Smart Company November 2012

66
PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY: November 2012

description

New Zealand's Business Lifestyle Magazine

Transcript of Smart Company November 2012

PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY

November 2012

Welcome to the NovemberEdition of Smart Company -New Zealandrsquos BusinessLifestyle Magazine

Written by some of the most exciting businessand marketing minds from New ZealandAustralia and around the world SmartCompany focuses on cutting edge businessstrategies that business owners can implementin their organisation today

Smart Company is a great resource as itprovides guidance for business owners andmanagers to develop ideas and concepts fromtheir peers leading edge entrepreneurs andorganisations

Boasting exceptionally high quality informationtips and advice every issue is packed withfantastic value added content including videosand webinars

Best of all itrsquos completely free and open toeveryone

About Smart CompanyMagazine

Web Sitewwwsmartcompanyconz

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000wwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine CreatedBy Maxiomwwwmaxiomcomau

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696(within Australia)+ 613 8199 3486(International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releasesamp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

Welcome

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 3

Thank you and welcome to the November edition of Smart CompanyNew Zealandrsquos business lifestyle magazine

We have put together another packed edition of Smart Company withcontributions from some of New Zealandrsquos and Australiarsquos well knownand respected business minds - plus selected international contributorsSmart Company contains special features information tips and adviceon how to supercharge your business and your life

This month we look into why your values often determine your success andfocus on key areas of business such as outsourcing staff selection andmarketing that enable business to grow and thrive

Smart businesses are thriving simply because they have focused oneffective business systems strategies and implementation which iswhat Smart Company is all about

Systems and strategies that make you and your business smarter

If you would like to learn more about Smart Company please visit our website at

wwwsmartcompanyconz

A Quick Word withMike Price

Whatrsquos in this monthrsquos Magazine

Regular FeaturesPage 18 Getting To Know You

Page 36 Ask an Expert

Page 56 Smart Business

ProfilesPage 18 Getting To Know You - the 8020 Center

Page 38 Ask an Expert - Mark Fernandez from BDA

Page 66 Smart Business - Catalyst Pacific

Special FeaturesPage 6 Now is Your Time to be Bold

Page 10 How to Gently and Naturally Attract Prospects and Turn Them IntoClients

Page 14 Show Me the Money

Page 16 How to Run Your Own Publicity Campaign in 5 Easy Lessons -Lesson Four

4 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom

NOVEMBER 2012How to improve Your Performancein Life

Smart Company Magazine | 5

Special FeaturesPage 20 Staff Selection - Break all the Rules and Succeed

Page 24 Gangnam Style Your Communications

Page 26 Whatrsquos Values Got to Do With it

Page 28 Linkedin - The Greatest Personal Branding Publicity and Sales Tool forB2B Markets

Page 32 Outsourcing For Best Results

Page 34 Checklist for Fast Company Growth

Page 38 How to Improve Your Performance in Life

Page 40 Only 8 Years Away

Page 48 Managing Diversity is Good For Business

Page 50 Best Job Interview Questions You Should Ask

Page 52 The Four Disciplines of Execution

Page 54 The Key Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Building Virtual Teams forTheir Business

Page 60 Fitness in the Workplace

Getting out of your comfort zonein business is the key toexploring what is really possiblefor the business Now more thanever since the GFC businessowners have had to change theirapproach to survive in businessand to really thrive theyrsquove had totransform their whole businessmodel in some cases

In business nothing stays thesame New competition willarrive new technology newproducts or services to competewith you or support you in takingyour business to where you wantto go

What Do Abseiling Off a 200foot Cliff and Running aBusiness Have in Common

I my first business we had a 200foot abseil in the CanterburyHigh Country It was spectacularlooking over the upper Rakaia

River and the Southern Alps Theabseil had a big overhang in itand because of the perspectiveit looked like the drop was 1500feet See picture above

In the time we had the businessthere were some 12000 peoplewho abseiled off the cliff from 10years olds to grandparents (Allsafely I might add)

Before we took people up to theabseil platform we would have aconversation about two things

1 The Technical Aspects-

Wersquod explain theequipment and how itworked and why it was sostrong and safe Welsquod gothrough the technique ona mini platform so peoplegot use to the lsquofeelingrsquothey could expect Sologically they understoodwhat they were about to

do That was the easypart

2 The PsychologicalAspects -

Here we would have totalk about getting out oftheir comfort zone beingbold turning the volumedown on the voice insidetheir head that was tellingthem they were CRAZY tohang from a cliff

This part was the MOSTimportant because eventhough logically peoplegot it we knew as soonas they were on top of thecliff there natural instinctsto not fall kick in

It takes being bold toovercome this

If you want different results in yourbusiness itrsquos time to getuncomfortable

In my experience a business will grow indirect correlation to the business ownerrsquoswillingness to learn grow and getuncomfortable doing new things in theirbusiness

NOW IS YOURTIME TO BE BOLDBy Hamish Conway

maxiom6 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | BUSINESS

Smart Company Magazine | 7maxiom

So what does this have to dowith business

Business Owners get thetechnical aspects of what theylsquoshouldrsquo be doing but if they arenot taking action then it is usuallybecause they have a FEARabout what might happen if theydo

The voice of Fear kicks in sayingldquoif I put my prices up then all mycustomers will go if I ask mysupplier for a better deal theyrsquollcut the supplyrdquo Nine times out often the fear of what businessowners think might go wrongnever will

Herersquos what to do toovercome that voice of FEAR(False ExpectationsAppearing Real)

1 Get educated Often fearcomes about because of

a lack of knowledge inhow to do somethingRead up go to a seminartalk to those who havedone it before and getsome new perspective

2 Be BOLD- Step up Getuncomfortable turn downthat voice of fear and takeaction Once you makethe leap often theanswers appear

Many of the most fearfulpeople at the top of theabseil were also the mostexcited people at thebottom Taking action inthe face of fear is whatcourage is about

Four Areas for You To BeBold in Your Business

1 With Yourself - Writedown one thing that you

know if you took action onit would increase yourconfidence in yourselfEg Learn somethingnew develop a new skillmeet someone new

2 Your Customers - Writedown one thing if you tookon with dealing with yourcustomers that wouldmake you uncomfortablebut would be great forbusiness Eg Fire acustomer put your pricesup have a conversationabout how you can helpthem more

3 Your Team - Write downone thing yoursquove beenputting off in dealing withyour team Setting clearobjectives and holdingthem accountable firingsomeone Take on thatchallenge

4 Your Suppliers - Writedown one thing that wouldbe good for your businessand your bottom lineyoursquove been putting offwith your suppliers

Eg ask for a discountask for marketing supporthave a tough conversationabout changing ask forbetter service

Take on these 4 actions in thenext week and notice yourconfidence soar and Irsquoll so betyour bank balance

You have one shot at life andtherersquos no time for being timid inbusiness Now is your time

Step up and BE BOLD by takingon those actions that yoursquove beenputting off

You know that doing them willmake a huge difference for yourbusiness

maxiom8 | Smart Company Magazine

Hamish Conway

Hamish Conway is a former EYYoung Entrepreneur of the YearAward winner and BusinessPerformance Consultant at WHKBusiness Performance

WHK Business Performance is adivision of WHK (the fifth largestaccounting and advisory firm inAustralasia) where they helpAmbitious Business Owners and

Smart | BUSINESS

Entrepreneurs Get Clarity NewSkills Experts Guidance andResults

For more information visitwwwbusinessperformanceconz

or contact Hamish Conway on04 384-4161

email hamishconwaywhkconz

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 9

The Bait Trail

Many people travelling to Europefrom this part of the world are alittle taken aback by severe facesworn by middle aged and elderlyDutch and German men (Forsome reason this does not applyto the women - and no I amnot just saying that to cover mybehind in the unlikely event thatmy German wife reads this)

Whereas itrsquos easy to spot anAmerican in Europe (baseballcap camera and a smile)a Frenchman (beret garlicand ignores you) a Brit (plaidsports jacket shorts sandalsand socks) or even a Russian(always looking like they areplotting something) spotting thedifference between the Dutchand Germans was a mysteryto me until my most recentEuropean visit last monthHow do you tell the differencebetween the Dutch and theGerman men

With apologies to all my maleGerman friends itrsquos simple olderDutch men walk around looking

like someone just died whereasolder German men walk aroundlooking like someone is justabout to die I concede that thisdifference can be subtle but itrsquosdefinitely there

And furthermore some of theolder German men have ahappy knack of looking like theimpending death is their ownpersonal responsibility Talkabout grim

This is I have concluded howthe brothers Grimm cameup with their name From amarketing perspective the nameis stroke of pure genius in thatit must have created instantempathy with tens of millionsof Germans ldquoGrimm Wowamazing hellip thatrsquos how I feel allthe time I better listen uprdquoAnyhow get on to the point ofthe article Tom

Okay herersquos the Grimm brotherrsquosstory which illustrates the keymarketing strategy that Irsquomwriting about Hansel and Gretelgot to the wicked witches house

via a ldquoBait Trailrdquo They picked upa sweet and then saw anotherone and picked that up and soon until they were led to therather unlikely house made oflollies and owned by a witch witha big cauldron

The latter had presumably playedhost to many such young kidspreviously (The very fact that thebrothers Grimm reckoned thiswas a suitable tale to tell childrenmust have given Freud andothers years of material to workwith)

So how does that apply to copywriting and marketing I hear youAsk

By way of explanation at the80-20 Center we teach the needfor business owners to createfour levels of ldquovalue deliveryrdquoaka productservice And at abig picture level those four levelsillustrate the broad principle ofthe Bait Trail very well

Level One contains all the FreeAdded Value (FAV) productsservices special reports ezines

HOW TO GENTLY ANDNATURALLY ATTRACTPROSPECTS AND TURNTHEM INTO CLIENTSBy Tom Poland

maxiom10 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Smart Company Magazine | 11maxiom

samples initial meeting quizzestalks webinars trial periods testdrives check ups etc

Level Two consists of EasyEntry Products (EEP) these aredesigned to make it easy for aprospect to become a client iethey must now pay some moneyhoney Not a lot of moneycompared to our main productsservices but enough so they nowhave some ldquoskin in the gamerdquo

Getting someone to part withtheir hard earned regardless ofhow little is the only valid test ofwhether your value proposition isworking Until yoursquove got somemoney yoursquove got nothing

Level Three has all of your CoreOffering Products (COP) and itrsquoswhere you want your clients toend up

Level Four are ldquoSpin OffProductsrdquo (SOP) and at the startof a business you probably willnot know what they are going tolook like and therersquos no need toplan for them because they willmake themselves apparent in

the form of client requests Theyare often high priced and morecustomized versions of LevelThree but can also end up asadditional Level Three productsServices

So many people donrsquot have thefirst two levels and those twolevels are the start of the criticallyimportant Bait Trail

Itrsquos a game of patience andseduction Level One productsshould be thrown around yourmarketing universe like confetti ata wedding you aim at your targetmarketing (bride and groom) butother than that you chuck themout indiscriminately and in aslarge amounts as humanlypossible

So have a think about yourproductsservices Do you have aBait Trail or are you simply sittingin your lolly house buried deepin an enchanted forest forlornlyhoping that clients will stumbleupon your genius productsservices

Worth thinking about

Other uses of the Bait TrailPrinciple

We vastly overestimate theability of our clients to processdata The conscious mind canhold one thought at a time Thatmeans that anything more thanone thought at a time requiresus to actually think Thatrsquos whenthe frowns start Thatrsquos when wethink ldquoIrsquoll get to that laterrdquo

For example Irsquove discoveredthat the all-time (currently) bestway to get visitors to a websiteto give their contact details is tooffer them a quiz

But rather than say up frontldquohey give us your contactdetails take our quiz and wersquollalso sign you up for our greatezinerdquo it works better if we ldquoBaitTrailrdquo it

So the visitor clicks on the niceshiny ldquotake the quizrdquo button(without having to enter theircontact details at this stage)then they get taken to the quizpage and answer the questions

Then a screen pops up and saysldquoHey congratulations for takingthe challenge hellip wersquoll emailyour results to you right awayhellip simply pop your details in thenice box below and as a bonusyoursquoll also get our great monthlyezine full of great tips on how to[xyz]]rdquo

Note that the visitor was notconfronted up front with havingto give contact details inexchange for the quiz and theoffer of the ezine

It was laid out in a step by stepsequence that was carefullyconstructed to maximise thelikelihood of getting their contactdetails

Another example

This week I sent out an invite toa free online seminar Based onpast experience over 100 peoplewill register and 50 will actuallyshow up (a prerequisite forsuccess) At the event Irsquoll providea lot of valuable information andoffer attendees a ldquoDiscoveryCallrdquo if they are interested in theoffer that I will make at the end

A handful will request that calland when we conduct it Irsquoll findout if I can help them achievetheir business goals and mostwill become a client on my 4month program and one or twowill graduate from that programand become clients for yearsThe latter is what I really want

But notice how many steps therewere in the Bait Trail Emailinvite attend webinar haveDiscovery Call complete shortterm course become long termclient

