Staff
Inheritance can be a tricky business. You may have inherited a team you don’t get along with. You may be lacking some key resources for your job, or you may be struggling to get along with a difficult boss. Whatever your current role gave you, it’s time to stop feeling sorry and start working with […]
If you practice what you preach, you’re more likely to gain credibility as a business leader – whether that be with your staff or customers. After all – would you take fitness advice from a personal trainer who smokes; or would you take driving lessons from an instructor who has a string of driving offences? […]
There comes a point when you can no longer go it alone. Forget flying solo. The time has come for your first hire, but there are so many considerations before you dive in. It’s early days for your business and you’re wondering if a new person is the growth you need. If it’s time for […]
The employment pendulum is on the swing again. With such low unemployment, companies are desperately looking to recruit, ideally the best, candidates. Employees, especially the most talented, have their pick of jobs and companies. So, what can small-business employers do to be chosen by their ideal candidates? Pay Of course, everyone knows it’s not all […]
As the owner of an SME, it’s more important than ever in this rapidly-changing business environment to get flexible working schemes right. Compared to ten, or even five years ago, employees are now looking for more of a balance between their personal and work lives. This can be a great thing as flexible working arrangements […]
More stress, less time, more responsibility, less support? How do we get back to living a life we love without giving one thing up for another? As a business owner, leader or anyone in corporate knows – the best results come with a clear strategy and the courage to make a plan that’s relevant, realistic […]
Owning a business is sometimes one of the most rewarding experiences a person can have during their life. However, it is not all easy and most of the business owners complain about not being able to manage their business when they are away from office. Unless and until you have a strong team of dependable, […]
1. Before we say no to new ideas – ‘Consider’ You never know where the best ideas are going to come from, so you need to be open. When Kodak said ‘no’ to the digital camera invented in their very own labs by Steven Sasson in 1975, they said no to the idea that was […]
Leadership is the ability to direct, create, inspire and influence. It requires flexibility; leaders must roll with the punches, be open to change and continuously look for opportunities to move forward. Most importantly, leadership is about motivation. It is about growing others while they work with you towards a common goal. Great leaders have specific […]
There’s nothing more rewarding than running your own business. However, many small business owners will tell you they find it difficult to take time off. Unless you have 100% confidence in your staff to manage things without you, it can be tempting to always be around, sacrificing your personal time to keep the business running. […]
Australia is lagging behind in the innovation stakes, ranking 17th for 2 years running in the Global Innovation Index 2015. We are being overtaken by the likes of New Zealand and even smaller markets like Luxembourg amongst a range of criteria, such as business sophistication, infrastructure, human capital and research and creative outputs, amongst others. […]
Flexibility. To many business owners this may sound like a swear word. The prospect of having employees who are not working in the office or not available during work hours on certain days could appear to be more of a hindrance than a help. But if entrepreneurs and small business owners want to attract and […]
Recognition, reward and opportunity; these are the three key staples in the diet of an engaged and motivated employee. Yet – delivering the right balance of these ‘dietary requirements’ can be one of the biggest challenges businesses face. When they don’t get it right, a disengaged workforce and low morale ensues. With 20 years’ experience […]
So your business has expanded and you are considering employing your first member of staff. However, you are not sure whether to employee a full time, contract or even a casual worker. Before you go ahead start recruiting, here are some important legal issues to consider when hiring staff: Contractor vs Employee In law, there […]
It’s not uncommon these days to have a wide age gap between your employees. Many businesses these days have an employee age range which spans across three generations – the Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y (or the Millennials). While each generation brings a distinct set of values, insights and expertise to the workplace, […]
The desire to be happy at work and enjoy your job is not an unreasonable one – after all, we spend the vast majority of our waking hours working. True – some of us submit to the notion that getting paid to work is not synonymous with enjoyment, but an increasing number of the workforce […]
It’s easy to believe that workplace accidents happen to ‘other people’. The reality is that workplace accidents can, and do, affect a great range of people and the impact on workers, families and businesses can be devastating. Fortunately, credible legal support is available. By utilising the services of a law firm that specialises in worker’s […]
This article will focus on the best internal collection practices for your small business. This article assumes your business already has a credit policy in place and a collection policy in place. Also keep in mind that this article is focused on commercial as opposed to consumer collection matters although there are similarities between the […]
If you’re a business owner who was driven to the start-up scene by the prospect of independence and a better work-life balance, then the question you have to ask yourself is this: would you wish for your own employees – the life-blood of your business – to view entrepreneurialism as the ultimate ‘escape hatch’ from […]
For business owners, the line between personal and business life is inevitably blurred. Managing a business is a demanding juggling act, sidelining valued relationships, resulting in frustration and a lack of control over any aspect of our lives. I’ve lived by the following five key principles to create balance in business, freeing time for family […]
