEL FOR BUSINESS

MAGAZINE

BUSINESS MANNERS

THE INNER CEO

CULTURE AND M&A

The Rise & Rise of the Referral Economy

ISSUE NO.7 AUTUMN 2016

spark magazine

Contents 2

The Birth of the Referral Economy

Referral Secrets â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a Trilogy

The Inner CEO of High Performers

Addressing Culture, Communication & Customer Integration Issues to Avoid M&A Failure

City Councils and Market Research

Business Manners

How to up Your GI

Is Clean Air Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Newest Export?

Profile: Barb de Conti

News

The articles in Spark Magazine are of a general in nature only. Always seek independent financial, investment, tax and legal advice.

issue no.7 autumn 2016

WE L C OM E TO SPARK MAGAZINE In the December 2015 issue we said business was waiting for the Turnbull government to walk the walk to go with the talk.

Spark Magazine is “The fuel for business”. The target audience is business people, with an interest in innovation, technology and new ideas. We provide the ideas, motivation, and inspiration for success. Published online, monthly, February to December.

We did not have to wait long for the first step with the early December announcement of a $1.1b “National Innovation and Science Agenda” to incentivise innovation and entrepreneurship, reward risk taking, and promote science, maths and computing in schools by focusing on four priority areas. It is true to say that there has never been a better time to be an innovator in Australia. The additional important “reforms” promised by the government related to tax, superannuation and perhaps negative gearing, capital gains and getting the budget deficit under control remain illusive. Business owners will be watching announcements leading up to and including the budget with keen interest. There is also the possibility of an early election which would on the one had be disruptive but on the other may give one of the parties an absolute majority in both houses of parliament. Either way for business certainty is best. In this issue we continue our series about the value of research and look at the important people and culture issues around mergers and acquisitions. On the personal development side we look at business etiquette in three different situations SME managers are likely to find themselves in As this is our first issue for 2016 we take this opportunities to wish all readers a very prosperous year. Paul M Southwick CEO and Editor paul@sparkmag.com.au

MASTHEAD SPARK MAGAZINE

Pow Wow Pty Ltd Level 7, 14 Martin Place, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia

EDITORIAL

Paul M Southwick paul@sparkmag.com.au (+61) 424 70 40 10

ADVERTISING

Melissa Brant melissa@sparkmag.com.au (+61) 458 26 09 87

CREATIVE DESIGN MAP2 Pty Ltd katie@map2.co

The information in Spark Magazine is of a general nature only and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances. In all cases take independent and professional investment, financial, tax and legal advice. Spark Magazine and all persons and entities associated therewith accept no responsibilities for loss or damage related to any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions in the magazine, or reliance on anything in the magazine. The views expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and do not imply endorsement by Spark Magazine, its controlling entity or associated persons. Similarly placement of an advertisement in the magazine does not imply endorsement by Spark Magazine its controlling entity or associated persons. In some cases journalists writing for SPARK Magazine may consult to or provide corporate writing for companies mentioned in articles. The journalists or Spark Magazine do not accept payment from companies to cover or include them. ©2015 by Pow Wow Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

spark magazine

issue no.7 autumn 2016

The Birth of the Referral Economy

by Steven Rosenbaum

nrelated glimpses

Sometimes, it takes a series of events to turn a number of unrelated instances into a glimpse into the future. The other day I was talking to a friend about hiring. It’s gotten hard, harder than ever. Not because the tools are hard, but in fact because they’re easy and cheap. Anyone can post a craigslist ad. The most expensive ones cost $25. And anyone can respond to a craigslist ad, and they do. So a post the other day for a Senior Sales Manager resulted in resumes from

an Undertaker, an IRS Agent, and a High School Student. Seriously. Hundreds of responses, few of them even remotely responsive; SPAM resumes. Yes, I know - it’s my fault for using craigslist. Fine, I also posted to LinkedIn LNKD -0.83%, and a number of other quality pubs. So far, no luck.

The truth is – what I really want is a referral. Someone I know who can say “here’s the perfect person for you.”

That would be sweet. And, I’d pay them for the referral. Chances are – we may be about to arrive there.

spark magazine

The rise of the referral economy Marketers are calling this trend “the birth of the referral economy.” It’s a self-help system where people share and monetise their social network. Because these recommendations happen between trusted friends, the customers trust referring users and the recommendation is inherently non-commercial.

Real estate disruption In real estate, the potential to change the way apartments are listed and rented is huge. The founders of a start-up called Circumrent see their mission clearly. “From being scammed by brokers to spending weeks trying to find the perfect no-fee apartment and save money, it’s safe to say that we’ve ran the gauntlet of renting an apartment in New York,” writes 20-something founders Nikhil Gregg and Vamsi Katragadda. The way that Circumrent works, the current tenant shares his plans to move out with his or her social network. The result – qualified renters see the space first, landlords and tenants are able to save broker fees, and the former tenant (the referrer gets paid for sharing the apartment with his network.) Not only does it save costs and get qualified tenants, Nikhil told me that

New York apartments are vacant for 28 days on average, costing landlords money. So efficiently connecting tenants with rentals reduces vacancy rates as well.

Wider application Once you see the power of referrals, the impact easily spreads across sectors and markets. Danielle Morrill of Refer.ly told TechCrunch: ““The entire Internet is monetised this way and people are often getting monetised without them even knowing it,” Morrill said “Any site that has a ‘Buy’ button has an affiliate program. But it’s hard to become an affiliate. The process for signing up is pretty long.” At Refer.ly, you can create your own product links. If a product you suggest ends up with someone in your social network buying something, you get paid. The commissions are small, but heck, it’s the thought that counts. If you’re endorsing a product, why not get a bit of cash for helping the product along?

The recommendation economy The “recommendation economy” is increasingly important as growing number of consumers are tuning out traditional advertising and relying instead on their peers’ recommendations according to

global respondents trust wordof-mouth recommendations from friends and family—making it the most highly trusted among digital and traditional methods of receiving recommendations.” Deloitte.no doubt - the power in There’s marketing moving consumers from the brand Smart and,isengaged with the largest book, are sharing theircheque interests andto the consumer their with the largest social broadcasting opinions about network. the products and services they like. Through posting on social As this happens, thought leaders networks, blogs, and community and social “alphas” are going to sites, theyrecommendations share their decisions find their and and why others their leadership givesshould them atrust newfound experiences. economic value in the world. Media noise is “A replaced human Says Deloitte; recent by Nielsen recommendations - and that of makes study found that 84 percent creates a new economy around the power of the Referral.

ABOUT THE Bad landlords andAUTHOR bait-and-switch brands beware. The Referral After 30 years global media Economy has of arrived service, in 1999 David initiated

Editor’s and was note: co founder of Link TV, a non-commercial nationwide US

This article was first published television network. The network in Forbes Magazine in May 2014 currently reaches 50 million and is reproduced here with homes. David served as Vice permission. President for Current Affairs until July 2010, overseeing all news and current affairs productions. Prior to his service at Link TV, David produced and directed live news productions and documentaries for public television in the UK (BBC), Germany (ZDF & ARD) and Israel (IBA). He specializes in coverage of political and social issues.

issueno.7 no.7autumn february 2016 issue 2016

7 7

spark magazine

Referral Secrets a Triology

by Dan Dougherty

issue no.7 autumn 2016

HE POWER OF A PERSONAL REFERRAL

Net promoter score The inventor of the Net Promoter Score, Fred Reichold, simplified defining business excellence by asking customers one question. Would they promote your service or product to their friends or family based on a scale of 1-10? A score of a 9 or 10 is a promoter.