So have a think about breakingdown each of your goals andeach marketing process intosmall Bait Trail steps It takepatience and a little persistencebut my oh my it pays offhandsomely

maxiom12 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Tom Poland

Tom Poland is the founder of theBusiness Ownersrsquo Marketing Brief(the BOMB) the must readmarketing publication for allbusiness owners andentrepreneurs

Tom is a serial entrepreneur andthe founder and director of 80-20Center and shows businessowners and business coacheshow to ldquoget more clients makemore money and have more funrdquo

www8020Centercom

Email Tom8020centercom

Smart Company Magazine | 9

maxiom14 | Smart Company Magazine

Imagine you are driving to animportant meeting and you are 5minutes early Then all of asudden out of the blue the carstarts to splutter and choke Youcoast to the side of the road asthe car loses all power

Confused you call the AA tocome and fix your car

lsquoGood news sirrsquo he says You arejust out of petrol ndash I can give youenough to get to a petrol pump

Now 10 minutes late for your bigmeeting you detour your journeyat speed towards a petrol stationwhen a police car pulls you over

lsquoDo you know how fast you weregoing The officer asks

lsquoNo idearsquo you respond

lsquoWell you were going 75 in a50kph zone that will be a $200fine and 100 demerit points onyour license and I see youalready have 200 demerit pointsso that will probably cost youyour license toorsquo

Now you are 30 minutes late forthe big meeting with a lighterwallet and heading to court

You drive off again extra slowly tofill the tank and the car starts tosplutter again

As call the AA guy again youknow petrol cannot be theproblem

Another 15 minutes later AA mantells you the car is overheatingbecause you donrsquot have enoughoil or water in the engine

lsquoDidnrsquot the indicators tell you thecar was getting hotrsquo He asks

Your Problem Has beenIdentified

You car does NOT have anyindicators No speedometer notemperature gauge no fuelgauge No feedback from thekey performance indicators ofyour car

No indicators means no warningsignals as you run out of petrolover heat or drive too fast Youhave now missed your bigmeeting and a potentially hugesale but that is just the tip of theice-berg The lack of indicatorsis starting to cost you timemoney and ultimately freedom

You decide to sell this stupid carwith no indicators to avoidsimilar disastersBut the first question theprospective buyers asks is lsquohowmany kilometers does the carhave on the clockrsquo

Because you have no indicatorsyou cannot tell him and he walksaway

Vital Feedback

Now letrsquos imagine you were ableto install a dashboard thatshowed you speed revs petrollevels engine temperature andmileage

Instantly you have a valuableuseful car with the feedback toolsto avoid danger and ensureperformance

Your marketing is like a car Todrive safely and with optimalperformance you MUST havefeedback from the keyperformance indicators

No feedback means no control

Herersquos the most important lesson known by the super rich hellipbut seldomused by anyone else

SHOW METHE MONEYBy Richard Petrie

Smart | MARKETING

Smart Company Magazine | 15maxiom

Where The Rubber Meets TheRoad

I personally hate anything to dowith mathematics other thancounting money

But in 8 years of working withclients I know that the ones whomake the most money and wealthknow their numbers inside out

I often get asked questions of methat cannot be answeredintelligently without the numbersFor example ldquoMy yellow pagesad works pretty good The Yellowpages rep is urging me toincrease from quarter page tohalf page Should Irdquo

My questions have to do withwhat lsquopretty goodrsquo really is

1 What is the cost per lead(CPL) from the ad (Totalcost divided by thenumber of lead your adgenerated)

This is the money spent to get theprospect to raise their hand So ifyou spend $1000 a month andget 10 people call you or go toyour website then your CPL is$100 from that media

2 What is the cost per sale(CPS) from the ad (Totalcost divided by the

number of clients yourmarketing exercisegenerated)

This is a truly critical number thattells you the cost of acquiringeach new customer

1 What us the lifetimecustomer value (LCV) fromthe ad

This allows you to measure thetotal value of each new clientThis number also helps you getreal about the cost of losing eachclient and helps you determinewhat you are will to invest toacquire and keep them

2 How do these valuescompare with other CPLCPS and LCV from theother means you use to getcustomers

Thatrsquos just he beginning but ifyou canrsquot at least tell me those Icannot tell you whether toincrease decrease of eliminateyour yellow pages ad all together

Once you know these numbersyou then have a MA-CPS amaximum allowable CPS andyou work at getting as many newways of bringing in customers aspossible to perform at or belowthat number

Hardly any business ownerknows these numbers althoughmany think they do Just as a carwith no indicators is troublewaiting to happen so too is abusiness

If you are buying ad media orinvesting in marketing withouttracking the numbers on adashboard then you arenrsquotmanaging your business

You are guessing your business

Richard PetrieRichard is author of the book thePersuasion Equation writes onhis web sitewwwspeedmarketingconz anddevelops research backed salesprocesses to increaseconversion

If you have a question commentor want to reach Richard he isavailable atRichardspeedmarketingconz

HOW TO RUN YOUROWN PUBLICITYCAMPAIGN - IN FIVEEASY LESSONS By Jules Brooke

LESSON 4

Pitching Your Story

Here is a great example

Hi Todd Check out theseawesome new video cameragoggles now available in NewZealand and Australia Skiers ampsnowboarders are seriouslygoing to love them Please letme know if yoursquod like tofeaturereview them and requirehi-res images or would like touse them somehow

You can see them in herehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=WqLGS9CeBt0

Then you embed your mediarelease into the email If itrsquos nottoo large a file you might alsolike to attach it Copying andpasting it into your email meansthere is one less hoop for thejourno or producer to jumpthrough Itrsquos important to makesure your contact details are onthe release We like to put aphoto of the item up the top to ofthe release so it is the next thingthey see

Before you actually send it to thefirst media person send it toyourself and a friend Make sureit comes through looking goodbut isnrsquot a huge file The imageson your release should be lowresolution Keep hi-res versionsof the images on hand in casethey are asked for Once you arehappy with how it looks andappears in your own inbox youcan start sending to everyone onyour list

A few things to remember If youare forwarding the email pitchremember to delete the ldquoFwdrdquofrom your subject line whensending to the next person

Also remember to change thename of the person you aresending to If you are sending toa general news desk just writeGood morning or Goodafternoon You may find you geta few of the media come back toyou immediately with requestsfor images or samples orinterviews

Others will take a few days to getto it so donrsquot despair if you donrsquothear anything straight away

Finally it is very important tokeep track of what you have sentout If yoursquove bought one of ourCSV files we recommendsaving it as an Excel file andadding a lsquocommentsrsquo columnWhenever you send someone anemail or get a response keep arecord of it in the relevant cell

So what are you waiting for Goand pitch your story today

16 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | MARKETING

Handle Your Own PRDIY PR for New ZealandBusiness

wwwhandleyourownprcomau(AuNZ)wwwhandleyourownprcom(USA)wwwhandleyourownprcouk(UK)

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 17

A great way to be seenHow else will your Potential Clients Find You

Group of Companiesmaxiom

Advertising Tailored To Your Requirements

18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

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It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

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them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

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Published by

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Welcome to the NovemberEdition of Smart Company -New Zealandrsquos BusinessLifestyle Magazine

Written by some of the most exciting businessand marketing minds from New ZealandAustralia and around the world SmartCompany focuses on cutting edge businessstrategies that business owners can implementin their organisation today

Smart Company is a great resource as itprovides guidance for business owners andmanagers to develop ideas and concepts fromtheir peers leading edge entrepreneurs andorganisations

Boasting exceptionally high quality informationtips and advice every issue is packed withfantastic value added content including videosand webinars

Best of all itrsquos completely free and open toeveryone

About Smart CompanyMagazine

Web Sitewwwsmartcompanyconz

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000wwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine CreatedBy Maxiomwwwmaxiomcomau

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696(within Australia)+ 613 8199 3486(International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releasesamp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

Welcome

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 3

Thank you and welcome to the November edition of Smart CompanyNew Zealandrsquos business lifestyle magazine

We have put together another packed edition of Smart Company withcontributions from some of New Zealandrsquos and Australiarsquos well knownand respected business minds - plus selected international contributorsSmart Company contains special features information tips and adviceon how to supercharge your business and your life

This month we look into why your values often determine your success andfocus on key areas of business such as outsourcing staff selection andmarketing that enable business to grow and thrive

Smart businesses are thriving simply because they have focused oneffective business systems strategies and implementation which iswhat Smart Company is all about

Systems and strategies that make you and your business smarter

If you would like to learn more about Smart Company please visit our website at

wwwsmartcompanyconz

A Quick Word withMike Price

Whatrsquos in this monthrsquos Magazine

Regular FeaturesPage 18 Getting To Know You

Page 36 Ask an Expert

Page 56 Smart Business

ProfilesPage 18 Getting To Know You - the 8020 Center

Page 38 Ask an Expert - Mark Fernandez from BDA

Page 66 Smart Business - Catalyst Pacific

Special FeaturesPage 6 Now is Your Time to be Bold

Page 10 How to Gently and Naturally Attract Prospects and Turn Them IntoClients

Page 14 Show Me the Money

Page 16 How to Run Your Own Publicity Campaign in 5 Easy Lessons -Lesson Four

4 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom

NOVEMBER 2012How to improve Your Performancein Life

Smart Company Magazine | 5

Special FeaturesPage 20 Staff Selection - Break all the Rules and Succeed

Page 24 Gangnam Style Your Communications

Page 26 Whatrsquos Values Got to Do With it

Page 28 Linkedin - The Greatest Personal Branding Publicity and Sales Tool forB2B Markets

Page 32 Outsourcing For Best Results

Page 34 Checklist for Fast Company Growth

Page 38 How to Improve Your Performance in Life

Page 40 Only 8 Years Away

Page 48 Managing Diversity is Good For Business

Page 50 Best Job Interview Questions You Should Ask

Page 52 The Four Disciplines of Execution

Page 54 The Key Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Building Virtual Teams forTheir Business

Page 60 Fitness in the Workplace

Getting out of your comfort zonein business is the key toexploring what is really possiblefor the business Now more thanever since the GFC businessowners have had to change theirapproach to survive in businessand to really thrive theyrsquove had totransform their whole businessmodel in some cases

In business nothing stays thesame New competition willarrive new technology newproducts or services to competewith you or support you in takingyour business to where you wantto go

What Do Abseiling Off a 200foot Cliff and Running aBusiness Have in Common

I my first business we had a 200foot abseil in the CanterburyHigh Country It was spectacularlooking over the upper Rakaia

River and the Southern Alps Theabseil had a big overhang in itand because of the perspectiveit looked like the drop was 1500feet See picture above

In the time we had the businessthere were some 12000 peoplewho abseiled off the cliff from 10years olds to grandparents (Allsafely I might add)

Before we took people up to theabseil platform we would have aconversation about two things

1 The Technical Aspects-

Wersquod explain theequipment and how itworked and why it was sostrong and safe Welsquod gothrough the technique ona mini platform so peoplegot use to the lsquofeelingrsquothey could expect Sologically they understoodwhat they were about to

do That was the easypart

2 The PsychologicalAspects -

Here we would have totalk about getting out oftheir comfort zone beingbold turning the volumedown on the voice insidetheir head that was tellingthem they were CRAZY tohang from a cliff

This part was the MOSTimportant because eventhough logically peoplegot it we knew as soonas they were on top of thecliff there natural instinctsto not fall kick in

It takes being bold toovercome this

If you want different results in yourbusiness itrsquos time to getuncomfortable

In my experience a business will grow indirect correlation to the business ownerrsquoswillingness to learn grow and getuncomfortable doing new things in theirbusiness

NOW IS YOURTIME TO BE BOLDBy Hamish Conway

maxiom6 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | BUSINESS

Smart Company Magazine | 7maxiom

So what does this have to dowith business

Business Owners get thetechnical aspects of what theylsquoshouldrsquo be doing but if they arenot taking action then it is usuallybecause they have a FEARabout what might happen if theydo

The voice of Fear kicks in sayingldquoif I put my prices up then all mycustomers will go if I ask mysupplier for a better deal theyrsquollcut the supplyrdquo Nine times out often the fear of what businessowners think might go wrongnever will

Herersquos what to do toovercome that voice of FEAR(False ExpectationsAppearing Real)

1 Get educated Often fearcomes about because of

a lack of knowledge inhow to do somethingRead up go to a seminartalk to those who havedone it before and getsome new perspective

2 Be BOLD- Step up Getuncomfortable turn downthat voice of fear and takeaction Once you makethe leap often theanswers appear

Many of the most fearfulpeople at the top of theabseil were also the mostexcited people at thebottom Taking action inthe face of fear is whatcourage is about

Four Areas for You To BeBold in Your Business

1 With Yourself - Writedown one thing that you

know if you took action onit would increase yourconfidence in yourselfEg Learn somethingnew develop a new skillmeet someone new

2 Your Customers - Writedown one thing if you tookon with dealing with yourcustomers that wouldmake you uncomfortablebut would be great forbusiness Eg Fire acustomer put your pricesup have a conversationabout how you can helpthem more

3 Your Team - Write downone thing yoursquove beenputting off in dealing withyour team Setting clearobjectives and holdingthem accountable firingsomeone Take on thatchallenge

