www.nifnex.com.au
16 DEC – 15 JAN 2014
Photo Credit: LEON TANG; The Foto Factory; 0417 911 084
100
MOST INFLUENTIAL
Per th Small Business Communit y
Cocktail Awards Evening | Great Networking | 300+ Attendees
HYATT REGENCY PERTH, 27TH FEB 2014, 5:30 PM Guest Of Honour
The Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor, Lisa Scaffidi
Event Sponsors
“When the right people get together, magic happens’
Official Charity Partner
SECURE YOUR SPOT TODAY. TICKET $79
02
16 DEC – 15 JAN 2014
Read online www.nifnexreview.com.au Another year has flown by and has left us so many memories, new experiences and plenty of new friends in the business community.
Zeeshan Pasha - CEO, Nifnex
2013 has been a great year for us and 2014 will be a year of implementation.
contact via : Linkedin: http://au.linkedin.com/in/zeeshanpasha Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeeshanpasha
Nifnex Business Club and Nifnex Learning are ready to fly with Terri Billington and Leela G
C O N TA C T
respectively. Both these services are much needed in the small business community and we are very excited. To kickstart the year, we have the Influential 100 Awards at the Hyatt Regency Perth on 27th Feb 2014, two big business expos with CA Management - 12th March at the Burswood Resort Casino and Small Business Centre South East Metro - 21st
March at Gosnells Civic Centre. All this in the first quarter itself! It is going to be a massive year! On behalf of my team & I, have a fabulous new year! As usual, I look forward to your feedback.
Advertising Enquiries and Media Relations Email: nifnex@nifnex.com.au Tel: 1300 643 639
Address: 45 St Georges Tce, Perth WA 6000 Postal Address: PO Box 1186, Technology Park Bentley DC, WA 6983 Disclaimer: All articles, advertising, contributions and material supplied to Nifnex are opinions of the advertiser, contributor and author of the article/material. No responsibility is taken by Nifnex. Opinions published are not necessarily those of the editor. Distribution: Monthly editions are distributed to 150 locations around Perth business suburbs. Cafes, Business Centres, Office Lobbies, business associations etc. Online: This edition is also emailed to the entire database and available on social media. Estimated Online and print Readership of over 44,000.
WHAT SHOULD YOUR MONEY PRIORITIES BE FOR 2014 page 03 Conrad Francis BE A MASTER OF YOUR OWN DESTINY IN 2014 Sonja Pilkington ARE YOU DISTRACTED? Andy Buchanan-Hughes
page 04 page 04
5 CRITICAL QUESTIONS TO TRANSFORM YOUR BUSINESS page 05 Rueben Taylor TOP 10 LINKEDIN ACTIONS TO KICKSTART 2014 page 05 Jo Saunders
FINISH YOUR NEXT CREATIVE PROJECT FASTER WITH 'CREATIVE LOCK' page 07 Adrian Kougianos
WILL YOUR BUSINESS SURVIVE ONLINE IN 2014? Gary Hanley
THE DIGITAL STORM; IS YOUR BUSINESS READY FOR 2014 & BEYOND? page 07 Rajab Karume
BOOK REVIEW: THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON page 12 John Ross (JR)
2013 BELMONT SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS
STAYING HYDRATED DURING SUMMER AND BEYOND page 13 Susanna Amalia
page 08 & 09
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING PREDICTIONS FOR 2014 Douglas Lim 4 TIPS FOR YOUR 2014 MARKETING BUDGET Alicia Menkveld
page 12
page 10
BEFORE YOU PLAN, LOOK AT WHY YOU FAIL Michele Alexander
page 13
page 10
STRATEGIZING FOR 2014 Stephan Jenner
page 14
ARE YOU READY TO DRIVE SALES UP 30% IN 2014? Dale Carter
page 14
PLANNING AND GOAL SETTING Wayne Mandic page 06
5 REALITIES TO ROCK YOUR BUSINESS PLANNING! page 11 Shannon Bush
DO YOU HAVE CREDIT TERMS FOR YOUR BUSINESS? page 06 Natalie Walker
GOLD MEDAL AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIAN INSPIRES PERTH BUSINESS OWNERS TO BELIEVE Sarah Wilson page 11
IS YOUR BUSINESS READY FOR 2014? Yvonne Lim page 15
16 DEC – 15 JAN 2014
When it comes to financial priorities for the coming year, I think that keeping things simple but focused will get you some great traction in the financial space for 2014. To help set the framework early, here's a little bit of history... “Did you know that in the three Labor to Coalition swings that have occurred since 1949, Australian stock markets have rallied to be up, on average, around 26.8% 18 months post the election? Conversely, when the opposite has occurred, markets ease off by an average of 7.9% again, 18 months post election?” If you are a Y Gen trying to improve yourself or situation in the New Year, then aim to improve your ability to earn. This could mean bettering your qualifications or broadening your experience. Then, we can focus on the art of savings and the excitement of investing.
Read online www.nifnexreview.com.au
Also aim to understand your: - Superannuation - personal insurances and - your spending habits (budget) For me and my fellow Gen X's, I can recommend the following tips...firstly, increase your knowledge around Stock Markets. The past two years have seen massive double digit growth in our Australian Stock Markets (ASX) and given the knee jerk reaction that the Global Financial Crisis instigated. I am seeing too many of my generation behaving like turtles and still have their heads pulled into their shells. Next year, we could make this a stellar year for our generation if we start treating our situation with a little more urgency and applying a little more hindsight. I could even suggest that we become like businesses ourselves and set reasonable goals and benchmarks to help
hold ourselves and any professionals we choose to use, with a little more accountability. We should also apply the same logic to our service providers ie. home & contents insurance providers, mortgage/banking etc. Other areas to focus on next year would be: - expanding your investment knowledge and in turn, investments. - begin to love your superannuation. Ok, now to the pre-retirees and retirees … in my world, this is addressed to my Mum, Uncles and Aunts. Depending on how long you have left in your working life, the items that need attention are simply planning for the immediate future and planning for the long term. The first question I asked my Mum sometime ago was "Where do you want to be financially, by the time you reach retirement?",
this forced her to take a good look at her current situation and get a better understanding of what is needed to get to where she wanted to be. The assistance of her financial planning son proved invaluable here. If not already the case, a more focused approach should be used towards: - pushing as much of your income towards Super as you possibly can (consider your asset allocation here) - ensuring your investible funds are on track to outperform inflation - establishing a will and enduring powers of attorney All in all, I hope this has given you all some extremely valuable tips to start your financial goal setting for 2014, and all that remains is for me to wish you all a Merry Christmas and may 2014 shower you with prosperity.
