Let's Talk Business

11
Marketing Means Business 0451 184 599 Email: [email protected] Web: www.marketingmeansbusiness.net.au 1 NAB NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS SUMMIT 24 – 25 JULY IN BRISBANE All interested parties are invited to become involved in the 2013 NAB National Small Business Summit in Brisbane on Wednesday, 24 and Thursday 25 July 2013. This will be the 11th NAB Small Business Summit and will be attended by luminaries such as the Federal Minister for Small Business, The Hon Gary Gray MP, and the Shadow Federal Minister for Small Business, The Hon Bruce Billson MP. Also speaking will be the 2012 COSBOA Small Business Champion Ondina Gregoric, who will outline the secret of her success and the importance of giving back to the sector. Small business owners employ over 4.5 million people and are a major part of the economy, as well as contributing members of our local communities. Small business people provide our society with the capability to innovate and to deal with adversity much more quickly than big business. The Council of Small Business of Australia, COSBOA, welcomed this important focus on small business, Let’s Talk Business MARKETING MEANS BUSINESS - Solutions for Small Business Issue 04 May 2013 which highlighted the evident fact that small business is too big to ignore. Talking about the campaign #2big2ignore Peter Strong, Executive Director for COSBOA commented, ‘The reality is that small business has been ignored for two decades and the more campaigns that focus on us, as people, the better it is for our economy and communities. We fully support this and any campaign to emphasise people in small businesses.’ ‘This is recognition indeed of the need for leaders of industry bodies, senior politicians and bureaucrats to attend the NAB National Small Business Summit.’ ‘In the lead up to the election, this is one of the final opportunities for all parties to highlight their policies for small businesses, make changes and influence the votes of 2.5 million small business owners in Australia,’ stated Mr Strong. A key focus of the Summit is to look at how small business and big business are different, yet how they The Facts Are Evident: Small Business is too big to ignore Talking about the campaign #2big2ignore Peter Strong, Executive Director for COSBOA commented: “The reality is that small business has been ignored for two decades and the more campaigns that focus on us, as people, the better it is for our economy and communities. We fully support this and any campaign to emphasise people in small businesses.” can work together in unison, learning from the unique challenges faced by each to better move forward in the changing climate. ‘We would like to take this opportunity to invite key supporters of small business to attend the NAB National Small Business Summit which will address a number of key areas including policy, partnerships and people,’ extended Mr Strong. The NAB National Small Business Summit will be held on 24-25 July 2013 at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre with registrations open from mid-April. For more information about the Summit visit: www.nationalsmallbusinesssummit.co m.au

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Tips and Articles for Small & Medium Business

Transcript of Let's Talk Business

Page 1: Let's Talk Business

Marketing Means Business 0451 184 599 Email: [email protected] Web: www.marketingmeansbusiness.net.au 1

NAB NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS SUMMIT

24 – 25 JULY IN BRISBANE

All interested parties are invited to

become involved in the 2013 NAB

National Small Business Summit in

Brisbane on Wednesday, 24 and

Thursday 25 July 2013.

This will be the 11th NAB Small

Business Summit and will be

attended by luminaries such as the

Federal Minister for Small Business,

The Hon Gary Gray MP, and the

Shadow Federal Minister for Small

Business, The Hon Bruce Billson

MP.

Also speaking will be the 2012

COSBOA Small Business

Champion Ondina Gregoric, who

will outline the secret of her success

and the importance of giving back to

the sector.

Small business owners employ over

4.5 million people and are a major

part of the economy, as well as

contributing members of our local

communities. Small business people

provide our society with the

capability to innovate and to deal

with adversity much more quickly

than big business.

The Council of Small Business of

Australia, COSBOA, welcomed this

important focus on small business,

Let’s Talk Business MARKETING MEANS BUSINESS - Solutions for Small Business

Issue 04 May 2013

which highlighted the evident fact

that small business is too big to

ignore.

Talking about the campaign

#2big2ignore Peter Strong, Executive

Director for COSBOA commented,

‘The reality is that small business has

been ignored for two decades and the

more campaigns that focus on us, as

people, the better it is for our

economy and communities.

