Welcome to our May 2006 newsletter!

In this month's newsletter:

News from CEO David Baumgarten
World of the workforce is changing for the better
Telstra Business Awards
Business Breakfast - "Our service vision lifts us right out of the crowd"

Are you a bookkeeper or thinking of becoming one?
Work Choices Seminars
Don't Manage Your Numbers, Manage Your Behaviour
Are You an Outstanding Owner/Operator?

Aboriginal Enterprise Service Launched
Need to know more about Search Engine Optimisation?
Business Breakfast Series arrives in Newtown
Inner West Business Awards launched

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Home-Based Business Week - 1st to 5th May
CeBIT Australia Communications Technology event - 9-11th May
Family Business NSW Conference - 11th May
Kym Illman Workshops - 6th June: The Future Is Customer Service and WOW Marketing

Networking Events
Upcoming Workshops
Community Noticeboard

News from CEO David Baumgarten

Are you ready for some networking? May is a month where you can network till you drop!!!! But first let me give you a quick overview of our April activities.

On the 22nd April I was the breakfast speaker for the Olympic City Referral group, with 50 attendees. The group has a number of chapters across the Sydney Metropolitan area. I was very impressed with the large numbers and the mix of businesses. I can highly recommend this networking event. For more details see our Community Noticeboard.

On the 11th April we facilitated the City of Randwick Combined Chambers of Commerce Business Breakfast. The speaker was Peter Baines who gave us the ultimate motivation presentation with a hard edge. Peter is a Detective Inspector who has led both national and international Forensic and Disaster Victim Identification teams following the Bali Bombings, the Waterfall Train Disaster and the Boxing Day Tsunami.

I am also pleased to announce the launch of our Aboriginal Enterprise Service during the month.

Moving into May we start with Home-Based Business Week - lots of networking opportunities. We have two Business Breakfasts, 9th May at Burwood and 30th May at Bondi Junction, plus our popular Business Thursdays, Import Export workshops, trade shows and conferences and more - see our Networking Calendar and Community Noticeboard for more details.

Local events and networking groups listed on our Community Noticeboard include the Canada Bay Business Group, BNI, Olympic City Referrals, Business Breakfasts in Burwood, Canterbury and Bondi, the Eastern Suburbs Women's Network, the Inspiring Women Group at Waringah and the latest events in Bankstown.

Also do not forget to look at our newsletter items for information on the Telstra Awards and Inner Western Courier Business Awards.

Happy Networking!

David Baumgarten CEO

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World of the workforce is changing for the better

The Australian newspaper recently ran an article by Independent Contractors Association co-founder and former Chairman, Bob Day, titled "World of the workforce is changing for the better".

To access Bob's incisive commentary, go to the News page at: www.contractworld.com.au and follow the link in the News box.

Article courtesy of the ICA. 

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Telstra Business Awards

It's that time of year again when the Telstra business awards program begins to ramp up.

These awards are a fantastic mechanism for businesses of all sizes to be recognised for their efforts and or gain valuable experience by simply going through the nomination process.

I would encourage you to to put forward worthy nominees. For more information visit www.Telstrabusinessawards.com

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Business Breakfast 30th May:
"My bread is probably no better than the rest but our service vision lifts us right out of the crowd"

The Eastern Suburbs BEC and Clearly Business will be holding a series of high profile breakfasts during 2006. Our first is on the 30th May at East's Leagues Club in Bondi Junction.

Our presenter is Tom O'Toole who is the charismatic and inspirational 'Baker from Beechworth'. He has built his bakery into one of Australia's greatest success stories.

Tom shares how he took a bakery - in a small, dying, isolated country town with a population of 3,000 people - from two staff to 70 full and part timers; from an annual turnover of $100,000 to in excess of $4 million; now serving well over 900,000 customers per year; and responsible for the rebirth of a community.

Tom's Beechworth Bakery has become the highest earning single bakery retailer in Australia, and the winner of National and State Marketing and Business Awards. His business model is being emulated around the world.