The next best customer If a promoter is your best customer than what is your next best customer? I believe it is the customer that was referred by a promoter. Personal referrals are the best marketing exposure for any business. Nielson Ratings indicate that a personal referral is the most trusted form of advertisement. 84% of people that receive a referral trust this marketing source of information and two out of three or 67% will act and buy. The numbers for trust and action go down significantly for sites like Angies List and even lower for advertising on social media platforms. What is a better place for leads? Ad’s on Facebook or referrals from your promoters? It’s quite simple, you see when a person puts their reputation on the line and refers you and your business they are placing there social capital at risk. What risk does a person have when they place an anonymous opinion

onto Angie’s List or Yelp? None. Referrals come from people that know, like and trust you and your business. They bring the highest close ratio of any sales leads.

de prioritized or forgotten. And sometimes by the time they make the referral the opportunity has passed as the seeker has found another provider.

Strong businesses with value added products simply don’t get enough of these best possible leads. There are four reasons why personal referrals don’t scale, the subject of the next article.

2. Another problem is called the “Single Connect”. Our studies show that promoters will often refer you and your business but never communicate this referral back to you and your business. You are running blind and can’t track or follow up on a referral you never received.

WHY PERSONAL REFERRALS DON’T SCALE The challenge Your business delivers excellent service and products yet you still do not get enough of the best possible leads - personal referrals. These leads have the fastest sales cycles, highest close rates and a proven proclivity towards satisfied customers. Customers who were referred to your business are far more likely to refer others and so on. So why don’t referrals scale more efficiently in today’s business world?

Causes referrals do not scale 1. Your net promoters though well intentioned often drop the ball when they see an opportunity for your business. They may see a perfect chance to refer your business but typically they wait until they reach their office computer to send an email to both parties. During this time lag the referral “To do” either becomes

3. Poor tracking and internal processes can have an adverse impact on close rates. It can be cumbersome for a business to keep track of all referrals via traditional methods. Emails are lost in the inbox, slips may get misplaced, business cards are filed and forgotten and phone messages are separate all together. 4. Missed Thank You’s. Often a provider never knows a referral was made (Problem #2 – Single Connect) and as a result after the business is closed they don’t properly thank the promoter. Sometimes they are aware who gave the referral but for one reason or another simply don’t follow up with common courtesy, a thank you, to inspire the Promoter to make more referrals.

Mobile solutions Today’s mobile technology can help with these four problems. My next article will detail how one free mobile platform called Referron has solved these four problems.

spark magazine

HOW TO BUILD THE ULTIMATE REFERRAL ENGINE Background Referrals are simply the most effective form of advertising for your business. What is a best practice to add proper process with your network to turn an app like Referron into the ultimate referral engine for you and your business?

People The key to a good referral engine is engaging and connecting with the right people in your community. Seek professionals with common values, a reputation you trust and a product or service you would genuinely refer to your friends or family. More beneficial are professionals that fit this description and are promoters of your business. This is your referral network and you should formalize and create a Referron Network Club (RNC) in your community.

Process It is important to stay engaged with your RNC so that all club members are top of mind when business opportunities arise. A regular schedule of meetings with a structured format and varied agenda is the glue that will keep your RNC tight and solid for many years. Integrating thoughtful agenda topics to keep your meetings

engaging and educational builds on top of the referrals and business growth.

Technology Your focus should be on knowledge and revenue growth built around referrals and business growth. You need a technical platform that will support all the positive elements of modern technology. It should be in the cloud, a simple monthly subscription that enables the best of mobile and web technology to promote the people in your RNC. And is should provide easy reporting on the results of your RNC. Technology should allow your RNC to focus on growth and not on administrative duties. It should be simple and intuitive Referron has built, in addition to the free mobile app for your smartphone, a “Platform as a Service” that brings the process and technology for an “Initiator” to build a Referron Network Club. It is up to the Initiator to find the people for their Club that all know, like and trust each other as business professionals. All you need to do to form your own RNC is to identify at least six professionals that all know, like and trust each other. From here you go to Referron and build your own private RNC network. Each member registers into your group and with a credit card each member agrees to pay $14.99 per month. In return members are connected to the following features and benefits:

Membership of a Referron Network Club (RNC). This Platform as a Service includes: Enhanced functionality to your Referron Mobile App specific to your RNC: • Your members organised into a unique Referron Mobile Group Folder. • Referral activities within your RNC shared for tracking and reporting. Enhanced RNC functionality to your Referron Web Portal that provides: • Your RNC group dashboard

issue no.7 autumn 2016

These articles are brought to you by Business Builders Group. Australia’s referral marketing community, offering a unique structure, professional mentoring and best-of-breed tools to maximise your referrals. www.bbg.business

illustrating the referrals given within this group, • The success rates of these referrals and • The dollar amounts of closed business leads. • A RNC ranking report showing the best “Givers” within your RNC. A RNC process definition and supporting tools to organize and manage your RNC including: • Network structure guidance and workbooks, • Custom Mobile App private for your RNC community. • Schedule options for meeting regularity and defined agendas for each meeting, • Referral and etiquette tips via push messages and videos. • Business coaching.

spark magazine

The Inner CEO of High Performers

by Michael E. Bernard, Ph.D.

issue no.7 autumn 2016

ey to CEO success

Today’s world of work is not a walk in the park. Much of our work is more like surfing big waves with stiff undercurrents in the homeland of sharks – the challenge is to ride the waves as long as possible doing whatever it takes to stay on your surfboard, while not being eaten by sharks and enjoying the experience. There is a reason why top performing people surf the bigger waves, stay on their boards for longer, display resilience by getting back on when tossed off and are positive, productive and profitable. While top performers generally have well-developed skillsets, their stand out signature strength is that they have an active, developed and efficient inner CEO – a part of the brain called the “pre-frontal cortex” located in the front of the brain just behind the forehead. Gerhard Gschwandtner (CEO, SellingPower) and the author have defined the duties of the inner CEO. Success is dependent on how well the inner CEO performs these duties.

CEO Duties IIn reviewing these duties described below, ask yourself how well your inner CEO monitors and manages each duty on a regular basis spotting your strengths as well as opportunities for growth. CEO Duty 1. Sets Vision. How clear are your dreams for yourself and your organization?

Your dreams are the magnets that pull you upwards. Activator: Write down two or three dreams and share with someone. CEO Duty 2. Focuses Attention. How distracted are you by outside competing demands and interruptions as well as internal work performance blockers (anxiety, anger, loss of confidence, procrastination)? Do you give time to the essentials? Activator: Establish clear boundaries with yourself and others as to when you need time for yourself and when you are available to support others. CEO Duty 3: Monitors Work Performance. There are four areas of your automatic mindset operating system that require regular vigilance by your inner CEO: (a) work performance (performance indicators, goals, plans), (b) performance blockers (external, internal), (c) skillset (technical, leadership, teamwork), and (d) mindset (self-talk, behavior).

Activator: Apply problem-solving methodologies to a problem you are currently faced with. Answer these questions: (a) What is the problem? (b) What are different ways I can deal with the problem? (c) What are the positive and negative shortand long-term consequences of each? (d) Select the solution with the greatest likelihood of success with least likelihood of negative consequences, (e) Formulate a plan to implement, and (f) Evaluate and, if necessary, revise. CEO Duty 5: Stimulates Creativity. Do you spend the right balance of time between harnessing your creativity and inner magic with logical thought? Activator: Be authentic in expressing your ideas without fear of negativity from others. Do not censor yourself when generating novel ideas. CEO Duty 6: Regulates Negative Emotions.

CEO Duty 4: Solves Problems.

When you notice that in a challenging or unexpectedly tough situation your calmness evaporates and your stress rises, can your inner CEO intervene interrupting the hijacking of your emotions by your amygdala (emotional center of brain) and restoring calmness and control?

When faced with obstacles, how successful are you in applying problem-solving strategies (e.g., define problems, generate alternatives, consider consequences, plan action, evaluate)?

