B2B in Canberra March 2011 (issue 58)

CANBERRA’S BUSINESS & GOVERNMENT MAGAZINE

IDENTITY THEFT: IS YOUR COMPANY AT RISK?

IS YOUR BUSINESS ON FACEBOOK?

Stuart Craig from Waste Away can protect your information

Sam Gupta from Synapse Worldwide sells the virtues of Facebook for business

b2bincanberra.com.au

MARCH 2011

58

FEATURING

Yellow Edge.

Canberra’s people and ideas company Find out what makes them an inspired success ...

NEW REAL ESTATE ADVICE COLUMN

NEW OFFICES FOR CANBERRA BUSINESSPOINT

HAS YOUR BUSINESS BEEN TO THE DOCTOR LATELY?

Maria Selleck shares her experience in the Canberra market

Can your business benefit from Canberra BusinessPoint?

Antoniette Gomez from Exhale explains how to tune-up your business

B2B is now on Facebook at ‘B2B in Canberra magazine’. See expanded networking photos and articles.

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CONTENTS PUBLISHER’S NOTE This month I am very excited about Facebook and its potential for businesses. At first glance spending all that time, energy and money on establishing a business Facebook account for something that you probably have never used might seem a bit of a waste of time. You might sit up and take notice if I was to tell you that according to the book Socialnomics by Erik Qualman: 1. Social media has overtaken pornography as the number one activity on the web 2. 80 per cent of companies use social media for recruitment 3. 25 per cent of search results for the world’s top 20 largest brands are linked to user generated content.

06 UPFRONT Read about local business success What’s your business diagnosis? Antoniette Gomez on how to fine-tune business performance

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Stratsec encourages business to enter the 2011 Telstra Business Awards.

Find out how your business can make a difference to Earth Hour.

Having said this, we have just launched a Facebook page for ‘B2B in Canberra magazine’. Have a look, ‘Like’, and provide your feedback online.

10 PROFILE David Rae left the corporate bustle of Sydney for the offices of Beames & Associates in Deakin. Find out what inspires him.

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TIM BENSON Publisher

Marketing for minnows: Advice from Snap Printing Canberra City

12 OPINION Applications for spousal maintenance are relatively uncommon. Comment from Ann Northcote, Farrar Gesini & Dunn Family Lawyers FEATURES

14 BUSINESS PLANNING SERIES

PUBLISHER I EDITOR

Part Seven: Why Mind Maps are a great way to get your goals or visions on paper.

Tim Benson Liz Lang editorial@b2bincanberra.com.au 02 6161 2751

16 IDENTITY THEFT: IS YOUR COMPANY AT RISK? Waste Away owner, Stuart Craig offers solutions.

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18 NEW OFFICES FOR CANBERRA BUSINESSPOINT Read how to access practical advice and support for small business.

20 COVER STORY Find out how people and ideas company Yellow Edge lives its ‘Inspired Lives’ vision.

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LEGAL NOTICE Man Bites Dog Public Relations (‘MBD’) owns the copyright in this publication. Except for any fair dealing as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 (Cwth), no part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written permission of MBD. MBD has been careful in preparing this publication, however: it is not able to, and does not warrant that the publication is free from errors and omissions; and it is not able to verify, and has not verified the accuracy of the information and opinions contained or expressed in, or which may be conveyed to readers by any advertisement or other publication content. MBD advises that it accepts all contributed material and advertisements contained in this publication in good faith, and relies on various warranties and permissions provided to it by the persons who contribute material and/or place advertisements.

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23 ADVICE Advice from business experts (See detailed listing on page 23) 24 Accounting—RSM Bird Cameron Accounting services—Hillross Wealth Management Centre Canberra 26 Business law—Elringtons Lawyers 28 Business coaching—10X Commercial law—Trinity Law Corporate governance—Australian Institute of Company Directors Corporate health—Corporate Medical Options

CONTENTS

20 COVER STORY

30 Estate planning—Certus Law Financial planning—Capital Wealth 32 Graphic design—Paper Monkey Graphic Design Information security—CommsNet Group Intellectual property—Buchanan Law 34 Management consulting—MAXimus Solutions

Find out how people and ideas company Yellow Edge lives its ‘Inspired Lives’ vision.

Real estate—Maria Selleck Properties Websites—Synapse Worldwide

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photography by Andrew Sikorski

36 U2B: University to Business Honorary appointments—the link between the University and business professionals.

37 G2B: Government to Business Find out how to apply for ICON funding.

38 A2B: Associations to Business Canberra Business Council ACT Exporters’ Network ACT & Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry CollabIT

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44 BUSINESS NETWORKING See who is in the networking pages.

Conference Planning Tip # 35

Don’t compromise on quality. Choose a venue that offers excellent food, free parking and superior AV equipment to leave a lasting positive impression on your attendees.

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UPFRONT

What’s your business diagnosis?

After 20 years of experience in customer service and senior management, Antoniette Gomez, managing director of Exhale Coaching & Consulting is helping Canberra businesses to tune-up their performance, increase productivity and unlock the potential of their staff.

Together with an accountant colleague, Antoniette has developed a business diagnostic tool called the ‘Business Breakthrough Solution’ which hones in on five key areas: sales and marketing, people and communications, systems and process, strategies and mindset, and financial systems.

“Initially, we would go into a business, and using the diagnostic tool, work with the business owner or manager, to scope out how they think they ‘re performing currently, where they need to be, and how their business is going to move from point A to point B,” Antoniette says.

“After this initial session, a broad action plan is developed which is personally presented to the business owner. Subject to the owner’s level of interest, detailed project plans and consultations around the five key areas would then be developed. “ ‘We can assure business owners that based on our experience, if they follow through with the detailed project plans, they will see results. If however, they leave the project plans on the bookshelf gathering dust with other administrative systems, then the Business Breakthrough Solution is not going to work for them,” she says.

Marketing for minnows...

Ian Barrass, Owner, Snap Printing Canberra City

Many small businesses lack the resources to have their own marketing department or to employ a marketing agency. This is where Snap Printing Canberra City can help.

Snap Printing Canberra City can assist businesses with a marketing strategy and materials so as to give your them the appearance of a much larger organisation. Snap Printing Canberra City has a number of off-the-shelf options or they can develop a tailor-made strategy that will differentiate your business in the marketplace.

Proprietor Ian Barrass told B2B that many people work so hard on their business that they become too close to the day to day processes 6

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To enhance business performance, improve team dynamics, and effectively recruit staff, Antoniette also offers businesses the opportunity to tap into a behavioural assessment tool called Extended DISC® which was developed in 1994 by Helsinki School of Economics MBA graduate, Jukka Sappinen and is used in more than 50 countries. Antoniette is an accredited Extended Disc trainer.

“Extended DISC assists business owners to ensure they have staff in roles which reflect their strengths and capabilities - it’s a tool which enables teams to create winning organisations. At an individual level, it assists people to understand their behavioural characteristics that impact on their work, their judgements and interaction with other people.”

Antoniette is offering a limited number of free 1 ½ hour initial business diagnostic consultations during the month of March. To find out more, call Exhale Coaching & Consulting T: 0431 006 747, info@exhalecoaching.com.au, exhalecoaching.com.au Antoniette Gomez, Exhale Coaching & Consulting

and lose touch with what makes their business different and what attracts their customers. “To help people rediscover why they are special and communicate their message we will spend time finding out about their business and what will offer an effective marketing program,” Ian said.

Snap Printing Canberra City offers a complete service from copy writing, design, typesetting to printing and distribution.

Ian says, “We see many designs for marketing materials in the course of our core business and if we see a problem with any of the files we try to contact our clients to give them the opportunity to utilise our experience and get it right before they spend their money.”

Asked if people find this level of care in a printer useful, Ian said that it is only one of Snap Printing Canberra City’s suite of offerings; “It complements the other work we undertake which is the normal design, printing and copy services that are required by the market.

However, over each of the last two years, our business has grown by over forty percent and we are on track for the same again this year.

So I suppose that the effort we make to ensure that every job looks its absolute best has been recognised by those who are using us now and who have become our very loyal customers. It is surprising how frequently we have things brought to us by people who have been disappointed by some other printers, saying ‘this is important, can you redo it and make it look great?’”

“I like to think that we take the risk out of printing by putting the extra effort into customer service,” Ian said.

Snap Printing Canberra City 1 University Avenue 6175 0800 or Canberra@snap.com.au .

Getting the most out of life on campus requires a decent roof over your head.

But with a study indicating as many as 4000 students looking for accommodation, a leading NSW University found it simply didn’t have enough beds. At the same time, it preferred to invest its own money in core strengths like research and teaching facilities. With advice from our Deals team, the University was able to successfully outsource the development of on-campus accommodation. Instead of following the usual route of finding funding in the public sector, we assisted in helping them secure private sector investment. The result was a sense of growth on campus, with the bustle of building activities and a greater emphasis on teaching and resources.

While for the students, there is now more than enough room to embrace University life and experience growth on a personal level.

How can we make room for growth?

What would you like to grow?

Share your story at whatwouldyouliketogrow.com.au

UPFRONT

Award cements stratsec’s cyber-space Just as cyber attacks use the global nature of the internet to wreak havoc, Australian cyber-security expert stratsec is finding a global audience for its prevention expertise.

Since winning the 2010 Telstra Australian Business of the Year, stratsec’s increased profile has led to growth in South-East Asia, opportunities in the Middle East and its acquisition by British information security company BAE Australia.

The experience of the Telstra Business Awards, according to stratec co-founder and CEO Peter Lilley, was “… fantastic for us, one of the best things we have ever done, and a source of pride and excitement for our staff. The results have been amazing.

The recognition in international markets afforded by that kind of independent award is incredibly important.”

With offices in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, stratsec’s reputation among blue-chip government and commercial clients is based on the independent information security and testing services that it provides — the company understands cyber

security technology but is not aligned with technology vendors.

Cyber-crime is estimated to cost Australia $600 million a year and about $1 trillion dollars globally. Peter Lilley says “Cybersecurity is a trans-national issue. Cyber attacks occur from anywhere around the globe. The power of the internet is fantastic for business but it also presents a great opportunity for adversaries to mount cyber attacks that can wreak incredible potential damage on a business’s reputation and ability to transact online.”

“It’s a shame that a lot of businesses have to go through an attack that damages their business before they realise how important it is to invest in their security arrangements and protect their business,” Peter Lilley said. stratsec was named 2010 Telstra ACT Business of the Year and Panasonic Medium Business Award winner before taking out the national Award. The company had entered

Nick Ellsmore and Peter Lilley

the Telstra Business Awards twice before.

“For us the process of entering has been really good. It makes you look critically at your business and look back at what you have achieved,” Peter Lilley said.

“When we entered in previous years, we compared ourselves to other businesses and the characteristics that made them successful – it was invaluable because we could identify things we had to do to improve.”

The value of the stratsec brand and its expert advice for clients in defence, infrastructure, financial and other sectors was critical in BAE’s acquisition of the Australian company. As a subsidiary, Peter Lilley is extremely optimistic about stratsec’s future in Australia and, increasingly, offshore.

To nominate and enter the 2011 Telstra Business Awards, go to telstrabusinessawards.com or call the Telstra Business Awards Team on 1800 262 323 between 9am and 7pm AEST Monday to Friday. Entries open on 14 February 2011 and close at 5pm AEST on Monday 4 April 2011.

Earth Hour – going beyond the hour At 8:30pm on Saturday 26 March people around the world will switch off their lights and non-essential equipment to help our planet.

Sign up to participate in Earth Hour and be part of this inspiring global movement.

Earth Hour is not simply about switching off the lights for one hour. It’s a time to commit to an initiative which will entrench lasting behavioural changes for the benefit of the environment. Use this opportunity to engage with staff and improve your environmental performance. The Earth Hour Business Toolkit has a range of ideas to help you get involved. Visit www.earthhour.org.au to sign up, download a copy of the toolkit, or for more information.

Improve your office energy efficiency and turn on to CitySwitch As office buildings contribute a significant proportion of the ACT’s greenhouse gas emissions, they have a major part to play in helping the ACT reach its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

CitySwitch Green Office is a national program that works with office tenants committed to improving energy efficiency for a positive impact on climate change. The program provides national and local promotion of organisations that are committed to reducing energy use.

CitySwitch Signatories go beyond the hour of Earth Hour and make a commitment to increase the energy efficiency of their offices all year round. If all of Australia’s office tenants adopted the simple changes involved in CitySwitch, the potential savings are 960,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year which equates to taking 200,000 cars off the road.

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The ACT Government, as a CitySwitch partner, supports Canberra businesses to improve their environmental performance through: • positioning and promotion as an environmental leader • public recognition of business achievements • a structured way to commit to improving energy efficiency • a formal assessment and reporting process • networking opportunities with like-minded organisations • access to a dedicated program manager.

