Business Matters Magazine Issue 72

, I'M YOUR'S TAKE ME!

ISSUE

72

2015

, I'M YOUR'S TAKE ME!

ISSUE

4

2015

ULD IF YOU CO ING IN YTH HAVE AN WOULD AT LIFE, WH H FOR? YOU WIS

YLE MAG AZINE COAST LIFEST YOUR SUNSHINE

20 July June // Next Issue

15 ON SUCCESS SERIES OUR SPOTLIGHT ‘WORLD SURFARIS’ SEE PAGE 68 FOR WITH LOCAL SUCCESS NINE YEARS ON

Date zine.com.au // Publication

www.businessmattersmaga

SEE PAGE �� FOR

MONEY SCHMUNEY – DOES MONEY EQUAL SUCCESS? SEE PAGE

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| Next Issue 20 July www.businessmattersmagazine.com.au | Publication Date 15 June SEE OUR CENTR E PAGE WALLS PIRAT ION YOUR SUNSH INE COAST BUSIN ESS MAG AZINE FINAN CIAL YEAR CALEN DAR LIFT OUT ON PAGE 39

ingredients

Editor’s Note with Vickie Magic

Welcome to the MONEY issue of Business Matters Magazine.

‘How to make money’ ‘How to save money’ ‘Is money success?’

‘Are you motivated/ruled by money?’

‘What is your relationship to money?’

‘Do you fight over money with your partner (life or business)?’

‘Is money the root of all evil?’

It’s the age-old saying, when it comes to money, some people become quite different people.

See page 8 for my take on money, what it means to me, my thoughts on success and why money does not equal success.

Thanks so much for your feedback on our new look, we are absolutely thrilled at the number of you that have taken a moment to call us or email us to let us know you approve and in fact LOVE what we are doing in the community on the Sunshine Coast. You love that the magazine isn’t all about us, you love that the magazine is about education (what you can do in your own life/business to step up), that we motivate and inspire you in your life and your business to be the best you possibly can, that we connect you to like-minded people through the pages of the magazine and through our events and that we are constantly celebrating success of life and business on the Sunshine Coast. There are so many people locally doing so many amazing things we are so honoured that we get the opportunity to share these success stories with you.

If you haven’t connected with us on our Facebook page yet, please go to Business Matters Sunshine Coast, we are posting a daily story (video) on the page that we hope will inspire you that little bit more (see below for our free ad offer).

Thanks once again for reading; to us the definition of success is absolutely NOT money, our definition of success is you reading and benefiting in your life or your business from our stories or education or the success of your advertising. I believe one hundred per cent that if you do what you totally love and are passionate and enthusiastic about it all of the time, and you look for ways to do things differently to everybody else and if you forget about the money, I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that the MONEY follows you and you don’t even see it coming.

Vickie Magic

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By joining our facebook you will also find out about our regular Business Matters Magazine launches which are always the day after publication date, Tuesday 5.30 to 7.30pm. Join 60 to 80 local Sunshine Coast business professionals. People buy a product or a service from someone they know, someone they like, someone they trust. Networking is the first step towards making this happen.

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BUSINESS MATTERS 3

CONTENTS BUSINESS MATTERS // COLUMNS 07 12 16 17 21 23 49 52

Traffic > Conversion > Retention Digital Business Numbers Business Mayoral Business Powering Business Potential Local Business Business Finance Tips Mentoring Business

39

LIFE MATTERS // COLUMNS

Small Business of the Year: Business Matters Magazine Published by Matters Magazine ABN: 95 131 837 833 P. 5444 4456 Noel Burns House 18/21 Nicklin Way, Minyama Editor/Advertising Enquiries: Vickie Magic, 5444 4456 or 0433 198 868 editor@bmmag.com.au Photographer/Distribution Operations Manager: Dranko Magic, 0408 751 863 magic@bmmag.com.au Personal Assistant: Jasmine Sharpe admin@bmmag.com.au Business Development Manager: Jen Forster, 0403 236 783 jen@bmmag.com.au Design: BrandGrowth 110 Sixth Ave, Maroochydore www.brandgrowth.com.au Sub Editor: Louise Hickey www.louisehickey.com Writers and Columnists this issue: Bill and Sandra Olah, Carmel Fulton, Greg Searle, Jan Watman, John Lobwein, Kimberley Lynch, Lauren O’Connor, Louise Hickey, Mandy Napier, Mark Jamieson, Melinda Bingley, Michael Shadforth, Paul Barrs, Rod Richards, Steven Goodman, Ted FitzGerald, Vickie Magic Online: www.bmmag.com.au Distributed from Beerwah to Pomona.

Readership approximately 35,500.

Printers: The Ink Spot Commercial Printers Maroochydore 5443 5431

a c

Advertorial Column

ca Column

Advertorial

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SCAN HERE TO HEAR BMS FREE WRITE UP OFFER

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Editorial Feature Story

m Matters

We are proud of our innovation of videos at the end of some of our articles. To view the videos, download a QR scanner with your smartphone (the app we have found to be the best so far is i-nigma. Just go to your applications and search for it, then download the free application).

4 ISSUE 72

65 66 73 75 77

Vehicle Life Mindset for Life First Cab off the Rank Carmel’s Car Chat Love Life

53

BUSINESS MATTERS // MATTERS 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

Wellness Matters Training Matters Advertising Matters Brokerage Matters Insolvency Matters Money Matters Professional Management Matters Website Matters Legal Matters Lending Matters Accounting Matters HR Matters Office 365 Matters Property Development Matters Commercial Real Estate Matters

LIFE MATTERS // MATTERS 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63

Natural Life Matters Eyebrow Matters Animal Matters Your Body Matters Mechanical Matters Your Cat Matters Family Matters Sustainability Matters Education Matters

FEATURES 06 08 10

18 22 39

47 50 64 68

Top Ten Ways to Better Manage Your Cash Flow Money Schmuney TAFE East Coast - MAKE – Inspiration for the people who make the world turn Online Advertising: Getting More Bang for Your Buck!

Claire deLune WALLSPIRATION – see our centre page WALLSPIRATION FINANCIAL YEAR CALENDAR LIFT OUT Sandra King - My HR Manager Speed It Up: Broadband Maps Businesses set to Fly Local with Sunshine Coast Airport Sunshine Coast Spotlight on Success Series with World Surfaris

66

68

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TOP 10 WAYS

to Better Manage Your Cash Flow

BY STEVE GOODMAN

Cash flow - it can be the bane of a small business.

If you need to generate greater income from your business, there are really only three ways to do it: reduce expenses, (we will save that for another column), increase revenue, or maximise cash flow.

It is very hard for any business to significantly increase volume to improve revenue, but small enterprises in particular are often forced to squeeze as much cash as possible out of existing operations. To do that, means you need to get serious about a strategy to maximize collections on your receivables, and take other methods to ensure positive cash flow.

Maintaining positive cash flow is a bit of a juggling act.

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Here are 10 proven tips to help get more coming in, rather than out, of your bank account!

1 Get a Grip

The first thing you must do if you want to better manage cash flow is to get a good grip on the cash coming in and moving out of your business with a good forecast. A 12 month forecast that looks weekly at projected sales, necessary inventory and salaries will help you get a better handle on what money has to be paid out ‘up front’, when you can expect it back, and what actions you can take to tide you over in between.

2 Organise your Billing

Bill early and bill often. The best way to do that is to have a structured and organised billing schedule.

There are several easy DIY software programs out there such as Intuit’s Quickbooks Pro or Peachtree Complete Plus Time and Billing, that easily automate your billing process. The quicker you can turn over your receivables, the more money you will have to grow your operations.

3 Come to Terms with Terms

If your cash flow is not what it should be, check on the terms you are giving on your invoices. Are they in step with the terms you are being given by vendors?

Are your customers meeting your terms? Are you being too generous in allowing late payments. Have you considered offering a discount for paying early?

4 Stretch Payables

The opposite side of receivables is your payables.

Just as you want to get your receivables in as soon as possible, to maintain positive cash flow, you want to try to stretch your payables out for as long as possible. Take full advantage of the terms your vendors give you. If they are generous enough to give 90 days, do not pay in 60, unless of course they offer a discount for early payment.

If terms from vendors are short -- net 15, or 30 – you may wish to pay via Credit Card to extend the payments.

5 Evaluate Your Client Base

Take a good look at your customers. Who are the good payers? Who are the deadbeats? You may be surprised to find that some customers who you, and your sales force consider your ‘biggest accounts’ are actually your slowest payers, and are negatively impacting your cash flow. Focus your sales efforts and customer services on your good payers.

6

Pricing for Profits

When was the last time you evaluated your prices?

Have they kept pace with the marketplace and your current costs? How do the measure up to the competition?

7 Leasing Vs Buying

You may want to consider leasing, rather than buying high commodity items such as computers, cars, et cetera.

In the long run it is true that leasing can be more expensive than purchasing but the positive cash flow gained by laying out little or no money up front, may be worth it.

8 Look at Expenses

Take a look at your regular operational expenses, such as insurance payments, cable and phone service, any regular bill you pay monthly. Are you getting the best deal?

Have your policies kept pace with changes in your business?

Particularly in the case of insurance, you should take a look at your policies at least once a year, to see if you can renegotiate your rates with your current supplier, and get at least two other competitive quotes from other suppliers.

9 Manage Inventory

Over buying ties up cash. Stock only what you need. Focus your inventory on high turnover items.

Go through inventory regularly, clear out old items at discounted prices to produce liquidity.

10 Cash Flow Culture

Is cash flow a priority for your business? Then make it part of your corporate culture. Make sure all of your employees, and not just those in the accounting department, are doing all they can to encourage positive cash flow, no matter where they interact with your customers.

Maintaining positive cash flow is a bit of a juggling act. You have several balls in the air, from collections on receivables, to properly managing credit and inventory. Think of any juggler you have seen. Do you think they got to that level overnight? No, it took drive and practice, and for sure, many balls were dropped along the way. Follow and practice these strategies, and soon you will be managing the money flowing in and out of your business like a real pro! f

Traffic > Conversion > Retention

by Lauren O’Connor Many find online marketing a daunting task. You don’t know where you should start; should it be Pay Per Click advertising, social media, or perhaps search engine optimisation? The end goal for any agency is to help Australian businesses, pure and simple, and this can be achieved using a unique strategy formula: Traffic > Conversion > Retention.

Promoting your website to attract relevant traffic is the first vital step you need to take as a business owner. You need traffic because you require the right people to be visiting your website. Through utilising proper online advertising, with a strategic combination of techniques, you can encourage your target audience to click on your website.

Secondly, you need to convert the traffic you attract into credible leads so that you may convert them into sales. At the end of the day, if you want to continue in small business, you need to be making a profit. Owning a website that helps to convert your leads can make a huge difference between making a sale, or not.

Lastly, you need to ensure you re-engage and retain your customers. Customers expect a level of aftercare once they have committed their money to your business. This gives you an opportunity to remarket to an audience who have already converted with your business in the past, and there are multiple ways to do this.

Incorporating Traffic > Conversion > Retention into your business plan will help you to leverage the most of your budget.

TM

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MONEY SCHMUNEY

BY VICKIE MAGIC

At a very young age my dad taught me that I could be/do/have whatever I wanted for myself and my life, he taught me that whatever I say, is. So if I say, ‘I can’, then I can, and if I say, ‘I can’t’, then that is equally true.

My dad to this day is my absolute hero. His positivity throughout my whole life has helped me become the person that I am today. He is in hospital right now with two different cancers, won’t have, no not won’t have, isn’t having treatment and if you saw him you would not believe that he could be so positive and still have total faith that he will be, and is, fine. Now maybe he will and maybe he won’t, but this is his journey and the thing I love and want to learn for myself is that no matter what happens to us in our life, we choose the journey, it’s our journey and nobody gets to tell us how it SHOULD be. We choose if it is something good or something terrible. We choose to be a catalyst of happiness to all around us, or we choose to be grumpy and make everyone around us grumpy. To this day dad is still teaching me that the journey we have in life is the journey we choose.

My brother-in-law David, who I shaved my head for last year, has been given weeks to live, of course we all hope that is wrong, but we went down to see him to tell him we love him - this man is another example of absolute courage and sheer determination and positivity. Not once has he made this about him, it has always been about Jamaica, his wife and their three children (and his four other children) that he is leaving behind, his lack of selfishness is just astounding. He too is my hero.

Again this is his journey and I just hope and wish that these two men can teach those of us around them that MONEY does not equal SUCCESS. Success is about the difference that we make in the lives of the people around us. To me the learnings from these two men is that success is what we do for others. David was ‘NSW Citizen of the Year’ last year for the efforts he has made

8 ISSUE 72

in helping people, he has been one of the catalysts to help push for legalisation of liquid marijuana in NSW, which whether you agree with or not has already made a difference in the lives of so many. In fact his own daughter Deisha has gone from having hundreds of seizures a day and being in a wheelchair, and having the mental capacity of a four year old to nine months later having NOT one seizure, walking, running and playing and having the capacity to learn and even read. This is nothing short of a MIRACLE and he has been at the lead of this. Wow, he is one amazing man, my heart breaks every time I think of Jamaica living her life without him and those children not having this amazing dad in their life. But I digress, my point is that through all of this David has remained strong, and has remained positive.

The beautiful Di Olson from My Weekly Preview is also on her own health journey. She is a person that I constantly admire too, how these people can stay strong and stay so positive in the face of such adversity never ceases to amaze me.

MONEY SHCMUNEY, who cares, MONEY IS NOT SUCCESS, SUCCESS IS THE DIFFERENCE we can make for others, THIS IS THE DEFINITION OF SUCCESS.

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You may have heard that Business Matters Magazine was on the market and yes it was, and yes we had a few offers, but you heard it here first, BUSINESS MATTERS MAGAZINE IS OFF THE MARKET. Magic and I have made a recent decision that we love, love, love being the positive difference that we are here on the Sunshine Coast, we love the difference that we get to make by helping to educate, motivate, connect and celebrate life and business on the Sunshine Coast and to be honest we couldn’t imagine anything making us feel better, we just couldn’t sell. We absolutely know, and believe that if you do what you do and you do it with passion and enthusiasm and you constantly look for what else you can do to help someone else and make a difference in the life of others, THAT IS SUCCESS TO US and money just follows.

Ph: 07 5444 5044 www.seerestaurant.com.au

BUSINESS MATTERS BUSINESS MATTERS19

INSPIRATION FOR MAKE THE WORLD TURN WHO PEOPLE THE THE INSPIRATION PEOPLE FORFOR INSPIRATION THE PEOPLE WHO WHO MAKE THE MAKE WORLD TURN THE WORLD TURN

JUNE JULY

FREE FREE FREE

WINTER 2015 WINTER 2015 2015 WINTER

AWARD WINNING AWARD WINNING WINNING AWARD PHOTOGR APHER ROBIN RIDDLE PHOTOGRAPHER ROBIN RIDDLE ROBIN PHOTOGRAPHER RIDDLE

SURFIN SURFIN GG SU RFI NG MENU THE

THE MENU THE WILSON WITH MEN UAGUIAR WITH WILSON AGUIAR WITH WILSON AGUIAR

Trad e Trade Trade HOWONE ONE HOW HOW ONE TRADIETRADIE WENT WENT TRADIE WENT FROMBUILDINGS BUILDINGS FROM FROM BUILDINGS TOBEDSIDES BEDSIDES TO TO BEDSIDES

BY ROBIN RIDDLE WIN PHOTO A PHOTOGRAPHIC WIN A GRAPHIC PRINT PRINT A WIN PHOTOGRAPHIC RIDDLE

BY ROBIN RIDDLE

10 ISSUE 72

1

2

3

4 FOCUSED

5

BUSINESS MATTERS 11

digital business with Greg Searle, Anypoint

The Fund - ing

So, we have our idea, we have made a plan, and now we just need some cash to get the job done.

We have worked out that we need $150,000 investment in the first 12 months before we earn more than we spend, and it will take six months to build our DIGITAL ASSET. So how does the money work?

In the Balance Sheet below, you can see that we received three lots of $50,000 in months one, six and nine. We have built a DIGITAL ASSET worth $50,000, we owe $150,000 and have no CASH left.

The Profit and Loss tells us that we started to earn income in month seven as we planned, broke even on month 11, and made our first profit in month 12. Cool Bananas !! So where can we get the cash from?

All sources of money can be broadly divided into three ‘stacks’; the first stack - your money, the second stack – money you borrow, and the third stack – someone else’s money. We all hope we can use someone else’s money.

Your money is your savings and any excess equity in your assets. In our case above, when it’s spent it has reduced our personal asset value by $100,000.

We have however created an INCOME producing engine that if all goes to plan will produce ongoing revenue way beyond the $100,000 we spent on building it.

Money you borrow comes from friends, family, associates, and the many forms of financial lending institutions. Even if you can or plan to use your own money, get your plan critiqued formally as you will receive valuable input. The lending institutions generally feel uncomfortable with the ‘J Curve’ and will want to mitigate their risk with higher interest rates, asset backing and personal guarantees.

Someone else’s money is money that does not reduce your current asset base, but instead you are prepared to forgo some of the equity in the new digital asset you are building. Public offerings and private equity funds are at the high end of the spectrum, lower hanging fruit are venture capital or angle investment funds and most recently crowdfunding, and finally Government Grants.

You can also self-fund your project by CASH generated from the business and a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisitions can provide many benefits.

Greg is the Managing Director of Anypoint Pty Ltd. He has built several IT businesses over a 40 year career. To the first 10 Business Matters Readers who contact him, he will give a free individual assessment on ‘How You Can Make Your Business Viable in the Digital World.’ Not only that you will receive $1,000 voucher that you can use if you engage Anypoint to deliver a digital solution. ca

1300 932 277 // www.anypoint.com.au

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12 ISSUE 72

Black and White of Solar Power Is solar power worth it?

YES, provided the investment is less than the cost of electricity

What are the benefits of solar power?

a) Environment friendly power b) An Akcome fixed price PV System will save you tens of thousands of dollar$ c) Government rebate of over 1/3 of cost

Is there a Rebate?

Yes...

How much and for how long?

*Up to $81,888 per address *until RET is met

How do we work out the size of system?

Akcome Power will tailor the optimum PV system for you based on; i) Your consumption ii) Roof space and orientation and iii) ‘Peak sun hours’ - 5.4 *hours * (Clean Energy Council states this figure)

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How do I get started; find out if I qualify and what my rebate is?

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Medical Practice

that will change your life Of course there’s much more to money management than five steps, but if you follow these few simple tips, you will be on the right track to a successful financial future that will benefit you both now and down the track.

2. Create the practice

1. Your practice cash

Purchasing your own premises and creating the space you’ve always wanted, whilst also investing in your financial future. You may find the payments on the loan could be lower than the rent you would pay to lease the property.

flow is King!

Managing the cash flow requirements of a busy practice can be challenging. Often times expenses can crop up when you least expect them. For example, you can use leasing and specialised medical practice finance such as a line of credit to free up your cash and only pay interest on what you use.

you’ve always wanted Use all the options open to you, for example: • be your own landlord • maximise your super • use the right structure • tax effective investment property

3. Medical practice income audit?

Most practices lose the equivalent of one to two months income each year

due to hidden losses being caused by improper or incomplete billing being performed by their staff.

