B2B Magazine Issue 123 February 2017

123 FEBRUARY 2017

CAN IT-SUPPORT AND CUSTOMER-SUPPORT EXIST IN THE SAMEÂ BUSINESS? (p.16)

New advice column: Corporate leadership therapy with Darleen Barton (p.30)

HorizonOne employment market update (p.12)

COVER STORY (p.19)

B2BMAGAZINE.COM.AU

CONTENTS

ISSN 1833-8232

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COVER STORY

Users drive technology success

Photo: Kasra Yousefi

PUBLISHER'S NOTE 3 The ‘trusted advisor’ …

by Tim Benson SMART BUSINESS TIPS 3 New Year resolution admin tips

by Smart Business Guardian UPFRONT 4 Children and mobile devices

by DDCS Lawyers 4 Time to reflect

by Gillespie Group FEATURE 6 Roses are Red MS Fundraiser at Cream

by Tim Benson 8 Building relationships using sport

by Brumbies 10 Take your team to the top with the Thredbo Alpine Hotel

by Thredbo Alpine Hotel 12 2017 – it’s going to be a big one!

by HorizonOne 14 9 Ways to save money in your business in 2017

by RSM 16 Can IT-support and customersupport exist in the same business?

by Tim Benson ADVICE 25 ACCOUNTING Just what is a sustainable cash flow?

by RSM 25 BOOKKEEPING Tomorrow’s CFOs – transformational leadership in the C-Suite

by Tailored Accounts 26 BUSINESS LAW Why play by the rules? fair is fair, isn’t it?

by Bradly Allen Love Lawyers 2

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CASH FLOW SOLUTIONS Brushing up on invoice finance

by Fifo Capital 27 CYBER SECURITY Mitigating the insider threat

by Cordelta 27 INSOLVENCY Ignoring employee entitlements? not so super…

by Vincents 28 INTELECTUAL PROPERTY Penfolds raises a glass in China

by Moulis Legal 28 REAL ESTATE Market review

by Maloney's property 29 RECRUITMENT Recruitment trends for 2017

by HAYS Recruiting experts worldwide 29 STRATA MANAGEMENT Meaningful meetings

by Vantage Strata 30 THINK RESULTS Corporate leadership therapy

by Dipac & Associates 30 WEBSITES Digital marketing landscape 2017

by Synapse Worldwide A2B: ASSOCIATIONS TO BUSINESS 32 Snapshot of time supports future planning G2B: GOVERNMENT TO BUSINESS 34 Building the future of our city BUSINESS NETWORKING 36 B2B @ Canberra Business Chamber 2016 Annual Gala Dinner 37 B2B @ Plus500 Brumbies Season Launch 38 B2B @ Alfa Romeo Giulia Launch

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EDITOR / PUBLISHER Tim Benson editorial@b2bmagazine.com.au 0402 900 402 02 6112 8175 PUBLISHED BY Man Bites Dog Public Relations ABN 30 932 483 322 PO Box 4106 Ainslie ACT 2602 b2bmagazine.com.au ADVERTISING B2B Magazine advertising@b2bmagazine.com.au 0402 900 402 02 6112 8175 EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Termeh Garmestani termeh@b2bmagazine.com.au 02 6112 8176 DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY

Kasra Yousefi kasra.com.au 02 61128195

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. Those warranties and permissions include that neither the material and/or advertisements are misleading, deceptive or defamatory, and that their use, adaptation or publication does not infringe the rights of any third party, or any relevant laws. Further, MBD notifies readers that it does not, nor should it be understood to endorse, adopt, approve or otherwise associate MBD with any representations made in contributions and/or advertisements contained in the publication. MBD makes no representation or warranty as to the qualifications of any contributor or advertiser or persons associated with them, and advises readers that they must rely solely on their own enquiries in relation to such qualifications, and be satisfied from those enquiries that persons with whom they deal as a result of reading any material or advertisement have the necessary licences and professional qualifications relating to the goods and services offered. To the maximum extent permitted by law, MBD excludes all liabilities in contract, tort (including negligence) and/or statute for loss, damage, costs and expenses of any kind to any person arising directly or indirectly from any material or advertisement contained in this publication, whether arising from an error, omission, misrepresentation or any other cause.

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PUBLISHER'S NOTE

THE ‘TRUSTED ADVISOR’ …

S

ome of us aspire to become Chances are, if you stay in business, you will be ‘trusted advisors’. But what doing business with the same does this mean and how does people for decades. Better one attain such lofty status.

Well, unfortunately, you are not born a you develop a relationship ‘trusted advisor’. You have to work your as a ‘trusted advisor’ and become a critical part way up to this valuable position. You have to, in fact, earn this level of trust. of each other’s success, So, what is a ‘trusted advisor’. The term then the alternative. came about in 2001 when a book called ‘The Trusted Advisor’ was written by David H Maister, Charles H Green and Robert M Galford. Basically (read the book), it’s all about earning a level of trust with your clients that takes a lot of the administration and groundwork out of the relationship. It also blends the personal and business sides of a relationship so that real-life decisions can be made quickly between people with a deep bond and understanding of each other – in their best interests. Well that’s my interpretation anyway. Why is this important. Well, in a small City State like Canberra, relationships matter. Reputation matters. Trust matters. Chances are, if you stay in business, you will be doing business with the same people for decades. Better you develop a relationship as a ‘trusted advisor’ and become a critical part of each other’s success, then the alternative. In my business, as a magazine publisher, I strive to have the role as a ‘trusted advisor’ with my clients. Sometimes it means making decisions and providing advice to clients that is not, in the short term, advantageous to my business. But it is far more important to do this and maintain trust and a relationship than any short-term achievement that could ruin a long and, mutually, profitable association.

This issues cover story features Cadence Performance Solutions, a great IT business that is tapping into the multi-billion dollars IT contracting opportunities that exist within the Federal Government in Canberra.

PS Sayonara to that horrible blight on the landscape on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin that was made from containers.

Tim Benson, Publisher Send all comments to: editorial@b2bmagazine.com.au

New Year Resolution Admin Tips Kristin Miller General Manager Smart Business Guardian We all make personal New Year's resolutions with a view to improving areas of our lives. It is no different for the business side of our lives as well. The start of the year is a great time to reflect on better ways to do things. We may even have the energy to implement and stick to some of the them after a good rest.

We have put a few ideas together for you to think about for your business resolutions • Review your Business Plan - at least read it again. Is it still current? Does it need to be updated? Use this to set goals for the next 6-12 months.

• Seek Advice - If you are not sure how your business is performing then it is time to get the experts to do some analysis for you. Talk to your accountant, bookkeeper or business coach.

Getting some advice will be the key to help you start planning and setting goals.

• Connect with other - Networking can be a powerful way to not only sell your services but to meet other like-minded business owners. Consider joining a business group or reach out to talk with other similar business owners. At least schedule some time for network and training for yourself and your team • Get organised - Start the year with a clean desk, an empty email in-tray, a fresh filing system, a new calendar and to do list.

It will give you a clear head to get started.

We wish you the best start to 2017 and look forward to hearing from you over the year.

(02) 6162 1928 49 Phillip Avenue, Room C205, Watson, ACT 2602 smartbusinessguardian.com

UPFRONT

Children and mobile devices

By Alison Osmand

T

his year, many children may have had the excitement of finding a mobile phone or iPad under their Christmas tree. It is not uncommon for separated families to have different rules and perspectives on the use of electronic devices, access to the internet and access to social media by children.

This can create problems for children who have to navigate rules in the different households.

Mobile phones can be resented by the parent spending time with the child because they see the phone as a means by which the other parent unnecessarily interferes in their time with the children.

Sometimes, children are provided a mobile phone because one parent finds it extremely hard to communicate with the children when they are away from them and phone communication is not being allowed or

facilitated by the other parent.

When communication between the parents is poor, that lovely gift under the Christmas tree can becomes the centre of controversy and debate.

There are no clear “rules” around this but common sense might suggest the following measures: • Let the other parent know that you are thinking about buying a mobile phone for your children.

• Clearly communicate expectations around who will pay the bill or keep your children “in credit” - do not assume that paying mobile phone bills will be a matter of agreement.

• Let the other parent know you are thinking about buying a tablet or similar device and discuss the Apps or programs the children might have available to them along with the amount of internet usage you expect they will have access to.

• Respect each other’s views as parents and acknowledge that they may be different about the use of tables and phones in each other’s households and that the other parent may choose to limit the use of the

phone or table that you have purchased for the children.

• Be savvy about your children’s exposure to the internet and social media sites and how much time they spend on their devices. There is growing research to help parents understand the impact of this on children and it is different for children with different needs. (There are also Apps available to assist parents with this.)

If the rules are different in each household surrounding internet and device usage, make each set of rules clear to the children, after all, they are the ones who have to navigate the rules.

Alison Osmand is a Senior Associate of the firm.

18 Kendall Lane, New Acton, Canberra phone (02) 6212 7600 mail@ddcslawyers.com.au www.ddcslawyers.com.au

Time to reflect

W

ith the new-year upon us and hopefully a chance to rest and recuperate we have a unique opportunity to reflect on how our business is going and what we can do to improve it.

While we all have a feeling on how our

from suppliers it is more important than ever that billing and collection procedures are in place and adhered to; are we billing regularly and on a timely basis; have we reviewed the aging of our debtors and taken appropriate follow up action, including in extreme cases, legal action to ensure recovery?

When running a business we often make the mistake of spending our time working in, rather than on, our business. Are there tasks that can be delegated to others to create the time we need for business planning, promoting our business and most importantly for ourselves and family? business is travelling without some accurate figures we are really working in the dark.

Are our management accounts up to date? Do we have a budget to compare those results to? Have we compared them to the same period last year or to business benchmarks?

All these things will give us hard data that we can use to make appropriate business decisions.

At this time of year when trading can slow down for a lot of businesses the old saying that “cash is king” has never been truer. With our quarterly commitments being payable in January and February, and increased pressure 4

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When running a business we often make the mistake of spending our time working in, rather than on, our business. Are there tasks that can be delegated to others to create the time we need for business planning, promoting our business and most importantly for ourselves and family?

Networking groups can be an awesome way to promote your business but often these group turn into social gatherings with little business being done. If you are part of a networking group now is the time to consider the benefits and value you have received from both the time devoted to the group and membership fees paid.

