Independent Business Network Inc

Summer 2014

Your business growth and support system

Managing Your Social Media over the holidaY Period

inbox ldquoZerordquo Your new YearrsquoS reSolution

SuMMer oPPortunitieS are everYwhere

how to Save MoneY when travelling

device FriendlY webSite Sink or SwiM

SuPerannuation For the SelF eMPloYed

not being inveStMent readY MaY coSt You

interior deSigner and the PerFect SPace ndash a neceSSitY not a luxurY

how to Save MoneY when travellingtravelling to chriStMaS - a bit oF light reading

Contents

deSign

buSineSS

Managing Your Social Media over the Holiday Period

Julie Warner 4

Make ldquoInbox Zerordquo Your New YearrsquosResolution

Igor Couta 5

Summer and Opportunities areEverywhere

Robert Cole 6

Device Friendly Website Sink or Swim

Angela Mitchell 7

travel

How to Save Money When Travelling

Julie Warner 11Travelling to Christmas

Pamela Hoy 15

FREE ENTERTAINMENT Castle Hill 18

3

Interior Designer and the Perfect Space ndash a Necessity not a Luxury

Robyn Hawke 10

Finance

Superannuation for the Self-Employed

Janice Pavey 8

Not Being Investment Ready may Cost You Renee Marzinger 9

council

Christmas decorations have been appearing over the past month in all the stores (they get earlier every year I think) and the shelves are filled with all the seasonal paraphernalia that comes with the festive season Are you Christmas ready

To help you survive the ldquoSilly Seasonrdquo and get prepared for the Christmas rush I am pleased to present the Independent Business Network Inc (IBNInc) summer edition e-magazine Our talented members have once again produced a range of articles sharing their tips and knowledge for the home and office to help you through the festive season and into the New Year

2014 has gone past quickly as we have enjoyed a hugely successful year for our network group with many new local business owners joining and our regular members continuing their commitment Once again The Hills Shire Council have continued their ongoing support which allows affordable access to our supportive group for small business owners

IBNInc is a true testament as to what ldquoNetworkingrdquo is all about ndash developing good solid relationships initially and the business opportunities will come followed in many cases with lasting friendships

I hope that you all get to take some time out with your family and friends over the Christmas break and allow yourself to reflect on the year that was Spend some time looking back over your successes and challenges faced this past year Once you are rested set some goals and determine where your business focus needs to be going forward so you are ready to hit the ground running in 2015

Until next edition ndash seasonrsquos greetings and happy reading

President

wwwindependentbusinessnetworkinccom

editorrsquoS letter

buSineSS

4

Managing Your Social Media over the Holiday Period

With the Christmas break almost upon us it is that time of the year when many businesses close down for a few weeks or run at minimal capacity while employees take time off to enjoy the holidays with their families friends and loved ones

However there is no ldquobreakrdquo with our on-line activity social media is always lsquoonrsquo it is 247 365 days a year Even though you and your employees are on holidays your customers and online audience donrsquot stop checking their social media accounts In fact it has been proven that during the holiday season they will check it more as they have more free time So itrsquos crucial that you remain active online throughout the entire holiday period

Herersquos a few tips to help you manage your Social Media presence over the festive season

Share Social ActivityCelebrate - This is the busiest time of the year for annual business parties and events so make the most of this activity personalise your brand and take a few happy snaps of staff enjoying themselves with clients and share it with your online followers

Plan AheadResearch ndash give yourself enough time before you go on leave to research relevant content that will

benefit your brand your audience or your business

Schedule Posts ndash However often you post tweet etc you should maintain this frequency whilst away Schedule this number of posts at the same day and time you usually post

Involve Audience ndash Post questions or run survey questions to encourage your followers to contribute and keep the activity alive on your pages You can monitor this without needing to be creating the content to post regularly

Customers FirstNotifications - If you have limited availability to log onto your social networks then you need to set up lsquonotificationsrsquo on your phone Then whenever you get a comment like share follow tweet private message etc you are notified immediately and you can respond if necessary

Auto Responders - If you canrsquot be in regular contact ensure that your customers have been advised of this Change settings so people canrsquot post to your pages or send messages that go unanswered for days Set up auto responders where possible explaining limited

response over holiday period and clearly state when you will return to work or who they can contact

OutsourceIf you truly want to take a complete break then consider outsourcing your social media while you are away This could be as simple as making an employee an Admin of your account or taking on a contractorsocial media manager

Over the holiday season itrsquos important to always remember your brand voice and business objectives so that you maximise engagement sales and brand awareness throughout this periodRemember these general rules for managing your social media during the holiday season can be adapted to fit any holiday or long break However the Christmasschool holiday period is quickly approaching so now would be a good time to begin devising your social media strategy for this time

How will you be managing your social networking over the festive period

wwwfacebookcomYourBusinessHelper

Julie Warner

image source

image source

image source

Contents

deSign

buSineSS

Managing Your Social Media over the Holiday Period

Julie Warner 4

Make ldquoInbox Zerordquo Your New YearrsquosResolution

Igor Couta 5

Summer and Opportunities areEverywhere

Robert Cole 6

Device Friendly Website Sink or Swim

Angela Mitchell 7

travel

How to Save Money When Travelling

Julie Warner 11Travelling to Christmas

Pamela Hoy 15

FREE ENTERTAINMENT Castle Hill 18

3

Interior Designer and the Perfect Space ndash a Necessity not a Luxury

Robyn Hawke 10

Finance

Superannuation for the Self-Employed

Janice Pavey 8

Not Being Investment Ready may Cost You Renee Marzinger 9

council

Christmas decorations have been appearing over the past month in all the stores (they get earlier every year I think) and the shelves are filled with all the seasonal paraphernalia that comes with the festive season Are you Christmas ready

To help you survive the ldquoSilly Seasonrdquo and get prepared for the Christmas rush I am pleased to present the Independent Business Network Inc (IBNInc) summer edition e-magazine Our talented members have once again produced a range of articles sharing their tips and knowledge for the home and office to help you through the festive season and into the New Year

2014 has gone past quickly as we have enjoyed a hugely successful year for our network group with many new local business owners joining and our regular members continuing their commitment Once again The Hills Shire Council have continued their ongoing support which allows affordable access to our supportive group for small business owners

IBNInc is a true testament as to what ldquoNetworkingrdquo is all about ndash developing good solid relationships initially and the business opportunities will come followed in many cases with lasting friendships

I hope that you all get to take some time out with your family and friends over the Christmas break and allow yourself to reflect on the year that was Spend some time looking back over your successes and challenges faced this past year Once you are rested set some goals and determine where your business focus needs to be going forward so you are ready to hit the ground running in 2015

Until next edition ndash seasonrsquos greetings and happy reading

President

wwwindependentbusinessnetworkinccom

editorrsquoS letter

buSineSS

4

Managing Your Social Media over the Holiday Period

With the Christmas break almost upon us it is that time of the year when many businesses close down for a few weeks or run at minimal capacity while employees take time off to enjoy the holidays with their families friends and loved ones

However there is no ldquobreakrdquo with our on-line activity social media is always lsquoonrsquo it is 247 365 days a year Even though you and your employees are on holidays your customers and online audience donrsquot stop checking their social media accounts In fact it has been proven that during the holiday season they will check it more as they have more free time So itrsquos crucial that you remain active online throughout the entire holiday period

Herersquos a few tips to help you manage your Social Media presence over the festive season

Share Social ActivityCelebrate - This is the busiest time of the year for annual business parties and events so make the most of this activity personalise your brand and take a few happy snaps of staff enjoying themselves with clients and share it with your online followers

Plan AheadResearch ndash give yourself enough time before you go on leave to research relevant content that will

benefit your brand your audience or your business

Schedule Posts ndash However often you post tweet etc you should maintain this frequency whilst away Schedule this number of posts at the same day and time you usually post

Involve Audience ndash Post questions or run survey questions to encourage your followers to contribute and keep the activity alive on your pages You can monitor this without needing to be creating the content to post regularly

Customers FirstNotifications - If you have limited availability to log onto your social networks then you need to set up lsquonotificationsrsquo on your phone Then whenever you get a comment like share follow tweet private message etc you are notified immediately and you can respond if necessary