You can increase your income and relieve your staff of the burden of billing. On average, income increases 27% just by outsourcing medical billing!

4. Protect to Prosper!

This is so important: buy risk insurance! You insure your car and home right, but what about you? You can use your super to fund premiums rather than use after tax dollars. It doesn’t have to affect your cash flow! Our clients agree, that with access to a variety of products, you will find our low premiums very hard to beat.

Wealthmed Australia Pty Ltd is a Corporate Authorised Representative No 444018 of Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL & ACL No 320404 ABN 15 771 186 421.

14 ISSUE 72

“Value goes beyond dollars and cents, we can be your best asset.”

5. Get Some Help!

Financial planning is about establishing a long-term strategy to secure your financial future with the lifestyle and living standards you desire. ‘Value’ often goes beyond dollars and cents. It can be the peace of mind and security that comes with being better prepared for the future.

Once you've started a relationship with us, you will quickly see the benefits.

Wealthmed specialises in the financial needs of medical practitioners on the Sunshine Coast so if you like supporting locals who support the community and whose primary aim is helping you achieve your goals, give us a call.

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Most practices lose the equivalent of 1 to 2 months income each year due to hidd en losses caused by improper or incomplete billing performed by their staff.

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Wealthmed will help you arrange an appointment with our billing expert par

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This article contains advice that is general in nature, you should consider your personal circumstances before making any financial decisions, or seek advice.

BUSINESS MATTERS 15

number business with Ted Fitzgerald

Who’s rising and who’s falling?

WHERE ARE THE COAST’S BIG INCOME EARNERS? The two reliable sources for data on incomes are the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the Australian Tax Office (ATO). Each publish figures on personal incomes, business incomes and social service incomes.

ABS Census data is released every five years, the latest being 2011. ATO figures are annual, with a lag of around three years, with latest available 2012/13. Both sources point to an increasing number of higher income earners living in coastal suburbs between Wurtulla and Buderim.

With some exceptions, the ‘image’ of Noosa and Buderim as the areas where most high income earners live, is a thing of the past.

Residential property prices confirm Noosa and Buderim are still preferred locations for some (usually older) ‘high net wealth’ people. However, for most Coast business people, the key interest in income figures by location is understanding where the largest volume of younger higher income earners live, as they are most likely to be regular and higher spenders and therefore good customers for day to day goods and services.

The shift southwards in higher income shows up clearly comparing personal income data from the 2001 and 2011 Census.

With some exceptions, the ‘image’ of Noosa and Buderim as the areas where most high income earners live, is a thing of the past.

16 ISSUE 72

Top 5 personal income areas 2001 Census 1

Noosa Heads

2

Mountain Creek

3

Buderim South

4

Mooloolaba | Alexandra Heads

5

Sunshine Beach

Top 5 personal income areas 2011 Census 1

Buderim South

2

Mountain Creek

3

Buddina | Minyama

4

Buderim North

5

Peregian

The fastest rise in personal incomes (often off a lower base) from 2001 to 2011 also confirm the trends Fastest rising personal incomes 2001-2011 1

Parrearra | Warana

2

Golden Beach | Pelican Waters

3

Beerwah

4

Wurtulla | Birtinya

5

Peregian

ATO data for 2012/13 confirm trends emerging from the earlier Census data.

Highest annual salaries by suburb 2012/13 1

Kawana

2

Buderim

3

Beerburrum

4

Mooloolah | Glenview

5

Alexandra Headland

The figures above for Beerwah, Beerburrum and Mooloolah / Glenview can be misleading as the number of high income earners (often rural residential) is actually smaller than other locations with greater numbers of ‘average’ income earners. This echoes the Noosa experience where the high values reported on a limited number of properties tends to suggest the ‘wealth effect’ is widespread, when in fact it is not.

It reminds one of the logic ‘exercise’ in which one is asked ‘If you have met a few redheads who are quick tempered, is it reasonable to assume that all redheads are quick tempered?’ Of course not!

How might business people put the location/income figures to useful effect?

First, it points where to focus marketing.

Second, in a ‘free market’ the only constant is change. Each business (ie the supply side) will strive and bend the market to capture customers. But ultimately it is the ‘demand side’ where the constant flow of money comes from! A vital part of your continuing success will depend on knowing as much as possible about where most customers live, the level of their incomes, and a number of other key characteristics that determines their spending priorities and volumes.

mayoral business

with Mark Jamieson, Sunshine Coast Mayor

The future is here… take a look!

Council has launched two important commitments in the Regional Economic Development Strategy – our regional prospectus and new regional investment brand, Invest Sunshine Coast - to help sell the many investment opportunities in our growing region.

The Sunshine Coast is building a new economy based on a clear 20 year economic plan which presents investors with multiple opportunities and opens new avenues for business growth, development and expansion.

We want those investors, both existing and new, to join us in what will be the biggest game changing period in our Coast’s history.

A new economy is being developed for our region on the back of strong economic foundations and valuable capital assets.

We can offer the perfect mix for investors and the opportunity to be involved at the ground level in some of the most exciting property, infrastructure and business developments in the country, such as the Maroochydore City Centre – Australia’s only greenfield CBD site, the expansion of the Sunshine Coast Airport and the Kawana Health Precinct adjacent to the Sunshine Coast Public University Hospital.

The new prospectus, and the other associated materials, help demonstrate our outstanding investment credentials and what we, as a region, have to offer. With its release, we are reinforcing our welcome to new investors, as well as those already investing here.

So why is all of this important?

The answer is straightforward. This is an important time in the history of the Sunshine Coast as we seek to take a leading position as a major Australian urban and economic centre.

We must stimulate economic diversity and prosperity.

This has been at the heart of my agenda as Mayor. New investment will strengthen our economy and provide better opportunities for our local residents - after years of inaction.

Under no circumstances should we ever be prepared to accept the fact that our household income levels are 20 per cent below the State average – that’s $7,000 missing from their pay packet every year.

At the end of the day, attracting new investment is a win for our community; our citizens, who can feel more secure about their future.

New investment generates new businesses, offering more enduring employment opportunities and delivering new facilities and services to meet the needs of our residents.

This is the community dividend from driving an economic agenda and pursuing worthwhile investment. It really is that simple.

Yet it also takes time and requires a consistent and sustained effort. Significantly, people are already taking notice of what we are doing to shape the future of our Sunshine Coast as we strive towards becoming Australia’s most sustainable region – vibrant, green, diverse.

The feedback I am receiving from both the public and the private sectors in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne is that the Sunshine Coast is on the radar as a location for investment. The conversations and meetings I have had with major institutional investors, fund managers and property and commercial investors in these capital cities are demonstrating a keen interest to be part of the future of the Sunshine Coast.

Furthermore, the important work that we are doing – and will continue to do – in promoting the Sunshine Coast in major international markets, such as those I engaged with on my recent investment mission to Hong Kong, Frankfurt and London, will build strong investment and business connections.

I invite you to take a look at the Invest Sunshine Coast prospectus and share in the opportunities ahead. Visit Council’s website: invest.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson keeps BM readers up-to-date on what’s happening on the Coast. ca www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

Property | Commercial Construction | Litigation inspired thinking

Glen Carpenter Director

Grant Cunning Director

Kerian McNamara

We get it, so you can get on with it

Director and Notary Public

P (07) 3088 7511 E admin@spirelaw.com.au A 1/26 Duporth Avenue Maroochydore

spirelaw.com.au BUSINESS MATTERS 17

ONLINE ADVERTISING:

Getting More Bang for Your Buck!

BY PAUL BARRS

There’s a myth which I’m sure you’ve heard, it tells us that we have to ‘spend money in order to make money’. Well yes, but also no. The greatest problem I see in most businesses these days is they’re spending too much money and not making enough in return. Especially when it comes to things online.

Most people fail because they focus on getting traffic to the website without investing the correct time or money on the website to increase their conversion rates. Simply put, it doesn’t matter how much traffic you get, if you cannot convert that traffic, the traffic is useless.

If you were to ask me what I consider the most important thing for business success, I would say that’s simple… ‘Spend less money than you make!’

2. SEO Unfortunately, for the small business owner, search engine optimisation isn’t a time effective or cost effective thing. Good on-page SEO and off-page SEO requires considerable time and therefore considerable investment. So once again we are faced with the question, should we do these ourselves, or should we outsource them? Here’s my best answer, both.

There are basic principles which all business owners should adhere to; however my specialty is online business. And the question comes up, how do we spend less money than we make when we’re getting started? Here are a few things that can help you: 1. Your website For many small businesses the website is the door to their wares. It is where potential customers peer through the window and review what we have to offer.

It’s where they ‘see us’ before they make contact or before they buy. Considering it’s importance in the overall sales process, should you invest a reasonable sum of money on your website? Absolutely, without doubt!

The two options most are faced with are, one, can we do this ourselves, or two, should we spend the money? Here’s the simple answer. You should spend the money. And yes, though I understand the problem, maybe you don’t have the money but you’ve got to consider understand the downside.

One of the new acronyms in today’s online marketplace is CRO… we have to constantly improve our Conversion Rate Optimisation. While this process BEGINS with the initial ad spend, it ENDS on the website.

Look at that a moment… it ENDS on your website; either with a contact or sale, or they go away. Either way, it ends there.

18 ISSUE 72

There are many things that you can learn to do yourself, especially in regard to content management which is the ultimate aim of all good modern SEO. However, the setting up of the process, the beginnings of putting everything into place, these are things you should pay an expert for.

Why? Because it can make 100 per cent of the difference!

Yes, you can learn to do these things yourself, but should you? Is it your job? Is it a good investment of your time or your money? How would your business be best served?

It doesn’t matter how much traffic you get if it’s the wrong kind of traffic!

People ask me all the time, ‘Paul, can you get me better rankings in Google?’ I say, ‘Sure, but what do you really want… more traffic, or more customers?’

3. Social media We all hear that social media is the way to go out and reach our audience. True. But, as you would know, social media reach and engagement is on the decline, especially with Facebook where our organic content is viewed less and less. The only alternative is to pay to get our content viewed. So, the question is: should we invest the money, or should we just try and repeat, rinse, and do it ourselves?

Perhaps the best opportunity here will come what I call the ‘Done Together’ approach (do some yourself, have some done for you). This is a highly effective strategy for many small businesses. Get a professional to set things up for you and then learn how to manage your social media from there.

Here’s the thing. It all comes down to this, not just for AdWords but for all avenues of spending online.

You must get a return for your investment. I know that sounds simple, but you’d be surprised just how many don’t. The less you spend the easier that is….

However, the less you spend, the more difficult that is!

For example, get some help setting up a remarketing campaign then pay only for people in your custom add group (such as current visitors to your website) to see your ads. Someone else sets it up, you manage it. Simple

Here’s the problem. Too many business owners are stuck in the old world of advertising. Spend money, send it out to the world, and hope and see that we get some back. No. Marketing online must be targeted, sending it out to the right people and then asking them to come back. Look at it this way. Your most effective strategy, which may take a few years to build, but once done will require no more money to be spent, is to build a tribe of followers. Build a tribe of people who love what you offer, who trust what you say, who see you as the expert, who know you as the authority in your industry. Build that tribe and then with a solid content management strategy, market to them. They are the people who like you. They are the people who will buy from you.

4. Pay-per-click advertising And this could refer to either social media PPC, or Google AdWords (or others). Often when we look at the opportunities of paid search versus organic it takes simply too long to get results with organic. After all, we’ve spent money on our website. We need to now draw traffic, don’t we?

So, consider the options, what should we do? Same as before. Do some yourself. Get the rest done for you.

The ‘done together’ approach is what works. Have a professional set it up for you and then you manage it.

Unless your ad spend is over $2,000 per month with 100 or more keyword phrases that you’re targeting, it should be quite easy for you to manage and learn how to look after your own CPC AdWords campaign.

Do this effectively and you’ll turn your marketing strategy from spend money, spend money, spend money to make money, make money, make money. It’s a far better option, and it’s based on the simple philosophy of done together. You do some. I do some. It works really well. f

Paul Barrs has been helping local Sunshine Coast Business succeed online since 2002. He has spoken locally, nationally and at international seminars as an authority on internet business strategy. Looking for better results online?

Contact Paul by visiting www.PaulBarrs.com/bm

What’s the true cost of managing your own online sales?

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Est. 1999

BUSINESS MATTERS 19

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Bartercard helps us to turn empty tables into profits! We’ve saved a great deal of cash with setting up and running our restaurants and we’ve attracted new customers. Bartercard has given us an edge in the marketplace.

Luke and Katrina Bartlett - Forty-five 51 Restaurant

powering business potential with Kimberley Lynch, CCIQ

CCIQ partners help small business with Digital Readiness Many Sunshine Coast businesses are in a state of ‘digital paralysis’ and lacking the skills and resources to take advantage of new technology, according to new research.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland’s third annual Digital Readiness Survey reveals some concerning statistics for small business, including that many are less digitally ready in 2015 than they were in 2013.

Our study found that almost half of the businesses surveyed don’t have a mobile-friendly site – with mobile browsing, searching and purchasing continuing to grow rapidly, being easily accessible to mobile users is essential.

If customers cannot find you and then buy from you, any business will struggle for revenue and relevance and potentially for survival.

We have also seen that Queensland businesses are missing out on sales with almost two thirds of businesses generating less than 10 per cent of their revenue from online sales.

One of CCIQ’s corporate partners, Anypoint Business Software, a Sunshine Coast Web Developer with

over 20 years’ industry experience specialising in creating custom computer applications for clients, in a range of industries, is well aware of the state of digital paralysis with small business and recently came to the rescue of a local company.

Palmwoods based Gourmet Garden, which markets its squeezable herbs and spices throughout Australia, the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand, realised it had a problem knowing exactly how much stock was on supermarket shelves, whether the products were out of date, or being promoted properly.

Anypoint owner Greg Seale came up with a merchandiser mobile phone app which enabled Gourmet Garden to have instant access to that information from every Coles and Woolworths store in the country.

“Gourmet Garden knew they were not using digital technology as well as they could. They came to us for a solution and we were able to help. It gave them instant feedback and has now been rolled out across four countries,” Mr Searle said.

Kimberley Lynch is the Regional Manager for the Sunshine Coast & Wide Bay Area for CCIQ, the peak industry body for businesses in Queensland. We exist to provide a powerful voice for small business and to power our members’ potential through providing access to essential tools, services, information and advice. Not a member? Join now. ca klynch@cciq.com.au // www.cciq.com.au

flylocal

/SunshineCoastAirport

BUSINESS MATTERS 21

CLAIRE DELUNE

Shares her biggest learnings yet that came from the darkest of places...

By CLAIRE DELUNE

If there is one thing I can pass on from my humbling life experiences this far, it would be to follow your heart to greatness.

If something doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t. But sometimes the perfect bumpy journey is EXACTLY as it should be. I’ve learnt it’s the blackest of bruises that grind us to a complete holt that also nourish our shallow roots and allow us to grow to our fullest, most solid potential. Growing as an entrepreneur, friend, wife and mother is exactly what I’ve done for the last two months.

After NOT getting lucky, but rather working days, nights and weekends to achieve two degrees and an epic amount of sought-after work experience - I had arrived at the peak of my life - owning a Sunshine Coast venue that set the new standard for interiors and music in the region. To get to this point, it had been a real feat. One of the biggest challenges I found was working within an all men management structure, with all partners having different expectations of what The Factory was to become.

With a huge setback, and a community in mourning in the early stages of opening, we pushed through. But the biggest setback for the company was a lack of awareness in our competitive environment and an inability to compete with it.

I had taken a big risk. I chose to ride the fastest horse and I had fallen off. Six months later bruised and battered, I was dealing with the reality that we were about to walk away with nothing. After relentless pain staking work, I was tired, beat-up, emotionally scared, and being individually publicly shamed for the failings of a business that had a rich tapestry of contributors.

An avalanche of emotions and grief beyond belief, there was no place to hide, no place to run. I had been forced to quieten my mind and seek learnings from the past. What had I done to deserve this outcome? How could it have been different?

22 ISSUE 72

Claire’s biggest business learnings of all time. Claire believes these principals are fundamental to business success.

Be aware of your environment at all times. What are the potential threats? React like lightning. Make decisions quickly.

Network to gain information from the right people. A lack of awareness will lead to business failure every time. Like a plant or animal adapts to its environment so must we adapt to survive. Otherwise you will become extinct. It is the nature of the universe, so makes perfect sense in business too.

Invest in the best people, but keep your relationships professional. The cross over into friendships (although it’s bound to happen with the special ones) will cloud your clarity of vision. It is important to look after your staff, but not at the cost of the business.

Think extremely long and hard before taking on business partners with different ideologies. The success of anything is about working as a team, and if ideologies are so contrasting, it is bound to end in disaster.

Be stoic. Invest for the future and not the now and you will be on the path to greatness. I have always had a YOLO attitude, but my latest learnings through failure are to invest, invest in your family, invest in your future. Our social media lifestyles focus on convincing the exact opposite of stoicism. For me personally the success lies in maintaining a consistent brand - through social media, but in reality I’m very aware of the need to save for a rainy day. The backbone of every successful entrepreneur is a timely dedication to saving for the winter months. You may have had an amazing summer period of high yields, but know winter is coming and you’ll need your supplies stocked!

Believe in yourself. Even if others doubt you. One third will hate you. One third will tolerate you and one third will LOVE you! i.e. In my situation, I know I am working toward positive ethical outcomes for the future and that if people doubt you, that’s their negative space, not yours. If you back yourself, others will too!

Be a chameleon. If you can morph into any situation and become that environment, or fit into that scene or situation you are more likely to have allies and allies promote business success. www.clairedelunedesigns.com

local business

with Michael Shadforth, Ray White Commercial North Coast Central

Interest in local investment is inspiring!

According to the Sunshine Coast Business Survey and Westpac Pulse Survey conducted late last year, the Sunshine Coast has the highest level of business confidence of any region in Queensland with 56 per cent of businesses expecting an increase in profitability over 2015.

The Council’s regional economic development strategy is concertedly focused on attracting overseas investment to the Sunshine Coast and to date, Mayor Mark Jamieson has secured a signed memorandum of understanding from the Hong Kong Real Property Federation which heralds the end of a months-long process since members visited last November, and the opening of new investment channels and opportunities for business expansion. Additionally, the Council is proactively offering financial assistance for local, non-for-profit businesses in an effort to boost this sector.

An injection of $100 million from Youi to build and establish their global headquarters in Sippy Downs will boost the local economy with a range of construction and building tenders, as well as offering career options for those graduating from neighbouring University of the Sunshine Coast.

New interest from national retail franchises, who to date have yet to invest in the region, are set to tap into the market as part of their national expansion strategy. The new Bli Bli Village Centre development and Moko are on track for completion the latter part of 2016 and, as a result of the residential-heavy demographics, businesses who take up tenancies are well-positioned to take advantage of this.

Nambour is also enjoying a resurgence, inspired by the rejuvenation of Maroochydore, and plenty of new start-up businesses from returnees are boosting the economy with boutique, vintage, artisan and bespoke products, as well as the Arts.