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Something we can all be guilty of at one time or another is “making do”. Whether that involves a piece of out-dated equipment or an employee that just isn’t working out, now is the time to make those, often hard, decisions for the long term benefit of your business.

With tax concessions for a small business including an instant deduction for equipment with a cost of less than $20,000 there’s really no reason to make do anymore.

If any of these comments ring bells with you and you would like to discuss them further then call us at Gillespie & Co and our experienced team members can help you.

Gillespie Group Phone 02 6260 4994 Fax 02 6260 4995 68-70 Dundas Court Phillip ACT 2606 gillespiegroup.com.au

David Campbell

Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Celebrant

Call today 0413 602 459 david@ddkcampbell.com.au www.ddkcampbell.com.au

My passion is to support businesses/ entrepreneurs who are seeking to achieve their best.

As a John Maxwell certified coach, I can offer you workshops, seminars, keynote speaking, and coaching, aiding your personal and professional growth through study and practical application of John Maxwell’s proven leadership methods.

Working together, I will move you and/or your team or organisation in the desired direction to reach your goals.

My Services are not bound by location, I am capable of reaching any organisation anywhere.

I am also an authorised Celebrant in the Canberra region. My background

as a retired Naval Officer provides a unique understanding of ceremony and celebration. I enjoy working with couples as they prepare for or continue in their marriage.

David Campbell

F E AT U R E

Roses are Red MS fundraiser at Cream

By Tim Benson

L

ife for Rose Pisano was great. She was 40, happily married and the kids were growing up nicely, doing what kids usually do…. Then she began noticing that she was exhausted every day, her speech was slurry, and she was tripping when she walked. Holding a pen felt strange as she could no longer sign her name or write properly. It was like her right side didn’t want to work anymore. At night time, the pins and needles felt like she constantly had ants running up and down her legs. That made getting to sleep very difficult.

Of course she went to see her GP who at first dismissed the symptoms as just being overtired. But as the weeks went by, there was no improvement in how her body was behaving. She went back to see a different GP who asked her to get an MRI of the brain.

A few days later, the results came back.

“We were shocked and horrified to learn that Rose had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS),” Rose’s sister, Lucy Stramandinoli, reflected.

Photo: Kasra Yousefi

L-R: Lucy Stramandinoli, Rita Siciliano, Rose Pisano, Jackie Faraj and Kathryn Ilijoski “Instead, Rose decided to host 'Roses are Red', a fundraiser for MS in the hope to raise awareness of the disease, to provide help to those who cannot afford it and to assist with

“MS is a condition that affects the central nervous system which interferes with the brain, spinal chord and optic nerves. It affects over 23,000 people in Australia” Immediate changes took place. Rose had to quit her job and start working out the right medication for her. She also had to face the reality of what life would look like for her in the future. In her search for answers to these difficult questions, she came to learn that MS is a condition that affects the central nervous system which interferes with the brain, spinal chord and optic nerves. It affects over 23,000 people in Australia and more than 2 million people have been diagnosed worldwide. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 2040 but it can affect younger and older people too. Roughly there are 3 times more women than men who are diagnosed with MS. It has always been Rose’s dream to be a foster carer but after she was diagnosed, she had to put that on hold.

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research,” Lucy said proudly.

Many of Rose’s friends and family have come on board to help with donations to the fundraiser and just to mention a few, Luton Gungahlin, Bidvest, 121 Hair Queanbeyan, Dimitri’s Jewelers, Anthony Amad (Extensor), The owners of Cream Café and Bar and all of their staff who have donated their time for the evening, Neilan Stramandinoli Family Law, Peter Blackshaw, The Village Jewellers in Manuka, Slaven Mazda, Maria Filardo Architect, B2B Magazine, Mawson cafe and bakehouse, pastry by Cath, Ramshakle Fiasco and so many more.

“Rose has specifically requested that the funds raised remain in Canberra,” Lucy said.

Thanks to the daily self injections, Rose’s symptoms have not gone, but they have

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slowed down. Rose keeps busy going about her day and is thankful that she can keep her daily life as normal as possible.

“We are not sure what the future holds for Rose and the many others who suffer from MS but we hope that with more research, a cure can be found,” Lucy concluded.

Roses are Red MS Fundraiser Roses are Red is being held as a closed VIP function at Cream Café and Bar in the City, tickets are $120 per person but there are not many left. There will be silent auctions, raffles, comedians, and much more. All profits will be donated to MS Australia.

If you would like to attend, please telephone Rose on 0466661006. If you would like to help us reach our goal to raise $20,000 you can make a donation at: doitforms.org.au/campaign/rosesarered.

Mayfair Apartments by Morris Property Group Proudly Managed by Vantage Strata

Our experience is your advantage.

design: kasra.com.au

Strata Management / Facilities Management / Building Management

Taking its name from the prestigious central London address and adjacent to the centre of the city, on the corner of West Row and Alinga Street, few residential addresses can lay claim to being as perfectly placed as Mayfair.

Panoramic views across the city are matched with luxury fittings, making Mayfair truly deserving of its place amongst Canberra’s prime real estate developments.

Incorporating 191 apartments in a range of unit configurations, including 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms, the vision for Mayfair is to become a transcending development for the capital, and this is reflected in both its impressive design and enviable central position.

Telephone: 1800 VSTRATA (1800 878 728) Email: info@vantagestrata.com.au Office:“The Griffin”, Cnr. Giles & Jardine Street, Kingston ACT Postal address: P.O Box 4259, Kingston ACT 2604

F E AT U R E Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images for Sunwolves

Portrait: Matt King - 2017 Getty Images

Building relationships using sport

By Kieran Walsh

T

he success of business-to-business relationships between customer and supplier depends on many factors.

From speed of response & quality of delivery through to return on investment, every little bit counts in an increasingly competitive commercial market.

And as our calendars get busier, so does our reliance on digital channels as a preferred method of communication.

But with our increased use of these mediums, are you failing to build quality, face-to-face relationships? Perhaps you are paying attention to them, but are your methods successful?

The coffee catch-up is wearing thin, and making the time for a three-hour lunch is typically reserved for the lead up to Christmas, or to celebrate the completion of a financial year. So while your business is looking to innovate your methodologies and process, shift some of that attention to your relationship-building process: the who, the what, and most importantly – the how.

The Plus500 Brumbies have hosted local, national and international organisations since the mid-1990s through our suite of

“And as our calendars get busier, so does our reliance on digital channels as a preferred method of communication. But with our increased use of these mediums, are you failing to build quality, face-to-face relationships?”

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corporate hospitality offerings. These are perfect to introduce as part of a broader strategy when looking to shift from a short-term, transactional sales approach to a long-term approach built on forming solid relationships. Like any networking event, there are a number of excellent ways to maximise your investment in one of our corporate hospitality packages: 1. Be organised It may sound simple enough, but organisation is key. Consider your own diary, then those of the decision-makers you are hoping to invite. Book early, plan early, invite early – use time to your advantage and ensure the right people are in the room.

2. Don’t jump the gun Keep the business talk relevant to the relationship. Cornering your new or potential customer the minute the door on your suite shuts is a no-no – they came for the entertainment first, the business talk second. Gauge their intent as the night carries on and reciprocate their level of business dialogue - but leave the negotiations for the boardroom.

3. Watch the drink Some clients may fancy a drink or five, but the host plays it safe, not sorry.

Ruining a potential relationship is bad, not remembering why is much worse.

4. Play host Depending on the hospitality option you’ve purchased you could have anywhere from 10 to 20 invitations, so chances are you may invite multiple clients

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who have never met. Introduce your guests to one another or have a colleague do so – the last thing you need is a corporate version of the school yard with groups in every corner.

5. Keep building Corporate hospitality is an excellent medium to get to know your clients and show them a great time in a relaxed environment, but it is not the be-all and end-all. Incorporate it as part of a broader strategy to shift from transactional selling to long-term relationship-building, and it will pay dividends.

The Plus500 Brumbies range of corporate offerings accommodates all budgets and businesses, can include catering, and ensures the best seat in the house.

• Corporate Suites (16 – 20 capacity) • TabTerrace Open Boxes (8 – 10 capacity) • The Austbrokers Directors’ Dinner (Table of 10) • The Lounge (Exclusive Private & Public sector networking) • The Stable (Single ticket entry) Kieran Walsh is the Sales Manager for the Plus500 Brumbies. To speak to Kieran about how you can use Brumbies Corporate Hospitality to enhance your relationships with clients or meet new ones, contact him directly on 02 6283 8525, 0413 836 490 or on k.walsh@brumbies.com.au.

Helping you make critical business decisions with confidence.

OUTGROWN YOUR ACCOUNTANT? LOOKING FOR BUSINESS ADVICE AND SUPPORT, NOT JUST TAX If another year has passed that could have been better with more practical and timely advice and business support, then it’s time for a positive change.

Make critical business decisions with confidence, by working with us to help you with: Net profit improvement Cashflow maximisation Sales growth advice Asset protection Financial assistance to achieve work, life balance If you are sick of just hearing from your accountant once a year, speak to us and experience the RSM difference.

Liability limited by a scheme approved under professional standards legislation

Call us today for a free confidential discussion on how we can help you and your business.

Andrew Sykes RSM Australia T 02 6217 0333 E andrew.sykes@rsm.com.au

rsm.com.au/canberra

Take your team to the top with the Thredbo Alpine Hotel Inspire success on the rooftop of Australia at a conference destination with a difference.

The Thredbo Alpine Hotel offers endless conference options year round away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Host your corporate event in the heart of the Kosciuszko National Park and give your guests an invigorating environment to clear the mind and focus on an enjoyable and productive experience.

Location The Thredbo Alpine Hotel is only 2.5 hours’ drive from Canberra and is located within the spectacular Kosciuszko National Park within easy walking distance to Mt Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest mountain and one of the world’s Seven Summits.

Dedicated On-Site Conference Team Thredbo Alpine Hotel has a dedicated and experienced on-site Conference Manager and team that can design events to suit your company’s objectives and offer full support throughout your event.

Event Spaces

Dynamic activities

The Thredbo Alpine Hotel has four versatile event rooms designed for maximum functionality that can cater for 5 to 200 guests. Facilities include a secure audiovisual control room, quality audio-visual equipment, an in-house sound system, free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel complex, theatre lighting and faxing and photocopying facilities. The sky’s the limit with unique indoor and outdoor breakout rooms in the beautiful surrounding alpine. There are also seven restaurants and bars within the hotel with themed catering and packages available.