Activator: Use rational thinking (e.g., “It’s not the end of the world.” “I can stand things I don’t like” “Don’t judge people by their actions”) and coping skills (e.g., find someone to talk to, relaxation, mindfulness).

Activator: Set up a reminder schedule for regularly monitoring each area and work on selfimprovement where needed.

spark magazine

CEO Duty 7: Generates Positive Emotions. When you are having a bad day or are preparing for “battle,” do you have a storehouse of strategies for converting negative to positive energy? Activator: Surround yourself with positive people, avoiding negative ones. CEO Duty 8: Maintains Positive “Self-Image.” How vulnerable is your self-image to knock-backs, criticism and lows in work performance? Activator: The key here is having strong positive self-acceptance. Practice the rational selfaffirmation, “I appreciate and accept myself no matter what.”

You can do it The great news is that your inner CEO can be strengthened no matter its current level of operation. The process begins with your awareness that you have an inner CEO and reflecting on the extent to which the duties of your CEO are being

carried out at a high level. Then, by activating different parts of your inner CEO, you will up-grade your mindset operating system. So, while you want and may have an advanced skillset that helps you ride the waves and not get eaten by sharks, achieving a gold standard performance depends on your inner CEO being active and in-charge of monitoring and up-grading all aspects of the way you operate. By increasing self-awareness and strengthening the way your inner CEO operates, impressive, immediate and sustainable enhancement of your work performance occurs. High performance mindset programs are designed both for leadership, managers and employees. They are an essential value-add for organisations that has identified high performance as part of their organizational values and culture. They have a very positive impact on participants’ attitudes and work performance.

Michael E. Bernard Managing Director, The Bernard Group; Professor, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne Michael E. Bernard, Ph.D. is an international leader in the field of human performance. He is known for his significant contributions to our understanding of how we operate at our best and when we operate at our worst. As a Professor in educational psychology, University of Melbourne, he is at the forefront in creating state of the art learning programs such as The High Performance Mindset at Work, and materials for leaders,

issue no.7 autumn 2016

managers and employees that challenge traditional learning methods. An author of more than 50 books on work performance, procrastination, resilience, parenting, achievement and rational emotive therapy, he consults with businesses, schools and government. To contact Michael, please visit www.workmindset.com.au.

spark magazine

THEM

US WE

issue no.7 autumn 2016

Addressing Culture, Communication & Customer Integration Issues to Avoid M&A Failure

by Linley Watson

spark magazine

he challenge

Too often mergers and acquisitions fail to achieve the expected synergies or to deliver increased value to shareholders. Recent research from leading US based M&A integration firm Price Pritchett found that more than 40% of corporate executives said that culture was the number one problem in merger integration. Other research by KPMG concludes that deals were 26% more likely to be successful if the dealmakers identified and resolved culture issues. Whatever the numbers, anyone who has been involved in M&A knows that many, if not most deals don’t live up to expectations and the impact of people and culture is largely underestimated.

provides valuable, objective insights into why things are the way they are, highlighting potential pitfalls or problems that need to be addressed, and similarities and differences across the organisation. Culture assessments improve M&A outcomes by providing useful comparisons of the buying and selling companies, highlighting differences in culture that may be the very reason to do the deal (or not), and identifying issues that will need to be dealt with urgently.

Communicate to reduce the fear factor Another area often neglected throughout the integration process is communication, both internal and external. M&As inevitably bring about fear, uncertainty and doubt amongst employees at all levels, within both the buying and selling organisations. At the leadership level this can play out as clashing egos, power struggles, turf wars and potentially even sabotage. With poor

“Culture is one of the most precious things a company has, so you must work harder on it than anything else.” Herb Kelleher, Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Southwest Airlines

Reduce the unknowns with cultural insight Merging disparate leadership and departmental or organisational cultures is a complex problem, often not well understood by the advisors and managers who drive the deal and integration processes. They sometimes only pay lip service to the importance of culture, despite being aware that it heavily influences the ultimate success (or failure) of the merger. There is simply too much at stake to not manage culture integration well. It is a relatively straightforward exercise to professionally research and gain a ‘snapshot’ of the current culture and various sub-cultures within an organisation. This

Today’s tools can even provide a measure of the unproductive conflict, friction and frustration that exists within an organisation. Usually caused by leaders, this ‘cultural entropy’ may show up as excessive control and caution, blame and internal competition, confusion, and long hours. These are essential things to know. Cultural insights can help guide decisions, shape the communication strategy and influence the desired future culture. This speeds up integration and reduces the risk of joining the long line of public M&A failures.

communication the rumour mill runs wild, skepticism and lack of trust sets in. As Price Pritchett comments: “Communication problems never seem to remain mere communication problems. They morph into bad morale, loss of talent, productivity decline, and slippage in profitability.” And with social media the consequences can become a PR nightmare, literally within hours. Why then do so many leaders fail to execute an effective integration communication strategy? Rather than an ad hoc approach, or winging it – as many do – there

issue no.7 autumn 2016

“The sale is a good outcome for the shareholders as they’ve worked really hard to turn things around but the new owners are forgetting that they’re dealing with human beings, not just the numbers. Their disregard and lack of respect for our people and customers is shocking. Sadly, both will vote with their feet and what we’ve built up will be lost.” - Group Financial Controller, recently acquired IT company should be a well thought out plan for each target audience. It doesn’t need to be complicated. A simple table (who, why, what, when and how) or a checklist is a good start. Change is scary for most people. It is human nature to be concerned about “what will happen to me.” Much of the fear and doubt and resulting negative behaviour can be reduced through honest, balanced communication that sets realistic expectations, informs, addresses concerns, focuses on the future and engages people throughout the transition and beyond. It might not be easy but there is no excuse for inadequate communication with arguably the most valuable asset in the deal – the people.

Move from an internal to an external focus

Linley Watson is the CEO of Peak Performance International that partners with business leaders in blue-chip organisations across Australia and New Zealand to develop peak performing people and customer-driven cultures. linley@peakperformance.com.au +61 403 149220

While organisations are focused on bringing things together internally, deciding on who and what is in and out, managers can take their eye off running the existing business and lose sight of their customers. Integration usually takes longer than anticipated and internally focused operational decisions are often made with little consideration of their impact on customers. When the organisation finally comes up for air managers frequently

find that the world has changed, customers don’t like what they see and have made a choice to go elsewhere – if not now, as soon as their contract is up or it makes sense for them to do so. Yes, key customers may have been visited or sent a letter and told about the changes, what products and services they can now buy and how good it will be for them. Yet how often does the internal cost saving brought about through integration translate to a better proposition for the customer? As well as benefiting customers, which ultimately benefits the business, experience has shown that focus on the customer can be the uniting force when staff are looking for direction post completion. Addressing culture, communication and customer integration issues doesn’t have to be complex and it doesn’t have to be costly. But it does have to be done properly in a timely manner. The longer it takes to tackle these issues the harder it is to overcome them. Key people and customers leave, staff lack trust and resist change, inertia sets in, synergies are not realised and shareholders are left disappointed. There is a big difference between making the deal and making the deal work! Attention to these ‘soft’ areas is a massive opportunity to create value for all stakeholders.

spark magazine

City Councils and Market Research by Roma Hippolite, MNZM

ntroduction

Every year, about this time of the year City Councils and other local body organisations are inundated by calls from market research companies. The purpose of those calls is to see if they can assist councils with their annual resident surveys, other research or evaluation needs. There are more than 1,000 market research companies in Australasia. That’s a lot of potential calls.

“Research broker companies have a wide knowledge of the various research companies’ strengths and weaknesses, and can help clients write a brief to be sent to a short-list of research companies they recommend to be the most suitable for the job at hand.”

Market Research Brokers There an alternative to taking phone calls from multiple research companies touting for business. An increasingly viable alternative is a market research brokering firm. Market research brokering firms offer a similar service to mortgage or print brokers, with market research, social research and evaluations being the services brokered. As mentioned by Jonathan Dodd in the National Business Review, market research brokers offer added value.