Auto Responders - If you canrsquot be in regular contact ensure that your customers have been advised of this Change settings so people canrsquot post to your pages or send messages that go unanswered for days Set up auto responders where possible explaining limited

response over holiday period and clearly state when you will return to work or who they can contact

OutsourceIf you truly want to take a complete break then consider outsourcing your social media while you are away This could be as simple as making an employee an Admin of your account or taking on a contractorsocial media manager

Over the holiday season itrsquos important to always remember your brand voice and business objectives so that you maximise engagement sales and brand awareness throughout this periodRemember these general rules for managing your social media during the holiday season can be adapted to fit any holiday or long break However the Christmasschool holiday period is quickly approaching so now would be a good time to begin devising your social media strategy for this time

How will you be managing your social networking over the festive period

wwwfacebookcomYourBusinessHelper

Julie Warner

image source

image source

image source

buSineSS

4

Managing Your Social Media over the Holiday Period

With the Christmas break almost upon us it is that time of the year when many businesses close down for a few weeks or run at minimal capacity while employees take time off to enjoy the holidays with their families friends and loved ones

However there is no ldquobreakrdquo with our on-line activity social media is always lsquoonrsquo it is 247 365 days a year Even though you and your employees are on holidays your customers and online audience donrsquot stop checking their social media accounts In fact it has been proven that during the holiday season they will check it more as they have more free time So itrsquos crucial that you remain active online throughout the entire holiday period

Herersquos a few tips to help you manage your Social Media presence over the festive season

Share Social ActivityCelebrate - This is the busiest time of the year for annual business parties and events so make the most of this activity personalise your brand and take a few happy snaps of staff enjoying themselves with clients and share it with your online followers

Plan AheadResearch ndash give yourself enough time before you go on leave to research relevant content that will

benefit your brand your audience or your business

Schedule Posts ndash However often you post tweet etc you should maintain this frequency whilst away Schedule this number of posts at the same day and time you usually post

Involve Audience ndash Post questions or run survey questions to encourage your followers to contribute and keep the activity alive on your pages You can monitor this without needing to be creating the content to post regularly

Customers FirstNotifications - If you have limited availability to log onto your social networks then you need to set up lsquonotificationsrsquo on your phone Then whenever you get a comment like share follow tweet private message etc you are notified immediately and you can respond if necessary

Auto Responders - If you canrsquot be in regular contact ensure that your customers have been advised of this Change settings so people canrsquot post to your pages or send messages that go unanswered for days Set up auto responders where possible explaining limited

response over holiday period and clearly state when you will return to work or who they can contact

OutsourceIf you truly want to take a complete break then consider outsourcing your social media while you are away This could be as simple as making an employee an Admin of your account or taking on a contractorsocial media manager

Over the holiday season itrsquos important to always remember your brand voice and business objectives so that you maximise engagement sales and brand awareness throughout this periodRemember these general rules for managing your social media during the holiday season can be adapted to fit any holiday or long break However the Christmasschool holiday period is quickly approaching so now would be a good time to begin devising your social media strategy for this time

How will you be managing your social networking over the festive period

wwwfacebookcomYourBusinessHelper

Julie Warner

image source

image source

image source

5

Do you drown in emails when you return from the holidays Is your day taken up with reading answering and sieving through your messages Perhaps these tips will help turn your inbox chaos into ldquoInbox Zerordquo

M o s t o f o u r b u s i n e s s communications nowadays happen via email Indeed emailing is quick and convenient That is until you start handling dozens or even hundreds of messages a day Amazingly most of us process 50-150 email messages daily on average Count the spam messages from social networks mailing lists chats with friends and family plus your business correspondence

How can we tame our inbox and make email manageable again

The answer classify each message you receive into ldquonot essentialrdquo ldquovitalrdquo or ldquopendingrdquo mdash and immediately act on it

Step One Immediately Delete ldquoNot Essentialrdquo Messages

Well over half of all email most people receive can be safely deleted without having any impact or consequence to their lives At all Notifications from social networks mailing list discussions sales brochures chain letters spam That touching PowerPoint slideshow from Gemma in Accounts should be enjoyed and deleted You know you will never make that avocado fondue recipe granny sent you Delete it

Step Two Immediately Save ldquoVitalrdquo Messages

There are messages you must keep bank statements bills business contracts etc But letrsquos be clear about this the place to keep this vital information is not in your email program mdash it is not a proper database It was not designed to hold all your correspondence forever If you have 10000 messages in your Inbox yoursquore using your email program as an archive mdash yoursquore doing it wrong and putting your important info at risk

When a message is ldquovitalrdquo immediately print it export it save it somewhere else safely in your hard drive Archive your bills and bank statements in folders Setup a database for your business communications Compile grannyrsquos favourite recipes into a book Get those ldquovitalrdquo messages out of your email program and into a proper place immediately

Step 3 Messages Left ldquoPendingrdquo Are a To Do List

By now you already got rid of most messages in your inbox There will be however a few left over usually requiring further action before

becoming ldquonot essentialrdquo or ldquovitalrdquo An invitation to a concert when yoursquore not yet sure you can make it An inquiry from a client which requires some research before you can answer Each one of these ldquopendingrdquo messages therefore is an item in a lsquoto-do listrsquo which must be done

Remember the aim of a to-do list is for us to eventually cross out and delete all items Review the ldquopendingrdquo messages constantly and get rid of them quickly Obviously no ldquopendingrdquo message should stay ldquopendingrdquo for longer than a reasonably short time mdash say 3 monthsFinally Accept that ldquoInbox Zerordquo Is a Myth

If you are active and social you will never have zero messages in your Inbox - yoursquoll always have pending messages and things to do

Following these 3 steps however can help you slim down your Inbox and keep it manageable Most importantly your vital information will be safer and emailing perhaps will be a slightly smaller and more pleasant part of your day

Igor Couto

wwwmacserverycom

Make ldquoInbox Zerordquo Your New Year Resolution

Summerrsquos here and itrsquos time to enjoy life with friends and family and spend more time at BBQs or social or sporting events (or even at a networking meeting) where you will may meet people who donrsquot know you ndash and what is one of the first questions everyone asks when meeting someone newhellip

ldquoSo what do you dordquo

And your response ishellip lsquoIrsquom an accountantrsquo (bookkeeper chiropractor doctor lawyer etc) ndash in other words ndash your lsquojobrsquo And then afterwards you have the usual regrets when you realise the person you spoke to could be a potential client lead source or even a potential business partner and you know just how bland your answer soundedSo what to do

Well if you havenrsquot already (or have not refreshed it recently) how about crafting your own lsquoelevator pitchrsquo (ie a succinct speech ndash less than 30 seconds - that generates interest in what you do) so that you have a prepared answer (but practised so it doesnrsquot sound too formulaic) to respond naturally and leave the other person interested in knowing more

A good lsquoelevator pitchrsquo should answer four basic questions-

1 What do you do (eg lsquoWe provide tailored business advisersquo)

2 Who do you do it for (eg lsquoFor small to medium sized businessesrsquo)

3 Why should they care ndash lsquoWhatrsquos In It For Themrsquo (eg lsquowho we help get sustainable and profitable growthrsquo)

4 Why is your company different (eg lsquoUnlike others we take time to understand the owners needs before recommending actionsrsquo)

Follow these steps to create your elevator pitch

Identify your goal (eg do you want to weed out those not good potential clients ndash lsquoWe work with small business owners who are committed to growthrsquo)

Explain what you do (but focus on how you help people ndash eg lsquoWe help business owners clarify their goals and then achieve themrsquo)

6

Communicate your USP (what makes you unique ndash eg lsquoWe use structured diagnostic processes and analytical tools to ensure the business ownerrsquos key goals are clearly understood before addressing the optimal solutionsrsquo)

Engage with a question (have open-ended questions ready ndash eg lsquoHow does your company find prospective clientsrsquo)

Put it all together (short 20-30 seconds)

Practice (once you have it crafted read it out load for yourself over and over until it becomes second nature)

So bringing this all together could be lsquoWe work with small business owners who are committed to sustainable and profitable growth to help clarify their direction and then using our structured diagnostic tools ensure the best solution is implemented to achieve their goals How are you progressing to your financial freedomrsquo

