Business Connect Issue 86 (Autumn 2012) by Ashley Penny

Business Connect

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Business Connect

Editor Ashley Penny (02) 9458 7255 businessconnect@nswbc.com.au Copy Editor Mitchell Lewis DESIGNER Rebecca Solberg PhotographER Glen Pleffer Advertising enquiries Ashley Penny (02) 9458 7255 businessconnect@nswbc.com.au

NSW Business Chamber Locked Bag 938, North Sydney, NSW 2059 t 13 26 96 f 1300 655 277 e memberservices@nswbc.com.au w nswbusinesschamber.com.au Chief Executive Officer: Stephen Cartwright Business Connect Magazine is published quarterly. Subscriptions: $44 per annum (incl GST). Registered by Australia Post publication number: pp255003/03891 ISSN: 1328-259x. The information published in Business Connect Magazine is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from NSW Business Chamber. The opinions expressed in Business Connect Magazine do not necessarily represent the opinions of NSW Business Chamber or its staff. The information published in Business Connect Magazine is intended as general information only and should not be relied on in place of specific legal or professional advice. No responsibility or liability is accepted by NSW Business Chamber or its staff for any claim which may arise from any person acting on the information published in Business Connect Magazine.

Welcome the new President

INSIGHTS

News

Socially aware: employment risks of social media

Search engine optimisation: future trends

Australian Business Training Solutions Local chamber of commerce profile

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AUSTRALIAN CHAMBERS BUSINESS CONGRESS Jeremy Gutsche, Trend Hunter

Meg McDonald, Low Carbon Australia

ECONOMIC War on Water: Murray Darling Basin Plan

PwC economic barometer

2012 superannuation essentials

Saving the young: first aid courses driven by communications 34 Business Leaders Luncheon with Kevin Sheedy

New members

Annual awards

Mentoring and career advice on offer

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A new

President NSW Business Chamber welcomes Terry Wetherall as the new President of NSW Business Chamber.

Mr Wetherall was elected unopposed in February, assuming the position vacated by Roger Hood, who completed the two-year appointment with distinction. Mr Hood remains on the Board as the immediate Past President. Tony Dormer, who has been a NSW Business Chamber Board Member and Councillor since 2007, was elected Deputy President. Ellie Brown, Megan Motto and Brett Manwaring were elected to the NSW Business Chamber Board for the first time.

“This year must be one in which we do not rest on our laurels” Mr Wetherall has a long affiliation with the Chamber movement, having been President of the Wollongong Chamber of Commerce, President of the Illawarra Business Chamber and Vice President of NSW Business Chamber. “It’s a tremendous honour to be elected as the President of NSW’s largest business organisation, and one that is on track to become Australia’s largest member-based business organisation,” he said. Mr Wetherall said the NSW and Australian economies were well placed to meet the challenges of 2012. “This year must be one in which we do not rest on our laurels but continue the tradition of continual economic reform and good management that has seen Australia move through

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the GFC as one of the world’s most resilient and developed economies. ”Mr Wetherall said increasing pressures, from factors like the high dollar, increasing energy costs and burgeoning regulatory demands meant businesses and governments would need to adapt to survive. He said the NSW Government should build on its momentum to deliver lasting reform. “Business and the broader community are open to the changes that need to be made to improve NSW’s and Australia’s productivity performance. “The O’Farrell Government was overwhelmingly elected by the people of NSW to change the direction of our State. The Government should use the huge mandate given to it by the electorate to further reform the way Government operates, and the frameworks in which the business community operates, to drive economic and employment growth.”

The Board Terry Wetherall (President) Tony Dormer (Deputy President) Roger Hood Trevor Cairney Karen Howard Ian Penfold Andrew Seaton Ellie Brown Megan Motto Brett Manwaring

Business Connect

Stephen Cartwright stands the heat in the CEO Cookoff kitchen

February’s CEO CookOff brought together CEOs (including NSW Business Chamber’s Stephen Cartwright, pictured with Assagio’s Camillo Crugnale) and celebrity chefs to raise awareness and significant funds for OzHarvest and Mission Australia. Over $860,000 was raised!

The event highlighted the challenges facing disadvantaged Australians in the areas of food security and homelessness whilst giving participants the opportunity to showcase their culinary skills.

Meet the new Defence Industry Unit team

The Australian Business Defence Industry Unit, based in Canberra, is here to help members maximise their business potential through advocacy, provision of market information and assistance in providing relevant products and services for the defence and broader national security markets in Australia and overseas. They do this by contributing to the development of defence policy, and by providing networking opportunities with key Defence and Government decision makers through working groups, roundtables and other briefings.

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The Unit recently welcomed a new Manager, Graeme Dunk and a new Membership Manager, Gary Ryan. Graeme has a long association with Defence, initially as a warfare officer in the Royal Australian Navy and then in a variety of senior positions with Defence companies. Gary has a long history in relationship management, and has been in the NSW Business Chamber membership team for more than two years assisting businesses to access the services available to them. To learn more, visit nswbusinesschamber.com.au

Twenty nine celebrity chefs took part, including MasterChef winners Julie Goodwin and Adam Liaw, along with kitchen legends Bill Granger, Maggie Beer, Guillaume Brahimi, Neil Perry and Peter Gilmore.

Chamber supports Defence Reservists NSW Business Chamber is a Supportive Employer with the Defence Reserves Support (DRS). This relationship promotes the benefits of employing Defence Reservists to business and offers Chamber staff and other Supportive Employers the opportunity to experience the great work our Defence Reservists do first-hand. The value of this relationship was recognised recently at a special VIP night at Victoria Barracks, where NSW Business Chamber won an award for their work as a Supportive Employer and Advocate for Defence Reserves. Chamber President Terry Wetherall accepted the award on behalf of NSW Business Chamber. It was also announced at this function that John Murray, Regional Manager, Northern Rivers NSW Business Chamber had accepted a position on the NSW Defence Reserves State Council as a direct representative of NSW Business Chamber. Visit defencereservessupport.gov.au for more information on the DRS program.

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MOU with Beijing Chamber of Commerce NSW Business Chamber CEO, Stephen Cartwright, says a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Sydney Business Chamber and the Beijing Chamber of Commerce is a great win for business communities across the two cities. Mr Cartwright attended the signing at the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade offices in Beijing, late March. “The MOU has been designed to effectively and practically assist business owners in Sydney and Beijing through the sharing of expertise, ideas and solutions in order for them to do business in those markets,” Mr Cartwright said.

“One of the key elements of this MOU is that trade and economic partnerships can be both facilitated and expedited through joint venture arrangements.”

Chambers Congress, where he called on the Australian and Chinese Governments to end the stalemate and sign a Free Trade Agreement.

The MOU coincided with an Australian trade delegation led by Mr Cartwright to the inaugural China International Imported Products Expo (CIE) in Kunshan. Whilst at the exhibition, the CEO spoke at the First Asia Pacific

“I think everyone here will agree, after almost seven years of negotiations, it’s time to start working together – both countries may have to give a little in order for the mutual benefits to materialise.”

Industry Capability Network to maximise Australian content in major projects To find out more, or to register to use the Australian Made logo, visit www.australianmade.com.au or phone 1800 350 520 7 nswbusinesschamber.com.au

5625AM

Now working with the

Improve your staff with government funded qualification courses

As part of an ongoing government initiative, the cost of studying some ITCC qualification courses, depending on staff eligibility, is now completely covered by government funding. • Enrol at any time during the year. Enrol now and they can be qualified in 12 months’ time • Study whilst still working. ITCC courses are specifically designed for those working full time • Your staff can complete most of their course at a time, place and pace that suits them, in their downtime at home, on their commute or at work • A dedicated support trainer is assigned to each student for the duration of their study.

ITCC has access to government funding for the following qualifications: • Certificate IV in Frontline Management • Certificate IV in Small Business Management • Diploma of Business • Diploma of Management

If eligible, government funding will cover the total cost of a qualification course for your staff. Call today on 1300 885 395 to talk to a qualification expert. Or ask staff to complete a short government funding evaluation form on our website to see if they are eligible.

P: 1300 885 395 I E: itcc@uow.edu.au I www.itcc.edu.au

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Retail crime fighter hits town

The Premier speaks to business Photo courtesy Angelo Soulas

The Australian Retailers Association estimates retail crime costs businesses around $6 billion annually. In order to promote improved partnerships between Government, retailers and the security industry in this difficult area of public policy, NSW Business Chamber’s Policy and Advocacy team recently hosted Mr Torben Rosenstock, Chief Secretariat, Danish Chamber of Commerce, who was in Sydney to promote the Danish Chamber’s Crimestat crime prevention web portal. While in Sydney, Mr Rosenstock met with a number of representatives from NSW Police, the NSW Attorney General’s Department as well as with peak retailers. As a result of the meeting, the Attorney General’s Department has requested that, together with NSW Business Chamber and peak shopping centre retailers, work be undertaken to investigate whether the portal can be localised for NSW retailers.