Organisations can now take advantage of a rebate the ACT Government is offering to CitySwitch Signatories towards the cost of a NABERS energy rating. The rebate is for 50% towards the cost of a NABERS energy assessment to a maximum value of $1,000.The rebate is available for all CitySwitch Signatories who obtain a NABERS energy rating between 1 July 2010 and 31 May 2011. Organisations that join CitySwitch after receiving a NABERS energy rating are also eligible to apply. This is an excellent opportunity for organisations that have recently obtained a NABERS energy rating to become a CitySwitch Signatory and apply for the rebate.

For more information about how to join CitySwitch or to download the rebate application form, visit www.actsmart.act.gov.au. Contact Esther Duffy, CitySwitch Program Manager, T: 02 6207 5669 or esther.duffy@act.gov.au.

TEL0418

Be celebrated.

With a simple vision for a safer world, stratsec IT security turned a two-man start up into a booming $20 million regionally based business. Along the way, they also collected the title of 2010 Telstra Australian Business of the Year. Do you know a business that should be celebrated?

Be nominated at telstrabusinessawards.com

Proudly sponsored by

PROFILE

DAVID

Rae.

Scaling the financial mountain of success Liz Lang speaks with David Rae, director and head of financial planning Mt Stromlo in the ACT.

Eight years ago, David Rae left the corporate bustle of CBD Sydney for the leafy surrounds of Deakin and the offices of Beames & Associates.

Passionate about his young family, his financial planning clients, and sports including mountain-biking, he has never looked back.

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Sydney-sider by birth, David worked for two of Australia’s biggest financial companies, KPMG Peat Marwick and Credit Suisse Asset Management as an accountant and investment analyst before becoming a partner at Beames & Associates in 2003. He holds a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University, a Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning, is a Certified Financial Planner™, a fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia, and an authorised representative of Count Financial Limited.

While David chose not to follow in his father’s footsteps as a teacher, he says a large part of his current role is spent educating clients in areas such as financial strategy, investment, superannuation and risk insurance.

“We spend time understanding what our clients want out of their financial life and together we set goals and targets to help them get to where they want to be – whether

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division, Beames & Associates Accounting and Financial Services Pty Ltd it’s buying a new boat, coast house, setting up a share portfolio, working less or retiring a few years earlier,” he says.

“A lot of people haven’t given thought to critical questions such as how long they will keep working for, the level of income needed when they ‘re no longer working, and also understanding their spending patterns.”

David laughs when he says that “spending is a lot like driving. No one likes to think that they are a below-average driver and in the same way no one likes to think they are spending more than they can actually afford.”

A mad-keen mountain-biker, David competes individually in 50 to 100 km races or in 24 hour races as part of a team. He draws similarities between his mountain biking hobby and financial planning career.

“With mountain biking you need to be prepared, have the right equipment, make sure you understand the risks, and take safety precautions,” he says.

“With financial planning, people need to make sure that they have the foundations of their plan right with risk insurance in place in case they injure themselves or get sick and can’t work. It doesn’t matter if they have the best superannuation or investment strategies operating because without income they won’t be able to cover their day-to-day expenses.”

“We provide risk insurance advice to the whole family unit because when young adult children, especially young males injure themselves and don’t have adequate insurance coverage, the financial burden falls

M A R C H 2 0 11 B 2 B I N C A N B E R R A

back on the parents which can potentially derail their retirement plans,” says David.

When David is not mountain-biking, he can be found surfing and snowboarding in winter. He is married to Rasa with two daughters aged six and four.

Beames & Associates is a member of Count Financial Limited AFSL 227232 – Australia’s largest independently owned network of financial planning accountants and advisers.

For more information, on how to plan your financial future, call (02) 6282 9500 or www.beamesandassociates.com.au

4 EASY FINANCIAL PLANNING STEPS 1. PLAN What are your life goals? Discussing your lifegoals will help your adviser determine how much wealth you need to realise those goals.

2. CREATE Your financial adviser will build a plan and recommend different strategies and investment vehicles to help you create wealth tax-effectively and achieve your goals.

3. PROTECT The corner stone of any wealth creation plan is having the appropriate protections in place. No one likes to think about bad things happening but it’s best to have insurance protection for illness, injury or death.

4. REVIEW Regularly review your financial situation to ensure you are on track to achieving your life goals.

PROFILE

Servitel finally welcomes Welshman, Wayne Phillips as its new Technical Manager IT.

1.

The securing of Wayne’s highly sought after specialist skills as a Mitel Voice Engineer, was a long and lengthy process that Servitel commenced through the Employer Sponsored Skilled Migration Scheme, but one that Servitel was extremely happy to progress with, due to the scarcity of suitably qualified applicants within Australia.

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s Wayne’s employment background started in the British Royal Air force, as a Flight Simulator Technician.

He returned to college to attain Civilian Qualifications, and subsequently gained employment as an Electronic Test Engineer with a Telecommunications company.

In 1989 Wayne joined Mitel, a world wide telecommunications company and progressed through the ranks to Senior Technical Engineer within its UK division, including a three year stint with Mitel in Australia, right up until he secured his Sponsored Visa application to commence employment with Servitel Communications in Canberra, Australia in February 2011.

Wayne’s position at Servitel as Tech Manager entails providing IT (Voice & Data) support and solutions to meet client requirements and to support and train Servitel’s technical engineers and service staff in their duties. His role encompasses

2. wide ranging specialist expertise and includes development, installation and implementation of new software & systems solutions for clients, and ensuring his technical staff are qualified and trained to maintain and modify those systems.

Wayne first month with Servitel has seen voice Engineers, Yuva Srivasan and Tim Edmunds working with Servitel’s technicians to revise our plans and training regime to deliver and support new developments in the virtualization of Voice and its focus on Vmware.

Apart from his expansive workload, Wayne’s world revolves around ensuring he stays ahead with the ever evolving changes in technology and communications, and therefore must continually undertake advanced training to maintain currency with the emerging technology.

Born in Duffryn Rhondda, South Wales, UK, Wayne was keen to make the move to Australia because of having spent three plus years in Sydney I wanted to get back to Australia. Australia has the ability to draw people back to it even though you may not realize at first.

Having only recently arrived in Canberra, we asked Wayne what his first impressions of Canberra were: “I have been in Canberra for a little over one month and in that time I have realized that Canberra and the ACT have a lot to offer, and without a doubt it is far easier to get around than Sydney.

I am looking forward to working for Servitel over the coming months and years

and growing with the company. I believe that Servitel has a lot of potential and it has the right mix of people to get it where it wants to be.”

CONTACT DETAILS Phone: (02)6202 4100 Fax: (02)6202 4150 Email: Servitel@servitel.com.au Website: www.servitel.com.au

Photography by Tim Benson 1. Wayne Phillips, Technical Manager 2. Yuva Srinivasan, ICT Engineer, Tim Edmund, ICT Engineer, Michelle Bramston, Project Manager and Wayne Phillips, Technical Manager

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OPINION

Spouse maintenance: the forgotten entitlement?

Applications for spousal maintenance are relatively uncommon even though it is quite clearly provided for in the law.

By Ann Northcote, Director, Farrar Gesini & Dunn Family Lawyers

W

hen parties to a marriage or defacto (including same sex) relationship separate, they usually consider parenting matters, property settlement, and divorce.

However, in cases where one party has been the financial provider and the other has relied on that party’s income, the non-income earning party may have an entitlement to spouse maintenance. This is often not sought by a party who has an entitlement to it. It is also separate to child support for the children of the relationship.

Spouse maintenance is financial support paid by a party to the relationship in circumstances where the other party cannot adequately support themselves after the relationship breaks down. It is sometimes referred to as ‘alimony’ in other countries.

For example, in cases where the husband is a high income earner and the wife has not worked (or has only earned a modest income), the court can make orders that the husband continue to pay the wife a certain sum of money each week for her to support herself taking into account the standard of living they had enjoyed during the relationship.

However, despite the law, applications for spousal maintenance are relatively uncommon.

From a legal perspective, the classification of spouse maintenance is clearly distinct from child support, which is a payment for the support of a child and which is administered by the Child Support Agency, or property settlement, which is the division of the property between the parties.

From 1 March 2009, the Family Law Act has assigned the same rights that married

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couples have to de facto couples, including same sex couples. This is particularly significant, because if two people meet the test for a de facto relationship, even if they have not accrued any property during their relationship, one party may have an obligation to maintain the other.

The test the court applies is: 1. What are the reasonable needs of the party seeking maintenance?

2. Does the party seeking maintenance have the capacity to support themselves?

3. If not, does the other party have the financial capacity to support the party seeking maintenance?

Putting the right evidence before the court is essential when seeking orders for spouse maintenance.

From a legal perspective, the classification of spouse maintenance is clearly distinct from child support, which is a payment for the support of a child and which is administered by the Child Support Agency, or property settlement, which is the division of the property between the parties.

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Importantly, receiving social security entitlements is not taken into account when calculating the person’s capacity to support themselves.

A wide range of factors are taken into account, including the age, health, income and earning capacity of the parties. The court takes into account the standard to which the parties became accustomed to living during the relationship and endeavours, with some consideration to the changes necessitated by the separation (because two households are more expensive to run than one), to maintain that standard. The court must also take into account the need to protect a party who wishes to continue their role as a parent.

Spouse maintenance can be very lucrative in certain circumstances. We recently sought and obtained orders that a high income earning husband pay to the wife $6,000 per month by way of spouse maintenance, until the property settlement could be determined by the court.

Giving consideration to spousal maintenance early in a client’s case can make a significant difference to the final outcome.

The applicant can seek maintenance on an interim basis, which importantly gives them access to money during the proceedings.

Cash flow can be a significant hindrance for the non-income earning party’s strategic position.

A competent family lawyer should always advise on all possible entitlements, including spouse maintenance.

Ann Northcote is a director at Farrar Gesini & Dunn Family Lawyers. Level 5, 17-21 University Avenue, Canberra T: 02 6257 6477 www.fgd.com.au

F E AT U R E

BUSINESS PLANNING SERIES.

Part Seven: Mind Maps Whether you are setting up a new business, or just planning new goals, it’s sometimes hard to know where to start, especially if you are a visual minded person.

Mind Mapping can be a great way to get your goals or visions on paper. It can help you organise your ideas and see how they all link together. Then, you will be better equipped to set priorities and see what needs to

by Andrew Sykes

be done to reach your objectives.

M

ind Mapping is an effective technique that improves the way you record information and supports creative problem solving.

It originally developed from the work of consultant Tony Buzan and others who have promoted Mind Mapping as a learning and thinking tool. By using Mind Maps, you can record facts, quickly identify and understand the structure of a subject as well as the way that pieces of information fit together. In addition, they can enhance problem solving ability as they hold information in a format that your mind finds easy to remember and quick to review.

Mind Maps are useful for: • • • •

Summarising information Consolidating information from different research sources Thinking through complex problems Presenting information in a format that shows the overall structure of your subject.

Mind Maps do not use the list format of conventional note taking. Instead, they show the shape of the subject, the relative importance of individual points, and the way in which facts relate to one another. Mind Maps are more compact than regular notes enabling associations to be made easily. If you find out more information after you have drawn the main Mind Map, then you can easily integrate it. Mind Maps can be used to refresh information in your mind by quickly reviewing them and remembering the structure of a Mind Map can give you the cues you need to remember the information within it.

The basic process of creating a Mind Map is to 1. Define the issue 2. Brainstorm the elements 3. Add branches to form the Mind Map

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To make notes on a subject using a Mind Map, draw it in the following way: 1. Write the title of the subject being explored in the centre of the page, and draw a circle around it.

2. As the major subdivisions or facts relating to the subject are encountered, draw lines out from this circle and label them.

3. As the subject is expanded and another level of information is uncovered, draw these as lines linked to the subheading lines.

4. Finally, for individual facts or ideas, draw lines out from the appropriate heading line and label them.

As a business planning tool, Mind Mapping can be used by all managers and all staff members to think through strategies to be implemented or address a range of issues and come to a creative solution.

For business planning advice and how to apply Mind Maps to improve your business performance, contact the Business Solutions team at canberra@rsmi.com.au.

Andrew Sykes is Director, Business Solutions at RSM Bird Cameron For information on business improvements contact our experienced team, 103–105 Northbourne Ave, Canberra.

T: 02 6247 5988, www.rsmi.com.au

loop expands on the vibrant and much loved Belconnen Fresh Food Markets.

www.loopcanberra.com.au

loop embraces the infinite possibilities of the future.

It will create spaces for people to live, work and play in complete harmony with the environment.

The 40,000 square metre site will balance the power and resources of nature with the needs of the future. loop makes sustainable living not only easy, but a way of life.

BradleyAllen Lawyers

F E AT U R E

Identity theft: is your company at risk?

When you last upgraded your computer system, are you sure that the data on the hard drive was adequately destroyed? How do you dispose of client’s personal information? Identity theft is a major threat for business. Liz Lang asks Stuart Craig what can be done.

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s director of Waste Away, Canberra’s specialist waste management company, Stuart has seen it all including personal information being regularly ‘recycled’ through non-secure paper bins.