We fully support this and any

campaign to emphasise people in

small businesses.’

‘This is recognition indeed of the

need for leaders of industry bodies,

senior politicians and bureaucrats to

attend the NAB National Small

Business Summit.’

‘In the lead up to the election, this is

one of the final opportunities for all

parties to highlight their policies for

small businesses, make changes and

influence the votes of 2.5 million

small business owners in Australia,’

stated Mr Strong.

A key focus of the Summit is to look

at how small business and big

business are different, yet how they

The Facts Are Evident: Small

Business is too big to ignore

Talking about the campaign #2big2ignore Peter Strong, Executive Director for COSBOA commented:

“The reality is that small business has been ignored for two decades and the more campaigns that focus on us, as people, the better it is for our economy and communities. We fully support this and any campaign to emphasise people in small businesses.”

can work together in unison, learning

from the unique challenges faced by

each to better move forward in the

changing climate.

‘We would like to take this

opportunity to invite key supporters

of small business to attend the NAB

National Small Business Summit

which will address a number of key

areas including policy, partnerships

and people,’ extended Mr Strong.

The NAB National Small Business

Summit will be held on 24-25 July

2013 at the Brisbane Convention &

Exhibition Centre with registrations

open from mid-April.

For more information about the

Summit visit:

www.nationalsmallbusinesssummit.co

m.au

Page 2: Let's Talk Business

Marketing Means Business 0451 184 599 Email: [email protected] Web: www.marketingmeansbusiness.net.au 2

Your Customer can be Your Lifeline or Your Executioner

Dennis Chiron MarketingMeans Business

0451 184 599 [email protected]

Skype: dennis.chiron2

PROFILE OF AN

UNHAPPY CUSTOMER

There are some facts on unhappy

customers that both you and your

staff should be aware of.

Think about yourself and your

business. If you fit some of these

profiles it should also confirm to

you that others feel the same.

Did you know that:

That the average business

never hears from 96% of its

unhappy customers.

That for every complaint

received, a business will have

26 others that are unreported,

six of which are serious.

That those “non-complaint”

customers do complain to

nine or ten other people.

That customers whose

complaints are effectively

resolved will tell an average

of five other people.

Everyone knows the benefits of a

satisfied customer, but few

business owners stop to consider

the potential value of the not-so-

happy.

In an article in “My Business”

Tom Dickerson explains how you

can use unhappy customers to

better your business http://

Keep Your

Custom-

Sixty eight percent of

customers who leave do so

because they feel

unappreciated, unimportant,

and taken for granted.

www.mybusiness.com.au/experts/how-

unhappy-customers-can-improve-your-

business

Unfortunately, unhappy customers are

an inevitable consequence of doing

business and you will run into them no

matter how committed you are to

seeing them all happy.

There will be times when that customer

is justified in being upset while there

will be others where the situation was

entirely out of your control. Strategies

do exist where you can diffuse a

situation and help a customer feel better

and perhaps even turn them into a

repeat buyer.

In the beginning, every business owner

is certain that they must retain every

single customer they can but this is not

an excuse to allow the business to

become the proverbial “doormat” for

customers to kick around when they

feel like it.

Sooner or later you're going to have to

deal with an upset customer. A product

breaks, their goods don’t arrive when

promised, an employee has a bad day,

these things happen! The question is,

how are you going to deal with your

unhappy customer, especially

considering that these days it's very

easy to vent ones spleen using social

media.

Almost with one foul swoop, a

frustrated customer, through Facebook

or Twitter, can literally destroy your

business.

Everyone claims they give excellent

customer service. While that might

be true for some, it is far from true

for others.

If every company gives excellent

service, there would be no need for

customer complaints lines,

consumer watch dogs, or even

companies liquidating.

Customers care about how they’re

treated. With the recent rise of social

media, consumers are able to voice

their dissent — or support —

immediately to the masses.

Businesses have to manage

relationships with their customers

more carefully than ever, whether

online or offline.