Commemorating the first anniversary of his landslide election, Premier Barry O’Farrell addressed an audience of 300 NSW business leaders in the grand ballroom of Sydney’s Westin Hotel in late March. The Premier took the opportunity to reflect on the achievements of his Government over the previous year: highlighting actions to reign in the budget, improve accountability and transparency, create Infrastructure

NSW, and prioritise key transport projects such as the North West Rail Link and Pacific Highway upgrade. Mr O’Farrell also used the event to outline three priorities for the NSW Government over the coming year – reform NSW’s workers’ compensation scheme, improve productivity, and build infrastructure. President of NSW Business Chamber, Terry Wetherall, was on hand to meet the Premier (pictured).

A new page in an outstanding career Congratulations to the inaugural chairman of the Canberra Business Council, Denis Page, who was recognised in the Australia Day honours list as an early founder of key Canberra business organisations.

“Maybe I’ve helped bridge the activities of the professional firms with the broader community and business aspects of the broader community and hopefully demonstrated that they can all effectively work together,” said Mr Page.

A recipient of the Order of Australia Medal for service to business, the chartered accountant and founding chairman of information technology incubator Epicorp sees himself as a bridge builder.

As well as his work with the Canberra Business Council and Epicorp, Mr Page has been involved in the finance, property, tourism, charity and international relations sectors in the ACT, including his role as honorary auditor for the Canberra and Region Multiple Birth Association.

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How ‘going green’ is turning into gold... You could be saving thousands of dollars for your business while

helping the environment

Many businesses

are already taking full advantage of the recently amended NSW Energy Savings Scheme. Because of this program, your organisation can receive professional advice and the free or low cost installation of energy efficient lighting, saving cash and carbon. More info @ www.ess. nsw.gov.au.

This project saved over 42 megawatts per annum, resulting in a reduction of electricity costs of over The Summit Hotel Group are one such company. With a Green $8000 per year, and a reduction of 50 tonnes of Guys Tailored Package, they upcarbon per annum. graded to more energy efficient common area lighting, including the retrofit of 30 halogen downlights with CFL downlights and the installation of 200 fluorescent lamps and ballasts.

The switch to green lighting resulted in a payback period of just over 3 months and a first year ROI of 263%, as well as adding to their green credentials. The Green Guys can help your organisation get the most out of this scheme while it’s there. Our company is an Accredited Certificate Provider (ACP). In the last 6 months we’ve installed over 50,000 new energy efficient light fittings at over 700 commercial locations across NSW making us the market leader in this sector.

Through the experience of our highly qualified team, we can find the most cost effective sustainability solutions for your organisation. Your transition to

energy efficiency is made easy with the Green Guys.

The business world is changing. Will your organisation change with it? For the month of April, we are offering free, no-obligation assessments worth $89 to all subscribers of Business Connect. Call 1300 511 875 and mention this magazine to reserve a place, or to chat with one of our consultants. If your business has extended trading hours, make sure you ask about our free L.E.D downlight upgrades.

www.greenguys.com.au

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The training edge Australian Business Training Solutions

The independent statutory body, Skills Australia, has estimated that in the five years to 2015, Australia will need an additional 2.1 million people in the workforce with higher vocational and educational training (VET) qualifications. The skills shortage is playing out against a backdrop of rising costs and continued uncertainty of global markets. This is why training – more than ever – plays a vital role in business sustainability, says Darren Cocks, an authority on skills development,

To assist business in attracting and retaining skilled employees, NSW Business Chamber collaborated with the Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland to launch jointly-owned Australian Business Training Solutions (ABTS). As a registered training organisation, ABTS offers two hour workshops and one day professional development short courses, through to Certificate IV and Diploma nationally recognised qualifications. All of these programs are available at training centres located in major

“While skills shortages impact the broader economy, they specifically impact business. Where does your business stand?” and Director of Commercial Services at NSW Business Chamber. “Germany leads the world in training, but is closely followed by Australia with just under four per cent of its total workforce in accredited training. While skills shortages impact the broader economy, they specifically impact business. Where does your business stand? Are you being left behind by your competitors?”

centres across NSW and QLD - or can be delivered as customised in-house training on or off-site. “Whether it’s seeking business improvement and growth, or compliance and a safe workplace, Australian Business Training Solutions can improve your organisation’s capability and bottom line,” says Mr Cocks.

Training in detail OHS Training Nurture a safety culture, tick the box of compliance, enhance workers’ health, lower absenteeism and reduce workplace risks. These valuable courses are nationally accredited.

Human Resources and Management Training Foster the skills to plan strategically, manage operationally, and ultimately lead the business to success. The programs range from finance and risk to project management and communication.

Sales and Marketing Training Promote your business, ensure your sales process is robust, and refine the skills to develop longterm effective relationships. These combined skills lift customer service and drive continued profitability.

Member offer Members of NSW Business Chamber are eligible for a 10% discount off standard non-member prices. Simply quote your member number when booking. For more information about ABTS courses and delivery methods, please call the Contact Centre on 1300 572 439, or visit abtraining.com.au

Business Connect

globally ”

“Retail is experiencing a massive transition

”

What’s your Chamber background?

Nadia Eliott-Burgess, Executive Officer, Ballina Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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I have been Executive Officer with Ballina Chamber of Commerce for over seven years. Prior to that, I managed a Chamber in Port Hedland, Western Australia. Having been a legal secretary in Sydney up to that point, moving to a mining town was a huge shock for me. I actually traded in my corporate gear for King Gees initially for a job on a BHP HBI mine site. Since then, somehow local Chambers became a career for me!

Can you list two issues facing local business? Red tape! Sole traders and small businesses are spending a significant amount of their time just to stay compliant and bigger organisations are employing someone for compliance alone. There’s also less emphasis on shopping locally, with everything from

shoes to bulky goods readily available online. Consumers are focussing more on price than ever before.

Do regional communities face unique challenges? Coming from a big picture perspective, businesses in regional NSW are suffering from a lack of strategic economic development by local councils. Clearly if we have no road map of how the local economies are going to look in the future, we risk serious consequences. Growth in Ballina is certainly occurring organically, but imagine if we actively pursued certain types of industry, or made life easier for small business by way of DA process improvements. Wouldn’t it be great to see the State Government partnering with local councils in delivering regional economic development units.

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BUSINESS

in Ballina

Anything big on the Chamber horizon? We keep a fairly frenetic pace at Ballina Chamber with monthly ‘Breakfast Before Business’ and ‘Business After Hours’ functions, lobby and advocacy activities and working with other stakeholders on various projects. Our next major event will be the Small Business Forum in May, which coincides with entries opening in our annual Business Excellence Awards program. The awards are the most prestigious on the North Coast of NSW with a rigorous five month lead up, culminating in a red carpet awards dinner in October.

Can you outline a current Chamber initiative? In partnership with local council, we have received State Government

“Clearly if we have no road map of how the local economies are going to look in the future, we risk serious consequences.” funding to run workshops for local retailers to help them build on existing bricks and mortar practices with online trading activities. Retail is experiencing a massive transition globally, in addition to a general reduction consumer spending, so we are doing our best to support them through these challenges.

Ok, now give us the big pitch. Why should people move here? Clean air and people who look you in the eye and say ‘hello’ as you walk past. There aren’t many places to live where you can get from the beach

to the rainforest in 20 minutes! For all the foodies, it’s worth noting that this is the fruit and vegetable bowl of the Far North Coast, and we grow the best coffee in the country! Did I mention the university and amazing schools? This area is also a creative industries hub and a mecca for natural health care practitioners. For more information visit ballinachamber.com.au

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JEREMY GUTSCHE TREND HUNTER Australian Chambers Business Congress Speaker profile

Melbourne, 15-17 August 2012. This year’s highly-anticipated Congress will tackle the challenges faced by business in a world of shifting paradigms. Be one of 1500 business leaders to hear from the 40 Australian and international keynote speakers – two of which are featured in this edition of Business Connect. Jeremy Gutsche is an innovation expert, the award-winning author of ‘Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark Innovation During Times of Change’, and the founder of TrendHunter.com, the world’s largest online network for trend spotting. How does Trend Hunter work? We have a global network of 100,000 people who find ideas in pop culture, fashion, design, technology – whatever might be innovative, and we post those into a portfolio. There’s a whole other side for businesses where we filter through the noise and look for the patterns of opportunity, which are published in trend reports and newsletters. Large companies like Nestle, Kelloggs, and Fortune 500 brands pay us to recreate Trend Hunter for their own innovation teams. As for me, I’m a guy who spends a lot of time researching chaos and innovation.