“In these times, businesses need to be aware that personal details such as client lists, names and addresses can be used in unscrupulous ways by those who practise identify theft. Therefore, it’s critical that offices have the correct processes in place for the destruction of valuable information and materials,” he says.

“The best way for businesses to dispose of their paper is through secure bins where the information is shredded rather than being dumped in landfill,” Stuart explains. ”Yes, secure bins are more expensive than general non-secure bins but businesses need to ask themselves whether they can face the potential damage caused by their secure information ‘escaping’.”

Then there is the conundrum of what to do with old floppy disks, zip disks, portable hard drives, mobile phones with their stored names and numbers, laptops and computers with hard drives, and audio and video tapes which take up valuable office storage space. Stuart suggests that businesses have these materials ‘turned to dust’ by his new imported hammer mill. Waste Away also has the capacity to destroy uniforms and personal ID badges used by the police, fire fighters, security companies, military and government protective agencies.

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With its headquarters in Hume, Waste Away has been operating in ACT region for more than 30 years – the last 22 years with owner Stuart Craig at its helm. The Waste Away facility is federal government accredited and the company is the only service provider from the waste management industry which Photography by Andrew Sikorski is accredited under the ACT Government’s ‘ACTSmart Office’ program.

“None of the big waste removal operators provide the complete service offering what we provide. Those companies, for example, • GENERAL WASTE REMOVAL (HOUSEHOLD AND don’t go into offices to collect paper nor do they collect used cooking oil. Our services are COMMERCIAL) not cheap but if someone calls us today and they have to have a bin, then we will get one • BULK GREEN WASTE to them.”

Stuart Craig doesn’t readily publicise the • PAPER AND CARDBOARD RECYCLING FOR fact that he has a PhD in biology and spent COMMERCIAL CLIENTS 27 years in CSIRO during its ‘halcyon days’ undertaking scientific research. With wry • GLASS RECYCLING AND COMMINGLED RECYCLABLES humour, he says to me during the course of the interview that I was talking to ‘the world’s • USED COOKING OIL COLLECTION most educated garbo’.

When asked how he made the transition • SECURE PAPER/MEDIA SHREDDING OR from scientist to business owner, Stuart DESTRUCTION replied that it was easy because science and specifically research training teaches ‘you how • LOCKED WHEELIE BINS FOR SECURE HANDLING AND to think and ask questions. Running a business is just like doing a science experiment. If you DESTRUCTION OF CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS want to try something new, you carry out a trial and evaluate whether to fine-tune your • BULK RUBBISH REMOVAL INCLUDING WHITEGOODS approach or just park the project in the scrap heap.”

Contact Waste Away on T: 02 6260 1288 E: wasteaway@optusnet.com.au or www.wasteaway.com.au

M A R C H 2 0 11 B 2 B I N C A N B E R R A

WASTE AWAY SERVICES INCLUDE

SETTLE FAMILY DISPUTES OUT OF COURT It’s hard enough when a relationship ends. So the last thing you need is soaring legal costs, protracted, public court proceedings, and your personal affairs being determined by a judge.

Consensus provides a better alternative to the Courts.

We use collaboration, arbitration and negotiation between the couple to find open-minded solutions that work.

It’s discrete. It’s fair. And everybody leaves in agreement.

For a new style of dispute resolution which puts you back in control, turn to Consensus.

Canberra ACT 2601 T 02 6290 9898 F 02 6257 4382 info@cflaw.com.au www.cflaw.com.au

F E AT U R E

Canberra BusinessPoint opens shopfront

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ccess to practical advice and support for small businesses in the ACT, took another step forward when the Chief Minister and Minister for Business, Jon Stanhope, recently opened a shopfront office for Canberra BusinessPoint at 216 Northbourne Ave, Braddon.

“Canberra BusinessPoint is a very popular service among those in the ACT’s business sector, servicing around 800 clients annually, on top of those who use the extensive online services,” Mr Stanhope said.

“The opening of the new Canberra BusinessPoint shopfront at 216 Northbourne Avenue will mean that even more companies can make use of this service.”

The shopfront is a new addition to the Canberra BusinessPoint suite of services, providing a one-stop-shop for expert, impartial, guidance and support in business growth and development.

“This marks an important milestone in the expansion of Canberra BusinessPoint services for small businesses in Canberra”, Chris Faulks, CEO of Canberra Business Council, said. “We are delighted to open the CBP shopfront office because it will give Canberra BusinessPoint a home and enable Canberra Business Council to work with the ACT Government and Lighthouse to deliver a more personalised and responsive service to

small businesses in the ACT.” Canberra Business Council will be providing targeted services for people thinking of starting a business and those in the early stages of running their business.

It will assist enterprises who are typically looking for support around innovation strategy, advanced commercialisation activities, business sustainability and growth financing.

“The extensive resources and networks available through joint providers Canberra Business Council and Lighthouse Business Innovation Centre will ensure that Canberra BusinessPoint can provide a relevant and tailored mentoring support program for Canberra businesses,” Mr Stanhope said.

Ms Faulks said the Canberra BusinessPoint contract was an excellent fit with the Council’s primary purpose of assisting the growth of business in Canberra and driving sustainable economic growth in the ACT and surrounding region.

Mr Andrew Black has been appointed as the Manager of Canberra BusinessPoint services delivered by the Canberra Business Council. Andrew brings to the position a wealth of experience working with small businesses and a strong customer service focus. His career has been spent in Canberra working to grow Canberra and the region.

CANBERRA BUSINESSPOINT Canberra BusinessPoint, the gateway to practical advice and support for businesses in the ACT, is delivered, on behalf of the ACT Government, by a partnership between Canberra Business Council and Lighthouse Business Innovation Centre.

Canberra BusinessPoint services are delivered across two modules.

Module 1, delivered by Canberra Business Council, provides information workshops, on-on-one advice, referrals and networking for people thinking of starting a business, those operating an early stage business and for established small enterprises wanting to build on their success. The second Module, delivered by Lighthouse, focuses on mentoring and targeted advice for those small firms with the potential to grow and expand rapidly.

The CBP shopfront office is co-located with the new Canberra Business Council office at 216 Northbourne Ave, Braddon.

Canberra BusinessPoint has also launched a new website at http:// www.canberrabusinesspoint.com.au/, providing easy access to businesses support and development tools.

Details on training sessions, available resources, case studies and more www.canberrabusinesspoint.com.au are available on the website or by telephoning 1300 648 641.

1300 648 641

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Photography by Andrew Sikorski

“With more than 24,000 businesses in Canberra, ranging from corporate multinationals to microbusinesses servicing the needs of local people, and business investment exceeding $2 billion annually, it is not surprising that Canberra businesses are consistently at the high end of confidence levels. However there is still a place for the government to support business through business advice and mentoring,�

Chief Minister and Minister for Business, Jon Stanhope.

L-R: Canberra Business Council Board Member Craig Sloan, Chief Minister Jon Stanhope MLA, Canberra Business Council CEO, Chris Faulks, and Canberra Business Council Chairman, Brand Hoff at the official opening of the Canberra BusinessPoint shopfront.

COVER STORY

Yellow Edge

AN INSPIRED

SUCCESS

‘Inspired Lives’ is a challenging vision. It is also one that the directors of Canberra based company Yellow Edge believe is exactly right.

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s Director and CEO Andy Gregory puts it: “We endeavour to make a positive impact on the staff that comprise the Yellow Edge team, on the family and friends of those associated with Yellow Edge, on the Canberra community more broadly and, most importantly, with the clients we engage on a daily basis. Growing a massive business, making bucket loads of money is simply not our focus.”

A people and ideas company, Yellow Edge’s major areas of focus are leadership and performance; executive coaching; strategy services; collaboration services and talent support.

Additionally, Yellow Edge supports the Australian Leadership Innovation Centre, arguably the best learning facilities in the region, co-located with their offices in Sydney Avenue Barton (see photo above).

Yellow Edge’s service offering has traditionally been targeted at the government market where they have achieved outstanding success at the federal and territory levels, however in recent years they have spread their wings, engaging the community and private sectors with a suite of bespoke offerings.

The Yellow Edge business is about helping others achieve their goals and exceed their potential. This applies at individual, team and organisational levels where Yellow Edge strives daily to inspire others and for them to inspire others with whom they work. Andy Gregory and other founding Directors, Andrew Simon, Lindy Bryant and Kerry Martin come from varying backgrounds but share a common sense of purpose. They are also justifiably proud of their achievements.

Andrew Simon takes a wide view when he highlights that “in less than ten years we have grown from an idea in a kitchen between four friends and colleagues to a company with over 30 staff and a huge extended workforce across the

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1.

2.

3.

4.

Yellow Edge Founding Directors 1. Andy Gregory 2. Lindy Bryant 3. Andrew Simon 4. Kerry Martin

M A R C H 2 0 11 B 2 B I N C A N B E R R A

country. We are the largest provider of executive coaching services to the public sector and own world class, purpose built leadership learning facilities.” Those leadership programs have become a flagship offering of the company and one that sees them bringing global and international insights and linkages to local clients.

Lindy Bryant, who pioneered the executive coaching business line adds: “We helped bring executive coaching out of the closet.

It is now widely embraced across all levels of leadership and management, as opposed to being the exclusive domain of the most senior executives. There are many coaches now working in Canberra largely due to our efforts in forging and growing this industry.”

There is widespread enthusiasm for Yellow Edge’s contribution.

In 2010, in conjunction with community sector peak body, the ACT Council of Social Services (ACTCOSS), Yellow Edge ran the first leadership program to support the development of leaders in the community sector. ACTCOSS Director Roslyn Dundas doesn’t hesitate: “Yellow Edge was fantastic in coming to the party and demonstrated a great willingness to work with the community sector. The program provided a level of reflection and development most community leaders do not normally have the time or money to participate in. This was an amazing experience and helped build connections between business, community and government.”

Director Kerry Martin believes that this type of customer feedback captures the Yellow Edge difference. “We set out to work differently with clients, to really understand their needs and work in partnership with them. That passion remains and is one of the really enduring characteristics of Yellow Edge. That alone is inspiring.”

This year will see Yellow Edge push strongly into supporting ACT and regional business. “We are thoroughly enjoying working in partnership with local businesses many of whom, including the recently listed Beames and Associates, have much bigger plans,” says Andy Gregory. “The opportunity to share our considerable expertise, research and experience in a manner that promotes the private sector in the region is hugely rewarding.”

Here again the company has many friends, among them Chris Faulks, CEO of the Canberra Business Council: “Yellow Edge is a fantastic company providing leading edge support to government and the private sector. I personally was greatly appreciative of the opportunity to participate in one of their flagship programs

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS December 2001 – The four founding Directors plan for an Australian owned HR company around Lindy’s lounge (the Office) January 2002 – Yellow Edge incorporated. Why Yellow Edge? Yellow – a colour of learning, creativity, innovation, fun. Edge – that would be something about leading February 2002 – Yellow Edge’s first serious win – thank you to the National Museum of Australia (co-incidentally the birthplace of their CEO) April 2002 – Their first ‘real’ offices affectionately known as the ‘Cubby House’ in the National Press Club building August 2003 – Yellow Ege takes on more space and the ‘Cubby House’ starts to look more like an office

Some of Yellow Edge’s team

into the China Executive Leadership Academy in Shanghai. I would strongly encourage local business to look and see what Yellow Edge can provide.”

So why has Yellow Edge been so successful? “I guess if you remain true to the fundamentals of wanting to make a difference by helping people find points of inspiration it doesn’t really matter which sector you are working with.

Inspiring lives resonates across all”, says Andrew Simon. “Overlay that with a genuine commitment to truly understand your client needs, to customise services by embracing the full extent of our thinking and adopting a partnering approach to meeting their needs, and the result is a package with broad appeal.”

So what of the future? Andy Gregory is confident: “We invest heavily in ongoing thought leadership and use this to ensure all our services embrace contemporary best practice, meet the full breadth of client needs, including an ever increasing demand for the effective application of emerging technology and social media, and are delivered in a timely and high value manner.”

And he takes nothing for granted: “Throughout 2011 we will be looking to consolidate our already considerable footprint in the public sector through the introduction of tremendous new offerings and partnerships (you can’t do it all yourself) while at the same time growing our presence and contribution in the private sector across the ACT. It will be an exciting year.”

Zest for life has been an enduring company value of Yellow Edge. It is something that engages all involved with the business and will get much focus throughout 2011. January 2012 will mark ten years of business success for Yellow Edge. “As the first company employee I have been handed the task of managing the ten year celebrations”, says Terry Fewtrell, Principal Consultant and regular contributor to the Public Sector Informant. “Zest for life will feature prominently in those plans – it is part of the Yellow Edge DNA.”

November 2003 – The Singapore offices open (birthplace of founding Director Andrew Simon) 2004/6 – Growth and more growth. Increased space in National Press Club, opened Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney offices March 2007 – Andrew Simon becomes an Aussie – officially!