People will buy from you for many

reasons, but the experience they

have determines whether they come

back or not. So from the beginning

you need to focus on helping the

customer, because that’s what builds

repeat business.

Page 3: Let's Talk Business

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COMPLAINTS ARE A GREAT

WAY FOR YOU TO IMPROVE

YOUR BUSINESS Dennis Chiron

MarketingMeans Business 0451 184 599

[email protected] Skype: dennis.chiron2

It is estimated that only 1.5% of all

customers will try to take advantage of

a company through exaggerated claims.

So, chances are, your customer’s

complaint is legitimate and realistic.

A customer’s complaint is usually a

clear message on how you can improve

your services or products. If you are

able to identify and meet customer

wants and needs, you will undoubtedly

improve your business performance

and increase your customer base.

A satisfied customer usually means

repeat business. In most cases, the

information that you can obtain through

a customer’s complaint is impossible to

get through any other means. You are

being presented with a real opportunity

to prove your commitment to your

customer by addressing these

concerns, even when the complaint

may seem minor or trivial.

Complaints that customers bring

directly to you are the most efficient

and least costly way of obtaining

information and under-standing

customer expectations.

When a customer has a genuine

complaint, thank them for raising the

matter with you. Treat them with

genuine empathy, courtesy, patience,

honesty and fairness.

Try to respond to the complaint

quickly. Tell the customer how you

will handle it and when to expect a

response.

Speak to the customer in person. Do

not rely on written complaints or

records of conversations.

When choosing your approach for

communicating with a customer,

think about how you would like

to be treated if you were making

a complaint to a business.

Model the type of conversation you

want to have with customers who

are making a complaint. This may

include making it clear to the

customer that you are eager to listen

and treating them with courtesy and

consideration.

There are a number of common

complaints that customers make

relating to products and services.

Having procedures in place that find

solutions to common complaints

will help you resolve issues quickly

and efficiently.

Always seek outcomes that will

satisfy your customers, and make

sure these are feasible and

affordable for your business.

Remember that the cost of a short-

term concession is worth preserving

a long-term relationship.

Firstly, a good business tries

to minimise customer

complaints through excellent

customer service, and address

customer complaints about the

business, or a product or

service quickly and fairly.

Customers can become difficult

for a variety of reasons. Some

might have an annoying

personality; others like to find

faults, while some think they

know it all. Customers like

these can become impatient,

intimidating and demanding.

Angry customers are the most

difficult to handle as they are

usually upset and emotional, as

they are not happy about the

product or the service.

You need to see your

customer’s complaint through

their eyes. Imagine that

whatever the customer is

complaining about has also

happened to you.

What would you be thinking

and feeling? How would you

react? How would you expect

to be treated? What would it

take to satisfy you? What

response would be necessary

for you to walk away feeling

good about your complaint and

the company?

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Marketing Means Business 0451 184 599 Email: [email protected] Web: www.marketingmeansbusiness.net.au 4

Here's some more images I’ve collected

from thechive.com and some of them are

a little scary.

What’s wrong in these pictures?

It's mind boggling looking at these images and hard to believe that the people involved didn't think twice or stop for a minute to realise their actions could be fatal.

These examples showcase a complete

disregard and ignorance for safety, not

to mention their own lives and that of

others.

Hopefully, after we've all had a laugh,

no-one was seriously injured.

These images are great to post up on

workplace billboards as humourous

reminders of what not to do.

Some Weird Accident Facts These funny facts from the United

Kingdom prove that Christmas isn't

always full of cheer and goodwill.

Another thought, if these are just facts

from Christmas alone, then how does it

compare with other times of the year?

1) Hospitals reported 4 broken arms last

year after cracker pulling accidents.

2) Three people die each year testing if

a 9v battery works on their tongue.

3) Five people were injured last year in

accidents involving out of control

Scalextric cars.

4) Eight people cracked their skull in

2009 after falling asleep while throwing

up into the toilet.

5) Eighteen people had serious burns in

2011 trying on a new jumper with a lit

cigarette in their mouth.