03
With nothing more certain than the continual change in the world of finance, partnering with Conrad and the team at Inspired Money will ensure peace of mind for you and your family for any financial decisions now and in the future, we will inspire you to take action! Inspired Money ABN 98 354 038 802 is a Corporate Authorised Representative of Charter Financial Planning Limited Australian Financial Services Licensee, Licence Number 234665 www.inspiredmoney.com.au Ph: 08 9301 2631
04
Are you one of those people who has over-indulged at Christmas and now vow that it was the last time and that next year will be different, to start the new year with new year's resolutions only to ignore them the next day? Well you are not alone; many people do exactly that in their businesses too. They set goals, but don't set financial goals, take no action, overspend on some things, cash flow falls in a heap and stress levels go through the roof! Sonja has been called the “stress reliever” by many as she reduces the small to medium business owner's stress by providing bookkeeping and accounting services as Asset Financial Accounting. She is a Chartered Accountant with over two decades of experience in auditing, accounting and bookkeeping, risk management and compliance in a wide range of industries. Email:sonja@assetfinancialaccounting.com.au
16 DEC – 15 JAN 2014
Read online www.nifnexreview.com.au
Instead of setting new “New year's resolutions”, look at what your Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAG) were at the start of the financial year some six months ago. If you didn't have those BHAG, then maybe it's time to look at some now? Having hopefully had a chance to recharge those exhausted batteries, this is the ideal time of the year to take a deep breath and tackle the BHAG and that budget you set some time ago. How well are you tracking on budget or is it one of those documents you prepared and is gathering dust on the shelf, or is your budget really not stretching
Andy is the Sales Director for Priority Management WA, part of a global training organisation. With over 40 years' experience in all areas of Sales and Customer Service, Andy's passion still revolves around connecting people and building relationships. So let's do coffee some time and discuss win-win opportunities. P 08 9315 1044 http://www.prioritymanagement.com/perth/index.php
you at all and is the same as last year's, which is the same as the year before's? Sometimes, if we have a stretching budget and we feel slightly (or very!) nervous, it causes us to feel excited and pushes us to take the right type of action. It forces us to spend some time to rethink, replan and reforecast our numbers. It forces us to get excited about our business and see the possibilities. If anything, it should excite you to see the potential money you are going to be making, or what you can do with the money – that dream holiday, that new investment, the difference you are making in other peoples' lives, whatever your reason is for being in business! It's time to look at each of your budget items and the actions you need to take to meet those goals.
Cost of Sales and Gross profit have you thought of reviewing your product mix – are you promoting the more expensive product that brings in the most profit or are you spending your life selling the smallest product with the smallest profit?! In some cases, this might work but remember, in every business, there is the 80/20 rule – 80% of your sales will come from 20% of your customers; or 80% of your sales will come from 20% of your product range. Having a large and extensive product range might tie up your resources for a long time, and then there is the added risk of stock becoming obsolete, meaning it will have to be written off or worse still, sold below cost.
Fixed and variable expenses – do you know which expenses are driven by your sales or cost of sales? Some expenses will not change regardless of how much you buy or sell – rent is one of those expenses. However, commissions, advertising etc might be driving your profit numbers. Do you need to tweak this? Have you taken the most important action i.e. to make sure your numbers are up to date and meaningful, so that you can make those informed decisions?
If you apply the 80/20 rule to your customer base, have you thought that maybe you can upsell or sell other products to them? Have you asked them what else they are buying and if they would buy it from you if you had it in stock? Did they even know you can order some items in, especially for them? Taking an interest in your customer's business might increase your knowledge and can show opportunities for growth in your own business. Encourage your staff to be interested and ask the right questions.
Sales – Are you happy with what you have achieved to date or would you like to increase your sales? Do you need to sell more, increase your prices or employ more staff or spend more on advertising or a combination of all?
Remember, “products” can be different services too and this applies to all businesses. What are your products and how do you promote it?
Recently, I was sitting at the airport opposite a gentleman who was working on his laptop, along with his iPad and BlackBerry. Within seconds of sitting down, I felt the vibration of his BlackBerry on the tabletop. This was accompanied by a red light flashing and audible sounds coming from his laptop and iPad - no doubt alerting him that another email had arrived. I pondered for a moment how these constant and ongoing alerts were impacting on his productivity. I also wondered if his co-workers were also being constantly disturbed by his alerts
when back at the office. As you can imagine, I wondered how much he would benefit from one of our Working Smart training programs! We all know that email and mobile communications are a part of our working life. Managed effectively, they can positively impact on our p r o d u c t i v i t y. H o w e v e r , according to research sponsored by Harmon.ie, businesses waste $10,375 per person, per year on workplace distractions. Coupled with a study by Bruch and Ghoshal, which indicated that only 10 percent of managers deal with distractions well enough to
achieve the important, there is an obvious problem! What can we do about managing distractions? If we are clear in terms of our role and what is important, we need to ensure our organizational tool kit is serving the work, not creating unnecessary re-work and distractions. Have you considered turning off unnecessary email distractions and alerts on your desktop and mobile devices? Most people can manage their workload effectively by managing their inbox regularly - but not every time an email arrives.
16 DEC – 15 JAN 2014
05
Read online www.nifnexreview.com.au 1. Update your Profile image Add a professional headshot to match your brand, that is up-to-date and clear. 2. Update your Headline Write a killer keyword-rich, problem solving focussed headline to grab interest by the right people, in 120 characters.
Jo Saunders is the Director of Wildfire Social Marketing, a marketing consultancy specializing in online marketing strategy, LinkedIn training and Profile creation. She works with small to medium business owners as a marketing partner and provides consulting, coaching, training and support. Jo has a background in events and marketing in the corporate sector and has always had a passion to help people connect and position themselves. If you are overwhelmed and unsure how to leverage the online revolution, contact Jo. https://www.linkedin.com/in/josaunders www.wildfiresocialmarketing.com
3. Review your Summary Does it tell your professional story? Does it reach out to your target audience? Is it interesting and engaging? Does it talk about the problems you solve for your ideal clients? Does it inspire action? Is the action clearly stated to cover what's next? 4. Connect with people you have met this quarter If you have invested time and dollars networking, are you staying in touch? Take that pile of business cards and start connecting on LinkedIn with a personal message to remind them where you met. How can you stand out from the crowd without it being about you?
5. Review your Groups Leave any that have served their purpose or are not of value. Join new ones where your target clients potentially hang out. Monitor discussions and add value. 6. Add Rich Media Build your professional gallery by adding media items to your Summary, Experience and Education where relevant, to showcase your work, link to videos and content. 7. Use the Contacts Features Add notes, reminders and tags to your contacts to easily find and stay in touch. Create your own process and connection strategy.
colleagues you have worked with this quarter and request a Recommendation. Make it easy for them by adding comments to guide them on what to include. 10.Back up your Contacts It is a good idea to keep a backup copy of your connections, which is your LinkedIn list. Do not however, import into an email marketing program. To really kick-start 2014, join our LinkedIn Ignition Program from your desk and take the program at your pace. It includes 6 Sessions, lots of actions, reference material and templates.