4 Your Suppliers - Writedown one thing that wouldbe good for your businessand your bottom lineyoursquove been putting offwith your suppliers

Eg ask for a discountask for marketing supporthave a tough conversationabout changing ask forbetter service

Take on these 4 actions in thenext week and notice yourconfidence soar and Irsquoll so betyour bank balance

You have one shot at life andtherersquos no time for being timid inbusiness Now is your time

Step up and BE BOLD by takingon those actions that yoursquove beenputting off

You know that doing them willmake a huge difference for yourbusiness

maxiom8 | Smart Company Magazine

Hamish Conway

Hamish Conway is a former EYYoung Entrepreneur of the YearAward winner and BusinessPerformance Consultant at WHKBusiness Performance

WHK Business Performance is adivision of WHK (the fifth largestaccounting and advisory firm inAustralasia) where they helpAmbitious Business Owners and

Smart | BUSINESS

Entrepreneurs Get Clarity NewSkills Experts Guidance andResults

For more information visitwwwbusinessperformanceconz

or contact Hamish Conway on04 384-4161

email hamishconwaywhkconz

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 9

The Bait Trail

Many people travelling to Europefrom this part of the world are alittle taken aback by severe facesworn by middle aged and elderlyDutch and German men (Forsome reason this does not applyto the women - and no I amnot just saying that to cover mybehind in the unlikely event thatmy German wife reads this)

Whereas itrsquos easy to spot anAmerican in Europe (baseballcap camera and a smile)a Frenchman (beret garlicand ignores you) a Brit (plaidsports jacket shorts sandalsand socks) or even a Russian(always looking like they areplotting something) spotting thedifference between the Dutchand Germans was a mysteryto me until my most recentEuropean visit last monthHow do you tell the differencebetween the Dutch and theGerman men

With apologies to all my maleGerman friends itrsquos simple olderDutch men walk around looking

like someone just died whereasolder German men walk aroundlooking like someone is justabout to die I concede that thisdifference can be subtle but itrsquosdefinitely there

And furthermore some of theolder German men have ahappy knack of looking like theimpending death is their ownpersonal responsibility Talkabout grim

This is I have concluded howthe brothers Grimm cameup with their name From amarketing perspective the nameis stroke of pure genius in thatit must have created instantempathy with tens of millionsof Germans ldquoGrimm Wowamazing hellip thatrsquos how I feel allthe time I better listen uprdquoAnyhow get on to the point ofthe article Tom

Okay herersquos the Grimm brotherrsquosstory which illustrates the keymarketing strategy that Irsquomwriting about Hansel and Gretelgot to the wicked witches house

via a ldquoBait Trailrdquo They picked upa sweet and then saw anotherone and picked that up and soon until they were led to therather unlikely house made oflollies and owned by a witch witha big cauldron

The latter had presumably playedhost to many such young kidspreviously (The very fact that thebrothers Grimm reckoned thiswas a suitable tale to tell childrenmust have given Freud andothers years of material to workwith)

So how does that apply to copywriting and marketing I hear youAsk

By way of explanation at the80-20 Center we teach the needfor business owners to createfour levels of ldquovalue deliveryrdquoaka productservice And at abig picture level those four levelsillustrate the broad principle ofthe Bait Trail very well

Level One contains all the FreeAdded Value (FAV) productsservices special reports ezines

HOW TO GENTLY ANDNATURALLY ATTRACTPROSPECTS AND TURNTHEM INTO CLIENTSBy Tom Poland

maxiom10 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Smart Company Magazine | 11maxiom

samples initial meeting quizzestalks webinars trial periods testdrives check ups etc

Level Two consists of EasyEntry Products (EEP) these aredesigned to make it easy for aprospect to become a client iethey must now pay some moneyhoney Not a lot of moneycompared to our main productsservices but enough so they nowhave some ldquoskin in the gamerdquo

Getting someone to part withtheir hard earned regardless ofhow little is the only valid test ofwhether your value proposition isworking Until yoursquove got somemoney yoursquove got nothing

Level Three has all of your CoreOffering Products (COP) and itrsquoswhere you want your clients toend up

Level Four are ldquoSpin OffProductsrdquo (SOP) and at the startof a business you probably willnot know what they are going tolook like and therersquos no need toplan for them because they willmake themselves apparent in

the form of client requests Theyare often high priced and morecustomized versions of LevelThree but can also end up asadditional Level Three productsServices

So many people donrsquot have thefirst two levels and those twolevels are the start of the criticallyimportant Bait Trail

Itrsquos a game of patience andseduction Level One productsshould be thrown around yourmarketing universe like confetti ata wedding you aim at your targetmarketing (bride and groom) butother than that you chuck themout indiscriminately and in aslarge amounts as humanlypossible

So have a think about yourproductsservices Do you have aBait Trail or are you simply sittingin your lolly house buried deepin an enchanted forest forlornlyhoping that clients will stumbleupon your genius productsservices

Worth thinking about

Other uses of the Bait TrailPrinciple

We vastly overestimate theability of our clients to processdata The conscious mind canhold one thought at a time Thatmeans that anything more thanone thought at a time requiresus to actually think Thatrsquos whenthe frowns start Thatrsquos when wethink ldquoIrsquoll get to that laterrdquo

For example Irsquove discoveredthat the all-time (currently) bestway to get visitors to a websiteto give their contact details is tooffer them a quiz

But rather than say up frontldquohey give us your contactdetails take our quiz and wersquollalso sign you up for our greatezinerdquo it works better if we ldquoBaitTrailrdquo it

So the visitor clicks on the niceshiny ldquotake the quizrdquo button(without having to enter theircontact details at this stage)then they get taken to the quizpage and answer the questions

Then a screen pops up and saysldquoHey congratulations for takingthe challenge hellip wersquoll emailyour results to you right awayhellip simply pop your details in thenice box below and as a bonusyoursquoll also get our great monthlyezine full of great tips on how to[xyz]]rdquo

Note that the visitor was notconfronted up front with havingto give contact details inexchange for the quiz and theoffer of the ezine

It was laid out in a step by stepsequence that was carefullyconstructed to maximise thelikelihood of getting their contactdetails

Another example

This week I sent out an invite toa free online seminar Based onpast experience over 100 peoplewill register and 50 will actuallyshow up (a prerequisite forsuccess) At the event Irsquoll providea lot of valuable information andoffer attendees a ldquoDiscoveryCallrdquo if they are interested in theoffer that I will make at the end

A handful will request that calland when we conduct it Irsquoll findout if I can help them achievetheir business goals and mostwill become a client on my 4month program and one or twowill graduate from that programand become clients for yearsThe latter is what I really want

But notice how many steps therewere in the Bait Trail Emailinvite attend webinar haveDiscovery Call complete shortterm course become long termclient

So have a think about breakingdown each of your goals andeach marketing process intosmall Bait Trail steps It takepatience and a little persistencebut my oh my it pays offhandsomely

maxiom12 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Tom Poland

Tom Poland is the founder of theBusiness Ownersrsquo Marketing Brief(the BOMB) the must readmarketing publication for allbusiness owners andentrepreneurs

Tom is a serial entrepreneur andthe founder and director of 80-20Center and shows businessowners and business coacheshow to ldquoget more clients makemore money and have more funrdquo

www8020Centercom

Email Tom8020centercom

Smart Company Magazine | 9

maxiom14 | Smart Company Magazine

Imagine you are driving to animportant meeting and you are 5minutes early Then all of asudden out of the blue the carstarts to splutter and choke Youcoast to the side of the road asthe car loses all power

Confused you call the AA tocome and fix your car

lsquoGood news sirrsquo he says You arejust out of petrol ndash I can give youenough to get to a petrol pump

Now 10 minutes late for your bigmeeting you detour your journeyat speed towards a petrol stationwhen a police car pulls you over

lsquoDo you know how fast you weregoing The officer asks

lsquoNo idearsquo you respond

lsquoWell you were going 75 in a50kph zone that will be a $200fine and 100 demerit points onyour license and I see youalready have 200 demerit pointsso that will probably cost youyour license toorsquo

Now you are 30 minutes late forthe big meeting with a lighterwallet and heading to court

You drive off again extra slowly tofill the tank and the car starts tosplutter again

As call the AA guy again youknow petrol cannot be theproblem

Another 15 minutes later AA mantells you the car is overheatingbecause you donrsquot have enoughoil or water in the engine

lsquoDidnrsquot the indicators tell you thecar was getting hotrsquo He asks

Your Problem Has beenIdentified

You car does NOT have anyindicators No speedometer notemperature gauge no fuelgauge No feedback from thekey performance indicators ofyour car

No indicators means no warningsignals as you run out of petrolover heat or drive too fast Youhave now missed your bigmeeting and a potentially hugesale but that is just the tip of theice-berg The lack of indicatorsis starting to cost you timemoney and ultimately freedom

You decide to sell this stupid carwith no indicators to avoidsimilar disastersBut the first question theprospective buyers asks is lsquohowmany kilometers does the carhave on the clockrsquo

Because you have no indicatorsyou cannot tell him and he walksaway

Vital Feedback

Now letrsquos imagine you were ableto install a dashboard thatshowed you speed revs petrollevels engine temperature andmileage

Instantly you have a valuableuseful car with the feedback toolsto avoid danger and ensureperformance

Your marketing is like a car Todrive safely and with optimalperformance you MUST havefeedback from the keyperformance indicators

No feedback means no control

Herersquos the most important lesson known by the super rich hellipbut seldomused by anyone else

SHOW METHE MONEYBy Richard Petrie

Smart | MARKETING

Smart Company Magazine | 15maxiom

Where The Rubber Meets TheRoad

I personally hate anything to dowith mathematics other thancounting money

But in 8 years of working withclients I know that the ones whomake the most money and wealthknow their numbers inside out

I often get asked questions of methat cannot be answeredintelligently without the numbersFor example ldquoMy yellow pagesad works pretty good The Yellowpages rep is urging me toincrease from quarter page tohalf page Should Irdquo

My questions have to do withwhat lsquopretty goodrsquo really is

1 What is the cost per lead(CPL) from the ad (Totalcost divided by thenumber of lead your adgenerated)

This is the money spent to get theprospect to raise their hand So ifyou spend $1000 a month andget 10 people call you or go toyour website then your CPL is$100 from that media

2 What is the cost per sale(CPS) from the ad (Totalcost divided by the

number of clients yourmarketing exercisegenerated)

This is a truly critical number thattells you the cost of acquiringeach new customer

1 What us the lifetimecustomer value (LCV) fromthe ad

This allows you to measure thetotal value of each new clientThis number also helps you getreal about the cost of losing eachclient and helps you determinewhat you are will to invest toacquire and keep them

2 How do these valuescompare with other CPLCPS and LCV from theother means you use to getcustomers

Thatrsquos just he beginning but ifyou canrsquot at least tell me those Icannot tell you whether toincrease decrease of eliminateyour yellow pages ad all together

Once you know these numbersyou then have a MA-CPS amaximum allowable CPS andyou work at getting as many newways of bringing in customers aspossible to perform at or belowthat number

Hardly any business ownerknows these numbers althoughmany think they do Just as a carwith no indicators is troublewaiting to happen so too is abusiness

If you are buying ad media orinvesting in marketing withouttracking the numbers on adashboard then you arenrsquotmanaging your business

You are guessing your business

Richard PetrieRichard is author of the book thePersuasion Equation writes onhis web sitewwwspeedmarketingconz anddevelops research backed salesprocesses to increaseconversion

If you have a question commentor want to reach Richard he isavailable atRichardspeedmarketingconz

HOW TO RUN YOUROWN PUBLICITYCAMPAIGN - IN FIVEEASY LESSONS By Jules Brooke

LESSON 4

Pitching Your Story

Here is a great example

Hi Todd Check out theseawesome new video cameragoggles now available in NewZealand and Australia Skiers ampsnowboarders are seriouslygoing to love them Please letme know if yoursquod like tofeaturereview them and requirehi-res images or would like touse them somehow

You can see them in herehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=WqLGS9CeBt0

Then you embed your mediarelease into the email If itrsquos nottoo large a file you might alsolike to attach it Copying andpasting it into your email meansthere is one less hoop for thejourno or producer to jumpthrough Itrsquos important to makesure your contact details are onthe release We like to put aphoto of the item up the top to ofthe release so it is the next thingthey see

Before you actually send it to thefirst media person send it toyourself and a friend Make sureit comes through looking goodbut isnrsquot a huge file The imageson your release should be lowresolution Keep hi-res versionsof the images on hand in casethey are asked for Once you arehappy with how it looks andappears in your own inbox youcan start sending to everyone onyour list

A few things to remember If youare forwarding the email pitchremember to delete the ldquoFwdrdquofrom your subject line whensending to the next person

Also remember to change thename of the person you aresending to If you are sending toa general news desk just writeGood morning or Goodafternoon You may find you geta few of the media come back toyou immediately with requestsfor images or samples orinterviews

Others will take a few days to getto it so donrsquot despair if you donrsquothear anything straight away

Finally it is very important tokeep track of what you have sentout If yoursquove bought one of ourCSV files we recommendsaving it as an Excel file andadding a lsquocommentsrsquo columnWhenever you send someone anemail or get a response keep arecord of it in the relevant cell