6) Fifty eight people are injured each

year by using sharp knives instead of

screwdrivers.

Ad in

the

Atlanta

Daily

SINGLE

BLACK

FEMALE Seeks male

companionship, ethnicity

unimportant. I'm a very good

looking girl who LOVES to

play. I love long walks in the

woods, riding in your pickup

truck, hunting, camping and

fishing trips, cosy winter nights

lying by the fire. Candlelight

dinners will have me eating out

of your hand. Rub me the right

way and watch me respond. I'll

be at the front door when you get

home from work, wearing only

what nature gave me. Kiss me

and I'm yours. Call (404) 875-

6420 and ask for Daisy.

Over 15,000 men found themselves talking to the Atlanta Humane Society about an 8-week old black Labrador retriever.

FIRE DRILL

A voice on the office loudspeaker announced: "We will be testing the speaker

system to make sure it will work properly in case of emergency." Employees’ confidence in this safety precaution faded when the voice added:

"If you are unable to hear this announcement, please contact us as soon as possible"

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Marketing Means Business 0451 184 599 Email: [email protected] Web: www.marketingmeansbusiness.net.au 5

How Balanced is Your Business? When it comes to business, it’s all

about balance. There’s no point in

having a business where one part is a

world beater and another is third world.

It’s my philosophy that every business

has the same components and it doesn’t

matter if you’re the pie cart down the

corner or BHP, the principles are the

same. You see all businesses consist of

the same functions, and when it comes

down to it, it’s how well they work

individually and together that will

determine your business success and

satisfaction.

Firstly, there is Marketing: This is

anything you do in your business to

elicit an enquiry. No matter how

sophisticated or technical we get, at

some point a potential customer needs

to approach your business and ask you

to tell them more about your product or

service. The art of enticing a

prospective client to do this is detailed

and evolving, but the principle remains

the same.

Second is Sales: This is the process

within your business to convert that

enquiry into an order or a job. This

will be different for each business but

in the end there needs to be a structured

process to maximise the chance of

turning that enquiry into a sale.

Next is Production or Operations: I

know it sounds blunt but the ultimate

purpose of production is to create

financial inflows and outflows

(Hopefully the inflows will greatly

exceed the outflows). We may love

what we do and have a genuine wish

to provide the best for our clients, but

if we don’t provide both profit and

cash flow, we won’t be in business for

long.

Then there is Financial Control:

This is all about managing the money

and producing profitable cash flows

that will not only provide a living but

also fund growth. Statistics show that

nearly 90% of business failure results

from faulty management, and more

particularly poor financial

management.

Central to all these processes is

Administration: This is often the

most overlooked part of the business

as it’s not seen as that important and

is just perceived as a cost. In truth

administration, which includes

Information Technology (ICT) is the

communication conduit that allows

each of the other parts of the business

to talk to each other.

Underpinning each of these areas is

Human Resources or People: If you

take the people out of your business

chances are all you will have left is a

pile of depreciating assets. You and

your team are one of the very few

assets in your business that has the

ability to appreciate if you treat them

well. Yet we don’t always do so.

We get that shiny new piece of

equipment or car and we treat it

like a baby. We service it

faithfully and polish it until it

gleams, but no matter what we do

it still depreciates in value. Then

we get that new, enthusiastic

member of staff and chances are

we’ve managed to kick the

enthusiasm out of the within the

first six months. It really just

doesn’t make sense!!

So what now? Firstly, it’s

important to make sure that each of

these functional areas of your

business are working well. Then

it’s important to see how well they

are working together.

You see your business will only

work as well as the worst

performing area. You may have a

new Ferrari capable of going

300Kph, but if the tyres aren’t up

to the job you won’t be able to take

advantage of that capability.

Similarly if your Ferrari only has a

Micra engine, it’s not likely to

perform as well either.

It’s my experience in working with

businesses that they nearly all do

one thing really well, but they

never reach their potential until

they get some balance in these

areas. Look for balance. I

guarantee it will improve your

outcomes!