As independent companies (i.e. they do not conduct market research themselves) market research brokers can help councils find the best market researchers to meet specific research needs. They usually have a database and knowledge of many market research, social research, and evaluation companies in each country or market. They have a good understanding of the large, medium and small boutique research companies.

A market research broker also understands the differences of the market research companies, including their methodologies, pricing structures, management and experience.

Core Services 1. The core service will be to write the brief. This is the document that spells out exactly what the council wants to achieve from research, the objective, who the audience will be and what the council wants to do

issue no.7 autumn 2016

spark magazine

with the information. The brief should contain all the information that a market research company needs to know in order to provide a quality proposal. Councils should make sure they approve this brief prior to it being sent to the market research companies so they are in control of the process. 2. The second core service the market research broker will provide is a shortlist of market research companies who have experience and expertise in that particular project. Again the council should approve this shortlist, and even challenge it, to ensure they are happy they are getting the best research companies bidding for the work. 3. The final core service a market research broker provides is to manage the tender process, including taking all phone calls or emails, until the proposals are delivered to the council for them to select their preferred research provider.

Value-Added Services In addition to the core services a market research broker can and should provide these key services and advantages: • Save their clients money. Typically a resident’s telephone survey to 400 people of 20 minutes duration will cost between $16,000 and $40,000. If saving money is crucial to a council then a broker can introduce the cost effective research companies. • Improve the reach. Market

research brokers know which research companies specialise in getting access to the harder to reach groups, e.g. males and females 1835 years of age. • Multiple methodologies. Some market research companies specialise in phone / on-line data collections, or other methodologies such as phone / mail / intercepts. Depending on a council’s specific needs a market research broker should be able to introduce these multi-methodology companies. In appropriate situations councils can conduct a phone survey and add another methodology for about the same cost as they were paying previously for just the phone survey. • Reporting. Some councils complain (and rightly so) about receiving 200 page reports with graphs and interpretation that a year 12 student could present. A market research broker can introduce market research companies who provide leading edge presentations of data that may not necessarily cost any more than what council is currently paying. • Overall review. A council might consider it timely to undertake a complete review of their whole framework for research, data collection, and reporting. An experienced market research broker can help with that, usually without cost. • Trend data. An important aspect when considering a change of research provider is whether the new research company will be able to utilise past research and maintain trend data. A research broker will

know which companies have experience in seamless changeover so their clients do not lose the continuity of past trends. • Increasing the pool of tenders. Quite often market research companies will read council Requests for Proposals (or EOI) and make a judgment on their

issue no.7 autumn 2016

likelihood of being successful in the tender, and the profit they would earn. Some very high quality research providers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t submit tenders due to the cost and time it takes.

who have strong skills and experience back into the tender process.

A market research broker with a strong reputation can often encourage those research providers

Market research brokers operate similarly to mortgage brokers although the truly independent

Market Research Broker Costs

ones are not aligned with any individual research companies. The brokerage fee they charge the research companies should be the same regardless of who wins the tender. A council should ask their broker for their schedule of fees and other costs prior to making the decision to use a broker.

spark magazine Manager Community Planning

If the market research broker does their job the client may not even see any increase in their research budget, even with the broker’s costs included.

“We used [research broker] to help us find a research company for a library project we needed to conduct. The company offered a “touch screen” research survey methodology. We found the research company they suggested very good to deal with, they met the research objectives and although certain unexpected problems occurred throughout the project they were very proactive at solving them. The report was comprehensive, offering good action points and identified areas to be wary of from a statistical perspective.”

Procurement Rules Experienced market research brokers will be used to and comfortable working within council, state, or federal/national procurement rules, particularly statutory ones. In larger projects a council may engage the broker directly to act as their tender agent.

Selected Local Body References Listed below are several references from council managers who have used a market research broker. The name of the council and the manager’s name, as well as the name of the market research broker has been removed.

Tender Manager “[…] City Council has used the services of [research broker] for three separate research initiatives with each initiative being unique and critical for executive and elected representative decision-making. The value we got from this service was the effectiveness and speed of the tender process, improved choice from high quality research proposals, and greater confidence in meeting our research objectives. In short our objectives where met in all three cases. I wouldn’t hesitate to use this service again.”

Conclusion Rather than deal with phone calls or approaches from several market research companies a council manager can ask a market research broker to manage that interaction, saving a lot of time for the manager. A market research broker can bring more companies to the table can find a shortlist of the best research providers for a particular project, and save money. What is true for councils in relation to research brokers is also true for SMEs.

Community Relations Team Leader “Thanks very much for putting us in touch with the research company. They provided and managed the work of face-to-face survey interviewers in our main town centres. The Account Manager was excellent to deal with. Not only did he provide the interviewers but also managed any difficulties promptly and effectively. The Project is a success, and your role in finding the company for us was a critical element in that. Many thanks.”

issue no.7 autumn 2016

Corporate Planning Manager “We have just worked with [research broker] on two major projects and I found the whole process of using [a research broker] very straight forward and easy. [Research broker] took a lot of care to establish a good understanding of our research needs, and the context it was going to be applied in. Most importantly I found that working with [research broker] was a very effective use of my time - once we’d had some initial interviews, [research broker] did most of the work in writing the brief and choosing the best companies to quote for the two projects. We received good proposals, and competitive prices. As a result, I had a lot of confidence in the recommendations I made to our councillors, both in the quality of the provider, and the price that we had secured”.

Governance & Community Services Manager We approached [research broker] to help us find a company for our research needs, we had dealings previously with two companies and asked them to participate in the process and [research broker] suggested another. We ended up choosing the one [research broker] suggested as they were more cost effective and gave us more research for our budget. Many thanks for your help. The process seemed seamless and provided me with an extra set of hands and advice during the tender process”

Roma Hippolite Based in Melbourne, Roma Hippolite, MNZM, is the Managing Director of The Research Broker International, the world’s first and largest market research brokering company. He has a degree in accounting and finance and has consulted to, or sat on the boards of, SMEs for several years. Prior to consulting Roma served in both the New Zealand Police, and as an infantry officer in the NZ Territorial Force Army.

spark magazine

Business Manners by Lyn Pont PHD

Source: Cessna

issue no.7 autumn 2016

imousine Protocol – Help! I’m new at this.

Lucky you! You are going to be picked up by a beautiful, chauffeured limousine! If you’ve not travelled this way before, you’ll need to know a few new things. If you are a guest, and the company, hotel, or your host, sends a limousine for you, the limousine is referred to as a “car.” Never refer to it as a limo. Since the car was hired for you, you are not required to tip the driver unless he or she not only drives but also carries all of your materials into the hotel or conference centre. Limousine drivers have always been kind to me; I tip them between five and ten dollars for local travel. Depending on the length of the drive and extent of service, I will tip a greater amount. If you are travelling with senior personnel, remember that the best seat in a limousine is the passenger seat closest to the curb. This is the passenger seat that is not behind the driver and where you will seat the senior person in your party. Your host will generally get into the car first so that the guests do not have to slide over. Should you graciously have to take the seat next to the limousine driver, consider this an opportunity.

Having befriended several limousine drivers this way, I now have a friendly and dependable network should I need any travel, city, or entertainment advice from insiders in a number of locations. No cell phone calls should be made or answered if other passengers are in the car with you. By doing this, you will present yourself as both professional and as an experienced business traveller. Enjoy the ride!

