Issue 118 August 2016

Shaun O'Brien, chef, entrepreneur and founder of Black Sheep Bar & Grill in Braddon is not very trendy ... Traditionally a 'black sheep' is an outcast and a pariah.Shaun has deliberately decided to stand out from the flock by not following fads and trends in the hospitality industry. Shaun brings nearly 20 years' experience in hospitality and as an entrepreneur,...

In memory of Ross Campbell 1929-2015 I am sure that we have all heard the old adage: "Leaders are not born, they are made." I don't hold with this statement in its strictest sense. I believe that the potential for leadership is within each one of us. It is through being presented with and taking the opportunities in life that...

Businesses are becoming increasingly dependent on social media as a marketing tool and way to interact with existing and potential customers. Although social media draws many benefits for businesses and customers alike, it needs to be treated like traditional forms of advertising in that comments and opinions are not false, misleading or deceptive. Importantly, business owners are responsible for the...

Most people assume that bookkeepers and accountants get along very well. The reality, however, is they tend not to share a lot of information with one another. Bookkeepers and accountants should dance around with each other to realise the best possible outcomes for their clients. But why are such harmonious and effective relationships hard to achieve most of the time?...

These days, information is can be the most valuable asset a business can own - so how do you protect it when entering into a new business partnership? Confidentiality or Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) are used in a wide variety of business relationships, where protection of one or both sides' confidential information is essential, whether it's customer and contact lists, design...

As a business, is it worth checking out how your business can get climate ready? Getting climate ready includes reducing your energy use, energy costs and training staff to build resilience to climate change. It is worth checking out what the Government has on offer to help you adapt. This includes free, easy-to-use resources, tools and ideas. It includes access...

They say cash is king. Find out how to give yours the royal treatment. There's a golden rule in business you'd be smart to learn now: No matter how much you sell, if you don't collect the money, you're going to go out of business. As business owners, we often get so wrapped up in selling our products and services...

Cyber Security attacks are on the rise at the same time as budgets for IT programs are undergoing cost cutting and efficiency measures. Now more than ever, businesses need to carefully consider their security expenditure to maximise the return on investment. Like any other area of the business, it is critical that the security program is in step with the...

The Australian Financial Review recently contained two articles which highlighted the growing importance of intellectual property in international trade. The first article was titled "China rival US as biggest wine market". This article referred to Australian wine exporters benefitting from the free-trade agreement and the growing demand for wine among China's middle class. Wine exports to China are reported to...

Voluntary staff turnover has risen in 29% of organisations over the past year. That's one of the many findings in our recently released Hays Salary Guide, which shows that just 14% of the 2,752 organisations surveyed, representing over 2.6 million employees, reported decreased staff turnover during the past 12 months. The remaining 57% said it stayed the same. The increasing...

As the nation's capital lurches its way towards the end of another cold winter, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief that the sun will soon reappear. As a self-confessed sun seeker, I find it difficult to find anything much positive to say about the chilly weather. One exception, however, is the pleasure of escaping from the cold...

I often say, customer service is the best form of marketing. Customers are the reason we are all in business. Love them or lose them, it's really that simple. Don't let digital marketing fool you. It doesn't matter what or where or how you are marketing, the fact remains that 100% of your customers are people and every customer has...

We might not have a mining industry but we have something even better in Canberra: we have the Capital of Australia with Parliament, major government departments, national cultural institutions and five universities. Not bad for a population of less than half a million. And guess what? The public service doesn't go through boom and bust periods. Under all colours of...

"Danger, Will Robinson! Danger! Danger!" Not exactly my first memory of a robot (I think the Daleks have that honour), but perhaps my first memory of a robot helping a human out. Or was it Rosie, the house maid in the Jetsons? Anyway, the idea of helpful robot servants has been around for a long time! The theme for this...