So what are you waiting for Goand pitch your story today

16 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | MARKETING

Handle Your Own PRDIY PR for New ZealandBusiness

wwwhandleyourownprcomau(AuNZ)wwwhandleyourownprcom(USA)wwwhandleyourownprcouk(UK)

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 17

A great way to be seenHow else will your Potential Clients Find You

Group of Companiesmaxiom

Advertising Tailored To Your Requirements

18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

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Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

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Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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  • Richard Petrie
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  • Jules Brooke
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maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 3

Thank you and welcome to the November edition of Smart CompanyNew Zealandrsquos business lifestyle magazine

We have put together another packed edition of Smart Company withcontributions from some of New Zealandrsquos and Australiarsquos well knownand respected business minds - plus selected international contributorsSmart Company contains special features information tips and adviceon how to supercharge your business and your life

This month we look into why your values often determine your success andfocus on key areas of business such as outsourcing staff selection andmarketing that enable business to grow and thrive

Smart businesses are thriving simply because they have focused oneffective business systems strategies and implementation which iswhat Smart Company is all about

Systems and strategies that make you and your business smarter

If you would like to learn more about Smart Company please visit our website at

wwwsmartcompanyconz

A Quick Word withMike Price

Whatrsquos in this monthrsquos Magazine

Regular FeaturesPage 18 Getting To Know You

Page 36 Ask an Expert

Page 56 Smart Business

ProfilesPage 18 Getting To Know You - the 8020 Center

Page 38 Ask an Expert - Mark Fernandez from BDA

Page 66 Smart Business - Catalyst Pacific

Special FeaturesPage 6 Now is Your Time to be Bold

Page 10 How to Gently and Naturally Attract Prospects and Turn Them IntoClients

Page 14 Show Me the Money

Page 16 How to Run Your Own Publicity Campaign in 5 Easy Lessons -Lesson Four

4 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom

NOVEMBER 2012How to improve Your Performancein Life

Smart Company Magazine | 5

Special FeaturesPage 20 Staff Selection - Break all the Rules and Succeed

Page 24 Gangnam Style Your Communications

Page 26 Whatrsquos Values Got to Do With it

Page 28 Linkedin - The Greatest Personal Branding Publicity and Sales Tool forB2B Markets

Page 32 Outsourcing For Best Results

Page 34 Checklist for Fast Company Growth

Page 38 How to Improve Your Performance in Life

Page 40 Only 8 Years Away

Page 48 Managing Diversity is Good For Business

Page 50 Best Job Interview Questions You Should Ask

Page 52 The Four Disciplines of Execution

Page 54 The Key Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Building Virtual Teams forTheir Business

Page 60 Fitness in the Workplace

Getting out of your comfort zonein business is the key toexploring what is really possiblefor the business Now more thanever since the GFC businessowners have had to change theirapproach to survive in businessand to really thrive theyrsquove had totransform their whole businessmodel in some cases

In business nothing stays thesame New competition willarrive new technology newproducts or services to competewith you or support you in takingyour business to where you wantto go

What Do Abseiling Off a 200foot Cliff and Running aBusiness Have in Common

I my first business we had a 200foot abseil in the CanterburyHigh Country It was spectacularlooking over the upper Rakaia

River and the Southern Alps Theabseil had a big overhang in itand because of the perspectiveit looked like the drop was 1500feet See picture above

In the time we had the businessthere were some 12000 peoplewho abseiled off the cliff from 10years olds to grandparents (Allsafely I might add)

Before we took people up to theabseil platform we would have aconversation about two things

1 The Technical Aspects-

Wersquod explain theequipment and how itworked and why it was sostrong and safe Welsquod gothrough the technique ona mini platform so peoplegot use to the lsquofeelingrsquothey could expect Sologically they understoodwhat they were about to

do That was the easypart

2 The PsychologicalAspects -

Here we would have totalk about getting out oftheir comfort zone beingbold turning the volumedown on the voice insidetheir head that was tellingthem they were CRAZY tohang from a cliff

This part was the MOSTimportant because eventhough logically peoplegot it we knew as soonas they were on top of thecliff there natural instinctsto not fall kick in

It takes being bold toovercome this

If you want different results in yourbusiness itrsquos time to getuncomfortable

In my experience a business will grow indirect correlation to the business ownerrsquoswillingness to learn grow and getuncomfortable doing new things in theirbusiness

NOW IS YOURTIME TO BE BOLDBy Hamish Conway

maxiom6 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | BUSINESS

Smart Company Magazine | 7maxiom

So what does this have to dowith business

Business Owners get thetechnical aspects of what theylsquoshouldrsquo be doing but if they arenot taking action then it is usuallybecause they have a FEARabout what might happen if theydo

The voice of Fear kicks in sayingldquoif I put my prices up then all mycustomers will go if I ask mysupplier for a better deal theyrsquollcut the supplyrdquo Nine times out often the fear of what businessowners think might go wrongnever will

Herersquos what to do toovercome that voice of FEAR(False ExpectationsAppearing Real)

1 Get educated Often fearcomes about because of

a lack of knowledge inhow to do somethingRead up go to a seminartalk to those who havedone it before and getsome new perspective

2 Be BOLD- Step up Getuncomfortable turn downthat voice of fear and takeaction Once you makethe leap often theanswers appear

Many of the most fearfulpeople at the top of theabseil were also the mostexcited people at thebottom Taking action inthe face of fear is whatcourage is about

Four Areas for You To BeBold in Your Business

1 With Yourself - Writedown one thing that you

know if you took action onit would increase yourconfidence in yourselfEg Learn somethingnew develop a new skillmeet someone new

2 Your Customers - Writedown one thing if you tookon with dealing with yourcustomers that wouldmake you uncomfortablebut would be great forbusiness Eg Fire acustomer put your pricesup have a conversationabout how you can helpthem more

3 Your Team - Write downone thing yoursquove beenputting off in dealing withyour team Setting clearobjectives and holdingthem accountable firingsomeone Take on thatchallenge

4 Your Suppliers - Writedown one thing that wouldbe good for your businessand your bottom lineyoursquove been putting offwith your suppliers

Eg ask for a discountask for marketing supporthave a tough conversationabout changing ask forbetter service

Take on these 4 actions in thenext week and notice yourconfidence soar and Irsquoll so betyour bank balance

You have one shot at life andtherersquos no time for being timid inbusiness Now is your time

Step up and BE BOLD by takingon those actions that yoursquove beenputting off

You know that doing them willmake a huge difference for yourbusiness

maxiom8 | Smart Company Magazine

Hamish Conway

Hamish Conway is a former EYYoung Entrepreneur of the YearAward winner and BusinessPerformance Consultant at WHKBusiness Performance

WHK Business Performance is adivision of WHK (the fifth largestaccounting and advisory firm inAustralasia) where they helpAmbitious Business Owners and

Smart | BUSINESS

Entrepreneurs Get Clarity NewSkills Experts Guidance andResults

For more information visitwwwbusinessperformanceconz

or contact Hamish Conway on04 384-4161

email hamishconwaywhkconz

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 9

The Bait Trail

Many people travelling to Europefrom this part of the world are alittle taken aback by severe facesworn by middle aged and elderlyDutch and German men (Forsome reason this does not applyto the women - and no I amnot just saying that to cover mybehind in the unlikely event thatmy German wife reads this)

Whereas itrsquos easy to spot anAmerican in Europe (baseballcap camera and a smile)a Frenchman (beret garlicand ignores you) a Brit (plaidsports jacket shorts sandalsand socks) or even a Russian(always looking like they areplotting something) spotting thedifference between the Dutchand Germans was a mysteryto me until my most recentEuropean visit last monthHow do you tell the differencebetween the Dutch and theGerman men

With apologies to all my maleGerman friends itrsquos simple olderDutch men walk around looking

like someone just died whereasolder German men walk aroundlooking like someone is justabout to die I concede that thisdifference can be subtle but itrsquosdefinitely there

And furthermore some of theolder German men have ahappy knack of looking like theimpending death is their ownpersonal responsibility Talkabout grim

This is I have concluded howthe brothers Grimm cameup with their name From amarketing perspective the nameis stroke of pure genius in thatit must have created instantempathy with tens of millionsof Germans ldquoGrimm Wowamazing hellip thatrsquos how I feel allthe time I better listen uprdquoAnyhow get on to the point ofthe article Tom

Okay herersquos the Grimm brotherrsquosstory which illustrates the keymarketing strategy that Irsquomwriting about Hansel and Gretelgot to the wicked witches house

via a ldquoBait Trailrdquo They picked upa sweet and then saw anotherone and picked that up and soon until they were led to therather unlikely house made oflollies and owned by a witch witha big cauldron

The latter had presumably playedhost to many such young kidspreviously (The very fact that thebrothers Grimm reckoned thiswas a suitable tale to tell childrenmust have given Freud andothers years of material to workwith)

So how does that apply to copywriting and marketing I hear youAsk

By way of explanation at the80-20 Center we teach the needfor business owners to createfour levels of ldquovalue deliveryrdquoaka productservice And at abig picture level those four levelsillustrate the broad principle ofthe Bait Trail very well

Level One contains all the FreeAdded Value (FAV) productsservices special reports ezines

HOW TO GENTLY ANDNATURALLY ATTRACTPROSPECTS AND TURNTHEM INTO CLIENTSBy Tom Poland

maxiom10 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Smart Company Magazine | 11maxiom

samples initial meeting quizzestalks webinars trial periods testdrives check ups etc

Level Two consists of EasyEntry Products (EEP) these aredesigned to make it easy for aprospect to become a client iethey must now pay some moneyhoney Not a lot of moneycompared to our main productsservices but enough so they nowhave some ldquoskin in the gamerdquo

Getting someone to part withtheir hard earned regardless ofhow little is the only valid test ofwhether your value proposition isworking Until yoursquove got somemoney yoursquove got nothing

Level Three has all of your CoreOffering Products (COP) and itrsquoswhere you want your clients toend up

Level Four are ldquoSpin OffProductsrdquo (SOP) and at the startof a business you probably willnot know what they are going tolook like and therersquos no need toplan for them because they willmake themselves apparent in

the form of client requests Theyare often high priced and morecustomized versions of LevelThree but can also end up asadditional Level Three productsServices

So many people donrsquot have thefirst two levels and those twolevels are the start of the criticallyimportant Bait Trail

Itrsquos a game of patience andseduction Level One productsshould be thrown around yourmarketing universe like confetti ata wedding you aim at your targetmarketing (bride and groom) butother than that you chuck themout indiscriminately and in aslarge amounts as humanlypossible

So have a think about yourproductsservices Do you have aBait Trail or are you simply sittingin your lolly house buried deepin an enchanted forest forlornlyhoping that clients will stumbleupon your genius productsservices

Worth thinking about

Other uses of the Bait TrailPrinciple

We vastly overestimate theability of our clients to processdata The conscious mind canhold one thought at a time Thatmeans that anything more thanone thought at a time requiresus to actually think Thatrsquos whenthe frowns start Thatrsquos when wethink ldquoIrsquoll get to that laterrdquo

For example Irsquove discoveredthat the all-time (currently) bestway to get visitors to a websiteto give their contact details is tooffer them a quiz

But rather than say up frontldquohey give us your contactdetails take our quiz and wersquollalso sign you up for our greatezinerdquo it works better if we ldquoBaitTrailrdquo it

So the visitor clicks on the niceshiny ldquotake the quizrdquo button(without having to enter theircontact details at this stage)then they get taken to the quizpage and answer the questions

Then a screen pops up and saysldquoHey congratulations for takingthe challenge hellip wersquoll emailyour results to you right awayhellip simply pop your details in thenice box below and as a bonusyoursquoll also get our great monthlyezine full of great tips on how to[xyz]]rdquo

Note that the visitor was notconfronted up front with havingto give contact details inexchange for the quiz and theoffer of the ezine

It was laid out in a step by stepsequence that was carefullyconstructed to maximise thelikelihood of getting their contactdetails

Another example

This week I sent out an invite toa free online seminar Based onpast experience over 100 peoplewill register and 50 will actuallyshow up (a prerequisite forsuccess) At the event Irsquoll providea lot of valuable information andoffer attendees a ldquoDiscoveryCallrdquo if they are interested in theoffer that I will make at the end

A handful will request that calland when we conduct it Irsquoll findout if I can help them achievetheir business goals and mostwill become a client on my 4month program and one or twowill graduate from that programand become clients for yearsThe latter is what I really want

But notice how many steps therewere in the Bait Trail Emailinvite attend webinar haveDiscovery Call complete shortterm course become long termclient

So have a think about breakingdown each of your goals andeach marketing process intosmall Bait Trail steps It takepatience and a little persistencebut my oh my it pays offhandsomely

maxiom12 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Tom Poland

Tom Poland is the founder of theBusiness Ownersrsquo Marketing Brief(the BOMB) the must readmarketing publication for allbusiness owners andentrepreneurs

Tom is a serial entrepreneur andthe founder and director of 80-20Center and shows businessowners and business coacheshow to ldquoget more clients makemore money and have more funrdquo

www8020Centercom

Email Tom8020centercom

Smart Company Magazine | 9

maxiom14 | Smart Company Magazine

Imagine you are driving to animportant meeting and you are 5minutes early Then all of asudden out of the blue the carstarts to splutter and choke Youcoast to the side of the road asthe car loses all power