Frequent and positive media coverage along with social media influencers are contributing to an increase in retail activity, which is set to continue.

Michael Shadforth is President of the Caloundra Chamber of Commerce, President of Sunshine Coast Chambers Alliance and Managing Director of Ray White Commercial North Coast Central. ca 1300 25 50 75 // www.raywhitecommercialnorthcoastcentral.com

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Skywise is your local Xero and add-on specialist – with years of experience using Xero with our clients, we can assist you with conversion, training, and ongoing support to ensure you get the most out of the cloud.

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BUSINESS MATTERS 23

Wellness Matters

IS ADRENAL BURNOUT DIMINISHING YOUR PERFORMANCE IN BUSINESS? As a professional, you’re warned of the risks of overworking so you should know to schedule in downtime and maintain a balanced lifestyle. However, other life factors could also be inhibiting your performance, you may not know it until it’s too late.

Falling behind, becoming forgetful, feeling stressed, getting tired before the day is done are all the start of your adrenal glands getting tired. Ongoing issues include low mood, poor focus or thinking, depression, anxiety, low libido, low motivation and feelings of sadness or lack of joy in daily life; all warning signs of adrenal burnout and should be taken very seriously.

Poor sleep patterns or chronic insomnia, chronic stress, and high levels of responsibility, produce additional pressure on the adrenal glands forcing a higher than usual production of cortisol. If this goes on long term, it depletes the body’s ability to produce adrenaline, eventually leading to chronic fatigue syndrome.

A recent patient described sleeping longer hours, up to nine or 10 hours per night, though was still tired on waking. Sleep was broken with bouts of sweating through the night. Her memory had diminished, concentration levels were dramatically reduced, and was needing to sleep in the afternoon almost daily to get through the evening, only to crash again around 8pm each night. Each day felt like a marathon, the most basic of daily tasks became a massive effort. Continuing her daily exercise felt like such an effort compared to the past, with her

JODI CHAPMAN Advanced Wellness and Behavioural Centre

heart rate dramatically increased, her stamina, endurance and muscle strength were dramatically decreased. Blood tests found her adrenal hormones severely depleted. These hormones go on to make your testosterone, oestrogen and progesterone through your adrenal glands, so depletion can also cause hormonal imbalances.

Long term physical or emotional stress, lack of sleep, or chronic insomnia, regardless of the cause, a depleted immune system, chronic inflammation, and poor nutrition all have the ability to create the same condition in your body as overworking, often suddenly causing an adrenal crash when you least expect it.

Adrenal burnout like this can take from months, to years for recovery, with careful rebuilding of the adrenal and hormonal system, though the consequences of this condition are far worse than the initial fatigue. A dramatic aging effect can occur if your hormones are depleted, causing muscle wastage, and loss of bone strength, excess fat deposition, and eventually may lead to osteoporosis.

Hormone depletion has also been known to be a common factor amongst patients diagnosed with a wide range of cancers, Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Rebuilding the adrenal system takes time and targeted nutrient replenishment. With the right care, and a sound knowledge of how your body functions, what your body needs and knowing how much rest you as an individual requires is essential to maintain peak levels of energy and strength for optimal performance long term.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jodi Chapman BHSc is a qualified Nutritionist and Naturopath specialising in the field of optimal performance for mental and physical energy, particularly recovery from depression, anxiety and ADHD.

Are you waking up tired.. everyday?

MAYBE IT’S ADRENAL BURNOUT! So what are the warning signs of adrenal burnout?

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Phone 5443 1987 / 44 Baden Powell St, Maroochydore / info@advancedwellness.com.au / www.advancedwellness.com.au 24 ISSUE 72

Training Matters

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT TRAINING TO SUIT YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS There are many reasons that businesses seek training for their staff and managers.

Training can come in many forms, at varying costs, with a variety of delivery methods and outcomes, which can make the decision making process very confusing.

Before you even begin to research what is available, or sign on the dotted line, consider the following questions.

• Why do you believe your staff/self

require training?

• Have you observed gaps in your staff

member’s knowledge and or skills within their job role?

• Have there been incidents or accidents that

demonstrate a need for gap training?

• Do you have new products, systems or

services that require an induction style training program?

• Have you had complaints that have

highlighted a need for specific refresher training?

• Has your industry had recent changes in

legislation, or requires updates in qualifications?

TERRI CARR Ballinger Training & Consultancy

Making an informed decision based on your knowledge of your own staff training needs will save you time, money, and a lot of headaches, leading to rewarding outcomes for everyone involved.

•

Have you received positive feedback from customers, or observed a positive growth in your business, and want to build on the current strengths, or reward high performance?

There are so many choices available when it comes to training for small businesses, accredited or non-accredited, face to face or online, funded or fee for service, large organisations or small RTO. Making an informed decision based on your knowledge of your own staff training needs will save you time, money, and a lot of headaches, leading to rewarding outcomes for everyone involved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Terri Carr started her business, Ballinger Training and Consultancy, in July 2005. This year, she will celebrate 10 years of owning and running the Registered Training Organisation. Terri spent 15 years previous to starting her business as a Primary School Teacher, in Victoria and Qld. Ballinger Training specialises in business, management, and training and assessment courses, all developed in house, and delivered as both face to face, and as online, self-paced programs.

Check out my

BRAND NEW WEBSITE www.ballinger.edu.au

Quality online and face to face programs in management, business, work health and safety and training and assessment.

RPL offered on all courses.

P: 07 5445 1397 terri@ballinger.edu.au www.ballinger.edu.au

RTO Provider Number: 31252

BUSINESS MATTERS 25

Advertising Matters

A LITTLE CAN GO A LONG WAY Probably the question I get asked most is, ‘How much do I need to spend to get an effective advertising campaign?’.

How much do I need to spend to get an effective advertising campaign?

Those of you who regularly read my column will not be surprised by my answer. It depends. I know I say that a lot but it has never been truer than it is here. If you have a major new mass market product for sale in national supermarket chains and you are relying on selling millions of units to make a profit then, not surprisingly, you need to spend millions of dollars promoting it. But if you are a local builder or tradie then there are much cheaper ways of promoting your business.

ANDREW WATERS Creative Concepts Advertising & Marketing

For instance, for a tradie the following is a great start. Get a brand developed and put it on your ute, your uniform, your business cards and some corflute signs to put up outside anywhere you are working. Before long people will be recognising your brand and thinking that you are everywhere.

We only have two sign written cars but we get asked often how many there are in the fleet because people see them everywhere.

The tradie package above shouldn’t cost you any more than a few thousand dollars total and you’ll be surprised at how much extra work you will get from it.

The moral of the story is: don’t be scared to go to an advertising agency to find out because a good one will know how to use the little money you have to great effect.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Andrew ‘Muddie’ Waters is a Creative Director who has more than 23 years’ experience in the advertising industry. Andrew recently won national and international awards for his design work.

Brighter ideas for your budget …it’s not what you spend, it’s how you spend it Spending wisely now can save you a lot in the future.

Advertising your product or service effectively is a difficult thing in today’s diverse market. It’s hard to know where your precious budget is best spent. Should you spread it across a range of traditional media or target new media exclusively? Which outlets or publications are going to be best for your target market? There are so many options that it is very hard to know what to do.

That is where Creative Concepts can help.

We examine all the options and develop an effective plan to help you move forward.

Talk to us now about how we can make your marketing budget go further and burn brighter…

07 5493 3366

your success is our business

Level 2, 12 Innovation Parkway Birtinya Q 4575 info@creativeconcepts.com.au | www.creativeconcepts.com.au

graphic design | web design & construction | corporate branding | media planning & placement | radio/tv commercials | printing | electronic media 26 ISSUE 72

Brokerage Matters

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A BUSINESS BROKER Those buying or selling a business should consider the numerous advantages of using the services of a business brokerage. Professional brokerages operate with experienced sales and administration teams to handle endless communications from buyers, sellers, solicitors, accountants, landlords and franchisors. They handle appraisals, preparation, marketing, buyer enquiries, inspections and contracts - they are specialists in business sales.

Generally a business broker acts for the seller and is duty bound to represent them honestly and fairly to achieve the highest possible price and the best terms and conditions for the business.

Despite being employed by the seller, a broker must deal honestly and fairly with the buyer and must be accountable for all representations.

The broker will market and present the business professionally and keep the seller informed of the status of the listing, whilst maintaining the confidentiality of the business. It is imperative the broker is kept up to date with any changes

ROD RUSSELL Savvy Business Sales

in the performance of the business that may affect the sale. It’s essential that the broker and seller work together, there needs to be trust on both sides and they should work as a team.

To secure a good opportunity, buyers are recommended to deal with reputable brokers.

Typically, there are more business buyers than there are quality businesses available. Most buyers need income and want to purchase something, brokers offer a wide range of opportunities (some not officially listed) professionally prepared with accurate information available for due diligence purposes, saving buyers from wasting time and money.

Business brokers offer great value to the process of buying and selling. They are an intermediary and can resolve issues for both sides easily and quickly. Brokers understand the issues and intricacies involved in a business transaction and have the knowledge and experience to achieve a win-win result for both parties.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rod’s unrivalled professionalism and years of experience have earned him the reputation as the Sunshine Coast’s most successful business broker. He continues to raise the standards in business sales.

BABY BOOMERS

Want this?

or that?

...I think we need to talk

BUSINESS SAVVY. YES WE ARE!

T 5444 3300 www.savvybusiness.com.au BUSINESS MATTERS 27

Insolvency Matters

MANAGING A TAX DEBT Tax time can be an exciting time of year for many Australians who anticipate getting a return. They welcome a little sum of money they can spend or splurge on anything they like.

However, not everyone receives a tax return.

Many people will receive a tax debt this financial year and will need to find more money to give back to the tax man. For someone already experiencing debt or financial hardship, this tax debt is an unwelcome surprise.

There are things you can do to make your tax debt a little more manageable including organising a payment arrangement, consolidating your tax debt or even including it in your Debt Agreement.

Repayment Plan/Payment Arrangement If you have a personal income tax debt less than $50,000 you can set up a repayment plan online. Even with a payment plan in place, you will be charged a general interest rate on the unpaid debt from the due date until it is repaid. The general interest rate is calculated quarterly but is currently set at 9.63 per cent.

Paying off your tax debt with a loan If your tax debt is unmanageable you might be able to consolidate your debts through refinancing. A major bank is unlikely to approve a loan to help you pay a tax debt. However, if you have enough equity in your mortgage, you might be able to obtain the cash through refinancing.

RILEY JACKSON Debt Relief Hotline

There are things you can do to make your tax debt a little more manageable including organising a payment arrangement, consolidating your tax debt or even including it in your Debt Agreement.

Debt Agreements for Tax Debt If your tax debt is just a small part of your overall debt problem, you might need to look at tackling your finances with a serious solution.

ATO Debts can be included in a Part 9 Debt Agreement as well as all unsecured debts such as personal loans and credit cards. A Part 9 Debt Agreement is a legally binding agreement between you and your creditors outlining a new payment arrangement of your debts – one you can afford. Debt Agreements can often be negotiated to reduce your overall debt amount, freeze interest and stop all collection action. Entering a Debt Agreement is an act of Bankruptcy and should be carefully considered.

If you are struggling with your debts, seek professional help with someone who can help you come up with a financial action plan.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Riley Jackson has over 20 years’ experience in assisting and developing strategies for individuals and small businesses on ways to improve their financial circumstances. Based locally with Affiliates located across Australia, we are able to assist clients all over the nation.

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Debt Relief Hotline is an authorised online representative of Insolvency Administration Services Pty Ltd (RDAA 1337).

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28 ISSUE 72

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IS A SELF-MANAGED SUPER FUND (SMSF) RIGHT FOR YOU?

Money Matters

If you are considering setting up a self-managed super fund there are a few things to think about, and while a SMSF is not for everyone there are definite advantages: • You have greater control over assets, you are in the driver’s seat • Depending on the fund size the costs can be quite low • Structuring your estate can be much easier than with industry or retail funds • You can hold your business property inside your fund • If appropriate to you there is the potential to buy a geared investment property • A SMSF is yours and as such you take it from industry to industry and employer to employer • The ability to plan the purchase and sale of assets tax effectively.

These are in addition to the benefits of superannuation generally, tax deductible contributions of up to $30,000 pa (and maybe higher depending on your age). The ability to place up to $540,000 (or $180,000 pa) in after tax savings, the ability to receive benefits in a tax free environment and premiums for protection benefits such as life insurance can be tax deductible.

Case Study: 45 year old executive, married, two children. Salary $150,000.

• David through SGC & salary sacrifice contributes $25,000 to the company’s superannuation fund.

• The fund is a typical company fund managed by a large financial institution.

• David has already accumulated $270,000 in this fund.

• David’s wife, Robyn, has $30,000 ‘parked’ in a personal superannuation fund from her previous employer.

• Performance has been poor • David also wants to manage his whole financial affairs more effectively • He has a $125,000 listed share portfolio • They owe $110,000 on their home worth $700k • David wants to keep his share portfolio One Possible solution for David and Robyn: • Establish a SMSF • Transfer current balances for David and Robyn of $270k and $30k into the SMSF • Redirect all future contributions into the SMSF making sure David can transfer Life and TPD insurance he currently has, or can get new cover under the SMSF • Have the SMSF purchase the share portfolio for cash, as they are listed shares the SMSF is able to acquire them from David.

• Dave then repays mortgage which is non-deductible i.e. bad debt • David could re-borrow the $110k from his mortgage to invest in another share portfolio or use the equity in his home as security to purchase an investment property • David and Robyn could also consider buying an investment property This article is intended as a source of general information only and no reader should act on any matter without first obtaining professional advice.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR As a Financial Planner, FCPA and SSA (SMSF Specialist Advisor), Michele recognises that effective financial advice is holistic and incorporates a plan to create and protect wealth, in the context of an individual’s tax structure. Michele has an in-depth knowledge of complex issues including SMSFs, Family Trusts, Business Structures, Bare Trusts and Asset Protection.

MICHELE PURVIS UAS Financial

uas financial

(07) 5444 0506

www.uasfinancial.com.au

building successful financial relationships with integrity and respect 2nd base

where are you in the game of money TM ?

1st base

strong financial foundations

2 base

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countdown to retirement

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home

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1st base

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financial independence UAS Financial Pty Ltd | ABN 98 163 578 523 A Corporate Authorised Representative (458 481) of GPS Wealth Ltd | ABN 17 005 482 726 Australian Credit Licence 254544 | Australian Financial Service Licence 254 544

BUSINESS MATTERS 29

Level /505

4558

Professional Management Matters

IT MIGHT BE TIME TO RESTRUCTURE The Federal Government recognises that only around 26 per cent of small businesses are currently operated by companies. Small businesses need to operate in a structure that suits their operations and takes into account the personal circumstances of the owners. Sometimes this may in fact mean moving from a sole trader or partnership to a trust or company structure. The reasons for restructuring a business in this manner can include tax effectiveness, asset protection, business continuity, access to working capital, or bringing additional owners into the business.

However, be warned, there can be a hidden cost in the form of capital gains tax (CGT) when restructuring. A capital gain is made when the value of the business you are restructuring is

MICHAEL McMANUS CFO Outsource

worth more at the time of restructuring than the cost of purchasing or establishing the business.

Current legislation provides CGT relief for sole traders seeking to incorporate. However businesses using or seeking to use alternative structures were still subject to potential CGT liability. Thankfully, the government is providing small business with some relief. The Government has confirmed that it will allow small businesses with an aggregated annual turnover of less than $2m to change legal structure without attracting a CGT liability at that point. These new measures will apply from 1 July 2016.

If you are growing, changing, thinking of restructuring or remodeling, this gives you a fantastic opportunity to do so with CGT relief.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael is the managing director of CFO Outsource, a new business offering outsourced Chief Financial Officer services to growing businesses. CPA and MBA qualified, Michael draws on his experience working as a CFO in the corporate world to bring real world financial management expertise to the Sunshine Coast’s small and medium businesses.

Are you thinking about restructuring?

At CFO Outsource we deliver real solutions for your business by:  Providing accurate, reliable and timely financial information  Showing you how to take control and access cash flow  Driving growth and earnings predictability  Implementing best practice financial management  Reducing your finance and accounting staff worries

We want to be part of your finance and strategy solution!

If you’re thinking about growing, restructuring or just not sure how outsourcing might work in your business, we can step you through your options.

Call today for an obligation free consultation.

Tamara Cross: 0413 774 511 Michael McManus: 0424 290 968 info@cfooutsource.com.au K1 Building 17/16 Innovation Parkway, Birtinya www.cfooutsource.com.au

30 ISSUE 72

Website Matters

HOW TO DRIVE MORE TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE We live in an ever changing world and businesses have to adapt faster than ever before. This includes the evolution of marketing channels and the increasing reliance on website traffic.

We are going to talk about high level digital only strategies to bring more traffic to your website. Here are the big three!

MEL MYERS Jetpack Web Design

visitor clicks on the advertisement which redirects to a website. The largest PPC provider in the world is Google AdWords which uses a bidding system to determine which advertisement is displayed. AdWords allow you to specify search terms, locations, and budgets to target a particular market.

1. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) SEO is the process of improving a website’s visibility in a search engine’s unpaid results.

These are also known as organic or natural search results. Search engine results depend on hundreds of factors including the content and code on your website, website architecture, and links from external websites.

3. Social Media FaceBook, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram – social media platforms are booming! The choice of platforms will depend on your business and target market and can be used to target new customers and keep in touch with existing ones. A successful social media campaign requires dedication and is not something to be undertaken lightly.

2. Pay Per Click (PPC) Usually on search engines or partnering websites, businesses can pay every time a

Did You Know?

In Australia, Google has between 90 per cent and 95 per cent of the search engine market.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mel has been running successful online businesses for 18 years and has written numerous websites and online applications including manufacturing facilities, accounting systems, shopping carts, and even a search engine. Mel is the owner of Jetpack which specialises in creating amazing websites.

We DESIGN WEBSITES YOU CAN BE PROUD OF

BUSINESS MATTERS 31

Legal Matters

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO SUE SOMEONE? Those that have been involved in the process of suing another party will tell you it is an unpleasant experience, even if you win your case. Some question if there is a winner in litigation, other than the lawyers. The increasing cost of legal services and Court fees should make any wouldbe litigant properly consider all other options before embarking on what will almost certainly be a long and costly process. For those with no alternative but to litigate, whether it is a personal injury claim, a breach of contract or a defamation matter, you may find the process less frustrating if you are aware of what lies ahead!

Litigation can be straightforward, and at other times it can be influenced by so many variables that are impossible to canvass here. The starting point is to understand that litigation is an adversarial process, and as such it has the uncanny knack of turning friends and business associates into mortal enemies.

Typically, a litigation matter will follow a number of procedural steps, including: • Compiling and filing a Claim and Statement of Claim if you are the Plaintiff (the one suing), and a Defence if you are the Defendant (the one being sued) – it should be noted that if you are ever served with a Claim you should obtain legal advice in a timely manner to avoid the adverse consequences that may follow.

• Service of the Claim or Defence on the other party.

• Making disclosure of documents.