Have a great summer and create a fantastic 2015 for yourself

wwwthesmallbusinesswizardcom

Robert Cole

Summer and Opportunities are everywhere

Having attended a number of workshops this year it has become apparent that the necessity of having a mobile friendly website is of paramount importance

Given that a very large proportion of Australians now own a smartphone AND use it to access the internet daily ignoring current advice to make sure that your website is responsive is at your own peril

ldquoResponsive websiterdquo means a website that responds to a device being used by adapting the information that the person might be requiring

Google is lsquosmilingrsquo upon websites that they deem responsive This means that whatever device a person is using be it a smartphone tablet or desktop that website will adapt to suit the size of that device

So what is different

In the not so distant past a website was designed to look good on any screen or monitor no matter the size Different Browsers ie Explorer Mozilla Safari to name a few would lsquoreadrsquo html (the basic code that is required to view content of a Website) the web-master or designer had to be able to address these issues

With the rapid changes in Technology you the small business owner need to be aware of how your customers are becoming more and more lsquoon the moversquo and could decide they need something that you have to offer and do a quick search for a local that can provide that service If they stumble on to a website that is designed to be viewed on a desktop they will

quickly see that they have to troll through a lot of info to get the result they are looking for and will probably go elsewhere

How do to address this problem

1 Talk to your Web-master or Web Designer and ask them to update your site and to make it responsive

2 Cull your information to the bare necessities to suit viewing on a mobile

3 For the tablet you can have a bit more information or make it image rich

4 For the mobile phone the font needs to be enlarged

5 Ensure that you include your mobile number so that your potential client can reach you easily

6 If you want to be found include a lsquoGoogle maprsquo that clearly shows your location

Device Friendly Websites- Sink or Swim

Google is constantly changing the rules for assessing the ranking of your website so if you cannot yet afford a professional team to manage your SEO know that addressing these issues yourself will go a long way to improving your websitersquos ranking

wwwmeamdesigncomau

Angela Mitchell

7

Meam Design - Above-beforeAs you can see the font is too small to readBelow-after mobile friendly

Above - Pam Hoyrsquos website

8

Finance

ldquoIf yoursquore a sole trader or a partner in a partnership you donrsquot have to make super contributions to a super fund for yourselfrdquo

The tax office says this because it recognizes that small business owners sometimes barely cover their costs and would be unable to contribute to super However super is a good way of saving for your retirement and super contributions can also reduce tax payable

As a self-employed person you can usually claim a full deduction for super contributions until age 75 Beware contributions in excess of the thresholds may be subject to extra tax

Your contribution could also attract the super co-contribution payment This super co-contribution helps eligible low- to middle-income earners save for their retirement If yoursquore eligible and you make personal super contributions the government matches your contribution with a co-contribution up to certain limits If your super fund does not have your TFN

your super contributions will be taxed an additional 315 instead of 15

your fund wonrsquot be able to accept personal contributions from you which means you may miss out on any super co-contribution yoursquore eligible for

it will be harder to keep track of your super

Superannuation for Self-Employed People

wwwsydneytaxationservicescomau

Janice Pavey

There are two types o f superannuation contributions that can be made

Concessional contributions

These include

employer contributions (including contributions made under a salary sacrifice arrangement)

personal contributions claimed as a tax deduction by a self-employed person

If you have more than one fund all concessional contributions made to all your funds are added together and counted towards the cap

Non-concessional contributions

These are personal contributions for which you do not claim an income tax deduction

If you have more than one fund all non-concessional contributions made to all your funds are added together and counted towards the cap

How much you can contribute to your super before having to pay extra tax depends on your age at the end of the financial year

Although as a self-employed person it is not compulsory for you to contribute money to super it is a useful tool to use for reducing tax and saving for your future so it should not be neglected

Note this information is available on the Australian Taxation Office website I have used the tax office content with additions and comments of my own

wwwmirrencomau

9

Not being Investment Ready may cost youHave you ever heard someone say ldquoI wish Irsquod never bought that Investment Propertyrdquo because itrsquos costing me money not making me moneyrdquo

Everybodyrsquos finances are different but there is one critical factor in Property Investment Itrsquos making sure you are Investment Ready before you buy a property The risk is that if you donrsquot understand your own financial position or what I call your ldquofinancial fingerprintrdquo then you will most likely buy the wrong property for your own individual circumstances

So how do you go about understanding your ldquofinancial fingerprintrdquo Herersquos an easy 5-step process to follow1 Work out where do you

want to be and what could stop you

You need to know what your goal dreams are Where do you want to be in 2 5 10 years time and what amount of money will you need Next make sure you understand your current financial position (your assets and liabilities) so you know where you are stating from and what you will need to get there Finally what are your existing money frustrations otherwise these will stop you from reaching your goals

2 Have a strategy to get there

People have many ideas what they want but donrsquot sit down and work out a financial strategy to achieve their goals and dreams This is important to understand so you can know you are heading in the right direction to reach your ultimate destination and also have wins on the way3 Know where your money

disappears to ndash the ldquoBrdquo word

Thatrsquos right ndash you need to have a budget A budget is not a restriction itrsquos your friend in achieving your goals Some people will say to us that they never have enough money to pay the bills or theyrsquore paying too much tax In most cases they are spending money in areas that they are not really aware of or they have too many credit cards that have a hidden cost Tracking what you earn and spend via a budget is essential in getting investment ready

4 Develop good money habits

Most financial frustrations come from bad finance habits These include not knowing were your money goes and working very inefficiently with money by paying too much in interest This means you actually increase your debt your debt instead of growing you net worth Itrsquos scary but a lot of people in Australia are virtually one to two months away from bankruptcy

5 Make sure you have a buffer

We insist that clients aim to have at least a 6 months buffer to cover

their all their expenses for 6 months if something goes wrong before they invest That takes the pressure off by creating a safety net After that you can look at insurances that can cover other unforeseen circumstances

Follow these five steps and understand your financial fingerprint then you will be ldquoInvestment Readyrdquo to find the ideal property to match your financial fingerprint

That means you wonrsquot ever have to tell your friends ldquoI wish Irsquod never bought that Investment Property because itrsquos costing me money not making me moneyrdquo

If you would like to learn more about getting Investor Ready we have a Free Financial Freedom Calculator you can download along with other great resources to help you safely invest in property

Renee Marzinger

Having attended a number of workshops this year it has become apparent that the necessity of having a mobile friendly website is of paramount importance

Given that a very large proportion of Australians now own a smartphone AND use it to access the internet daily ignoring current advice to make sure that your website is responsive is at your own peril

ldquoResponsive websiterdquo means a website that responds to a device being used by adapting the information that the person might be requiring

Google is lsquosmilingrsquo upon websites that they deem responsive This means that whatever device a person is using be it a smartphone tablet or desktop that website will adapt to suit the size of that device

So what is different

In the not so distant past a website was designed to look good on any screen or monitor no matter the size Different Browsers ie Explorer Mozilla Safari to name a few would lsquoreadrsquo html (the basic code that is required to view content of a Website) the web-master or designer had to be able to address these issues

With the rapid changes in Technology you the small business owner need to be aware of how your customers are becoming more and more lsquoon the moversquo and could decide they need something that you have to offer and do a quick search for a local that can provide that service If they stumble on to a website that is designed to be viewed on a desktop they will

quickly see that they have to troll through a lot of info to get the result they are looking for and will probably go elsewhere

How do to address this problem

1 Talk to your Web-master or Web Designer and ask them to update your site and to make it responsive

2 Cull your information to the bare necessities to suit viewing on a mobile

3 For the tablet you can have a bit more information or make it image rich

4 For the mobile phone the font needs to be enlarged

5 Ensure that you include your mobile number so that your potential client can reach you easily

6 If you want to be found include a lsquoGoogle maprsquo that clearly shows your location

Device Friendly Websites- Sink or Swim

Google is constantly changing the rules for assessing the ranking of your website so if you cannot yet afford a professional team to manage your SEO know that addressing these issues yourself will go a long way to improving your websitersquos ranking

wwwmeamdesigncomau

Angela Mitchell

7

Meam Design - Above-beforeAs you can see the font is too small to readBelow-after mobile friendly