Confused you call the AA tocome and fix your car

lsquoGood news sirrsquo he says You arejust out of petrol ndash I can give youenough to get to a petrol pump

Now 10 minutes late for your bigmeeting you detour your journeyat speed towards a petrol stationwhen a police car pulls you over

lsquoDo you know how fast you weregoing The officer asks

lsquoNo idearsquo you respond

lsquoWell you were going 75 in a50kph zone that will be a $200fine and 100 demerit points onyour license and I see youalready have 200 demerit pointsso that will probably cost youyour license toorsquo

Now you are 30 minutes late forthe big meeting with a lighterwallet and heading to court

You drive off again extra slowly tofill the tank and the car starts tosplutter again

As call the AA guy again youknow petrol cannot be theproblem

Another 15 minutes later AA mantells you the car is overheatingbecause you donrsquot have enoughoil or water in the engine

lsquoDidnrsquot the indicators tell you thecar was getting hotrsquo He asks

Your Problem Has beenIdentified

You car does NOT have anyindicators No speedometer notemperature gauge no fuelgauge No feedback from thekey performance indicators ofyour car

No indicators means no warningsignals as you run out of petrolover heat or drive too fast Youhave now missed your bigmeeting and a potentially hugesale but that is just the tip of theice-berg The lack of indicatorsis starting to cost you timemoney and ultimately freedom

You decide to sell this stupid carwith no indicators to avoidsimilar disastersBut the first question theprospective buyers asks is lsquohowmany kilometers does the carhave on the clockrsquo

Because you have no indicatorsyou cannot tell him and he walksaway

Vital Feedback

Now letrsquos imagine you were ableto install a dashboard thatshowed you speed revs petrollevels engine temperature andmileage

Instantly you have a valuableuseful car with the feedback toolsto avoid danger and ensureperformance

Your marketing is like a car Todrive safely and with optimalperformance you MUST havefeedback from the keyperformance indicators

No feedback means no control

Herersquos the most important lesson known by the super rich hellipbut seldomused by anyone else

SHOW METHE MONEYBy Richard Petrie

Smart | MARKETING

Smart Company Magazine | 15maxiom

Where The Rubber Meets TheRoad

I personally hate anything to dowith mathematics other thancounting money

But in 8 years of working withclients I know that the ones whomake the most money and wealthknow their numbers inside out

I often get asked questions of methat cannot be answeredintelligently without the numbersFor example ldquoMy yellow pagesad works pretty good The Yellowpages rep is urging me toincrease from quarter page tohalf page Should Irdquo

My questions have to do withwhat lsquopretty goodrsquo really is

1 What is the cost per lead(CPL) from the ad (Totalcost divided by thenumber of lead your adgenerated)

This is the money spent to get theprospect to raise their hand So ifyou spend $1000 a month andget 10 people call you or go toyour website then your CPL is$100 from that media

2 What is the cost per sale(CPS) from the ad (Totalcost divided by the

number of clients yourmarketing exercisegenerated)

This is a truly critical number thattells you the cost of acquiringeach new customer

1 What us the lifetimecustomer value (LCV) fromthe ad

This allows you to measure thetotal value of each new clientThis number also helps you getreal about the cost of losing eachclient and helps you determinewhat you are will to invest toacquire and keep them

2 How do these valuescompare with other CPLCPS and LCV from theother means you use to getcustomers

Thatrsquos just he beginning but ifyou canrsquot at least tell me those Icannot tell you whether toincrease decrease of eliminateyour yellow pages ad all together

Once you know these numbersyou then have a MA-CPS amaximum allowable CPS andyou work at getting as many newways of bringing in customers aspossible to perform at or belowthat number

Hardly any business ownerknows these numbers althoughmany think they do Just as a carwith no indicators is troublewaiting to happen so too is abusiness

If you are buying ad media orinvesting in marketing withouttracking the numbers on adashboard then you arenrsquotmanaging your business

You are guessing your business

Richard PetrieRichard is author of the book thePersuasion Equation writes onhis web sitewwwspeedmarketingconz anddevelops research backed salesprocesses to increaseconversion

If you have a question commentor want to reach Richard he isavailable atRichardspeedmarketingconz

HOW TO RUN YOUROWN PUBLICITYCAMPAIGN - IN FIVEEASY LESSONS By Jules Brooke

LESSON 4

Pitching Your Story

Here is a great example

Hi Todd Check out theseawesome new video cameragoggles now available in NewZealand and Australia Skiers ampsnowboarders are seriouslygoing to love them Please letme know if yoursquod like tofeaturereview them and requirehi-res images or would like touse them somehow

You can see them in herehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=WqLGS9CeBt0

Then you embed your mediarelease into the email If itrsquos nottoo large a file you might alsolike to attach it Copying andpasting it into your email meansthere is one less hoop for thejourno or producer to jumpthrough Itrsquos important to makesure your contact details are onthe release We like to put aphoto of the item up the top to ofthe release so it is the next thingthey see

Before you actually send it to thefirst media person send it toyourself and a friend Make sureit comes through looking goodbut isnrsquot a huge file The imageson your release should be lowresolution Keep hi-res versionsof the images on hand in casethey are asked for Once you arehappy with how it looks andappears in your own inbox youcan start sending to everyone onyour list

A few things to remember If youare forwarding the email pitchremember to delete the ldquoFwdrdquofrom your subject line whensending to the next person

Also remember to change thename of the person you aresending to If you are sending toa general news desk just writeGood morning or Goodafternoon You may find you geta few of the media come back toyou immediately with requestsfor images or samples orinterviews

Others will take a few days to getto it so donrsquot despair if you donrsquothear anything straight away

Finally it is very important tokeep track of what you have sentout If yoursquove bought one of ourCSV files we recommendsaving it as an Excel file andadding a lsquocommentsrsquo columnWhenever you send someone anemail or get a response keep arecord of it in the relevant cell

So what are you waiting for Goand pitch your story today

16 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | MARKETING

Handle Your Own PRDIY PR for New ZealandBusiness

wwwhandleyourownprcomau(AuNZ)wwwhandleyourownprcom(USA)wwwhandleyourownprcouk(UK)

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 17

A great way to be seenHow else will your Potential Clients Find You

Group of Companiesmaxiom

Advertising Tailored To Your Requirements

18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

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Magazines

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

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Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
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Whatrsquos in this monthrsquos Magazine

Regular FeaturesPage 18 Getting To Know You

Page 36 Ask an Expert

Page 56 Smart Business

ProfilesPage 18 Getting To Know You - the 8020 Center

Page 38 Ask an Expert - Mark Fernandez from BDA

Page 66 Smart Business - Catalyst Pacific

Special FeaturesPage 6 Now is Your Time to be Bold

Page 10 How to Gently and Naturally Attract Prospects and Turn Them IntoClients

Page 14 Show Me the Money

Page 16 How to Run Your Own Publicity Campaign in 5 Easy Lessons -Lesson Four

4 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom

NOVEMBER 2012How to improve Your Performancein Life

Smart Company Magazine | 5

Special FeaturesPage 20 Staff Selection - Break all the Rules and Succeed

Page 24 Gangnam Style Your Communications

Page 26 Whatrsquos Values Got to Do With it

Page 28 Linkedin - The Greatest Personal Branding Publicity and Sales Tool forB2B Markets

Page 32 Outsourcing For Best Results

Page 34 Checklist for Fast Company Growth

Page 38 How to Improve Your Performance in Life

Page 40 Only 8 Years Away

Page 48 Managing Diversity is Good For Business

Page 50 Best Job Interview Questions You Should Ask

Page 52 The Four Disciplines of Execution

Page 54 The Key Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Building Virtual Teams forTheir Business

Page 60 Fitness in the Workplace

Getting out of your comfort zonein business is the key toexploring what is really possiblefor the business Now more thanever since the GFC businessowners have had to change theirapproach to survive in businessand to really thrive theyrsquove had totransform their whole businessmodel in some cases

In business nothing stays thesame New competition willarrive new technology newproducts or services to competewith you or support you in takingyour business to where you wantto go

What Do Abseiling Off a 200foot Cliff and Running aBusiness Have in Common

I my first business we had a 200foot abseil in the CanterburyHigh Country It was spectacularlooking over the upper Rakaia

River and the Southern Alps Theabseil had a big overhang in itand because of the perspectiveit looked like the drop was 1500feet See picture above

In the time we had the businessthere were some 12000 peoplewho abseiled off the cliff from 10years olds to grandparents (Allsafely I might add)

Before we took people up to theabseil platform we would have aconversation about two things

1 The Technical Aspects-

Wersquod explain theequipment and how itworked and why it was sostrong and safe Welsquod gothrough the technique ona mini platform so peoplegot use to the lsquofeelingrsquothey could expect Sologically they understoodwhat they were about to

do That was the easypart

2 The PsychologicalAspects -

Here we would have totalk about getting out oftheir comfort zone beingbold turning the volumedown on the voice insidetheir head that was tellingthem they were CRAZY tohang from a cliff

This part was the MOSTimportant because eventhough logically peoplegot it we knew as soonas they were on top of thecliff there natural instinctsto not fall kick in

It takes being bold toovercome this

If you want different results in yourbusiness itrsquos time to getuncomfortable

In my experience a business will grow indirect correlation to the business ownerrsquoswillingness to learn grow and getuncomfortable doing new things in theirbusiness

NOW IS YOURTIME TO BE BOLDBy Hamish Conway

maxiom6 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | BUSINESS

Smart Company Magazine | 7maxiom

So what does this have to dowith business

Business Owners get thetechnical aspects of what theylsquoshouldrsquo be doing but if they arenot taking action then it is usuallybecause they have a FEARabout what might happen if theydo

The voice of Fear kicks in sayingldquoif I put my prices up then all mycustomers will go if I ask mysupplier for a better deal theyrsquollcut the supplyrdquo Nine times out often the fear of what businessowners think might go wrongnever will

Herersquos what to do toovercome that voice of FEAR(False ExpectationsAppearing Real)

1 Get educated Often fearcomes about because of

a lack of knowledge inhow to do somethingRead up go to a seminartalk to those who havedone it before and getsome new perspective

2 Be BOLD- Step up Getuncomfortable turn downthat voice of fear and takeaction Once you makethe leap often theanswers appear

Many of the most fearfulpeople at the top of theabseil were also the mostexcited people at thebottom Taking action inthe face of fear is whatcourage is about

Four Areas for You To BeBold in Your Business

1 With Yourself - Writedown one thing that you

know if you took action onit would increase yourconfidence in yourselfEg Learn somethingnew develop a new skillmeet someone new

2 Your Customers - Writedown one thing if you tookon with dealing with yourcustomers that wouldmake you uncomfortablebut would be great forbusiness Eg Fire acustomer put your pricesup have a conversationabout how you can helpthem more

3 Your Team - Write downone thing yoursquove beenputting off in dealing withyour team Setting clearobjectives and holdingthem accountable firingsomeone Take on thatchallenge

4 Your Suppliers - Writedown one thing that wouldbe good for your businessand your bottom lineyoursquove been putting offwith your suppliers

Eg ask for a discountask for marketing supporthave a tough conversationabout changing ask forbetter service

Take on these 4 actions in thenext week and notice yourconfidence soar and Irsquoll so betyour bank balance

You have one shot at life andtherersquos no time for being timid inbusiness Now is your time

Step up and BE BOLD by takingon those actions that yoursquove beenputting off

You know that doing them willmake a huge difference for yourbusiness

maxiom8 | Smart Company Magazine

Hamish Conway

Hamish Conway is a former EYYoung Entrepreneur of the YearAward winner and BusinessPerformance Consultant at WHKBusiness Performance

WHK Business Performance is adivision of WHK (the fifth largestaccounting and advisory firm inAustralasia) where they helpAmbitious Business Owners and

Smart | BUSINESS

Entrepreneurs Get Clarity NewSkills Experts Guidance andResults

For more information visitwwwbusinessperformanceconz

or contact Hamish Conway on04 384-4161

email hamishconwaywhkconz

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 9

The Bait Trail

Many people travelling to Europefrom this part of the world are alittle taken aback by severe facesworn by middle aged and elderlyDutch and German men (Forsome reason this does not applyto the women - and no I amnot just saying that to cover mybehind in the unlikely event thatmy German wife reads this)

Whereas itrsquos easy to spot anAmerican in Europe (baseballcap camera and a smile)a Frenchman (beret garlicand ignores you) a Brit (plaidsports jacket shorts sandalsand socks) or even a Russian(always looking like they areplotting something) spotting thedifference between the Dutchand Germans was a mysteryto me until my most recentEuropean visit last monthHow do you tell the differencebetween the Dutch and theGerman men

With apologies to all my maleGerman friends itrsquos simple olderDutch men walk around looking

like someone just died whereasolder German men walk aroundlooking like someone is justabout to die I concede that thisdifference can be subtle but itrsquosdefinitely there

And furthermore some of theolder German men have ahappy knack of looking like theimpending death is their ownpersonal responsibility Talkabout grim

