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Newsletter March 2006 |
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Welcome to our March newsletter! In this month's newsletter: News from CEO David Baumgarten
News from CEO David Baumgarten Can you believe it? March already…Easter eggs in the supermarkets …how our year races by. Before you know it we will be in the November wind-down leading up to Christmas 2006. Before all this happens let me tell you about my month and the month coming up. On 21st February we held the first of the Burwood Business Breakfast Series Breakfasts… Our speaker was Robert Gerrish who led us through the steps to start a referral virus. We had over 50 attendees and let me tell you, some serious networking took place. The next breakfast is in May (see our Networking Calendar for details). I also attended the Canada Bay Business Group networking function, with special guest Angela D'Amaro, Member for Drummoyne. Angela is a very approachable member who has a good 'feel' for issues facing small business. During the month I also had the opportunity to catch up with Trevor Weeding from Torch Newspaper, Bankstown and Graham Humphrys from Bankstown Council. I am looking forward to working more closely with these gentlemen. I also caught up with Janelle from Canterbury Council. Wow, what a lady and wow, what a council! Janelle and I are getting our heads together to see what we can do jointly in Canterbury. February was also very busy at the Eastern Suburbs BEC. The demand for our facilitation service delivered under the Sydney Business Advisory Service program continues to grow. This service is delivered on behalf of the NSW Department of State and Regional Development. To book an appointment phone 1300 650 058. During the month we held a combined business breakfast in conjunction with the Bondi Junction Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber breakfasts are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month (details in our Community Noticeboard). On 11th April the Combined Randwick City Chambers of Commerce and ESBEC will be holding their first City of Randwick Business Breakfast. The speaker is Detective Inspector Peter Bains who will talk about managing crisis situations and how amazing results are achieved by focusing on leadership, attitude and execution. In my opinion this is a must for the diary (see our Networking Calendar for more details). We are putting the final touches to our Home-Based Business Program which will commence in May 2006. If you are a home-based business and would like to be kept informed please email danielboland@easternsuburbsbec.com.au I have a number of free passes to the Franchising Business Opportunities Expo on 17th -19th March. Should you require a pass (max 2 per person) please email me at david@clearlybusiness.com.au Finally, I would like to say farewell to two of my staff and welcome to their replacements. David McLeod, our Sydney Business Facilitator, is returning to Canada on 17th March. Ketrina Coffey, my Training Coordinator, has decided that Brisbane is the place to be. She and her husband Ray will be leaving us mid-March. Ketrina and David, you go with our best wishes. I would like to welcome to the team Ingrid Poulson who replaces Ketrina and Daniel Boland who is David's replacement. I am sure that our members and networks will also welcome you to the BEC family. We hope to see you at one of our networking events - in the meantime have a great month! David Baumgarten
Home-Based Business Program - Canada Bay, Eastern Suburbs and Canterbury Thanks to the support of Canada Bay Council we have our Marketing Action Plan for Canada Bay up and operational. We are now putting the final touches to a program in the Eastern Suburbs and also another in Canterbury. More details on the program can be found on our web pages:
In business 5 years or more? Be a mentor on our Women in Business Program! We almost have all our mentorees for our next WIB mentor program and we are now looking for mentors. This is a great opportunity to give something back, share your wisdom and business acumen. It is not a big commitment. We ask that you agree to 20 hours of mentoring over a six month period. We also ask that you attend the mentor briefing session, Business Expo and graduation night, 8 hours in total. We find that some mentors take the opportunity of attending all workshops as they use the program to review their own businesses. So if you have been in business 5 years or more we would love to hear from you. By the way, we are looking for both male and female mentors. Please email Ingrid Poulson at ingridpoulson@easternsuburbsbec.com.au You can also find out more about the program on our web pages:
Sydney meeting rooms special offer - $15 per hour in March
Speakers / tailored business workshops for your Association or Business Function Services we provide for businesses and associations are tailored business workshops or speakers for any occasions. We have noticed an increased demand for these services in the last six months so I thought it timely to remind you. For further enquiries contact Daniel Boland on danielboland@clearlybusiness.com.au
Important Tax Development for Partners The Independent Contractors Association has verified with the ATO the policy change that now accepts income-splitting between spouses in partnerships. This is an important step in the recognition of the business status of independent contractors. For the ICA discussion and associated links, 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.
Image - What is it and why do I need one? Image and style are not exclusive to just some people. Each individual can develop the skills to always look and feel their best. Image is less about beauty, age, wealth or even fashion and more specifically about understanding yourself and having the confidence to uncover your unique style. It is said that when we meet people for the first time 55% of our initial communication is visual. The way you look, dress, act and feel about yourself will therefore affect your ability to make a positive first impression. In many cases your image and personal appearance will determine how successful you are in establishing relationships with others in personal, social and business situations. By improving your image you will always be confident that you are in control. With increased confidence others will see you in a new and more positive light. If you wish to climb the corporate ladder a great image will result in others seeing you as professional and capable of promotion. An Image Consultant will help you understand what works best for you in the area of personal colour and image/style as well as giving you helpful tips on how to manage your wardrobe. This professional evaluation will enable you to avoid needless expense by shopping more efficiently while at the same time enabling you to make a positive first impression first time, every time! Celeste Byrne - Success Coach & Image Consultant.