So I talk to companies about how you can use these periods to reinvent.

Can you expand on this idea of exploiting chaos? When there are periods of chaos in business and society, the natural reaction is to become overly conservative in your actions. The skill is to see how your needs are evolving, and innovate to update. When your competitors are conservative as well, it creates a double-sized opportunity. If you look back historically, you see companies like CNN, MTV, Microsoft, Burger King, FedEx and Apple – they all

solving a new need. People were losing jobs through decisions being made behind boardroom doors in New York City. Fortune magazine provided a glimpse behind those boardroom doors – and that’s what people will pay for.

You see failure in a positive light. Why? Failure is an outcome of experimentation. The better you become at something, the more successful and complacent you become. You don’t feel as though you have to change. One of my favourite case studies I’ll discuss at the Congress

“You have to force yourself to consider new opportunities that may result in failure. As I say, ‘Win like you’re used to it, and lose like you enjoy it.’” began in periods of global recession. After all, people still purchase and consume in periods of change. A good example is Fortune magazine, which commenced 13 months after the 1929 Wall Street crash. It was actually priced at one dollar per issue, which could buy you a wool sweater in those times. But they grew their subscriber base to 500,000 and $7 million in modern day profits. How could they achieve this profit during the Great Depression? The reason was they were

is Smith Corona – inventor of the typewriter. They had a hundred-year history of inventing everything in the typewriter space, from spell checkers to word processors. Along the way they became fixated on pursuing the rational outcome, which is to make the best typewriters in the world. They actually pulled out of a joint venture with Acer to develop computers. By comparison to the typewriter, the new realm of computers seemed too risky. Put yourself in the shoes of a Smith Corona

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“I adhere to the saying that culture eats strategy for breakfast.” manager. Which team would you want to be on? The team that makes the most profit, gets the big bonuses, and can pay off the mortgages - that’s the typewriter team. Or do you want to take a risk on an unknown commodity. More on that case study at the Congress! You have to force yourself to consider new opportunities that may result in failure. As I say, ‘Win like you’re used to it, and lose like you enjoy it.’

How important is the consumer in your thinking?

Jeremy Gutsche will present at the Australian Chambers Congress on Day 2, Friday, 17 August 2012. For more information, visit Business.Congress.com.au

I think it’s important to have customer obsession. This is something that any business can do. It’s the chance to make a connection with your customer, especially in times of chaos. If you attempt to understand the customer through trend spotting or personal connections, you can better understand how their needs are evolving. I have a good case study involving the head designer of General Motors. He designed a vehicle called the ‘Escalade’, which became an icon in rap culture, but that wasn’t the intention. When I asked him how it happened, he said it was a happy accident. The car had been designed for 45 to 60-year-old males. Now, he could have had his team conduct research, or a survey, or visit dealerships. Instead, he chose to personally visit the most dangerous neighbourhood of Detroit. You can imagine what sort of person would be driving the car – a drug dealer! He found a car with its owner and said, ‘Hello young man, I designed this vehicle, and was wondering if I could ride with you for the day.’ This process appears difficult, but it enables a much deeper understanding of the customer world, and what makes your customers think differently. The General Motors example happened seven years, and over that time, the Escalade has enjoyed high sales because they keep thinking about how to position the car for that demographic.

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What role does organisational culture play? I adhere to the saying that culture eats strategy for breakfast. It’s something that comes from outside the Ford strategy war room. It doesn’t matter how good your PowerPoint slides or Excel model are. What matters is whether you can mobilise your team to obsess about the customer, to tolerate failure, and really be passionate about taking things to the next level.

What effect is social media having on emerging trends? The answer is speed. One of my favourite case studies is a tongue-incheek story we published five years ago. The half suit. A suit that cuts off at the waist, and is ideal for webcam meetings while working at home. When published, it had 33 million impressions in six months. Since then, Google and Facebook have emerged. To put it into perspective, Kony 2012 had 120 impressions in two days. They had political leaders and celebrities – even Justin Bieber – tweet about it. It was passionate, and it felt authentic. There are two important points. Firstly, if you can make a real connection, your story will travel faster than it ever has before. The second point is that you can test which messages sell. In wordof-mouth days, you could never really quantify what messages were most successful. Today, you can study which messages are working, and think about a different style of communication. We choose words carefully at Trend Hunter to maximise impact. That’s a skill I’ll definitely explore at the Congress.

Are there similarities between business in Australia and your native Canada? I think Canadians and Australians are very similar in their thinking, which at times can be conservative. There’s an interesting parallel about how we can motivate our managers. We can take a more aggressive approach to business, and push out of our comfort zone, especially in times of chaos.

Business Connect

low carbon economy

High hopes for a

Australian Chambers Business Congress Speaker profile: Meg McDonald, Low Carbon Australia Low Carbon Australia: the company with a mission statement as its name. Established by Australian Government to assist business with the reduction of carbon emissions, the company is pioneering a new model of finance not currently offered by banks at home or abroad.

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“Some businesses have adopted a mindset of waiting until more is known about the carbon price. My view is that the sooner you embrace energy efficiency, the sooner you reap the cashflow benefits from energy savings.” “We really are a global first,” says Meg McDonald, CEO of Low Carbon Australia. Who better to build a bridge between industry and energy efficiency than a former trade negotiator and diplomat? McDonald was Australia’s lead negotiator for the Kyoto Protocol, and in more recent times, led corporate affairs for aluminium company, Alcoa.

on the same characteristics as these other assets. Businesses can now look at lighting, heating and cooling in the same way. Specialised finance can allow an upgrade without a big upfront cost, while reaping energy savings immediately. European studies are showing that asset financing is going to be critical in greening business.”

“We are set up as an investment fund to co-invest with businesses across the building sector, manufacturing, and retail,” says McDonald.

Low Carbon Australia has moved quickly into this market place, with an emphasis on partnerships that can generate a catalyst or flow-on effect to other businesses and consumers.

“With capital from the Australian Government, we can structure more specialised finance for energy efficiency. In turn, businesses are able to make repayments to us, or our finance partner, in the savings that they realise. This revolving fund model means that we can then reinvest in further projects, representing a win all round for business and the environment.” Low Carbon Australia typically invests in projects that involve the retrofit of buildings, upgrading industrial and manufacturing processes and machinery, streamlining logistics and transport – in fact, any part of the supply chain can be considered. The CEO cites strong interest from banks and large energy providers, to small manufacturers, engineering companies and retail stores. The perceived cost of transition to energy efficiency is also diminishing, as technology and finance create flexible new pathways. “Businesses have previously made extensive use of IT equipment because there is a high rate of technology turnover, or leased other forms of specialised equipment in medicine. We are now moving to an era where energy efficiency technology is taking

“We have worked with Origin Energy on a finance product and they’ve developed a diagnostic that’s available to all their customers, from large manufacturers to the small corner store. This helps customers understand the pattern of their energy bills, and benchmark energy performance in relation to their industry sector. From there, the customer can investigate available solutions to lower the demand, or replace equipment using excessive electricity. And it’s good for Origin because it retains a customer.” There has never been a better time to act, with the Federal Government introducing meritbased industry grants through the $1.2 billion Clean Technology Program. Manufacturers are clear beneficiaries, with the program targeting general manufacturing, as well as food and foundry sectors. “These grants can cover the inevitable costs of establishing energy efficiency projects, particularly for businesses that haven’t replaced operational equipment and machinery in a long time,” says McDonald. “Some businesses have adopted a mindset of waiting until more is known

about the carbon price. My view is that the sooner you embrace energy efficiency, the sooner you reap the cashflow benefits from energy savings. It is a unique opportunity. We know that acting now will future proof the business against rising energy prices.” Low Carbon Australia is partnering with other financial providers to allow businesses to take advantage of financial products not previously available. “We have joined with National Australia Bank, Macquarie Bank, and financial providers like FlexiGroup. So far, the $35 million we have committed to the market place is making $133 million of new finance available. “The real success story for us will be when the market matures to make it commercially compelling for the finance sector to meet the needs of business large and small. Our company can then focus on other areas.” The former diplomat pauses. “It’s still early days.”