8. Review your skills and endorsements Are they relevant and current? Remove any skills which are no longer important, or just add too much noise. Tidy up endorsements to hide any that are not authentic or relevant.
Festive special! - $99. Book before Australia Day! http://www.wildfiresocialm arketing.com/wildfire/linke dinprogram
9. Seek Recommendations Look at your clients and
As a business owner, how clear are you on where you're taking your business over the next ten years? If not, your business could just end up being a slightly better version of what it is today. The questions we ask today will shape the results we get tomorrow. Here are 5 critical questions to get you thinking about where your business is going: 1. What are the top 5 industry trends that will affect your business in the next ten years? There are a number of trends globally across business as well as some local to your industry. Some industries will look vastly different or will have even disappeared in the coming years. Here are a couple of trends to think about: - Artificial intelligence Computers are getting smarter and are able to do more and more of what people could. What does the rise of artificial intelligence mean for your business? - Instant gratification We have Google to thank for the fact that we are used to typing something in and getting an instant answer: people want this in business. They don't want to wait for quotes. They want it now. They want one-click shopping. And they don't want to pay extra. How can you improve the speed at which things happen in your business? - Go digital Everything is going digital: business cards have been replaced by online profiles (like LinkedIn), even industries are being replaced (like the service
middleman). How will this impact you? - Experience is everything It's no longer just about the product or service – people want the best experience that goes with it. This is why Apple has people queuing up to be the first person to get the latest gadget. You see it everywhere from the hottest restaurants to themed hotels. How do you make things more memorable and give your customers an experience they can talk about? 2. What markets could you be servicing globally? Often, businesses are thinking too small, too local. The reality is that there are potential customers – and a potential workforce - all around the world. If you are not ready for this, you could be left behind. Ignore this and there could be a local or global competitor about to move into your space. Look at how the retail industry is shifting in a global marketplace as an example. 3. What talent do you need in your team to add a zero to your income? The right people will grow your business, so hire people with a
good track record. Start to recruit people like a football team would. Recruit continuously. Identify talent early. Have a long-term view. Who are your apprentices now who will be your stars of the future? 4. Are you thinking like a mining company? A mining company does proper research and planning so that they can extract every ounce of value from a site. Do the same. Plan to reach your business's potential, instead of ticking along and making just enough to pay the bills. Once they've decided, they choose to get ALL of the ore that is economically viable. How big is your mine? What would you need to do differently to get all of the market? 5. How many pages in your business plan? Often, the answer to this question is “What business plan?”. Are you planning weekto-week or are you looking five to ten years ahead? Most people underestimate what they can do in ten years, but overestimate what they can do in one. Asian businesses are very good at this and can have a hundred year plan. Critically review every
business area to ensure your success. Take the time to work out where you want to be and start building your business step by step rather than just showing up each day. Go and work on these 5 questions, because as you change your thinking, you'll change your results in your business. For the last 12 years, Rueben Taylor has been helping Perth business owners grow their business sustainably, creating strong cash flow and getting it to a stage where it can run smoothly without them being there. He is the recipient of 9 Global and 15 Asia Pacific Franchise Awards and the average bottom line of his clients increased by 120% over the last 12 months. www.ruebentaylor.com.au
06
Read online www.nifnexreview.com.au
Successful business operators tend to be people that create lists. If you think about it, lists are essential, and keep you on a profitable path. The action of setting tangible goals is closely related to the creation of lists. One seldom exists without the other. Lists, composed of all different sizes, shapes, and intent, are everywhere in our business. We've seen detailed (and roughly accurate) financial projections listed out on a used pizza box. MBA students sometimes favour little index cards. A well-known photographer uses archivalgrade photo portrait paper for his marketing plans, along with a black felt-tip pen.
No matter whether your list consists of pixel driven PDA calendar items, the ubiquitous text and number driven spreadsheet tabs, or hundreds of dog-eared little sticky notes, these small reminders help you to keep your priorities at hand, line out (un)forgettable details, and do much more than just remind you of the trivial. Lists have great potential for planning, for action, and for ideation. Lists keep you focused on big-picture planning, and serve as a subtle reminder that your entire business strategy does not have to operate in your mind's frontal lobe all of the time. Lists keep you from forgetting those critical little
As a small business, you often find yourself doing consulting work or providing goods and then invoicing for the work. This is providing goods or services on credit, just as any other credit provider. Large businesses, banks and financial institutions all have extensive terms to assist with providing credit. However, as a debt collection agent, we find most small businesses have no credit terms for this work. Having wording on an invoice “payment due in 7 days” is not enough. This can create a problem when trying to enforce your right to get paid and recover the costs of a recovery agent.
always be paid on the due date – always build a contingency for when payments are late.
Define what your terms are You need to make a decision on how much credit you are extending and for what period. Most businesses use standard credit terms of 30 days, but often invoices are paid much later. Choose the length of terms that suit your business requirements and cash flow. Don't expect to
Tell your client your terms before you do the work You need to have the terms agreed on before you do the work. Most businesses put the terms on the invoice after the work is done – this generally won't be enforceable. The terms can be included on a signed proposal or quote, application for credit, or simply agreed upon in an email conversation. Set the expectation early and make it clear when you expect to be paid. You might also want to include terms relating to non-payment, such as recovery of collection and legal costs and interest on overdue payments. Reinforce the terms on your invoice You need to make sure the invoice clearly sets out the terms on when you expect to be paid and provide the method of
things, those tiny details that only matter to you, and yet, sometimes make all the difference in the world to you, your customers, your family, clients, vendors and employees. The most important list of all? Your planned annual goals. They should be realistic, quantifiable, and clearly spelled out. They should be integrated with your business model. There is no better way to verify incremental progress and make sure that your priorities dovetail correctly with the performance of your business. Every calendar year, it's absolutely critical to re-examine your business goals. This action is the bedrock of business planning. A loose mental picture isn't sufficient. When lined out, item by item, they become solid, actionable and trackable. Revenue goals aren't enough. It's more meaningful to make the list personal. What do you wish to learn this year? What would you like to change? What part of your business do you want to see succeed? What actions give you
16 DEC – 15 JAN 2014 the most personal satisfaction? Most importantly, do you have the correct business model to achieve what you want to achieve? There is an old saying: when you are dying of thirst, it is too late to think about digging a well. Start digging that metaphorical well today by aligning your daily lists with annual planning goals. It will help you and your business prepare for adversity as well as success. And for goodness sake, clean up all those old sticky notes.