Whether you’re after adventure, relaxation, team building or a reward program, Thredbo has a wide range of activities. Seasonal activities include skiing/snowboarding, scenic chairlift rides, mountain biking, hiking and more. Thredbo Village itself is a hive of activity with restaurants, bars, shops and a year round multi-purpose leisure centre.

Whether you’re planning a meeting, conference, seminar, team building retreat, gala dinner or branded event the Thredbo Alpine Hotel will ensure your event is a success.

Accommodation The Thredbo Alpine Hotel offers a range of comfortable accommodation with single, twin, double, triple and quad share rooms available.

The Thredbo Apartments are also close by offering fully self-contained one, two and three bedroom apartments. Hotel facilities include a 24 hour reception, free Wi-Fi, a guest laundry, on-site parking, complimentary movies, outdoor swimming pool, heated outdoor spa and a sauna.

Call the Thredbo Alpine Hotel’s dedicated Conference Manager on (02) 6459 4184 or email nicole_thrum@evt.com and start planning today. Visit thredbo.com.au for more details.

Thredbo Alpine Hotel 17 Friday Drive Thredbo NSW 2625 (02) 6459 4184 nicole_thrum@evt.com thredbo.com.au

MIN EER 5 Artist’s impression Artist’s impression | MIN EER 5

F E AT U R E

Photo: Martin Ollman

2017 – it’s going to be a big one!

HorizonOne Recruitment’s Canberra Employment Market Update

By Simon Cox

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016 saw a steady, consistent growth in recruitment activity through most of the year lead predominantly by the Government sector. However, November and December saw a big surge in activity across all sectors. Buoyed by the ‘book end’ of a looming Christmas break and big plans for 2017, December was a record month for HorizonOne. This activity bodes well for a hectic recruitment year in 2017, with new jobs received at HorizonOne this year so far, already up 65% on last year.

A quick look at trends and activity from the end of 2016 In July we published a market update demonstrating consistent steady market growth led by a huge resurgence (up 50%) in Government vacancies following the lifting of the recruitment freeze in 2015.

Some of the highlights of this period included: • Scribing work for Government reaching record levels for HorizonOne, buoyed by the closing down of Effective People’s busy scribing arm • In December trend full time employment increased for the 3rd consecutive month (ABS Media Release Jan 17, 2017). There was around a 32% increase in people working part-time from December 2015.

Unemployment remained steady at around 5.7% • Talent shortages are increasing at a rapid pace, with more markets impacted each month (See below) • The ACT battled South Australia for the fastest growth market as indicated by advertising levels, with between a 10-15% average increase in total jobs advertised 12

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over the last two quarters (SEEK, new job ads posted, Dec 2016)

Areas of immediate Talent shortage Increased recruitment activity has led to numerous areas of market shortages.

Here is a summary of the shortages we encounter daily at HorizonOne: 1. Business Services / Tax Accountants (Private firms) - A perennial candidates short market, things have reached extreme shortage levels 2. Procurement specialists All levels, private and public sectors, outsourcing trends mean this shortage is ongoing 3. Payroll processors An area of ongoing shortages in the ACT, now a National issue (Lifehacker Jan 2017) 4. Government Financial Statements Accountants (APS 5-EL2) 5. Government External Budgets Specialists (APS 5 – EL1) 6. Quality, experienced EA’s/PA’s In all sectors 7. Public affairs/Media Officers and Speechwriters (APS 6/EL1)

Recruitment trends There will be major shortages in quality contract resources over the next 6 months, particularly in the public sector. Many Government organisations are already at their

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ASL caps, and as they strive to drive new projects and achieve results before EOFY, contractor numbers will peak. Now is the time to act as good talent will be rare come April, and there are already significant waiting periods to secure quality contractors.

Job advertising online is proving less and less effective for securing talented staff.

The days of massive job boards dominating recruitment are well and truly over. Employers need to build a great employer brand and proactively farm multiple channels to access talented people. Sourcing passive job seekers and building high quality referral networks is critical to recruitment success.

Lengthy recruitment processes or delays with decision making post interviews are increasingly leading to recruitment failure. The market is moving faster and faster and you need to be agile and ready to move as soon as you meet that talented option. Failure to ‘nail the offer’ on the first effort is also leading to plenty of failed offers. Top talent have an increasing number of options available, and you need to put your best foot forward to secure their interest in a competitive market.

Predicted trends in the market Growth areas Digital transformation Organisations from all sectors are seeking to maintain currency (and sometimes relevancy) through an incredible pace of change. With cloud computing, new applications and increasing use of automation (robotic) technology, digital transformation is a buzz word that is here to stay. Project Managers and leaders who can deliver on these complex, difficult reforms will be in continuous demand. Requiring a unique

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“New job received at HorizonOne so far this year are already up 65% on last year” mix of leadership, change management, solution design and understanding of complex technology, this emerging market is guaranteed to be talent short.

HR reform With continually evolving organisations, restructures and ongoing reform across all sectors, change is the one constant in the people business. Organisations are expecting more from their HR professionals, and demand for HR staff in our region is up with jobs advertised on SEEK up 95% on the same time last year (SEEK, Salary and Job Trends Jan 20 2017). Senior Executives now want more than administrative, historical information and recruitment support from HR. Value-

Managers, ICT change managers and HR Change specialists has increased significantly in the last 2 years. Expect this trend to continue rocketing along as there are already significant shortages in the local market.

A surge in talent from interstate is already required to meet existing demand. 2017 will see some massive new ICT projects (Defence, DHS) gain momentum, as with the continuing reform agenda from the Federal Government.

Financial, Data, Statistical or Business Intelligence Analysts (Data Scientists) Big data! The buzz word for more than 5 years now is starting to take hold in Canberra.

Following a pattern of growth in Sydney

“The days of massive job boards dominating recruitment are well and truly over. Employers need to build a great employer brand and proactively farm multiple channels to access talented people.” add and business partnering is the name of the game from here-on in. Organisations will reform traditionally established HR practices, instead promoting automation through technology and proactive reporting and information provision. Senior Executives will demand innovative HR professionals who can design and implement lasting change.

Real HR Business Partners who are highly attuned to their business’s needs will be a significant area of skills demand in 2017 and for many years to come.

Change management Flowing on from the HR professional growth, demand for Organisational Change

and more extensively in overseas markets, Canberra’s market has started to get moving with demand for analysts growing steadily.

We are looking to catch up with the rest of the world by harnessing the power of data to predict behaviour and inform decision making. The Federal Government is sitting on enormous caches of predictive data, Canberra will soon be a hotspot of the future for these professionals that are in short supply.

Infrastructure and Property The Commonwealth Governments focus on infrastructure has had a positive impact on business activity in multiple states. Canberra’s Light Rail project is already

driving positive growth locally with Stage 1 under implementation and as we move into feasibility for Stage 2 (City to Woden). As the project accelerates, demand for project managers & engineers, procurement/contract specialists and business/finance specialists to manage the development will increase.

NSW’s fastest area of job advertising growth last year was in Project Engineers up 55% on the previous year meaning challenging recruitment conditions in this space (SEEK, Salary and Job Trends Jan 20 2017).

The property sector is still booming in Canberra and the surrounding region.

Excellent housing market returns and some big projects over the next 3 years including at the UC, further GEOCON developments and multiple new suburbs) is likely to keep it that way. Development and Construction Managers are in increasingly short supply, as are some of the key tradespeople, with advertising for ‘chippies’ up 110% on last year for our region. (SEEK, Salary and Job Trends Jan 20 2017)

Conclusion All signs point to a huge year in recruitment for 2017. Make sure to keep an eye out for any great recruiters looking for a change. HorizonOne are running a campaign to attract talent to support continued growth.

Please contact Simon Cox at HorizonOne Recruitment on 02 6108 4878 or simon@horizonone.com.au Level 1, 27 Torrens Street, Braddon www.horizonone.com.au

Sourcing talent is a science, not a sales game

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F E AT U R E

9 WAYS TO SAVE MONEY IN YOUR BUSINESS IN 2017 Andrew Sykes, Director of RSM Australia

Traditional marketing methods enjoy a good success rate when executed well, but they can also be expensive in terms of materials and time.

E

very business owner is aware of the importance of keeping costs low while continuing to offer customers the best service possible.

Equally, that no matter how profitable your business is there is always a bit of fat that could be trimmed away to reveal a faster, leaner, more effective operating model.

Rapid advances in technology are making this balancing act much easier by allowing increased automation and streamlining of many everyday business processes.

Here are nine easy ways advances in technology are driving change and creating opportunities for business and where RSM is working with clients to find the right solutions:

number of free programs available that enable you to quickly and easily design and send out an email.

There are many online marketing platforms and tools available to allow you to quickly develop, target, execute and analyse your own digital campaign. As the costs are more affordable and the nature of digital marketing allows you to make changes as you adapt to real-time customer intelligence it can, not only keep you on par with competitors, but can enable you to compete with industry leaders.

2. Regular website updates 1. Digital marketing

Traditional marketing methods enjoy a good success rate when executed well, but they can also be expensive in terms of materials and time.

Digital methods enable you to bypass a lot of the more costly aspects of traditional marketing. For example, instead of printing and distributing a brochure, there are a 14

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These days most people will go online and research products and companies before they make a purchase, if you don't have a website you are missing out on all of this potential business.

Simply then having a website is not enough.

Your website should be up-to-date and refreshed with new and useful content regularly so that search engine ranks it well and your potential clients are able to find you easily.

F E AT U R E

3. Automate everything

Data entry tends to be slow, tedious and prone to errors. In this day and age, there’s a way to automate at least the routine parts of basically every business function. This can free up time and resources for growing and improving your business.

compensation insurance, training and performance reviews. By outsourcing certain functions, such as payroll and HR, you can be provided with an expert service as you need it, and only pay for what you use.

7. Online communication portals

Portals enable more efficient communication, collaboration and file sharing, reducing the time required for meetings, phone calls and sending slow-loading files by email. Your clients can each have their own portal that is adapted to their needs, providing them with better self-service as well as faster communications.

4. Cloud accounting systems

Cloud accounting enables you to save your data files ‘in the cloud’ rather than on your computer's storage media. Your accounting, taxation, invoicing and payroll can all be handled from one single tool.