Assistance NSW Business Chamber can assist members in greening their business. Take advantage of Greenbiz Certification, a world-leading online sustainability program that can boost market share and save money. The energy savings calculator can also identify savings by calculating your energy footprint. Both of these resources are available by logging into your member dashboard. Meg McDonald will speak at the Australian Chambers Business Congress on Thursday, 16 August 2012. Her topic, “Business survival skills for the low carbon economy” will explore the financial incentives of energy efficiency. For more, visit BusinessCongress.com.au

Business Connect

WAR on Water Luke Aitken, Policy Adviser NSW Business Chamber

Water underpins life and livelihoods in the Murray Darling Basin. But the government blueprint for managing Australia’s greatest river system has faced bitter opposition from local communities who view the Basin Plan as a threat to their survival. What is at stake? The release of the Guide to the Murray Darling Basin Plan in 2010 sparked a degree of public anger and outrage rarely seen in regional and rural Australia. Frustration was evident in the images of irrigators burning copies of the Guide, predictions being made of a wide scale exodus from agriculture, rising food costs and lost jobs, plummeting house prices, and the anger of river communities.

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For urban onlookers, the response appeared to be overblown. Farmers might be frustrated with having their water entitlements reduced, but if controls weren’t put in place wouldn’t the river simply dry up? With the Guide to the Basin Plan scrapped, the Federal Government, together with the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA), has worked to develop a new approach to manage Australia’s greatest river system. The Murray Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) was released in December 2011. While the response so far has been less heated than the release of the Guide to the Basin Plan, the implications of the Plan still threaten to significantly impact on businesses, communities and life on the Murray. The Murray-Riverina Regional Advisory Council of the NSW Business Chamber has been working closely with regional

businesses to ensure that their concerns are heard loud and clear throughout the consultation process . Feedback from these businesses so far has provided a stark warning that if the Basin Plan is not implemented correctly, livelihoods and communities will be displaced.

Why is the Murray Darling important? The NSW Murray Darling region covers 78,869 square kilometres and extends along 1400 kilometres of the Murray River. The region is rightly described as NSW’s food bowl. In 2005-06, the Murrumbidgee and Murray regions produced 66% and 28% of citrus fruit in the State and is a significant contributor to both the economic wellbeing and food security of NSW. There are more than 27,000 businesses located in the Murray and Murrumbidgee regions. Either directly, or indirectly all of these businesses,

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“There are more than 27,000 businesses located in the Murray and Murrumbidgee regions. Either directly, or indirectly, they are impacted by water and its management.”

even those not in agricultural industries, are impacted by water and its management. A reduction in water allocation entitlements will impact far beyond the farm hitting industries such as freight haulers, trades, retailers and hospitality.

Why can’t we get agreement on the Plan? When announcing the National Plan for Water Security in 2007, former Prime Minister, John Howard, crystalised the challenge at the heart of planning for the Murray Darling system. “…the core problem is that the different states have competing interests. The South Australians resent, as they have for more than 150 years, the level of diversions by Victoria and New South Wales. The Queenslanders feel they were late to the party in developing irrigated agriculture and want to catch up.”

Management of the Murray Darling clearly cannot be left to individual states. It needs to be managed federally with a focus on whole of river health and recognition of the communities that live along it. Unfortunately, even in its current form, the Draft Plan still fails on these points. Instead, the Draft Plan narrowly focuses on end-of-system flows at the mouth of the Murray. This analysis determines the volumes of water to be transferred from productive use to environmental flows in areas upstream. Such an approach doesn’t take into account the variations that can occur throughout the river. These differences can be extreme; a flood down the Darling may coincide with a drought over the Murray catchment, or vice versa. From the basin community’s perspective, the greatest failing of the MDBA however centres on the

way in which it has been tasked to balance the environmental, economic and social impacts of any potential solution for the Murray Darling – as established by the Water Act 2007 (Cth). However under the terms of the Act, where conflict arises between these matters, environmental considerations are to take precedence. Basin communities support a sustainable, healthy river, and understand the need for compromise. However, they are frustrated with a situation where their business, lives and communities are being threatened on the basis of unsophisticated science that fails in striking a fair and reasonable balance. A recent economic analysis of the Plan by Deloitte estimated that if the current proposal to remove 2750GL from productive water were implemented by 2030, the value of agricultural production in the central

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Murray would decline by 16.2% with flow on effects leading to a 6.5% reduction in real GRP. While no one underestimates the challenges in developing a plan to manage Australia’s greatest river system, we need to look towards communities on the river to come up with smarter solutions. Regardless of how much water flows through it, failure to protect these communities will mean that the Murray Darling is no longer “a living river”.

teaching appointment, and stayed for the ‘wonderful lifestyle’ it offered his family. Bernie’s school – and local youth – face hardship.

Voice of the people - Meredith Tasker, Taskers Garage, Deniliquin

“It is now becoming very difficult for young people in my school to easily find apprenticeships in the local area. By and large they have to move away.”

Tasker’s has been operating in Deniliquin as a farm machinery sales and service dealership for over 80 years. It is currently run by the third generation of the family – Jamie and Meredith Tasker. Has the Basin Plan cast a shadow over the business? “We have put major capital works on the premises on hold. We would like to buy property next door to us and expand, but there is not a snowball’s chance in hell that we will do this at the moment. We’re also unlikely to get the finance to be able to do this anyway, with the threat of the plan hanging over our heads.”

Bernie Roebuck, Principal, High School, Finley Bernie Roebuck moved to the border town of Finley in 1990 for a Peter Calabria of Yenda Producers, Griffith.

22 nswbusinesschamber.com.au

“I run a school that already has falling enrolments. We are already finding it difficult to offer the same curriculum options. Over the next five years this will exacerbate if enrolments continue to fall. This would mean a lot less staff, many of whom own homes and shop locally.

Peter Calabria, Managing Director, Yenda Producers Co-operative Society Ltd Peter describes the river as a family lifeline that began when his grandparents moved to the Griffith area to grow produce. “‘Economic Growth’ and ‘Healthy Rivers’ are not mutually exclusive terms. Our area relies on good quality water for food production, industry and community needs. If we don’t maintain a healthy river, then this water will not be available and our community will diminish. We understand that when we are in drought, there is minimal water available and we are in survival mode, much like the river and the environment. But we have been

managing this balance for 100 years and it has worked well. Why change?”

Mike Neville, Mayor of Griffith City “If enacted the plan will see smaller primary producers leave, sell and move from the area. Younger people and families will also leave our area to look for work elsewhere. Services, schools, police, hospital staffing and so on are affected. Council rates will decline, undermining what we can deliver at a local government level. “In the midterm, we see the Swiss cheese effect, whereby those leaving the farming community create holes in the system, increasing costs for those farmers who remain. Retailers will continue to struggle and our exports will suffer. “In the long-term, it is difficult to say what the landscape will look like. The plan places a great big question mark over our ability to produce food and fibre, and the ability to attract industry looking for cheap land, good quality water and critical mass of produce.” For further information about business in the Murray-Riverina, please contact Ben Foley, Regional Manager, on (02) 6041 4867. If you would like to view the Chamber’s submission on the Murray Darling Basin Plan, a copy can be found at nswbusinesschamber. com.au/murrayriverina

energy efficient lighting

“Add value to your business and your clients’ business with Energy Efficient Lighting...”

ECO-SAVER T8/T5 REPLACEMENT

LED 8.5W MR16

In many businesses, lighting makes up a large part of electricity expenses. In addition, it contributes significantly to their carbon footprint. Are you aware that there are some inexpensive and easily implemented solutions? The Eco-Saver T5 adaptor replaces T8 lights that are commonly used in offices and other commercial buildings.

Our LED Downlights are carefully designed by an Australian manufacturer to maximise the light output with a minimum of energy input, with close attention to dissipating the heat from the high performance LED chips so as to maximise product life.