The Corporate Jet – I’ve been invited onboard – Now what? Lucky you! You’ve been invited to travel on your organisation’s corporate jet. Dress professionally; think of this trip as an important business day. Arrive early. If everyone is there, the pilot may be able to take off sooner. You don’t want to be the person keeping everyone else waiting. Corporate jets are often leased by the hour. If you’re late, you not only cost your company money, but I am fairly certain that you will not be invited back. You will have to make your own travel arrangements getting to and from the airport. Let your senior executives board first. Wait until your senior executives are seated before choosing your own seat. Or wait for a crew member to seat

you. Senior executives get the best seats. Some corporate jets have a steward on board. If not, you will get your own food and beverages. Take your used plates, glasses, cups, napkins and silverware back to the galley. The galley is the kitchen area. Your seating area should be left in the same clean and orderly condition in which you found it. Should you be offered a ride (that does not involve business) on the private jet of a friend, then it is appropriate to bring a gift of food that can be enjoyed during the flight. On your business flight, do not ask for a magazine or a newspaper. Come prepared with your own reading material. If this is a working flight, do not take out a book or e-reader to read. Follow the lead of your senior personnel. Be mindful of your brand’s policy regarding alcohol during working hours. Never ask for an alcoholic beverage. If an executive opens a bottle of wine (or other alcoholic beverage) and offers a glass to each member of the group, then you may be comfortable in joining your colleagues. Take only your carry-on tote or briefcase (or computer bag) and a small rolling piece of luggage (or a garment bag). Not only will you be expected to carry your own

spark magazine

suitcases, but you will be unable to take a lot of luggage on a small jet. Check with the person who made these travel arrangements for you. He or she will answer questions about your luggage or anything else related to your flight. Don’t forget to write a thank-you note to this helpful associate. Please remember to thank the steward(s), pilot and co-pilot by name for a wonderful flight. Remember that it’s “pilot” not “captain” on a private jet.

Flying for business? Here’s what you need to know! Follow the tips in this article and your business trip on a commercial airliner will go very smoothly! First and most important, remember to take your ticket/ boarding pass, picture I.D. and passport, if required. You will be boarding by row or section, based on where you are sitting. This is where your patience may be tried. Be careful that your carry-on bags don’t knock a fellow passenger unconscious. On board, quickly put away your bags and get out of the aisle. Pretend that you are at work with your wonderful co- workers. Smile at airline personnel. Say, “Hello” to your row mates; nod

and smile. Be respectful regarding working on the plane. Make sure that your laptop and paperwork are not in your neighbour’s lap. If you are seated next to Chatty Cathy, just say, “Please excuse me, I need to work now.” Remember to smile. As a consideration to fellow passengers, never wear perfume on an airplane. This is a very small space and there is generally enough sneezing, wheezing and coughing going on. Gentlemen, as a matter of common courtesy, please remove your hats, caps and hoodies in this enclosed public space. When on business, I always travel in a business suit and pack needed essentials and toiletries in my tote just in case my checked luggage is delayed. When travelling to a speaking engagement, I mail seminar hand-outs to the location ahead of time, or I take them with me in carry-on luggage. Never check needed materials or your laptop. Most importantly, take along a snack of your choice. Even if you are flying First or Business Class, you just never know how much time you may spend waiting on a runway and whether or not you will be offered anything to eat or drink. On overseas flights and cross-

country flights, in First and Business Class, you may have a seat that can be tilted back into a bed. Make sure that the passenger seated directly behind you is not eating or about to take a sip of hot coffee when you decide to recline your seat. If you are travelling economy, try to book an aisle seat that has an empty middle seat next to it. The bulkhead seats and those next to the emergency exits have the most leg room. If you sit by an emergency exit, it will be your duty to open this door if required to do so after an emergency landing. Make sure that you wish to and are physically able to do so should you take this roomy seat. You or your travel agent must book your seat well in advance of your trip so that you will be as comfortable as possible. You do not want to wind up in a middle seat or in a non-reclining seat. The nonreclining seats are usually found in the back of the plane, near the restrooms. Besides the discomfort of a non-reclining seat, sitting near the restrooms means that you will be subjected to a constant parade of fellow passengers waiting in line to use a toilet. They will all be waiting directly next to your seat. Don’t let that happen to you. Book early and have a comfortable flight.

issue no.7 autumn 2016

Source Excerpts of blog taken from the book: Hospitality Management â&#x20AC;&#x201C; People Skills & Manners on and off the Job. Copyright ÂŠ 2015 Lyn Pont, PhD. See the book at: www.HospitalityManners.com Visit Lyn at: www.MannersForBusiness.com

spark magazine

How to up your GI

istant beginnings

The first email was sent in October 1971. Email has its roots in military technology. Ray Tomlinson, working at research and development firm Bolt, Beranek and Newman was tasked with modifying a program called SNDMSG, which allowed messages to be sent between different users of the same computer. His task: to allow messages to be sent between two different computers.

by Gavin Bernstein

In an interview in 2008, Tomlinson could not recall what the message said. The email travelled a distance of one metre between two separate computers. Tomlinson is also credited with inventing the @ symbol and the email address convention we use today. He needed it to identify the person and then the computer or network associated with that person. The @ symbol he says “conveyed a sense of place, which seemed to suit”.

Time to mature It could be said that “the rest is history” – but that’s not the case. Like all technology there were years of percolation before email became what we know it as today. It wasn’t until the mid 1990s and the birth of the World Wide Web that emails started to take off. Now many people regard email as an essential but somewhat painful way of communicating. Dealing with

issue no.7 autumn 2016

the reading and replying is a chore which if left too long results in an Inbox of work to be done.

The big question As a marketer the key question is “are people reading our emails?” To answer this – lets rewind to the facsimile of “fax” machine.

Lessons from other technologies By the late 1980s fax machines

had become commonplace in offices. Marketers became the first “spammers” as they saw the potential of sending unsolicited advertising. It used to upset business people to arrive in the morning to see a bunch of junk marketing faxes piled up on the machine and the final one, an important one, with only half the information - because the paper ran out. The “junk” fax experience is relevant to email as it taught

business people to ignore what was considered un-solicited.

The rise of email marketing Email marketing has become a go to tool for selling anything. Anyone who has used an email service like Mailchimp can quote sobering statistics about marketing effectiveness. Mailchimp includes some powerful analytics that allows users to

spark magazine

analyse the results of mail outs. The statistics can be depressing reading. Take for instance the “open rate”. Comparing the open rate to the industry open rate quickly tells users how successful or not the mail out was. Both these figures are usually low. The industry open rate is probably an average across that sector. With a mail out open rate of 15%, 85% of potential readers are not even getting to see the email.

Glanceable Information index (GI). When people receive emails, their personal GI index calculator kicks in. This causes receivers to glance at the subject line and determine its GI. If it’s above a threshold – and everyone is different – they carry on. The salutation might be glanced, then the first sentence. Few read anything anymore.

Practical in-house lessons

The click rate from a 15% open rate is even more depressing. This might be around 1.5% to 2.0%. The click rate is where someone clicks a link in the email – such as website. Email marketers know about these low rates and factor them into their calculations.

In a large company even emails between colleagues working on the same team or project can go unread. The most effective way to get someone to read an email might be to go and sit next them and ask them to read it there and then. This can be effective because it facilitates face-to-face commitment to action.

The index

Tips for upping GI

People are programmed to look at all emails in terms of its relevance. Relevance is decided in seconds.

When using email, make use the following techniques to up GI:

The time to decide relevance can be measured against an index - the

• Use a catchy longer subject line: Not many email clients set a limit to the character length of a subject

line, but they automatically shorten it… and leave the reader hanging. This is good. • Use a shorter opening sentence within the email body • Make sure it’s a relevant message –to the receiver. • Keep the length of the email brief. • Finally – where possible, don’t use email. Ok let’s qualify that. Where possible, don’t use just email.