Wayne Mandic is an Accredited Business Consultant who finds it truly rewarding to advise business owners on how to increase profits, cash flow, efficiency and valuation - all while freeing up their time to live happier personal and professional lives. Wayne has a passion for shaping the growth and development of the business community and is a regular presenter and speaker at seminars and business forums. P: 1300 665473 68 South Tce; South Perth WA 6151 www.successionplus.com.au
payment details. Make it clear. You are more likely to be paid if you make it easy to pay you – it's that simple. Enforce your terms If you don't get paid on the due date, make sure you follow up with your client. Pick up the phone on the due date and talk to them. Send a reminder statement or overdue notice requesting urgent payment. If you still don't get paid, act quickly and consider using a debt collection professional to enforce your contract.
Blitz Credit Management provides 'no collection, no commission' debt collection and credit management services to businesses throughout Australia. Blitz Credit Management stands out from its competitors because of its focus on service and investment in technology. For more information, visit www.blitzcredit.com.au or call Natalie Walker, Managing Director on 1300 887 232.
16 DEC – 15 JAN 2014
Adrian Kougianos has been Clockwork's Marketing Manager since 2009. Together with Clockwork's reliable print production team, Adrian has regularly produced unique, novel and most importantly, effective direct mail & large format campaigns and a huge array of marketing collateral that has helped Clockwork grow its business. You can rely on Adrian to provide answers to your print, scan, copy or design questions and to provide a unique perspective on how digital print technology can help you squeeze more out of your next marketing project. Website:http://www.clockworkprint.com.au
Read online www.nifnexreview.com.au
If you've ever been involved in a creative process, you know how time consuming it can be. Whether you're designing a business card, corporate stationery, an advertisement, writing an article, or publishing a newsletter, it can be very hard to reliably estimate the time it takes to complete a creative process. Why is it so difficult to plan and control creative projects? Well, there are many forces at work here. Firstly, the creative process is, by nature, an open ended exploration of a topic. It takes you down different paths that regularly fork off into uncharted territory. Investigating each new path takes an unquantifiable amount of time, so it's difficult to know in advance just how long this might take. On top of this, there is a need to balance the multiple opinions of business partners, graphic
designers and employees, some of whom try to influence the process at inopportune times. This isn't made any easier if you're the creative type; You also have to fight your own desire to make those last minute tweaks that will make your execution perfect! These factors compound into a persistent 'deadline creep' that almost always puts your creative project behind schedule. If you find that your creative processes never seem to end, consider using a technique called 'creative lock.' This means getting your business partners, your employees or your designer to agree that the current design meets the required business needs and, even if it's not 100% perfect, that no further change should be made. In essence, you lock down the content and appearance of your project and only allow changes to fix
obvious errors. To achieve creative lock, you need to take a regular and pragmatic look at your creative output and judge it against your business objective. If the creative work has a reasonable chance of performing its intended objective then you're good to lock it down. This approach prevents you from over-engineering the creative solution and will help you bring the project to completion that much sooner.
07
from morphing into new forms. For your next creative project, be mindful of the 'creative lock' concept. It will help you reduce your stress levels, keep everyone on track and give you greater control over your project, all of which leaves you more time to explore the best and brightest ideas.
Without creative lock, the work stays in a perpetually unfinished state, wreaks havoc with your deadlines and puts you under extreme pressure to finalise artwork right up to their actual print deadline, which produces a whole lot of unnecessary stress! By publicly acknowledging that your project is creatively locked, you can prevent the artwork
Rajab Karume is a founder and co-founder of a number of start-ups, and has a developed and indepth understanding of the use of technology, both web and mobile to build a communication bridge for business organization and individuals. Rajab is in favor of the simplicity – why, what and how principles, as opposed to reliance on coined terms and buzz words. He is involved in social entrepreneurship and is a participant in Not-for Profit sectors. M: 0434586087 E: RajabK@NeedlenHay.com
OK, your business has both survived and thrived over the last 10 yrs. Survived the GFC and its externalities.
13 Million - Facebook users 8.7 Million - Users on smart phone devices 130% - Mobile penetration
As the calendar year 2013 comes to a close, you partake deservedly in the end-of-year Christmas corporate events and office parties. HR has sent out the etiquette heads-up reminders on how to avoid the usual pitfalls that have left others (individuals and entities) with both a permanent financial and/or reputation hangover.
Tips on how to prepare for 2014 and beyond:
As the business owner - Decision Maker, Head Honcho, Proprietor, Buck Stops with Me, Chief Customer Engagement Officer, CEO, Number 1 ticket holder, Name on the door..... You are looking forward to 2014 being a better year. Confidence for 2014 is high Fantastic! Let's look at one factor that can buttress your business confidence - The Digital Storm. Picture this. A population of 23 Million;
1. Openness - How open is your business? Do you have silos? 2. Mobility - Your consumers are mobile. Is your business mobile-accessible? 3. Engagement - How can you better engage both your consumers and staff/ team members? We work with all business types to look at strategic ways in which to leverage on the digital platform business opportunities, with the objective to ensure your b u s i n e s s t h r i v e s . We a t NeedlenHay Digital wish you and your entire team a merry Christmas and a Great New Year..... 2014 here we come (Confidently)! Stats from ACMA and ABS
08
Read online www.nifnexreview.com.au
16 DEC – 15 JAN 2014
16 DEC – 15 JAN 2014
Read online www.nifnexreview.com.au
09
10
As we draw close to the end of 2013 and move into 2014, I've been thinking a lot about where social media marketing will head next year. I often take the time to forward plan and think about what and where the future of social media and online marketing will head so that my business can be at the forefront of it. So what are my thoughts? Well, here are my top five social media marketing predictions for 2014: 1. Facebook ads will become more diluted and less effective for businesses unless you are willing to spend a lot more money. Facebook has already let businesses know that due to the amount of friends and pages the average person has and likes, it is almost impossible to display information from all these different sources in a person's newsfeed. It's prime real estate. So I believe there will be massive changes to Facebook's EdgeRank algorithm, which determines what shows up on a
At the start of a new year, we all feel energised about the opportunities awaiting us and the dreams we will realise this year. Sadly, without proper planning and budgeting, we can't expect to change or improve anything in our business. If you are determined to achieve your goals in 2014, planning is absolutely crucial to your success. 4 Marketing Planning and Budgeting Areas to Consider for 2014 1. Analyse This Year's Results. Dig in to understand what worked well and what didn't perform up to your standards in 2013. Analyse the cost of every marketing initiative and all the leads generated. Inspect conversion rates and closed deals to see which marketing initiatives delivered the best results. This will give you factbased insight into what to repeat or enhance in 2014 and what to discontinue. No more guessing. 2. Put Your Customer First. Map out the typical customer lifecycle while thinking about your ideal customer and the problems you solve for them. Every touch point with your customer is a marketing opportunity. If your receptionist isn't friendly or doesn't have a customer-orientated mindset, start there.