May 2007 – Agreement signed with the China Executive Leadership Academy in Shanghai which is still an outstanding partnership June 2007 – Australian Leadership Innovation Centre established as a Yellow Edge business July 2007 –ACT finalist in the Telstra Business Awards (the Wiggles win the national business award) June 2008 – Inaugural Australasian Leadership Innovation Festival held. Tom O’Toole (the Beechworth Baker) steals the show July 2008 – ACT Finalist in 2008 Telstra Business awards (again) September 2008 – Yellow Edge moves to their beautiful new offices and state of the art learning facilities at 9 Sydney Avenue Barton (the Realm Quarters) 2009/10 – Yellow Edge manage its way through the GFC, protracted Election process and lots of other challenges, without losing a single staff member and manages to broaden their client base 2011 – New service offerings, refreshed branding, new challenges, lots of happy customers and inspiration across just about everything Yellow Edge does.

“We invest heavily in ongoing thought leadership and use this to ensure all our services embrace contemporary best practice, meet the full breadth of client needs, including an ever increasing demand for the effective application of emerging technology and social media, and are delivered in a timely and high value manner.”

Level 2, 9 Sydney Avenue, Barton ACT 2600 Freecall: 1800 005 025 P: 02 6273 0168 F: 02 6273 0246 E: clientservice@yellowedge.com.au www.yellowedge.com.au

“Providing corporate fitness packages requires effort and passion. I rely on RSM Bird Cameron’s advice to support and grow my business.”

Daniel Ford, Battle Camp Coordinator and Physical Training Instructor

Battle Camp Fitness is serious about bringing health results and renewed vitality to professionals in Canberra. When it comes to their financial wellbeing and business growth, Battle Camp Fitness trusts RSM Bird Cameron’s expertise.

RSM Bird Cameron Ph: (02) 6247 5988 103-105 Northbourne Avenue Canberra, ACT

Exceptional service, Exceptional results

www.rsmi.com.au

A D V I C E

F R O M

B U S I N E S S

E X P E R T S

C O N T E N T S

24 ACCOUNTING

30 FINANCIAL PLANNING

Leasing—no longer off balance sheet

Insurance ain’t insurance

By Rodney Miller, RSM Bird Cameron Chartered Accountants

By Hugh Crawford, Capital Wealth

24 ACCOUNTING SERVICES

32

GRAPHIC DESIGN

How to address your client’s underinsurance using SMSFs

Why is rebranding considered such a leap of faith?

By Brett Billington, Hillross Wealth Management Centre Canberra

By Lester Bunnell, Paper Monkey Graphic Design

26 BUSINESS LAW Register your PPS interests now—or lose out!

By Cassandra Emmett, Elringtons Lawyers

33 INFORMATION SECURITY Can a $1 smartphone be the biggest threat to your business?

By Boaz Fischer, CommsNet Group

28 BUSINESS COACHING How to be seen as the expert in your field and attract ‘A’ class clients

By Wayne Bolin, 10X

33 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY New competition and consumers laws: is your business compliant?

By Shaun Creighton, Buchanan Law and Technology Pty Ltd

28 COMMERCIAL LAW Defeating the ‘bad debtors’ filing cabinet—Part 2

By Maurice Falcetta, Trinity Law

29 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Setting the direction

By Phil Butler, Australian Institute of Company Directors

29 CORPORATE HEALTH Pre-employment medical examinations—why do them?

By Dr Jennifer Loughman, Corporate Medical Options

30 ESTATE PLANNING

34 MANAGEMENT CONSULTING Assessment centres—how to get the right staff for your business

By Dianne Hamer, MAXimus Solutions Australia

34 REAL ESTATE How home-styling can improve your sale price

By Maria Selleck, Maria Selleck Properties

35 WEBSITES Is your business on Facebook?

By Sam Gupta, Synapse Worldwide

Things that you can’t give away in your will

By Stephen Bourke, Certus Law

B 2 B I N C A N B E R R A M A R C H 2 0 11

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ADVICE

Leasing—no longer off balance sheet

by Rodney Miller

ACCOUNTING

Government and private sectors often use operating lease arrangements to access property plant and equipment without having to record the asset or liability on the balance sheet. Off balance sheet lease financing may change as amendments to the leasing accounting standard are debated. If proposed changes are adopted the majority of future operating leases will be recorded as an asset and a liability on the balance sheet.

In August 2010, the International and Financial Accounting Standards Boards released an Exposure Draft which proposes major changes to accounting for leases. The most notable change is the removal of the differentiation between operating and finance leases resulting in a single model for lessee accounting. All leases (with a few minor exceptions) meeting requirements of the proposed standard will recognise a ‘right-ofuse asset’ and a corresponding liability to make lease payments.

Entities holding leases that prepare financial statements in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards will be impacted.

Leases for the rental of buildings, office equipment (including photocopiers, computers), motor vehicles, plant & machinery will all be caught under the proposed changes. Industries affected will include retail, transport, construction, IT and manufacturing.

Under the current standard operating lease payments are simply recorded as an expense when due. In future, more judgement, complex calculations and journal entries over the term of the lease will be required.

The value of the liability will be the present value of the lease payments discounted using the interest rate the lessor charges in the contract, or the lessee’s incremental borrowing rate. The lease period used in the calculation will need to consider any options to extend or terminate the lease. Contingent rental amounts are required to be included in the calculation of the liability. The right of use asset is then equal to the liability plus any initial direct costs which are incurred by the lessee.

Following initial recognition, the right-of-use asset is generally amortised on a straight line basis over the estimated lease life. The liability is measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.Applying this to existing operating leases will generally result in higher expenses in the early stages of the lease contract, and lower expenses in the later stages which impact the profit and loss recognition pattern.

Although the final form and content of the revised standard are uncertain, the IASB is currently assessing the proposed changes and has indicated that the new standard could be released mid 2011.

Rodney Miller is a director, Assurance & Advisory division in RSM Bird Cameron’s Canberra office.

For more information and updates on this accounting standard, contact RSM Bird Cameron, 103-105 Northbourne Ave Canberra, T.6247 5988, Canberra@rsmi.com.au, www.rsmi.com.au

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How to address your client’s underinsurance using SMSFs

by Brett Billington

ACCOUNTING SERVICES

Australian families are among the most underinsured in the developed world. Apart from the ‘it will never happen to me bet, the second road block is generally the ability to pay the premium out of cash flow.

Holding insurance policies within superannuation can have a number of benefits for the member and the member’s dependants.

Benefits • Tax effectiveness: Premiums may be able to be paid by the member via salary sacrifice or personal concessional contributions. These contributions will then be added to the taxable income of the fund.

As the trustee will use all or part of these contributions to pay the insurance premium, the fund will be able to claim a tax deduction for the amount of the premium (excluding trauma cover). The net result is the member will in effect get a discount on the premium equal to that of the member’s marginal tax rate.

• Cash flow: Premiums can be paid using Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions, investment earnings and/or accumulated benefits.

This means that the member does not need to pay insurance premiums from their own pocket. During periods of tight cash flow or increased debt obligations (for example beginning a family, starting a business venture etc), using super to pay insurance premiums will provide a cash-flow benefit. This is not a long term solution as this will reduce member’s benefits. As cash flow returns, the member repays previous premiums through additional tax effective contributions (subject to age based limits).

Key issues to consider: Any insurance policy of a SMSF must be clearly owned by the SMSF and properly reflected in the policy documentation. The insurance policy premiums become an expense of the fund and as such, need to be paid by the fund.

• If premiums are paid by a member or an employer, these payments will in effect be contributions and need to be represented within the fund accordingly.

• On the other hand, if the policy is owned by another party (e.g. a member of the fund), the payment of premiums by the SMSF could result in a breach of superannuation rules.

As the owner of the policy, any proceeds from an insurance policy will be paid to the fund. It is important to remember that the usual SIS conditions of release apply to the release of these proceeds

Hillross Wealth Management Centre Canberra – providing professional wealth management services to clients of our alliance partners.

Brett Billington is a financial adviser at Hillross Wealth Management Centre Canberra.

Level 7, AMP Building, 1 Hobart Place, Canberra City, T: 02 6263 9200, info.wmcc@hillross.com.au, www.hillross.com.au

ADVICE

Register your PPS interests now—or lose out!

The new Personal Property Security regime will commence in October 2011. What will it mean for you?

BUSINESS LAW

by Cassandra Emmett Are you the operator of a business that: interest. Equipment leases, consignment agreements, and contracts with uses retention of title clauses in sale agreements individuals do not currently fall under the PPS regime but will after May sells on consignment 2011 (excluding short-term rental arrangements). Systems and processes sells goods with serial numbers, including motor vehicles in all leasing businesses need to be reviewed to ensure that all relevant supplies goods via hire purchase or equipment lease agreements (not just leases of vehicles that REVS currently captures) are is a ‘factoring’ business (purchases accounts receivables from other registered, and IT systems should be upgraded to communicate with businesses)? the PPS register and record the registration. Staff will need training in If so, then you need to be well prepared for the new Personal relation to the new regime.

Property Security (PPS) regime that will commence across Australia in Factoring businesses will be greatly affected by the new regime October 2011.

—purchasers of receivables may not gain title to the receivable, and Why PPS reform? The current PPS registration regime in Australia can lose their security or their ranking if they do not ensure that the is patchy and differs from state to state. Because of this, suppliers and purchase of the receivable is entered into and perfected in accordance lenders are reluctant to accept anything other than land or motor with the PPS legislation. vehicles as security for borrowings or for delayed payment arrangements.

Manufacturers and product suppliers who use retention of title Historically it has been risky to accept clauses will find that all existing rules personal property as security — personal and case law about these clauses are property includes cars, boats, machinery, overturned by the new regime. Instead crops, livestock, shares, contractual rights of a supplier or manufacturer retaining The reform aims to tighten the registration regime title in goods until full payment is made, and intellectual property.

The reform aims to tighten the the buyer of the goods assumes title registration regime so that lenders, credit so that lenders, credit providers, and people who and the supplier’s interest is a secured providers, and people who accept personal interest. property as security as part of their business accept personal property as security as part of their Compliance with the new legislation operations can better secure their position and effective registration is of utmost in the event of a default by the other business operations can better secure their position importance because a supplier or party. In this way, the regime will improve manufacturer will not be able to take the ability of individuals and businesses, legal action as if they still have a right of in the event of a default by the other party. particularly small-to-medium size businesses, ownership to the goods. However, the to use all of their property in raising capital.

PPS regime does give a supplier with a compliant, registered retention of The two key elements of protecting your business under this regime title clause a higher ranking priority position to other claimants. (by protecting your interest in the personal property security) are: You may also have PPS contracts that are currently registered such as 1. ensuring that your documentation complies with new PPS charges on the ASIC company register, or a bill of sale in NSW against an legislation; and individual. It is intended that these interests will be migrated to the new 2. registering your interest in the property on the new register.

PPS register, but businesses will need to identify these security interests A national Personal Property Securities Register is being introduced and ensure that they have been properly migrated. that will be computer-based, updated in real time and accessed publicly.

‘All assets’ charges will continue to exist—however there will be an Failure to register could give other registered creditors priority to seize increased number of instances in which you as a secured party may lose and sell personal property from defaulting debtors—there were cases priority and thereby lose out to another creditor coming later in time, of entities getting caught out and losing their security altogether when despite the later creditor having knowledge of your earlier interest. ‘All similar legislation was introduced in NZ. assets’ charges must be properly constructed to ensure that you are It is essential that supply contracts, leasing contracts and protected. consignment agreements be overhauled to accord with the Personal Under the new regime, documentation that complies with PPS Property Securities Act, and to allow for registration of the supplier’s legislation and effective registration are the two important guarantees to good security, regardless of when your security came into being and Cassandra Emmett is Special Counsel, Business how it was worded. Timing is critical, and if a competing creditor beats Services. Contact Elringtons you to register, you will lose priority. If a debtor becomes insolvent, T: (02) 6206 1300, Level 3 Colonial Mutual your security may fail altogether if it does not Building, 17-21 University Avenue, Canberra or comply with the PPS legislation or it T:(02) 6128 1200, 122 Monaro Street Queanbeyan is not properly registered. visit: elringtons.com.au This new regime is coming soon—you will need to take steps early to ensure that you are prepared.

• • • • •

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INTERIOR PLANTSCAPING DESIGN • INSTALLATION • SERVICE

Ambius offer a superior selection of plants, containers and artwork.

Legendary service to keep your plants healthy & looking great!

Greener on the inside

Phone: (02) 6241 1451 www.ambiusindoorplants.com.au

ADVICE

How to be seen as the expert in your field and attract ‘A’ class clients

by Wayne Bolin

BUSINESS COACHING

Positioning your business, or positioning you personally as an industry expert means that people instantly see you as the authority on a certain topic. This coveted position enables you to charge a lot more for your services because people know that the advice they receive is going to be outstanding. Better still, as your expert status grows, you’ll find that you start attracting a higher calibre of clients to your business.