Above - Pam Hoyrsquos website

8

Finance

ldquoIf yoursquore a sole trader or a partner in a partnership you donrsquot have to make super contributions to a super fund for yourselfrdquo

The tax office says this because it recognizes that small business owners sometimes barely cover their costs and would be unable to contribute to super However super is a good way of saving for your retirement and super contributions can also reduce tax payable

As a self-employed person you can usually claim a full deduction for super contributions until age 75 Beware contributions in excess of the thresholds may be subject to extra tax

Your contribution could also attract the super co-contribution payment This super co-contribution helps eligible low- to middle-income earners save for their retirement If yoursquore eligible and you make personal super contributions the government matches your contribution with a co-contribution up to certain limits If your super fund does not have your TFN

your super contributions will be taxed an additional 315 instead of 15

your fund wonrsquot be able to accept personal contributions from you which means you may miss out on any super co-contribution yoursquore eligible for

it will be harder to keep track of your super

Superannuation for Self-Employed People

wwwsydneytaxationservicescomau

Janice Pavey

There are two types o f superannuation contributions that can be made

Concessional contributions

These include

employer contributions (including contributions made under a salary sacrifice arrangement)

personal contributions claimed as a tax deduction by a self-employed person

If you have more than one fund all concessional contributions made to all your funds are added together and counted towards the cap

Non-concessional contributions

These are personal contributions for which you do not claim an income tax deduction

If you have more than one fund all non-concessional contributions made to all your funds are added together and counted towards the cap

How much you can contribute to your super before having to pay extra tax depends on your age at the end of the financial year

Although as a self-employed person it is not compulsory for you to contribute money to super it is a useful tool to use for reducing tax and saving for your future so it should not be neglected

Note this information is available on the Australian Taxation Office website I have used the tax office content with additions and comments of my own

wwwmirrencomau

9

Not being Investment Ready may cost youHave you ever heard someone say ldquoI wish Irsquod never bought that Investment Propertyrdquo because itrsquos costing me money not making me moneyrdquo

Everybodyrsquos finances are different but there is one critical factor in Property Investment Itrsquos making sure you are Investment Ready before you buy a property The risk is that if you donrsquot understand your own financial position or what I call your ldquofinancial fingerprintrdquo then you will most likely buy the wrong property for your own individual circumstances

So how do you go about understanding your ldquofinancial fingerprintrdquo Herersquos an easy 5-step process to follow1 Work out where do you

want to be and what could stop you

You need to know what your goal dreams are Where do you want to be in 2 5 10 years time and what amount of money will you need Next make sure you understand your current financial position (your assets and liabilities) so you know where you are stating from and what you will need to get there Finally what are your existing money frustrations otherwise these will stop you from reaching your goals

2 Have a strategy to get there

People have many ideas what they want but donrsquot sit down and work out a financial strategy to achieve their goals and dreams This is important to understand so you can know you are heading in the right direction to reach your ultimate destination and also have wins on the way3 Know where your money

disappears to ndash the ldquoBrdquo word

Thatrsquos right ndash you need to have a budget A budget is not a restriction itrsquos your friend in achieving your goals Some people will say to us that they never have enough money to pay the bills or theyrsquore paying too much tax In most cases they are spending money in areas that they are not really aware of or they have too many credit cards that have a hidden cost Tracking what you earn and spend via a budget is essential in getting investment ready

4 Develop good money habits

Most financial frustrations come from bad finance habits These include not knowing were your money goes and working very inefficiently with money by paying too much in interest This means you actually increase your debt your debt instead of growing you net worth Itrsquos scary but a lot of people in Australia are virtually one to two months away from bankruptcy

5 Make sure you have a buffer

We insist that clients aim to have at least a 6 months buffer to cover

their all their expenses for 6 months if something goes wrong before they invest That takes the pressure off by creating a safety net After that you can look at insurances that can cover other unforeseen circumstances

Follow these five steps and understand your financial fingerprint then you will be ldquoInvestment Readyrdquo to find the ideal property to match your financial fingerprint

That means you wonrsquot ever have to tell your friends ldquoI wish Irsquod never bought that Investment Property because itrsquos costing me money not making me moneyrdquo

If you would like to learn more about getting Investor Ready we have a Free Financial Freedom Calculator you can download along with other great resources to help you safely invest in property

Renee Marzinger

8

Finance

ldquoIf yoursquore a sole trader or a partner in a partnership you donrsquot have to make super contributions to a super fund for yourselfrdquo

The tax office says this because it recognizes that small business owners sometimes barely cover their costs and would be unable to contribute to super However super is a good way of saving for your retirement and super contributions can also reduce tax payable

As a self-employed person you can usually claim a full deduction for super contributions until age 75 Beware contributions in excess of the thresholds may be subject to extra tax

Your contribution could also attract the super co-contribution payment This super co-contribution helps eligible low- to middle-income earners save for their retirement If yoursquore eligible and you make personal super contributions the government matches your contribution with a co-contribution up to certain limits If your super fund does not have your TFN

your super contributions will be taxed an additional 315 instead of 15

your fund wonrsquot be able to accept personal contributions from you which means you may miss out on any super co-contribution yoursquore eligible for

it will be harder to keep track of your super

Superannuation for Self-Employed People

wwwsydneytaxationservicescomau

Janice Pavey

There are two types o f superannuation contributions that can be made

Concessional contributions

These include

employer contributions (including contributions made under a salary sacrifice arrangement)

personal contributions claimed as a tax deduction by a self-employed person

If you have more than one fund all concessional contributions made to all your funds are added together and counted towards the cap

Non-concessional contributions

These are personal contributions for which you do not claim an income tax deduction

If you have more than one fund all non-concessional contributions made to all your funds are added together and counted towards the cap

How much you can contribute to your super before having to pay extra tax depends on your age at the end of the financial year

Although as a self-employed person it is not compulsory for you to contribute money to super it is a useful tool to use for reducing tax and saving for your future so it should not be neglected

Note this information is available on the Australian Taxation Office website I have used the tax office content with additions and comments of my own

wwwmirrencomau

9

Not being Investment Ready may cost youHave you ever heard someone say ldquoI wish Irsquod never bought that Investment Propertyrdquo because itrsquos costing me money not making me moneyrdquo

Everybodyrsquos finances are different but there is one critical factor in Property Investment Itrsquos making sure you are Investment Ready before you buy a property The risk is that if you donrsquot understand your own financial position or what I call your ldquofinancial fingerprintrdquo then you will most likely buy the wrong property for your own individual circumstances

So how do you go about understanding your ldquofinancial fingerprintrdquo Herersquos an easy 5-step process to follow1 Work out where do you

want to be and what could stop you

You need to know what your goal dreams are Where do you want to be in 2 5 10 years time and what amount of money will you need Next make sure you understand your current financial position (your assets and liabilities) so you know where you are stating from and what you will need to get there Finally what are your existing money frustrations otherwise these will stop you from reaching your goals

2 Have a strategy to get there

People have many ideas what they want but donrsquot sit down and work out a financial strategy to achieve their goals and dreams This is important to understand so you can know you are heading in the right direction to reach your ultimate destination and also have wins on the way3 Know where your money

disappears to ndash the ldquoBrdquo word

Thatrsquos right ndash you need to have a budget A budget is not a restriction itrsquos your friend in achieving your goals Some people will say to us that they never have enough money to pay the bills or theyrsquore paying too much tax In most cases they are spending money in areas that they are not really aware of or they have too many credit cards that have a hidden cost Tracking what you earn and spend via a budget is essential in getting investment ready

4 Develop good money habits

Most financial frustrations come from bad finance habits These include not knowing were your money goes and working very inefficiently with money by paying too much in interest This means you actually increase your debt your debt instead of growing you net worth Itrsquos scary but a lot of people in Australia are virtually one to two months away from bankruptcy

5 Make sure you have a buffer

We insist that clients aim to have at least a 6 months buffer to cover

their all their expenses for 6 months if something goes wrong before they invest That takes the pressure off by creating a safety net After that you can look at insurances that can cover other unforeseen circumstances

Follow these five steps and understand your financial fingerprint then you will be ldquoInvestment Readyrdquo to find the ideal property to match your financial fingerprint