Read online www.nifnexreview.com.au
person's newsfeed. These changes will mean almost all posts by your fan page will need to be boosted (which is where you pay Facebook to appear to more of your fans and their friends) in order to be seen and therefore be more effective. 2. The importance of video marketing in your marketing strategy will continue to rise sharply in 2014. In the last two years, we have seen the introduction of video sharing on social networks such as Vine, which is owned by Twitter, and video sharing on Instagram. Moreover, YouTube is the second most used search engine in the world. If you are not using video to tell your story and share your brand, you will be leaving a lot of money on the table next year. 3. Google+ will take over the world. As I spoke about in one of my previous articles in The Nifnex Review, Google is
Think how you can better deliver your products or services to existing customers to generate more word-of-mouth referrals and repeat business. Wow your customers and show them you care. Develop an integrated, year-long, customer-focused campaign plan.
gearing its search engine towards authorship, which is crediting content on the internet to an author and subsequently ranking your website on Google based on your authorship value. Of course, this authorship will be linked to your Google+ account. This will force a lot of businesses to be on Google+. 4. Instagram will become a huge marketing channel for businesses in 2014. Instagram has already shared that advertising on the social network is coming in 2014 along with an instant messaging feature for users. Instagram is clearly gearing towards a revenuegenerating model with a focus on innovation in order to grow its 200 million-user database. 5. Content marketing will be crucial in 2014. Google has made massive changes to its search engine algorithm in the last two years such as the Hummingbird, Panda and
Use any down time to evaluate 2013, plan and budget particularly in the areas of technology, skills, data and customer-focused campaigns and you will be able to hit the ground running in 2014.
3. Make Lead Nurturing a Priority Most businesses pour all their money into lead generation and forget the next step. Unless you follow up and nurture your leads, you won't seal any deal and up to 80% of leads are typically lost, ignored or discarded. Set aside a budget to develop a lead nurturing plan to complement your lead generation strategy. 4. A Digital Future and Your Technology Foundation. Businesses want to better engage with their customers in an online world but find they don't have time to do it all. Use the right technology for your business to run your marketing department and reach your customers with a more personalised approach, without hassle or more work. Start now or don't be surprised if your customers find it easier to use and recommend your competitors. Core technology areas to consider this year are customer relationship management and marketing automation tools like Infusionsoft, content management systems, analytics solutions, geo-targeting and apps.
Alicia Menkveld is the founder of Radical Consulting, an advisory for small and medium businesses. Radical Consulting, together with online technology and business automation experts Designer Life Technologies provide a one-stop-shop for marketing strategies and marketing automation technologies that will help businesses thrive in this new world. Contact Alicia on 0425 177 897 or alicia@designerlifetech.com Visit: www.designerlifetechnologies.com
16 DEC – 15 JAN 2014
Penguin updates. These are all updates named by Google, which has rocked the search engine optimization world. As a result, quality content that adds value to the user is definitely the only way to protect your business against any changes made by Google. This content marketing strategy will then lead into your social media marketing channels such as Facebook, Twitter etc. Well there you have it! ... my top five predictions for 2014. I would love to hear your predictions and any other thoughts you may have on social media marketing. Check out my profile and share your thoughts with me on any of my social media channels or on my blog. Douglas Lim is a social media marketing and search engine optimisation evangelist. He is the director and co-founder of a digital agency called Alyka that provides clients with services such as online marketing and web design. You may find him living on the following social media channels and websites: Alyka:http://www.alyka.com.au Doug’s marketing blog: http://www.douglaslim.org Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/109632516913184988570/ YouTube http://www.youtube.com/duggil Twitter - https://twitter.com/duggiel LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/douglaslim
16 DEC – 15 JAN 2014
Success is a journey and just like any journey, it's so much more rewarding and fruitful when you've got a map and a plan to guide you to your destination. One of the biggest mistakes I see small business owners make is failing to plan what they are going to do. In the past, I've heard all sorts of comments that I feel are just excuses for not making a plan. The excuses come from fear, from not knowing what to do, from having whinged about it with some success and more. Today, I want to share with you some of the realities of business planning to help you to understand not only the importance of mapping out your own plan, but also to offer you some new views on business planning to make it a whole lot easier. Excuse: I don't need a business plan, I've got this far without one and my business is doing fine. Reality: Yes, you do need a business plan. OK, maybe 'need' is too strong. I highly recommend, as will anyone who supports business owners to grow themselves and their businesses, that you have a personalised plan tailored to you and your business. Why? If you don't have a plan, how do you know where to focus your time, energy, resources and attention to achieve your goals for the coming month, quarter, year or even five-year period? Maybe your business has grown and your revenue has grown along with that. Imagine the additional revenue, profit and opportunities that could come from some strategic visioning and planning. When you've mapped out where you are headed and the actions you'll
Peter Taliangis, Director of Professionals Ultimate was proud to host Gold Medal Australian Olympian, Sally Pearson on Wednesday 20th November for a networking breakfast at Ascot Racecourse, Belmont. Over 60 guests enjoyed time networking over breakfast before Sally Pearson, the fourth
Read online www.nifnexreview.com.au
take to get there, some fabulous things happen. These side effects could include increased productivity in your team, room to say yes to awesome opportunities, new clients coming your way who love the solutions you offer to the problems they have because everything is so well aligned that the attraction happens effortlessly, doing less and achieving more... I don't know about you but I welcome all of these side effects and anything else that comes my way as a positive result of planning. Excuse: A business plan means I am locked into having to do or commit to certain things and I like to be flexible in my business. Reality: It is YOUR business plan, so factor in the flexibility you need to make it work for you. The reality is that if you don't have some sort of plan and focus, you could get so caught up in doing things in a reactive way that you'll never have room for flexibility anyway. I was just talking with a new client of mine last week and she wants to have more space next year to be able to say yes to speaking opportunities. This year, she's been approached to speak at a few big events for her industry where she'd have been in front of hundreds or even thousands of potential new clients and she had to say no to all of them because she was just in so much chaos from working in a reactive way, without a well-defined plan. The great thing to come out of this year's experience is that my client is clear on what she wants for next year and is now factoring this into her new business plan. Along with that,
fastest 100m hurdler in history, took centre stage and spoke of her amazing journey to become a renowned Australian Olympic athlete.
