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Newsletter April 2006 |
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Welcome to our April newsletter! In this month's newsletter: News from CEO David Baumgarten
Business Breakfast 11th April - 'No time, no money, no staff... No worries!
News from CEO David Baumgarten When I sat down to write this month's newsletter I was thought I was going to struggle with content. As I put pen to paper I soon realised that April was going to be an action-packed month. Have a great April
Home-Based Business Week commences 1st May David Campbell, Minister for Small Business has formally announced Home-Based business week commencing 1st May 2006. This is a week that is devoted to the home-based business practitioner. Below is a selection of some of the great events and workshops you can attend. A full list of events can be found on www.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au/hbb. We will also be running our own events during the week.
Home-Based Business Week Official Launch Creative marketer Siimon Reynolds talks about clever marketing on a home-based business budget, while Guyon Holland of aussieBum tells his story about going from a home-based business to a multi-million dollar global enterprise. This event is free, to register online go to www.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au/hbb Business Breakfast
$5000 Lights up Rotary Bright Spark Program The search is now open for young entrepreneurs with bright business ideas to enter the 2006 Rotary 9680 Bright Spark program. For more details please download the Media Release To enter the 2005-06 Rotary 9680 Bright Spark program please contact George Beyrouthi on 9899 9526 or 0411 25 9526. Be quick as there are only a few places left!
Business Awards season is upon us See below for more details of upcoming awards and how to enter. My Business Magazine - 2006 Fuji Xerox My Business Awards The team at My Business magazine would like to invite you to enter the 2006 Fuji Xerox My Business Awards and be recognised for your hard-earned success. With a range of categories to enter, you are sure to find one or even more categories in which your business excels. Entry is FREE, quick and easy. Award Winners receive $5,000 prize packs, and are significantly profiled in the Winners My Business issue! The Board of this organisation is proud to be involved with these awards once again. They will be launched in late June and we will hold a breakfast launch in the Eastern Suburbs in early July and will also be supporting the launches in metro Sydney in early July. We will keep you posted of these events in our next newsletters.
Work Choice - how changes to unfair dismissal laws affect small corporations Do you operate a company and employ less than 100 employees? (Only 10% of companies in Australia have more than 100 employees.) If the answer is "Yes" then the 'Work Choice' legislation enacted by the Federal Government at the end of last year has substantially changed the unfair dismissal laws for your employees. The Federal Government has used its 'corporation's power' to enable legislation that governs the conditions of employment with corporations, an area traditionally regulated by the state governments. Unfair dismissal is a challenge brought by an employee against the "fairness" of their termination. The employee needs to demonstrate that the termination was in some way "harsh, unjust or unreasonable". If this is proven then the employee will be awarded damages for the losses suffered. The new Work Choice legislation provides for an exemption from unfair dismissal laws for companies with 100 or less employees. Part of the reason given by the government in the legislation is that: "The costs of unfair dismissal claims weigh more heavily on smaller businesses which may not have the necessary expertise or resources to deal with an unfair dismissal claim". The government has also said that it believes that the unfair dismissal laws have inhibited small companies from employing more staff for fear that if the employee turns out to be unsuitable the employer may face an unfair dismissal claim without merit. The head count of 100 employees is calculated at the time of dismissal and includes full-time, part-time and regular casual employees (i.e. an employee engaged on a regular or systematic basis for a period of at least 12 months). Corporations will not be able to structure into smaller employing entities in an attempt to qualify for the unfair dismissal law exemption. Although these amendments will restrict the employees access to bring an unfair dismissal claim they are not precluded from commencing action for a breach of contract or unlawful termination. The grounds for unlawful termination (different from unfair dismissal) remain unchanged, and include reasons such as, race, colour, sex, union membership, temporary absence due to voluntary emergency management activity and not providing adequate notice of termination. If the employee claims breach of contract, the employer may be liable for damages in excess of those that are awarded under the unfair dismissal laws so it is important that the termination procedure be in accordance with the employment conditions of the individual employee. With Australia heading for a major shortage of workers it may be that small business has to insert unfair dismissal clauses in their staff contracts simply to attract good staff. In addition, it seems that the trade unions may start to target small business because without the protection of the unfair dismissal laws the workers may see real benefit in supporting one another via the union - even in very small workplaces. As noted earlier, union membership cannot be used as grounds for dismissal. Article courtesy of Peter Townsend
How to get and keep fantastic staff What if I told you that people don't work for money! Research all over the world carried out across many different industry sectors, ages, genders, races and cultures consistently indicates that people are primarily not motivated by how much they get paid. The most important factors that determine how happy an employee is in her job and how effective and productive she is in it are: Other research into management styles and developments in the field of "positive psychology" indicate that people develop certain distinct, innate talents, early in life. These talents become strengths as they grow older and more experienced. Other areas don't develop as talents and because of that they don't ever become strengths. No matter how much training and practicing you do in those areas, the best you can ever hope for is that you learn some skills, and learn to "get by". Taken together, these are powerful insights for us small business owners. All of us are good at some things, and not so good at others, and worse, we actually hate doing those things. So we employ staff to do those things for us. But how do we get staff that has talent and strength in our own "non-talent" areas, and how do we get them to really excel and stick around for the long haul? To have a workplace where staff love to work and perform at excellence level all the time you need to start at the beginning: 1) What comes naturally to you, what are your strengths, your talents? Be as specific as you can be. Write it down.