• Obtaining evidence from other parties

TIM MCCLYMONT Griffith Parry Lawyers + Notary

AREAS OF PRACTICE Property Law Family Law Business Law

1 hour

ader

BM re

• • • •

This process can take anywhere between six months and literally years to complete. There may also be the need to engage experts as part of the process.

For example, doctors and occupational therapists in a personal injury claim or perhaps building or engineering experts in a construction matter.

The proper starting point, before commencing litigation, is to ensure that you and your legal team understand the matter thoroughly, and that you (as the Plaintiff or Defendant) have provided a detailed statement and all relevant documents to your legal team. Gathering the facts and evidence is critical, and if that has not been done you should question why you are contemplating Court action. It often pays to get a second opinion on whether you have a good claim or not, and engaging a barrister early can help with that.

A quote from Mark Twain probably sums up litigation: ‘There are two times in a man’s life when he should not speculate: when he can’t afford it, and when he can’.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tim has eight years’ experience across a broad range of civil litigation matters including contract and leasing disputes, bankruptcy and corporate insolvency, trade practices, debt recovery and personal injury. Tim is a committee member with the Sunshine Coast Community Legal Service and sits on the Judiciary for the Sunshine Coast Gympie Rugby League.

Joanna Sheridan – Solicitor Joanna obtained her Bachelor of Law degree from Southern Cross University. Joanna was admitted as a Solicitor to The Supreme Court of Queensland in February 2014 and brings to Griffiths Parry Lawyers an ideal Gen Y influence.

En to E R F io t a lt s consu

•

where necessary, for example through a ‘Notice of Non-Party Disclosure’.

Preparing for trial (including a conference with your lawyer and barrister).

Participate in mediation.

Conducting a trial.

Judgment.

Appeals.

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Your partners in success since 1974.

A Griffiths Parry Lawyers + Notary Level 2, 12 Innovation Parkway, Birtinya, QLD 4575 | PO Box 1515, Buddina QLD 4575 P 07 5390 1400 F 07 5390 1499 W www.gplaw.com.au

32 ISSUE 72

Lending Matters

RECORD LOW INTEREST RATES RAISES THE QUESTION: “TO FIX OR NOT TO FIX?” During this period of record low interest rates a frequently asked question is about whether to fix interest rates. ‘Should I fix now, or should I wait and see if interest rates go even lower?’. I wrote about fixed rate considerations six months ago. Since then the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has cut rates twice. So it might sound like a simple question but giving an answer is not straightforward. And that’s not just because it’s difficult to predict what interest rates will do – it’s because you need to consider the question: ‘Is fixing my interest rate the right strategy for me?’

Fixed mortgage rate loans – pros Taking a variable or fixed rate loan depends on your personal financial goals. Fixed rates lock interest rates for a set period of time – usually one, three or five years. Budgeting is therefore easier since you know exactly what your repayments will be because your rate is insulated from interest rate rises for that fixed period.

Fixed mortgage rate loans – cons Fixed interest rate home loans are usually no frills products without extras. But variable rate home loans usually come with extra features – like the capacity to make extra repayments, redraw facilities, credit cards and mortgage offset facilities. These variable loan features may save you money. Obviously if rates fall there will be no reduction on your fixed rate repayments. Fixed rate loans usually have

RICHARD WEST Top Ten Home Loans

substantial break fees. So if you pay off, prepay or refinance your mortgage before the end of the fixed rate term you may be penalized.

The alternatives?

If you are concerned about rate rises making your mortgage repayments unaffordable and you want the flexibility and cost-savings of a variable rate home loan, choosing to split the loan between a variable and fixed rate may provide a suitable solution. Fox example you may choose to take 50 per cent of your home loan at a fixed interest rate and the other 50 per cent at a variable rate.

This option provides some protection against the risk of interest rate rises, whilst still giving you the capacity to make extra repayments and take advantage of other facilities that variable rate home loans have on offer. However, paying off the fixed rate portion may still incur a penalty.

So is now a good time to fix my interest rate?

Interest rates are at historical lows. However, if you’re waiting for interest rates to hit absolute rock-bottom before you fix your interest rate remember there’s simply no way of guaranteeing interest rate direction.

But seeking information from your broker before you make the decision to fix, not to fix (or decide on a combination of both) will help to support an informed decision.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Richard West is the owner of Top Ten Home Loans, mortgage brokers on the Sunshine Coast. He has over 25 years’ experience in the domestic and international banking and finance industry. Richard is a graduate of the University of the Sunshine Coast and holds a Diploma in finance/mortgage broking management.

Ask fo

ra

Fixed or variable rates? Check out your options

HOME free LO HEALT AN H CHEC K

Home loan fixed and variable rate examples (On offer at time of writing. Conditions Apply) 3 Year Fixed Rate 4.15% - split option available (Comparison Rate 4.16%)*

Richard (0402 845 285)

Standard Variable Rate 4.15% - with offset account.

(Comparison Rate 4.16%)*

enquiries@toptenhomeloans.com.au Richard West Mortgage Broker

M: 0402 845285 T: 07 5446 1499 F: 07 5471 6744 W: www.toptenhomeloans.com.au A: PO Box 358, Coolum Beach 4573 Aussie Sunshine Finance Pty Ltd ABN: 62 725113 713

* Each comparison rate is based on $150,000 over 25 years. Comparison rates apply to the examples given. Different amounts and terms will result in different comparison rates. Costs such as fredraw fees or early repayment sfees, and cost savings such as fee waivers, are not included in the comparison rate but may influence the cost of the loan. Your full financial situation would need to be reviewed prior to supporting an application for any offer or product. Conditions apply. Richard West, Top Ten Home Loans (Credit Representative No. 403266) is authorised under Australian Credit Licence Number 389328.

BUSINESS MATTERS 33

Accounting Matters

WHY YOUR STRUCTURE IS IMPORTANT - GET IT WRONG AT YOUR PERIL Deciding what structure is best for your business can get complex but this simple example highlights the two primary reasons you need to get it right.

The most important thing to consider is risk. Every business carries with it a level of risk, some of it can be insured but insurance does not always cover every single possibility. Let me give you an (extreme) example to demonstrate our point: Bob operates a photography business. Low risk, right? While taking a photo of a $300,000 Ferrari he accidentally left the brake off. Although his shots of the car rolling off the cliff went viral, the owner was less than impressed and sued Bob’s business. As a result Bob’s business was ordered to pay $300,000 in damages.

How Would Structure Affect This Outcome?

Sole Trader: All Bob’s expensive business equipment is sold and Bob has to sell his house to meet the claim. His family are forced to move into rented accommodation and Bob can no longer run his business.

CHRIS BURNS Complete Business Strategies

This is a fictitious scenario and is very much simplified but the outcome is clear: the right structure can save you a lot of time and grief.

The second consideration is tax. Here is a simplified example to show the different tax outcomes for three common business structures earning $80,000.

Sole Trader

Company

Trust

Taxable Income

$80,000

$80,000

$80,000

Tax Payable

$ 17,547

$24,000

$ 8,824

Effective Tax Rate

22%

30%

11%

Income Streaming Flexibility

None

Some

Complete

Company: Bob is forced to pay his $100 in unpaid share capital to his company. The company bank accounts containing $1,000 are closed to pay the business debt. The company has no other assets. The company is liquidated and the matter is at an end.

We have made a few assumptions above but the outcome is clear: the right structure can save thousands of dollars in tax.

The Bonus Outcomes for Bob: Bob owns his own camera gear personally so gets to keep it and can continue trading his business tomorrow under a new company.

We know it is never this simple but the critical message is clear - get your structure right when you establish your business and you can maximise your outcomes.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Chris is a Chartered Accountant and a Director of Complete Business Strategies. During his 20 year career Chris has helped hundreds of clients improve their business outcomes and looks forward helping many more.

Scan the QR code for your

FREE Structure Guide

To find out more call us on (07) 5439 1600

34 ISSUE 72

As an employee of the company Bob is not personally liable for his error so his family stays in their lovely family home.

HR Matters

SPEND MONEY TO MAKE MONEY The term ‘spending’ sounds scary to a business owner. Nevertheless, it is crucial companies stop thinking that spending money, means losing money. In fact, the concept ‘you must spend money to make money’ dates back to 255 BC. This idea is still relevant today; spending money is the only way you can grow a business.

However, it doesn’t mean you should spend money absentmindedly. To ensure you are making the best decisions for your business, record where your money is being spent and the expenses, in dollars.

Where your company may spend money: • Staff wages • Resources, company knowledge and education of staff • Tools, such as software • Marketing/advertising • Training • Promotions/sales • Business location • Equipment Consider this expenditure in reference to how the business makes money; by compiling a second list. For example, the profits made by selling your product. It is important to remember, a specific monetary figure may not always be evident. In these cases, consider what the investment is worth to your business and attribute a proportionate value. This perceived value is liable to change over time and will likely align with a business goal. For example, it is difficult to measure greater brand awareness in dollars because it may increase consumer trust and lead to upselling opportunities with existing

KATHARINE BOGARD Workplace Central (formerly Haycroft Workplace Solutions)

clients or referrals. This may be particularly valuable for some business models, but not others.

Where your company may acquire money: • External financial investments • Profit/mark-up on services/products • Broad clientele • Accessible specialist offering, like online services • Accurate data retention • Shared expertise • Brand awareness, to instill trust and gain future clients • Efficient service and/or quality products By comparing these two lists you can measure your return on investment (ROI). The money you outlay should always correlate with the money you earn.

If you are spending money, but not earning more in return, keep testing until you get a better result.

However, before eliminating an area of expenditure, such as advertising, contemplate where precisely the money has been spent. The particular advertising medium you used, may not have been suitable, but that doesn’t mean advertising is not a valid investment. For example, perhaps radio ads haven’t produced a great return on investment but advertising online may still be worthwhile..

Drawing these comparisons regularly will help determine if your money is being well spent and identify new opportunities for making money. For example, while you may not immediately see a return on your investment when spending money on new software, by investing in becoming more efficient, you will likely generate more revenue in the future.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Katharine’s qualifications in graphic design, journalism, advertising and creative writing enable her to implement comprehensive marketing solutions for businesses nationally and globally. The support of Workplace Central’s professional team and flexible work arrangements, empower Katharine to focus on her health.

BUSINESS MATTERS 35

Office 365 Matters

MICROSOFT OFFICE 365 IS CHANGING THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS FOREVER! Introduced into Australia in 2013, Office 365 has enabled small businesses to access the same tools used by BIG business to be competitive and have up-to-date business software. Never have to worry about your server or hard drive ‘crashing’ or forgetting to do the daily backup, Office 365 handles it for you … automatically.

Office 365 is managed in ‘the cloud’ but then so are our banking needs, it is the way we are going and it is where we are NOW! Your ‘go-to-office’ anywhere Whether you’re working in your office or on the go, you get a familiar, top-of-the-line set of productivity tools. Office applications, always the latest versions, let you create, edit, and share from your PC/Mac or your iOS, Android, or Windows device with anyone in real time.

are stored online, you can share with people in or outside your company, from wherever you’re working, whenever you need to. With Skype for Business, content sharing, and shared calendars, you’ll always be in sync with your team.

Easy setup and management With step-by-step guidance, you can set up users easily and start using the services fast. You can access the easy-to-use admin centre from anywhere to manage all your services. And Office 365 takes care of IT for you, so your services are always up and running and up to date.

Tools for the professional Brand your business-class email address with your company name to build name recognition, and market your business with customized marketing materials that are easy to create. Connect better with customers and colleagues with a range of communication tools, from email and IM to social networking and video conferencing.

Tools for teamwork With 1 TB of storage per user, you’ll have plenty of space for all your files. Plus, because your files

TERRY O’BRIEN Netbase Solutions

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Terry O’Brien has been working with computers and business application for the past 28 years. He now specialises in Office 365, particularly working with small to medium sized businesses. Terry is a Microsoft cloud partner and Telstra partner and works assisting businesses with both set up and maintenance of all things Office 365.

NEED HELP WITH

OFFICE 365?  SET UP  SUPPORT  APPLICATIONS  TRAINING

CALL TERRY NOW ON

1800 000 235

to maximise your Office 365 subscription Servicing Brisbane and Sunshine Coast | www.netbasesolutions.com 36 ISSUE 72

Quality  Environment  OH&S  Ticking boxes is just the beginning

Property Development Matters

PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW With interest rates at a record low, there is definitely a sense of optimism in the real estate market across the Sunshine Coast and South East Queensland Region. Lots of people are considering capitalising on market conditions and either develop, or invest in the property market.

We live in a world of instant gratification with quick fix and get rich quick schemes. Development is really about having a long term strategy and having persistence and perseverance to the end.

Property development is a multifaceted business encompassing activities that can range from a complex renovation, splitter, and subdivision or developing master communities.

Developers are the coordinators of these activities and really orchestrate the process from the inception to the end.

To be a successful developer you need to have these skills:

Successful Negotiator – You have to be a good listener, a good communicator and, above all, a good negotiator to reach the best price and terms for the purchase of the land or property. Your profit depends on how much you purchase it for.

Team Player – You need to lead the team and understand how to communicate and get the best out of your team.

Problem Solver – Life doesn’t always go perfectly to plan and property development is no exception.

Solving problems will rely on knowledge and

SUSAN LINDEQUE Linzen Group

experience. Sometimes you won’t have the answer so you need to build a strong team around you.

Coordinate and Organiser – Property development is all about managing people and processes.

Having good project management skills will definitely be one of your biggest assets.

Time Management – Time Management is crucial for any project, as time is money. You need to be organised and proactive and always be on top of what is happening.

Financial Skills - You need to create a detailed financial model for each development to ensure you will end up with a profit. Most developments can encounter unforeseeable problems, costing money, and you have to ensure from the beginning that you have enough profit in the deal.

Development is normally perceived as high risk activities and financial institutions today have stringent financial models to ensure that they minimise their risk.

Therefore it is vital that you develop all the skills above but more important that you perform stringent due diligence processes and negotiate good terms and conditions when you acquire any property or land for development.

Remember that nothing is achieved without effort and sacrifice. If you believe you have the persistence, perseverance and take a long term view, property development will give you some of the greatest financial rewards in real estate investing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Susan is the CEO and Co-founder of Linzen Group which is a multi-faceted and diverse property development group offering a one stop real estate shop. Susan has more than 25 years of successful commercial and financial experience with a background as a registered Chartered Accountant and Real Estate Agent. Her extensive expertise allows her to recognise market trends, demands and conditions to accurately predict project outcomes.

OUR PURPOSE IS TO BRING YOUR PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT VISION TO LIFE! Our services are tailored to suit your individual or business needs and our delivery approach is guided by our expertise and your requirements.

• Property investment advise and strategy • Set up appropriate structures for asset protection • Specialised tax advice on income tax, GST and Capital Gains Tax • Land development and Construction • Dealing with Council, townplanners, engineers and other consultants

• Due Diligence and Financial Feasibility for all projects • Project management to ensure projects are on track • Joint Venture Partnerships with investors or land owners • Seek funding for projects

1 HOUR FREE CONSULTATION TO BM READERS! Linzen is also offering exclusive workshops every Saturday for groups of 10 – 15 who are serious about seeking expert advice and consultation on property investment and development.

Please note that the workshops do not sell any educational material.

Linzen Group • P.1300 766 261 • M.0413 887 850 • info@linzen.com.au • www.linzen.com.au BUSINESS MATTERS 37

Commercial Real Estate Matters

INSIGHT INTO INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES Investment fund managers and self-managed super funds are stimulating the commercial real estate market with a renewed vigour as term deposit money is retracted to invest into property for a greater long term return. Interestingly, there has been a spike in the level of activity and enquiries for investment opportunities across the North Coast Central corridor from metro markets, evidencing the tight yield on available properties nationwide.

A Grade stock with long term tenancies are in high demand across the Sunshine Coast. B Grade stock has seen little change in activity as the investors new to property are generally risk averse and happier to pay a premium for ‘known’ national tenants. For the astute investor willing to take a ‘hands on’ approach and withstand some risk, there are plenty of opportunities to invest in property which will return great future dividends.

Council’s focused drive on attracting overseas investors to the Sunshine Coast region forms part of its Regional Economic Development Strategy

MICHAEL SHADFORTH Ray White Commercial North Coast Central

deployment, and Mayor Mark Jamieson recently travelled on a trade mission to Hong Kong, Frankfurt and London. Demand for commercial real estate will naturally surge and the region will reap the rewards as international businesses recognise the value in investing in the region. Activity is palpable; a British based investor recently purchased the last full length waterfront development site on the Coast.

There’s an increasingly large number of requests for ‘sell and stay’ packaging options. Perhaps it’s indicative of medium term planning for those in the 54-65 years demographic as part of their retirement plan; more and more owner occupiers are looking to sell an existing property yet remain on as a tenant, with an advantageous structure and attractive lease options. When structured correctly, it can result in a tenanted sale up to 20 per cent higher than vacant expectation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael Shadforth, Managing Director of Ray White Commercial North Coast Central, has a proven history in sales, leasing, commercial projects and developments, offering strategic marketing solutions to ensure clients success.

Cafe Tenanted Investment

Quality Industrial Warehouse Investment

Salon Tenanted Investment

Kunda Park, U6/40 Kerryl Street

Caboolture, 9-11 Boeing Place

Mooloolaba, Lot 102/29 First Avenue

• Only cafe in the Kunda Park precinct • Leased until March 2016 with extra option of 2 x 3 years • Tenancy 6A: 95m² ground floor plus 95m² mezzanine • Tenancy 6B: 86m² ground floor cafe • Outgoings approx. $3,085 per annum + GST

• Leased to a national packaging company • $288,000 per annum full net lease • 3 year lease commenced 1 May 2015 with 3 x 3 options • 2,111m of 9m high tilt panel warehouse on 4,005m of land • Outgoings 100% payable by tenant (including land tax)

• Leased until April 2016 with 3 year option • Annual income approx. $28,177 + outgoings + GST • 61m² ground floor of Sea Mark building • Tenanted by hairdresser/beauty therapist • Excellent street exposure and car parking

Sale David C Smith 0412 712 680 davidcsmith.commercialsc@raywhite.com Property ID 1309958 Ray White Commercial North Coast Central

Sale Chris Massie 0412 980 840 chris.massie@raywhite.com Property ID 1309070 Ray White Commercial North Coast Central

Sale Emily Pendleton 0402 435 446 emily.pendleton@raywhite.com Property ID 1136159 Ray White Commercial North Coast Central

Modern Tilt Slab Warehouse Investment

Site With Development Potential

Bli Bli Village Centre

Caboolture, U19/23-25 Skyreach Street

Nambour, 132 Howard Street

Bli Bli, 304 - 312 David Low Way

• Lease commenced 4 March 2014 for 2 years • Rent $14,400 per annum inclusive of GST • Outgoings included in rent • 140m² with upstairs mezzanine, kitchenette, toilet • Dual road entry with easy access to north and south M1

• 597m² site includes approx. 214m² high-set Queenslander with residence • Located in Specialised Centre Zone – can build up to 4 storeys high • Excellent development potential with great main road exposure • Downstairs sales yard office approx. 214m² • Suit retail showrooms, retail supplies, low impact industrial and community

• Three staged multilevel commercial precinct • Mix of professional suites, retail shops, restaurants, cafes and more • Basement level car parking for up to 174 vehicles • From from 60m² to 900m² • Confirms Bli Bli as a thriving business and residential centre

Sale Damien Poole 0414 457 022 damien.poole@raywhite.com Property ID 1298460 Ray White Commercial North Coast Central

Auction Drew Westbrook 0488 980 684 drew.westbrook@raywhite.com Property ID 1178797 Ray White Commercial North Coast Central

Lease Michael Shadforth michael.shadforth@raywhite.com

38 ISSUE 72

Ray White Commercial North Coast Central

Property ID 1308576

Many of the things you can count, don’t count.