The benefits are: · 50% reduction in electricity consumption in most cases · Enhances NABERS Energy Ratings, which in many cases are now mandatory · Existing light fittings do not need to be modified · Quality product with 3 year warranty on the tube and 7 year warranty on the adaptor · Designed and manufactured by an Australian Company · Australian warranty · 6 month payback period in many cases

The benefits are: · 3 year Warranty; offering peace of mind and extraordinary value · 9 watts – delivering a minimum of 600 lumens right where you need it · Warm White 3200K and White 5500K colour choices · Min 50,000 hours life expectancy · High performance, low junction maintenance · Retro fits into the majority of MR16 fittings

Our range of products contain many more lights than listed above. In July 2009 the NSW Government amended the Electricity Act (1995) encouraging the advent of new energy savings opportunities; to give birth to a greener, more sustainable and cost effective business community. Now more than ever showing a responsible attitude towards energy refining solutions actually has a return on investment.The aim of the Energy Savings Scheme of 2009 was to increase the uptake of resourceful, approved energy efficient technologies by creating a healthy financial incentive that would encourage Businesses to actively seek to reduce their consumption of electricity. B-efficient ( a division of Urban Group Energy ) focus on providing its commercial clients with a green solution comprising of energy efficient lighting –retrofitting poor quality lighting that has a disregard for the future with an option that consists of a positive outcome for the environment and that of your business’ bottom line. Engaging with B-efficient has delivered the majority of its clients a minimum saving of 50% off the lighting component of their electricity bill. In an era where Companies are attempting to focus on their core business with a limited infrastructure these savings contribute positively to the P & L offering savings that don’t restrict the cash flow to small and medium enterprises.

p: 1300 233 533 f: (02) 8008 1506 | Suite 2.02 Platinum Building, 4 Ilya Avenue Erina NSW 2250 info@befficient.com.au | www.befficient.com.au

Business Connect

Is your finger on the Manoj Santiago PwC PrivateClients Partner

Businesses are continuing to set ambitious growth targets, according to the Private Business Barometer Pulse, released by PwC Private Clients. The Pulse was released in October 2011, six months after the annual Private Business Barometer (summer 2011/2012), which surveyed 1000 Australian-owned private businesses with revenues between approximately $10 million to $100 million per year. PwC Private Clients takes a pulse of the market to highlight trends and movements in business sentiment and performance. Pulse results indicated that businesses are optimistic for the medium term but uncertain about the short term. Businesses surveyed reported a shortterm profit target of 18%, which is an increase from the results of the May edition of the PwC Private Business Barometer, but not as optimistic as the 20% target set in September 2010. While businesses have been bullish in setting high sales and profit

“A considerable number of surveyed businesses are sitting tight and waiting for economic conditions to change” targets – and many of these have achieved them, with more than half of businesses meeting or exceeding their revenue targets – a lack of confidence is being driven by uncertainty around external factors they feel are beyond their control. These factors include the domestic and global economy, which in turn dampen the appetite for investment. A considerable number of surveyed businesses are sitting tight and waiting for economic conditions to change before making any major business decisions – including capital

24 nswbusinesschamber.com.au

investments. However, scenario planning is essential, so it is important to consider what can be done now to prepare businesses for when the market is ready to turn. As businesses seek out other growth strategies, many are looking at expanding into new product markets, while others are looking at strategic acquisitions as a way of expanding their product base. Interestingly, securing the right talent is no longer the biggest challenge for business. The number one challenge for private businesses is growth, followed by business operations, people and funding. Businesses told us that at

present the three key challenges to growth are low margins and competitive pricing, developing new business and the state of the Australian economy. With an increasing focus on social media and communicating with mobile devices, we asked businesses if they have, or plan to make changes to a variety of channels or strategies. 44% of private businesses said they have increased or revamped their presence on the web and 41% said they are changing the way they communicate with their customers. NSW businesses are fairly optimistic, however, like their counterparts in other states, they are not confident in the external factors influencing their businesses which are beyond their control. More than half met or exceeded their revenue targets; however they have been more conservative in setting targets for the next year. With a recent

Business Connect 25

pulse?

change in government, we believe private businesses are looking for a shift in policy – particularly in areas including payroll tax, state based awards and incentives for doing business in NSW.

Key findings Growth: Over half of private businesses exceeded or met their revenue targets.

People: The number of private businesses intending to hire new staff within the next six months remains consistent with the May 2011 edition of the Private Business Barometer, with 57% stating they intend to hire new staff. Funding: More than half of private businesses reported no major business plans on the horizon. Business Operations: Private businesses reported that growth is the number one challenge followed by business operations, people and funding.

How to create growth in your business • Don’t rely on organic growth as your growth strategy. Explore opportunities to expand domestically or internationally. • Doing what you’ve always done is not going to help you create growth – you’ve got to do something different. • Scenario planning is essential – what can you do now to prepare your business for when the market is ready to turn? • Running a business is about controlling what you can and being prepared. PwC’s 2012 Private Business Barometer will be released in May / June. For the latest results on growth, people, funding and business operations, plus profiles on private businesses from around Australia, visit privatebusinessbarometer.com.au The PwC Private Business Barometer and Barometer Pulse are also available to download from the App store. Search for PwC Australia – Private Clients. Autumn 2012 | Business Connect 25

Business Connect

Small steps towards more efficient super John Paul Chief Executive, Asset Super

With the recent passing of the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Amendment Bill 2011 (as part of the mining tax package) and the start of the Federal Government’s Super Stream initiatives, 2012 looks set to be another busy year for super. The good news is that some of the changes may make super less of a chore for employers.

So what’s ahead? Compulsory Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions These employer contributions are set to rise gradually from 9% to 12% in July 2019. You should bear this in mind if you negotiate wages more than a year in advance or if you prepare multi-year budgets.

26 nswbusinesschamber.com.au

Income year

Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions rate (%)

Starting 1 July 2013

9.25

Starting 1 July 2014

9.5

Starting 1 July 2015

Starting 1 July 2016

10.5

Starting 1 July 2017

Starting 1 July 2018

11.5

Starting 1 July 2019

Business Connect 27

The Government has stated that it expects the higher super contributions to be offset against future wage increases, although that will be for you to determine based on your wage negotiation processes. Remember, the maximum salary base in 2011/2012 for SG contributions is $43,820 a quarter and $175,280 a year and is subject to indexation in future years.

Employee’s payslip

A timetable for change Super details on payslips

July 2012

Contribution cap changes for over-50s

July 2012

Superannuation Guarantee increased to 9.25%

July 2013

Super Guarantee extended from 70 years to 75 years

July 2013

MySuper default funds for new contributions

October 2013

From July 2012, each employee’s payslip will need to show their SG contribution entitlement and when you expect that contribution to be paid to their fund. From July 2013, you will have to show the actual amount credited to their super accounts during that pay period, including SG contributions and any additional contributions, including salary sacrifice.

E-commerce for super contributions(medium & large employers) July 2014

Upper age limit

What this means for your business

From July 2013, the upper age limit of 70 for payment of SG contributions will be raised to 75.

Concessional contributions cap The concessional contributions cap (the maximum pre-tax contributions that can be made in any year, including employer contributions, salary sacrifice contributions and superannuation insurance premiums paid by employers) is changing for those aged 50 or more. Currently, the cap for this age group is $50,000. From 1 July 2012, they must have less than $500,000 in super to be eligible to contribute up to the maximum of $50,000. If they have over $500,000 in super, their contribution cap will be reduced to $25,000. If this affects you or any of your employees, you need to take care that you do not inadvertently exceed the contribution cap as this may result in penalty taxes for the individual concerned.

E-commerce for super

A welcome aspect of Super Stream is that it will eventually make e-commerce universal in super, making the whole contribution and reconciliation process easier, cheaper and faster. E-commerce

E-commerce for super contributions (small employers)

July 2015

Existing default fund balances transferred to MySuper fund

July 2017

for super will be compulsory for medium and large employers from July 2014 and for smaller employers from July 2015. E-commerce transactions will help put an end to the frustrating and time-consuming business of manually processing contributions to more than one fund. Many super funds are now offering e-commerce solutions to assist employers move to electronic transactions. Asset, for example, has partnered with a specialised clearing house to enable our employers to contribute to multiple funds electronically. This user-friendly system integrates automatically with existing payroll systems, helping employers to streamline the contributions process, reduce compliance risk, and manage cash flow.

Migration to MySuper default funds MySuper is the Government’s model for a low cost super product, and will start to rollout from 1 July 2013. From 1 October 2013 employers must make compulsory SG contributions for employees who have not made a choice of fund to a fund that offers a MySuper product.

My Super simplified MySuper products will feature: • a single investment strategy for all members • a minimum level of insurance protection • no commission loading on fees (which of course is the case now for Asset because we don’t pay commissions) Most existing funds are expected to offer a MySuper product. New employees who don’t choose a super fund for their contributions will automatically join the MySuper fund nominated by their employer. Although there will be a transition period until July 2017 for the transfer of existing default fund member balances to MySuper, it is likely that those existing members will transfer across as soon as practicable. John Paul is chief executive of Asset Super, a multi-employer industry super fund. For more information about Asset Super, go to assetsuper.com.au or call 1800 805 981. This article contains general advice. It has been prepared by Asset Limited (AFSL 230070) without taking account of your objectives, financial situation or needs. We recommend that before your make any decisions regarding Asset Super, you consider the relevant product disclosure statement.

Autumn 2012 | Business Connect 27

Packed with super features

Whether you are looking after the super of your employees or considering the best fund for your own super arrangements, Asset is packed with super features. Asset provides simple, convenient, and cost effective super for employees, small business owners and employers. With more than $1.5 billion under management and over 85,000 members – Asset is the industry super fund for everyone.