To book phone (02) 9089 7699 or book online via our Networking Calendars:

ESBEC - Networking Calendar
Clearly Business - Networking Calendar


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Are you a bookkeeper or thinking of becoming one?

The Tax Office has been working closely with bookkeepers, their industry representatives and accounting professional associations to support the role bookkeepers play in the tax system. A number of products developed in consultation with bookkeepers are now available.

Bookkeepers can now lodge their clients' activity statements online using the electronic commerce interface (ECI) if they meet the eligibility requirements of s251L as a BAS service provider. ECI is a fast and secure environment which offers eligible bookkeepers a number of benefits, including:

• the ability to lodge multiple clients' activity statements online
• its simple to use, requiring no paper and no postage
• lodgment is directly with the tax office, with an instant receipt provided
• a two week lodgment and payment deferral for most activity statements* (*Terms and conditions apply)

An electronic form has been introduced to apply as an online BAS service provider making access to ECI easier. A digital certificate will be required to ensure a secure environment for the transfer of client information. If a bookkeeper does not hold a current digital certificate for the ABN of the BAS service provider they will need to apply for one - they will need to allow two weeks for this. This step is covered in the notes supporting the ECI application process.

A new Bookkeeping essentials page is now available on the Tax Office website. It contains links to resources which can assist bookkeepers to determine their eligibility with s251L, including a self assessment tool and Guidelines for working under the direction of a registered tax agent.

A handy guide, Essential references for bookkeepers, provides details on how to access particular products and services from the Tax Office is also available.

Bookkeepers can also visit www.ato.gov.au/bookkeepers for other important information such as instructions for applying to use ECI to lodge online, record keeping and other general information that will help them support their clients.

If you have clients who are bookkeepers or thinking of becoming a bookkeeper, you may like to let them know of these new products.

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Work Choices Seminars

The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) will be conducting a national seminar series to introduce participants to the Work Choices system.

The seminar's aim is to provide Australian employers and employees with an overview of Work Choices and the advantages and the opportunities it provides. There will be over 350 seminars held nationwide during the next three months.

For more information and bookings see www.workchoices.gov.au/ourplan/events

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Don't Manage Your Numbers, Manage Your Behaviour

Many salespeople invest significant time trying to manage the "numbers" - contacts in their database, prospects contacted, meetings scheduled, proposals being developed, presentations scheduled, prospects with whom to follow up, and decisions that are (hopefully) forthcoming.

They track, tally, and compute the likely chance of closing all of these numbers. While the numbers may present a big picture of potential business, they are not manageable. That is, you cannot control the numbers.

You cannot control how many contacts in your marketing territory fit the profile of your prospect. You cannot control how many will be available to take your phone call. You cannot control how many people will have an interest in speaking or meeting with you.

So, what can you control?

Your behaviour! You can control how many times and how frequently you pick up the phone and make a prospecting call.

You can control how often you ask for referrals from prospects and customers. You can control how quickly and in what manner you follow up on leads and referrals.

You can control how much time you invest researching your market place, your competition, and the needs of your customers. Focus on what you can control; your behavior and the ultimate numbers - closed sales - will follow.

Article courtesy of The Sandler Sales Institute

www.sandler-au.com

plee@sandler.com

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Are You an Outstanding Owner/Operator?

Do you have a business with two or more people in it? Then it's time to take a reality check. Use the next two minutes to find out how your skills as an owner / operator compare to other business owners.

What have you got under control and where do you need to develop? Just answer an honest yes or no to our list of questions. Your results will be instantly emailed to you as a score out of 100. You will also receive 2 benchmark results.

1. The average score of all other respondents
2. The average score of all respondents from your industry

Use this test as an opportunity to learn about yourself. Remember, nobody's perfect! Make sure you give honest answers so the data is meaningful for you and other respondents. Take the test now!

