Business
Where is your
next worker? Australia is a great place to live and work – who would want to be anywhere else at the moment? - but we are not without serious challenges in this country. For example, one key problem that will arise in the coming years won’t be a lack of jobs – but rather a lack of workers. With this in mind, Deloitte in Australia have developed a long term initiative to drive debate and action on issues critical to Australia’s future. The initial discussion piece titled ‘Where is your next worker?” urges Australian businesses and government to act now to get ahead of the looming skill shortage. Deloitte Darwin partner Mark Rowberry stresses that, “Australian businesses will need to adapt quickly to these workforce challenges if they want to be successful in the coming
decade. Workforce dynamics are changing and those organisations that act quickly and decisively will be stronger for it”. Comments by leading economist, Chris Richardson of Deloitte Access Economics, are also informative, “The world is begging Australia to grow faster, offering us prices for our resources we have never seen before. Yet, at the same time, Australia has adopted policies that have seen migration fall, just ahead of the biggest surge in retiree numbers this
nation has ever seen. That means the next few years will see skill shortages proliferate”. “Things are about to change. Businesses need to realise that the future won’t be like the past: that the competition will be for workers, rather than jobs; that somebody already working for you is more valuable than they have been before; and that letting somebody retire without exploring the options to keep them for longer may be a wasted opportunity. The issues around workforce planning are often complex and sometimes politically sensitive - but that shouldn’t mean that business and government avoid them – indeed the future prosperity of Australia dictates that be fully explored by the community and its leaders. The last word goes to Mr Rowberry, “The Deloitte ‘Where is your next worker?” discussion
Pages.
Facebook, not just for friends
If you’re looking for a more detailed explanation visit http:// justinavery.me/blog/ creating-facebookpages
Justin Avery
runs Javery Design, a local web consultancy, design & development studio. http://www. javerydesign.com
I’m going to take a guess and say that you’re one of the 800+ million Facebook users that exist today. I’ll even go a little bit further and say that you probably log onto Facebook at least 3 times a week (and few of you probably log on more than 3 times a day). Facebook has steadily grown in popularity around the world over the past 6 years and it doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon. Over the the past few years there has been a steady increase in the number of companies, including the Fortune 500, that are using Facebook to make a social connection to both their existing customers, and more importantly their potential customers. So how do they do it? What is the big secret their not telling us?
*What are Facebook Pages?* Facebook pages are to a business what a Facebook profile is to you and I. In many ways they are similar to your individual profile on Facebook and you have access to switch between both profiles when you log in. Pages still allow you to post updates and upload photos, but they also allow you to do so much more than that. Lets look at a few benefits of Facebook Pages over profiles • Include a longer and more detailed profile image • Create a customised Welcome Page for new visitors • Provide Members Only content (members are people that Like your page) • Allow you to include sections of your own website • Allow you to include booking or feedback forms • Enable you to sell products, include discounts for Fans and take the credit card payments all without having to leave Facebook. • Insert a map location and contact details for you Business Getting a few ideas of how Pages could help your business?
Mark Rowberry Partner, Deloitte mrowberry@deloitte.com.au paper contains some thought provoking points on this topic – in my opinion, it’s a must read for all key decision makers in government and business”. Copies of the discussion paper can be obtained by visiting www.deloitte. com.au
Facebook pages also allow you to keep your personal and professional lives separate on Facebook. This means your friends won’t get bored with your business specific updates, and likewise your customers don’t have to endure those cute cat photo’s or those pictures of you put up after last years Christmas party. *How do I get a page?* Pages are FREE and fairly straightforward to set up, and I know this for sure because I tested these steps with Mum. To set up your Page simply log in to Facebook and visit an existing page. I suggest looking at www.facebook.com/ humidity-giftwares or www.facebook. com/darwin-life-mag (both good examples). On the top right hand side of the page is a link to “Create a Page”. Simply click on this and then follow the step. There is no limit to the numer of Pages you can create. You will need 25 likes on your page to get your vanity url, www.facebook. com/mybusinessname, and you need at least 30 likes before you get Insights which provide information about how many customers your page is reaching out to. These Insights are not so important when you get started, but it is vital if you decide to make Facebook part of your marketing strategy.
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