That means you wonrsquot ever have to tell your friends ldquoI wish Irsquod never bought that Investment Property because itrsquos costing me money not making me moneyrdquo

If you would like to learn more about getting Investor Ready we have a Free Financial Freedom Calculator you can download along with other great resources to help you safely invest in property

Renee Marzinger

wwwmirrencomau

9

Not being Investment Ready may cost youHave you ever heard someone say ldquoI wish Irsquod never bought that Investment Propertyrdquo because itrsquos costing me money not making me moneyrdquo

Everybodyrsquos finances are different but there is one critical factor in Property Investment Itrsquos making sure you are Investment Ready before you buy a property The risk is that if you donrsquot understand your own financial position or what I call your ldquofinancial fingerprintrdquo then you will most likely buy the wrong property for your own individual circumstances

So how do you go about understanding your ldquofinancial fingerprintrdquo Herersquos an easy 5-step process to follow1 Work out where do you

want to be and what could stop you

You need to know what your goal dreams are Where do you want to be in 2 5 10 years time and what amount of money will you need Next make sure you understand your current financial position (your assets and liabilities) so you know where you are stating from and what you will need to get there Finally what are your existing money frustrations otherwise these will stop you from reaching your goals

2 Have a strategy to get there

People have many ideas what they want but donrsquot sit down and work out a financial strategy to achieve their goals and dreams This is important to understand so you can know you are heading in the right direction to reach your ultimate destination and also have wins on the way3 Know where your money

disappears to ndash the ldquoBrdquo word

Thatrsquos right ndash you need to have a budget A budget is not a restriction itrsquos your friend in achieving your goals Some people will say to us that they never have enough money to pay the bills or theyrsquore paying too much tax In most cases they are spending money in areas that they are not really aware of or they have too many credit cards that have a hidden cost Tracking what you earn and spend via a budget is essential in getting investment ready

4 Develop good money habits

Most financial frustrations come from bad finance habits These include not knowing were your money goes and working very inefficiently with money by paying too much in interest This means you actually increase your debt your debt instead of growing you net worth Itrsquos scary but a lot of people in Australia are virtually one to two months away from bankruptcy

5 Make sure you have a buffer

We insist that clients aim to have at least a 6 months buffer to cover

their all their expenses for 6 months if something goes wrong before they invest That takes the pressure off by creating a safety net After that you can look at insurances that can cover other unforeseen circumstances

Follow these five steps and understand your financial fingerprint then you will be ldquoInvestment Readyrdquo to find the ideal property to match your financial fingerprint

That means you wonrsquot ever have to tell your friends ldquoI wish Irsquod never bought that Investment Property because itrsquos costing me money not making me moneyrdquo

If you would like to learn more about getting Investor Ready we have a Free Financial Freedom Calculator you can download along with other great resources to help you safely invest in property

Renee Marzinger

10

wwwinspiredspacescomau

Interior Designer and the Perfect Space ndash a Necessity not a Luxury

Ok so this is really not a Christmas topic per se however it is a perfect opportunity to show how you can make your home more appealing to live in and if you like for those Christmas decorations by using the expertise of an interior designer

I am motivated to write this after receiving a phone call from a potential client asking if I did more than organise cushions as she was having an argument with her husband re using my services to assess the possibilities of a potential home they are considering buying

It is in a great area fantastic gardens and pool close to childrenrsquos schools but was very dated and they could not envisage how it could possibly be made to look part of the current decade I am pleased to say I now have a new client and the respect of her husband who now understands a qualified interior designer does just not throw cushions around

deSign

Above top-the Plan mid- perspectiveleft -the briefTop left-elevation

13

13

initial13 meeting13 13

bull clarify13 brief13 bull determine13 needs13 likes13 and13 dislikes13 bull determine13 budget13 and13 time13 frame13

space13 analysis13 13

bull measure13 the13 space13 bull determine13 the13 good13 the13 bad13 and13 the13 ugly13 bull stock13 take13 existing13 items13 that13 will13 stay13 or13 can13 be13 repurposed13 13

concept13 13

bull create13 preliminary13 design13 -shy‐13 includes13 loor13 plan13 elevations13 and13 perspective13 drawings13 13 bull suggest13 colours13 and13 inishes13 furniture13 13 window13 treatments13 etc13 13

design13 modiication13 13

bull amend13 plans13 as13 per13 feedback13 and13 evaluation13 13 bull present13 new13 elevations13 plans13 and13 perspectives13 for13 approval13 13

inalisation13 of13 design13 13

bull all13 plans13 and13 documentation13 inalised13 ready13 for13 quoting13 by13 builders13 and13 relevant13 stakeholders13 bull includes13 a13 demolition13 plan13

quotes13

bull at13 this13 stage13 I13 can13 organise13 quotes13 for13 you13 or13 you13 can13 use13 your13 own13 builder13 bull always13 on13 site13 to13 brief13 buildertrades13 in13 13

build13 13

bull the13 existyng13 stage13 when13 it13 all13 begins13 13 bull I13 visit13 a13 min13 of13 once13 a13 week13 to13 ensure13 all13 going13 to13 plan13 and13 that13 the13 design13 is13 not13 compromised13 with13 shortcuts13 bull on13 call13 to13 solve13 any13 issue13 that13 arises13 13

enjoy13 bull sit13 back13 and13 relax13 in13 your13 new13 space13 13

So what do I do apart from place cushions

The best way to describe it is to follow through on the process once you have engaged my services Unfortunately the interior design industry is unregulated and anyone can call themselves one without qualifications or experience Before you employ a designer check their qualifications work and insurances and ask for referees Do this and put your trust in them and the end result is a perfect space

11

Before - above left - entrance right - view of loungediningbelow- the kitchen area

12

After - Above - top-entrance the back wall is now solid left- the view of the entrance looking out the front door right- a different angle

13

After - Above - Top -the dining area left - view of part of kitchen dining and lounge -right - lounge area

14

After - Above -modern kitchen - left and right view of the kitchen and Alfresco dining

18

COMING SOON FREE ENTERTAINMENT - Nightly Christmas Carols on Castle Hill Main Street underneath 400 sqm LED light show - Get in the Christmas Spirit and come and see something no where else seen in Sydney

The Hills Shire Council

11

Before - above left - entrance right - view of loungediningbelow- the kitchen area

12

After - Above - top-entrance the back wall is now solid left- the view of the entrance looking out the front door right- a different angle

13

After - Above - Top -the dining area left - view of part of kitchen dining and lounge -right - lounge area

14

After - Above -modern kitchen - left and right view of the kitchen and Alfresco dining

18

COMING SOON FREE ENTERTAINMENT - Nightly Christmas Carols on Castle Hill Main Street underneath 400 sqm LED light show - Get in the Christmas Spirit and come and see something no where else seen in Sydney

The Hills Shire Council

12

After - Above - top-entrance the back wall is now solid left- the view of the entrance looking out the front door right- a different angle

13

After - Above - Top -the dining area left - view of part of kitchen dining and lounge -right - lounge area

14

After - Above -modern kitchen - left and right view of the kitchen and Alfresco dining

18

COMING SOON FREE ENTERTAINMENT - Nightly Christmas Carols on Castle Hill Main Street underneath 400 sqm LED light show - Get in the Christmas Spirit and come and see something no where else seen in Sydney

The Hills Shire Council

13

After - Above - Top -the dining area left - view of part of kitchen dining and lounge -right - lounge area

14

After - Above -modern kitchen - left and right view of the kitchen and Alfresco dining

18

COMING SOON FREE ENTERTAINMENT - Nightly Christmas Carols on Castle Hill Main Street underneath 400 sqm LED light show - Get in the Christmas Spirit and come and see something no where else seen in Sydney

The Hills Shire Council

14

After - Above -modern kitchen - left and right view of the kitchen and Alfresco dining

18

COMING SOON FREE ENTERTAINMENT - Nightly Christmas Carols on Castle Hill Main Street underneath 400 sqm LED light show - Get in the Christmas Spirit and come and see something no where else seen in Sydney

The Hills Shire Council

18

COMING SOON FREE ENTERTAINMENT - Nightly Christmas Carols on Castle Hill Main Street underneath 400 sqm LED light show - Get in the Christmas Spirit and come and see something no where else seen in Sydney