Many of the things you can’t count, really count.

The World is a Book And those who do not travel Read only one page.

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO

WB CAMERON, 1963

1300 881 800

Phone 07 5451 6888

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Remember the difference between a boss and a leader; a boss says “Go!” a leader says “Let’s go!”

E.M. KELLY

BOOKKEEPING AND ACCOUNTING SERVICES

www.eastcoasthr.com.au

The accountant specialising in bookkeeping

Phone 0401 717 630

� www.businessmattersmagazine.com.au

What you focus on grows.

What you concentrate on is what you see more of in your life.

Many of the things you can count, don’t count. Many of the things you can’t count, really count.

ROBIN SHARMA

WB CAMERON, 1963

Phone 5444 4456 www.holmans.com.au

Good design is sustainable.

Great design is responsible.

Websites promote you 24/7: No employee will do that.

PAUL COOKSON

Phone 0439 895 207

Phone 0415 142 178

2015 FINANCIAL calendar YEAR WALLSPIRATION July ���� M

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SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

BM PUBLICATION DAY

You miss a hundred per cent of the shots you don’t take.

MICHAEL JORDAN

The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are STEVE the JOBS ones who do.

Phone 0412 884 531

Phone 0437 238 277

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.

MARK TWAIN

ALBERT EINSTEIN

www.abfab.com.au

www.diamondsofdistinction.com.au

� www.businessmattersmagazine.com.au

Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.

Tough times never last but tough people do.

DR. ROBERT SCHULLER

MARILYN MONROE

www.diamondsofdistinction.com.au Phone 5452 7121

You miss a hundred per cent of the shots you don’t take.

It is requisite for the state of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes.

MICHAEL JORDAN

THOMAS AQUINAS

cvize@fordeproperty.com.au

Phone 0437 238 277

2016 FINANCIAL calendar YEAR WALLSPIRATION January ���� M

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SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

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Many of the things you can’t count, really count.

The World is a Book And those who do not travel Read only one page.

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO

WB CAMERON, 1963

1300 881 800

Phone 07 5451 6888

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Remember the difference between a boss and a leader; a boss says “Go!” a leader says “Let’s go!”

E.M. KELLY

BOOKKEEPING AND ACCOUNTING SERVICES

www.eastcoasthr.com.au

The accountant specialising in bookkeeping

Phone 0401 717 630

� www.businessmattersmagazine.com.au

BUSINESS MATTERS 43

44 ISSUE 72

BUSINESS MATTERS 45

46 ISSUE 72

WHY WOULD YOUR BUSINESS NEED a part time HR Manager?

Sandra King, Director of ‘My Human Resources Manager’ shares with BM about how her business can assist in the management of any stage of an employee’s life cycle.

Having worked in human resources for over 20 years, Sandra’s industry experience includes recruitment, resources and construction, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, waste management, insurance, cultural heritage, government and education. And as a Certified Professional with the Australian Human Resources Institute who holds a Graduate Diploma of Human Resources, Diploma of Business Management, Certificate IV Workplace Training and Assessing and is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Laws, Sandra is well equipped to assist a diverse range of businesses.

She says, “There are lots of reasons why a business needs the expertise of a HR manager. A business may require their current human resources activities to be reviewed and an action plan to be developed for compliance, or they might be in a growth stage where they now require

assistance with setting up and putting a HR function structure in place. For small to medium size businesses, a part time HR manager can help a business perform well, reduce costs and increase revenue. Sometimes a business needs to review team expertise and competency as they can directly affect business performance and profitability, this is where we can help”.

My Human Resources Manager provide expertise in recruitment and selection, onboarding and induction, training and development, rewards and recognition, performance management and terminations. Sandra says, “We’re all about working with businesses effectively so we offer options of face to face, virtual or phone contact servicing. We’re like an external HR department, on-hand for clients as needed, without the overhead cost of a full time HR manager, and associated office costs. Because of this, we regularly assist other HR managers with internal projects as needed” How do you help your clients save money?

By simplifying HR! People management can be time consuming and bewildering. HR issues may take precious time away from a business manager’s focus on their core business. My Human Resources Manager will take the stress out of managing people. Having structured and compliant HR practices will not only provide clear guidelines for employees and performance expectations but also mitigate risk and liability for an employer. e

www.myhrmanager.net.au

V.I.S.A. boasts a 99% success rate for our clients’ visa applications Talk to us about all Australian Migration visas including:

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MENTION THIS ADVERTISEMENT AND RECEIVE A MIGRATION ASSESSMENT (45 mins) AT OUR DISCOUNTED RATE OF $88.00 (inc GST).

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Qualified accountant specialising in bookkeeping  Registered BAS agent  Payroll & PAYG  Xero Certified Partner MYOB & QuickBooks  Accounting software setups  Mobile service John Pickering, the accountant who is passionate about bookkeeping.

Call John Pickering on BookkeePing and aCCounting ServiCeS

The accountant specialising in bookkeeping

0401 717 630 BUSINESS MATTERS 47

Money may not be the most important thing in the world,

BUT IT’S RIGHT UP THERE WITH OXYGEN!

BY CHRIS CHILDS

Money! It’s the most talked about subject in the world.

It has started wars, ended marriages and created more stress in people’s lives than anything else in the world.

While we all know money can’t buy happiness, it tends to buy a lot of the things we perceive creates it. Money certainly creates peace of mind! While we can all list many things that are more important than money, like health and family, few of us can live without it.

Having enough money is the easiest way to have an easy and stress-free life, but how much is enough? I often see people scraping by on a single income of $45,000 and see another family just scraping by on $125,000.

We all tend to live to the edge of our income.

So how do you best manage money? And importantly how do you make more money from money?

Firstly, I believe there are a few critical steps to managing money.

Step 1: A Cash Management System Having a good working budget, or what I prefer to call a Cash Management System is the first step to getting control of your money. The more organized you are, the more you will have – seriously! It is a fact that if you get organised with your money, you have more of it.

Bills get paid on time, you don’t waste precious money on fines, fees and overdue payments, and you make your money work for you instead of against you.

Really it’s all in the numbers. The way you view the numbers and manage them will unlock the potential to build wealth for your future and your retirement and maintain your lifestyle.

Step 2: Set some Goals Map out exactly what you want to achieve financially, and set a few goals. Set some goals around reducing debt, or around saving or even better some goals around investing and wealth creation. Goal setting is critical. It will give you focus, direction and purpose. Take a look at one of the many goal-setting techniques available and choose the right one for you. For me, the Passion Test was something that completely changed my business and my life. It allowed me to examine what was important to me, and to put in place the actions I needed to take to get there. It literally turned my business around.

Step 3: Clean up Debt After getting your personal finances under control with a cash management system, focus on cleaning up credit card or consumer debt. If you have a mortgage and some equity, consolidating credit card and consumer debt onto your mortgage can reduce your repayments each month and lower the amount of interest you pay. And don’t assume a mortgage is a long-term debt. A mortgage doesn’t have to be a stone around your neck for 25 years. If you handle it correctly, that is; get the right loan, set up a money plan, use a credit card correctly, bank your pay into your loan and stay organized, a mortgage should be paid off in five to seven years just by doing your banking differently.

Step 4: Look at creating more money Now you can look at the bigger picture of investing. The biggest secret to creating true wealth is to separate your life from your investments. This enables you to invest in many things, including property like I do, without any impact on your lifestyle. Separating your life into columns for ‘life’, ‘investment’, ‘superannuation’ and ‘business’ allows you to quickly gain control of your money and find where any problems of financial leakage are coming from.

Creating equity in your own home is then the easiest way to get started. While many people get fearful of using their property as leverage to invest, for example, to purchase an investment property, the risk can be minimized by having a clear plan and exit strategy. As the investment property increases in value, the bank will no longer require your home to form part of the security and the investment would be able to stand alone.

Really it’s all in the numbers. The way you view the numbers and manage them will unlock the potential to build wealth for your future and your retirement and maintain your lifestyle.

See you on soon!

0419 744 193 // www.chrischilds.com.au e

48 ISSUE 72

business finance tips with Jan Watman, Start Fresh Finance

Why are there so many questions for a car loan?

Are you purchasing a new or used car? Is it from a dealer or private purchase? What is the year, make and model? What is the purchase price and what does this include? Do you want insurance?

● Credit history - What has your past lending history been like? This may impact the interest rate, as your credit history impacts your risk profile. A higher risk profile almost always results in higher interest rate.

It is a good idea to understand your needs before you apply for a car loan. You’ll be asked a lot of questions, but it’s easy to be prepared with these few simple tips.

● What is your employment situation? Self-employed, full time, part time or casual – verification required will depend on the type of employment.

Think about:

Choosing the correct loan structure for your new car can be a difficult and confusing decision. It’s very important to make the right choice as the wrong option can cost you in fees, extra interest, exit penalties and missed tax deductions.

● Term of Loan - How long do you want the loan for, have you repaid loans early in the past? As you may want to ask about early termination fees. ● What is the car being used for – personal or business?

There are a number of different loan options depending upon the usage of the vehicle, whether car, bike or boat – for example, consumer car loan, personal loan, lease, hire purchase, chattel mortgage. ● What features do you want?

It is a good idea to understand your needs before you apply for a car loan.

Jan, who has 25+ years in the finance industry, helps high net worth clients and businesses to obtain finance.

Her passion is educating, planning and working with her clients to achieve their dreams. ca 0468 371 449 // www.startfreshfinance.com.au

No matter how big or small your business,

VL G D

NOW you can have your very own HR Manager.

Come out from behind the keyboard and let us share you with the world.

With over 20 years experience, ‘My Human Resources Manager’ acts as a member of your team to manage and/or mentor with:

Do you want to get noticed?

The Vlog Pod is the Sunshine Coast’s professional video blogging studio space and service.

BM READERS DIGITAL ISSUE OFFER:

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Scan the QR Code for an intro to the studio space and call 07 5450 2715 or email info@vlogpod.com.au

• • • • • •

Recruitment Induction Policies and Procedures Performance Management Terminations And anything your HR team would do

Email Sandra now at info@myhrmanager.net.au to receive your FREE HR Compliance checklist to ascertain your starting point and check if you are on track.

CALL NOW on 0406 774 062 or email info@myhrmanager.net.au to find out more BUSINESS MATTERS 49

Coondoo Como Mothar Mountain Kin Kin Boreen Point Traveston

Cootharaba

Cooran

SPEED IT UP: BROADBAND MAPS Speed it Up is an Australian-first initiative using an interactive online map to demonstrate where business grade broadband is available on the Sunshine Coast, using competitive coverage maps.

The campaign, being developed by a collaboration of local government, business and telecommunication providers, will also help highlight where people cannot access broadband. This information will be forwarded to telecommunication providers so they know where to invest and develop infrastructure in the region.

Speed it Up is a priority action in the Digital Sunshine Coast Action Plan launched on 3 June at the Coastal Revolution event hosted by Kawana Waters Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Action Plan follows public consultation in 2014 which identified the lack of appropriate digital infrastructure as the number one issue on the Sunshine Coast.

This campaign is a two part project that will identify demand for business grade broadband and highlight the regions where business grade broadband is currently available using information from participating telecommunications providers and displayed in an integrated user friendly online map.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED This multi stage project is a step in the right direction to address digital infrastructure challenges and opportunities for our region. The first stage has been launched at www.digitalsunshinecoast.com.au: ďƒ¤ Complete a three minute online survey which includes a speed test and captures details about your business grade broadband needs. ďƒ¤ Check out the coverage map which shows where business grade broadband is currently available from a variety of participating telecommunications companies (with more participating companies to be added over time).

www.digitalsunshinecoast.com.au 50ISSUE ISSUE72 72 1

Noosa North Shore

Pomona

Tewantin

Federal

Noosa Heads

Cooroy Doonan

Carters Ridge Ridgewood

Eumundi

Peregian Beach

Verridale

North Arm

Cooloolabin Gheerulla

Coolum Beach

Yandina Creek

Yaroomba

Yandina Kulangoor

Kidman Creek

Sunshine Coast Airport

Bli Bli Mapleton Obi Obi

Curramore

Nambour Woombye

Montville

Palmwoods

Maroochydore

Mooloolaba

Buderim

Buddina

Witta Eudlo

Elaman Creek

Sippy Downs Warana

Reesville

Maleny

Wootha

Balmoral Ridge

Mooloola Valley

Palmview Glenview

Caloundra Golden Beach

Booroobin

Pelican Waters

Peachester Bellthorpe

Cedarton

Stanmore

Beerwah Glass House Mountains

Coochin Creek

Woodford

Bribie Island

Exchanges associated with TPG Business grade network Mid Band Ethernet up to 80mbps

Wireless Ethernet

Fixed Wireless Ethernet The carrier coverage maps are the first step to confirming ability to service your business location. Digital Sunshine Coast does not provide any guarantees regarding the accuracy of the information. Carrier coverage areas are indicative only and subject to individual site assessments.

CELEBRATING OUR LOCAL DIGITAL CHAMPIONS

THE DIGITAL SUNSHINE COAST ACTION PLAN

Digital innovation permeates through every type of business and can significantly affect business competitiveness. Customer-centric innovation and the effective management of data have proven to increase productivity and gain market share.

The Action Plan aims to connect people on the Sunshine Coast on the topic of digital innovation and has created a website www.digitalsunshinecoast.com.au which highlights a range of news, stories, events and information that will assist businesses and the broader community to adopt digital tools and technologies.

Our region already has a variety of highly talented and motivated businesses from various industries who are world leaders in their fields and make a positive impact in the community using digital platforms, tools and techniques.

There is an opportunity to learn and get involved in entrepreneurial digital community events, hosted

by Digital Sunshine Coast collaborators, to further enhance your own skills and develop your personal and business opportunities and networks.

Participants in the project so far include local and state governments, not-for-profits and private enterprise, who have identified three priority areas:  Digital infrastructure investment  Digital capacity and skills development  Digital culture, leadership and innovation.

This project is a result of the Sunshine Coast Regional Economic Development Strategy 2013-2033. It is collaboratively led by Regional Development Australia Sunshine Coast and Sunshine Coast Council, in partnership with a large network of organisations and individuals.

Together we are building a Digital Sunshine Coast and welcome you to play an active role and be part of this journey.

www.digitalsunshinecoast.com.au

BUSINESSMATTERS MATTERS51 2 BUSINESS

business mentoring

with Rod Richards, Business Enterprise Centre

Let’s Build Business Momentum We know that starting and operating a business is demanding. In growing economic cycles hard work is rewarded by growth and profit. When economies are flat or trending to stagnate or feel recessionary the business cycle is made doubly tough.

Business can make all the right moves, deliver high level enthusiasm, relevant products and still struggle to remain viable.

Customer’s confidence always holds the key.

Now more than ever consumer behaviour and spending swings are unpredictable. Media reports, world events and personal circumstances greatly impact our behaviour as consumers. Even Christmas time is not immune from changed behaviours of purchasing and spending less.

Customer sentiment and confidence has clawed back from negative territory to neutral 100 index points, for the first time since 2013. So let’s keep this momentum. There are some key areas where business can ensure they are atop the viability curve and not drifting backward when consumer confidence evaporates and spending stalls: Review Margins. The greatest profit driver is healthy margins. What are your business best five product margins and what is this average. Do you know your key margins for: cost of sales, gross profit, expenses to revenue, wages to revenue. Benchmarking and review of industry standards will identify problems. There is plenty of data to compare your business model performance with similar industry operators.

Sample below – Industry average (ATO) BUSINESS

GROSS PROFIT

COST GOODS

EXPENSES/ REVENUE

WAGES / REVENUE

Coffee shop

61%

39%

84%

21%

Clothes retail

49%

51%

83%

16%

Mechanic

72%

28%

56%

28%

Know your Break-even Analysis. Understanding break-even is empowering. Every business person should know this simple tool. Don’t leave this to your accountant. Break-even is what business live and perish by. Sales targets are determined and set by reference to break-even otherwise business is guessing and have no benchmark for sales staff performance. A simple example; if business average unit sale $86.00, with margin 51 per cent monthly expenses of $5,300/month what is the break-even? The answer is sales of $10,392.00 or 121 units.

Marketing Message. Marketing is everything you do. Your attitude, personal presentation, merchandising styles, phone manners, email signature, vehicle signage/condition, business cards and online sites/ presence all contribute marketing messages. Marketing is investing in awareness building and brand identification. But what is your message? What is the compelling value proposition business message? Are the business values and authenticity communicated in an understandable jargon free mantra. If not, it’s time to get one. In the clutter of competition, what will make your business and offering stand out? To create a powerful value proposition research customer insights and how competitors solve customers’ pain. Then ask what do we do. Why do we do what we do and does this fit our market providing real value.

Rod has 27 years’ experience as a company owner, director and entrepreneur, and 10 years as a Business Mentor and educator. He is a founding Director of the Business Enterprise Centre Sunshine Coast and Queensland Director of BEC Australia (non-profit Network). ca 1300 133 058 // www.businessenterprisecentresunshinecoast.org.au

THINK DIFFERENTLY THINK FRESH THINK START FRESH FINANCE Why contact the Start Fresh Finance team?

Why contact the Start Fresh Finance team?

“From the very beginning, dealing with Jan was a pleasant experience.

“Jan is a BRILLIANT financial professional and she has all of the best qualities of a Jan walked us through our application via phone calls and emails as we live professional broker. She is highly client focused and cares deeply about the outcomes interstate. Distance was no barrier for Jan to work her magic. Our finance her clients. I greatly admire Jan’s ability to make complex situations seem simple and was organised without any hiccups and with a quick turn around. I would clear. I also respect her ability as a business owner and leader and I see her at the recommend Jan at Start Fresh Finance to anyone who is after efficient forefront of professional Financial Brokers”

and friendly service.”

Ben Reiss – BTE Excavations

Jen & Paul O’Shea - NSW

Contact Jan on 0468 371 449 jan@startfreshfinance.com.au www.startfreshfinance.com.au 52 ISSUE 72

‘Lease, Chattel Mortgage, Rent To Own, Personal Loan’

FAST APPROVALS! J.A.W Financial P/L ABN 73 155 538 793 Acl 436677

, I'M YOUR'S TAKE ME!

ISSUE

4

2015

D IF YOU COUL N I G N I H T Y N A HAVE D L U O W T A H W LIFE, ?

R O F H S I W U YO

// Next Issue 20 July www.businessmattersmagazine.com.au // Publication Date 15 June YOUR SUNSH INE COAST LIFES T YLE MAG AZINE

SEE PAGE 68 FOR OUR SPOTL IGHT ON SUCCE SS SERIES NINE YEARS ON WITH LOCAL SUCCE SS ‘WORL D SURFA RIS’ LIFE MATTERS 53

Sc–Rub Tur–kee [noun] • Adapts to local habitat • Prefers sustainable stuff b Turkey!