Chasing her dreams from such an early age, the young Townsville girl shared how she went from a Little Athletics school kid to getting more
she is allowing space and flexibility in her life and business next year to be able to make the most of the opportunities that will assist her to achieve her goals. When you're so overwhelmed and chaotic, you're working from a reactive space and will find it more difficult to be able to accurately assess and accept opportunities that you'd ordinarily jump at without hesitation. Excuse: If I don't create a business plan by February (or March, or April, or anytime after the beginning of the year), it's too late to make one for the year Reality: It is never too late to map out your plan! It is better to have some plan than no plan. Don't beat yourself up if you haven't sorted your business plan by a certain time of the year and use that as a reason not to have one. Planning can happen and lead to positive results at any time of the year. Sure, if you start mapping out your new business year in October and activate it early January with a clearly defined vision and action steps to implement your plan, you will likely be more confident, focused and productive than someone who doesn't. Imagine you started your business in the middle of a year like I did. Would you wait until the end of that year before creating a plan for what you were going to achieve and effectively lose the first 6 months of your business? I don't think so. Maybe you did do that. Think back to the times when you haven't had a plan and see if you can, for a moment, immerse yourself in the feelings of
serious about her track work and then chasing her ultimate dream of winning gold for her country. She inspired guests with stories of her comebacks after injuries, her dedication to training and early morning rises, how to combat negative press and eating only on meat and vegetables – all for one purpose – to get a gold medal hanging around her neck. The highlight of her talk was
uncertainty, questioning or confusion, or even chaos that reigned. Want to get rid of a lot of that? Get yourself a plan for your business (and your life)! Excuse: Business plans are boring and not for me. Reality: Business plans are only boring if you make them boring! When it comes to business planning, the key thing to remember is that the plan you create is for you and your business. If using someone else's template works for you, that's great and I highly recommend you use it and follow what's set out. If all your experience with business plans to date has left you with a sense of boredom because they are stuffy and 'business-like' and that doesn't suit you or your business, then pay attention to what I'm going to say next. Your business plan can include absolutely anything you want it to. It can be in any format you want it to be. It is your plan! You might need some help to define what you want to capture and the action you are going to take, so connect with your coach or mentor and ask for help. How you lay the plan out and what it includes is entirely up to you. Own your plan. Craft one that represents all the little idiosyncrasies that make you and your business different from the next one. When your plan is truly yours, it's more likely you will use it. Seriously, there's little point in making a plan if it's just going to hang on the wall or sit on your desk or in a file. Make it an active part of your business day. Let it be your guide and help you to stay on track and accountable to your goals and then reap the rewards.
hearing Sally explain how much psychological effort is behind each race, dealing with crowd and not being fazed by the extremely loud shot gun that starts the race, etc … … a fascinating insight into what it takes to succeed. Sally Pearson was in Perth after spending two weeks launching her latest book, Believe.
11
Here's express permission to map out a plan that works for you.
Shannon Bush is an international bestselling author, one of Australia's leading authorities on Personal Leadership and host of a global small business radio podcast show reaching 5000+ listeners weekly. As a business coach supporting the SME community to create more effortless success, Shannon is hosting the ultimate in planning workshops, Make 2014 Your Best Business Year Yet! On 9th January, 6 – 9.30pm, tickets are $75 and all proceeds go to Shannon's charity bike ride, Cycle For Girls in March. For bookings, contact Shannon on 0403 270 196 or visit www.creativepossibility.com.au/workshops.
Special thanks go to Mortgage Solutions Australia, Dymocks, Keynote Events, Tryangle Consulting and Amy Radunz for partnering with Professionals Ultimate and putting on this fantastic event.
12
Read online www.nifnexreview.com.au
16 DEC – 15 JAN 2014
with online purchasing options?
The latest State of Small Business survey, from the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC), shows a majority of small businesses in WA have a corporate website, but the number of businesses in WA using online sales in their business is surprisingly low. According to the 2013 Sensis eBusiness Report, released in September, the number of small Australian businesses using e-
commerce is on the rise, with those currently receiving payments online for sales increasing by eight to seventy per cent. In today's digital era, we have been exposed to a wider audience, a mobile audience that is looking for instant gratification. If you are not selling online or capturing a slice of this market, then they are
going to go to your competitors. How will this loss of business affect your business – will your business survive? 2014 will see more and more people looking to conduct business online. With this trend in mind, ask yourself – Can people view my website on a mobile device? Can I sell my products and services online? Is my business set up to sell online
There are so many online opportunities available to small businesses (besides just selling). It is a matter of finding out which ones will suit you and your business and establishing these opportunities in an online marketing plan for 2014. Succeeding online is more than just having a website. At Website Rescuers, we can help you make the most of online opportunities and help your business succeed in 2014. Call 1300 WEB SOS to find out how.
Gary Hanley - Managing Director of Website Rescuers With highly effective websites and various online marketing strategies, Website Rescuers are the superheroes you've been waiting for. Gary leads his team with a methodical and clear approach, keeping his clients ahead of the game. Having a website that can perform for you, generate leads, and deliver results will build your brand and help grow your business. T: 1300 WEB SOS E: sos@websiterescuers.com.au W: www.websiterescuers.com.au
I literally stumbled across The Richest Man in Babylon over 30 years ago; my business was heading south fast and my bank account, along with it. This great book came along at the right time. It's interesting how life works when you are open to receive. Since that time, it has become one of the most frequently read books in my library. As a matter of fact, I pick it up at least once a year and become fully absorbed in the story, as if I haven't read it before. The message it portrays is phenomenal and as applicable today, as it was when first written by George S. Clason. Originally a series of pamphlets distributed by banks and insurance companies, the pamphlets were bound together and published in book form in
1926. Set in Babylon, then one of the richest cities in the world, known for its lavish houses, palaces and huge city walls. It created fertile farming land where once there had been desert through the use of irrigation. Inhabitants of Babylon were allowed to make money freely and prosperity continued for centuries. The Richest Man in Babylon, to be released as a screen play in Perth next year, is a parable that introduces the reader to principles of wealth building, highlighting that they are free for all, but only the minority of us use them to our advantage. Gold, the green back, the yen, the Aussie dollar… it matters not what we trade in, what does matter is what we do with it. As a speaker and master
networker who mentors youths in making connections through the Young Masters Old Guns program and completes talks on the amazing tale from Babylon, I recommend it to you. Pick it up, read it and read it again. Follow its principles and as you reach in your pocket, sign your cheque or remove your card from the eftpos machine, consider a famous quote from the pages within “Without wisdom, gold is quickly lost by those who have it, but with wisdom, gold can be secured by those who have it not.” Cheers and happy reading….J R Also on my bookshelf Rich Dad, Poor Dad Robert Kiyosaki The Millionaire Mind Thomas J. Stanley
To register or find out more, please contact us at: Email: leelag@nifnex.com.au or Mobile: 0431 444 101
16 DEC – 15 JAN 2014 Water dominates our anatomy and physiology. Our bodies are made up of 75% water. This is a very important issue- why is that? In accordance with common wisdom, when our mouth becomes dry, we sense thirst and so we replenish with fluid. This is in fact, already too late, as by the time this has occurred, we would already have been DEHYDRATED. The theory is that thirst is only one of several signs of dehydration (others being various form of local pain and discomfort; ex headaches). In some instances, dehydration can be misinterpreted as hunger! (“Your Body's Many Cries For Water by F.Batmanghelidj, M.D. – www.watercure.com). A n i m m e d i a t e e ff e c t o f dehydration is that the body shuts off potential sources of fluid loss – urine is reduced, sweat and loss of water vapor from the lungs is closed down and water is reabsorbed from the stools. In addition, less water is made available for essential body secretions, particularly those for the purpose of digestion (saliva, bile, pancreatic, gastric and intestinal juices). In these few essential and evasive bodily responses, the functions of nutrition, waste removal and the provision of water as medium of
13
Read online www.nifnexreview.com.au transport and life functions within the body are immediately challenged. My advice would be to do two simple things. First, read good books on the subject, especially if you suffer from a common disease. If not, read them anyway to expand your knowledge in this subject. Dr Christopher Vasey's book “The Water Prescription” even supplies a number of different hydration remedies for specific purposes. Meanwhile, (unless you have a weak heart, a kidney condition, a tendency to retain water or indeed any medical condition with which you know to be sensitive to water intake – in which case you should do nothing without your doctor's supervision) why not try these very simple steps towards daily hydration?