Emerging communication and collaboration tools Increasingly communication between teams is shifting towards collaborative web applications. These have one thing in common and that is to bypass email as the main communication method. Email might be used, but only in an alert sense - to go to the application to see an update etc. Companies have well and truly got the message – or rather not got it. Where teams need to work together,

issue no.7 autumn 2016

Gavin Bernstein Gavin Bernstein is the Founder of CloudeNotes. A cloud application platform that will allow schools and any organisation managing children to migrate their legacy communication methods to the Cloud. Things like electronic parental consent, registration and enrolments, feedback, collecting payment or fees, are all possible on the CloudeNotes web app. https://cloudenotes.com.au/

these collaboration applications have become invaluable. Web applications allow users to view documents in the cloud. A private cloud based document allows users to login to view, add their input and reply. One of the many benefits is in the analytics. When users access a web page, behind a secure login they are providing a rich plethora of measurable analytics that make the experience more informed. For one thing, the sender or document creator should know if the page has been viewed and by whom. Taking this further – any forms that require input can be replied to thus avoiding the dreaded .pdf attachment. Features such as electronic signatures are now easy, where forms have been converted from dumb attachments to smart web pages with identity based input fields. These applications should “know who we are” – and therefore serve up relevant information.

A number of dynamic form creation web applications have hit the market in the past few years and provide a much more efficient communication workflow. For management this is “gold”. It’s now up to organizations to start to change their now traditional communication methods, both internally and externally. The good news is a number of dynamic form creation web applications have hit the market in the past few years. Applications such as Wufoo (http://www.wufoo. com/), and JotForms (http://www. jotform.com/) allow users to create a dynamic form in minutes. Replies are easily processed in excel templates which make database integration and analysis easy. There are also companies focusing on specific verticals such as SeamlessDocs (http://seamlessgov. com/) who have developed a series of products to help government eliminate paper forms but more importantly process the replies

much more efficiently. Going paperless is a benefit that can’t be understated. In Australia alone we churn through 4.25 million tonnes of paper a year. A lot of trees could be spared in what should be an entirely online process. Google Forms is another free service that is very easy to use. Just access their Drive product via a Gmail account and look for Google Forms icon. Closer to home an Australian company called CloudeNotes has recently started working with schools and organisations managing children. The company provides a web application that can eliminate paper forms and also collect electronic parental consent.

The next big thing The next new thing is Cloud Communication Applications – where we essentially bypass or won’t need email. It’s time for SMEs to ask – how are we communicating and can we/should we improve our legacy systems?

spark magazine

Is Clean Air Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Newest Export?

by Kate Engler

issue no.7 autumn 2016

taggering YouTube statistics

With You Tube creating ‘mega stars’ of children almost overnight, older entrepreneurs could be forgiven for avoiding this medium, thinking that it is just for the ‘young ones’. You Tube has over 1.3 billion users, and in 2014 it reported that 300 hours of new videos were uploaded to the site every minute, capturing four million video views each and every day. With such an overwhelming number of eyeballs watching six billion hours of content each month, many bloggers and business owners have tried to engage with this medium in an attempt to grow their reach and business. Some have succeeded – very well in fact, with the highest earning You Tuber, PewDiePie racking up annual earnings of $7million. And in more recent times, a cat nicknamed ‘Grumpy Cat’ which was featured on You Tube has become such an internet sensation, its owner has resigned from her job in an American diner and now ‘manages’ the cat’s career including producing merchandise, negotiating product placement, two books, TV commercials as well

as a movie featuring the feline. Reports on earnings vary, but some reports have the owner pocketing $100 million from the combined activities of the feline You Tube star.

An Aussie story None of these success stories or statistics however even entered the mind of one of Australia’s latest and unexpected You Tube success stories. A Gold Coast grandfather simply wanted to use You Tube to educate people on all the health hazards that live inside the humble air conditioning unit and show people a way to clean these units effectively. When John Sanders was filmed by a work experience student as he was cleaning out an air conditioning unit, he decided to put it on You Tube to highlight to people just how much mold, mildew, skin and bacteria thrive inside the average Aussie air conditioner, and suddenly the world wanted to know more. Within days of posting the video showing the sludge that he was able to remove from the AC unit, hundreds of thousands of people had watched the video and over 10 countries had approached him – wanting his knowledge, his system and a piece of his company!

“This was a completely unexpected outcome and equally unintentional,” explains John Sanders, founder of HydroKleen Australia, the only air conditioning cleaning company to be endorsed by the Asthma Council’s Sensitive Choice Program. “Although we had a vision to take the system overseas at some stage in the future, the video was merely created by a work experience student who thought it would be fun to film the process. Once it was posted online, the world literally knocked our door down.”

Export success The export success of such an unusual item flies in the face of declining exports in the traditional markets of mining and meat. The Department of Agriculture reported that export shipments of mutton declined by 20% to November 2015, and the Department of Industry and Science showed that Australia’s energy commodity export earnings declined by 11% in 2014-15. Obviously, clean air is becoming the ‘export of choice’ for health conscious consumers around the world, with research suggesting the demand for air conditioning units showing no signs of slow down.

spark magazine

Global Industry Insight: Air Conditioning Systems Market Size, Share, Development, Growth and Demand Forecast to 2020 report by P & S Market Research showed that in 2014, the Asia-Pacific region dominated the air conditioning market with China and Japan leading the way with more than 75% of the total regional market share.

The clean air market The Asia-pacific region also witnessed the highest growth in the use of air conditioners, due to the popularity of ducted split air conditioning systems, and it is predicted that the demand for air conditioning systems from Japan and Australia is expected to grow moderately during the forecast period to 2020. All this demand and growth in the sales of air conditioning units, translates into a demand to keep the units clean, operating effectively and causing minimal damage to users. “What manufacturers are great at is selling their air conditioning units,” Explains Mr Sanders. “What they are not so good at is advising their customers how to effectively maintain the units so they run more efficiently, keep power bills down and minimising the negative health effects that even a unit that’s only 12 months old can have on its users.” John goes on to explain, “The air

conditioning world has surprisingly never devised an efficient or cost effective system to clean them, given there is a constant occupational health and safety issue as well as an energy issue – dirty air conditioners use much more power when they haven’t been cleaned. It’s a bit like building a car and not being able to change the oil unless you dismantle the whole engine. Most consumers are totally unaware of the dangers and health risks that lurk behind the filters of the average air conditioning unit.”

Health concerns CBS News reported in 2015 that there are many health concerns when it comes to the humble air conditioning unit. Specifically they can be a breeding ground for the growth of bacteria, mold and fungus. Mr Sanders explains why the health concerns are well founded. “Moisture can build up in the coils – the internal workings of the air conditioning unit – as well

as in the blades and filters. If this build up is left unchecked, mold, fungus, bits of skin and other nasties all get blown into the air that people are breathing. Such dangerous microorganisms can lead to breathing problems including pneumonia and even Legionnaires’ disease in the bigger commercial units. The innocuous looking unit that helps to keep us cool in summer and warm in winter, can indeed become a real health hazard if not kept clean,” he says. The National Asthma Council of Australia concurs with Mr Sanders, as it believes controlling the indoor air quality and keeping it nice and dry is very important for allergy and asthma sufferers as it actually helps to suppress the growth of mold and dust mites. “As part of our Sensitive Choice program, we aim to educate consumers that yes, it’s important to see your doctor and take any medication that’s prescribed, but there are other things that can be

issue no.7 autumn 2016

Kate Engler is a highly sought after public speaker who shares her ‘insider’ knowledge of the PR industry with Australian businesses, both through talks and specialist training programs. Known as “The Publicity Princess” she was is the only Australian Publicist invited to speak at the same event as Sir Richard Branson on his October 2011 visit to Australia. Kate has also shared the stage with some of the world’s leading business and copywriting legends.

done that may improve asthma health and management, and our program seeks to give consumers an independent guide to products and services that may help their asthma and allergy management,” explains Adam Trumble, Manager of the Sensitive Choice Program. To this end, the Sensitive Choice program is constantly on the lookout for products and services that people with asthma and allergies can use which may assist in the management of their condition. “We have a rigorous assessment process for any product or service we approve. We have established an independent assessment panel made up of a GP, allergist, pharmacist, engineer, respiratory physician, and an industrial chemist to ensure that any product or service carrying the Sensitive Choice butterfly logo meets a high standard. Many products do not get approved at all, and others are asked to modify ingredients or components in order to create products that consumers can feel confident about,” Mr Trumble explains. The Sensitive Choice Program has one air conditioning manufacturer (Daikin) and one air conditioning cleaning company (HydroKleen) approved. Mr Trumble is not surprised by HydroKleen’s global success as

the Asthma Council’s Sensitive Choice Program has also been approached by companies in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, interested in gaining approval from the program for various products or services. “As far as we are aware, the Asia Pacific region does not have another program like the Sensitive Choice Program,” explains Mr Trumble, “ And with a growing awareness of the importance of air quality, some international companies are looking to Australia and our clean air to see which systems, products or services it can adopt to assist in allergy and asthma management.”