Usually this is done on a ‘pay as you go’ basis.

Advantages include: • saving you time in your end-of-month bookkeeping • no software to install or updates to run • save on hardware and software costs • boost business efficiencies and experience real-time business oversight • experience less disruption at tax time • provide you with multi-user access • save space – no more piles of paperwork, backup tapes or internal servers

5. Data integration

One of the best ways to integrate your data is through automated bank feeds, which link your accounting system up to your financial institution.

This ties in with cloud accounting and surveys carried out by MYOB show that SMEs using bank feeds save an average of 10 hours and approximately $700 per month on data entry.

8. Electronic timesheets and rostering Planning rosters and processing time sheet data can be complex and time consuming.

Automating the process through time tracking and scheduling software can streamline the whole process, saving you time and money at the same time.

9. Housing hardware

Surveys carried out by MYOB show that SMEs using bank feeds save an average of 10 hours and approximately $700 per month on data entry.

Historically, the software you run for various aspects of your business has had to be housed somewhere, usually in large servers. With the advent of cloud technology this is no longer the case.

You can now house your data on cloud-based storage systems, through third party vendors or all-in-one cloud computing platforms. The savings this can have on capital expenditure are huge, not only initially but also in the future. Should your needs grow you can simply upgrade to a higher package, rather than upgrading costly machinery.

At RSM, we understand change can seem overwhelming and we are more than happy to answer any questions you may have around how these advances in technology would work best for your particular business needs.

6. Outsourcing services

Employment can be costly in terms of wages, paid leave, superannuation, workers

Contact Andrew Sykes on 02 6217 0333 or andrew.sykes@rsm.com.au

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F E AT U R E

Can IT-support and customer-support exist in the same business?

By Tim Benson

D

arko Reljic, founder and director of Empreus IT Support, is a young man, on the way up in the IT world, with a great story to tell.

Darko is 22 years of age. He was born in Bosnia in 1994 and moved to Australia in the early 2000.

At Daramalan College he started to focus his attention on IT. “I passed all of the Microsoft courses before leaving college,” Darko said proudly.

But Darko says that times have changed in the IT world.

“Back then it was as simple as an ‘end computer, hub and a server’. Today you have an ‘end client, managed switch, and multiple servers that are virtual’,” Darko explained.

According to Darko, he chose IT as a career because his first mentor said ‘there was a lot of money in it’.

“I won a major contract in my first month with a law firm, Marjason & Marjason Solicitors.

This gave me the confidence and support to continue to grow my business” But first a little more about Darko.

His parents were farmers in Bosnia. They owned a house on top of a mountain. His brother moved to Australia and the rest of the family followed.

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Photo: Kasra Yousefi

Darko is fluent in Serbian and English and has been back three times 2004, 2008 and 2012.

In 2013 Darko began his IT career at Unisys as a customer service engineer or as he calls it, ‘a tech’. Towards the end of his first year he got promoted to a system administrator.

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In 2015 he moved to Cubic as a systems and Linux administrator. Darko then moved to F1 Solutions and then Datacom in March 2016.

With all this experience, it seems Darko was destined to start his own IT support business.

F E AT U R E

“Unfortunately, it is common, in the IT support industry, to recommend the most expensive solution to a problem. I believe that I can provide better service and more affordable solutions to these problems.”

What Empreus IT Support does: • IT Support IT support is about peace of mind.

If something goes wrong, you need to know that it won’t be for long. Empreus IT Support provides that peace of mind through full service IT support for your system.

• IT Maintenance Empreus IT support are expert at fixing and maintaining network, systems and workstations on both large and small scales.

• IT Networking Many businesses are held back by unreliable subpar network equipment.

Whether you’re looking for a basic sharing network or a more complex network system across multiple locations and devices, our solutions will accommodate your business needs.

• New Installations For new installations, we can help you pick from hundreds of workstations, printers, switches, routers, firewalls, and servers, leaving you to concentrate on running your business.

Darko launched his business, Empreus IT Support in march 2016.

“I won a major contract in my first month with a law firm, Marjason & Marjason Solicitors. This gave me the confidence and support to continue to grow my business,” Darko explained.

The business has continued to grow since then and Darko is currently in the process of tendering for an ACT Government department to take on their IT maintenance and support.

“I’m taking on Kowalski Recruitment for their IT maintenance and support and have a couple of other significant clients ready to come on board,” Darko outlined.

“I started my own IT support business because I saw a gap in the market for a provider that focused on customer service,” Darko stated.

Darko’s philosophy is that he aims to deliver the highest quality level or of service and products to his clients.

“Unfortunately, it is common, in the IT support industry, to recommend the most expensive solution to a problem. I believe that I can provide better service and more affordable solutions to these problems,” Darko explained.

He has a simple question he would like to put to the business community: “Is your provider giving you the best solution, price and customer service or are they there to just cash another invoice?”

Darko says the products and solutions he implements are designed to be future proof.

“My solutions are future-ready so that, at a later date, you are able to upgrade and replace components instead of buying a brand-new server, network or desktop,” Darko said.

His client’s initial costs may be little higher, but the products are cheaper in the long run.

So where to for the future of IT? According to Darko the future of IT is moving to a cloud and hybrid solution.

“The cloud part would be Azure, a virtual server that you would create and maintain, not having to buy a physical device. The next part would be Office 365 for the email solution. This would provide the latest technologies for a small business to a large enterprise, without a high upfront cost.

Previously, this was only available at a high cost and to larger companies,” Darko detailed.

Darko explained that a hybrid part would be physical desktops, servers and network gear, but the applications would be used, and managed, by the application developer. These would include online MYOB or XERO, LEAP for legal software, and many others that have moved to this solution.

Darko says that DELL is providing one of the better solutions for value for money.

“DELLs provide quality equipment and are leading the market in their servers, network equipment and desktop,” Darko said.

What does the future hold for this young man on the rise?

“I would like to see my business grow and take on more clients, and see businesses upgrade their IT infrastructure and move to current equipment and solutions,” Darko concluded.

Darko Reljic CEO Empreus IT Support 0416356762 darko.reljic@empreussupport.com

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Asia-Pacific's only dedicated change management event.

CONVERGENCE AUSTRALIA 7 to 9 March 2017 National Museum Australia, Canberra EARLY BIRD PRICES NOW AVAILABLE To find out more visit: convergenceaustralia.com.au

COVER STORY

Users Drive Technology Success Prepare your users for the journey and you will be pleasantly surprised at how successful your ICT implementation really can be …

Photography: Kasra Yousefi

We see the projects and hear the stories, year after year and one could say decade after decade, yet we don't seem to learn or address the underlying reality: that the multiple millions of dollars being spent on new Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems do not deliver the full rewards, unless people, system users, adopt the new technologies.

J

oe Wethuizen, CEO Cadence Performance Solutions, says that in both the private and public sector there are many examples of failed, stalled or under-delivered ICT projects where system users have not, for various reasons, adopted new technologies.

“The consequences tend to be significant, ranging from multi-million dollar write downs, to expensive re-works, poor service delivery and, oftentimes, the complete scrapping of these much-needed new technologies. It is a largely self-inflicted curse that impacts not only the large ICT projects but the smaller ones too,” Joe lamented.

When last did you compete in an event, be it a running race, triathlon, debating competition, chess game – whatever challenge it was you decided to take on – and you were completely under prepared for that event? You went into the event with the right tools (new running shoes or your new chess

board) but with little knowledge or the wrong preparation? Imagine Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man, turning up to run a marathon. He may be a finely tuned and trained individual but he would fail miserably at the marathon as that is not what he trains and prepares for.

“We see this all the time in the world of

state. Never again,” Joe promised himself.

Joe says looking back, he was completely underprepared for the challenge of 42.2km’s.

“Yes, I had prepared – but not for this race. Yes, I was ready – but not for this event.

I never made the same type of mistake again, although I continue to learn to this day how

“The multiple millions of dollars being spent on new Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems do not deliver the full rewards, unless people, system users, adopt the new technologies,”

Joe Wethuizen, CEO, Cadence Performance Solutions

ICT. New systems are rolled out, but users are not being trained or adequately prepared.

And we wonder time and again why our systems fail?” Joe reflected.

Being an avid sports lover, Joe remembers his first marathon. He was aged 21, full of self-confidence, trained and ready – or so he thought. He had created his own training program, run endless hours for months and was primed and set to go. Joe says the first 21km went by in a breeze. He felt great and was wondering what the fuss of running a marathon was all about. The second 21km was simply a disaster.

“I was reduced to a slow walk, stumbling from aid station to aid station and eventually crossing the line in a somewhat disoriented

best to prepare for the challenges of sporting events. You can never stop learning and improving on your knowledge,” Joe said.

ICT projects present a similar challenge.

Underprepare your users and be prepared

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COVER STORY to face the consequences. At best, you may stumble to the finish line; at worst, you may not get to the start line. Your users need to be prepared to “run the race”. They need to be adequately trained for the journey ahead, supported for the entire distance (not just at the start or end line), and need to know why they are on this journey and what’s in it for them in the long run.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) projects have provided some of the most spectacular ICT program successes and failures over the last decade. ERP technologies are at the centre of what make most (mid to large) private and public organisations run. SAP, Oracle, Workday and Microsoft Dynamics, for example, all have significant enterprise technology offerings and you will find one or more of these systems at the heart of nearly all businesses. These systems bring the potential of significant enhancements in speed, service levels, information transparency and accuracy, as well as cost savings. However, the key to achieving these enhancements and benefits sit with the end users of the technology.

“If you are looking for an image that captures the reality of a failed ERP project, think of a sports car driven by a learner driver.

These systems provide the latest technology but are your ‘drivers’ suitably skilled?”

Joe explained.

When viewed solely as an IT project or technical solution, the culture of the company will often determine the outcome of an ERP implementation.

ERP projects, and even more so the current Cloud offerings, require a shift in thinking and behaviour regarding how an organisation conducts its daily business, installs processes, builds supporting technology, and manages people.

“If the ICT strategy is not well thought out, or if the management team and users are not aligned, then new technology can disrupt solid business models, good operating principles and competitive strategies,” stated Joe. “’Garbage in, garbage out’ is a well-known saying. Put poor information into a system and you will get poor information out of it.”