Geoff Butler FAIM AP, MAITD MACE

Principal/Business Improvement &

Implementation Specialist

Business Optimizers

Mobile: 0414 943072

Fax: 3036 6131

Email: [email protected]

Skype: business.optimizers1

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Marketing Means Business 0451 184 599 Email: [email protected] Web: www.marketingmeansbusiness.net.au 6

Now if you have never heard of the

term ‘Kaizen’ then you might infer

from the modification of the original ‘If

you can measure it, you can manage it’

that it is a type of management tool.

Bingo!

Although Kaizen is a management tool

and it means that you are managing

something it has a much more subtle

and effective result in practice. Kaizen

( 改善 ) is a Continuous Improvement

tool (CI) purportedly invented by

Toyota (not true) but nevertheless

heavily used during the Japanese

manufacturing spring to become world

leaders in quality and profitability.

Wow, wouldn’t it be marvellous to

apply those words to our own

businesses, “world leaders in quality

and profitability”. Customers would

flock to us. We would barely need to

advertise as word of mouth referrals

would sustain our growth. It’s not as

unobtainable as some would argue and

I believe that you can apply it to your

business without missing a step. It

has already been applied to such

diverse industries as motor vehicle

manufacturing, healthcare,

psychotherapy, life-coaching, banking

and even some governments use it.

Kaizen is easy to research and

implement and once understood can

help anyone apply the system to ANY

part of their business. There are plenty

of books and consultants that will

specialize in this but having used

Kaizen in an FMCG manufacturing

environment I can tell you the key

factors to success. The big dos and

donts. Firstly a big “don’t”. It is very

easy to oversimplify Kaizen and thus

lose some of its power. Once you learn

to Kaizen, you need to kaizen the

kaizen.

There is plenty to read about CI

however most CI systems rely on

measuring the effectiveness of a

manufacturing process or operational

process, comparing it to an expected

outcome and then taking measures to

correct that defect. You will use the

word ‘defect’ a lot when dealing with

CI. It basically just means that it is a

deviation for an expected outcome and

most importantly, costs money. A

good example of this is waste!

Kaizen starts being different right from

its name. Kaizen literally translated

means “Break”+ ” Good”. So we go

one step further than a typical CI tool

such as a PDCA cycle ( plan do check

act ).

Sometimes you need to look beyond

what you expect. If you are meeting

your expected outcomes, then it is the

expected outcomes that need to be

broken and reinvented.

A central principle in Kaizen is that it is

inclusive and asks everyone in the

organization to participate. To do this

properly, even bad ideas must be

welcomed. We all know that employee

with the crazy ideas, the trouble maker

who seems to ‘not like the rules’. The

ones who want to change things for the

sake of change, or even just to take it a

bit easier at work are just as nuisance

with those that won’t change because

that’s the way we’ve always done it . I

call this “untapped genius” and nurture

these behaviours. This is the

toughest habit for most workplaces

to break. It is all too easy to shoot

down other people’s ideas whether

they come from management or

workers, top down or bottom up.

The only real way to encourage the

one idea that might work is to

entertain and respectfully examine

all of the other ones that won’t,

even if it is obvious to you. A

cultural shift is needed to kick this

off. Let’s go one step further.

Let’s praise bad ideas, and then

scientifically test them just in case.

Teach staff how to do this

themselves and set ground rules on

how to bring improved processes

into the business. Kaizen works

best in small workgroups that get

direct benefits from its results. We

need the crazy ones to be part of

that group.

“Here's to the crazy ones, the

misfits, the rebels, the

troublemakers, the round pegs in

the square holes... the ones who

see things differently -- they're not

fond of rules... You can quote

them, disagree with them, glorify

or vilify them, but the only thing

you can't do is ignore them

because they change things... they

push the human race forward, and

while some may see them as the

crazy ones, we see genius, because

the ones who are crazy enough to

think that they can change the

world, are the ones who do.” Steve

Jobs US computer engineer &

industrialist (1955 - 2011 )

Cheers! Peter

Peter Athey

Specialized Management Services

0405 318 449

www.specializedmanagement.com.au

[email protected]

If You Can Measure it - You Can ‘Kaizaen It!!