Obviously you do need to know your stuff but you can shortcut the process significantly by undertaking the following activities…

1. Write a book The instant that your name appears as an author of a book (whether you self-publish or get published) you are seen as an authority on a topic.

The book needs to be very interesting to read in the eyes of your target market. It doesn’t need to be a mainstream best seller—that’s not the point of it. The point is to position you as an expert in the eyes of the types of people who buy from you.

2. Run seminars and workshops or speak at other events Being an author turns you into an expert and so does being a speaker.

The moment you get on that stage you are elevated to ‘guru’ status.

Or you might decide to go on the speaking circuit and list yourself with a speaker’s bureau and speak at corporate conferences. Doing that increases your profile and is a great lead generator as well.

3. Testimonials Featuring testimonials from clients and from high profile peers is a great way of positioning you as a business development expert. Use testimonials prominently in all your marketing material— the more the better.

4. Send media releases out Whenever something newsworthy happens either in your industry or for your business, send out a media release to media outlets. The more media coverage you get the more you are perceived as an expert by the public and by the media and the more new clients you’ll attract.

5. Publish white papers and promote them in print ads A great way to be positioned as an authority on business development is to publish tips and findings. You can do that by writing a book or by publishing a ‘White Paper’ or ‘ebook’ on how to grow a small business.

Contact us today about our free business seminar we are holding at Queanbeyan Conference Centre on 21 March @ 6.30pm. Or just register on-line at www.10x.com.au/book-place/665 for the event ‘The Edge: Gaining the Unfair Advantage & Increased Profits’.

Wayne Bolin is the principal at Bolin Accountants and the 10X Canberra South owner.

For more information, please visit Unit 3/71 Leichhardt Street Kingston or visit www.10x.com.au/canberrasouth

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Defeating the ‘bad debtors’ filing cabinet – Part 2

by Maurice Falcetta

COMMERCIAL LAW

So now you know how to minimise your risk, but what about those persistently bad debtors? In our experience, the earlier, the better as this increases your chance of recovering your money and reduces your cost in doing so.

Here are some ideas to assist you with your debt recovery: 1. A letter of demand: Issuing a letter of demand is an important first step. While it is practical to do this in-house, it is remarkable what a difference a solicitor’s letterhead can make. It usually focuses a debtor’s attention to the fact that the matter of their outstanding debt is being escalated rather than being ignored.

2. So what if they don’t respond? You must always consider the practical reality and your ability to recover a debt. A cost benefit analysis should always be applied — does the potential cost of pursuing the debt outweigh the value of the debt? However, there is a truism in debt recovery that the money won’t just magically appear; you need to do something if you want the money paid.

3. In some cases debtors may simply be trying to avoid paying and are deliberately ignoring any sort of communication. In those instances having a process server hand deliver letters of demand and any court documents can be an effective way to galvanise those debtors.

4. Commencing litigation: For some of you it is a matter of principle, for others it is a matter of policy, but for all it should be about the commercial reality. Litigation can be expensive. If you have a clear and unambiguous written agreement between yourself and the debtor, then this can simplify the process enormously and also reduce the cost to you.

5. Take enforcement action: There is an assumption that once a judgment has been obtained against the debtor, the money will follow.This is often not the case. In reality, obtaining judgment is only half the battle.

You may need to take enforcement action to make them actually pay, such as sending the Sheriff around to seize the debtor’s property.You should consider this possibility when undertaking your cost benefit analysis.

6. At all times be open to negotiating a payment plan with the debtor, as any money received is often better than none.

For your debt recovery needs, contact Maurice Falcetta.

Maurice Falcetta is a partner at Trinity Law. Trinity Law is a boutique firm which is focused on providing business and corporate legal services and is motivated by long term business relationships.

2/214 Northbourne Avenue, Braddon ACT T: 6163 5050 www.trinitylaw.com.au

ADVICE

Setting the direction

by Phil Butler

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

When asked a few years ago if running a football club was like running a business, one Australian Football League (AFL) club president remarked, “It should be, but it isn’t.”

“There’s emotion in football, and that emotion clouds the business decisions,” he said.

At a recent lunch on corporate governance in sporting organisations hosted by the Canberra Business Council and the Australian Institute of Company Directors, this theme was again explored.

In this instance, the issues discussed however were relevant the broader not-for-profit (NFP) sector – not just the boards of sporting organisations.

Setting the strategic direction of an organisation is one of the most critical roles that boards and executives play. In most businesses, this is focused on producing a financial return. Depending upon the risk profile of the organisation, the level of this budgeted financial return will vary.

In the NFP world, determining strategy can be much more complicated.

First, while the directors and executives owe a legal duty to the owners (shareholders or members), they also have an obligation to a much broader group of stakeholders.

Using the sporting analogy, the larger stakeholder group may include the supporters, or local community. The direction these stakeholders wish to see pursued may be based around achieving ‘sporting glory’, such as winning a premiership.

Members of the club will likely share the goal of competitive success but they may also want to see it achieve a wider range of objectives such as the development of junior players or local sporting facilities.

The players – being employees who often have relatively short careers – may have additional objectives, while the governing body of the sport (such as the AFL or the Australian Rugby Union) is likely to expect participating clubs to have a long-term vision for the good of the sport.

The broader NFP community faces similar challenges. Many will be member organisations, with directors owing a duty of care to their members. However, they too will have an obligation to a wide range of other stakeholders.

For example, a health-related NFP will aim to serve people suffering from a particular medical condition, who individually have a huge personal interest in the NFP’s outcomes.

Directors of NFPs should keep in mind they have the same responsibilities as other directors, and they need to develop the skills to manage complexity.

Phil Butler is state manager of the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ ACT Division. For more information about AICD ‘s course programs and events, T: 02 6248 5954.

Pre-employment medical examinations – why do them?

by Dr Jennifer Loughman

CORPORATE HEALTH

Knowledge of pre-existing injury or illness in prospective staff flags potential risk for businesses.

A pre-employment medical examination (PE) is a comprehensive health questionnaire and interview, plus a physical and mental health examination where employers are provided with an objective assessment on the health risk profile of a prospective employee, as it applies to a particular job.

A PE also provides the baseline of the candidate’s health status, further protecting employers in workers compensation claims. You don’t want employees filing workers compensation claims for something you could have known about before they started work, and thereby mitigated the problem.

If a staff member is injured or is unexpectedly ill, blame is frequently targeted toward the workplace and the workplace is often found responsible. This is frustrating for the employer, especially when the duties are not overly taxing and the employee appeared easily capable.

This situation, while avoidable, has serious consequences for workers compensation premiums.

PEs provide the best method of identifying a HIGH RISK candidate and both the employer and employee benefit: • A staff/job mismatch is avoided • Workers compensation insurance premiums are kept as low as possible • Unscheduled absences are minimised.

Some examples: a person with forearm or wrist pain may not be suitable for jobs such as data entry or hairdressing; with an arthritic back shouldn’t be restocking shelves all day; and a history of epilepsy or an irregular heartbeat may mean they are not safe climbing ladders.

Many jobs also require evidence of drug free behaviour, e.g. building sites and the transport industry, and this is assessed with a Drug and Alcohol urine test. Other important measures include lung function, hearing, sight, balance, grip strength, flexibility and memory, and can be included in the PE. Detection of pre-existing illness or injury does not necessarily mean a person should not be employed. Many injuries and illnesses don’t impact on particular duties, and may not cause a barrier to employment. Based on the advice from a PE, duties may be adjusted to suit an individual and reduce the risk of further illness or injury.

CMO is the sole provider of PEs to the ACT public service, various Commonwealth departments, and many SMEs. Prompt and affordable service means the HR recruitment process is not delayed.

Please contact us for further information on integrating preemployment medicals into your recruitment process.

Dr Jennifer Loughman is the managing director of Corporate Medical Options.

Suite 4 Clinical Services Building, 173 Strickland Crescent Deakin T: 02 6282 1100 Jennifer.loughman@corporatemedical.com.au www.corporatemedical.com.au

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ADVICE

Things that you can’t give away in your will

by Stephen Bourke

ESTATE PLANNING

It‘s a common misconception that all assets can be distributed under your Will. This unfortunately is not the case.

The following are some assets that do not form part of your estate and therefore are not covered by your Will.

Superannuation and trusts: Assets held in superannuation are held in trust for you by the trustee of the superannuation fund. The distribution of your superannuation cannot be made under your Will unless the superannuation is paid to your estate or legal personal representative.

For example you could have a clause in your Will that says that your superannuation is to go to your children of your first marriage and the balance of your estate to go to your new spouse. The Trustee of the superannuation fund however may decide that superannuation should be paid to your spouse. This means the children would not get anything.

In these circumstances you should consider whether it is possible (or desirable) to sign a binding death benefit nomination.

Jointly held real estate: There are two ways of owning real property, either as tenants-in-common or as joint tenants. If you hold property as a tenant-in-common then only your share in the property can be gifted in your will. The interest held by the other tenant-in-common remains in the possession of that person and that person has the power to Will their share to whoever they like.

If your Will gives all your property to your children then your children may find themselves sharing the home with your spouse because the spouse holds an interest as a tenant-in-common in the house.

Depending on the family dynamics this may not be an ideal situation.

If you hold property as joint tenants then the house will become the sole property of the surviving spouse and not form part of your estate or be available for distribution to beneficiaries, which may include your children from a previous relationship.

Insurance: The proceeds of an insurance policy will be paid to the nominated beneficiary and this may not be what is intended.

It is important to consider holistically how you deal with all your assets and financial interests in the context of your Estate Plan. Your Estate Plan does not merely consist of your Will.

An Estate Plan includes everything that you may wish to occur to happen to your property upon your death and may include reviewing your Death Benefit Nominations (superannuation and insurance) and considering how you hold your real property, to ensure that your beneficiaries of your estate are looked after.

Stephen Bourke is a director of the boutique firm, Certus Law, which specialises in superannuation, trusts and estate planning. Visit Certus Law at Level 5, 28 University Avenue, T: 6268 9090, www.certuslaw.com.au

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Insurance ain’t insurance

by Hugh Crawford

FINANCIAL PLANNING

Income protection insurance is the only way you can be assured that, should you suffer a health event that prevents you from working, you will have your income paid all the way to age 65, and possibly beyond.

However all contracts on offer are different and their differences can be significant.

The better contracts will pay a full or partial claim (your choice) if you are unable to carry out one of the important duties of your occupation.

However many contracts require that, to qualify for a claim, you must first be totally disabled, i.e. you can’t perform any duties of your occupation, for a specified period such as 7 or 14 days during the waiting period, or for the entire waiting period.

These contracts also usually require you to not work in any capacity during the waiting period. If you do, it will invalidate the claim.

How does this work for someone who operates their own business?

It means that you leave your business to its own devices for the entire waiting period and hope there is something there when your claim period is over.

In over 30 years in this business, I am yet to see a business proprietor walk away from his business just so that they can make an income protection claim. It does not happen. Therefore a lot of very deserving partial income protection claims go unpaid because of unnecessarily restrictive policy wordings.

When you consider that approximately 32% of all claims are for partial loss of income, this is very significant.

The so called ‘bells and whistles’ or optional extensions of cover that may be added to the standard or basic income protection contracts can have a very significant impact on your overall situation at claim time.

Without going into all of the possible options, which are many, the addition of the ‘extras’ package on most contracts can mean many thousands of dollars of extra payment in some circumstances and indeed can establish a claim that may not be paid at all if not for the extras package.

Across the industry about 22% of total claims are from the extras or ‘bells and whistles’ and yet the increased premium is usually of the order of 8% extra.

Income protection contracts are constantly being tweaked and improved, so much so that a 5 or 6 year old contract can be quite inferior to what is now on offer.

It is therefore imperative that you have your contract reviewed regularly to see how it compares with what is currently available.

Hugh Crawford is a director/adviser at Capital Wealth. Contact Hugh on T: 02 6239 1566, 14 Dundas Court Phillip 2606, www.capwealth.com.au

project management | construction management | construction sps@spsact.com.au

(02) 6297 0834

If you are after professional and practical advice, contact SPS Strategic Property Services when considering your commercial construction needs. Our operational team will assist your business to ensure that your needs and wants are a reality within budgetary requirements.

From lump sum construction, to project management services, SPS has the experience to ensure your business navigates successfully through all stages of the construction process.

With ACT Government Prequalification and Third Party Certification, SPS ticks all the boxes when it comes to managing your commercial construction requirements.

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companydirectors.com.au/foundationsofdirectorship

Foundations of Directorship

Strategy and Risk for New Directors Creating awareness of directorship Strategy and Risk for New Directors outlines the role and responsibilities of directors and boards in relation to strategy development and risk assessment. As a new director, senior executive or manager this course will assist you in identifying, formulating and monitoring your organisations strategy; the link between strategy and financial performance; and how to measure strategy and risk against an organisation’s objectives.