ATO Home-Based Business Partnership - what issues would you like to raise? Along with representatives of other organisations who are involved with the Home-Based Business Sector I sit on a forum called the ATO Home-Based Business Partnership. Also represented on this committee are a number of government departments. I find this a very worthwhile investment of my time as it allows me to interact with others with similar interests, to contribute issues that you have identified and also to gather information to funnel back down to you, the home-based business practitioner.
Introducing the Commissioner's online update The Tax Office is providing a new web-based service every month - the Commissioner's online update. The update will cover a range of compliance issues - from those impacting individual to large business taxpayers. It will also provide comment on subjects such as serious fraud and tax evasion, audits, prosecutions and debt. The update will also expand on how we are making it easy for people to comply. The Commissioner's online update will be published on www.ato.gov.au every month, however you can click on this link to go directly to the first edition: http://www.ato.gov.au/corporate/content.asp?doc=/content/57606.htm If you're interested in receiving an alert every month, make sure you subscribe to the free email service by clicking on this link and following the directions: http://www.ato.gov.au/subscription/
Free legal advice and assistance to young people and small business owners
The Youth and Enterprise Legal Centre (YELC) is a newly established, not-for-profit legal centre providing free legal advice and assistance to young people and small business owners. YELC has been established under the auspices of the Enterprise Network for Young Australians Ltd (ENYA), a not-for-profit organisation founded in 2003 to promote the active participation of young people in enterprise. OVERVIEW OF SERVICES Youth Stream: We will not accept matters involving discrimination law or unfair dismissal. Examples of the types of matters YELC can accept under the Enterprise Stream include, but are not limited to the following: Please note that YELC does not provide advice in relation to criminal, family or immigration law matters. For further details contact Karen Ford, ENYA, Tel: 1300 136921, Direct: 02 8765 4150, Fax: 97645866 or visit www.enya.org.au
We are always on the look out for business trainers who can assist in the delivery of our business workshops and training. If you would like to submit your resume please forward it to Daniel Boland at danielboland@clearlybusiness.com.au Selling on eBay - want to know more? In late 2005 we ran a number of eBay business workshops for beginners and the advanced. We are now planning a series of business breakfasts to be followed by workshops. 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. If you would like to know more then submit your email address on the home page of our websites (right-hand panel):
Australian Business Women's Network - International Women's Day lunch 8th March The Australian Businesswomen's Network is having a series of lunches on 8th March designed to celebrate the achievements and contribution that businesswomen make and to raise funds for Opportunity International, an amazing charity that provides micro-loans mainly to women in developing nations to start or grow their businesses. To reserve your place or find out more about this charity event visit http://www.abn.org.au We are proud to have the Australian Business Women's Network as a Strategic Alliance Partner
IT Directions For Small Business - What's Hot, What's Not and What Will Be Small business is constantly bombarded with offers of fantastic new IT technologies which will revolutionise their business. What's the truth? Where do these technologies come from and which ones will still be here tomorrow? Where should small business spend their money in 2006. What should be left on the burner to mature? A lot of great new "innovations" are simply reworking of the systems that corporate Australia has been using for years. Many of these are now becoming affordable at the small business level but it's easy to invest in the wrong technology. In this presentation we will discuss IT systems such as remote access, wireless networking and voice over IP. Where do servers fit in and what are the major issues that small business will face as they increasingly reply on digital storage of their critical business files? Our presenter is Craig Colnan from Bluefly IT Solutions. For more details and to book see our Networking calendars:
Franchising 2006 Business Opportunities Expo - 17-19th March Sydney Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour The expo is a showcase of Australian and international franchising and business ideas, where you can speak with the real industry professionals over three action-packed days. For more information visit www.franchisingexpo.com.au I have a number of passes to the above expo to give away. All members will receive two passes. If you would like a pass please email david@easternsuburbsbec.com.au. First in first served. City of Randwick Combined Chambers Business Breakfast Series - starts 11th April I am pleased to announce that the City of Randwick Combined Chambers in conjunction with The Eastern Suburbs Business Enterprise Centre have launched the City of Randwick Breakfast Series. Our first breakfast is on 11th April at Coogee Bay RSL, Carr Street, Coogee. Our speaker for this breakfast is Peter Baines and his presentation is titled 'No time, no money, no staff... and 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
Community Notice Board- Find out about networking 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 this month's events see:
Home-Based Business Week - 1st to 5th May Home-Based Business week will take place in the first week in May with workshops and events aimed at home-based business practitioners. More details to follow in our next newsletter.
Newsletter edited by Charmedia |
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