Growing
Employers everywhere are talking about the skills shortage and the challenge of finding and retaining staff. So the question must be asked; what about all those talented parents with children at school? Many of these parents are educated, skilled, often have 10 or 20 years of relevant experience, and can work part-time. Is this a […]
Want to grow your business, but can’t retain staff for long enough to do it? Linda Nall, marketing manager for MEGT Australia Ltd, looks at some useful ways to retain staff and keep them happy and committed to growing your business. Every time I interview a young person who has successfully made the transition from […]
Retaining staff is becoming harder as a result of the skills shortage. Gavin Dixon, CEO of Reckon Limited’s Business Division, offers his suggestions on how staff training and evaluation are a must for retaining staff, and keeping them happy, motivated and performing at their best. Staff turnover is expected to cost Australian businesses more than […]
Having a website isn’t enough to market your business; Robelen Bajar, marketing manager at Melbourne IT, offers the following online marketing tips to ensure you maximise your business online. I’m amazed me that I am still being asked why businesses need to do online marketing. According to Name Intelligence, there are over 100 billion websites currently […]
Every business needs a crisis management plan to survive. Crisis management plans should be in place for generic and specific industry risks, as well as unexpected business disasters such as floods, terrorist attacks, and computer hacking issues. Imagine that you don’t have a crisis management plan. Instead, you’ve been building a successful business for seven years […]
Australia has become an employees’ market. So how can you maintain a low staff turnover without blowing your budget? Here are 50 cost-effective ways to retain staff by keeping them happy and loyal. 1. Salary One of the biggest employee motivators, pay is what attracts us to most new positions and encourages us to stay. […]
Getting the most out of the employee-customer encounter is essential for a business, and the first step to managing employee-customer interaction is measuring the customer experience. “Quality” is easy to measure and manage in some contexts, and extremely difficult in others. Businesspeople have a pretty good idea how to judge the manufacturing process that yields […]
The changes to superannuation over the past two years have created an exciting opportunity for SME owners. Even if you’re nowhere near retirement age, you now have the ability to use superannuation to grow your business, control premises and provide for a comfortable retirement all at the same time. Recent changes relevant to SMEs, in regards […]
Despite our adeptness at virtual communication, our ability to communicate face-to-face in the workplace is waning, and giving feedback is getting harder. So read on for advice about improving communication skills and giving effective feedback. Change and communication specialist and principal of Message Stix Karen Williams, attributes the breakdown in corporate communication to a changing […]
Work, rest and play is the mantra for splitting up your day and creating work-life balance, but who says they need to be separate? Here are some business lifestyle ideas to keep staff happy, give yourself a break or to indulge in some of the finer things in life. Work–Play Balance Your office may not […]
Bill Hovey, CEO of Linchpin Group Australia, asks just how prepared are you for your business exit and succession? Read on to see if you’re one of the few business owners prepared for exit, with a succession plan in hand. Each year, Linchpin Group Australia succession management undertakes a proprietary survey as part of a […]
Running a successful business depends on knowing the difference between a leader and a manager, and being able to combine the best attributes of both roles to become an effective ‘managerial leader’. Are you a great manager? Or do you see yourself as an inspired leader? If you are in an SME environment, picking one […]
Australia’s skills shortage is making the process of finding and retaining staff increasingly hard. But don’t let the skills shortage get you down; here are some simple and inexpensive staff recruitment methods. The focus of organisations on finding and retaining staff has greatly expanded over the past decade. This is partly in response to the […]
Combating the skills shortage plaguing small and medium-sized businesses is tough. But if you want more free time and need staffing solutions for the skills shortage, it’s worth investing money in outsourcing and part-time employees. As a small business owner, you’ll probably be familiar with two scenarios symptomatic of staffing issues. One is the ubiquitous […]
Succession planning is often surrounded by a cloud of confusion. Bill Hovey, CEO of Linchpin Group Australia, tries to help SMEs in understanding succession planning. In my daily work with clients a number of issues about succession planning arise continuously. The first is confusion around what succession actually entails. Succession is best described as the […]
Networking to grow your business is critical. But for many, networking is something that is a chore rather than a must-do activity. Understanding your networking personality and that of others can be the key to your success. Attending functions around Australia I have noticed that there are six distinct networking styles. Identifying these and who […]
What is an entrepreneur? There’s no definite answer, but there is one thing we know—it’s more than just running a business. So we’ve turned to the experts, who say innovation is a requirement in becoming an entrepreneur and growing your business. When the title ‘entrepreneur’ is thrown around it can cover anyone from the business […]
Leadership can play an effective role in the building of any business, large or small. It can have a direct effect on staff productivity and retention in particular, both vital areas for any growing business. It’s also important to distinguish between leadership and management. One saying I like is: ‘managers have subordinates, whereas leaders have […]
A growing number of businesses are forsaking packaged accounting software in favour of accessing it as a service over the world wide web. We investigate the benefits and improvements worth taking advantage of. When looking for a new accounting software package for his small business, Con Zeritris chose a relative newcomer to the accounting software […]
On everyone’s lips, VoIP is still a buzz word. But how much do you really know about it? If you’re looking to make the most of your communication processes, then read on. VoIP—what does it actually stand for? Most of us know Voice over Internet Protocol means calls are made over the internet, rather than […]