Welcome to Scrucaf newest addition to the é and produce store is the

le This funky and earthy al, organic and sustainab rkey sources the best loc ch Ea a. ran Wa in BFresh family. Scrub Tu h res BF adjacent to its ‘big sister’ you products and is located and tips to not only help ts duc pro g rin sha be l wil rs, ke tte ma Ma l e wil Lif t e, tha s issu choice d but to help you to make . net pla and y to look good and feel goo ntr cou y, nability of our communit a difference to the sustai

Turkey Scrub

Gypsy Gregory is the inventor/chef of Turkey Scrub, a whole body exfoliator which combines sustainable coffee grinds and cold pressed organic coconut oil to exfoliate and moisturise the body in one deliciously pampering experience.

How did you come up with this idea?

Gypsy learned that coffee grinds were a great skin exfoliator and when combined with the moisturising and antiseptic properties of coconut oil, she knew she was onto a good thing. Having had a few skin problems of her own and having tried many things, this combination was the perfect natural alternative and gave her fantastic results. Word soon got out and orders started rolling in from members of the Scrub Turkey and BFresh family. She was on a winner and now supplies her famous ‘Turkey Scrub’ to the general public.

How do the coffee grinds help the skin?

What are some other ways to use Coconut Oil? * Coconut oil can be used as a makeup remover. It’s really great for eyelashes as it softens the mascara and helps to remove it without damaging your lashes. Using coconut oil for makeup remover is also great as it helps to rejuvenate the skin with the moisture your makeup may have been removing throughout the day.

Coffee grinds are the perfect exfoliator for the skin and due to utilising them in their natural state, are not as harsh on the skin as some processed exfoliates can be. As such, they also retain a lot of their caffeine levels and when applied to the skin, are absorbed naturally through our pores. Caffeine has been known to help with skin elasticity and firming, leaving your skin feeling fresh.

* Coconut Oil can also be utilised as a hair mask.

Hop in the shower, brush it through, leave it in for a few minutes and wash it out with shampoo. Your hair will soak up the moisturising properties. * It can also be used for ‘oil pulling’. This simply means swishing it around your mouth, just like mouthwash. Due to the antiseptic properties it can help to keep your mouth and gums healthy.

Meet our SCRUB TURKEY Family… Gypsy Gregory Tell us your Scrub Turkey story? For a year I was working over at BFresh and when I found out Belinda was starting a side project I was really interested in it and the concept and wanted to be a part of it What do you love about being part of the Scrub Turkey Family? I love getting to know all of our locals. You really discover what is coming into the store and what is going out. You know what’s being put into what you’re eating and what you’re buying. You also get to discover what everyone is doing on the Coast. It’s pretty awesome when you get to see just how many people have their own chickens, greenhouses and how many people make their own healthy chocolates. It’s amazing how many people are involved in the healthy lifestyle.

What are your favourite Scrub Turkey products (besides your own amazing Turkey Scrub!)? I love the Saya Skincare range but I have to say my absolute favourite is the paleo chocolate!

239 Nicklin Way (BFresh Complex), Warana

> Tues-Sat 8am-3pm

> Follow us on Instagram

NATURAL LIFE MATTERS

BY JODI CHAPMAN, ADVANCED WELLNESS AND BEHAVIOURAL CENTRE

Menopause: Is HRT Prolonging the Inevitable?

Know the Facts

Me-No-Pause!

Don’t let menopause slow you down!

Can you remain on HRT or Bio-Identical Hormones for the rest of your life? Many women have been prescribed HRT for years, even decades beyond the expected end of menopause. Is this really necessary? Often a woman will go through exactly the same symptoms of menopause she would have years earlier, though now, not as young or as robust in health. The symptoms of menopause are only expected to last for 18 months from onset, yet we are treating the condition for up to 20 years.

In our western culture, our lifestyle goes against how a woman’s body functions, and we have forgotten how to pass on the important information about how the body transitions smoothly.

It is a lot easier than most women know, and are often shocked to find out.

Menopausal symptoms arise when there is the sudden drop in hormones, rather than a slow decline over years. Your adrenal glands also produce hormones for a smooth transition as long as you allow them to.

1. Hormones are made from good cholesterol which is made from good fats in your diet. Reducing fat to very low levels reduces your ability to make hormones causing much more severe symptoms of menopause.

2. High carbohydrate diets produce more bad cholesterol and less good cholesterol, reducing again the cholesterol available for hormones.

3. Stress causes production of cortisol using up the valuable good cholesterol, now less available for hormones. Reducing stress, or supporting the adrenal system is essential.

4. Good bacteria in your gut are responsible for processing the hormones made by your adrenal glands ready for use, so keeping gut flora healthy is also essential.

5. Your liver is responsible for detoxifying old hormones so they do not recirculate. Living a healthy lifestyle, eating clean, and exercising are all very important in managing menopause.

You can get off HRT, and get on with a healthy life.

Speak to a naturopath or nutritionist to find out more and learn about everything that causes hormonal and mood problems, and what to do about it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jodi Chapman BHSc is a qualified Nutritionist and Naturopath specialising in the field of optimal performance for mental and physical energy, particularly recovery from depression, anxiety and ADHD.

You don’t have to accept hot flushes, insomnia, digestive disturbance, weight gain, poor memory, increased pain, low libido and mood swings as just part of menopause!

By following an individualised treatment and food plan we will work on balancing your hormones so you can say good bye to menopause and get on with living the life you love!

Book your

FREE

30 minute hormonal health consultation today!

Phone 5443 1987 44 Baden Powell St, Maroochydore info@advancedwellness.com.au www.advancedwellness.com.au LIFE MATTERS 55

EYEBROW MATTERS

BY SARAH CHAPMAN, ALLURE MEDI SPA & BEAUTY LOUNGE

A deeper look at the causes of eyebrow loss It’s hard to stay on eyebrow trend with different eyebrow thicknesses coming in and out of style, and over the years excessive waxing and plucking for that super thin eyebrow may have caused your eyebrows to not grow back!

Along with the abuse from tweezers and wax pots, conditions or practises such as excessive physical exercise, nutritional deficiencies (yes that’s right - depriving your body of whole food groups can too have a result on your brows), emotional stress, hormonal imbalances and even the use of incorrect skin care products/routines can all have a drastic impact on ones brows. Further to this we add medical conditions such as an under-active thyroid which can cause women to lose as much as one third of the hair on their eyebrows.

Aging unfortunately can cause hair loss or thinning over the entire body, including eye brows!

Luckily though there are ways to stimulate the hair follicle and re-grow our eyebrow hairs! Finding a good eyebrow therapist who is committed to work with you and research why your eyebrow hairs aren’t growing back is essential! In salon treatments such as professional serums and crèmes as well as light therapies can stimulate the hair follicle.

There is also homework you can be doing at home to help achieve a fast result.

Rubbing castor, coconut or olive oil over your eyebrows before going to bed can promote hair growth. It may seem strange but applying onion juice to your eyebrows can also increase your hair growth – and whilst the smell won’t be great- do it for your brows!!

It is also essential to keep up with major stimulating nutrients such as vitamins A, E and D which promote hair growth, as well as vitamin B to reduce the effects of the bodily stress responses. It has been said that a combination similar to this and the use of flaxseed oil will work wonders from the inside out!

When it comes to maintenance, avoid plucking your eyebrows at home. Your eye brows are not only individual to you in their shape, but also in how they grow. For this reason only let your trusted eyebrow therapist wax, shape and tweeze your eyebrows to ensure the only hairs being removed are always going to be the unnecessary ones and not simply a longer, straggler that could have been used to create fullness!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Chapman is the owner of Allure Medi Spa and Beauty Lounge. Sarah is passionate about the difference that perfect eyebrows can make for both men and women.

56 ISSUE 72

WHAT IS BROW REHAB? Brow rehab is a 3 month programme in which you would attend the salon every 3 weeks for your brow rehabilitation and Allure Medi Spa & Beauty Lounge will recreate your brows to their original perfection.

WHO IS IT FOR? Allure Brow Rehab is perfect for anyone who is unhappy with their shape. Whether it’s been a case of overtweezing, incorrect shaping or poor nutrition leading to hormonal changes, the team at Allure, along with the Baieme Brow Rehab range can help get your brows to their best possible state!

WHAT’S INCLUDED? •

Peronalised Consultation including information on your stages of hair growth and what can be done to recover your Brows

•

4 x Professional Only Indian Gooseberry Growth treatment

•

4 x In Salon LED LIGHT TREATMENT TO STIMULATE FOLLICLES

•

1 x Allure Arch Angel Brow Design

•

3 x Allure Arch Angel Follow Up Brow Design

•

+ Baieme Brows Rehab Pack to take home and use daily (incl retail Gooseberry growth serum and Night Time Conditioning Concentrate rrp $79)

YOUR INVESTMENT LUDES This 3 month programme which INC own very r you + 4 spa visits over 3 months $502) (rrp 9 $29 only is Baieme Brows Rehab Pack

ANIMAL MATTERS

BY CAROL SAROGLIA, AUSTRALIA ZOO

To all earths’ creatures both great & small, our children are by far, the most important of all The fight against wildlife and habitat consumption starts with understanding, develops with compassion and endures with respect.

The daily focus of an educator is to engage and impress; to educate and inspire; to leave a lasting impression; to create that critical sense of urgency and initiate calls to action. When you spell it out like that, quite frankly, it can seem more than a little daunting, but sometimes the most simplistic of concepts are the most effective.

Natural connections - you don’t have to work at these, you don’t have to come up with a list of pros and cons, they exist, they connect, they endure - they just work! Children and animals have a natural connection. Animals are the magnet and children are the willing ions – animal magnetism you could say. Now what child in some part of their life didn’t dream of being a zookeeper? The sense of adventure, new and unique experiences – we probably all have!

Children and animals have a natural connection.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carol Saroglia, Education and Volunteer Manager Australia Zoo – Carol is an experienced educator, with an extensive background in both wildlife sciences and business management. Carol and the experienced education team at Australia Zoo bring amazing wildlife adventures to the young and young at heart every day.

ZoO KeEpEr

FoR A DaY

4-15

YeArS OlD

fUn-fIlLeD dAy oF aDvEnTuRe

Book online now for the winter school holidays

1638 Steve Irwin Way, Beerwah, Qld, 4519 Open Daily 9.00am - 5.00pm

australiazoo.com.au

1803

We live with the premise that everything is accessible if we desire it. What if that wasn’t true? What if you couldn’t even see the colour of the sky, feel the grass beneath your feet, hear the sounds of the birds, smell the rain? There are children out there who can’t do any of these things – they’re unable to explore their world and experience the things we take for granted. As educators, we’re always looking for the opportunity to create the spark in the eyes and the minds of children - animals are a natural conduit and they have the innate capacity to stimulate a response, sometimes beyond all preconceived expectations.

LIFE MATTERS 57

YOUR BODY MATTERS

BY DEBBIE CHAPPELL, REVIVAL CLINIC

Losing the ‘difficult’ kilos Have you ever wondered why those last few kilograms are so stubborn and hard to shift? One myth is that all you have to do to lose weight is to burn more calories than you eat. The equation is simple.

Weight = Calories In – Calories Burned But this equation and, indeed, this mentality has some fundamental errors,

We want to keep muscle and shed fat rather than indiscriminately reduce all body tissue just to see the scales tell us a ‘better story’.

Not All Calories Are Equal Because those calories can come from three different sources – protein, fat and carbohydrates. Protein and carbohydrates deliver roughly the same amount of energy per gram and fat delivers double that amount. What is most important is that the body will select which one it wants to burn depending on its internal conditions. For example, under normal conditions in Australia, we have normal to high blood sugar levels, plenty of glycogen (like ‘backup’ stored carbs) and so we will burn a majority of energy from carbohydrates during the day. Another example is, if we are malnourished and have an insufficiency of fuel, our body will start to catabolise (break down) those tissues which it deems to be expendable and that are burning too much energy. The result? Your body ‘eats’ your muscle tissue, degenerates your bones and sacrifices your immune cells. Why? To conserve energy and consume the protein they were made up from.

This creates a slower metabolism resulting in weight gain, higher risk of sickness, and more difficulty fighting infections.

The solution is to use a FAT BURNING eating plan rather than a calorie controlled eating plan. We want to keep muscle and shed fat rather than indiscriminately reduce all body tissue just to see the scales tell us a ‘better story’.

TIME TO GET YOUR BODY BACK? SPECIAL OFFER (normally $187) *New clients only

$49*

OFFER INCLUDES: • Relaxing and painless focused light therapy for fat and cellulite reduction • Papilio Fat Burning Session • Body Composition Assessment Scientifically proven approaches to fat loss, cellulite reduction and body shaping. Unique services to Sunshine Coast.

www.revival.net.au MINYAMA

PEREGIAN BEACH

5477 5788 5471 2288

Floor 1, 15 Nicklin Way Minyama

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debbie Chappell has been a multidisciplinary natural health practitioner since 1992 specialising in cellulite reduction, fat management and preventative nutrition. She founded Revival in 2003 and is devoted to helping people live better, for longer.

58 ISSUE 72

2/12 Grebe St Peregian Beach

MECHANICAL MATTERS

BY BEN HAMMOND AND TED RUSSELL, BLISS MOBILE MECHANICS

Once you have found the right mechanic for you

Need a MechaTnAic? LIFE JUST GO WHOLE LOT EASIER!

Once you have been given a price, it is very important you get a quote so that there can be no discrepancy when it comes time to pay, the most important thing for a customer is that they know exactly what they are getting and at what price.

Make sure you find out what parts they use and find out what sort of manufacturer guarantee is attached to the parts supplied.

A good mechanic should also call if there are any extra issues found and suggest to the customer solutions for a repair instead of taking the liberty of repairing at an extra cost without your consent. Don’t let mechanics tell you that something needs to be done straight away unless you trust them or they have a reason with proof that supports their theory.

Remember to share your experience with others whether it be good, bad or other After all the work has been done and you walk away feeling a sense of satisfaction, that you have been treated like a human and not an open wallet then I think you have found your mechanic.

Remember to share your experience with others whether it be good, bad or other so that credit can be rewarded to the mechanic for their efforts and hopefully increase their customer base, if it’s bad then it’s a friendly reminder to the business that they need to change and improve to be the best they can and should be and also to assist in reconstructing an industry.

Our next topic will be, ‘The misconception when it comes to New Car Warranty’.

NO DOWN TIME FOR YOUR BUSINESS FLEET! Overnight Servicing Available!

The Bliss Mechanics have over 30 years combined experience and understand that first impressions count. You will personally meet your mechanic, receive a reminder text and a follow up call. It couldn’t be easier!

l

Book your Blissful Mechanica Experience TODAY! Log Book Service All Vehicle Servicing Minor Service or repairs Fleet Servicing - day or night Servicing the Sunshine Coast

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Long story short, Bliss Mobile Mechanics Sunshine Coast was founded in 2014 by two friends. Ted has been working in the automotive industry for over 10 years, working on motorcycles to 20 tonne trucks and everything in between.

Ben has over five years’ experience in the mobile service industry, working with electrical trades and within the automotive industry. Together, Ted and Ben want to change the standard of the automotive service industry.

Locally owned

07 5325 1120 or 0421 375 372

mechanic@blissmm.com www.blissmm.com

LIFE MATTERS 59

YOUR CAT MATTERS

BY TANIA BARTON, HOBBITS KNOB CAT RETREAT

I could never leave my cat in a boarding cattery A cat is more than a pet; they are a family member and a lifetime companion. Their ability to create a special bond with humans is unique due to their sensitive, but wild nature. So, when the thought of taking your precious feline friend out of their comfortable home environment makes you feel anxious, you have just cause to feel this way - their stress levels can increase from the moment they see the packed bags, the carry box or even the plane tickets.

IT’S A CATS LIFE...

at Hobbits Knob Cat Retreat

Pamper your cat in a luxurious holiday sanctuary exclusively designed for providing optimal health and wellbeing whilst offering peace of mind to family.

When a cat’s stress levels increase, their immunity decreases, and their personality, eating and toileting behaviours change. These individual changes in a cat’s behaviour can be minimal or they can be to the extreme, depending on the change of circumstances at home and their normal behaviour.

This is where choosing someone to care for your cat at times when you are unable to, is an extremely important decision, to ensure their maximum health and wellbeing is being monitored and their behaviour is being nurtured.

The Sunshine Coast is the lifestyle capital of Queensland where work and play mix so freely, so when the time comes to take a holiday, move house, renovate, invite family and friends to stay, or even help with post surgery recovery, the cats’ needs should be on top of the list of important things to do.

A boarding cattery can give you the freedom you deserve as a pet owner, so you can relax knowing that your loved one is in the hands of professional, caring staff who can cater to their every desire.

Hobbits Knob Cat Retreat now offer a collection and drop off service, for cats needing accommodation.

• Various Veterinary Clinics from Caloundra to Noosa and to the hinterland are a safe point where you can drop your cat off for collection by the Kitty Caddy to deliver them to the Cattery and drop them back at the end of their stay.

• Sunshine Coast and Brisbane airports for those frequent flyer cats or when it’s time to move.

• Assisting the elderly and disabled with transporting their cats to and from the cattery. e accommodation from 5 levels of secure, comfortabl ious discounts including var $22 to $40 per night, with same home, Senior card and more than one cat from the g stays over 2 weeks. carers card holders and lon

Contact our friendly staff for a detailed information pack including a personalised quote or arrange an inspection time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tania Barton is a passionate animal care advocate and has been actively involved in various aspects of the animal industry for 20 years. Tania owns and operates, along with her amazing staff, Hobbits Knob Cat Retreat, which provides a safe, comfortable and friendly environment for cats away from home.

60 ISSUE 72

129 Dales Road, Chevallum Phone 5478 9882 www.catretreat.com.au

FAMILY MATTERS

BY JOANNE BOUGHTON, BOUGHTON LEGAL

Are you considering a separation?

YOUR FAMILY

matters!

It is not unusual to feel bewildered and uncertain as to how to proceed when a separation occurs or you are at the point of considering a separation. Here is a list of suggestions that will help you focus on the issues and will assist a lawyer in advising you: • Gather paperwork including bank account statements, income tax returns and notices of assessment, reports or other documents regarding medical issues, marriage certificate (if applicable), and superannuation benefit statements.

• Make a list of what you want to achieve in resolving the parenting or property settlement issues and what your ‘bottom line’ is - this may change as your matter progresses.

• Make a list of important dates as applicable including date of commencement of cohabitation, date of marriage, date of separation, dates of birth of children and date of divorce.

• Make a list of details of children including schools or other educational facilities attended by the children, the year they are enrolled in, any medical issues or disabilities suffered by the children, and any agreement as to initial living arrangements for children.

• Make a list of property and debts including full address of all real property, make model and year of manufacture of any vehicle, details of superannuation, a list of all bank accounts and loan accounts including credit cards and the balance in each or owing on each.

• Bring a notebook and make notes during consultations.