Page 7: Let's Talk Business

Marketing Means Business 0451 184 599 Email: [email protected] Web: www.marketingmeansbusiness.net.au 7

Mike is a great car mechanic. One

of the best! His business is good at

what it does, has been around for

many years and has hundreds of

long-time repeat customers that

trust him with their vehicles. But

an important part of Mike’s

business is completely broken. Let

me explain …

Often Mike is asked by his

customers, “Hey Mike, who would

you recommend for x, y, z”? Mike

picks up one of the many business

cards on his counter, passes it over

without another thought and in that

one action commits three of the

most common, wasteful and

business stagnating sins there are.

Let’s break them down …

1. Gave up Control of the

Referral: Mike will probably

never know if that customer

actually used the services of

the person he recommended.

2. Missed out on Credit: How

will the referred business know

that Mike referred them? If

they don’t know about the

support they’re getting its

likely sending people back to

Mike is not at the top of their

mind.

3. A Bad Referral: Every time we

refer another person’s products

or services we’re taking a

HUGE risk. If his customer

doesn’t get what he’s after that

could reflect badly on Mike.

But the biggest thing Mike is losing

out on is something that successful

business owners spend their waking

hours pondering almost non-stop.

“What is a great win-win opportunity

for me to help my customers and at the

same time get introduced to other

prospective ideal customer’s?”

What if Mike compiled the business

cards of the people he recommends the

products and services for into a

booklet? It could be called “Mike the

Mechanic’s Guide to Local Tried &

Tested Vehicle Industry

Professionals”.

It could have $10,000 of value if all

the people in the booklet had a special

offer each (40 people with offers

valued at $250 each = $10,000). A

local map pointing out where everyone

was located and more!

Now, what if Mike didn’t just stack

the booklets up on his counter and let

‘anyone’ grab one? He could bring it

out when listening to what the

customer wants before the work even

starts. Mike explains to his customer

that at some stage they might need

tires, bull-bars, body work, car

detailing, windshields and more. Now

Mike has become a ‘portal’, or a

central hub of anything to do with the

automotive world in his area. A force

to be reckoned with!

But Mike could be even savvier than

that. He could say “Mrs Jones, you’re

in need of an auto-electrician. I’ll

email Rob at Rob’s Auto Electrics

with your details, your vehicle’s

details and the work we have

discussed that you need done. That

way you don’t have to remember

everything yourself. Would that be

helpful for you?” Notice how many

boxes this one easy process ticks and

everyone wins!

Then, at the end of this unique service

from Mike the mechanic and Rob the

auto-electrician, Mrs Jones gets a

‘Thank You’ letter in the mail

personalised by Mike. Within the

folds of the letter slips out a free car

wash voucher from Mary’s Local

Mobile Car Detailing company

valued at $60.

Now ask yourself … if you were a

customer of Mike’s, would you tell

your friends about this extraordinary

experience? Of course you would!

It’s not hard or expensive, but it does

take a little bit of guidance and know

how.

If you would like to experience

a complimentary review of your

business that takes less than an

hour, call Dan at Profit Mechanics

on 0414 567 188. An easy to

understand business performance

questionnaire will be rushed to you

so you can see where profit may be

leaking from your business and

how to fix it.

Dan Buzer

Dan Buzer

Profit Mechanics

0414 567 188

www.profitmechanics.net/

[email protected]

“ … Every Customer You Want, Is Already Somebody Else’s Customer! …”

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Marketing Means Business 0451 184 599 Email: [email protected] Web: www.marketingmeansbusiness.net.au 8

This month let’s look at the use of fork lifts in the workplace. Forklifts are a major cause of serious

injury in Australian workplaces. They

are powerful, heavy and inherently

unstable pieces of equipment. They

pose risks to both drivers and people

walking in areas they are used in.

In recent years, WorkSafe Australia has

run a number of campaigns in an effort

to improve health and safety at

workplaces with forklifts in use.