A similar principle can be applied to system users. If they don’t have the right knowledge, aren’t effectively trained, aren’t able to access readily available support and ultimately have not bought into or adopted the new technology, failure is almost guaranteed.

Accordingly, ‘people’ – ‘users’ – are the core ingredient of a successful technology implementation. Take a look at the research from well-respected organisations: 20

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Gartner Group

AMR Research

• Untrained users often ignore, misuse or underutilize new technology • Untrained users require 3 to 6 times more support than trained users • Companies that budget less than 13% of their implementation costs for training spend 17% or more to see their projects run over time and over budget.

End user adoption is the number one reason for failed ICT implementations

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Department of Human Services (DHS) are two examples of Public sector organisations embarking on ERP upgrades, extensions and implementation of new cloud technologies in 2017. These two organisations alone will be implementing and deploying ICT systems that impact tens of thousands of users. Spend on technology licences alone run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Spend on consultants to implement these systems will ultimately make the licence dollar numbers look small.

“What spend and planning will go into ensuring the user adopts the new systems and

META Group 78% of end users have failing or sub-standard understanding of new systems

users perform their work well! Guiding these people through the process of user adoption not only reduces project risk, it helps keep your teams focused on the “business of doing business”.

Enabling user adoption is not rocket science, but it does require careful planning and consideration. Here are some of the key questions you should be asking and addressing: • Do your users know why you are implementing the new system and “what’s in it for them”? (Change management) • Do your users know when the project is starting and what and when the

“If you are looking for an image that captures the reality of a failed ERP project, think of a sports car driven by a learner driver. These systems provide the latest technology but are your ‘drivers’ suitably skilled?” technology, understand the new processes, are adequately trained and have access to support?” Joe asks.

For any technology project, whether you work on the scale of the ADF or DHS, or you run a small or medium sized business, enabling user adoption should be one of your key project priorities. After all, it is the people in your business who will be using the new technology to perform their work, and it is in the organisations interest that these

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• • • •

key milestones and timelines are?

(Communication) Do your users know and understand how their roles will change and why? (Change Management and Communications) Do you have a training plan that addresses every user’s requirements (Training)?

How will users be supported pre and post Go-Live? (User Support) How will you achieve continual improvement post go-live and support

COVER STORY

Cadence Performance Solutions is led by Joe Westhuizen. Joe has spent over two decades in and around the ERP ecosystem. He has worked with and for companies implementing large technology solutions, in both the Public and Private Sector. From the USA to Europe and Australasia he has supported organisations going through significant change driven by technology implementations.

Joe’s first global roll-out was an SAP project with Unilever in the 90s. He’s lost count of the number of organisations he has supported and projects he’s worked on, but they have taken him around the globe and provided the lessons that underpin the services he provides today through Cadence Performance Solutions.

Joe is an avid triathlete, runner and cyclist and competes for Australia as an Age Group athlete. When not working, he can be found on his bicycle in the hills surrounding Canberra, swimming in Lake Burley Griffin or pounding the local streets. He splits his time between Canberra and Sydney but says that ‘Canberra provides the ideal environment for sport’ so he prefers to be in the Capital when possible.

employees who subsequently join the organisation or change roles? (Change Management, Communications, Training and Support) Whilst the above is an over simplification of the task at hand, a well thought through plan and a team that is capable and sufficiently experienced to deliver change, communication and training solutions is a priority that should be at the heart of any ICT implementation.

“New shoes, unfortunately, don't make you suddenly become a faster or better runner. A new bicycle doesn't suddenly make you a champion. And new paint brushes don't create a better artist overnight. Think of technology as the ‘tools of the trade’ but ensure you teach your users how to effectively use those tools,” Joe reinforced.

Over the last 20 years of working in the ICT and ERP arena, Joe has developed the BOOMER principles to assist organisations, sponsors and project teams drive long term value. These principles provide a clear and consistent framework for delivery successful projects: “Prepare your users for the journey and you will be pleasantly surprised, or perhaps

B

Buy-in – ensure you get buy-in for your project from project sponsors, management and users

O

Operations – make sure that you involve and/or include operational staff in your project teams. This will increase acceptance and adoption levels after go-live

O

Organisational change – remember that ERP projects will impact your organizational structures, processes, tasks, roles and governance. They are not “just” technology projects

M

Marathons – as Joe has alluded to previously, ICT projects are typically journeys and not events. They take significant focus, effort and stamina.

Prepare for the long term.

E

Education – training is vital, but it is not just about your users. Also educate your consultants, technical and business teams and train your management, sponsors, partners and customers. Plan and train for success.

R

Results – identify and articulate the outcomes and objectives that you are trying to achieve through your your ERP and/or Cloud implementation.

Ensure that these outcomes are clearly and consistently communicated and that project milestones, achievements and challenges are all communicated as transparently as possible.

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COVER STORY

What we do:

“New shoes, unfortunately, don't make you suddenly become a faster or better runner. A new bicycle doesn't suddenly make you a champion. And new paint brushes don't create a better artist overnight. Think of technology as the ‘tools of the trade’ but ensure you teach your users how to effectively use those tools.” just relieved, at how successful your ICT implementation really can be,” Joe concluded.

Cadence Performance Solutions will

be writing a series of articles over the next few B2B additions addressing change management, communications and training in the ICT arena. Please share your thoughts and comments with us

Cadence Performance Solutions provides training, change management and communications services and solutions.

Their focus is on the end user.

They work with their Partners (including SAP Education and Ajilon) to bring together the right team with the appropriate skills and experience. Cadence works with their customers to facilitate sustained and positive change.

Their teams build and deliver superior training and support solutions that drive sustained end user performance. Cadence are the most experienced and cost effective solution when it comes to supporting and training your end users.

Whether you require one contract SAP Trainer or a comprehensive Change Management, Communication and Training Team, Joe and the team at Cadence Performance Solutions are here to work with you and support your needs and those of your users.

(at www. cadenceperformance.solutions) and if there are any specific areas you would like us to write about or obtain more information on, do not hesitate to call or email me at 1300 30 60 04 or info@cadenceperformance.solutions

Phone : +61 1300 30 60 04 Email : info@cadenceperformance.solutions Website : cadenceperformance.solutions 22

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ADVICE ACCOUNTING

25

Just what is a sustainable cash flow?

BOOKKEEPING

25

Tomorrow’s CFOs –transformational leadership in the C-Suite

BUSINESS LAW

26

Why play by the rules? fair is fair, isn’t it?

CASH FLOW SOLUTIONS

26

Brushing up on invoice finance

CYBER SECURITY

27

Mitigating the insider threat

by Andrew Sykes, RSM

by Chien Dang, Tailored Accounts

by Mark Love, Bradley Allen Love Lawyers

by Jane Lombard, Fifo Capital

by Anthony Rigg, Cordelta

INSOLVENCY 27

Ignoring employee entitlements? not so super…

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 28

Penfolds raises a glass in China

REAL ESTATE

28

Market review

RECRUITMENT

29

Recruitment trends for 2017

STRATA MANAGEMENT

29

Meaningful meetings

THINK RESULTS

30

Corporate leadership therapy

WEBSITES

30

Digital marketing landscape 2017

by Tony Lane, Vincents

by Shaun Creighton, Moulis Legal

by Peter Maloney, Maloney's Property

by Jim Roy, Hays Recruitment Experts Worldwide

by Chris Miller, Vantage Strata

by Darleen Barton, DIPAC & Associates

by Sam Gupta, Synapse Worldwide

ACCOUNTING

BOOKKEEPING

by Chien Dang

by Andrew Sykes

Just what is a sustainable cash flow?

Many SME owners struggle to differentiate between profit and cash flow. If asked to produce a cash flow forecast, most will revert to producing a profit forecast. But profit and cash flow are definitely not the same.

GROWTH IS NOT NECESSARILY A SIGN OF SUCCESS For example, did you know you can actually go broke if your business grows too quickly? Your sales could be going through the roof and doubling each month. From a profit perspective, your profit and loss statement will show that you are making a lot of money. But what if: • Your sales are on credit and customers take too long to pay?

• You need the cash to pay your suppliers in 30 days?

• 40% of your stock lines are not moving and cash is tied up in stock?

CONSIDER THE OTHER ‘NON-PROFIT’ CASH REQUIREMENTS Running a business means that cash is required for infrastructure.

Hopefully you are making a profit ...did you know you can actually to start with and this is generating go broke if your business cash for the business to pay for these things. Your profit also needs to be sufficient to generate grows too quickly? enough cash to do things like: • Paying for various business assets • Helping to meet the repayments on loans to buy these assets • Making repayments on a loan that might have been taken out to buy the business in the first place.

• To pay for income tax that is payable on prior year profits and also the current year if you are paying tax under ‘Pay as You Go’ system • Providing for drawings to the owners if they are not taking actual salaries.

As you can see, there are a number of areas that need a supporting cash flow over and above the purchase of goods to sell for a profit.

IS YOUR CASH FLOW SUSTAINABLE? ‘Sustainability’ is judged by assessing whether or not the business cash flow next year will be in surplus without one-off injections. If the business needed a one-off injection this year – why? And once you know ‘why’, have you fixed the problem so that next year, the deficit won’t reappear. In most cases, it will flow from poor profitability. How you might improve business profits opens a whole raft of questions that can be worked through to see how you can drive the business to perform better.

GET THE TRUE PICTURE: ‘A THOUSAND WORDS’ Just as a picture is said to do, a cash flow statement can paint a thousand words about a business. We recommend that you ask your adviser for a cash flow statement each year, as well as your profit and loss statement and balance sheet, so that you can see just how sustainable and healthy your business actually is.

Contact Andrew Sykes, business specialist at RSM, on 02 6217 0333 or andrew.sykes@rsm.com.au should you have any questions.

Tomorrow’s CFOs –transformational leadership in the C-Suite Future CFOs will be harnessing their broad spectrum of expertise to endorse and implement long-term strategic goals for sustainable growth.

In a globalised, complex business environment, the roles of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) are ever expanding, creating opportunities for CFOs being business strategists effectively dealing with challenges ahead. In this article, I would like to share a few tips on how CFO scan facilitate innovation via technological advances.

Along with the conventional roles as a financial gatekeeper, the CFOs of tomorrow will need to adopt a forward-looking approach, supporting strategic decision-making as the right-hand man of the Chief Executive Officer.