This is I have concluded howthe brothers Grimm cameup with their name From amarketing perspective the nameis stroke of pure genius in thatit must have created instantempathy with tens of millionsof Germans ldquoGrimm Wowamazing hellip thatrsquos how I feel allthe time I better listen uprdquoAnyhow get on to the point ofthe article Tom

Okay herersquos the Grimm brotherrsquosstory which illustrates the keymarketing strategy that Irsquomwriting about Hansel and Gretelgot to the wicked witches house

via a ldquoBait Trailrdquo They picked upa sweet and then saw anotherone and picked that up and soon until they were led to therather unlikely house made oflollies and owned by a witch witha big cauldron

The latter had presumably playedhost to many such young kidspreviously (The very fact that thebrothers Grimm reckoned thiswas a suitable tale to tell childrenmust have given Freud andothers years of material to workwith)

So how does that apply to copywriting and marketing I hear youAsk

By way of explanation at the80-20 Center we teach the needfor business owners to createfour levels of ldquovalue deliveryrdquoaka productservice And at abig picture level those four levelsillustrate the broad principle ofthe Bait Trail very well

Level One contains all the FreeAdded Value (FAV) productsservices special reports ezines

HOW TO GENTLY ANDNATURALLY ATTRACTPROSPECTS AND TURNTHEM INTO CLIENTSBy Tom Poland

maxiom10 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Smart Company Magazine | 11maxiom

samples initial meeting quizzestalks webinars trial periods testdrives check ups etc

Level Two consists of EasyEntry Products (EEP) these aredesigned to make it easy for aprospect to become a client iethey must now pay some moneyhoney Not a lot of moneycompared to our main productsservices but enough so they nowhave some ldquoskin in the gamerdquo

Getting someone to part withtheir hard earned regardless ofhow little is the only valid test ofwhether your value proposition isworking Until yoursquove got somemoney yoursquove got nothing

Level Three has all of your CoreOffering Products (COP) and itrsquoswhere you want your clients toend up

Level Four are ldquoSpin OffProductsrdquo (SOP) and at the startof a business you probably willnot know what they are going tolook like and therersquos no need toplan for them because they willmake themselves apparent in

the form of client requests Theyare often high priced and morecustomized versions of LevelThree but can also end up asadditional Level Three productsServices

So many people donrsquot have thefirst two levels and those twolevels are the start of the criticallyimportant Bait Trail

Itrsquos a game of patience andseduction Level One productsshould be thrown around yourmarketing universe like confetti ata wedding you aim at your targetmarketing (bride and groom) butother than that you chuck themout indiscriminately and in aslarge amounts as humanlypossible

So have a think about yourproductsservices Do you have aBait Trail or are you simply sittingin your lolly house buried deepin an enchanted forest forlornlyhoping that clients will stumbleupon your genius productsservices

Worth thinking about

Other uses of the Bait TrailPrinciple

We vastly overestimate theability of our clients to processdata The conscious mind canhold one thought at a time Thatmeans that anything more thanone thought at a time requiresus to actually think Thatrsquos whenthe frowns start Thatrsquos when wethink ldquoIrsquoll get to that laterrdquo

For example Irsquove discoveredthat the all-time (currently) bestway to get visitors to a websiteto give their contact details is tooffer them a quiz

But rather than say up frontldquohey give us your contactdetails take our quiz and wersquollalso sign you up for our greatezinerdquo it works better if we ldquoBaitTrailrdquo it

So the visitor clicks on the niceshiny ldquotake the quizrdquo button(without having to enter theircontact details at this stage)then they get taken to the quizpage and answer the questions

Then a screen pops up and saysldquoHey congratulations for takingthe challenge hellip wersquoll emailyour results to you right awayhellip simply pop your details in thenice box below and as a bonusyoursquoll also get our great monthlyezine full of great tips on how to[xyz]]rdquo

Note that the visitor was notconfronted up front with havingto give contact details inexchange for the quiz and theoffer of the ezine

It was laid out in a step by stepsequence that was carefullyconstructed to maximise thelikelihood of getting their contactdetails

Another example

This week I sent out an invite toa free online seminar Based onpast experience over 100 peoplewill register and 50 will actuallyshow up (a prerequisite forsuccess) At the event Irsquoll providea lot of valuable information andoffer attendees a ldquoDiscoveryCallrdquo if they are interested in theoffer that I will make at the end

A handful will request that calland when we conduct it Irsquoll findout if I can help them achievetheir business goals and mostwill become a client on my 4month program and one or twowill graduate from that programand become clients for yearsThe latter is what I really want

But notice how many steps therewere in the Bait Trail Emailinvite attend webinar haveDiscovery Call complete shortterm course become long termclient

So have a think about breakingdown each of your goals andeach marketing process intosmall Bait Trail steps It takepatience and a little persistencebut my oh my it pays offhandsomely

maxiom12 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Tom Poland

Tom Poland is the founder of theBusiness Ownersrsquo Marketing Brief(the BOMB) the must readmarketing publication for allbusiness owners andentrepreneurs

Tom is a serial entrepreneur andthe founder and director of 80-20Center and shows businessowners and business coacheshow to ldquoget more clients makemore money and have more funrdquo

www8020Centercom

Email Tom8020centercom

Smart Company Magazine | 9

maxiom14 | Smart Company Magazine

Imagine you are driving to animportant meeting and you are 5minutes early Then all of asudden out of the blue the carstarts to splutter and choke Youcoast to the side of the road asthe car loses all power

Confused you call the AA tocome and fix your car

lsquoGood news sirrsquo he says You arejust out of petrol ndash I can give youenough to get to a petrol pump

Now 10 minutes late for your bigmeeting you detour your journeyat speed towards a petrol stationwhen a police car pulls you over

lsquoDo you know how fast you weregoing The officer asks

lsquoNo idearsquo you respond

lsquoWell you were going 75 in a50kph zone that will be a $200fine and 100 demerit points onyour license and I see youalready have 200 demerit pointsso that will probably cost youyour license toorsquo

Now you are 30 minutes late forthe big meeting with a lighterwallet and heading to court

You drive off again extra slowly tofill the tank and the car starts tosplutter again

As call the AA guy again youknow petrol cannot be theproblem

Another 15 minutes later AA mantells you the car is overheatingbecause you donrsquot have enoughoil or water in the engine

lsquoDidnrsquot the indicators tell you thecar was getting hotrsquo He asks

Your Problem Has beenIdentified

You car does NOT have anyindicators No speedometer notemperature gauge no fuelgauge No feedback from thekey performance indicators ofyour car

No indicators means no warningsignals as you run out of petrolover heat or drive too fast Youhave now missed your bigmeeting and a potentially hugesale but that is just the tip of theice-berg The lack of indicatorsis starting to cost you timemoney and ultimately freedom

You decide to sell this stupid carwith no indicators to avoidsimilar disastersBut the first question theprospective buyers asks is lsquohowmany kilometers does the carhave on the clockrsquo

Because you have no indicatorsyou cannot tell him and he walksaway

Vital Feedback

Now letrsquos imagine you were ableto install a dashboard thatshowed you speed revs petrollevels engine temperature andmileage

Instantly you have a valuableuseful car with the feedback toolsto avoid danger and ensureperformance

Your marketing is like a car Todrive safely and with optimalperformance you MUST havefeedback from the keyperformance indicators

No feedback means no control

Herersquos the most important lesson known by the super rich hellipbut seldomused by anyone else

SHOW METHE MONEYBy Richard Petrie

Smart | MARKETING

Smart Company Magazine | 15maxiom

Where The Rubber Meets TheRoad

I personally hate anything to dowith mathematics other thancounting money

But in 8 years of working withclients I know that the ones whomake the most money and wealthknow their numbers inside out

I often get asked questions of methat cannot be answeredintelligently without the numbersFor example ldquoMy yellow pagesad works pretty good The Yellowpages rep is urging me toincrease from quarter page tohalf page Should Irdquo

My questions have to do withwhat lsquopretty goodrsquo really is

1 What is the cost per lead(CPL) from the ad (Totalcost divided by thenumber of lead your adgenerated)

This is the money spent to get theprospect to raise their hand So ifyou spend $1000 a month andget 10 people call you or go toyour website then your CPL is$100 from that media

2 What is the cost per sale(CPS) from the ad (Totalcost divided by the

number of clients yourmarketing exercisegenerated)

This is a truly critical number thattells you the cost of acquiringeach new customer

1 What us the lifetimecustomer value (LCV) fromthe ad

This allows you to measure thetotal value of each new clientThis number also helps you getreal about the cost of losing eachclient and helps you determinewhat you are will to invest toacquire and keep them

2 How do these valuescompare with other CPLCPS and LCV from theother means you use to getcustomers

Thatrsquos just he beginning but ifyou canrsquot at least tell me those Icannot tell you whether toincrease decrease of eliminateyour yellow pages ad all together

Once you know these numbersyou then have a MA-CPS amaximum allowable CPS andyou work at getting as many newways of bringing in customers aspossible to perform at or belowthat number

Hardly any business ownerknows these numbers althoughmany think they do Just as a carwith no indicators is troublewaiting to happen so too is abusiness

If you are buying ad media orinvesting in marketing withouttracking the numbers on adashboard then you arenrsquotmanaging your business

You are guessing your business

Richard PetrieRichard is author of the book thePersuasion Equation writes onhis web sitewwwspeedmarketingconz anddevelops research backed salesprocesses to increaseconversion

If you have a question commentor want to reach Richard he isavailable atRichardspeedmarketingconz

HOW TO RUN YOUROWN PUBLICITYCAMPAIGN - IN FIVEEASY LESSONS By Jules Brooke

LESSON 4

Pitching Your Story

Here is a great example

Hi Todd Check out theseawesome new video cameragoggles now available in NewZealand and Australia Skiers ampsnowboarders are seriouslygoing to love them Please letme know if yoursquod like tofeaturereview them and requirehi-res images or would like touse them somehow

You can see them in herehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=WqLGS9CeBt0

Then you embed your mediarelease into the email If itrsquos nottoo large a file you might alsolike to attach it Copying andpasting it into your email meansthere is one less hoop for thejourno or producer to jumpthrough Itrsquos important to makesure your contact details are onthe release We like to put aphoto of the item up the top to ofthe release so it is the next thingthey see

Before you actually send it to thefirst media person send it toyourself and a friend Make sureit comes through looking goodbut isnrsquot a huge file The imageson your release should be lowresolution Keep hi-res versionsof the images on hand in casethey are asked for Once you arehappy with how it looks andappears in your own inbox youcan start sending to everyone onyour list

A few things to remember If youare forwarding the email pitchremember to delete the ldquoFwdrdquofrom your subject line whensending to the next person

Also remember to change thename of the person you aresending to If you are sending toa general news desk just writeGood morning or Goodafternoon You may find you geta few of the media come back toyou immediately with requestsfor images or samples orinterviews

Others will take a few days to getto it so donrsquot despair if you donrsquothear anything straight away

Finally it is very important tokeep track of what you have sentout If yoursquove bought one of ourCSV files we recommendsaving it as an Excel file andadding a lsquocommentsrsquo columnWhenever you send someone anemail or get a response keep arecord of it in the relevant cell

So what are you waiting for Goand pitch your story today

16 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | MARKETING

Handle Your Own PRDIY PR for New ZealandBusiness

wwwhandleyourownprcomau(AuNZ)wwwhandleyourownprcom(USA)wwwhandleyourownprcouk(UK)

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 17

A great way to be seenHow else will your Potential Clients Find You

Group of Companiesmaxiom

Advertising Tailored To Your Requirements

18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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maxiom

NOVEMBER 2012How to improve Your Performancein Life

Smart Company Magazine | 5

Special FeaturesPage 20 Staff Selection - Break all the Rules and Succeed

Page 24 Gangnam Style Your Communications

Page 26 Whatrsquos Values Got to Do With it

Page 28 Linkedin - The Greatest Personal Branding Publicity and Sales Tool forB2B Markets

Page 32 Outsourcing For Best Results

Page 34 Checklist for Fast Company Growth

Page 38 How to Improve Your Performance in Life

Page 40 Only 8 Years Away

Page 48 Managing Diversity is Good For Business

Page 50 Best Job Interview Questions You Should Ask

Page 52 The Four Disciplines of Execution

Page 54 The Key Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Building Virtual Teams forTheir Business

Page 60 Fitness in the Workplace

Getting out of your comfort zonein business is the key toexploring what is really possiblefor the business Now more thanever since the GFC businessowners have had to change theirapproach to survive in businessand to really thrive theyrsquove had totransform their whole businessmodel in some cases

In business nothing stays thesame New competition willarrive new technology newproducts or services to competewith you or support you in takingyour business to where you wantto go

What Do Abseiling Off a 200foot Cliff and Running aBusiness Have in Common

I my first business we had a 200foot abseil in the CanterburyHigh Country It was spectacularlooking over the upper Rakaia

River and the Southern Alps Theabseil had a big overhang in itand because of the perspectiveit looked like the drop was 1500feet See picture above

In the time we had the businessthere were some 12000 peoplewho abseiled off the cliff from 10years olds to grandparents (Allsafely I might add)