The link to the website and test is www.eyeswideopen.com.au/pages/Quiz

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Aboriginal Enterprise Service Launched

I am pleased to advise that in conjunction with the Redfern-Waterloo Authority this organisation is providing an Aboriginal Enterprise Service in Redfern.

This service commenced on the 6th April 2006 and is delivered on behalf of The NSW Department of State & Regional Development.

To utilise this service contact Louise Wagner on (02) 9202 9100

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Need to know more about Search Engine Optimisation?

As businesses become more dependent on traffic to their websites there is an awareness by business operators that a web page is an important part of a business.

What a lot of us have not yet got our head around is that keywords and web page layout are very important to direct the traffic to our site through the search engines.

In this Business Thursday Workshop on 18th May we look at Search Engine Optimisation, in particular:

• What is a search engine, and how do they work?
• The website checklist: Make sure your site is up to scratch.
• Pay for listings
• Tips that won't cost a cent.

To book your place see our Networking Calendars:

ESBEC - Networking Calendar
Clearly Business - Networking Calendar

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Business Breakfast Series arrives in Newtown

Marrickville Council  - Main Street Program ,Newtown RSL and Clearly Business join forces to bring the new business breakfast Series to Newtown.
 
The first event in the Newtown Business Breakfast Series will be held on the 6th June at Newtown RSL. Further information will be in our next newsletter

Another Great networking opportunity.
 

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Inner West Business Awards launched

The highly anticipated Inner West Business Awards have launched this week creating a buzz of excitement amongst local business people and their staff.

The awards bring recognition to the outstanding businesses in the Inner West area and give everyone in the local community the chance to have a say in who they think is the most outstanding.

In 2006, there are 25 Business Award categories ranging from best Cake Store and Fruit and Vegetable Store to Restaurant and Jewellery Store.

The Inner West Business Awards are made possible by the wonderful support of major sponsors Canterbury Hurlstone RSL Club, Greater Union and Telstra, and support sponsors TAFE NSW - Sydney Institute, Canterbury BMW, Action International, Portuguese Radio, Ashfield Municipal Council, Burwood Council, Canada Bay Council, Leichhardt Council, Marrickville Council and Strathfield Council.

Their commitment to local businesses and the local community through their sponsorship of the awards is extremely valuable.

The gala Presentation Evening will be held at Canterbury Hurlstone RSL Club on Tuesday 11th July. You are invited to participate in the awards by nominating those local businesses you think are most deserving of acknowledgement. Nomination coupons appear in the Inner Western Suburbs Courier.

Coupons can be sent directly to Precedent Productions, PO Box A1260, Sydney South, NSW, 1235. You can also vote for your favourite businesses online at www.thebusinessawards.com 

Everyone who lodges a nomination coupon will be in the running to win a fabulous Hitachi 42" Plasma screen with surround sound and digital set-top box, which will be drawn in October.

If you would like any extra information about the awards, simply call Precedent Productions on 9264 0757 or log on to www.thebusinessawards.com

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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 

Home-Based Business Week - 1st to 5th May

The NSW Department of State and Regional Development recognises the significant and growing role that home-based business plays in the economic landscape of NSW and wishes to celebrate and encourage this thriving sector with a week of activities across the state.

Home-based Business Week 2006 - "Home in on success" 1-5 May, provides home-based business operators with an opportunity to find out the latest thinking, newest ideas and practical tips to grow their businesses.

The aim of the Week is to help home-based business operators improve the success of their businesses by increasing their skills in areas such as finding finance to grow the business, e-marketing, networking, database marketing, exporting from home and many more.

For further details on Home-based Business Week 2006 or to view and register for an event, please see www.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au/hbbweek/ or call 1300 134 359.

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CeBIT Australia Communications Technology event - 9-11th May

The largest Information & Communications Technology event in Australasia is CeBIT Australia 2006, from 9th - 11th May (daily from 10am to 6pm) at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney NSW Australia