Help! It’s performance review time – what should I do?

auntyb@startupsmart.com.au — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:56:55 +0100

Dear Aunty B,

Performance review time is coming up and last year my boss asked me if I had any questions and I had nothing to ask besides – can I have a pay rise.

What should I say in the review that will not only look impressive but will help me improve at work and get that pay rise?

Lou

Tweed Head

Wrong Mr Digital Guru, the online world is not free and easy

creardon@smartcompany.com.au — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:28:44 +0100

As a smaller business operator myself, it's essential to get out to local business events and actually meet real business operators in the flesh rather than from behind a computer screen. Particularly when a leader from your very own industry (in my case digital communication) is holding fort.

So despite a bleak eve [...]

Retailers need to get basics right: If it's not in, it's not on

bwalker@smartcompany.com.au — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:00:00 +0100

I was reminded on a recent shopping trip as to why retailers need to pay particular attention to a critical "operational basic". Whilst we all rightfully concern ourselves about omni-channel retailing, it is never a reason for us to not keep a radar eye on the "basics" of retailing.

Now, I would call m [...]

A place for pride in the recruitment process

kdunphey@startupsmart.com.au — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:00:00 +0100

We've recently been recruiting at Elephant Property. I both love and loathe recruiting – mostly because I know how important it is to find the right fit (culturally and attitude-wise).

It's exciting when it works and you recruit someone amazing who becomes like a new family member, but it's always sooo time consuming [...]

My only employee abandoned me at my time of need! Why?

auntyb@startupsmart.com.au — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:07:08 +0100

Dear Aunty B,

I run my own clothes shop with only one employee. He’s hard-working and generally reliable, but will never prioritise his job over anything else.

For example, I recently fell down some stairs and broke my arm. My employee had organised to leave early to pick up his son from childcare. I rang him fro [...]

The five changes affecting how you engage your staff

mliubinskas@smartcompany.com.au — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:00:03 +0100

Recognition has always been a key tool of leadership but has increased in importance over the past five years.

The workplace has changed, so recognition must change as well. Here are some of the key changes and what businesses can do about it.

1. New generations

With Generation X in middle management or h [...]

Review raises more questions: Government releases 176-question Franchising Code consultation paper

jgehrke@smartcompany.com.au — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:40:20 +0100

The review into the Franchising Code of Conduct has progressed to the next stage with the federal government issuing a complex consultation paper seeking responses to six times as many questions as appeared in the Code review's original discussion paper.

The original discussion paper released in early January by Cod [...]

Volkswagen's crisis mismanagement bug

mhogan@startupsmart.com.au — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:28:28 +0100

Volkswagen has been in the news for all the wrong reasons lately. And the company response, or lack of it, carry some good lessons for SMEs who may find themselves in similar situations with products gone wrong and unhappy customers at the gates.

I won't go into the nuts of bolts of VW's problems – you can read about [...]

Why resigning can be so hard to do

eash@smartcompany.com.au — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:00:00 +0100

When you about to go in to your boss to resign are you excited, feeling dread, angry, confident, smug, highly anxious, guilty or relieved? Many people go through a wide array of emotions and most of them have been building for weeks. The decision can be agonising.

There is a vast array of emotions connected to this [...]

Fast Lane: Politicians face the electoral music as SMEs hear silence on policy

cwaters@smartcompany.com.au — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:18:11 +0100

Yet another politician has jumped on the small business bandwagon with country singer turned Bob Katter’s Senate candidate, James Blundell, signalling his allegiance to SMEs.

Blundell says small business has suffered under a Labour government and claims he wants to fight to lower small business penalty rates.

It’s an admir [...]

No tax tips, but a little advice on possible currency exchange tax issues

jvrondas@privatemedia.com.au — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:11:20 +0100

By now you are well aware that "it's that time of year again"; that time of year most people dread. That time of year where administrative burdens mean a mass of paperwork, spreadsheets, long meetings with accountants, tax planning and, of course, tax time tips.

Get professional advice

I must mention a [...]

Should I fire an employee who is late on their first day?

auntyb@startupsmart.com.au — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:05:43 +0100

Dear Aunty B,

I just hired a new worker to a front-line role.