Before we took people up to theabseil platform we would have aconversation about two things

1 The Technical Aspects-

Wersquod explain theequipment and how itworked and why it was sostrong and safe Welsquod gothrough the technique ona mini platform so peoplegot use to the lsquofeelingrsquothey could expect Sologically they understoodwhat they were about to

do That was the easypart

2 The PsychologicalAspects -

Here we would have totalk about getting out oftheir comfort zone beingbold turning the volumedown on the voice insidetheir head that was tellingthem they were CRAZY tohang from a cliff

This part was the MOSTimportant because eventhough logically peoplegot it we knew as soonas they were on top of thecliff there natural instinctsto not fall kick in

It takes being bold toovercome this

If you want different results in yourbusiness itrsquos time to getuncomfortable

In my experience a business will grow indirect correlation to the business ownerrsquoswillingness to learn grow and getuncomfortable doing new things in theirbusiness

NOW IS YOURTIME TO BE BOLDBy Hamish Conway

maxiom6 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | BUSINESS

Smart Company Magazine | 7maxiom

So what does this have to dowith business

Business Owners get thetechnical aspects of what theylsquoshouldrsquo be doing but if they arenot taking action then it is usuallybecause they have a FEARabout what might happen if theydo

The voice of Fear kicks in sayingldquoif I put my prices up then all mycustomers will go if I ask mysupplier for a better deal theyrsquollcut the supplyrdquo Nine times out often the fear of what businessowners think might go wrongnever will

Herersquos what to do toovercome that voice of FEAR(False ExpectationsAppearing Real)

1 Get educated Often fearcomes about because of

a lack of knowledge inhow to do somethingRead up go to a seminartalk to those who havedone it before and getsome new perspective

2 Be BOLD- Step up Getuncomfortable turn downthat voice of fear and takeaction Once you makethe leap often theanswers appear

Many of the most fearfulpeople at the top of theabseil were also the mostexcited people at thebottom Taking action inthe face of fear is whatcourage is about

Four Areas for You To BeBold in Your Business

1 With Yourself - Writedown one thing that you

know if you took action onit would increase yourconfidence in yourselfEg Learn somethingnew develop a new skillmeet someone new

2 Your Customers - Writedown one thing if you tookon with dealing with yourcustomers that wouldmake you uncomfortablebut would be great forbusiness Eg Fire acustomer put your pricesup have a conversationabout how you can helpthem more

3 Your Team - Write downone thing yoursquove beenputting off in dealing withyour team Setting clearobjectives and holdingthem accountable firingsomeone Take on thatchallenge

4 Your Suppliers - Writedown one thing that wouldbe good for your businessand your bottom lineyoursquove been putting offwith your suppliers

Eg ask for a discountask for marketing supporthave a tough conversationabout changing ask forbetter service

Take on these 4 actions in thenext week and notice yourconfidence soar and Irsquoll so betyour bank balance

You have one shot at life andtherersquos no time for being timid inbusiness Now is your time

Step up and BE BOLD by takingon those actions that yoursquove beenputting off

You know that doing them willmake a huge difference for yourbusiness

maxiom8 | Smart Company Magazine

Hamish Conway

Hamish Conway is a former EYYoung Entrepreneur of the YearAward winner and BusinessPerformance Consultant at WHKBusiness Performance

WHK Business Performance is adivision of WHK (the fifth largestaccounting and advisory firm inAustralasia) where they helpAmbitious Business Owners and

Smart | BUSINESS

Entrepreneurs Get Clarity NewSkills Experts Guidance andResults

For more information visitwwwbusinessperformanceconz

or contact Hamish Conway on04 384-4161

email hamishconwaywhkconz

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 9

The Bait Trail

Many people travelling to Europefrom this part of the world are alittle taken aback by severe facesworn by middle aged and elderlyDutch and German men (Forsome reason this does not applyto the women - and no I amnot just saying that to cover mybehind in the unlikely event thatmy German wife reads this)

Whereas itrsquos easy to spot anAmerican in Europe (baseballcap camera and a smile)a Frenchman (beret garlicand ignores you) a Brit (plaidsports jacket shorts sandalsand socks) or even a Russian(always looking like they areplotting something) spotting thedifference between the Dutchand Germans was a mysteryto me until my most recentEuropean visit last monthHow do you tell the differencebetween the Dutch and theGerman men

With apologies to all my maleGerman friends itrsquos simple olderDutch men walk around looking

like someone just died whereasolder German men walk aroundlooking like someone is justabout to die I concede that thisdifference can be subtle but itrsquosdefinitely there

And furthermore some of theolder German men have ahappy knack of looking like theimpending death is their ownpersonal responsibility Talkabout grim

This is I have concluded howthe brothers Grimm cameup with their name From amarketing perspective the nameis stroke of pure genius in thatit must have created instantempathy with tens of millionsof Germans ldquoGrimm Wowamazing hellip thatrsquos how I feel allthe time I better listen uprdquoAnyhow get on to the point ofthe article Tom

Okay herersquos the Grimm brotherrsquosstory which illustrates the keymarketing strategy that Irsquomwriting about Hansel and Gretelgot to the wicked witches house

via a ldquoBait Trailrdquo They picked upa sweet and then saw anotherone and picked that up and soon until they were led to therather unlikely house made oflollies and owned by a witch witha big cauldron

The latter had presumably playedhost to many such young kidspreviously (The very fact that thebrothers Grimm reckoned thiswas a suitable tale to tell childrenmust have given Freud andothers years of material to workwith)

So how does that apply to copywriting and marketing I hear youAsk

By way of explanation at the80-20 Center we teach the needfor business owners to createfour levels of ldquovalue deliveryrdquoaka productservice And at abig picture level those four levelsillustrate the broad principle ofthe Bait Trail very well

Level One contains all the FreeAdded Value (FAV) productsservices special reports ezines

HOW TO GENTLY ANDNATURALLY ATTRACTPROSPECTS AND TURNTHEM INTO CLIENTSBy Tom Poland

maxiom10 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Smart Company Magazine | 11maxiom

samples initial meeting quizzestalks webinars trial periods testdrives check ups etc

Level Two consists of EasyEntry Products (EEP) these aredesigned to make it easy for aprospect to become a client iethey must now pay some moneyhoney Not a lot of moneycompared to our main productsservices but enough so they nowhave some ldquoskin in the gamerdquo

Getting someone to part withtheir hard earned regardless ofhow little is the only valid test ofwhether your value proposition isworking Until yoursquove got somemoney yoursquove got nothing

Level Three has all of your CoreOffering Products (COP) and itrsquoswhere you want your clients toend up

Level Four are ldquoSpin OffProductsrdquo (SOP) and at the startof a business you probably willnot know what they are going tolook like and therersquos no need toplan for them because they willmake themselves apparent in

the form of client requests Theyare often high priced and morecustomized versions of LevelThree but can also end up asadditional Level Three productsServices

So many people donrsquot have thefirst two levels and those twolevels are the start of the criticallyimportant Bait Trail

Itrsquos a game of patience andseduction Level One productsshould be thrown around yourmarketing universe like confetti ata wedding you aim at your targetmarketing (bride and groom) butother than that you chuck themout indiscriminately and in aslarge amounts as humanlypossible

So have a think about yourproductsservices Do you have aBait Trail or are you simply sittingin your lolly house buried deepin an enchanted forest forlornlyhoping that clients will stumbleupon your genius productsservices

Worth thinking about

Other uses of the Bait TrailPrinciple

We vastly overestimate theability of our clients to processdata The conscious mind canhold one thought at a time Thatmeans that anything more thanone thought at a time requiresus to actually think Thatrsquos whenthe frowns start Thatrsquos when wethink ldquoIrsquoll get to that laterrdquo

For example Irsquove discoveredthat the all-time (currently) bestway to get visitors to a websiteto give their contact details is tooffer them a quiz

But rather than say up frontldquohey give us your contactdetails take our quiz and wersquollalso sign you up for our greatezinerdquo it works better if we ldquoBaitTrailrdquo it

So the visitor clicks on the niceshiny ldquotake the quizrdquo button(without having to enter theircontact details at this stage)then they get taken to the quizpage and answer the questions

Then a screen pops up and saysldquoHey congratulations for takingthe challenge hellip wersquoll emailyour results to you right awayhellip simply pop your details in thenice box below and as a bonusyoursquoll also get our great monthlyezine full of great tips on how to[xyz]]rdquo

Note that the visitor was notconfronted up front with havingto give contact details inexchange for the quiz and theoffer of the ezine

It was laid out in a step by stepsequence that was carefullyconstructed to maximise thelikelihood of getting their contactdetails

Another example

This week I sent out an invite toa free online seminar Based onpast experience over 100 peoplewill register and 50 will actuallyshow up (a prerequisite forsuccess) At the event Irsquoll providea lot of valuable information andoffer attendees a ldquoDiscoveryCallrdquo if they are interested in theoffer that I will make at the end

A handful will request that calland when we conduct it Irsquoll findout if I can help them achievetheir business goals and mostwill become a client on my 4month program and one or twowill graduate from that programand become clients for yearsThe latter is what I really want

But notice how many steps therewere in the Bait Trail Emailinvite attend webinar haveDiscovery Call complete shortterm course become long termclient

So have a think about breakingdown each of your goals andeach marketing process intosmall Bait Trail steps It takepatience and a little persistencebut my oh my it pays offhandsomely

maxiom12 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Tom Poland

Tom Poland is the founder of theBusiness Ownersrsquo Marketing Brief(the BOMB) the must readmarketing publication for allbusiness owners andentrepreneurs

Tom is a serial entrepreneur andthe founder and director of 80-20Center and shows businessowners and business coacheshow to ldquoget more clients makemore money and have more funrdquo

www8020Centercom

Email Tom8020centercom

Smart Company Magazine | 9

maxiom14 | Smart Company Magazine

Imagine you are driving to animportant meeting and you are 5minutes early Then all of asudden out of the blue the carstarts to splutter and choke Youcoast to the side of the road asthe car loses all power

Confused you call the AA tocome and fix your car

lsquoGood news sirrsquo he says You arejust out of petrol ndash I can give youenough to get to a petrol pump

Now 10 minutes late for your bigmeeting you detour your journeyat speed towards a petrol stationwhen a police car pulls you over

lsquoDo you know how fast you weregoing The officer asks

lsquoNo idearsquo you respond

lsquoWell you were going 75 in a50kph zone that will be a $200fine and 100 demerit points onyour license and I see youalready have 200 demerit pointsso that will probably cost youyour license toorsquo

Now you are 30 minutes late forthe big meeting with a lighterwallet and heading to court

You drive off again extra slowly tofill the tank and the car starts tosplutter again

As call the AA guy again youknow petrol cannot be theproblem

Another 15 minutes later AA mantells you the car is overheatingbecause you donrsquot have enoughoil or water in the engine

lsquoDidnrsquot the indicators tell you thecar was getting hotrsquo He asks

Your Problem Has beenIdentified

You car does NOT have anyindicators No speedometer notemperature gauge no fuelgauge No feedback from thekey performance indicators ofyour car

No indicators means no warningsignals as you run out of petrolover heat or drive too fast Youhave now missed your bigmeeting and a potentially hugesale but that is just the tip of theice-berg The lack of indicatorsis starting to cost you timemoney and ultimately freedom

You decide to sell this stupid carwith no indicators to avoidsimilar disastersBut the first question theprospective buyers asks is lsquohowmany kilometers does the carhave on the clockrsquo

Because you have no indicatorsyou cannot tell him and he walksaway

Vital Feedback

Now letrsquos imagine you were ableto install a dashboard thatshowed you speed revs petrollevels engine temperature andmileage

Instantly you have a valuableuseful car with the feedback toolsto avoid danger and ensureperformance

Your marketing is like a car Todrive safely and with optimalperformance you MUST havefeedback from the keyperformance indicators

No feedback means no control

Herersquos the most important lesson known by the super rich hellipbut seldomused by anyone else

SHOW METHE MONEYBy Richard Petrie

Smart | MARKETING

Smart Company Magazine | 15maxiom

Where The Rubber Meets TheRoad

I personally hate anything to dowith mathematics other thancounting money

But in 8 years of working withclients I know that the ones whomake the most money and wealthknow their numbers inside out

I often get asked questions of methat cannot be answeredintelligently without the numbersFor example ldquoMy yellow pagesad works pretty good The Yellowpages rep is urging me toincrease from quarter page tohalf page Should Irdquo

My questions have to do withwhat lsquopretty goodrsquo really is

1 What is the cost per lead(CPL) from the ad (Totalcost divided by thenumber of lead your adgenerated)

This is the money spent to get theprospect to raise their hand So ifyou spend $1000 a month andget 10 people call you or go toyour website then your CPL is$100 from that media

2 What is the cost per sale(CPS) from the ad (Totalcost divided by the

number of clients yourmarketing exercisegenerated)

This is a truly critical number thattells you the cost of acquiringeach new customer

1 What us the lifetimecustomer value (LCV) fromthe ad

This allows you to measure thetotal value of each new clientThis number also helps you getreal about the cost of losing eachclient and helps you determinewhat you are will to invest toacquire and keep them