And you can select from Asset’s package of super features – ➤ Save money by bringing all your super together in one account; ➤ Build your super with our flexible contribution options; ➤ Monitor your account online – anytime anywhere;

➤ Access help with advice to suit your needs;

Call 1800 805 981 to find out more about Asset’s features or visit www.assetsuper.com.au

➤ Protect your family and your salary with Asset’s flexible insurance options; ➤ Choose from 10 investment options to keep your money working for you.

Before making a decision about Asset Super, you should consider the Asset Super Members Product Disclosure Statement available from ASSET Limited on 1800 805 981. You may also wish to seek professional advice to see if this product is appropriate for you. Trustee: A.S.S.E.T. Limited. ABN: 13 003 257 190. AFSL No. 230070 Fund: Asset Super. ABN: 98 061 665 900. SFN: 131 944 944. Busconnect 12/2011

Business Connect 2012 winter edition

Early bird advertising offer Don’t leave your business in the cold! Advertise in the upcoming winter 2012 edition of Business Connect magazine, where your business will appear in hard copy and viewed by over 9,000 NSW Business Chamber members. Full page: $800 Half page: $400 PLUS additional advertising in Business Connect eNewsletter at no extra cost. Rates are GST inclusive. Please note advertisements are capped per edition, with preference to first enquirers. For more... Email businessconnnect@nswbc.com.au or call Editor, Ashley Penny on (02) 9458 7255.

Early bird advertising rates - offer expires 31 May

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Business Connect

Socially Aware Employment implications of social media

Social media creates opportunity for business – and risk in the workplace. Manage the employee dimensions with an organisational policy. In recent times, social media has shifted workplace dynamics by becoming an increasingly utilised tool for organisations to expand their business. With the limitless commercial potential, including opportunities to increase client base, branding, advertising, and even recruiting staff, coupled with the growing trend of smart phones, organisations can extend their reach beyond the usual ‘9-5’ business hours, in turn making the business and its employees accessible 24/7. However, the use of social media is not without risk. The accelerated use of social media is blurring the line between what constitutes actions in the workplace and what is considered ‘personal’. Use of social media outside the workplace that may negatively

30 nswbusinesschamber.com.au

impact the employer’s business has resulted in employers having to determine the appropriate level of restriction or, as the case may be, the appropriate level of encouragement (of course, under confined guidelines).

What are the risks? The risks associated with poorly managed or non-existent management of social media use are numerous. Not only can there be issues with decreased productivity, which would be at the forefront of many employer’s minds, there are also concerns surrounding inappropriate conduct that can negatively impact on brands or may lead to bullying and harassment and disclosure of confidential information (whether deliberate or not) and even defamation. There are also risks associated with disciplining employees who inappropriately use social media on a ‘personal’ level. Out of hours conduct through the use of social media can

have a destructive impact on businesses especially when comments and posts can become viral in a matter of seconds.

Examples to note In O’Keefe v Williams Muir’s Pty Ltd T/A Troy Williams The Good Guys [2011] FWA 5311, the Tribunal rejected a disgruntled employee’s unfair dismissal application despite the fact that Facebook comments posted by the employee were out of hours and on his home computer. The employee posted a disparaging comment about the employer which was read by work colleagues. The employer dismissed the employee, who argued that his Facebook page made no reference to his employer and only 70 people could access the comment. The employer submitted that 40% of his staff was female and that the language used in the comment amounted to harassment and was threatening to his female staff. By contrast, in O’Connor v Outdoor Creations Pty Ltd [2011] FWA 3081,

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Business Connect 31

Employers need to focus on how they can legally and reasonably control employee’s access to social media to prevent any damage to their business.

the Tribunal held that an employee was unfairly dismissed due to lack of evidence of excessive social media use during work hours. The employee was working out his notice period when the employer accessed his work computer and discovered he had been excessively engaging in Google Mail’s chat service during working hours. The employer summarily dismissed the employee on the grounds of theft as he was accepting payment for work without completing any during his ‘chat’ time. Excessive use was denied by the employee. As neither party provided independent evidence about the use of the internet during working hours, the Commissioner stated that while the ‘excessive use of the internet for personal purposes may constitute misconduct there is insufficient evidence to establish that [the employee] was in fact guilty of misconduct’. Further, the employer did not put the allegation to the employee for response.

Your essential policy The policy should be aligned with other business policies and should include: •

a definition of inappropriate use;

•

the employer’s expectations around social media in the workplace and acknowledgement that comments made in private accounts out of hours may result in disciplinary action. Employees need to acknowledge that what they may perceive as their personal posts or comments are not necessarily private and may still be considered related to their work;

•

a clear statement that an expectation of privacy is nonexistent if there is a sufficient connection to the workplace and that access will be monitored (if available and in accordance with the relevant surveillance legislation);

•

reiteration of obligations around the use of confidential information; and

•

a clear outline of the consequences of inappropriate social media use.

What should employers do? It is clear that with the risks employers face, they need to focus on how they can legally and reasonably control employee’s access to social media to prevent any damage to their business. To combat the risks of inappropriate social media use, businesses should adopt a social media policy that provides strict guidelines on the use of social media at the workplace and out of hours, and outlines employees’ responsibilities, including in relation to bullying, harassment and confidentiality.

For assistance in creating a social media policy, or other issues of employment law, contact Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors on 1300 565 846.

Autumn 2012 | Business Connect 31

Business Connect

e n i g n E h c r a e S

n o i t a s i Optim ur business... yo g in nk ra is d rl o w e How th

Many businesses are still grappling with search engine optimisation (SEO). As social media evolves, building your credibility through SEO is more important than ever. First principles A general understanding of SEO is that we first identify a keyword that we want our site to be found for when users search on it. Then we optimise our site content, metadata and inbound links around it. Ideally this means we will end up ranking on the first page of the search engine results. For most businesses, the task is multiplied

keyword itself. A granular approach can often give you a better chance to compete and rank well, while increasing relevance and traffic quality. Sometimes these granular keywords are acutely specific to what you have to offer, so if you were to “own” just that keyword, the financial benefit could be tremendous. A location modifier is an example for this, such as “business coach Newcastle” versus “business coach”. It pays to do a lot of research using Google’s keyword search tool and your own website analytics to identify hot targets.

“Search is becoming more personalised as results factor in social media recommendations.” many times because their range of products and services, and therefore keywords, is numerous. However, not all keywords are of equal value to your business, so it’s essential to be pragmatic and prioritise, otherwise the “piece of string” becomes too long. Some keywords bring in more traffic while others convert better. Some are easier to rank for and others are more relevant to your products and services. Each core keyword has a corresponding keyword family that contains all the modifiers of the keyword. The search volume within this keyword family is most likely larger than that of the

32 nswbusinesschamber.com.au

Quality over quantity Another factor in deciding where to spend your time and resources is the amount of content that you own and publish relating to the keywords under consideration. In February 2011, Google updated its search algorithm (known as Panda) to move quality content to the top of its search rankings. The update affected 11.8% of all Google’s search queries. According to Google, “high quality content is content that you can send to your child to learn something”. But what is meant by “quality content?” Expert SEO consultant and blogger Brian Ussery explains that content

quality is determined by a myriad of factors: authority, purpose, scope, reliability, relevance, arrangement, treatment, currency, format and overall site credibility. Content creation for good SEO is a detailed science if you wish to cover all bases. Great writing is an alternative approach to SEO. Pen the first draft version of your page before considering search words. From there, you can revise and add variation to keyword ideas and introduce additional keyword ideas. Following on, ensure your site has solid foundations: it should be easy to use and navigate, have high page speed, a privacy policy, secure pages, physical contact information and so on. Pay attention to poor quality signals such as duplicate content, pages not aligned with other pages, broken links, missing attributes or incomplete pages. Content should be unique, factual, accurate, objective and conform to proper spelling and grammar. Poor content on part of a site can impact a site’s ranking as a whole. Google’s Panda update is also concerned with content freshness and what users think about a site, whether through blog posts, social media services, email, forums, or other means. Word-of-mouth is what helps build your site’s reputation with both users and Google.