Course details Date: Thursday 5 May 2011 Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm Venue: Federal Golf Club, Red Hill

01319_11

For more information or to enrol contact Phil Butler t: 1300 764 633 or visit companydirectors.com.au/foundationsofdirectorship

B 2 B I N C A N B E R R A M A R C H 2 0 11

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ADVICE

Why is rebranding considered such a leap of faith?

by Lester Bunnell

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Imagine living a life where nothing ever changes — same job, same car, same conversations, maybe even the same weather every day of the year. Doesn’t sound much of a life does it? But what if a designer offered you a way out of this drab world by suggesting ‘what about a rebrand?’

Would you grab the opportunity with both hands or would you consider it a step too far? Many of us don’t like to wander out of our comfort zone so might shy away from the offer, but if it meant reaching luscious pastures on the other side why wouldn’t you bound over the fence?

Whether you like it or not, ‘image’ is high on everyone’s agenda these days and if your brand or product or service isn’t attractive enough it can be ruthlessly dumped! It is one of the worst feelings in the world and unfortunately in life it’s happened to most people — whether it’s on a personal or professional level.

For some the first step to recovering from rejection is to go shopping or get a new haircut or do something that makes you feel better about yourself. In essence, you’ve rebranded yourself.

So why is this tried and tested practice still considered such a leap of faith in the business world? Just mentioning the word ‘rebrand’ to some clients can cause instant dismay, visible jitters and even desperate outbursts of ‘but our customers really like how we look!’ Is that why they’ve started deserting you then? The reality is there are brands out there that are so neglected and run-down they should be classed as a health and safety issue!

Don’t live in hope that your existing look will come back in fashion — it won’t! Instead, live in the real world and get an expert opinion or at least some friendly advice. After all, isn’t honesty the best policy?

Find a nice design agency that will put you back on track and make your business brand sparkle once again. Initially it might mean a painful brand diagnosis, but by the end of the process you’ll be wondering why you didn’t do it earlier.

Imagine life with your business popular again. Old clients flock back to you like long lost friends, your staff have a spring in their step and your cash till is overflowing.

Your business looks different and doesn’t is all seem worth it! What was there to worry about? All of a sudden the (so called) leap of faith has become a stepping-stone for success.

YOU CAN NOW FOLLOW B2B ON FACEBOOK: ‘B2B in Canberra Magazine’

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Lester Bunnell is a senior graphic designer and writer.

For creative design solutions, contact Paper Monkey Graphic Design, 72 Townshend St Phillip, T: 6285 2400, www.papermonkey.com.au

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57

ADVICE

Can a $1 smartphone be the biggest threat to your business?

by Boaz Fischer

INFORMATION SECURITY

The mobile platform without a doubt has become a global conduit for conducting business and engaging with consumers. The demand for feature rich applications with greater functionality once the domain of PCs and notebooks has resulted in a very aggressive increase in such applications for mobile devices.

Mobile devices and applications allow for relatively complex functions taking place at anytime from anywhere. With each of these mobile device transactions comes risk that few of people realise exists. A staggeringly large amount of sensitive data is shuttled between devices, service providers, social networks and databases.

The risk arising from the use of mobile platform devices exceed the risk of using desktop and laptop platforms because there are far fewer controls and fewer security measures these devices share and mix of business and personal applications and information.

The greatest difference between mobile devices and notebooks is that mobile devices are always connected, portable and have access to systems and data anywhere the mobile device can establish a connection.

Here is a quick overview of some mobile attacks • Fraudulent applications are able to collect, store and transfer your personal details anywhere in the world.

• Mobile applications vulnerabilities can be exploited to allow unauthorised access to the mobile device and data contained on it.

• Applications infected with malware that allow access to the operating environment disrupting and intercepting services provided by the mobile device.

• Backdoor invasions, exploited web hosts, stolen identities, stolen data and unauthorised access are some further examples of mobile threats.

Unlike, PCs and notebooks, most users have not implemented any form of security measures on their mobile devices. This places your business at risk. It is no surprise then that the $1 Smartphone is likely to be the biggest threat a business without the business owner being aware of this.

Free Offer If there is one tool that will assist you in defending against threats arising from the use of smartphones in the workplace, it is our 5 Essential Steps to Developing Secure Mobile Framework. This document will raise your security awareness, help you start designing some best practices with your organisation and importantly establish a security framework.

Simply register your interest to myinterest@commsnet.com.au and mention ‘security policy’ and we will send you the 5 Essential Steps to Developing Secure Mobile Framework whitepaper.

Boaz Fischer is the managing director of the CommsNet Group. For more information, contact T: 02 6282 5554 or visit Level 1, 67-69 Dundas Court Phillip, mail@commsnet.com. au, www.commsnet.com.au

New competition and consumer laws: is your business compliant?

by Shaun Creighton

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

You may be aware of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) (CCA) which came into operation on 1 January this year. Although based on an amended version of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) (TPA), the CCA, including the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) at Schedule 2, imposes such significantly altered and additional obligations that compliance with the ‘old’ TPA will not guarantee compliance with the new laws.

There are a few areas in particular to be aware of: • Unfair contract terms: Under new laws, a consumer contract is void if the contract is a standard form contract with unfair terms. A term is unfair if it causes a significant imbalance in power between the parties’ rights and obligations, it is not reasonably necessary to protect the interests of the advantaged party and it would cause detriment to the disadvantaged party.

• Uniform consumer guarantees: Suppliers and manufacturers are now subject to a number of non-excludable guarantees. These guarantees include: o goods will be of an acceptance quality (which includes being fit for purpose, free of defects, safe, durable and acceptable in appearance); o goods will comply with any sample or demonstration model; and o parts required for the repair of the goods will be available for a reasonable time.

Service providers are also subject to guarantees that they will, among other things, provide services with due care and skill and within a reasonable time frame (if the time frame is unspecified). One of the practical ramifications of these guarantees is that retailers can no longer display documentation refusing to offer refunds on sale items: if goods are faulty, they must be exchangeable.

• Unsolicited consumer agreements: Businesses involved in off-site selling or telephone sales need to familiarize themselves with a raft of changes being currently phased in. These changes include restrictions on permissible hours and cooling-off periods during which sellers cannot accept payment.

• Information standards: Retailers should be aware of strict new rules surrounding the use of testimonials and other false or misleading representations, including multiple displays of price (goods must be sold at the lowest price).

Contact Buchanan Law if you require your contracts / policies redrafted or reviewed for compliance with the CCA or if you would like training programs conducted to educate staff / contractors on new legal risks/ rights arising from the CCA. Shaun Creighton is a director of Buchanan Law IP and Technology Pty Ltd. It is a specialist boutique IP law firm based in Canberra that assists clients across a wide range of industries to protect, enforce and commercialise their valuable intellectual property rights.

Visit buchananlaw.com.au

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ADVICE

Using assessment centres to recruit staff

by Dianne Hamer

MANAGEMENT CONSULTING

Assessment centres have been widely used by many organisations to streamline the recruitment process whilst improving the fit for the role.

Assessment centres are ideal for large organisations requiring a lot of people with a similar skill set, such as contact centres, government departments and banks. They are also great for assessing graduates. In fact many government departments are using assessment centres.

Assessment centres can be used to: • Reduce the time taken to hire • Reduce staff turnover • Build a talent pool of potential candidates for future roles or orders of merit • Reduce the costs of recruitment • Enhance career development and succession planning • Increase staff productivity • Improve the consistency of the recruitment process.

An assessment centre is a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional approach designed to provide reliable and valid information about a range of competencies of an individual considered to be necessary for successful performance in a specific job.

Typically assessment centres include: multiple assessments; multiple competencies being assessed; multiple assessors; multiple observations; multiple candidates; standardised evaluations; and assessments relevant to the performance of the vacant position.

Psychometric assessment is often a component of assessment centres which is why Psychologists usually play a key role in developing and running them. This also ensures that assessments are reliable and valid predictors of performance in the position being filled. This includes identifying the competencies to assess and the best methods to do this.

Specialist, trained staff are also required to run the assessments.

MAXimusSolutions Australia is a consulting company which can help you to: • Decide if assessment centres are right for your business • Identify opportunities for the use of assessment centres • Develop and conduct assessment centres • Reduce staff turnover • Enhance your recruitment processes • Profile and benchmark existing top performers • Reduce the time taken and costs associated with recruitment.

• Effectively utilise psychometric assessments • Enhance the transparency, objectivity and consistency of recruitment processes.

Dianne Hamer is a senior consultant at MAXimus Solutions. MAXimus Solutions offers a range of strategic consulting and support services. T: (02) 6295 9044 or visit Ground Floor, 27 Murray Crescent, Griffith www.maximussolutions.com

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How home-styling can improve your sale price

by Maria Selleck

REAL ESTATE

The way your property is presented is one of the most important elements in ensuring you achieve a top price. In this respect Maria Selleck Properties has set a new benchmark in the ACT, providing valuable home styling advice and service.

While excellent presentation of your home is absolutely paramount – it doesn’t have to mean spending thousands of dollars on refurbishment or landscaping. There are many simple things Maria Selleck Properties can do to present your property that will assist your home to reach its full potential, while minimising demands on your time and energy.

Indoors • Repairs – attend to the small things you have been putting off such as dripping taps, peeling paint and missing door knobs. Get the carpets and drapes cleaned and make sure the windows are sparkling.

• De-clutter! Unnecessary clutter makes a home seem smaller. Clear out the extra bits and pieces to create a comfortable space. Hire some short-term storage if need be on open days, you’ll find it is money well spent.

• Clean and tidy surfaces are a must, and don’t forget to put away toys and evidence of pets, such as litter trays and dog bowls.

• Wet areas – buyers are put off by bathrooms and kitchens that are not sparkling clean, or have unpleasant smells. Invest in some matching towels, create a mood by lighting candles and make sure baths, sinks and vanities are spotless.

Outdoors • Mow lawns, trim hedges, touch up paint and sweep paved outdoor areas to showcase the gardens and outdoor entertaining areas. Tidy sheds and garages, removing rubbish and hanging up tools and garden hoses. Garden beds should be neat and fresh mulch spread around to keep weeds at bay.

• And finally, when you’ve done as much as you think you can to create the right impression, study your home from the street as a buyer might.

If you find yourself thinking “Why am I leaving here – this house is perfect”, then you know you’ve done a good job!

Maria Selleck Properties is recognised as the number one small agency performer in ACT real estate and is a finalist for the second year running in the upcoming 2011 Real Estate Institute of Australia national awards for Excellence.

This recognition can be attributed to passion, diligence, determination and supreme negotiation skills. Diversification is imperative in today’s market and there are few other agencies able to match the results, value and service commitment of the Maria Selleck Properties team.

Maria Selleck is the owner/director of Maria Selleck Properties. For more information, contact T: 6162 1234, 30 Bougainville St, Manuka, info@mariaselleck.com.au, www.mariaselleck.com.au

ADVICE

Is your business on Facebook?

by Sam Gupta

WEBSITES

If you don’t already have a Facebook page for your business, I’m sure you would have thought about it at some point. Nearly half of Australia’s population has a Facebook account. With over 500 million users worldwide, it is one of the best social media platforms you can use for your business.

Why Facebook?

• It’s an incredibly powerful tool that can no longer be ignored by businesses.

• You need to be active in social media space somehow. If you’re not a part of the social buzz, you are probably losing business to your competitors who are doing this.

• When you create a Facebook page, you’ll show up as an owner of the page. This will help your customers put a face to your business and build better trust.

• You can publish updates instantly, which will show-up on your customer’s news feed. This allows you to keep in touch with your customers regularly without much hassle on either side.

• Customers will be more emotionally attached to your brand if they are engaged in regular communication with you etc…

How to do it?

You can create a free personal account and then create a separate ‘Facebook page’ for your business. Once done, you can start by sharing latest news about your business or industry. You can invite your customers, staff and other stakeholders to become a fan of your page.

It’s really simple. Just give it a go.

What are the risks involved?

Social media spaces can be scary at first. What if someone posts a negative feedback about a product or service you sell? Well, you can take their criticism constructively on board and get back to them once you have addressed the issue. If a customer gives you negative feedback, thank them and let them know that you will look into that. You may have discussed this issue with your supplier or raised it with the relevant staff. Turn those comments into positives by engaging your customers in the feedback process. If you do this right, you may generate some repeat business out of the process.

For rude and unreasonable people, you can always hide their posts from the page. There is also Moderation blocklist and Profanity blocklist settings available in Facebook to help you control such issues.

Facebook can help your business be in front of your customers regularly and then give them a platform for ‘word-of-mouth’ marketing for your business. Try it once, and let me know how you go.

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Sam Gupta is the managing director of Synapse Worldwide. Sam would love to hear your thoughts on this advice column.

Please contact him on 1300 785 230 or admin@synapseworldwide.com

Call 02 6262 3011 for all your website needs.

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U2B

UNIVERSITY TO BUSINESSS

The University of Canberra grants honorary appointments which links the University with Canberra’s professional talent pool.