The Hills Shire Council

15

travel

How to Save Money When Travelling

You have spent a large chunk of money just getting to your holiday destination and sometimes there is just not a lot left over for excursions and day to day living expenses Finding economical ways to make your remaining dollars stretch for the length of the holiday and allowing everyone to still have a good time is often a difficult task No matter what your holiday budget is there is also always a great sense of satisfaction in getting a bargain or something for ldquoFreerdquo

Here are a few things to consider to save some dollars when on your next vacation

Accommodation

Book accommodation that includes breakfast ndash this could save at least $50day for a family of four

Check if the hotel offers free shuttle transfers from the airport or to and from popular sites ndash transfers are costly

Consider an apartment this way you can prepare some of your own meals or have space to eat takeaway meals that cost less than eating at a restaurant

Meals

Buy ingredients at a local s u p e r m a r k e t t o m a k e sandwichesrolls for a quick and cost effective lunch

Avoid the expensive breakfast buffets and buy some pastries at a local bakery (also good for low cost lunch with pies sausage rolls etc)

Take Away eaten on the beach at the park or in view of a scenic monument is more affordable than a restaurant and comes with a free view

Food Samples ndash wandering amongst the local markets or department and grocery stores there are often free samples of food and produce on offer

La Paz

wwwjuliewarnertravelplanscom

Julie Warner

16

Sight Seeing

Use public transport to get around look for multi-journey tickets to save

Museums and Art galleries ndash check to see when they have their ldquoFreerdquo visit days

Changing of the Guards ceremonies - for any of those countries that have Royalty this is usually quite a performance and usually ldquoFreerdquo

Wineries ndash although not ldquoFreerdquo in every country in many the entrance and tastings have no charge

Botanical Gardens Parks and Lakes ndash these areas of any city are often ldquoFreerdquo to wander through and provide a tranquil escape from the city hustle and bustle

Cemeteries ndash whilst a little on the morbid side of a holiday these are usually ldquoFreerdquo to enter and walk around with many destinations having a claim to fame of certain famous people being buried there

Window Shopping ndash obviously this is available in any destination but particularly rewarding in places where holiday seasons are elaborately celebrated

Colchagua Valley

Walking Tours ndash many cities offer ldquoFreerdquo walking tours and

Churches and Castles ndash often you can wander into many churches at no cost they may charge for tours of specific areas such as catacombs or crypts Many castles in Europe will allow entrance to their grounds for ldquoFreerdquo only charging to view inside the buildings

Hopefully the next time you travel you can include some of these money saving tips to help stretch your holiday budget that bit further and extend your holiday or just save up to splurge on a special meal out a bucket list activity or just a little extra retail therapyHappy Travels

Above-La Paz -Christmas

Top - Sacred Heart Basilica of Montmartre (Sacre-Coeur)

We were cramped and tired but we enjoyed MOST of the car trip until I would be car sick Does that bring back some fond memories for you when you were a child travelling to your Christmas destination

For many years when I was a child my Mum Dad brother and I lived interstate from the rest of our family Christmas was the only time of year I could play with my cousins and get reacquainted with my grandparents aunts and uncles I loved Christmas and the holidays spent with our extended family

Dad would attach a luggage rack to the roof of our tiny red car He would hurl the bags with our clothes onto the rack and tie a tarp around the bags in case it rained As a child I thought the mountain of bags was almost as big as the little red car

Pillows blankets and other paraphernalia were neatly stacked into the miniscule boot Then Christmas gifts and other ldquoessential gearrdquo would be squeezed and shoved into any remaining dark nook or cranny Dad would have to tie the boot shut with rope as it wouldn`t close properly with all

the treasures wanting to spring out Mum and Dad shared the cars` front bench seat with Herbie the galah in a cage between them

Herbie loved being in the car and he talked and screeched with no consideration for our tender ears He also had the disgusting habit of throwing his seed out of his cage poor Mum was usually the unlucky recipient

Terry the cocker spaniel and Sebbie the cat who thought he was a dog were relegated to the back Sebbie would often sleep on the back tray of the car or on the floor around my feet Not so comfy on a long trip Terry would either hang his head out the window chomping at the air with slobber freely flowing from his mouth or sit on my brother or I His flatulence was frequent overwhelming and inescapable

Travelling to Christmas

I recall on one trip we pulled into a garage when some rough looking bikies pulled up near us and Herbie called out ldquoWhat are you looking atrdquo A bikie came over to Dad and demanded to know what he said Dad assured him he didn`t say anything that it was the bird As Murphy`s law would have it Herbie sat quietly on his perch and wouldn`t even look at the man standing too close to Dad The bikie grunted and strode away Dad was not so fond of Herbie after that

Just prior to Christmas the following year Dad decided to paint the car seats bright red Mum was furious helliphelliphellip but that is a story for another article

I hope you have some memorable travel experiences that made Christmas more fun for you when you were a child When I think back there are many times that even if I didn`t laugh about them then I certainly do now

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for a happy and healthy 2015

17

wwwhypnotherapyandcounsellingcom

Pam Hoy

Front cover and this imagecourtesyJulie Warner

Merry Christmas

indePendent buSineSS network inc buSineSS directorYACCOUNTING

Sydney Taxation ServicesP 9873 4139M 0411 695 151E janicesydneytaxationservicescomauwwwsydneytaxationservicescomau

ARTISTHOME DECOR

2 Bee CreativeP 9629 2136M 0409 962 921E lesley2beecreativecomauwww2beecreativecomau

BUSINESS

Julie Warner - Your Business HelperP 02 8850 4908M 0414 210 979wwwfacebookcomYourBusinessHelper

Robert ColeThe Small Business WizardM 0419 011 638wwwthesmallbusinesswizardcom

COMMUNITY SERVICES

My Local GuideM 0401 718 374E clairemylocalguidenetauwwwmylocalguidenetau

CONVEYANCER

Tracey WardenM 0414 640 205E traceywardenhotmailcom

EDUCATION TUTORING

Advanced Education Solutions48 Meryll Av Castle HillP 9686 4289M 0413 100 655E sharleenaestutorscomauwwwaestutorscomau

Dyslexia Matters24 Lightwood Way Beaumont Hills NSW 2155P 8064 7248wwwdyslexia-matterscomau

FINANCIAL SERVICES

The Investors ClubP 9626 2655M 0418 447 815E robynatkinskrnetauwwwmemberlinkticcomau

Tag FinancialVivecka SripathyP 8884 7444M 0423 413 210viveckasripathytagfincomau

Mirren Property amp FinanceRene MarzingerT (02) 8814 5997F (02) 8814 6003M 0402 361 396wwwmirrencomau

GRAPHICWEB DESIGN

Meam DesignP 9636 1254M 0414 604 979wwwmeamdesigncomau

HEALTH

Heal with HypnotherapyDivine touch Massage TherapyM 0410 584 591E vickibonbigpondnetauwwwhealwithhypnotherapycomauwwwdivinetouchmassagetherapycomau

FruvenuHealthy Food Workshops GlutenLactoseEgg FreeM 0428 582 258wwwfruvenucomau

Pamela Hoy Clinical Hypnotherapy and CounsellingP 9634 6262M 0409 772 015E pamhoybigpondcomwwwhypnotherapyandcounsellingcom

Rosanna Haynes MassageP 9889 7699M 0425 217 049wwwrosannahaynescomau

LIFESTYLE

Margaret King - EnjoP 9862 9966M 0418 166 016E margaretking3optusnetcomauwwwfacebookcomMargaretKingEnjOpreneurref=hl

Gary EnglandM 0450 200 500E garyHotBeverageHealthcom

HOME REPAIR amp IMPROVEMENTCOMMERCIAL DESIGN

Cassie and Cassie Building DesignP 9651-5198M 0423-344-283E Kalenecassieandcassiecomwwwcassieandcassiecom

Inspired SpacesP 9894 7548M 0401 068 670E robyninspiredspacescomauwwwinspiredspacescomau

Colourbright Pty LtdM 0407 080 155E rockeycolourbrightcomau

Earth MattersSandyha SumilM 0439 332 998wwwearthmattersconsultingcomau

RECRUITMENT

Debra Manson RecruitmentP 8883 2163M 0433 227 601E debradebramansoncomauwwwdebramansoncomau