Social media makes it personal Increasingly, the lines between SEO and social media strategy are blurring. Inbound links from credible domains

are an important part of improving your SEO rankings, as they count as votes for the value of your site content. Social “Likes” are becoming the new inbound link, not just in growing people who see and recommend your content, but for search engines too. Launched in June 2011, Google+ search results are yet another vital ranking. To enhance your social identity, improve your search results and increase click through for those searches, stake ownership of your content through authorship mark up, and link it back to your Google+ business and/or personal profile. Add a bio page to your blog and complete your profile pages on all social mediums, taking care to optimise these with your keywords. “Social search” is an emerging trend with broad ramifications. Search is becoming more personalised as results factor in social recommendations. Historically, most SEO work has focused on website optimisation and link building, so a focus on content development around your most profitable keywords –now more than ever – can work to your competitive advantage.

SEO Checklist Consider a number of things when prioritising keywords: • Do the keywords terms/phrases have sufficient search volumes? • Are the chosen keyword terms highly relevant and specific enough to generate qualified traffic? • What is the level of relative competition for your most important terms?

Contributor

• Which terms do you have a competitive advantage in, or could you? • Do you have quality content centred around the keyword?

Danielle Wilmot Marketing Consultant Australian Business Solutions Group

• Do you have the ability to scale or fulfil demand? • What is the profitability of the targeted product or service? • What is the potential lifetime value of a client who comes to your business through a keyword term?

Assistance NSW Business Chamber members can receive discounts to the services of Australian Business Solutions, including assistance with digital media strategies and campaigns. Call 1800 505 529 or visit australianbusiness.com.au

Business Connect

e h t g n i v Sa

g u o n

driven s e s r u o c id First A tions a ic n u m m o c by dynamic Two NSW mums living 700 km apart thank smartphone and mobile e-commerce technology for helping their start-up company deliver vital emergency firstaid training programs to young parents – potentially saving countless young lives nationally.

Kids FIRST Aid delivers sharply-focused, three-hour courses that train parents in what to do if their child has an accident. Parents are trained to stay calm and react appropriately when confronted by common incidents, like a baby choking on a piece of food or a toddler suffering head trauma from a fall. Sisters Katie Fisher and Jenny Douneen launched Kids FIRST Aid four years ago following an incident at a friend’s house. “Katie was visiting a girlfriend when her friend’s child spilled hot tea on herself,” said Jenny. “The mother didn’t know what to do. Katie grabbed the child and immediately put her injury under cold water before carefully removing clothing. “Katie and her husband Ben are both paramedics and it struck them that their friend was like most parents – she wasn’t equipped to know how to react when trauma strikes a child.” The sisters and Ben devised a simple, back-to-essentials course, based on the 10 most common emergency situations that paramedics handle involving children. They tested it on friends, designed a marketing program and rolled it out via a network of paramedics as course presenters. Living a long way apart – Jenny is from Curl Curl on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, while Katie hails from Evans Head on the NSW Far North Coast – was no barrier to the already busy mothers-of-three.

34 nswbusinesschamber.com.au

Business Connect 35

(From left) Jenny Douneen, and Ben

“We were initially using three different mobile phone systems because a local landline number would have put off interstate callers,” said Jenny, a former radio station marketer.

choking on a baby food wrapper. The grateful mother wrote a note to Kids FIRST Aid that said: “Your course gave me the knowledge and confidence to help her and I’ll be eternally grateful.”

“Our website and word of mouth was generating increasing numbers of enquiries from all over the country. We quickly knew we needed faster, more reliable communications. Ben convinced us to talk to a local Telstra Business shop and equip ourselves with HTC phones.

As business demands grew, parents were calling to book courses at almost any time of the day, from anywhere in Australia. Jenny said: “We now

“Bundling the phones on Telstra Business mobile phone plans has proved to be very cost efficient and they also act as modems for our laptops across Telstra’s NextG® network.” Kids FIRST Aid now has trainers in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and the ACT and has presented the classes to more than 12,000 mums and dads. The testimonials are glowing. In one case, a Kids FIRST Aid graduate saved her eight-month-old from

and Katie Fisher of Kids FIRST Aid.

think we can increase that by further optimising how we use the technology. “Watching every single dollar we spend is important as we’re a tight operation spread over a vast geographic area. We simply could not have created, run and grown a business like this without the technology that’s available today. “It’s not just that it’s there but that it

“Kids FIRST Aid has presented classes to more than 12,000 mums and dads.” have e-commerce capabilities on our phones and are handling 75 to 80 bookings every week. “Mobile phone and online bookings are saving us up to 40 hours a month while being able to work remotely probably cuts 15% from our operating costs. We

is so quick and responsive – it allows us to know exactly what the business is doing at any time and works so smoothly for our customers.” Learn more from the Kids FIRST Aid website: kidsfirstaid.com.au

Autumn 2012 | Business Connect 35

Business Connect

Leadership insights

with Kevin Sheedy Thursday, 23 February, ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park. One of AFL’s most enduring figures, Kevin Sheedy, spoke at NSW Business Chamber’s first Business Leaders Luncheon of 2012. Guests were held captive by sporting anecdotes and business insights from the coach of Greater Western Sydney Giants. Mr Sheedy spoke with characteristic energy about the talent of youth, finding the right people, and the impact of leadership.

“

Until you open up the opportunities for young people in your business, you don’t know what you’re missing. It’s called prospecting.

36 nswbusinesschamber.com.au

”

“

Leadership is about impact. If you care about your staff when the previous leader failed, that’s an impact.

”

Business Connect 37

(From left) CEO of NSW Business Chamber, Stephen Cartwright, and guest speaker Kevin Sheedy.

“

People are growing this country. The most important selectors in this country aren’t in sport. It’s the immigration department.

”

“

It’s how you think about the business. How we can build a greater nation than we have right now. That’s the leadership we are capable of.

”

Autumn 2012 | Business Connect 37

Business Connect

Welcome n Local Chambers of Commerce in Alliance

NSW Business Chamber continues to achieve milestones in membership. March saw the number of members surpass 9,000 for the first time in the Chamberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 185-year history. Adding to the good news, the Northern Rivers NSW Business Chamber also exceeded 1,000 members for the first time.

38â&#x20AC;&#x201A; nswbusinesschamber.com.au

NSW Business Chamber is working to unify the chamber movement in Australia and strengthen the voice of business through the Local Chambers of Commerce Alliances Program. In the first quarter of 2012 (January to March), 30 Local Chambers of Commerce joined the program, with their respective members receiving membership entitlements from NSW Business Chamber. Albury Northside Chamber of Commerce Ballina Chamber of Commerce & Industry Bathurst Business Chamber Inc Biznet Blue Mountains Bondi & Districts Chamber of Commerce Byron United Chatswood Chamber of Commerce Cronulla Chamber of Commerce Croydon Park Chamber of Commerce Gosford City Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc Griffith Business Chamber Hornsby Business Alliance Kingscliff & District Chamber of Commerce Leichhardt & Annandale Business Chamber Lismore Chamber of Commerce Lithgow Business Association Inc Manly Chamber of Commerce Mullumbimby Chamber of Commerce & Industry Incorporated North Sydney Chamber of Commerce Parramatta Chamber of Commerce Penrith Valley Chamber of Commerce Inc Port Macquarie Chamber of Commerce Ryde Business Forum Inc Singleton Chamber of Commerce and Industry South Sydney Business Chamber Tweed Heads Chamber of Commerce Wagga Wagga Business Chamber Warringah Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc Wyong Regional Chamber of Commerce Yamba Chamber of Commerce

Business Connect 39

ew members New financial members NSW Business Chamber also welcomes the following new financial members during the first quarter of 2012. The Legends Club Pty Ltd Sweet Telecom Fertile Mind Pty Ltd Plumb Group Redpak Pty Ltd Siemens Enterprise Communications Plant Harmony Pty Ltd Cox West Lawyers The Tax Institute Bellingen Chamber of Commerce Corality Financial Group HEA Export Advisory Services The Commercial Disputes Management UberGlobal Pilot Pen Australia ME Transport Services Grace Records Management Visionary Series Pty Ltd icustom Bathurst Business Chamber Inc Clarence Village Limited Stratatel Urban Group Australia Pty Ltd Mercure Charlestown Generic Design Radpharm Scientific Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (ACT Chapter) Farrar Gesini & Dunn Angelic Events & Design Pty Ltd ORICA Mining Services Recreational Car Accessories Snowy Hydro SouthCare Rescue Helicopter Service Harbourside Helicopters Seair Air Conditioning Engineers ECommerce Software Solutions Online Skyline Productions Pty Ltd Walcom The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store Product Update Publications Pty Ltd Bryan Rush & Co ACPET Rocket Science Marketing Ela Photography Inverell Chamber of Commerce Kingspan Insulated Panels Pty Ltd Smith & Sons Renovations & Extensions Hall Chadwick 12 Worlds Pty Ltd