- Remember to drink 2 litres of filtered water each day. If you are a big person, drink 2.5 litres. - Limit your intake of coffee (as this will dehydrate you). - Eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits. - Maintain a regular exercise routine, at least 3 times per week. - Walk by the beach, minimum twice per week. (The negative ions from the water will assist
- 30 minutes before breakfast, take one quarter teaspoon of Himalayan Salts (84 Trace Minerals) or Celtic Sea Salt, mix it in a glass of warm water and drink it. If the weather is very hot, I suggest you drink two glasses.
- Don't drink water while you are having your meals.
December is a wonderful time to review the year gone by and plan the year ahead. Before we can plan, we need to get clear on our Dreams and our Goals. Once we are clear and have them written down and placed in a prominent place to be viewed on a daily basis, we can make a step by step, month by month, quarter by quarter plan to achieve them. STOP How about during our review, we ask ourselves “Why am I not already achieving my goals? What is holding me back?”. And then list everything you can think of that is preventing you from being there already.
https://www.facebook.com/yourlocalbusiness coach
- Do something you love doing, at least 3 times per week. Enjoy! Testimonial by Dylan, workshop attendee After meeting Susanna and experiencing her incredible energy and exuberance for life, I was intrigued to learn how she became that way. I then attended one of her Beyond Raw Food Workshops. I learned about the importance of alkalinity, how to properly combine ingredients to make an ideal green smoothie, and other raw meal recipes. I have now been to more workshops than can be counted on both my hands, with each one presenting new and fresh information, as well as solidifying the basics. I highly recommend seeking Susanna's wisdom and attending one of her Raw Food workshops." Susanna is a Nutritionist and Raw Food Coach who runs a successful wholefood coaching business in conjunction with her health assessment / Nutritional Clinic. She works alongside several doctors to review clients' dietary deficiencies and provide guidance on how to achieve optimum health and vitality. Her work combines physical, mental, emotional and spiritual balance to achieve maximum results. Susanna is presently working at a Clinic in Nedlands with a Holistic Doctor. www.HealthBalanceNaturalTherapy.com.au ; Mob: 0400 201 337
- 30 minutes before any other meals, do the same.
Michele Alexander is a compelling, companionate, and extremely dedicated Business Coach. She has encountered her fair share of challenges in life and has used her coaching skills and positive mental attitude to rise above them all. With lessons to be learnt, shared, and applied to any business, Michele believes that you CAN achieve the success you want, especially with the right coach by your side! M 0403 824 261 E: michele@localbusinesscoach.com.au www.localbusinesscoach.com.au Facebook: To get inspired, motivated and educated, please like my Facebook page
you to keep Alkaline).
Look into the mirror and face the possibility that it is your own fears and doubts that are your biggest constraints to your success… And the ability to accurately identify what these are, so that you can focus your energy on alleviating them! The 2 main obstacles to success are:
· Fear of failure, poverty, loss, embarrassment or rejection holds most people back from even trying in the first place · Self-doubt (closely aligned to fear). By comparing ourselves unfavourably to others, thinking they are somehow better and more capable, we feel inadequate to the challenges of achieving our goals. You can learn to conquer these 2 negative emotions by using courage and confidence, by growing your knowledge and skill. Think about when you did something for the first time, such as driving a car or snow skiing – you were probably erratic and a danger to yourself and others! And yet over time, you could become competent at either. You can do the same in achieving your goals. So when you are clear on the obstacles that are holding you back, and have drilled down by asking yourself “What else is the problem?”, you can rewrite your obstacle into a goal. For
instance, “I don't use my time effectively during the work day,” can become “I will improve my daily productivity by monitoring my activity, ensuring I prioritise and focus on actions that move me towards my goals”. If you aren't sure about how accurate or clear your obstacles are, you won't be able to solve the problem. Talk to your coach. Put your ego aside and get true feedback. This can speed up your chances of achieving your goals in 2014. Remember, if you want a different result, you need to take different actions. Here's to a happy, healthy and successful New Year.
14
16 DEC – 15 JAN 2014
Read online www.nifnexreview.com.au
Stephan is a devoted husband and doting father, who loves food and travel. A successful business owner with 28 years' experience as an entrepreneur in the IT industry, he is an Implementer, Consultant and Trainer in new Organizational Operating Systems. An avid follower of Holacracy, 7 Habits and Getting Things Done, Stephan owns and works at IT services firm, Future Logic and Organization Consulting and Training company, Telus Partners by day, and barbeques his heart out by night. Stephan has ambitions of owning his own tropical guest house, running food tours, business retreats and BBQ Breaks. Enquiries 08 9471 6500 support@teluspartners.com.au www.teluspartners.com.au
As the fervour and anticipation of 2014 approaches, the optimistic traditionalists among us are dutifully setting goals and strategies for the year ahead. An activity the realists abhor for a fear of failure and a desire for rebellion. Regardless of whether the pressing nature of the impending New Year has significant meaning for you or not, planning is an essential ingredient for the success of any organisation. But before you go crazy making lists, let's take a moment to celebrate
If you've made a new year's resolution that this is going to be your best year in business yet, you'll want to make sure you get yourself setup correctly. It's time to stop being a cheapskate - using outlook and excel spreadsheets to manage your sales pipeline; and to step up into business-wide technology that will keep your whole team organised, closing more deals and provide instant marketing and sales KPI's through 2014. And if you are already using a customer relationship management (CRM) solution, then you need to invest in training for your staff and incentivise its use. Having a tool and your team not knowing how to use itwill be costing you more in sales that you realise. Here are some immediate steps to put into your 2014 plan. 1. Identify A Cloud CRM & Email Marketing Solution (48hrs) 2. S o u r c e a n e x p e r t a n d gettrained in the CRM(2-6 hours) 3. Import your existing client base (1-2 hours) 4. Create 12 communication pieces to send to your clientsand prospects over the next 6 months. (8-12hrs work) 5. Send 2 emails in January to your existing clients from the CRM.