Awareness Despite the global interest in both HydroKleen and the Sensitive Choice Program, many individual Australians are still in the dark about how the nasty organisms, which grow in AC units, affect a range of respiratory issues and illnesses, including asthma, and how simple it is to reduce the impact of these dangers. Globally however, people are acutely aware of the dangers and they are crying out for a solution. It is not surprising then that when they saw the demonstration in the You Tube video, they flocked to acquire the HydroKleen units. What John and his team had not fully appreciated when filming the

You Tube clip was that there was simply no other air conditioning cleaning system of its kind anywhere else in the world and so from the moment the video was uploaded, it began generating hits from across the globe searching for a safe, hygienic and cost effective way to clean a wall mounted air conditioning system, commonly found in both domestic and commercial settings. Most of these enquiries were overseas air conditioning businesses, although there were also many enquiries from consumers as well.

Export success To date, Mr Sanders has sold HydroKleen Equipment Packages (HEPs) to several countries and is in the throws of finalizing four Master Licenses - to Oman, Hong Kong Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, generating income of just over $1 million inside of six months. At the time of going to print, HydroKleen was also on the cusp of a deal which would see international distributors set up in Hong Kong, Europe and the Middle East. This would essentially see the Aussie company wholesale their equipment en masse to these regions and further expand the reach of this little Aussie invention who found it’s voice via You Tube. Editor’s note: there has never been a better time to be an Aussie innovator and exporter.

spark magazine

issue no.7 autumn 2016

Profile BARB DE CORTI CEO and Founder - ENJO Australia

bout Barb

Long before I met Barb de Corti, she was in my life. She didn’t know it but every time I cleaned my house, this passionate advocate for the environment was right there next to me. Of course, Barb, the Queen of ENJO, was in my home and many others around Australia, in a virtual rather than a physical sense. Around 10% of Australian households possess ENJO cleaning products, which equates to 2.3 million people potentially having a smaller environmental footprint. Born in a small Austrian village with a population of just 1,000 people, Barb was the eldest in a family of eight. Barb moved to Australia with her husband and young son in the mid 80s, speaking little English where she eventually found work as a fitness instructor. Barb was a self-confessed bleach queen, using bleach and other

by Julie Meek

chemically based products liberally in her home. She soon discovered these products were taking their toll on her young son, Mark, who suffered debilitating asthma attacks, made worse by the chemical cleaners. Barb found a unique range of Austrian cleaning products that used fibre technology and plain water. Her choice to ditch the chemicals and use these gloves and cloths, proved to be a lifesaver for her son and his health improved dramatically. Barb’s belief in this brand was such that she decided to take a leap and invest her family’s life savings of $40,000 to import ENJO products into Australia. Like many businesses, ENJO has endured tough times, sometimes threatening the company’s success. Barb’s desire for helping people is evident in how she speaks about her staff and her customers. Barb explains that the main purpose of

ENJO is to create healthy homes that are chemical free and it was this primary passion that pushed her on through the speed bumps. Hard work paid off and by 2003, Barb was listed in the BRW Young Rich with a fortune of $60 million. Other challenges have rocked the boat since then with Barb’s divorce in 2005 that inevitably changed ENJO’s leadership structure, as well as the constant evolution of technology. In perfect alignment with the ENJO purpose, Barb was chosen in 2007 to become part of the Australian Conservation Foundation’s climate project and was trained by Al Gore to deliver cultural transformation in the area of climate change. ENJO is not available in supermarkets but is based on a party-plan structure with a community of consultants known as ENJOpreneurs. Although initially sceptical of this method

spark magazine

of selling, Barb knows that the faceto-face nature of their business has been a cornerstone of their success. Recently ENJO has also become available online to give customers access around the clock. Over the past few years, several competitors have emerged in the fibre based cleaning arena in retail outlets but Barb believes there are none like ENJO. “Our products are designed to last a long time and they come with exceptional customer service,” she explains. “At the end of their lifespan the products are recycled into felt in carpet underlay used in homes and cars.”

What Barbara has learnt Life is not just about running a successful company for Barb. For some years now, she has dedicated much time and effort in raising money for a charity close to her heart, Youth Focus. She has been committed to raising the awareness of depression and youth suicide through taking part in the five-day Hawaiian Ride for Youth, a 700 km bike ride between Albany and Perth. This ride had its beginnings in 2003 when a small group of recreational cyclists in Western Australia decided to combine resources to raise money to assist in the prevention of youth suicide. Remarkably, more than $6.5

million has been raised since then, and Barb has future charitable goals in her plans that include a fourth Ride for Youth with Team ENJO and then the New York Marathon.

Barb’s performance tip

Avoid the energy speed bumps with regular snacks.

Just like her renowned cleaning products, Barb has a unique way of approaching her exercise routine. It is easy to see that this woman is highly motivated in all areas of her life and dedicated to her physical well-being. However, her exercise goals and routines are all driven by something much deeper – the desire to help others.

Barb and I first met when she needed assistance managing fatigue, which is not surprising when she packs so much action into her life and is immersed in the day-to-day running of a large company. Like so many others, Barb was continually under time pressures while juggling competing priorities. A regular food intake often took a back seat. Through trial and error, she has learned that eating regularly is not a luxury but a necessity. This enables her to put 100% effort into her physical training and to be present and engaged while running an international company. This

way, she is a role model for her team and the thousands of people that she speaks to each year.

Snack attack For some of us, snacking is an essential part of keeping energy levels high, while for others, it doesn’t even rate a mention. Snacking can be great for keeping hunger pangs at bay, controlling weight, satisfying small appetites and providing important nutrients. However, in our current climate of upsizing, snacks can contribute significantly more kilojoules (calories) to our diets than are required. Larger portions have more kilojoules and more kilojoules mean weight gain. Your lifestyle and routine will probably dictate whether you are a three-meal-per-day person or a “grazer.” The term grazing is so called because cows like to do the

issue no.7 autumn 2016

same thing. You may not like to think of yourself out in the field chomping down on grass but grazing usually means snacking or having five to six smaller meals spread out over the day. It doesn’t matter if you have three large meals or three smaller meals and three snacks each day. Weight maintenance is achieved when your food intake matches your expenditure (exercise), regardless of when you consume them. Snacking can be a great way of keeping your blood sugar and energy levels stable but keep a check on what and how much you are actually eating over the day. It can be easy to exceed your daily energy requirements through regular snacking, so make sure that you don’t fill up on biscuits, cakes, lollies, chocolate and chips or whatever is handy from the vending machine. These types of foods are high in sugar, fat and salt but low in fibre and are certainly not good for your health. To be a healthy snacker, planning is important. Shopping regularly and having healthy snacks on hand makes it less likely that you will reach for fatty and sugary foods containing massive amounts of kilojoules. It will also save you money as items purchased from vending machines and convenience stores are often priced at a premium. Regardless of whether you are at work, school,