TRAVEL SERVICES

Julie Warner Travel PlansP 8850 4908M 0414 210 979E juliejuliewarnertravelplanscomwwwjuliewarnertravelplanscom

wwwjuliewarnertravelplanscom

Julie Warner

16

Sight Seeing

Use public transport to get around look for multi-journey tickets to save

Museums and Art galleries ndash check to see when they have their ldquoFreerdquo visit days

Changing of the Guards ceremonies - for any of those countries that have Royalty this is usually quite a performance and usually ldquoFreerdquo

Wineries ndash although not ldquoFreerdquo in every country in many the entrance and tastings have no charge

Botanical Gardens Parks and Lakes ndash these areas of any city are often ldquoFreerdquo to wander through and provide a tranquil escape from the city hustle and bustle

Cemeteries ndash whilst a little on the morbid side of a holiday these are usually ldquoFreerdquo to enter and walk around with many destinations having a claim to fame of certain famous people being buried there

Window Shopping ndash obviously this is available in any destination but particularly rewarding in places where holiday seasons are elaborately celebrated

Colchagua Valley

Walking Tours ndash many cities offer ldquoFreerdquo walking tours and

Churches and Castles ndash often you can wander into many churches at no cost they may charge for tours of specific areas such as catacombs or crypts Many castles in Europe will allow entrance to their grounds for ldquoFreerdquo only charging to view inside the buildings

Hopefully the next time you travel you can include some of these money saving tips to help stretch your holiday budget that bit further and extend your holiday or just save up to splurge on a special meal out a bucket list activity or just a little extra retail therapyHappy Travels

Above-La Paz -Christmas

Top - Sacred Heart Basilica of Montmartre (Sacre-Coeur)

We were cramped and tired but we enjoyed MOST of the car trip until I would be car sick Does that bring back some fond memories for you when you were a child travelling to your Christmas destination

For many years when I was a child my Mum Dad brother and I lived interstate from the rest of our family Christmas was the only time of year I could play with my cousins and get reacquainted with my grandparents aunts and uncles I loved Christmas and the holidays spent with our extended family

Dad would attach a luggage rack to the roof of our tiny red car He would hurl the bags with our clothes onto the rack and tie a tarp around the bags in case it rained As a child I thought the mountain of bags was almost as big as the little red car

Pillows blankets and other paraphernalia were neatly stacked into the miniscule boot Then Christmas gifts and other ldquoessential gearrdquo would be squeezed and shoved into any remaining dark nook or cranny Dad would have to tie the boot shut with rope as it wouldn`t close properly with all

the treasures wanting to spring out Mum and Dad shared the cars` front bench seat with Herbie the galah in a cage between them

Herbie loved being in the car and he talked and screeched with no consideration for our tender ears He also had the disgusting habit of throwing his seed out of his cage poor Mum was usually the unlucky recipient

Terry the cocker spaniel and Sebbie the cat who thought he was a dog were relegated to the back Sebbie would often sleep on the back tray of the car or on the floor around my feet Not so comfy on a long trip Terry would either hang his head out the window chomping at the air with slobber freely flowing from his mouth or sit on my brother or I His flatulence was frequent overwhelming and inescapable

Travelling to Christmas

I recall on one trip we pulled into a garage when some rough looking bikies pulled up near us and Herbie called out ldquoWhat are you looking atrdquo A bikie came over to Dad and demanded to know what he said Dad assured him he didn`t say anything that it was the bird As Murphy`s law would have it Herbie sat quietly on his perch and wouldn`t even look at the man standing too close to Dad The bikie grunted and strode away Dad was not so fond of Herbie after that

Just prior to Christmas the following year Dad decided to paint the car seats bright red Mum was furious helliphelliphellip but that is a story for another article

I hope you have some memorable travel experiences that made Christmas more fun for you when you were a child When I think back there are many times that even if I didn`t laugh about them then I certainly do now

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for a happy and healthy 2015

17

wwwhypnotherapyandcounsellingcom

Pam Hoy

Front cover and this imagecourtesyJulie Warner

Merry Christmas

indePendent buSineSS network inc buSineSS directorYACCOUNTING

Sydney Taxation ServicesP 9873 4139M 0411 695 151E janicesydneytaxationservicescomauwwwsydneytaxationservicescomau

ARTISTHOME DECOR

2 Bee CreativeP 9629 2136M 0409 962 921E lesley2beecreativecomauwww2beecreativecomau

BUSINESS

Julie Warner - Your Business HelperP 02 8850 4908M 0414 210 979wwwfacebookcomYourBusinessHelper

Robert ColeThe Small Business WizardM 0419 011 638wwwthesmallbusinesswizardcom

COMMUNITY SERVICES

My Local GuideM 0401 718 374E clairemylocalguidenetauwwwmylocalguidenetau

CONVEYANCER

Tracey WardenM 0414 640 205E traceywardenhotmailcom

EDUCATION TUTORING

Advanced Education Solutions48 Meryll Av Castle HillP 9686 4289M 0413 100 655E sharleenaestutorscomauwwwaestutorscomau

Dyslexia Matters24 Lightwood Way Beaumont Hills NSW 2155P 8064 7248wwwdyslexia-matterscomau

FINANCIAL SERVICES

The Investors ClubP 9626 2655M 0418 447 815E robynatkinskrnetauwwwmemberlinkticcomau

Tag FinancialVivecka SripathyP 8884 7444M 0423 413 210viveckasripathytagfincomau

Mirren Property amp FinanceRene MarzingerT (02) 8814 5997F (02) 8814 6003M 0402 361 396wwwmirrencomau

GRAPHICWEB DESIGN

Meam DesignP 9636 1254M 0414 604 979wwwmeamdesigncomau

HEALTH

Heal with HypnotherapyDivine touch Massage TherapyM 0410 584 591E vickibonbigpondnetauwwwhealwithhypnotherapycomauwwwdivinetouchmassagetherapycomau

FruvenuHealthy Food Workshops GlutenLactoseEgg FreeM 0428 582 258wwwfruvenucomau

Pamela Hoy Clinical Hypnotherapy and CounsellingP 9634 6262M 0409 772 015E pamhoybigpondcomwwwhypnotherapyandcounsellingcom

Rosanna Haynes MassageP 9889 7699M 0425 217 049wwwrosannahaynescomau

LIFESTYLE

Margaret King - EnjoP 9862 9966M 0418 166 016E margaretking3optusnetcomauwwwfacebookcomMargaretKingEnjOpreneurref=hl

Gary EnglandM 0450 200 500E garyHotBeverageHealthcom

HOME REPAIR amp IMPROVEMENTCOMMERCIAL DESIGN

Cassie and Cassie Building DesignP 9651-5198M 0423-344-283E Kalenecassieandcassiecomwwwcassieandcassiecom

Inspired SpacesP 9894 7548M 0401 068 670E robyninspiredspacescomauwwwinspiredspacescomau

Colourbright Pty LtdM 0407 080 155E rockeycolourbrightcomau

Earth MattersSandyha SumilM 0439 332 998wwwearthmattersconsultingcomau

RECRUITMENT

Debra Manson RecruitmentP 8883 2163M 0433 227 601E debradebramansoncomauwwwdebramansoncomau

TRAVEL SERVICES

Julie Warner Travel PlansP 8850 4908M 0414 210 979E juliejuliewarnertravelplanscomwwwjuliewarnertravelplanscom

We were cramped and tired but we enjoyed MOST of the car trip until I would be car sick Does that bring back some fond memories for you when you were a child travelling to your Christmas destination

For many years when I was a child my Mum Dad brother and I lived interstate from the rest of our family Christmas was the only time of year I could play with my cousins and get reacquainted with my grandparents aunts and uncles I loved Christmas and the holidays spent with our extended family

Dad would attach a luggage rack to the roof of our tiny red car He would hurl the bags with our clothes onto the rack and tie a tarp around the bags in case it rained As a child I thought the mountain of bags was almost as big as the little red car