Business people joining with and supporting UC C AT H Y BRYSON

Manager Advancement Services, Office of Development

Notable locals holding Honorary Appointments as Adjunct Professors include Robyn Archer, Michael Bryce, Virginia Haussegger, John Hindmarsh, Brand Hoff, Charles Krebs and Michael Woods.

36

C

anberra contains a highly educated and uniquely experienced pool of professional talent within government, industry, and the wider community. The University of Canberra grants honorary appointments which links the University with Canberra’s professional talent pool.

Honorary appointees can receive recognition for scholarly and practice based research and can become more closely involved in meeting the University’s community engagement and internationalisation objectives.

Honorary appointments also provide a formal association and linkage with people in professional practice involved in the formal delivery of University courses and programs particularly in the clinical and allied health domains.

Honorary appointments supplement and complement the academic activity and expertise of the University. The contribution can be via: • Teaching in award and non-award courses • Delivery of occasional guest lectures, workshops and symposia • Supervision of higher degree research students • Participation in research programs and projects • Assisting in a more general way to the work of the university.

Increasingly, industry leaders are joining with the University of Canberra to provide support.

In 2010, the College of Adjuncts was formed, headed by the Dean of the College of Adjuncts, Mr Rob Purdon of Purdon and Associates. With a 400 strong membership, the College is growing its connections within the community of Canberra rapidly.

Notable locals holding Honorary Appointments as Adjunct Professors include; Robyn Archer; Michael Bryce; Virginia Haussegger; John Hindmarsh; Brand Hoff; Charles Krebs and Michael Woods.

Brand Hoff is a local entrepreneur and Chairman of the Canberra Business Council. He was appointed as an Adjunct Professor in December 2010 through his strength of experience in information technology and entrepreneurship. He will be assisting the Faculty of Information Science and Engineering with

M A R C H 2 0 11 B 2 B I N C A N B E R R A

Local entrepreneur and chairman of the Canberra Business Council, Brand Hoff was appointed as Adjunct Professor in December last year.

their curriculum review as well as continuing to be a strong advocate for the University of Canberra.

Brand Hoff says, “As an alumni and now as an Adjunct Professor I am pleased to be able to assist in furthering the strategic vision of the University of Canberra through my appointment.”

The University of Canberra prides itself on producing graduates who are ready to succeed in their careers and on engaging in useful applied research. The Universities relationship with the Canberra community is important in helping us achieve this mission.

Nominations for Honorary Appointments are considered by the Honorary Appointments Committee every two months. For more information about how to become involved in the University of Canberra please contact Cathy Bryson, Manager Advancement Services on (02) 6201 5774 or cathy.bryson@canberra.edu.au

GOVERNMENT TO BUSINESSS

G2B

InnovationConnect grants program opens up to more opportunities INNOVATIONCONNECT HIGHER THRESHOLDS, MORE COMPANIES ELIGIBLE Funding cap increase to $50,000 for eligible Proof of Technology grants Companies with up to $2 million turnover are now eligible to apply

ICon grant recipient Dugald Holmes, co-founder of myinfoQ, a Canberra-based company providing web and mobile-based data collection and distribution.

I

nnovationConnect (ICon) is an ACT Government innovation program that provides the ACT’s emerging innovators and entrepreneurs with small-scale, matched funding support to progress viable, creative ideas along the commercialisation pathway.

Since commencing in 2008, ICon has provided grants support to more than 60 ACT businesses with more than $1 million committed in project based grants.

A number of important changes have been made to the program’s participation criteria in 2011 to capture more opportunities among Canberra’s innovative companies.

The company turnover participation threshold has been increased from $1m to $2m maximum company turnover and the project funding cap has increased to $50,000 for eligible Proof of Technology grant applications.

ICon was established in response to the 2007 Howard Partners Study of the ACT Innovation System. The study recommended improving the ACT Government’s role in providing leadership and direction in the development of knowledge-based innovation strategies for the ACT. The establishment of a small grants program to co-fund specific projects and activities that accelerate the critical developmental stages of small and medium-size businesses was one of the key approaches put forward by the study.

ICon is a competitive access program, which means companies much compete project funding against assessment criteria and against a limited overall pool of funds. The program has two funding streams, Proof of Technology and Accelerating Innovation. Both funding streams are awarded on a matched-funding basis – meaning that the applicant must invest at least as much in the proposal as it is seeking from the program. This approach is used as a measure to help applicants develop strong risk assessment skills by putting their own funds on the line.

Proof of Technology grants support the development of prototypes that prove a concept; or a technology plan or business case study that demonstrates commercial viability of the concept. Grants range from $5,000 to $50,000.

Accelerating Innovation grants support start-up and growth companies with a viable, proven concept or service. Funding enables participation in formalised commercialisation training, IP strategies and advice, establishment of advanced business processes, market research activities, mentoring and projects that link the technology and creative industry sectors.

Accelerating Innovation grants range from $5,000 to $10,000.

Recent changes to the way applications are managed mean that the first step to apply for ICon funding starts with a simple Expression of Interest (EOI). The new process benefits from a greater level of guidance and involvement from client managers in the development of an application. It helps the applicant to identify areas that need to be improved prior to a formal application, and provides a great opportunity for referrals to other services that may help an applicant complete the formal application process. After submitting its EOI, an applicant will be contacted by a client manager who will schedule a meeting to explain how the ICon program works, gain a better understanding of the proposal and determine if the proposal is eligible for funding through ICon. If the proposal meets ICon criteria, the applicant will be invited to complete a formal application.

The formal application consists of an in-depth proposal, including external validation, sales and distribution projections as well as information about the project team skills and resources. These formal applications are then assessed. Assessments for Proof of Technology grants are conducted four times per year and are considered by a predominantly private sector Panel with experience in angel investment and the nurturing of new companies.

More information, including Guidelines, FAQs and the Expression of Interest form are available from www.business.act.gov.au/icon or SMS icon2 to 0428 267 025 for online access to full details of the program.

Recent changes to the way applications are managed mean that the first step to apply for ICon funding starts with a simple Expression of Interest (EOI).

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A S S O C I AT I O N S T O B U S I N E S S

It is time for all of our ACT Federal representatives to stand up for the people of the ACT on this issue and not acquiesce to factional politics within their own parties.

It is time that Canberrans have the same rights as other Australians CHRIS FA U L K S

CEO Canberra Business Council

AFFILIATED WITH

UPCOMING EVENTS 23 March 2011 Online Marketing & Social Media for Small Business TIME: 8.30am - 4.00pm VENUE: Canberra BusinessPoint, 216 Northbourne Ave, Braddon COST: $85 per person 4 May 2011 ACT Budget Breakfast TIME: 7.30am-9.00am VENUE: National Press Club Cost: $70 member, $80 non-member, $650 table of 10 member, $750 table of 10 non-member 11 May 2011 Federal Budget Breakfast TIME: 7.30am-9.00am VENUE: Great Hall, Parliament House Cost: $75 per person, $700 table of 10

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Business does not always align with the Greens but Senator Bob Brown’s recently introduced Territories Bill deserves support. If passed, Section 35 of the ACT (Self Government) Act 1988 will be amended to give Canberrans the right to determine their own laws – the same right which other Australians living in the states have enjoyed since Federation.

Currently laws passed in the ACT (and NT and Norfolk Is) can be overturned by a federal minister, on a whim and without a debate or an inquiry or a vote in Federal Parliament. This approach is both patronising and paternalistic. It would not be tolerated by NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia or Tasmania or by the 21+ million Australians living in those states – all of whom have the right, through their elected parliamentarians, to determine their own laws.

What is so different about the ACT that we cannot be trusted to determine our own laws?

The Australian newspaper would have us believe that it is because the views of a ‘tertiary-educated, public-sector dominated electorate’ in the ACT do not match the wider community’s views. The obvious question is whether the views of electorates in far north Queensland, or Tasmania, or outback Western Australia are a better match? Surely the “wider community’s views” are the fusion of the views of all people living in Australia with all the diversity that comes with the multi-racial, multireligious, multi-cultural melting pot that is Australia.

It is time that this type of ill-informed, shallow comment about people living in the ACT changed and that we enjoyed the same rights as our fellow Australians living in the other states.

It is time for all of our ACT Federal representatives to stand up for the people of the ACT on this issue and not acquiesce to factional politics within their own parties.’

The Centenary of Canberra in 2013 provides a unique opportunity to reposition Canberra as our National Capital in the hearts and minds of all Australians. It provides an occasion to engage

with all Australians, to promote our history by encouraging everyone to think about our process of nation-building and the place that embodies the spirit of that coming together as a nation – Canberra.

It is a matter of some regret that the Australian Government has failed, to date, to announce funding to support this important anniversary. This not only diminishes the role of Canberra in the nation’s collective psyche – it again demonstrates to the world our immaturity as a nation. With only 18 months from the May 2011 Budget to 2013, the opportunity for outreach programs to build awareness of the centenary of the national capital has largely been lost. There is time however to retrieve this situation.

In its 2011-12 Federal Budget Submission, Canberra Business Council has called on the Australian Government to recognise its responsibility for the National Capital by announcing funding for the Centenary of Canberra in the 2011-12 Federal Budget. The Submission also seeks the restoration of appropriate levels of funding to the national institutions and the NCA and funding for a number of infrastructure projects of national and regional significance including the Australia Forum, the duplication of Majura Rd from Pialligo to the Federal Highway, the early completion of the Barton Highway upgrade and the upgrade to Constitution Ave.

It is time that this type of ill-informed, shallow comment about people living in the ACT changed and that we enjoyed the same rights as our fellow Australians living in the other states.

Principal Members ACTEW Corporation, ActewAGL, Bank West, Blue Star Printing Group, Canberra International Airport, Cre8ive, Elite Sound & Lighting, Ernst & Young Services Trust, eWAY, Hindmarsh, HolisTech Pty Ltd, KPMG (Canberra), Master Builders Association (ACT), Medibank Health Solutions, National Australia Bank Ltd (Turner), National Museum of Australia, NEC Australia Pty Ltd, Staging Connections (ACT), The Village Building Co, Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems Australia, TransACT Communication

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A S S O C I AT I O N S T O B U S I N E S S

A2B

Since Splatter’s inception in 1996, they have had one clear vision; to create a leading global Australian brand, based on solid, original, modern design.

Splatter Pty Limited — another export success story You might have seen some of Splatter’s beautiful and bright products on a Sunday morning at Canberra’s Old Bus Depot Markets, or you may even own a piece of Splatter yourself, but did you know that these whimsical works of art are loved just as much in Singapore, Malaysia, USA, China, France, Germany and the UK? Splatter Pty Limited is an Australian owned artstudio business incorporated in 2007 by directors Angela Maher and Christopher Martin. Under its internationally registered trade mark, Splatter produces and exports original, hand-painted and quality printed art on canvas (primarily for children and families), children’s books, graphic design and illustration services, and hosts an online gallery.

Since Splatter’s inception in 1996, they have had one clear vision; to create a leading global Australian brand, based on solid, original, modern design.

Export and subsequent expansion overseas to a world market are essential to Splatter’s future as a growing Australian brand, and it has been Angela and Chris’s intention from the start to build a strong export arm, which has paid off with the majority of the company’s business now generated from overseas sales.

The strength of this export arm was further cemented recently when Splatter opened their flagship space at Robinsons busy Orchard Road Centrepoint store in Singapore. Securing this permanent space in the department store follows on from Singapore residents and visitors having enjoyed

Love is in the Air, 2010. Christopher Martin for Splatter, 30 cm x 40 cm acrylic and ink on canvas.

Chris’s giant mosaic installation of mini canvases in store. Until now though, customers could look, but not take home a gorgeous Splatter product.

The flagship space was opened on 8 December 2010, and over the following 10 days visitors to the space were able to enjoy Chris’s live painting demonstrations and signings of purchased pieces.

Robinsons executives were extremely pleased with generated sales, with Splatter far exceeding all targets set for the first month, and indeed exceeding sales for other more traditional licensed toys in the pre-Christmas period.

This latest development in the Splatter success story confirms Angela’s strategy of ‘developing new products in a variety of categories to broaden the company’s range so everyone can collect their own piece of Splatter’.

As one of the leading producers of original children’s wall art and art-based product in Australia over the last 14 years, Splatter’s competitive advantage lies in the unique nature of its products and a love in those overseas markets of many of the Australian icons used in the artwork.

“Splatter has found a niche market overseas that responds in an emotional way to our product, which gives us an amazing commercial edge, but we are mindful that we must stay relevant and fresh to retain a special place in that market” Angela said.

“The most common comment about our product is that it makes people smile. We are really fortunate in that no matter where we are in the world, the response is the same.”

Although primarily self-funded, Spatter has enjoyed financial and business support from a range of sources: while the ACT Exporters’ Network provides Chris and Angela with an avenue to network with other exporters and share experiences, Austrade provides practical in-country help and advice, while grants (such as Austrade’s Export Marketing Development Grant (EMDG) and the ACT Government’s Trade Connect grant) provide financial support.