Thankfully, fewer people are now

being killed as a result of forklift

incidents.

However, on average, over 1,000

people are still seriously injured by

them every year in Australian

workplaces. And there are many more

‘near misses’.

There are two important points to

remember about forklifts:

Forklifts and people don’t mix. A

traffic management plan

incorporating physical separation

of forklifts and people is essential.

Falling loads are responsible for

many deaths and injuries. Make

sure all loads are secure before

moving. Developing a Traffic Management Plan will provide you with some basic information on how to separate forklifts

from pedestrians. Reducing and minimising the risks provides more in-depth guidance to help you increase your knowledge about safe forklift operation and how to reduce the risks.

Your Legal Duties

The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 sets out the key principles, duties and rights in relation to workplace health and safety. In addition, new regulations for occupational health and safety came into effect on 1 July 2007, which outline obligations regarding specific hazards.

CHECKLIST … Purpose: Use this checklist to provide an easy method to review your procedure for Forklift Trucks to ascertain if legislative and specific requirements have been fulfilled.

The definition of prescribed

occupations?

The definition of a forklift

truck?

Other definitions as

identified?

The obligations of the

operators of plant?

The obligations of

supervisors of plant?

Reference relevant

Australian Standards?

Indicate maintenance and

repair processes?

Indicate placing an ‘Out of

Service’ tag on faulty or

damaged forklift trucks?

Indicate competencies and

training?

Indicate pre-start checks?

Indicate inspections of

forklifts?

Indicate designing specific

inspection checklists for

various items of plant?

An ‘Inspection Matrix’ is

established?

Indicate a quiz or

competency test to ascertain

if staff understands the

procedure?

Indicate safe working

conditions

Indicate safe working limits

Indicate load movement

guidelines

Indicate safe use of lifting

accessories

Indicate safe stacking

guidelines

Indicate refuelling safety

Indicate battery safety

You can get information about

your OH&S obligations and

other valuable OH&S resources

both in hard copy and online

from their websites.

http://www.deir.qld.gov.au

Always seek independent legal

advice on what is applicable to

your situation.

Ron Court AMC Dip (Funerals) MQJA JP (Qual)

OH&S Advisor

0419679619

[email protected]

WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY

Fork Lifts at Work

Page 9: Let's Talk Business

Marketing Means Business 0451 184 599 Email: [email protected] Web: www.marketingmeansbusiness.net.au 9

Motor vehicle sales have boomed over

the past 12 months. Over a million

vehicles have been sold and here are a

few statistics from the latest Deloitte

Motor industry report:

80% of these new vehicles have been

financed in some way

80% of us had already narrowed the

search online before going to a

dealership.

Car dealers made 40% more income

as a group on their finance and

insurance.

Some car dealers are reporting 90%

of profits now come from finance

and insurance.

Many would have seen car leasing rates

as low as 0%, 0.5% or 0.9% or 1.9%. If

the RB cash rate is 3% how can you get

finance at 1.9%? Surely they are losing

money? Let’s look a little deeper into

this.

Firstly, leasing and chattel mortgages

are commercial products which are not

covered by Consumer Credit Protection

legislation (NCCP) so there is less

responsibility to disclose commissions

and potentially conflicted

remuneration.

Secondly, these deals are on the

advertised model only. You MUST pay

the advertised price – no negotiation or

discount.

Next, you will find the very same

vehicle considerably cheaper by

shopping around. For example you

can buy a popular European sedan

for around $76,000 but if you take

the low interest deal you might find

the lease price at $88,000 – a

difference of some $12,000. Clearly

the price has been inflated by this

amount but you have no choice, if

you want that low interest rate, you

pay that price!

Subvention

This difference is then paid to the

finance company to make up the

shortfall created by the low interest

rate AND, of course, you still pay

interest on the subvented amount.

You may also see monthly payments

as low as $299 per week and you

think ‘Wow’. I could be driving an

XYZ for $299pw! Look closer

because it might not include

mandatory dealer and government

charges and there may be yet

another sting in the tail.