He basically has to manage the shopfront in the mornings. He didn’t have a lot of work experience, being fairly young, but it’s a pretty easy role and he interviewed well enough.

He was meant to be here three hours ago for his first shift. He called m [...]

Buyer beware of trademark scams and scammers

sbarrett@smartcompany.com.au — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:16:48 +0100

As much as we promote and encourage honourable and effective selling and buying practices, it is just as important to keep an eye open for the latest scams and scammers looking for unsuspecting victims.

One of the latest scams dogging businesses and business owners is the area of the registered trademark, where businesses [...]

How cost shortcuts can damage brand reputations

kmoore@startupsmart.com.au — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 22:49:31 +0100

There is always the temptation by brand owners to improve profit by lowering quality whilst maintaining price.

Moving to a lower cost factory or country of production, decreasing the pack size or lowering packaging or product quality all consume much meeting time and generate much angst as brand owners are put under pressure by the [...]

Irrational behaviour is hard to manage because it's hard to spot

bwilliams@smartcompany.com.au — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 22:33:14 +0100

Behavioural economics is all about understanding how people behave in their everyday lives and starts by assuming that what we do is not always in our own best interest.

In other words, our behaviour is 'irrational'. For example, we know superannuation is important but we spend more time choosing our lunch than [...]

I complained about bullying but management seem to think I’m the one at fault! Help!

auntyb@startupsmart.com.au — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 01:32:56 +0100

Dear Aunty B,

I was trying to help someone with the photocopier at work when I was pushed out of the way by a senior colleague.

He snapped at me and I was upset enough to write the following email to my managers:

“I wish to make you aware that a senior staff member was extremely rude to me this morning for [...]

Big Money: Household debt is why your customers aren’t spending yet, and it’s barely budged ...

myriam.robin@gmail.com — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 01:15:05 +0100

Every month, the RBA releases a pack of charts showing the changes in various parts of the Australian economy.

The May pack came out last week. One graph caught my eye.

It’s the household debt chart, which shows that while household debt stopped growing during the global financial crisis, it’s barely come down in tot [...]

Sales techniques for dealing with crazy customers

tleyshan@smartcompany.com.au — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:43:38 +0100

In my previous book, The Naked Salesman, I explored the damaging effects that crazy customers, that is to say, time wasters, have on businesses by eating your precious time and diverting your attention away from genuine and valuable customers.

Crazy customers can manifest from pushy salespeople who are too persua [...]

Are you a business heart-breaker?

nsimson@smartcompany.com.au — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 06:33:13 +0100

Yesterday, a colleague and I were digging up some facts for an interview I was doing. We were both thrilled to discover that the first ever experience provider we signed to RedBalloon is still with us to this day – 12 years on.

This got me to thinking...

"How many businesses can claim to have healthy long-term relationship [...]

Busting the bust myth

myardney@smartcompany.com.au — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 05:50:34 +0100

If you've been reading my property investment blogs, you'll know I feel confident in the long-term prospects of our property markets, which will be underpinned by a growing population (which will require housing) and our wealth (we can afford to pay for housing).

I know some commentators are concerned that our economy will [...]

Blog Entries

Help! It’s performance review time – what should I do?

Wrong Mr Digital Guru, the online world is not free and easy

Retailers need to get basics right: If it's not in, it's not on

A place for pride in the recruitment process

My only employee abandoned me at my time of need! Why?

The five changes affecting how you engage your staff

Review raises more questions: Government releases 176-question Franchising Code consultation paper

Volkswagen's crisis mismanagement bug

Why resigning can be so hard to do

Fast Lane: Politicians face the electoral music as SMEs hear silence on policy

No tax tips, but a little advice on possible currency exchange tax issues

Should I fire an employee who is late on their first day?

Buyer beware of trademark scams and scammers

How cost shortcuts can damage brand reputations

Irrational behaviour is hard to manage because it's hard to spot

I complained about bullying but management seem to think I’m the one at fault! Help!

Big Money: Household debt is why your customers aren’t spending yet, and it’s barely budged ...

Sales techniques for dealing with crazy customers

Are you a business heart-breaker?

Busting the bust myth