"Before you can really start setting financial goals, you need to determine where you stand financially." David Bach, Personal finance author
Donate to Vinnies CEO Sleepout until end of July
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ou have until the end of July to donate to the Canberra Vinnies CEO Sleepout. It’s a great cause with all of the money raised being spent in the Canberra region to address the issue of homelessness. 111 CEOs (including B2B Publisher Tim Benson) slept out in the Australian Garden of
upfront
Dreams at the National Museum of Australia on 17 June and have so far raised almost $350,000 for the St Vincent de Paul Society. Canberra CEOs experienced the harshest weather conditions of all the participating cities in the Vinnie’s CEO Sleepout with temperatures as low as 1°c and gale force winds. “The cold wasn’t a factor for me. It was much like international travel in economy class,” joked Carrie Graf, Canberra Capitals Coach, “But I was lucky enough to rug up. Not many of the homeless people in Canberra and across Australia would be rugged up for this weather.” The 111 participating CEOs arrived at the National Museum of Australia on Thursday evening L-R: Tim Benson, Andrew Sykes, Tim Hyde, Frank Lopilato and Rod Drury bringing nothing but
a sleeping bag. They were provided with three pieces of cardboard and a bowl of soup. A panel of speakers, including a couple of Vinnie’s clients who used to sleep rough every night, discussed the issues surrounding homelessness, culminating in a charity auction to raise more funds. “It took me a while to get to sleep,” said Andrew Sayers, the new director of the National Museum of Australia, “But as I was desperately trying to keep warm, all I could think about was how people have to go through this night after night – even children. It got me thinking.” “For every one CEO who participated in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout, there was one Canberran sleeping out in the harsh, cold weather,” said Bob Wilson, CEO of St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra/Goulburn Central Council, “The only difference is that when the CEOs got up and went to work, they had something to look forward to for the day; our homeless people don’t have much to look forward to, and they would be sleeping rough again that night, and for many other nights to come.” Canberra participants have so far raised almost $350,000, and will be continuing to raise funds until the cut-off date of 30 July 2010. To sponsor a CEO or make a donation, please visit www.ceosleepout.org.au.
Give your business operations the edge you’ve been looking for
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o you often wonder why some businesses flourish and can seem to do no wrong while others struggle every step of the way? According to 10X Canberra South business coach, Darleen Barton, it is because the flourishing businesses have invested in their business operations, performance and staff. Kingston-based Bolin Accountants partnered with 10X earlier this year to bring the successful group business coaching model to Canberra South business owners. 10X also operates in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Hobart, Perth and in many locations in New Zealand. “10X is designed to help business owners increase the revenue and profitability of their businesses – and assist them with strategies that over time will also improve their quality of life,” Darleen said. Darleen explained that most people will begin their 10X journey by participating in the free Boardroom Edge sessions. As many as 17 businesses can participate in the half-day Boardroom Edge sessions which are held either in the morning or afternoons. Strategies are covered to help businesses operate in better, faster and more effective ways. These include creating lasting change, building trust with clients, doing more with less, marketing
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July 2010 | B2B in Canberra
L-R: Mitchell Falzon , Annie Barton, Darleen Barton, Felicity Raeside, Carl Falzon, Tim Benson, Derek Gillet, Heidi McCoullongh, Arran Curll, Tony Friend and Samantha Andrewartha
excellence and how to gain a competitive advantage. The free introduction to 10X includes a follow-up business coaching session. “I also hold a one-on-one consultation with the businesses that attend the Boardroom Edge. As part of this session, I undertake an analysis of how healthy their business is," Darleen said. The Boardroom Edge is designed for small to medium business owners with up to a $12 million portfolio. Other 10X Canberra South services available include the Coaching Club, 10X Performance Planner, and the interactive tutorialbased 10X Business School. Darleen stresses that 10X is also of great
benefit to new business owners who may be considering how best to market their business and which strategies to use. “For example, a new business may be considering doing a letterbox drop. But the return for a letterbox drop in Canberra is less than 0.1 per cent so I would work with the business on other more effective strategies to market their business.” A small business owner herself, Darleen believes, “If you develop the people in the business, the business comes along for the ride.” Contact: Darleen Barton 1300 855 109 or Wayne Bolin 02 6295 9800, www.10x.com.au or visit Unit 3/ 71 Leichhardt St, Kingston.