Powered by business intelligence With advanced technology disrupting traditional finance duties, tools, progressive CFOs will not CFOs can proactively adopt cloud accounting systems such as XERO to only deliver intelligence, but enable real time analysis of financial communicate crucial knowledge positions and performance of the company. Expedited automation to a wide range of stakeholders. through machine learning, one of Future CFOs will also be XERO’s prominent features, frees CFOs from manual, process-oriented activities to best utilise their time for harnessing their broad spectrum a better decision-making. of expertise to endorse and Additionally, Big Data Analytics (e.g. Microsoft’s Power BI) helps CFOs implement long-term strategic target opportunities. Such tools aid goals for sustainable growth. effective budgeting, management reporting and forecasting, providing business intelligence to the Board and other C-level executives in a timely manner.

Powered by business intelligence tools, progressive CFOs will not only deliver intelligence, but communicate crucial knowledge to a wide range of stakeholders. Future CFOs will also be harnessing their broad spectrum of expertise to endorse and implement long-term strategic goals for sustainable growth.

To promote innovation-driven disruptions, CFOs are endeavouring to balance traditional duties with strategic leadership. At Tailored Accounts, we assist CFOs with strategic decision-making. We believe in a business intelligence focussed approach to management accounting, supported

by CFO monthly meetings and cash flow analysis. Tomorrow’s CFOs are transformational leaders, so let’s embrace innovative technology for a better strategic planning and organisational transformation!

Chien Dang is the team leader at Tailored Accounts “The Accounts Department of Small and Medium Business” www.tailoredaccounts.com.au

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BUSINESS LAW

CASH FLOW SOLUTIONS

by Mark Love

Why play by the rules? fair is fair, isn’t it?

Brushing up on invoice finance

Despite the fact that people care more about the result of the final Saturday in September than the goings-on in Parliament, the AFL does not wield governmental power (though the AFL might wish otherwise). How then did James Hird allege that he was denied procedural fairness when the question of whether he breached the rules was determined? While those proceedings were ultimately discontinued, it raises the question of whether procedural fairness applies to private organisations.

Historically, procedural fairness has been a common law right that applied only to governmental powers that, when exercised, negatively affected the rights or interests of an individual. Where certain decisions are made, procedural fairness operates so that the decision must be reached in a fair manner.

More recently, the courts have begun to expand the role of procedural fairness and have applied it to companies and private organisations. The classic example of decisions affecting individuals is where members or employees are suspended or terminated (e.g. for supplying performanceenhancing supplements).

The key procedural fairness principles to keep in mind are: • the hearing rule –the organisation must inform the individual of the case against them. It encompasses a right to be heard, giving the person an opportunity to reply to the allegations against them and present their case; • the bias rule –the decision-maker must not have a personal interest in the matter or even the appearance of bias. This can sometimes be difficult in the case of smaller organisations where all the members or employees know each other; and • the no evidence rule – all decisions must be based on logically probative evidence.

The hearing rule has an added benefit, in that it can give the decisionmaker advance warning of the defence to be made and highlight any weaknesses in their own case.

So why does procedural fairness apply to private organisations? For government decisions, the duty was implied into legislation, rather than expressly provided for. In much the same way, the duty arises from the rules of the particular organisation being construed on the basis that fair procedures are intended. Express words in the rules can operate to exclude the duty, but if the rules are silent it is likely that procedural fairness will apply.

It is important to remember that the critical question for procedural fairness is not whether the ultimate decision is fair; it is whether it was reached fairly. The best practice is to assume that procedural fairness will apply to decisions that negatively affect the rights or interests of an individual. You should have proper procedures in place so that decisions of this nature are made in a procedurally fair manner; if you don’t play by the rules, you may end up with a decision that does not stand.

Mark Love, Legal Director, Business Law 9th Floor, Canberra House, 40 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT 2601 E: mark.love@ballawyers.com.au T: 02 6274 0810 | www.ballawyers.com.au

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by Jane Lombard

Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business. It is all about timing – the books and outlook can be good, but many small to medium businesses experience cash gaps between delivery and payment. Slower debtor payments or extended payment terms inhibit a business’s ability to invest, exploit larger opportunities or simply Increasingly, new and growing manage day-to-day costs.

Increasingly, new and growing businesses are using alternative businesses are using alternative finance tools – tools that finance tools – tools that support business performance by streamlining support business performance by cash flow. Invoice finance is a leading example. streamlining cash flow. Invoice Invoice finance is also known as debtor finance, invoice discounting, finance is a leading example. factoring, cash flow finance or receivables finance. It is a funding solution where a business sells one or more of its current invoices to a financier to secure cash flow, without the requirement of real estate security.

A growing finance alternative, invoice finance is increasingly regarded as a strategic and versatile cash flow funding tool and is utilised by start-ups to larger businesses.

Three steps – the invoice finance process: 1. The business invoices their client; 2. The business receives up to 80% of the invoice value immediately rather than waiting up to 90 days for their client to pay. This can be completed on a full turnover or an invoice by invoice basis; and 3. The remaining 20% less a fee is returned to the business when their client pays the invoice.

A growing finance alternative, Invoice finance can be strategically used to inject cash invoice finance is increasingly into a business for a variety of regarded as a strategic and purposes including: 1. Funding business growth i.e. versatile cash flow funding contract mobilisation and tool and is utilised by startearly delivery 2. Smoothing seasonal cash flow ups to larger businesses.

3. Asset finance deposits 4. Mergers and acquisitions.

Cash flow is more often than not, the determining factor in business performance and success. Smart use of invoice finance is a proven tool for business that can deliver both options and opportunities.

P 0408 226 841 E jane.lombard@fifocapital.com PO Box 3269, Weston Creek ACT 2611

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CYBER SECURITY

INSOLVENCY

by Anthony Rigg

Mitigating the insider threat

by Tony Lane

Ignoring employee entitlements? not so super…

Insider threats, or threats from your own users, are the number one concern for Australian organisations according to the 2015 Australian Centre for Cyber Security (ACSC) survey results. Organisations are increasingly losing control of high-value information. Extenuating factors include bring-your-own-device (BYOD) usage, the sending of sensitive information to external people, and the use of cloud applications and collaboration tools. These threats are attributed to two types of individuals: • Inadvertent insiders. Individuals that are unwittingly socially engineered by attacks such as spear phishing emails, drive-by downloads or direct contact with adversaries, that through their actions pave a path for external threat actors to infiltrate an organisation.

• Malicious insiders. Individuals with malicious intent possibly as the result of coercion or due to a drive for personal gain. This can include financial incentives for stealing sensitive information or corporate espionage.

As these users already have access to your system, it can be difficult to mitigate the risk of insider threats. We’ve summarised our top 4 prevention strategies for insider threats: • Perform background checks. Ensure your hiring process includes processes such as police and referee checks to identify possible risks.

• Gain visibility. Obtain an understanding of your digital environment through the implementation of controls such as centralised logging and correlation for user events, user behavioural analysis tools, internal security audits on high-risk roles, inspection of encrypted data coming in or out of the organisation and dynamic analysis of files in a sandbox container to check that they are safe.

• Restrict access. Identify the high-value information within your organisation and restrict access to it by having an effective identity management process and role-based access that gives a user access to only the information needed for their role. Apply segregation of duties where it requires more than one person to complete high-risk tasks, such as financial payments. Apply rights management services to enable user-driven access policies on high-value information.

• Create a security culture. Security is a business enabler that supports and secures the organisation. Positive security culture is created by communicating clear security policies that are supported by senior management. This includes having an acceptable use policy which covers usage of business systems, internet, cloud services and mobility, and is enforced; conducting regular security awareness campaigns for each type of user; performing regular internal ethical hacking to understand weak spots in processes or security controls; reporting on cyber security to senior management and executive board; and applying good security architecture principles early in ICT projects.

The insider threat is not a new problem for business but is a growing issue through the increasingly digital world that businesses now work in.

An organisation must consider these threats when developing a holistic security program.

Most business owners would likely understand that failing to pay amounts due to the ATO can be the start of a rocky road to ruin.

However there appear to be some, along with their advisors, In mid-2012, the ATO acquired who routinely underestimate the level of risk associated the ability to attribute direct with ignoring the revenue Czars – and now the focus liability, not only for unpaid PAYG has shifted to superannuation guarantee entitlements.

Withholding taxes but importantly A disturbing element of the also superannuation, to directors recent industry-led report into unpaid superannuation, which of companies who fail to pay. placed the value of unpaid super in 2013-14 at a staggering $3.6 billion, is that employers appear either ignorant of their obligations, or are consciously using their employees as defacto lenders to support the cash flow of their businesses.

Either way, neither is a sustainable long-term strategy and clearly noncompliance with superannuation laws now has serious implications.

In mid-2012, the ATO acquired the ability to attribute direct liability, not only for unpaid PAYG Withholding taxes but importantly also superannuation, to directors of companies who fail to pay. Debts not notified to the ATO (for superannuation amounts, by way of a Superannuation Guarantee Charge Statement – SGCS) that are older than three months are attributed personally to directors.

Most surprising of all though is recent anecdotal evidence that suggests there are still accountants in practice who remain ignorant of the risks in this area (wilfully or otherwise). A matter recently referred to me for advice arrived under the following context: • The company had failed to lodge BAS’ and pay superannuation for over two years (without any SGCS); • The estimated liability for PAYG(W) and super exceeded $200,000; • The accountant had suggested liquidation as a means of ‘avoiding the liability to the ATO as they won’t chase it’; and • The accountant had a liquidator in mind that “would do the job cheap’ and may not fully investigate the director’s conduct.

Notwithstanding the obvious issues with the ‘friendly’ liquidator, the accountant seemed oblivious to the impending personal liability that would immediately attach to the director, once the outstanding BAS and super amounts were lodged. Critically, it did not matter whether those amounts were quantified before or after the liquidation – the die had been cast and, without payment in full, the director would likely be liable for the entire sum.

The practice of using the ATO or employees as ‘lender of last resort’ has a limited life-span and employers or advisors with concerns must take prompt advice. Otherwise, the outcome may be not so super…

Anthony Rigg - Principal Security Consultant P 02 6162 4112 - security@cordelta.com Level 1, 72 Dundas Court PHILLIP ACT 2606 www.cordelta.com

Tony Lane is a Registered and Official Liquidator at Vincents.