your victories and acknowledge your shortcomings from this past year. This is extremely important in understanding the strengths and constraints of your business and let's face it, you as its leader. Don't worry, you don't have to walk alone and as you approach those forks in the road, the decision of which way to turn will soon become clear. Holacracy is a social technology used for organisations providing a distributed authority system built around an organic structure and grounded within the
organisation's purpose. Consider Holacracy as the anti-thesis of traditional management hierarchies to create a management-free environment focused on getting things done. Holacracy provides a different take on your annual strategy and planning sessions by providing a guiding light through the overwhelming decision making process. I challenge you to make a difference to your strategy process by adopt a dynamic approach to manoeuvring your way through the minefield of running a business. Once you've
strategized using this different method all will be revealed about where to invest your time, money and resources. Here are some examples of the strategic outcomes born from this process, they provide a clear direction when making decisions throughout the year: Focus on: · Stabilising the environment over hunting out new opportunities · Satisfying core stakeholders over entrepreneurial zeal
Now that this is done, understand that the single biggest failure of sales people is effective and timely follow-up. You might do a great job of warming up your prospects only to lose them to a competitor. Using a CRM helps you be a master of effective and timely follow-up. Through this follow-up, you will be seen as professional, reliable, and trustworthy. And the great news is that you can use the basics of your CRM,which is thecalendarand task reminder functions,to schedule in and then regularly touch base with your clients and prospects. Communicate with prospects through email, SMS, LinkedIn comments, tweets, phone calls and an occasional card in the mail. By religiously following up all prospects in multiple ways AND in a timely manner, you can avoid having your warmed-up prospect buying from someone else. Instead, more of your prospects will buy from you and your sales will easily exceed 30% in growth. Don't believe me. Commit to a professional follow-up program for 90 days and measure the results … which means getting and using a professional CRM system. Are you ready to do what it takes?
Dale Carter is a web development veteran of 17 years and has been involved in over 1000 web development projects. His dream is to build an affordable and totally integrated, cloud-based, business management software solution that streamlines business operations for hardworking entrepreneurs. His journey can be discovered at www.gtphub.com
· Organisational coherence over inspired individuals Holacracy has been adopted internationally including by multi-national organisations like the David Allen Company and Twitter co-founder Evan William's Medium. If any of this has peeked your interest, c h e c k o u t www.teluspartners.com or contact Stephan on Stephan.jenner@teluspartner s.com to take you through the strategy process.
16 DEC – 15 JAN 2014
15
Read online www.nifnexreview.com.au
Yvonne Lim is the Regional Head – Australia and Singapore of The Executive Centre, overseeing the management & operations of these cities. With a proven track record of fifteen years' experience in the real estate and hospitality sectors; she holds the key element in identifying & maximising optimum sales revenue, business development, centre opening and maintaining service standards. T: +61 (8) 6557 8888 E:yvonne_lim@executivecentre.com
In today's intensely competitive and global marketplace, whilst starting a new business is a very exciting time, it is also very challenging. Before getting yourself ready for business expansion or set-up, it is always good to gauge the local business executives' perceptions of current and future economic conditions on the local , regional and global level as how business peers perceive what lies ahead can be a genuine barometer of business activity and the overall business climate. According to the survey report on 2014 Asia-Pacific Business Outlook, conducted by The Executive Centre among its serviced office clients, there was a high level of confidence in the outlook for the Asia Pacific region as a whole, and Australia was perceived as one of the countries favourable for business expansion given the country's economic growth, fuelled by exports to emerging economies and mining-related
investment by both the private and public sectors, and the fastgrowing technology, energy and natural resources sectors. Based on the survey findings, Perth is definitely considered a destination full of business opportunities leveraging its flourishing mining, steel and energy resources sector, and the strong market sentiments underpinned by low unemployment levels and population growth surpassing the national average in Western Australia. Yvonne Lim, Regional Head of Australia and Singapore, The Executive Centre said, “Demand for prime CBD office space in Perth is already booming, attributable not only to the resources companies, but also services linked to mining and petroleum such as property & business, finance & insurance, and administration. With market sentiment looking so favourably on Perth, pressure is building on
prime CBD office space, pushing the rents up.” According to the latest market report released by Jones Lang Lasalle, office rents in Perth continue to climb. Average prime rent (prime gross face) is AUD904 per sq.m, and occupancy levels are consistently high at over 90%, implying limited A-Grade office space in CBD available. As a result, businesses expanding or setting-up in Perth are increasingly looking to serviced offices in order to obtain a prestigious core central business address at manageable rents without the burden of major fitting out expenses and burdensome leases. This is especially the case for businesses that need to meet clients regularly. “Serviced offices are now increasingly perceived as a mainstream occupancy option by companies of all sizes and natures. They allow companies
looking for space to expand without the demand and burdensome costs of setting up and managing their own offices as well as without getting locked into long-term leases. Companies can minimise their upfront capital investment by paying only for the space, administration, conference and IT facilities that they actually use. Lease term can be as short as a m o n t h , ” Yv o n n e L i m continued.
layouts, and are equipped with the latest electronic i-Button locking system that provides 24/7 security and full audit trail monitoring. Renowned for its premium fit-outs, exceptional client-oriented services, and state-of-the-art infrastructure, The Executive Centre has served a number of Fortune 500 multinationals including Microsoft, HSBC, Cisco Siemens, Lenovo, and Baosteel.
Located at the prestigious building – 108 St Georges Terrace in Perth, The Executive Centre is dedicated to providing a full range of serviced office solutions. Its centre features stylish reception and break-out areas, state-of-the-art video conferencing facilities and premium office suites graced with ergonomic Herman Miller executive modular furniture. Contemporary offices in various sizes can easily accommodate 120 persons and be elastically reshuffled into diversified
Serviced offices, with their flexible leasing terms, offer a low-risk and low-cost base that enables businesses of all sizes to start, grow and flourish in a premium, bluechip business environment in the fastest, most efficient way possible. So if you are planning to make 2014 your year for business growth in Perth, a serviced office might just be the option you need to give a real go at!
NEW YEAR ADVERTISING SPECIAL
SMS : 0412 643 639 (0412 NIFNEX) E : nifnex@nifnex.com.au Subject : 2014 Offer