Self-employed are coming up smiling The Age newspaper recently ran an article by ICA Executive Director Ken Phillips, titled "Self-employed are coming up smiling". In the article Ken states that "International research has shown that self-employed people are happier at work than the employed." For access to the full article, simply go to the News page at: www.contractworld.com.au and follow the link in the News box. Article provided by the Independent Contractors Association.
Growth Summit: Be part of the most important event for the SME Sector in NSW for 2006! - April 11th & 12th We are proud to welcome The Honourable Fran Bailey, MP, Minister for Small Business & Tourism, to launch this two-day conference and exhibition for Small-Medium Businesses. This SME Growth Summit will: - Create competitive advantage TWO DAY CONFERENCE PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Find out what's affecting people in small business in Australia The Australian Businesswomen's Network is teaming up with AMP as they present the results of their latest report on Small Business - the 11th Annual AMP.NATSEM Income and Wealth Report.
Assertiveness Training for Women in Business
Jackie Green, NLP Trainer and Business and Life Coach, in conjunction with The American Management Association (AMA) will be conducting a three day workshop in Melbourne from 9th to 11th April.
Next Home-Based Business Program Commencing June 2006
eBay Breakfast and Workshops coming soon In our March newsletter I mentioned that we were looking at a breakfast and series of workshops in relation to eBay. From the response we are receiving it confirms my "gut feel" that this is a topic that you want more of. The use of eBay in business is on the increase. Many business operators are using eBay shops as a way of getting a presence on the internet before launching a full shopping cart facility on their own web page. In my opinion this is a smart move as you have an audience that is coming to eBay to buy and you can then test the market… this then becomes your market research. We are still taking email addresses of anyone looking to be kept informed of the eBay Breakfast. If you would like to be added to our mailing list then please submit your email address on the home page of our websites (right-hand panel):
Business Breakfast 11th April - 'No time, no money, no staff... No worries! Come along to this inaugural business breakfast, hosted by the City of Randwick Combined Chambers in conjunction with The Eastern Suburbs Business Enterprise Centre. The breakfast will take place on 11th April at Coogee Bay RSL, Carr Street, Coogee. Our speaker is Detective Inspector Peter Baines and his presentation is titled 'No time, no money, no staff... No worries!' His stories show how in the most desperate of times, simply amazing results are achieved by focusing on leadership, attitude and execution. Peter is a Detective Inspector with the NSW Police and has worked in the forensic area since 1990. He led Australian and international teams in response to a number of incidents, including the Waterfall train derailment, Bali bombings and Thailand tsunami. After returning from one of three rotations in Thailand as the International Commander, he composed a keynote presentation around the benefits for business and individuals alike. His experience in managing crisis situations is unique; however, the principles of how to manage these situations can be applied equally to all businesses undergoing change, seeking motivation or simply needing to get the job done. To book your place at this event see the ESBEC - Networking Calendar
Need to employ staff? 'Becoming an Employer' workshop - 12th April Do I employ someone? Or not? How do I go about it? These choices can be difficult for small business owners. Becoming an employer can provide owners with a greater opportunity to both grow the business and allow time for owners to 'work on' the business. This workshop provides you with the skills to find the right employees for your business and considers the 'must-do' aspects of employing staff. To book online or to find similar workshops visit our workshop calendars:
Business Thursday - Make Your Website Work 1000 Times Harder - 20th April At your request we are again offering this popular workshop. In September we ran this workshop and it was booked out, so secure your place and book early! For further details or to book online see our networking calendars:
Information and Communications Technology exhibition - 9th to 11th May Business Enterprise Centre Australia Chairman, Peter Murray, recently announced the support of the National Network of BECs for CeBIT Australia, this region's largest Information and Communications Technology exhibition, to be held in Sydney from 9th to 11th May. To obtain details about how to obtain your discounted admission ticket email reception@clearlybusiness.com.au Further information about the Information and Communications Technology exhibition can be found at www.cebit.com.au
How to start an Import or Export business - 30th & 31st May Learn everything you need to know to get your importing or exporting business up and running! Our next course is over two evenings, 30th and 31st May 2006. The cost is $165 which includes a comprehensive Import / Export Manual (retail value $40) which you receive for free in the workshop. For further details or to book online see our Training Calendars:
Community Noticeboard - events in your local area Don't forget to check our Community Noticeboard for the latest small business events including business breakfasts, cocktail functions, lunches and business networking groups. If you would like to post your event please email david@clearlybusiness.com.au To find out more about upcoming events see: |
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