For more information, contact Vincents on (02) 6274 3402 www.vincents.com.au

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

REAL ESTATE

by Shaun Creighton

Penfolds raises a glass in China

Market review

In a landmark ruling from the Beijing High People’s Court, Treasury Wine Estates (“TWE”), the owner of the ‘Penfolds’ wine brand, has successfully challenged the registration of the lucrative ‘Ben Fu’ trade mark which had been registered by well-known ‘trade mark squatter’, Li Daozhi, in China.

TWE had failed to register the trade mark, a Chinese transliteration of the Penfolds name, prior to the trade mark squatter’s registration, despite having developed a strong reputation in China over 20 years.

The protection of intellectual property rights within China has historically proven to be a significant challenge for foreign companies. In particular, China utilises a ‘first to file’ trade mark registration system which affords trade mark rights to those who are first to file a trade mark. Foreign companies are often at the mercy of trade mark squatters who are able to claim priority by registering the trade mark of a foreign company before that company enters the Chinese market. Generally, the trade mark squatter will attempt to sell the rights to these registered trade marks to the foreign company at substantial cost. As a consequence, it is not uncommon for foreign companies to rebrand their products, or leave the market entirely.

TWE have been embroiled in litigation for over five years in an attempt to cancel the Ben Fu trade mark, and be recognised as the owner of Foreign companies are often the trade mark. The Beijing High People’s Court ended the dispute, at the mercy of trade mark in TWE’s favour, cancelling the trade mark on the basis that the squatters who are able to registered holder failed to show claim priority by registering genuine use of the trade mark for wine or related activities and the trade mark of a foreign allowing TWE to claim control, and make use of the Ben Fu name company before that company across China. enters the Chinese market The ruling in Penfolds’ case is a rare success for trade mark litigation by a foreign company in China. In 2013, French wine merchant, Castel, was unsuccessful in a similar trade mark case against the same trade mark squatter. Castel was found to have infringed the trade mark which had been registered first by Pastel Wine (which is owned by Li Daozhi) and was ordered to pay damages to the trade mark squatter.

The Penfolds case shows a shift in the attitude of Chinese courts and provides some interesting legal considerations. It also confirms that from a commercial and practical perspective, if you are considering expanding operations internationally, it is critical that you consider your intellectual property strategy (IP) early. Such strategies should consider the application of relevant international conventions which may affect the priority date of your application(s). As the Penfolds case highlights, an effective IP strategy should also consider the effect of translations and transliterations in relevant markets.

The team at Moulis Legal have assisted Australian companies in applying for, securing and prosecuting international trade marks (including in China).

Our team includes specialist trade mark lawyers and lawyers with Chinese law degrees. We understand trade mark law and Chinese law.

Contact Shaun Creighton on 02 6163 1000 or shaun.creighton@moulislegal.com to discuss how we can assist with your trade mark and legal requirements.

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by Peter Maloney

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Allhomes have just released to agents their latest Allhomes Property Market Index. I found the following items of particular interest.

Looking at the sales market, median house prices have continued to rise across both Canberra and Greater Queanbeyan. The median house price in the ACT is now $638,000, Townhouses $435,000 and Units & Apartments $381,000.

There were a total on 689 sales in the region for the previous quarter which is an increase of 22.4%.

Whilst the sales volume of The median house price in detached houses has dropped by 2.3% in the 12 month period the ACT is now $638,000, between December 2015 and December 2016, the fact that Townhouses $435,000 and Units banks have started to raise interest & Apartments $381,000. rates is likely to have unnerved some consumers and the drive for affordable housing and investor activity has help ignite the unit market with the sales of Townhouses and Apartments rising by 20%.

The percentage of sales of detached houses by Auction increased by 12.1% and the days on market for Houses has dropped for both Private treaty and Auctions sales being 57.3 and 23.5 days respectively, Townhouses and Units have increased their days on market to The median weekly rent approximately 104.1 days.

Moving onto the rental market has increased to $510 this has continued to strengthen over 2016 after a quiet few years, for houses and $400 for the median weekly rent has townhouses and apartments increased to $510 for houses and $400 for townhouses and apartments. The time take to lease properties has shortened in every area of the Canberra market with properties in Weston Creek and Belconnen having the shortest times.

The number of building approvals remains strong and there are a number of developments due to hit the market in 2017 which will improve available stock however may challenge the current rental market conditions. If would like to discuss the sales or rental market within Canberra I am always happy to discuss this with you and can be contacted on 0418 797 718 or petermaloney@maloneys.com.au.

We are finding that we are renting properties quickly at the moment and if you have a property that is sitting vacant or you are not satisfied with your current property manager we would appreciate the opportunity to discuss your options. It is always very important to have your property management needs tailored to your own property.

Contact Maloney’s on 6232 0100 maloneys@maloneys.com.au www.maloneys.com.au

RECRUITMENT

STRATA MANAGEMENT

by Jim Roy

Recruitment trends for 2017

by Chris Miller

Meaningful meetings

What will be the key features of Canberra’s recruitment market in 2017? Firstly, with 2016’s Territory and Federal elections behind us and no major distractions ahead, competition for top talent will heighten. Add to this a number of high profile infrastructure projects and unemployment below three and a half percent and you have all the ingredients for a very competitive labour market.

Public sector flexibility In the public sector the focus on temporary assignments is well entrenched. In 2017 employers will extend the life of certain contracts beyond the typical end of financial year cycle. The increased utilisation of contractors will also lead to more flexible work practices and improved speed to hire for top talent, particularly executive assistants, finance officers, policy officers, programme and project managers, marketing executives and managers and procurement professionals.

Swifter recruitment processes Within the commercial sector the battle to secure highly-skilled professionals will intensify. Employers will therefore move quickly through a targeted recruitment process while remaining thorough. They’ll hire quality talent as and when identified rather than only when a position is available.

Flexibility regarding the ‘perfect candidate’ will be front of mind, as will offering a strong employee value proposition in order to differentiate from potential competition and secure the best candidate.

Counter offers fail to entice The use of counter offers will continue to increase – to little effect – as employers attempt to retain a valued team member. But a pay rise, new job title or additional benefits rarely counter the reasons that led someone to look for, apply, interview then accept a job elsewhere.

Headcount flexibility Meanwhile 2016’s rapid rise in the use of temporary and contract assignments will see headcount flexibility become the norm. Employers will factor such assignments into their workforce planning.

Work-life integration We also expect the concept of flexibility to be challenged as the gender diversity debate progresses to question employers’ policies and practices for working fathers and paternity leave. As a result, and with the working week becoming 24/7 in many knowledge-based sectors, the concept of work-life integration rather than work-life balance will come to the fore.

Apps to engage In other trends, engagement remains a key issue for organisations, so expect more employers to utilise apps to gauge the pulse of their staff on a regular basis as opposed to one annual survey.

The situation will be similar for performance management, with more regular check-ins replacing the annual review, which generally leaves people less motivated than if they didn’t have a review at all.

Blind recruitment Finally, and following early successes (such as Australian Bureau of Statistics) more organisations will embark on blind recruitment trials.

This involves removing all personal details, such as name, gender, age and location, from applications.

Author Amit Kalantri once mused, “An assembly is extra slow in taking actions”. As a career strata manager myself, I have to confess that I don’t entirely disagree.

Of course, meetings are necessary for the successful management of an Owners Corporation. There just isn’t any way of getting around it. However, it is important to ensure that the juice is worth the squeeze so to speak.

Here are my top tips for getting the most out of your strata meetings.

Note that I use the context of Executive Committee meetings, however many of the principals are just as applicable to general meetings of all owners, including AGM’s.

1. Set a beginning AND end time This one can be tricky, however it is important. Meetings have a tendency to go on and on. Start the meeting at the commencement time and do not wait for stragglers, they can catch up. Setting a clear end time will keep everyone’s eyes on the clock.

2. Set the rules It’s vital that the Chairperson set the rules for the meeting at the commencement of the meeting. Confidence is key to controlling the meeting and keeping things on track.

3. Keep to the point Some items of business will require discussion and some measure of (reasonable) debate. Don’t let the discussion drag on or regurgitate the same points over and over. Allow the salient points to be made, and then put the matter to the vote. Some members may strenuously disagree with one proposal or another. This does not mean that business cannot be conducted. The appropriate thing to do is hear the points of view of the meeting once and then make the decision.

4. Delegate with deadlines Make it clear who is responsible for taking action following a decision, and agree to a timeframe for completion / milestones. This should also translate into the meeting minuets as an “action list” or similar.

5. Record decisions Technically speaking, a resolution at a meeting (committee or general) is the only mechanism the Owners Corporation has for making decisions. Obviously in practice decision are made by other means, such as email or over the phone, however it is worth keeping in mind that the Unit Titles (Management) Act does not provide much scope for circumventing the process of decisions being made at a properly convened meeting.

It follows that the minutes become the main source of Owners Corporation business. Minutes should include all resolutions and some pertinent discussion, however they should not be a word for word account of views and opinions expressed.

Like them or hate them, meetings serve as the engine that propels an Owners Corporation forward. Getting this right will pave the way for much greater success for committees, owners and strata managers.

Jim Roy, Regional Director of Hays in Canberra A Level 11, 60 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra D 02 6112 7663 | E jim.roy@hays.com.au

For further information, please contact Chris Miller, Managing Director M 0400 376 208 or 1800 878 728 The Griffin, Corner Giles & Jardine Streets, Kingston PO Box 4259, Kingston ACT 2604.

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THINK RESULTS

WEBSITES

by Darleen Barton

Corporate leadership therapy

Digital marketing landscape 2017

‘Tell me about your childhood?’ It may seem an unusual question for me to ask when I first meet with an executive. It is, however, where all learned behaviours and beliefs start.

Now, it is not my intention, at this point, for you to pull out the tissues and confess your inner People who take on leadership most thoughts to your colleagues in the hallway of the office. roles need to commit to being the My therapy techniques are designed to bring out the best in a best they can be. It may be news broad range of people. to some however being the best After all we are all individuals with individual thoughts you can be requires some work, and behaviours and we are all right, right? As a matter of fact, and this work is on the ‘self’. most of my corporate clients are some of the most together, successful people in their profession.

So, you ask, what are they doing in therapy? And why is a therapy session sometimes organised within the office in the middle of the day?

Companies at the top of their game know that cultivating leadership is paramount to the success of the company’s future.