• Engage the assistance of a group of professionals - financial advisor, accountant, health professional to work together with you and your lawyer.

• Focus on the end result and prioritise your health both mental and physical.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joanne Boughton is a family lawyer with over 21 years of experience assisting clients in family law matters, she is passionate about assisting clients through the difficult process of separation so that they can move on with the rest of their life.

Boughton Legal provide expert advice in all Family Law matters including: • Divorce • Property Settlements • Binding Financial Agreements • Dispute Resolution • Parenting Arrangements • Powers of Attorney • Mediation Boughton Legal are offering a free initial (no obligation) consultation in all Family Law matters.

Phone: 5313 4999 Email: mail@boughtonlegal.com.au www.boughtonlegal.com.au LIFE MATTERS 61

M1, PO

SUSTAINABILIT Y MATTERS

BY CHRIS SLY, BUSH AND BEACH HOMES

Best Lighting Options for a Sustainable Home Lights are used every day in the home, a lot more than most appliances. To ensure your home is truly sustainable, it is important more modern lighting options are used instead of the traditional ones, such as the incandescent bulbs that burn so much power.

Create.

Escape.

Discover.

If you are still in the planning stage of your home, it is a good idea to ensure that it makes as much use of natural light as possible. That means placing the living areas on the side that gets the most sunlight and designing the building so the natural daylight can pour in unimpeded to a great extent. Natural lighting can also be enhanced by the use of skylights or light shafts, by the use of light-coloured paint on the walls, and having window furnishings that can be pulled right back to let in the light.

Bush and Beach ‘Greensmart’ homes combine environmentally friendly materials to form creative rooflines and facades that are perfectly at home in the Australian Bush or at the Beach. Wide verandas, eaves and flyover rooflines, combine with breezeways to provide passive heating and cooling year round. Expansive decks create the perfect space for outdoor kitchens enhancing the Australian lifestyle we all enjoy, also doubling as undercover play area for the children regardless of the heat or the rain.

While halogen downlights are still popular, much of the power used is wasted on producing heat. These lights need to be carefully installed so as to keep the heat away from insulation or anything else that could catch alight. Even though they last about twice as long as other incandescent lights, the cost of running them is much higher, with the transformer consuming 10-30 per cent of the power needed.

Sloping Land?

Not a Problem for Bush and Beach Homes! If you’ve got a sloping block we’d love to hear from you, Bush and Beach Homes specialize in building on sloping land. Let us talk to you about all the great features and benefits and help you to work out what’s going to be best for both your needs and the requirements of your site.

The most modern lights – the compact fluorescent light and LED lighting – are cheap to run and last much longer than other kinds of lights. This offsets the initial cost which often puts people off buying them. Because some last up to 50,000 hours before they wear out, it is possible to save much more than the cost of purchase in that time.

Fluorescent tubes last for around 8,000 hours – much longer than incandescent lamps – and they are cheap to run, generating only a fraction of the heat. However, the size, shape and flickering are seen by many to be obstacles to their installation. Nowadays, compact fluorescent lights offer a good alternative as they are cheap to run and durable, but LED lighting is an even better option.

By utilising a combination of fluorescent and LED lights, the cost of lighting can be reduced by up to 85 per cent; a saving that is well worth while. LEDs generate very little heat so your home will not heat up as quickly.

There are several new developments available for residential lighting that will offer even more savings. Compact fluorescent lights that need no transformer to gobble up the power, and LED lights that use only three watts while still providing fantastic light, will ensure that your costs can be cut even further.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Sly – Managing Director – 30 years of experience in construction and management have equipped Chris to position Bush and Beach Homes as industry leaders in the category of Sustainable Homes. Bush and Beach success is all about their people, and together with fellow Director Mark Cruse they have assembled an exceptional team of skilled and experienced construction professionals capable of exceeding your dreams for your new home.

62 ISSUE 72

“

Anne Robotham and Bruce Turnbull We approached Bush and Beach with our ‘must haves’, wish list and budget. We met them on-site and were overwhelmed by the Concept drawings they presented. These exceeded our expectations and surpassed what we had achieved with the original architects. What is more, the estimated build cost was very comfortably within our budget.

”

Our team of professional consultants and home builders will help you to get the best value out of your building budget.

For more information call today on

1300 329 033 visit bushandbeach.com.au or facebook.com/bushandbeach Drop in for a coffee and a chat about your requirements or schedule a free land consultation and discuss your ideas with one of our friendly and experienced design consultants.

EDUCATION MATTERS

BY DR BRONWYN DOLLING, PACIFIC LUTHERAN COLLEGE

does your child love learning?

So do we.

Growing Capacity To equip our young people to flourish in a rapidly changing world, schools, like other enterprises, need to change and adapt, to take note of international and local learnings and to innovate. One of the great innovators of the previous century, Albert Einstein, advised people to, ‘Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.’ For parents of three year olds, there might be some encouragement in this but there is also great wisdom for people of all ages. Greater opportunity emerges when we are able to ask the right questions and then utilise intellectual, personal and social capacities to move towards improved outcomes.

To grow capacity in any individual, group or team, there needs to be a growth mindset, where creative thought and action is encouraged.

To grow capacity in any individual, group or team, there needs to be a growth mindset, where creative thought and action is encouraged. In a school context, students and teachers need to own their own learning and be immersed in a learning culture that values thinking, creativity and understanding. Good educational contexts are dynamic and provide the opportunity for both staff and students to access, share and build their learning individually and collaboratively from a range of sources and in different ways. Flexibility in virtual, and physical indoor and outdoor spaces and furnishings support a personalised approach to learning.

Pacific Lutheran College is a supportive learning community, with a strong academic focus and exceptional sporting, cultural and outdoor programs.

Our curriculum is designed to support a seamless transition from Kindergarten to Year 12, and then to life beyond school. Fostering thinking skills, curiosity and deep understanding, Pacific helps each child develop their own passion for learning.

The celebration and incorporation of failure is an important part of the learning process. Space and time to play with ideas and learn from mistakes is central to the development of deep understanding and the generation of new thinking. Developing the capacity to build understandings independently is at the heart of the learning process.

Learning is a relational activity. Attention to the growth of the whole person as an interdependent and contributing part of community, means it is important to pay attention to the development of the social emotional, the cultural and the physical well being of people in conjunction with their intellectual capacities.

There should be a focus on the growth of values and a sense of global efficacy and responsibility. For schools that have the capacity to support the growth of the spiritual dimension this is an integral part of every person’s development.

Research in all of these areas is advancing and engagement and enhancement of parent understandings is a key to the success of the learning process.

Learning, like all things worthwhile, ‘is hard fun’. Where there is space for innovation, creativity and relationships to collaborate and test with, learning flourishes.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr Bronwyn Dolling is the Principal of Pacific Lutheran College, a co-educational, Lutheran school for students from K-12. Bronwyn has worked in the education industry for over 35 years and has served as Pacific’s Principal since its inception in 2001 and also on various education committees at a state and national level. She is passionate about providing a rich education that supports the development of the whole child.

www.pacificlutheran.qld.edu.au PHONE Chris Henschke, College Registrar on 5436 7321

LOCATION Woodlands Boulevard, Meridan Plains 4551

LIFE MATTERS 63



Businesses set to Fly Local with Sunshine Coast Airport

In early June 2015, Sunshine Coast Airport launched its Fly Local campaign promoting the benefits of flying from the airport. The Fly Local campaign highlights the real savings business travellers can make every trip they Fly Local. Flying from our local airport can save you real dollars and hours on your valuable time, let alone the stress of a long drive after a hard day, or the anxiety of making a flight that depends on traffic.

The airport would love to see more locals taking up the Fly Local challenge and is asking the regular business commuters to imagine what they would rather be doing with their time. Sunshine Coast business entrepreneur Kim McCosker, from publishing company 4 Ingredients, has joined the campaign as an ‘I Fly Local’ ambassador.

Kim says the Sunshine Coast Airport is a great convenient location to fly from rather than having to travel to Brisbane.

“Sunshine Coast Airport is practically my second home and we (my family and staff) love being able to fly from here rather than fighting traffic, roadworks and crowded carparks. I travel dozens of times a year and wherever possible choose to fly from Sunshine Coast Airport because it’s easier”, Kim said.

“It’s a mere 20 minutes from my home, there is ample parking and I have never once forgotten where I parked my car. I would much rather spend the extra hours with my family than travelling to and from Brisbane, particularly when it means leaving home hours ahead to beat peak traffic into Brisbane or risk missing your flight!”.

The campaign unashamedly features a parochial Fly Local message to the local business community through various communication channels including a flylocal.com.au WEB: flylocal.com.au 64 ISSUE 72

campaign web page. There is also a competition to enter online with fantastic prizes on offer. You can win one of four two-night packages to Sydney or Melbourne including flights, accommodation at Oaks Hotels and Resorts, breakfast, airport transfers and tickets to a range of exciting events – an ideal reason to entertain business clients in Sydney or Melbourne. Current services out of the airport include multiple daily flights to Sydney and Melbourne, and direct seasonal services to Auckland, New Zealand.

Sunshine Coast Airport General Manager, Peter Pallot, said there are more than 30,000 registered businesses on the Sunshine Coast, many who need to travel interstate regularly to conduct their business. “Our surveys reveal the average Sunshine Coast business person travels by air approximately 15 times a year. Part of our goal here at the Council owned Sunshine Coast Airport is to make it easier for local businesses to trade more effectively with interstate markets, particularly Sydney and Melbourne”, Mr Pallot said.

“By stimulating our outbound business community to use Sunshine Coast Airport, we hope to demonstrate the real need for same day interstate and intrastate business travel for our business community. We want to engage business community support and work together to secure more flights and business friendly flight schedules. The support of local business is imperative to help achieve these goals”.

“The airport is extremely proud to get Kim McKosker and other business ambassadors joining the campaign”, Mr Pallot added. Mr Pallot summarised the campaign by saying, “We are asking everyone in the Sunshine Coast business community to get on board (pun intended) and live the motto I Fly Local”. e

FACEBOOK: #SunshineCoastAirport

HASHTAG: #flylocal

vehicle life with Ron Hill Auto

Why service my transmission?

Around 70 per cent of vehicles coming into our workshop are in trouble with automatic transmission problems. The automatic transmission (also called automatic gearbox, self-shifting gearbox or A/T) gives driving comfort by freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually and the transmissions job is to transfer the power of the engine to the driving wheels of your vehicle.

People who have had to repair their transmission become educated and become regular service customers.

If we can convince more private owners to service their transmission on a regular basis, and avoid a failure, together with all the associated inconvenience, we have done our job well.

Transmissions are failing after the manufacturer’s warranty period and require extensive repairs due to lack of regular servicing.

Hydraulic control systems are wearing out due to lack of oil and filter changes. This results in slipping clutches and of course expensive transmission failure. 115,000 to 130,000 kilometres is not unusual!! The transmission is the most expensive and complex component in your vehicle and benefits from fluid and filter changes just like your engine.

Does my transmission get serviced with my regular vehicle servicing?

Generally not. Most vehicle manufacturers now regard this component as ‘sealed for life’.

When should my transmission be serviced?

We recommend that you have your transmission serviced once a year.

What happens if I don’t service my transmission?

The transmission life is shortened and drivability, together with fuel economy is affected. ca

Sandra and Bill Olah, owners of Ron Hill Auto celebrate multiple award wins and 40 years on the Sunshine Coast.

Contact Ron Hill Auto on 5443 4444 for all your service and maintenance needs.

5443 4444 // www.ronhillautomatics.com.au

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mindset for life

with Mandy Napier, Mindset for Success

Money - It’s your beliefs that count.

Beliefs are powerful and become the framework for our lives. They can be helpful or unhelpful.

To paraphrase Henry Ford, ‘Whether you believe you can afford to do a thing or not, you’re right’.

If you are holding onto limiting beliefs around money, you are literally blocking the natural flow of money. So, if you want more money, it’s a good idea to clear out these disempowering beliefs.

For example: ‘You must work hard to earn money’ ‘We can’t afford………..’

‘There is always enough to go round.’

Step 3 Highlight any statements that are limiting. These are your limiting beliefs and are costing you!

Step 1 Observe your inner dialogue to become aware of your beliefs. Many are hidden in the deepest recesses of the mind. However, if you aren’t aware of them you can’t possibly change them.

Step 4 Run each limiting belief through these questions.

1. Where did I learn this from?

2. Do I really believe this?

3. What would happen if I could let go of this belief?

4. Could I let it go now?

5. How do I feel when I consider this?

6. Can I create a rational reason to change this belief?

7. My new empowering belief is…..

Step 2 Write down all the statements you remember hearing about money when you were young.

Congratulations! You now know how to identify and loosen limiting beliefs. Next time you hear yourself saying a statement that limits you, get out these questions, and change that belief now!

How do we do this?

Mandy Napier BSC is a Mindset & Performance Coach. She is passionate about helping people harness the power of their minds for optimal performance in business, life and sports. To download your free success resources, click on www.mindsetforsuccess.com.au/getting-things-done. ca 1300 785 078 // www.mindsetforsuccess.com.au

Ask about our Development Monitoring Program

Ask about Ask about ourour Development Development Monitoring Monitoring Program Program

A Confident Smile a Confident Child A Confident Smile is is a Confident Child We’ll make smile at Ocean Orthodontics We’ll make youyou smile at Ocean Orthodontics

Relaxing atmosphere and latest technology including: Relaxing atmosphere and latest technology including: Suresmile • Damon Braces • Invisalign Suresmile • Damon Braces • Invisalign

Embrace Experience Embrace the the Experience

The Sunshine Coast’s premium orthodontic provider.

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No referral necessary.

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Phone www.oceanorthodontics.com.au Phone 5493 5493 3200 3200 www.oceanorthodontics.com.au

66 ISSUE 72

Australasian Orthodontic Certified Australasian Orthodontic BoardBoard Certified

Caring is sharing at fortyfive�� Our amazing Chef Graeme has worked hard with the team to design a menu focused on sharing. Sharing our time, our experiences, our passion and of course, our food. Servings of tapas are designed to be brought out periodically, allowing you to enjoy a veritable range of flavours over the course of your event. Accompany this with beautiful wines, a large range of craft beers and a delicious selection of cocktails.

Getting to know Graeme.

What inspired you to become a chef?

I came into this career late by chef standards, starting in a professional kitchen at 22. I loved the challenge of creating dishes that were memorable and exciting. That’s what food does, awakens the senses.

Like how a certain smell invokes memories of grandma’s home baking, of an amazing holiday adventure or just a happy memory in general, we as chefs are charged with invoking such emotions.

What do you love about living on the Sunshine Coast?

The relaxing and beautiful surroundings, I live in a holiday destination with an amazing array of beaches which is very different from where I came from. It’s a wonderful place to bring up my young family. By catering standards the produce here is becoming more readily available and the standard of locally grown and sourced produce is excellent.

What is your favourite food dining in/out?

Tapas! I work on the move constantly so usually something quick. I love the idea of sharing food with friends, be it simple or slowly braised and thoroughly packed with flavour.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR GROUP BOOKINGS: Book a table of four or more through the magazine quoting “Bangin’ Tapas” to receive one of our delectable Charcuterie Board half price!

Vegetarian / Vegan option available

The team at FortyFive51 are dedicated to making your experience with us memorable. Whether it’s a relaxed, lazy lunch, a birthday, engagement or fancy dress party, a business meeting, a wedding reception, an event launch or just a great night out with friends we’ll do our best to make your outing special. We are locally owned and operated and are here to please. Come in and enjoy the open plan structure and funky atmosphere of FortyFive51 whilst listening to our talented live musicians. Our friendly, professional service, amazing food and cocktails are not to be missed!

Our fully licensed venue is available for group bookings, small or large, as well as exclusive use private hire. Additionally, we can cater for off site events providing food, beverage and staffing options to suit your needs. We also host a range of specialty nights, check out our Facebook page for upcoming events and our monthly Gig Guide – www.facebook.com/fortyfive51.

P: 07 5341 8374 | A: 115 Bulcock St, Caloundra QLD 4551 E: tapas@fortyfive51@com.au www.fortyfive51.com.au

LIFE MATTERS 67

WELCOME TO OUR SPOTLIGHT ON SUCCESS S E R I E S

with John Finlay from World Surfaris In this series, we catch up with some Sunshine Coast businesses that were in some of our very first issues of Business Matters Magazine and find out what has happened for them over the last nine years.

For our first of the series, we sat down with one of the directors of World Surfaris, John Finlay, to find out more about their local Sunshine Coast business with massive worldwide success.

World Surfaris is a unique business, it is the premier surf tourism company in Australia - maybe the world!

They are the recognised industry leader and have established an enviable reputation for innovation, reliability, integrity and outstanding service. World Surfaris still hand picks their unique surf adventures, and are only prepared to represent operators and destinations that offer the best qualities for their clients.

Like many entrepreneurs, the company founder, Shaun Levings had a vision that would allow him to combine two of his greatest passions – surfing and travel - and pursue them as an income producing initiative. He knew that there were many magnificent overseas surfing destinations that Australian surfers would enjoy. World Surfaris was initially founded as a division of another travel agency, until the Levings were granted their own travel agency licence (the travel agency licensing system was abolished by the government as of 1 July 2014).

68 ISSUE 72

BM asked WS, “What’s changed in the last 10 years for World Surfaris?”

From humble beginnings representing just one boat in the Maldives and operating from a home office, World Surfaris has grown to occupy two offices (Head Office in Mooloolaba and an office within KirraSurf on the Gold Coast), employ the equivalent of 12 full time staff including two working Directors and represent boats and resorts throughout the world.

In early 2014, the Levings sold 50 per cent of the business to John Finlay. The new partnership has proven to be very effective and their complementary skills have allowed Shaun to concentrate on marketing, with John looking after the finance and administration.

“How has business in general changed over the last 10 years?”

Probably the most dramatic change has been the impact of the digital age. Let’s remember that it was only 10 years ago that Facebook first launched. World Surfaris completed its previous website in 2007 and by the standards of that day, was quite advanced with a ‘Surfari Suggestor’ feature and an image gallery with a slideshow.

Fast forward to late 2013 and the website was looking very tired and outdated. It took many months of work to the website, finally going live with the new site in October 2014. It has wowed the industry with its slick videography and imagery, and user friendliness

www.worldsurfaris.com. Some destinations and boat trips are very popular and the super popular ones can tend to book out more than a year in advance. The e-commerce facility on our website allows a customer to secure their place at certain destinations by paying a small deposit.

We asked John, “What plans do you have for the next 10 years?”

From 1 July 2015, we will be offering a small handpicked range of snow trips. Our World SNOWfaris division will offer the same personal service to clients who are looking for an edgier and more exciting, wow factor in snow adventures.

Starting with a small range in Japan, we will build on that over time. From 1st July, World Snowfaris website is live.

We are also about to launch a direct debit savings facility in conjunction with the Commonwealth Bank. This facility will allow clients to pay for a surf or snow trip in small weekly or monthly amounts, thereby avoiding the scramble to find sufficient funds just before they leave.