For more information on Splatter, go to their website www.splatter.biz, and for more information on the ACT Exporters’ Network please visit www. actexportersnetwork.com, or contact the Network’s manager, Pam Faulks, on 0400 090 452, or at pam. faulks@canberrabusinesscouncil.com.au

BRENT J U R AT O W I T C H

PRESIDENT, ACT EXPORTERS’ NETWORK

For more information on the ACT Exporters’ Network visit actexportersnetwork.com, or contact the Network’s manager, Pam Faulks, on 0400 090 452, pam.faulks@ canberrabusinesscouncil.com.au.

The ACT Exporters’ Network is proudly sponsored by the ACT Government, Canberra Business Council, the Centre for Customs & Excise Studies and AusIndustry.

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A S S O C I AT I O N S T O B U S I N E S S

Sometimes it’s helpful to hear the real success stories— and it’s equally important to hear the stories that aren’t... successful.

Women in Business SAM A N D R E WA R T H A

Events and Communications Director

Corporate Sponsors ACTEWAGL, 104.7 / Mix 106.3, Prime TV, The Canberra Times, The Good Guys Tuggeranong, Duesburys Nexia, Synapse Worldwide, B2B in Canberra.

Associates and Affiliates Retail Traders Association, Australian Industry Defence Network

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tories whether of success or not provide us guidance in both our personal and professional lives, improving our decision making process and allowing us to learn from others mistakes whilst helping us to avoid repeating them. We know that hearing about these stories give us the courage to move forward and help us to go above and beyond what we thought we could have achieved .

For many years, the ACT & Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry has encouraged business women to become more involved with the Chamber and therefore has created Women in Business series in order to start dealing with the sometimes challenging issues women face. Whether it’s providing our members with a means for meeting likeminded women and men or assisting them to achieve their goals and aspirations, we plan on providing the opportunities in order to help them along the way.

The Chamber holds tri-monthly luncheons sponsored by Westpac and Telstra, with a particular focus on successful people in Business within the ACT and Region.

During these events guests will hear from many impressive and high achieving people within our business community, which will not only motivate those involved but give them some guidance on how to achieve your goals above and beyond what you expected to.

The Chamber continues to champion the case of business women, hence its plan to launch a Woman in Business Coaching hub in 2011.

This Business coaching hub will provide participants with a forum in which small group discussions will be held where they can ask for advice or other experiences in order to help them develop professionally.

These groups will develop their own agenda and work through thinking about their own solutions with the help of others involved.

This is a very exciting time for Women in the

Foundation Member Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry 40

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Whether it’s providing our members with a means for meeting likeminded women and men or assisting them to achieve their goals and aspirations, we plan on providing the opportunities in order to help them along the way.

Business Community and we are excited about what’s ahead for each and everyone one of us and we look forward to helping people involved to achieve all that they can.

The ACT and Region and the ACT Chamber looks forward to providing many more opportunities throughout the year and look forward to the communities continued support.

For further information on the ACT & Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s Women in Business Series and how to become involved, please contact Sam Andrewartha, Events and Communications Director on (02) 6283 5200 or sam@actchamber.com.au

Congratulations to the following organisations for participating in CitySwitch Green Office in Canberra

REBATE Organisations that become CitySwitch Signatories before 31 May 2011 are eligible to apply for a rebate of up to $1000 towards the cost of a NABERS energy assessment*.

BradleyAllen Lawyers

For more information call Canberra Connect on 13 22 81 or visit www.actsmart.act.gov.au *Conditions apply

The ACT Government is a proud partner in CitySwitch

Techsolve is a locally based technology company that delivers innovative solutions in the managed services and consulting arena.

We specialise in providing our clients access to the new technologies that improve business operations such as cloud, virtualisation and office remote access. Techsolve’s mission is to provide its clients

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Contact Techsolve today to discover our full range of services. phone fax email

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with the solutions they need to attain the benefits of information and communication technology whilst ensuring their focus remains on their own core operations and activities.

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A S S O C I AT I O N S T O B U S I N E S S

TASKey, CollabIT foundation member has developed solutions to two diverse problems

Local software developer generates huge customer savings in time, cost, risk and stress NANETTE RICHERT

ACT Branch Manager

CollabIT is an engagement and business development initiative that links small and medium sized companies with multi-national corporations and other stakeholders in the ICT sector.

CollabIT is a joint initiative of the ACT Government and the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) and is delivered under contract by the AIIA. To learn more about CollabIT’s activities visit the website: To learn more about CollabIT’s activities visit the website: www.aiia.com.au

AIIA, Ground Floor, 39 Torrens Street, Braddon ACT 2612 42

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he ACT has many smart software developers whose solutions make it easier, cheaper, faster and less stressful for people in the government and private sector. TASKey, a Collabit foundation member, has developed solutions to two diverse problems.

The successful implementation of highlevel strategies is critical to every business and organisation. Unfortunately most strategies fail to achieve their potential, because they are poorly connected to the people who need to adopt the strategy.

For many years, TASKey has been providing a simple one page plan template, helping people in over 175 countries to develop powerful plans fast.

Customer feedback led to TASKey incorporating the simple paper based plan into web software that made it easy to create plans and to link them together into a tree structure, thereby making bigger plans understandable and connecting the people involved.

The plan template includes all the critical data required to implement a strategy. The web software (called Me2Team) keeps track of the actions in many plans, creates and updates personal To Do lists, keeps everyone informed about changes that affect them, and provides real-time progress reporting.

The software does most of the hard work in the background, so minimal training is required and users can easily find out what is happening and what they need to do. Mobile browser access provides anywhere, anytime access. This simple management tool enables many people to work together to implement and adopt incredibly complex strategies successfully.

Whole of government telepresence online booking and savings calculations software The second problem was how to make it easy for people to book meetings online and calculate travel and carbon savings from Australian government telepresence video-conferences. The problem included providing relevant timely reports.

Based on its experience in developing the Defence Training Area Safety Information Management System (over 4000 users) and its web and mobile strategy Implementation software, TASKey developed a telepresence online booking system for the Department of Finance and Deregulation.

First, the user interface was built to make it

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easy for people to book, edit, reschedule and reuse bookings for video conferencing sessions. A simple means to present information for any user’s time zone and the ability to enter meeting details in each attendee’s organiser (like Outlook and Notes) was an essential requirement.

An administration module was developed to manage the application, and calculate travel and carbon savings. It includes the flexibility and management required by the Service Desk to approve and update bookings, manage users, update reference data, etc. A reporting module provides comprehensive savings benefits reports for any selected time period.

The National Telepresence Online booking and savings system has made it easy for users to book and instantly see their travel and carbon savings, and for management to demonstrate the savings promised in their business case.

TASKey TASKey is a local developer of innovative multiuser software solutions that add significant value for individuals, teams and organisations. Online versions are accessed on the Internet and Enterprise versions over Intranets. Customers include: Defence, Finance & Deregulation, Nestle Purina, World Vision and Bathurst Regional Council. More information about TASKey and its solutions is available at www.taskey.com

The successful implementation of highlevel strategies is critical to every business and organisation. Unfortunately most strategies fail to achieve their potential, because they are poorly connected to the people who need to adopt the strategy.

My company and I have been given the opportunity to work with Pixel to Paper on a number of different projects over the past few years.They have a fantastic eye for detail; are tremendously creative and professional at all times. When they embark on a project they commit 110% and are very passioante about every project they complete.

Maria Efkarpidis, Director, Rock Development Group rockdg.com.au loopcanberra.com.au healthyhoops.com.au

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B2B @ AICD BUSINESS OF SPORT LUNCHEON MANUKA OVAL 1. Peter McGrath, Chris Faulks, Sean Hammond. Tim Gavel, Michael Thomson, Andrew Fagan and Phil Butler 2. Garry Murphy, Chris Faulks, and Rod Scott 3.

Tim Christie, Jim Gilchrist, and David Burnet 4. Phil Butler, Sean Hammond, Peter McGrath, Marcia Bowden and Michael Thomson 5. Stephanie Lynch, Michael Thomson, Tanya Hammond, and Marcia Bowden 6. Michael Doyle, Laura Torricke-Barton, and Christian Rasmus

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B2B @ ACT CHAMBER BUSINESS AFTER BUSINESS HYATT HOTEL CANBERRA

1. Brendon Prout and Tanya Squires 2. Karin Glocker, Miriam Miley-Read, Trevar Chilver, Sarah Kentwell and Jack Donovan 3.

Chris Peters, Nola Shoring, Mike Zissler and David Lane 4. Michael Hugg, Ryan Thomas and Nathan Smith 5. Gary Green, Sharon Carter, Greg Carmody, Francesca Wollaston, Tony Ozanne 6. Bo Percival, Sam Andrewartha, Jo Powell and Jo Madsen 6. Kristina Haese, Zara Riley, Nathan Canizares, Leanne Alexander, Sam Webster, Rikki Blacka and Phillip Dumaresq

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B2B @ LAUNCH OF THE CANBERRA BUSINESSPOINT OFFICES CANBERRA BUSINESS COUNCIL

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1. Chris Faulks and Ivan Slavich 2. Andrew Black and Elly Szkobel 3. Jenny Howse, Gary Beck, David and Brendan Smyth 4. Tania Yachman, Craig Munns and Sally Strang 5. Craig Sloan, Chief Minister Jon Stanhope, Chris Faulks and Brand Hoff 6. Graham Shaw, Brooke Anderson, Peter Davison and John Howard 7. Kristine Reithmiller, Neil Primrose and Peter Dawson 8. Andrew Liso, Melanie Hrusik and Rowan Woodcock 9. Sue Hodge, Laura Hartly and Sharon Smith 10. Irene Cassimatis and Richard Maurice

7:15am — 8:45am Wednesday 13 April 2011 Cost: $35 inc GST

What’s next? ey.com

Contact Jodi Amor on Tel: +61 2 6267 3998 or womenwithambition@au.ey.com

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B2B @ ELRINGTONS REBRAND AND OFFICE RELOCATION LAUNCH CMAG

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1. Delcy Lagones de Anglim, Craig Horley and Nanae Yoshiwara 2. Ian Bradfield, Ron Parker and Todd Wills 3. Peter Murphy, Ramani Wijeratne, Stephen Heppenstall and Tom Leahey 4. Maria and Gordon Selleck and Chris Parkes 5. Charles Ledger, Peter Murphy, Jim Douros and Ray Hartley 6. Andrew Sykes, Matthew Bridger and Jen Patrick 7. Andrew Nesbitt, James Watt, Richard Luton, Peter Beames, Tim Burke and Justine Simonds 8. Karen Shaw, Julia Bossert, Chrissie Park and Anna Verney 9. Craig Painter, Henry Kazar, Peter Beames amd Ian Bradfield 10. Alex Turini, Jenny Turini and James Peek 11. Craig Painter, Christine Galbraith and Sean Ryan 12. John Gillespie, Matthew Bridger and Ron Parker 13. Zoe Phillips, Ron Parker and Matthew Bridger 14. Stephen Heppenstall, Cassandra Emmett, Eileen, Dillon, Chris Parkes, Alan Underwood and Ramani Wijeratne 15. Ian Bradfield, Peter Garrisen, Ken Grimes and Sean Ryan 16. Ivar Nell, Andrew Jones, David Maloney and Tom Lynch

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B2B @ CAPITAL WEALTH LAUNCH REGATTA POINT

1. Robert Shelton, Stephen Bourke, Gray Saunders, Melissa Healy and Matt Alaimo 2. Hugh Ellwood, Jeff Proud, Barbara Gardner, Hugh Crawford and Luke Beckett. 3. Andrew Campbell, Amber Bennett, Sarita Larsonn, Megan Oxley and Peter Robertson 4. Hugo Ellwood, Peter Robertson, Al Ramos and Mark Love. 5. Paul Salinas, Jon Colbran, Rhys Kyburz and Tim Benson 6. Paul Salinas, Jon Colbran, Adam Bak and Rhys Kyburz 7. Mark Hardy, Tess Puddick, Sarita Larsson and Michael O’Hehir. 8. Gray Saunder, Wayne Bolin and Irene Casinatis and Bruce Arthur 9. Jim Dunn, Averil Foster, Kasey Fox and Robert Routh 10. Rhys Kyburz, David Toole amd Andrew Wells 11. Kerri Anastasiou and David Dudderidge 12. Al Ramos, Margaret Morton, Jess Puddick and Jeff Proud.

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Trevor Leisk of Essex Locksmiths is proud to call Melrose Peugeot a partner having purchased three Peugeot Partners L2s. ‘Melrose Peugeot’s customer service and value for money are second to none.

The Peugeot Partner is a versatile and reliable vehicle which keeps our business on the road.’

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While stocks last. All recommended driveaway prices shown are single prices and comprise the vehicle price, registration, CTP, stamp duty and dealer delivery charge. *Recommended driveaway price Partner L2

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