RMG Partners Business Solutions Telstra Business Cantarella Bros Pty Ltd Illawarra Strata Management Connect Workplacement Service The Post Group of Newspapers Muscular Dystrophy Association of NSW You’re Connected Pro Plumbing Solutions Soul Cafe National Australia Bank Ltd Westpac Banking Corporation Brumbies Rugby Maths and Learning Excellence Mullumbimby Chamber of Commerce & Industry Incorporated Rush Recruitment RBSM Canberra Pty Ltd GM Aluminium Lifese Pty Ltd Austcold Refrigeration Pty Ltd Tibbr Ezra Kurukaanga-Turner Baker & McKenzie Australian Museum Parkes Chamber of Commerce Timoli Pty Ltd VoIP Tweed Transport Training Leed Steel Port Kembla Golf Club Heal For Life J & M Fashions Pty Ltd AUSCOAL Superannuation Cover-More Insurance Services Australian Rugby Union Anna’s Cuisina Pty Ltd Parramatta Chamber of Commerce Croydon Park Chamber of Commerce Lifeline Mid Coast Content Group Manly Sea Eagles Redranger Pty Ltd Dobinson Davey Clifford Simpson Skits Pty Ltd Advanced Personnel Management Marmong Point Marina Benison Management Co. Pty Ltd Solar Sailor Holdings Ltd Howard Partners Pty Ltd

CSC Australian Turf Club Ltd Gibsons Shopfitters Trish Sellars Cleaning & Support Services Community First Credit Union Inside Publishers Cabcharge Australia CPG Research & Advisory IMP Pty Ltd Kitchens of Wagga China Lingua Danona Customs and Forwarding Pty Ltd ACU - Australian Catholic University NSW Minerals Council East Coast Polyurethanes Pty Ltd Wallsend Town Business Association Raine & Horne Newcastle Camden Haven Chamber Of Commerce, Industry & Tourism Inc TOC3 GTK Human Resource Marshall Legal ID Warehouse Lithgow Business Association Inc BBT Training Australia Management Group Services Australia Pty Ltd Rimex Metals Australia Accent Management & Financial Consulting Performance Power Rivenlee Floats The Read Clinic Pty Ltd Enware Australia Pty Ltd Forward Thinking Design Rustica Newcastle Beach Lady Anne Funerals Saje Industries Tutt Bryant Hire Central Coast Marine Installations Enviro Chemicals & Cleaning Supplies Health Plus Converga Pty Ltd C A Care Services/ C A Youth Services/ C A Cleaning/ C A Security Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium Ryde Business Forum Inc WebDesktop Cubic Transport Systems (Australia) Pty Ltd a.hartrodt Australia Media Super Brave Leadership APP Corporation Pty Limited

Berkeley Vale Steel Anittel Group Pty Ltd Recovre Pty Ltd Greater Building Society Ltd iAsset Travelworld Tamworth Webcessity Web Solutions Five Star Day Spa Steelfarm Tamworth Pty Ltd Border Range Fresh Farm Rabbits Heyden Frame and Truss Lifeline Albury Wodonga The Anglican Diocese of Newcastle Mosmann Australia Carbon TradeXchange West Ryde Denture Clinic Disability Professionals Pty Ltd Interactive Community Care Pty Ltd Australian Vocational Training Academy Moove Media Australia Newcastle Regional Show Bluestar Information Technology Services Pty Ltd Applied Brokers BPAY Group Tata Global Beverages Australia Pty Limited Cusacks Trading Co Pty Ltd Manning Valley Business Chamber Arnvale Executive Search & Arnvale Media Albury Wodonga Community Network Inc Visionform Australia Pty Ltd Green Cross Capital Pty Ltd Form 1 Fire Protection Pty Ltd Illawarra Business Chamber University of Western Sydney She Inspires Aurora Gems Pty Ltd Lavida Trading The Iconic Room it4 Australia Susan Drew Taxtime Pty Ltd Dermalogica Pty Ltd Benevolent Society Place My Business Sunlight Products Warrawong Nissan & Suzuki Empire Lifestyle Revolution Penninsula Hearing 2Excell Consulting Ilum-a-Lite Pty Ltd Hugo Halliday Country Builders EzyFlow Logistics Pty Ltd Gunn Accounting Pty Ltd WSP Group Limpid Logic Pty Ltd

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Business Connect

The security of success

NSW Business Chamber Annual Awards “I have participated in a variety of awards programs, and many of them forget about you after the ceremony. In contrast, the Chamber has continued to support my business name and build our profile.”

Can you describe the experience of the awards ceremony and winning?

Nepean Regional Security is a ‘one-stop security shop’ says Managing Director, Gina Field. Her successful business won the Small Business Growth category at NSW Business Chamber’s Annual Awards in 2011 - and hasn’t looked back since. Business Connect recently caught up with the award winner.

I was watching the video of the awards night just the other week, and I’m still overwhelmed by the whole experience. I can’t remember walking from my table to the stage! It’s a difficult feeling to describe, but definitely fantastic. Have you experienced support from other businesses? I’ve had so many people congratulate me, especially from the Penrith community. The local media rallied behind me as well, so it felt like a home coming parade! How has the Chamber supported your business since the award? I have participated in a variety of awards programs, and many of them forget about you after the ceremony. In contrast, the Chamber has continued to support my business name and build our profile. I was recently invited to present at a breakfast welcoming new members to the Chamber. It was an excellent opportunity for sourcing new business leads.

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I’ve also been a VIP at other Chamber events, where I’ve been publically acknowledged by the CEO, Stephen Cartwright. On one occasion, I sat next to Tony Abbott who said “I’ve heard all about you!” Has winning the award made a bottomline difference to your business? Yes. It has been very busy for us in 2012 with a number of exciting new jobs. Nepean Regional Security just finished providing security services to Baz Luhrmann’s new film, ‘The Great Gatsby’, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The job required protection of both the set and the stars. We had to adapt and be flexible, responding quickly to location changes and the demands of shooting. When competing against other security providers, the award makes an impression. I believe it got us across the line. Members of NSW Business Chamber are invited to enter the 2012 Annual Awards. Entries will open in May. Simply visit annualawards.com.au to enter.

Extrastaff Apprenticeships, part of Australian Business Solutions Group, are the specialist division for apprentice or trainee hiring in a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, construction, transport and logistics, community services and health, finance and property, business and retail. Extrastaff Apprenticeships source, test and place candidates with your business, as well as administering the payroll and training requirements, such as TAFE enrolment, if applicable. You simply pay an hourly rate for that apprentice, inclusive of all services provided.

• Receiving Federal incentives of up to $4000* • Only paying for employees when they are working • Work Health and Safety checks • Ease of changeover • Support from the many services within NSW Business Chamber

Extrastaff Apprenticeships are responsible for the quality and continuity of the employment and training, as well as providing additional support in mentoring and broader career guidance. Extrastaff Apprenticeships use the most comprehensive recruitment processes available, including online assessment tools. Extrastaff Apprenticeships cater to your business needs, from permanent to temporary and apprentice/trainee hire. *eligibility criteria applies.

For more information, contact Justin Dwyer 1300 177 599 Justin.Dwyer@ australianbusiness.com.au skillsroad.com.au

Sourcing Apprentices and Trainees to help your business grow

Business Connect

New mentoring and career advice service With completion rates for some Australian Apprenticeships (including traineeships) as low as 50%, the Australian economy is at risk of falling short of the skills it needs to grow.

In a bid to address this shortfall, the Australian Government has recently announced an allocation of $18 million to fund a new mentoring and career advice service, driven by industry, to support occupations in current and emerging skills needs areas. The initiative will assist young Australians in making the most appropriate training choices for them and for those who undertake an Australian Apprenticeship, provide one-on-one support throughout the duration of their apprenticeship.

“The increased support and advice we are providing will help boost apprentice retention rates, particularly in the crucial first year of training.” Australian Business Apprenticeships Centre has been appointed to provide services under this initiative, and will deploy apprentice mentors and careers advisers to work directly with students, parents, job-seekers,

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employers and schools across New South Wales and Queensland. The scheme will commence on 1 July 2012. Andrew Williams, General Manager of Australian Business Apprenticeships Centre said “We are thrilled to be a part of this program.”

More about ABAC Australian Business Apprenticeships Centre assists businesses in establishing an Australian Apprenticeships program, including traineeships. As an employer, you may be eligible for various government financial incentives to assist with employing an apprentice or trainee. ABAC simplifies and streamlines the appointment and administrative management of apprentices and trainees, helping ensure that all incentives and allowances are received. Best of all, ABAC services are provided at no cost to your business. For more information on the program, contact Andrew Williams at Australian Business Apprenticeships Centre on 1300 652 236.

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Business Connect

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