You have probably heard of ‘balloon

payment’ or ‘residual’ which is the

lump sum at the end of the lease

term. It is often set at around 20 to

30% of the purchase price. It means

that you can trade the vehicle or sell

it and have no money owing.

The ‘Mates Rates’ with ‘low

payment’ deals often have a high

Paul GILLMORE DFS

Founder and Director

Southern Cross Financial Services

07 5429 5561

0402 685 032

[email protected]

Mate’s Rates … or … Bait Rates

residual around 45% of the

INFLATED PRICE. This can lead

to negative equity or simply owing

more than it’s worth at the end of

the term.

Ask yourself, how many vehicles

are still worth 45% of the inflated

value after 5 years?

Further, the lower the interest rate,

the more restrictive the terms. If

the timeframe for the special deal is

short, the dealer could be under

pressure to move stock to make

way for new models.

If so, you should see significant

differences between the ‘deal’ price

and the price you could achieve

through negotiation; often up to

20%! Therefore, paying 20% more

for the vehicle isn’t always going

to be improved by obtaining a

cheap rate.

Tips

1. Shop around and negotiate for

the best price BEFORE you

discuss finance. Try asking for

the best cash price first.

2. Ignore the advertised deal but

compare payments and residuals

for the final deal. Simply

compare apples with apples.

3. Don’t be pressured to sign on the

spot! Please research the price

and then finance

4. Car dealers usually charge the

maximum brokerage which

makes it easy for your own

broker to beat them PLUS

arrange finance to best fit your

circumstances.

Page 10: Let's Talk Business

Marketing Means Business 0451 184 599 Email: [email protected] Web: www.marketingmeansbusiness.net.au 10

Time to review what could be one

of the most important aspects of

your website; your homepage.

Your homepage is an introduction

to customers, so you want to ensure

it captures the essence of your

business.

Customers (existing and

prospective) can be a judgemental

bunch.

We all want the best for ourselves

and our business. If you expect

visitors to your website to place

their trust in your business you need

to illustrate to them instantly why

they should.

First impressions really do count.

When you search for a product or

service online and check out the list

of websites that come up in the

search engine, which do you

immediately dismiss? Could it be

the visually boring, outdated and

unprofessional ones?

Perhaps it is the websites that make

it hard for you to contact them and

find the information you are looking

for or don't excite you with an offer.

Do you know that many of those

who come across your site will

spend less than 30 seconds viewing

it before leaving to find something

that attracts them more?

What can you do to keep them

longer, to get them to explore your

aite, to actually click on the button

you want them to. It may be a buy

now or a contact us or a download

button—you need to have some

“call to action” on the homepage.

Why You Need to Change Your Homepage

Miriam Battersby, dip

MultiMedia, International

Webmaster Certification.

MIMBEE MULTIMEDIA

(est 2002)

Online Business Website

Consultants

Woorim , Bribie island

ph 34101071

Search engines like to see that

your content is changing often. It

shows them that you are serious

about your business and they will

rank you higher for it.

When it comes to choosing

business products and services, we

are naturally drawn to aesthetics

and content that demonstrate

expertise, passion and reliability.

Trending design features include

large photos, slider (transitioning

images, fancy fonts, and

responsive design—designing for

good display on all sized devices.

Even some minor tweaks to your

homepage can lead to a much

more customised website that

captures customers.

Investing time, energy and/or

money in your business website is

a smart way to lead your industry

in our now online world.

Is your homepage due

for a transformation?

We'd be happy to

give you a

FREE Website Analysis and Review

to help point you in the right direction.

No obligations.

Just a friendly chat!

Page 11: Let's Talk Business

Marketing Means Business 0451 184 599 Email: [email protected] Web: www.marketingmeansbusiness.net.au 11

KEEP IT LOCAL

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BRIBIE BETTER BUSINESS INC. “Aspiring to achieve a Combined, Progressive and Dynamic Culture for all Local Businesses”

Proudly supporting our Members and other Local Businesses