A lot of companies talk a good game but when you look at their percentage of investment in their leaders, it is just that: talk.

A company that invests in its leaders goes far and beyond the initial hand shake of welcome to the company.

As a corporate therapist, I am engaged by companies and individuals to assist them reach their maximum potential.

People who take on leadership roles need to commit to being the best they can be. It may be news to some however being the best you can be requires some work, and this work is on the ‘self’.

During a therapy session, we approach subjects such as: problems managing up; communicating with your team; and dealing with conflict and confrontation. We also address the wider complexed issues such as why did the issue come up now? Believe it or not but a client’s childhood plays a significant part in how he/she performs when on the front line eg: making decisions, pressure, confrontation and negotiating, to name a few.

It is common for those who are at the top of their tree to become stuck, they have been in a fast race to the top and they are usually over achievers.

The over achievers find themselves at some stage during their career struggling to keep their momentum.

If an over achiever is left to wallow in their own thoughts, they find themselves quarrelling with team members and generally unhappy, sometimes even disruptive. We know the domino effect this has...

Once they have stepped into self-sabotage mode, they find themselves leaving organisations and stepping out into a SME or some other adventure.

You may argue that these people were ready to move on? However, I will ask you: ‘What if you invested in them and they stayed?’

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Around 16 years ago, I gave an interview for an Assistant Marketing Manager’s job. The interviewer's first question was, 'Tell me, what is marketing?'. I said, 'Well, I think everything is marketing.' I saw a puzzled face, so I added; '...I believe, everything a business does, that involves the customer is actually marketing. It's not just about branding and advertising.' Well, he didn't agree. Maybe he was looking for a textbook answer. Anyway, I think whenever you engage with a customer (directly or indirectly), it's a part of marketing. It's about educating your audience and building relationships.

Digital marketing is basically marketing using digital technologies.

Next thing, what do I mean by 'landscape'? It is important to understand what the playing field looks like, what it has to offer, what to look for and what to look-out for. You can also leverage the traditional marketing landscape that sits underneath the digital overlay. In 2016, over 85% of Australians were using Internet actively, that is about 20 out of 24 million population. We spent an average of 72 hours online in the month of November. This basically means that Australians were surfing the web for around 1.44 billion hours in a single month. Yup, that's 1,440,000,000 hours of pure online surfing over 30 days. Canberra's share of that would be around 22 million hours. How many of them were your potential customers?

How can your capitalize on these trends?

1. Search Engines: Google and other search engine advertisements and top rankings may seem like a pricey real estate, but it is still one of the most popular one. Use both paid and organic results to get in front of your customers.

2. Facebook: Facebook is the most popular social media website in Australia. It should be a part of your digital marketing mix. Refer to my previous article about difference between Google and Facebook advertising.

3. Website: Your website is one of the most powerful tools you have, to convey your message across to the potential customer. Be it content marketing or landing pages for your ads on Google or Facebook, a good web page can help you amplify your message and convert traffic into leads.

4. Mobile: Here is a device that is closest to your customer, pretty much all the time, even when they are on other devices. Look for creative ways to reach out to your customers via mobile.

5. Emails: Emails are still important. You just need to look for ways to make it more personal and less generic. Newsletters are boring but well personalised emails, not as much. Automate it, and you can turn them into a great relationship builder.

There is so much you can do to grow your business. I would love to hear from you, bounce some ideas around and discuss growth strategies.

Give me a call or drop me an email. I wish you a very happy and digitally successful 2017.

Sam Gupta is the managing director of Synapse Worldwide.

Sam would love to hear your thoughts on this advice column.

Tel: 1300 785 230 Email: admin@synapseworldwide.com Web: www.synapseworldwide.com

Darleen Barton - Practitioner Ochre Medical Centre 15 Whitrod Ave, Casey ACT 2913 Ph: (02) 61634200 www.dipac.com.au

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by Sam Gupta

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WR Engineering engaged Synapse Worldwide a few years ago to assist with our digital marketing needs. We found Synapse team to be professional, enthusiastic and always looking outside the square to achieve results for our company. We have experienced increased sales growth since Synapse have taken control and would highly recommend to anyone.

- Belinda Read, WR Engineering

To discuss digital marketing ideas for your business, call Sam on 1300 785 230. synapseworldwide.com

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We have an experienced team dedicated to meeting our client commitments, every time.

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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

Snapshot of time supports future planning Photo: Andrew Sikorski

A Robyn Hendry CEO Canberra Business Chamber

As we head into 2017, the good news is that local businesses are optimistic about their growth prospects. Over 80 per cent of businesses are as, or more, optimistic than they were last year when it comes to the next 12 months and 90 per cent of small and medium enterprises (SME) are looking to grow their business.

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nyone who tried to log on and complete the Census of Population and Housing on the scheduled participation date in August of last year, may have become frustrated and questioned the value of this survey – in some cases with the use of expletives.

Hopefully the minor technical difficulties people experienced will not colour their long-term respect for this important measurement mechanism.

The Census is the largest statistical collection undertaken by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). For more than 100 years, the Census has provided a snapshot of the nation, showing how Australia has changed over time.

On the night it is conducted, the Census collects data on the key characteristics of people residing in Australia at that time and the dwellings in which they live. The 2016 Census was the largest in history, counting close to 10 million dwellings and approximately 24 million people.

Information provided by people in the Census helps estimate Australia’s population, which in turn is used to distribute government funds and plan services.

The Census is actually a time series, probably the most wellknown time-series in Australia.

A time series is a collection of observations of well-defined data items obtained through repeated measurements over time.

Canberra Business Chamber, in partnership with Deloitte, has begun its own time series to gauge the current state of business in the ACT and the issues that need to be addressed now to benefit the sector in the future.

Every six months, Canberra Region businesses are being asked their views on the current environment and the challenges they can foresee. The results B2B M AGA Z I N E.CO M . AU

of the most recent Deloitte Private SME Survey were released in November 2016.

This is the second survey and the information captured gives us an overview of the Canberra Region small business sector – a sector that is an important driver of local employment and economic activity.

As we head into 2017, the good news is that local businesses are optimistic about their growth prospects. Over 80 per cent of businesses are as, or more, optimistic than they were

• 53% have seen their operating costs increase over the last 12 months; and • 51% expect their costs to increase again over 2017.

The responses provided by business reflect what we have been seeing over the past 12 months, which is an optimistic outlook. Conditions are currently strong, but we need to address issues that have the potential to hinder future growth and protect against any shocks or challenges that may arise.

Ensuring adequate numbers of skilled workers 77 per cent of Canberra Region SMEs is something the Chamber has plan to diversify their products and been working services and a whopping 94 per cent on with local are focused on increasing efficiency. businesses, the ACT and Federal last year when it comes to the Government and training and next 12 months and 90 per cent education providers. of small and medium enterprises Knowing costs are causing (SME) are looking to grow concern, we will be seeking more their business. detail on what expenses are rising In addition, 77 per cent of and options to curb these.

Canberra Region SMEs plan This survey provides a to diversify their products concrete insight into business and services and a whopping views. It is very useful to be 94 per cent are focused on able to monitor needs over increasing efficiency. time and make sure we address However, businesses see concerns before they become some barriers to their expansion major problems. A real goal is to intentions, in particular the drive SME growth. SMEs make burden created by red tape, rising up the bulk of the ACT’s private costs and local skills shortages. businesses and if we can help According to the them expand and employ, it will survey results: drive the region’s economy.

• 63% of SMEs said that local skill shortages were hampering growth opportunities; • 58% said red tape around employment was also limiting their capacity to take on new people;

Contact the Canberra Business Chamber Team: Phone: 02 6247 4199 Email: info@canberrabusiness.com Web: www.canberrabusiness.com

P/ 6279 4200 www.aulichcivillaw.com.au

Preserving wealth, values and wishes.

• Wills • Testamentary Trust Wills • Guardianship guidelines • Self-Managed Superannuation Nominations • Enduring Power of Attorneys • Superannuation Binding Death Benefit Nominations • Enduring Power of Attorneys •Advance Care Planning Contact Lisa Barlin, Partner or Erin Taylor, Senior Associate from Aulich Civil Law

lisa@aulichcivillaw.com.au

erin@aulichcivillaw.com.au

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CHIEF MINISTER’S MESSAGE

Building the future of our city Photo: Kasra Yousefi

ANDREW BARR

C

Chief Minister | Treasurer | Minister for Economic Development | Minister for Tourism & Major Events

elebrating Canberra’s centenary in 2013 has helped Canberrans focus on what is special about our city.

As a government and as a community, we must build on that feeling and create that future together.

Cities do not succeed by accident or by leaving things to chance; they require good design, good governance and great collaboration. Cities must internally collaborate to compete in the modern era and, together, we can ensure that Canberra

“Today, we are one of the world’s most liveable cities, a top 10 destination for inward investment and a magnet for high-achieving students. There is high demand for housing and our low unemployment rate attracts business to our city.” wins the global contest for investment and for talent. In that contest, we have key advantages.

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Today, we are one of the world’s most liveable cities, a top 10 destination for inward investment and a magnet for high-achieving students. There is high demand for housing and our low unemployment rate attracts business to our city.

Canberra’s reputation for openness, inclusiveness, sustainability and climate action is known around the world. I want to add to that reputation a deep commitment to a sustainable model of urban development.

Standing still is simply not an option for Canberra. We need more than a businessas-usual approach to achieve our potential and deliver the successful, equitable and sustainable city that Canberrans seek.

To achieve this, my Government will seek to replace the Land Development Agency with two specialist dedicated entities from 1 July 2017, with both focussing on high quality, sustainable developments.

One agency will focus on leading and facilitating the critical transformation of Civic and Northbourne Avenue. We want the very best of approaches for this area with a peoplefocus, design-led development. The agency will have similar authority to those overseeing

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developments at Barangaroo in Sydney, South Bank in Brisbane or Elizabeth Quay in Perth.

The other agency will focus on suburban development, with a sharpened focus on the development of new suburbs. As the city continues to grow, we will need to continue to develop vibrant new suburbs in greenfield locations. The challenges of land availability and affordability will be an absolute focus of my Government.

In making these decisions, our challenge is not to let Canberra become a museum of the early 20th century’s conception of city life. But, as was the case when Canberra was conceived, the challenge is to aspire to be a showcase of how the people of this century want to live and want to work.

kasra.com.au -16-2

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