The facility will also allow a client to save for their trip without even having decided on the destination. As the client takes their time deciding exactly where they would like to go (and when, for that matter), if they have signed up for the direct debit facility, they will be quietly and effortlessly accumulating the funds to pay for the trip. It will be an outstanding facility that no one else in the industry currently offers, and another example of the industry leading, innovation that is World Surfaris.

“What makes your customers choose you?” Our travel

consultants offer outstanding personal service with expert product knowledge. They go on familiarisation tours so

they can personally experience the adventure that our clients will be enjoying. We only represent destinations that offer great surf and a value for money experience.

In addition, the logistics in arranging every aspect of overseas surf travel is complex. Some of the destinations are in quite remote areas, in which ad hoc travel can be arduous. We hear many horror stories of DIY surf travellers.

Our expert travel consultants handle all the complexities of bookings with great care and attention to detail, so clients can relax. We truly believe the saying that ‘Without an experienced Travel Agent, you’re on your own’.

We asked John for his top tips to someone just starting out?

1. Make sure you understand your cash flow, right from the start, cashflow is king.

2. Make sure you understand how you can differentiate your product, which you must do in this day and age.

3. Be prepared to live with it 24/7.

4. Value your partnerships, not just your partners in business, both within your own business, and the relationships you have with other enterprises. Make sure you always aim for win/win situations to assure everyone benefits.

So what’s John’s favourite surfing spot? John is definitely a Maldives fan - he loves the clear water and the islands.

Having said that, he just returned from his first trip to Papua New Guinea which he says was amazing but he is still sticking with the Maldives as his all time favourite. e www.worldsurfaris.com

SCAN HERE TO WATCH THE FULL ‘SPOTLIGHT ON SUCCESS’ STORY WITH JOHN

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LIFE MATTERS 69

Sunshine Coast Tell us what you want?

Most amazing place on the Coast.

leader’s successes and failings the

Melinda Bingley – MAB Personal Training and Adventures Start a hashtag #SCRAOK – Sunshine Coast Random Act of Kindness

business community can tap into more knowledge and resources to achieve their goals of health, wealth, happiness and success.

Lisa Wain – Jerakala Beef Easy to share online articles and email per edition.

Business Matters invited 20 locals to share their ideas and thoughts of what they think might make a difference for the Sunshine Coast. What can Business Matters do, include, do differently in the magazine? Here is their input.

We invite yours too, email us at admin@bmmag.com.au. Let us know, what do you love, what would you like to see more of?

Tatiana Porter – Haycroft Workplace Solutions Read more about the people offering support to others in the community and business community here on the Sunshine Coast. (People Matter)

Zeke Rowland – Cottontree Backpackers The importance of mentors helping young business minds.

Jasmine Sharpe – Business Matters Magazine Customer Service of the Month for Individuals, Teams and Owners Sandra Olah – Ron Hill Autos and Transmissions Showcasing Random Acts of Kindness and Positive Customer Service Story Monique Parker – Marketing Velocity Best Customer Service on the Coast each month. Customers vote for a wow experience or product they received and winner gets showcased.

Joanne Skinner – Narrows Escape Rainforest Retreat Selfie Photo competition showcasing ‘Your favourite part of the Sunshine Coast’ Make advertising more subtle, varied content rather than themed.

Mark Skinner - Narrows Escape Rainforest Retreat Reward and Recognition of great customer service.

Image Competition using Hashtags –

David Chamberlain – Express Print and Mail Twelve month case study on one to four business showcasing their triumphs, progress, challenges, performance, learnings, goals, future, modifications and adaptations.

Jakki Goodall – Inhale Recipes from local chefs.

Ben Amos – Innovate Media Launch a Business Matters Business Makeover Competition – story about our Sunshine Coast Business People coming together to workshop, support and help grow a deserving small local business.

Ask the Expert Section Min Swan – Whitehouse Celebrations Would love to read about international and national CEOs and leaders and their behind the scenes stories.

Claire Delune - Claire Delune Designs It’s important to study not just people’s business success but their learnings from business challenges, experiences and failings. As people in business we need to engage in as much knowledge as possible. By showcasing a business

Jon Colley - Loan Wize Connect people with activities for past times to help them create a work/life balance.

John Pickering – Pickering Bookkeeping and Accounting Services Where are they now? ‘A History of Success on the Sunshine Coast’.

Michelle Hamer - Smart Advice Revisit the business from archives – Where are they now?

Many thanks to Lemon and Thyme for hosting this event.

Lemon and Thyme is a vibrant restaurant located on the busy and picturesque Esplanade of Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast. Across from the ocean, the natural and modern vibe will revitalise your spirits and uplift your mood. Lemon and Thyme takes customary dishes to a new level with a focus on herbs to enhance cuisine. Your culinary experience will be all the more memorable as our passion for mouth-watering meals meets passion for quality produce, good health and vitality. The unassuming atmosphere, the experience of the team and the selection of choice will leave you confidently knowing Lemon and Thyme is the place to be when dining in Mooloolaba or seeking a modest, hassle free bar on the Sunshine Coast.

craft beer / cocktails & wine / tapas / quality produce / paleo alternatives / live entertainment / experienced operators

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Thursday & Friday Afternoons, 4pm – 5pm with purchase of a cocktail, beer or wine (T&C’s apply) Followed by $10 Tapas Hour, 5pm – 6pm ... and much much more! (T&C apply)

70 ISSUE 72

the esplanade, mooloolaba phone 5452 6939 www.lemonandthyme.com.au

WEIGHT TRAINING FOR WOMEN: WHAT’S THE FINAL WORD Erin McTeigue from F45 Mooloolaba talks us through... Does lifting heavier weights make a female bulk up?

Erin has spent a lot of time in gyms over the years and even owned one herself. When she walked into F45 Mooloolaba she knew it was like no other. It wasn’t just a gym but a place of positive transformation and change. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that!

“When everyone has an opinion about changing body shape, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. As a personal trainer, one of the most common questions I am asked from females is ‘Will lifting weights make me bulky?’ Here are a few points that will hopefully clear up one of the biggest misconceptions in the fitness industry”.

Women lack the right balance of hormones to put on muscle mass the way men do Females produce a very small percentage of hormonal output (testosterone) in comparison to males, making it near impossible to bulk up the way men do. I believe a lot of what makes females feel bulky is their self-perception. When the body starts to harden and become more defined females can see this as bulking when in fact it is just different to what they are used to. Poor self-perception can be very damaging and it is extremely important to keep a healthy mindset while being well informed on the facts.

To get a smaller, leaner figure you must perform higher repetitions with lighter weights In my experience the body performs the best with variety. I think it’s more important to concentrate on fatiguing the muscle and mixing it up with different tempos than performing specific numbers of repetitions and sets. This not only keeps your body guessing, it alleviates boredom and makes exercise more fun.

Muscle is smaller in size than fat When comparing the size of one kilo of muscle to one kilo of fat, you will find that the kilo of fat is significantly larger in size. In most cases, what gives women that bulky look is high amounts of body fat not muscle. I know I would rather have one kilo of smooth muscle taking up less space in my body than a lumpy gelatinous mass of fat.

Muscle burns fat while at rest Muscle requires more energy to function than fat and therefore burns more calories each day while at rest. It’s a simple equation: the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Who doesn’t want to be chewing up calories while sitting on the couch?

But first you’ve got to pick up those weights. Those muscles aren’t going to sprout without a little effort.

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72 ISSUE 72

first cab off the rank with John Lobwein, Suncoast Cabs

As the Sunshine Coast’s only 24/7 public transport provider we rely on our customers to tell us how to do things better.

WHATS NEW? Pay direct from your credit card and have a receipt emailed to you when the trip is complete. You will receive a pin code to make sure no one takes your cab!

Our original mobile apps have been running successfully for the past couple of years and we have received some great feedback from the travelling public.

We have listened to the suggestions and are excited to announce our new Android and iPhone Apps. These apps are now live and they will automatically update if you have our original app.

The following features are already available on our Android and iPhone apps: • GPS locator – Don’t know exactly where you are?

We can find you from the GPS Signal from your phone.

• The app lets you know when the cab has accepted the booking and is getting close.

• Contact the driver directly via a Phone call or SMS • Shows the nearest available cars to your location.

• Book a cab in advance

No need to register - Login with your Facebook and book cabs within seconds.

     Feedback Matters - After your trip you can rate your experience and send notes directly back to the Suncoast Cabs headquarters.

$$$

Get a quote before you travel.

Got any suggestions or having problems with the App? Please give us a call on 5441 8899 or email cc@suncoastcabs.com.au.

John Lobwein has extensive experience in the Taxi industry in Australia. Having worked in the Finance and Credit fields for more than a decade, John changed industries in 1996, having held a taxi licence since 1989. Firstly as a taxi owner driver, John found more challenges lay ahead in the management arena. Taking on the role of Managing Director of the largest taxi company in North Queensland at the age of 34, John quickly established the largest serviced taxi area in Australia. After nearly a decade, John moved to Suncoast Cabs where he has continued to improve his knowledge of the taxi industry whilst moving the company into a solid financial position. ca

5441 8899 // cc@suncoastcabs.com.au

SCENE @ Debbie Chappell & Steve Alexander (Revival Clinic)

Ted Russell & Ben Hammond (Bliss Mobile Mechanics)

Joanna Sheridan & Rebecca Funnell (Griffith Parry Law)

Kim Wykes (Skywise), Donna Niazov (Family Friendly Carpet Cleaning), Terri Carr (Ballinger Training)

BM Launch Business Matters advertisers and readers got together to enjoy the launch of issue 71 at Open House Kawana. The food, atmosphere and service were all second to none.

Catherine Molloy, Paul Francis and Dani Royal-West

TEDX Noosa Sunshine Coast Locals and visitors from as far as Melbourne enjoyed some inspirational speakers at the recent SOLD OUT Tedx Noosa event. You can see all of the action here tedxnoosa.com

Elissa Higgins, Nina Shadforth and Mark Higgins

LIFE MATTERS 73

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carmel’s car chat

with Carmel Fulton, Pacific Motor Group

Seven reasons why you should buy a used car from a dealer and not the side of the road 1. Guaranteed Title: when you purchase a car from a licensed motor dealer you are guaranteed the car is free from any encumbrances to finance companies.

4. Specialist Advice: motor dealers are in the business of selling cars so the sales consultants can tailor the car to the intended purpose of the customer.

2. Warranty: most vehicles carry a ‘statutory’ warranty when you purchase it from a dealer. The length of this warranty will vary according to the type, age and mileage of the car, but is generally for 3 months from the date of purchase.

5. Trade-ins: there has been a trend away from trading cars with dealers and towards selling them privately. This is okay provided you have the time to sell the car. Most times it is not practical to retain two vehicles while you are waiting to sell the old one.

3. One Stop Shop: motor dealers not only sell vehicles, they also offer an in-house finance and insurance service. In most cases they are able to beat the bank’s interest rates due to the amount of vehicle finance written each month and because of the relationship they have with the financier in relation to their stock finance.

Insurance premiums are also very competitive and finance approvals can only take up to two hours in most cases.

6. Workshop Inspected Vehicles: it is a requirement in Queensland for a safety certificate to be obtained on any cars which are to be sold (transferred).

7. After Sales Service: unlike buying from a private customer, motor dealers are available to field any enquiries after you have purchased the car.

Carmel Fulton is a Concierge for Pacific Jaguar Land Rover, she is passionate about motoring and understands the importance of meeting her clients’ professional and personal needs when walking into the new Jaguar Land Rover Showroom at Maroochydore. ca 5458 9786 // www.pacificmotorgroup.com.au

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LIFE MATTERS 75

LOCALS

IN

BUSINESS AND LIFE

NAME: COMPANY:

Gary Hallam Go Skylights We are a local business specialising in skylights of all types but especially architectural products like Velux, that let in abundant natural light but also can cool your home.Passion is my tip for success in life and business. With passion you can achieve everything.

NAME: COMPANY:

Julianna Garrard Flexi Fit Training Flexi Fit Training is leading the way in creating a happier, healthier working environment. We provide on site seated massage, group fitness and workshops to encourage positive lifestyle choices that will improve both physical and mental health. Our services are designed to be fun, educational and effective in helping businesses care for their most valuable asset - you! Find us on Facebook. www.flexifittraining.com

PHONE: 0419 773 700

NAME: COMPANY:

NAME: COMPANY:

Mike Korsos Korsos Photography Korsos Photography is based in Nambour, servicing the Sunshine Coast and beyond.

As principal photographer, Mike manages the studio which has a high quality photo lab, in-store film processing, canvas printing, photo restorations, artwork reproductions and framing. My success/life tip: Imagine, Capture, Create. Follow your heart, seize opportunities and work hard. www.korsos.com.au

Lisa Wain Jerakala Beef Jerakala Beef is located at Big Top Market Fresh on Ocean Street.  I am the owner, the farmer and the butcher.  We are here to educate you on ethical meat production and provide you with quality beef products. www.jerakala.com.au

NAME: COMPANY:

Hayley Meiklejohn HPM Accountants Our business commenced in 2010. We were motivated to start HPM Accountants as we love business and we wanted to use our own approach to the accountant-business owner relationship.

30 June is not far away! Now is the time to review your business results and set goals for the new financial year. www.hpmaccountants.com.au

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76 ISSUE 72

love life

with Melinda Bingley, MAB Personal Training & Adventures

I am busy and don’t have time to exercise It’s the biggest excuse of all and most of the time it is just an excuse. People are not willing to make the time because they don’t have a big enough why, so most importantly: 1. Be clear of your why - what are you goals?

2. Remind yourself of the benefits of being active

a. Clears your mind

b. Gives you more energy

c. Decreases stress (which is high in business)

d. Improves positive attitude

e. Creates happy mindset

3. Plan your week and lock it in your diary. If you have an appointment locked in with a client, you will keep it, so if you have an appointment locked in with gym, friend or with a trainer you will keep it. Get help with creating a habit, remember if it was easy everyone would be doing. It just takes time to create the habit and you won’t even think twice about it, like brushing your teeth, why do you do that? For prevention and healthy choice, ask why do you want to be active every day, it will help!

4. 10 minutes is better than no minutes. Just start small to create a habit. Pick two exercises, for example, do one minute of squats, one minute of pushups or run one minute, walk one minute five times - that’s 10 minutes!

5. Make it fun. If you enjoy it, you will keep doing it, so find your fun.

6. Think where can you add more movement with what you’re already doing for example, can you take the stairs at work? Can you park the car further away, can you do squats when you go to toilet breaks, can you ride your bike to work?

Truly I find the biggest way to overcome the no time excuse is to face it and make the time because one day you will have no time to do the things you want to do, so do it now, as being active is a healthy choice so you can live a happy, healthy, active, adventurous balanced lifestyle, and that my friends is a big reason to create time now - so drop down give me 100 squats!

Mel Bingley is a qualified personal trainer, wellness coach and fitness professional who walks her talk. She has created her successful fitness business from her passion for adventure. Mel has personally trekked Camino De Santiago, Kokoda Trail, Route Burn NZ, Cass Saddle/ Lagoon Saddle NZ and has just completed Everest Base Camp late 2014 and has her sights set on the summit of Kilimanjaro in 2015. ca

0401 286 200 // www.mabpersonaltraining.com.au

Customer satisfaction that goes THROUGH THE ROOF

Velux Roof Windows and Go Skylights will change your home and change your life making you SEE the bright side of EVERYTHING! Want to transform your home? They can completely change the look style and balance of a room with modern architectural lines, abundant natural light and plenty of air flow which is all totally adjustable, giving you the power.

Other great features include: • Ten year window warranties • Fixed, manual and electric operable windows to choose from • Manual, electric and solarpowered Blockout and Venetian blinds • Virtually hail proof • Biggest range of skylights on the coast Contact Gary Hallam for through the roof customer service 0419 773 700 | gary@goskylights.com.au facebook.com/goskylight www.goskylights.com.au

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LIFE MATTERS 77

LOCALS

IN

BUSINESS AND LIFE

NAME: COMPANY:

Louisa Chamberlain PARA Services Pty Ltd PARA Services is a local Sunshine Coast paraplanning business established by a financial adviser who was looking for quality support to help her spend more time with her clients rather than doing back office work. PARA Services provides quality paraplanning, follow-up and implementation packages, training and other assistance tailored to what your business needs the most.

Success tip: ‘Focus on your strengths…. delegate your weaknesses’ www.paraservices.com.au

NAME: COMPANY:

Daniel Boon AKCOME Power Over 30 years studying the science of energy efficiency. Designer and builder of energy efficient housing, with double degree from Bond University.

Now with world leading solar company AKCOME Power, specialists in residential and commercial PV systems (500,000 kW installed and operational in 2014). Energy drives everything, therefore ERoEI (Energy Return on Energy Invested) is as important as Return on Investment.

See the light 0409 619 699 NAME: COMPANY:

Mark Evans Mark Evans Fine Jewellery Jewellery Designer and Goldsmith. As well as creating innovative jewellery designs, we also specialise in remodelling old jewellery into something new and amazing. We also offer a jewellery repair service, all work is done in our studio, and finally, we also have on display some beautiful and unique gemstones. ‘In life and business, trust, friendship, and success all depend on great communication’. www.markevansfinejewellery.com.au

NAME Grant Cunning COMPANY: Spire Law

Spire Law is a commercial and litigation firm. Our aim is to provide high quality legal advice and service by understanding our clients business, using the best technology and getting on with the job. ’Build a good and reliable team around you and seek their opinion and advice regularly.’ www.spirelaw.com.au

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Contact us at admin@bmmag.com.au Or phone 5444 4456

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How to win the inner game of money!

MONEY MINDSET WORKSHOP WHEN: Saturday 18th July 9:15am - 4.45pm WHERE: Monaco Apartments, Otranto St, Caloundra Full details and bookings http://www.mindsetforsuccess.com.au/ product/money-mindset-workshop/ BONUS: Book by 30th June and receive E-book ‘Mind versus Money’

Business matters but… life matters too!

END ESCAPE

RELAX AND ENJOY A WEEK

BM READER OFFER JUST $135 per night (two night min)

MENTION THIS AD

www.mindsetforsuccess.com.au For more information call Mandy on 0408 666 176

0408 751 863 www.pagopagonoosa.com.au

THE MAIN EVENT ENJOY 2.9% P.A. FINANCE ON 2015

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DISCOVERY MODELS†

With an outstanding 2.9% p.a. finance* with a maximum 50% balloon payment on all 2015 Discovery models,† adventure is calling. Finance to approved ABN holders only.

Pacific Land Rover 120 Sugar Road, Maroochydore.

Tel: (07) 5458 9786 www.pacificlandrover.com.au Offer available on new vehicles ordered between 01/06/15 – 31/07/15, and approved, settled and delivered by 31/07/15 at participating dealers while stocks last. *Finance to approved ABN holders only on a Goods Loan, maximum finance term of 36 months with a maximum 50% balloon. Offer excludes government, rental & fleet buyers. Credit criteria, fees, charges and terms & conditions apply. Finance is offered by St.George Bank – A Division of Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457 141 AFSL and Australian credit licence 233714. Land Rover Financial Services is a registered trading name of Jaguar Land Rover Australia Pty Ltd and is operated under licence by St.George Bank – A Division of Westpac Banking Corporation. †Offer is applicable to 2015 model year Land Rover Discovery only.