Pillows blankets and other paraphernalia were neatly stacked into the miniscule boot Then Christmas gifts and other ldquoessential gearrdquo would be squeezed and shoved into any remaining dark nook or cranny Dad would have to tie the boot shut with rope as it wouldn`t close properly with all

the treasures wanting to spring out Mum and Dad shared the cars` front bench seat with Herbie the galah in a cage between them

Herbie loved being in the car and he talked and screeched with no consideration for our tender ears He also had the disgusting habit of throwing his seed out of his cage poor Mum was usually the unlucky recipient

Terry the cocker spaniel and Sebbie the cat who thought he was a dog were relegated to the back Sebbie would often sleep on the back tray of the car or on the floor around my feet Not so comfy on a long trip Terry would either hang his head out the window chomping at the air with slobber freely flowing from his mouth or sit on my brother or I His flatulence was frequent overwhelming and inescapable

Travelling to Christmas

I recall on one trip we pulled into a garage when some rough looking bikies pulled up near us and Herbie called out ldquoWhat are you looking atrdquo A bikie came over to Dad and demanded to know what he said Dad assured him he didn`t say anything that it was the bird As Murphy`s law would have it Herbie sat quietly on his perch and wouldn`t even look at the man standing too close to Dad The bikie grunted and strode away Dad was not so fond of Herbie after that

Just prior to Christmas the following year Dad decided to paint the car seats bright red Mum was furious helliphelliphellip but that is a story for another article

I hope you have some memorable travel experiences that made Christmas more fun for you when you were a child When I think back there are many times that even if I didn`t laugh about them then I certainly do now

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for a happy and healthy 2015

17

wwwhypnotherapyandcounsellingcom

Pam Hoy

Front cover and this imagecourtesyJulie Warner

Merry Christmas

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Front cover and this imagecourtesyJulie Warner

Merry Christmas

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Sydney Taxation ServicesP 9873 4139M 0411 695 151E janicesydneytaxationservicescomauwwwsydneytaxationservicescomau

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2 Bee CreativeP 9629 2136M 0409 962 921E lesley2beecreativecomauwww2beecreativecomau

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Julie Warner - Your Business HelperP 02 8850 4908M 0414 210 979wwwfacebookcomYourBusinessHelper

Robert ColeThe Small Business WizardM 0419 011 638wwwthesmallbusinesswizardcom

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My Local GuideM 0401 718 374E clairemylocalguidenetauwwwmylocalguidenetau

CONVEYANCER

Tracey WardenM 0414 640 205E traceywardenhotmailcom

EDUCATION TUTORING

Advanced Education Solutions48 Meryll Av Castle HillP 9686 4289M 0413 100 655E sharleenaestutorscomauwwwaestutorscomau

Dyslexia Matters24 Lightwood Way Beaumont Hills NSW 2155P 8064 7248wwwdyslexia-matterscomau

FINANCIAL SERVICES

The Investors ClubP 9626 2655M 0418 447 815E robynatkinskrnetauwwwmemberlinkticcomau

Tag FinancialVivecka SripathyP 8884 7444M 0423 413 210viveckasripathytagfincomau

Mirren Property amp FinanceRene MarzingerT (02) 8814 5997F (02) 8814 6003M 0402 361 396wwwmirrencomau

GRAPHICWEB DESIGN

Meam DesignP 9636 1254M 0414 604 979wwwmeamdesigncomau

HEALTH

Heal with HypnotherapyDivine touch Massage TherapyM 0410 584 591E vickibonbigpondnetauwwwhealwithhypnotherapycomauwwwdivinetouchmassagetherapycomau

FruvenuHealthy Food Workshops GlutenLactoseEgg FreeM 0428 582 258wwwfruvenucomau

Pamela Hoy Clinical Hypnotherapy and CounsellingP 9634 6262M 0409 772 015E pamhoybigpondcomwwwhypnotherapyandcounsellingcom

Rosanna Haynes MassageP 9889 7699M 0425 217 049wwwrosannahaynescomau

LIFESTYLE

Margaret King - EnjoP 9862 9966M 0418 166 016E margaretking3optusnetcomauwwwfacebookcomMargaretKingEnjOpreneurref=hl

Gary EnglandM 0450 200 500E garyHotBeverageHealthcom

HOME REPAIR amp IMPROVEMENTCOMMERCIAL DESIGN

Cassie and Cassie Building DesignP 9651-5198M 0423-344-283E Kalenecassieandcassiecomwwwcassieandcassiecom

Inspired SpacesP 9894 7548M 0401 068 670E robyninspiredspacescomauwwwinspiredspacescomau

Colourbright Pty LtdM 0407 080 155E rockeycolourbrightcomau

Earth MattersSandyha SumilM 0439 332 998wwwearthmattersconsultingcomau

RECRUITMENT

Debra Manson RecruitmentP 8883 2163M 0433 227 601E debradebramansoncomauwwwdebramansoncomau

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Julie Warner Travel PlansP 8850 4908M 0414 210 979E juliejuliewarnertravelplanscomwwwjuliewarnertravelplanscom

indePendent buSineSS network inc buSineSS directorYACCOUNTING

Sydney Taxation ServicesP 9873 4139M 0411 695 151E janicesydneytaxationservicescomauwwwsydneytaxationservicescomau

ARTISTHOME DECOR

2 Bee CreativeP 9629 2136M 0409 962 921E lesley2beecreativecomauwww2beecreativecomau

BUSINESS

Julie Warner - Your Business HelperP 02 8850 4908M 0414 210 979wwwfacebookcomYourBusinessHelper

Robert ColeThe Small Business WizardM 0419 011 638wwwthesmallbusinesswizardcom

COMMUNITY SERVICES

My Local GuideM 0401 718 374E clairemylocalguidenetauwwwmylocalguidenetau

CONVEYANCER

Tracey WardenM 0414 640 205E traceywardenhotmailcom

EDUCATION TUTORING

Advanced Education Solutions48 Meryll Av Castle HillP 9686 4289M 0413 100 655E sharleenaestutorscomauwwwaestutorscomau

Dyslexia Matters24 Lightwood Way Beaumont Hills NSW 2155P 8064 7248wwwdyslexia-matterscomau

FINANCIAL SERVICES

The Investors ClubP 9626 2655M 0418 447 815E robynatkinskrnetauwwwmemberlinkticcomau

Tag FinancialVivecka SripathyP 8884 7444M 0423 413 210viveckasripathytagfincomau

Mirren Property amp FinanceRene MarzingerT (02) 8814 5997F (02) 8814 6003M 0402 361 396wwwmirrencomau

GRAPHICWEB DESIGN

Meam DesignP 9636 1254M 0414 604 979wwwmeamdesigncomau

HEALTH

Heal with HypnotherapyDivine touch Massage TherapyM 0410 584 591E vickibonbigpondnetauwwwhealwithhypnotherapycomauwwwdivinetouchmassagetherapycomau

FruvenuHealthy Food Workshops GlutenLactoseEgg FreeM 0428 582 258wwwfruvenucomau

Pamela Hoy Clinical Hypnotherapy and CounsellingP 9634 6262M 0409 772 015E pamhoybigpondcomwwwhypnotherapyandcounsellingcom

Rosanna Haynes MassageP 9889 7699M 0425 217 049wwwrosannahaynescomau

LIFESTYLE

Margaret King - EnjoP 9862 9966M 0418 166 016E margaretking3optusnetcomauwwwfacebookcomMargaretKingEnjOpreneurref=hl

Gary EnglandM 0450 200 500E garyHotBeverageHealthcom

HOME REPAIR amp IMPROVEMENTCOMMERCIAL DESIGN

Cassie and Cassie Building DesignP 9651-5198M 0423-344-283E Kalenecassieandcassiecomwwwcassieandcassiecom

Inspired SpacesP 9894 7548M 0401 068 670E robyninspiredspacescomauwwwinspiredspacescomau

Colourbright Pty LtdM 0407 080 155E rockeycolourbrightcomau

Earth MattersSandyha SumilM 0439 332 998wwwearthmattersconsultingcomau

RECRUITMENT

Debra Manson RecruitmentP 8883 2163M 0433 227 601E debradebramansoncomauwwwdebramansoncomau

TRAVEL SERVICES

Julie Warner Travel PlansP 8850 4908M 0414 210 979E juliejuliewarnertravelplanscomwwwjuliewarnertravelplanscom