For Weight Loss

Choose 420 kJ/100 calories at each snack

For Weight Maintenance

Choose 840 kJ/200 calories at each snack

For Weight Gain university or at home, planning and packing your food intake the night before is a strategy employed by many healthy • snackers. The routine of packing • a lunch bag for school works just as well when heading off to work although your lunchbox may not be • quite as colourful as it used to be! • A problem time for many people is the third quarter of the day, kicking • off after lunch and finishing around 3 pm. This is often when you feel • least energetic – and you try to • ward off the desire to lie down on the desk or carpet. A snack is • often required to boost blood sugar levels but can be a nutrition trap. It is tempting to grab something quick and easy, but pre-packaged convenience snacks will not give you the long-lasting energy you need to get through the day. When choosing snacks, the following guide may be useful. Look at their size and energy value to ensure snacks don’t totally eclipse your daily food intake: Some quick and easy snacks include: Some quick and easy snacks include: •

1 slice of fruit or raisin toast with thinly spread jam

•

wholegrain toast or crumpet with a light spread of peanut butter or vegemite

Choose 1260 kJ/300 calories or more at each snack

small fruit smoothie handful of wholegrain crackers with cheese 1 punnet of strawberries 1 piece of fruit such as an apple, banana or pear Low fat, regular-sized coffee (latte, cappuccino, flat white) 200 g low fat yoghurt 20 almonds, cashews or pistachios 1 boiled egg

•

100 g tin tuna in brine or spring water

•

1 small snack pack of fruit in natural juice

A nutritionist and Accredited Practising Dietitian, Julie Meek is one of the most respected sports dietitians in Australia. With over 15 years’ experience in public, sports and corporate nutrition, she has helped thousands of people achieve personal success through eating well. Recently, she was awarded the official title of Sports Dietitian for WAIS (Western Australian Institute of Sport). An accredited member of the National Speakers Association and a regular guest on 6PR radio, she is an accomplished speaker, empowering individuals and teams in the corporate sector to achieve peak performance through nutrition.

spark magazine

February 2016

NEWS GOVERNMENT SUPPORTING INNOVATION

ONE REASON GOODS FROM CHINA ARE SO CHEAP

Through the National Innovation and Science Agenda, the Government will invest $1.1 billion to incentivise innovation and entrepreneurship, reward risk taking, and promote science, maths and computing in schools by focusing on four priority areas:

China warned residents in the country’s north to prepare for a wave of choking smog arriving over the summer, the worst of which was experienced in Beijing, prompting the capital to issue its second red alert.

1. Culture and capital, to help businesses embrace risk and incentivise early stage investment in start-ups; 2. Collaboration, to increase the level of engagement between businesses, universities and the research sector to commercialise ideas and solve problems; 3. Talent and skills, to train Australian students for the jobs of the future and attract the world’s most innovative talent to Australia; and

Schools in Beijing are were told to close and half of the city’s vehicles were banned from the roads China’s leaders have again promised to crack down on pollution in the country but Australian SMEs looking to export, and subject to strict pollution restrictions in Australia, will be dismayed at the lower cost structures of their Chinese competitors not held to the same standards.

investments made before this date will not be affected by this change and will be fully grandfathered. This will mean that taxpayers will continue to be able to deduct net rental losses against their wage income, providing the losses come from newly constructed housing. Capital gains tax Labor will halve the capital gains discount for all assets purchased after 1 July 2017. This will reduce the capital gains tax discount for assets that are held longer than 12 months from the current 50 per cent to 25 per cent. All investments made before this date will not be affected by this change and will be fully grandfathered. This policy change will also not affect investments made by superannuation funds. The CGT discount will not change for small business assets. This will ensure that no small businesses are worse off under these changes. Source: http://www.alp.org.au/ negativegearing

WORLD CORRUPTION INDEX LABOR RELEASES TAX POLICY

4. Government as an exemplar, to lead by example in the way Government invests in and uses technology and data to deliver better quality services.

Labor has announced some of the tax polies it will take to the next election getting a jump on the government. Key aspects are as follows:

For more details of these initiates go here: http://innovation.gov.au/page/ agenda

Negative gearing Labor will limit negative gearing to new housing from 1 July 2017. All

Transparency International that gives voice to the victims and witnesses of corruption and works together with governments, businesses and citizens to stop the abuse of power, bribery and secret deals has released its latest index. The organisation points out that more than six billion people live in countries with a serious corruption problem.

issue no.7 autumn 2016

Australia raked 13th out of 168, well below New Zealand that came in at 4th, the US was 16th, Germany 10th and China 83rd. In a telling comment for Australia, the organisation said: “This inability to tackle root causes holds true across the region – witness, for example, Australia’s dwindling score in recent years.”

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA RETURNS TO PROFIT On 11 February 2016 Virgin Australia reported an Underlying Profit Before Tax of $81.5 million for the first half of the 2016 financial year. Virgin Australia Group Chief Executive Officer John Borghetti said: “Virgin Australia Group has continued to improve its operational and financial performance across all businesses through the first half of the 2016 financial year and is on track to achieve its targets for the end of the 2017 financial year. “The Group delivered an Underlying Profit Before Tax of $81.5 million, an improvement of $71.3 million on the first half of the 2015 financial year. The Group also delivered the strongest Statutory Profit After Tax since the first half of the 2010 financial year of $62.5 million, an improvement of $110.3 million on the prior corresponding period. The Group’s Return on Invested Capital increased to 8.0 per cent for the 12 months ending 31 December 2015, compared with 2.9 per cent for the 12 months ending 31 December 2014.

“Virgin Australia Domestic delivered very strong Revenue per Available Seat Kilometre (RASK) growth. Yield growth was also significant, the result of attracting more corporate and government travellers during the half. For Virgin Australia International, RASK growth continued, despite a $19.2 million impact due to volcanic activity in Bali. This business remains on track to deliver a profit by the end of the 2017 financial year. “The success of the Tigerair Australia turnaround continues to build momentum, with RASK growing by 9.2 per cent and Underlying Earnings Before Interest and Tax (Underlying EBIT) of $13.9 million, which is an improvement of $38.7 million on a standalone basis compared with the prior corresponding period. “Velocity continues to attract strong support from members and partners alike. Revenue and Underlying EBIT Margin improved and the membership base grew to 5.7 million, with an average daily join rate of almost 2,600 members. The business continues to see the benefits of strategic investment in systems and people. “The Group is also seeing very positive results from ongoing work in delivering an outstanding customer experience. Customers voiced their strong support for new initiatives launched during the half and the Virgin Australia Group maintained its lead in domestic on time performance over its major competitor for 15 consecutive months.

“Delivering this type of performance isn’t possible without the hard work of our people. I would like to thank every one of our team for their ongoing commitment to delivering our strategy,” Mr Borghetti said. For those readers interested in learning more about Virgin and its turnaround chief executive we recommend the book “Game Changer” (HarperCollins) by Doug Nancarrow. Source: Virgin Australia QANTAS BACK IN THE BLACK At about the same time the national carrier has also returned to profit going with a full year after-tax profit of $557 million compared with a loss of $2.84 billion last year. The underlying profit before tax for the 2015 financial year was $975 million, a $1.6 billion improvement on the previous year. Nearly half of the company’s $1.2 billion cost reduction was due to lower fuel costs. Australian business people will delighted that both the major carriers in Australia are now back in profit. That can only be a good thing for all. In late February 2016 Qantas reported a 234 per cent jump in its first-half profit to $688 million with revenue, up 5 per cent to $8.46 billion. Lower fuel costs added $448 million compared to the prior period. Excluding one-off write downs, the company’s underlying profit rose 151 per cent to $921 million.