2 How do these valuescompare with other CPLCPS and LCV from theother means you use to getcustomers

Thatrsquos just he beginning but ifyou canrsquot at least tell me those Icannot tell you whether toincrease decrease of eliminateyour yellow pages ad all together

Once you know these numbersyou then have a MA-CPS amaximum allowable CPS andyou work at getting as many newways of bringing in customers aspossible to perform at or belowthat number

Hardly any business ownerknows these numbers althoughmany think they do Just as a carwith no indicators is troublewaiting to happen so too is abusiness

If you are buying ad media orinvesting in marketing withouttracking the numbers on adashboard then you arenrsquotmanaging your business

You are guessing your business

Richard PetrieRichard is author of the book thePersuasion Equation writes onhis web sitewwwspeedmarketingconz anddevelops research backed salesprocesses to increaseconversion

If you have a question commentor want to reach Richard he isavailable atRichardspeedmarketingconz

HOW TO RUN YOUROWN PUBLICITYCAMPAIGN - IN FIVEEASY LESSONS By Jules Brooke

LESSON 4

Pitching Your Story

Here is a great example

Hi Todd Check out theseawesome new video cameragoggles now available in NewZealand and Australia Skiers ampsnowboarders are seriouslygoing to love them Please letme know if yoursquod like tofeaturereview them and requirehi-res images or would like touse them somehow

You can see them in herehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=WqLGS9CeBt0

Then you embed your mediarelease into the email If itrsquos nottoo large a file you might alsolike to attach it Copying andpasting it into your email meansthere is one less hoop for thejourno or producer to jumpthrough Itrsquos important to makesure your contact details are onthe release We like to put aphoto of the item up the top to ofthe release so it is the next thingthey see

Before you actually send it to thefirst media person send it toyourself and a friend Make sureit comes through looking goodbut isnrsquot a huge file The imageson your release should be lowresolution Keep hi-res versionsof the images on hand in casethey are asked for Once you arehappy with how it looks andappears in your own inbox youcan start sending to everyone onyour list

A few things to remember If youare forwarding the email pitchremember to delete the ldquoFwdrdquofrom your subject line whensending to the next person

Also remember to change thename of the person you aresending to If you are sending toa general news desk just writeGood morning or Goodafternoon You may find you geta few of the media come back toyou immediately with requestsfor images or samples orinterviews

Others will take a few days to getto it so donrsquot despair if you donrsquothear anything straight away

Finally it is very important tokeep track of what you have sentout If yoursquove bought one of ourCSV files we recommendsaving it as an Excel file andadding a lsquocommentsrsquo columnWhenever you send someone anemail or get a response keep arecord of it in the relevant cell

So what are you waiting for Goand pitch your story today

16 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | MARKETING

Handle Your Own PRDIY PR for New ZealandBusiness

wwwhandleyourownprcomau(AuNZ)wwwhandleyourownprcom(USA)wwwhandleyourownprcouk(UK)

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 17

A great way to be seenHow else will your Potential Clients Find You

Group of Companiesmaxiom

Advertising Tailored To Your Requirements

18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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Getting out of your comfort zonein business is the key toexploring what is really possiblefor the business Now more thanever since the GFC businessowners have had to change theirapproach to survive in businessand to really thrive theyrsquove had totransform their whole businessmodel in some cases

In business nothing stays thesame New competition willarrive new technology newproducts or services to competewith you or support you in takingyour business to where you wantto go

What Do Abseiling Off a 200foot Cliff and Running aBusiness Have in Common

I my first business we had a 200foot abseil in the CanterburyHigh Country It was spectacularlooking over the upper Rakaia

River and the Southern Alps Theabseil had a big overhang in itand because of the perspectiveit looked like the drop was 1500feet See picture above

In the time we had the businessthere were some 12000 peoplewho abseiled off the cliff from 10years olds to grandparents (Allsafely I might add)

Before we took people up to theabseil platform we would have aconversation about two things

1 The Technical Aspects-

Wersquod explain theequipment and how itworked and why it was sostrong and safe Welsquod gothrough the technique ona mini platform so peoplegot use to the lsquofeelingrsquothey could expect Sologically they understoodwhat they were about to

do That was the easypart

2 The PsychologicalAspects -

Here we would have totalk about getting out oftheir comfort zone beingbold turning the volumedown on the voice insidetheir head that was tellingthem they were CRAZY tohang from a cliff

This part was the MOSTimportant because eventhough logically peoplegot it we knew as soonas they were on top of thecliff there natural instinctsto not fall kick in

It takes being bold toovercome this

If you want different results in yourbusiness itrsquos time to getuncomfortable

In my experience a business will grow indirect correlation to the business ownerrsquoswillingness to learn grow and getuncomfortable doing new things in theirbusiness

NOW IS YOURTIME TO BE BOLDBy Hamish Conway

maxiom6 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | BUSINESS

Smart Company Magazine | 7maxiom

So what does this have to dowith business

Business Owners get thetechnical aspects of what theylsquoshouldrsquo be doing but if they arenot taking action then it is usuallybecause they have a FEARabout what might happen if theydo

The voice of Fear kicks in sayingldquoif I put my prices up then all mycustomers will go if I ask mysupplier for a better deal theyrsquollcut the supplyrdquo Nine times out often the fear of what businessowners think might go wrongnever will

Herersquos what to do toovercome that voice of FEAR(False ExpectationsAppearing Real)

1 Get educated Often fearcomes about because of

a lack of knowledge inhow to do somethingRead up go to a seminartalk to those who havedone it before and getsome new perspective

2 Be BOLD- Step up Getuncomfortable turn downthat voice of fear and takeaction Once you makethe leap often theanswers appear

Many of the most fearfulpeople at the top of theabseil were also the mostexcited people at thebottom Taking action inthe face of fear is whatcourage is about

Four Areas for You To BeBold in Your Business

1 With Yourself - Writedown one thing that you

know if you took action onit would increase yourconfidence in yourselfEg Learn somethingnew develop a new skillmeet someone new

2 Your Customers - Writedown one thing if you tookon with dealing with yourcustomers that wouldmake you uncomfortablebut would be great forbusiness Eg Fire acustomer put your pricesup have a conversationabout how you can helpthem more

3 Your Team - Write downone thing yoursquove beenputting off in dealing withyour team Setting clearobjectives and holdingthem accountable firingsomeone Take on thatchallenge

4 Your Suppliers - Writedown one thing that wouldbe good for your businessand your bottom lineyoursquove been putting offwith your suppliers

Eg ask for a discountask for marketing supporthave a tough conversationabout changing ask forbetter service

Take on these 4 actions in thenext week and notice yourconfidence soar and Irsquoll so betyour bank balance

You have one shot at life andtherersquos no time for being timid inbusiness Now is your time

Step up and BE BOLD by takingon those actions that yoursquove beenputting off

You know that doing them willmake a huge difference for yourbusiness

maxiom8 | Smart Company Magazine

Hamish Conway

Hamish Conway is a former EYYoung Entrepreneur of the YearAward winner and BusinessPerformance Consultant at WHKBusiness Performance

WHK Business Performance is adivision of WHK (the fifth largestaccounting and advisory firm inAustralasia) where they helpAmbitious Business Owners and

Smart | BUSINESS

Entrepreneurs Get Clarity NewSkills Experts Guidance andResults

For more information visitwwwbusinessperformanceconz

or contact Hamish Conway on04 384-4161

email hamishconwaywhkconz

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 9

The Bait Trail

Many people travelling to Europefrom this part of the world are alittle taken aback by severe facesworn by middle aged and elderlyDutch and German men (Forsome reason this does not applyto the women - and no I amnot just saying that to cover mybehind in the unlikely event thatmy German wife reads this)

Whereas itrsquos easy to spot anAmerican in Europe (baseballcap camera and a smile)a Frenchman (beret garlicand ignores you) a Brit (plaidsports jacket shorts sandalsand socks) or even a Russian(always looking like they areplotting something) spotting thedifference between the Dutchand Germans was a mysteryto me until my most recentEuropean visit last monthHow do you tell the differencebetween the Dutch and theGerman men

With apologies to all my maleGerman friends itrsquos simple olderDutch men walk around looking

like someone just died whereasolder German men walk aroundlooking like someone is justabout to die I concede that thisdifference can be subtle but itrsquosdefinitely there

And furthermore some of theolder German men have ahappy knack of looking like theimpending death is their ownpersonal responsibility Talkabout grim

This is I have concluded howthe brothers Grimm cameup with their name From amarketing perspective the nameis stroke of pure genius in thatit must have created instantempathy with tens of millionsof Germans ldquoGrimm Wowamazing hellip thatrsquos how I feel allthe time I better listen uprdquoAnyhow get on to the point ofthe article Tom

Okay herersquos the Grimm brotherrsquosstory which illustrates the keymarketing strategy that Irsquomwriting about Hansel and Gretelgot to the wicked witches house

via a ldquoBait Trailrdquo They picked upa sweet and then saw anotherone and picked that up and soon until they were led to therather unlikely house made oflollies and owned by a witch witha big cauldron

The latter had presumably playedhost to many such young kidspreviously (The very fact that thebrothers Grimm reckoned thiswas a suitable tale to tell childrenmust have given Freud andothers years of material to workwith)

So how does that apply to copywriting and marketing I hear youAsk

By way of explanation at the80-20 Center we teach the needfor business owners to createfour levels of ldquovalue deliveryrdquoaka productservice And at abig picture level those four levelsillustrate the broad principle ofthe Bait Trail very well

Level One contains all the FreeAdded Value (FAV) productsservices special reports ezines

HOW TO GENTLY ANDNATURALLY ATTRACTPROSPECTS AND TURNTHEM INTO CLIENTSBy Tom Poland

maxiom10 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Smart Company Magazine | 11maxiom

samples initial meeting quizzestalks webinars trial periods testdrives check ups etc

Level Two consists of EasyEntry Products (EEP) these aredesigned to make it easy for aprospect to become a client iethey must now pay some moneyhoney Not a lot of moneycompared to our main productsservices but enough so they nowhave some ldquoskin in the gamerdquo

Getting someone to part withtheir hard earned regardless ofhow little is the only valid test ofwhether your value proposition isworking Until yoursquove got somemoney yoursquove got nothing

Level Three has all of your CoreOffering Products (COP) and itrsquoswhere you want your clients toend up

Level Four are ldquoSpin OffProductsrdquo (SOP) and at the startof a business you probably willnot know what they are going tolook like and therersquos no need toplan for them because they willmake themselves apparent in

the form of client requests Theyare often high priced and morecustomized versions of LevelThree but can also end up asadditional Level Three productsServices

So many people donrsquot have thefirst two levels and those twolevels are the start of the criticallyimportant Bait Trail

Itrsquos a game of patience andseduction Level One productsshould be thrown around yourmarketing universe like confetti ata wedding you aim at your targetmarketing (bride and groom) butother than that you chuck themout indiscriminately and in aslarge amounts as humanlypossible

So have a think about yourproductsservices Do you have aBait Trail or are you simply sittingin your lolly house buried deepin an enchanted forest forlornlyhoping that clients will stumbleupon your genius productsservices

Worth thinking about

Other uses of the Bait TrailPrinciple

We vastly overestimate theability of our clients to processdata The conscious mind canhold one thought at a time Thatmeans that anything more thanone thought at a time requiresus to actually think Thatrsquos whenthe frowns start Thatrsquos when wethink ldquoIrsquoll get to that laterrdquo

For example Irsquove discoveredthat the all-time (currently) bestway to get visitors to a websiteto give their contact details is tooffer them a quiz

But rather than say up frontldquohey give us your contactdetails take our quiz and wersquollalso sign you up for our greatezinerdquo it works better if we ldquoBaitTrailrdquo it

So the visitor clicks on the niceshiny ldquotake the quizrdquo button(without having to enter theircontact details at this stage)then they get taken to the quizpage and answer the questions

Then a screen pops up and saysldquoHey congratulations for takingthe challenge hellip wersquoll emailyour results to you right awayhellip simply pop your details in thenice box below and as a bonusyoursquoll also get our great monthlyezine full of great tips on how to[xyz]]rdquo

Note that the visitor was notconfronted up front with havingto give contact details inexchange for the quiz and theoffer of the ezine

It was laid out in a step by stepsequence that was carefullyconstructed to maximise thelikelihood of getting their contactdetails

Another example

This week I sent out an invite toa free online seminar Based onpast experience over 100 peoplewill register and 50 will actuallyshow up (a prerequisite forsuccess) At the event Irsquoll providea lot of valuable information andoffer attendees a ldquoDiscoveryCallrdquo if they are interested in theoffer that I will make at the end

A handful will request that calland when we conduct it Irsquoll findout if I can help them achievetheir business goals and mostwill become a client on my 4month program and one or twowill graduate from that programand become clients for yearsThe latter is what I really want

But notice how many steps therewere in the Bait Trail Emailinvite attend webinar haveDiscovery Call complete shortterm course become long termclient

So have a think about breakingdown each of your goals andeach marketing process intosmall Bait Trail steps It takepatience and a little persistencebut my oh my it pays offhandsomely

maxiom12 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Tom Poland

Tom Poland is the founder of theBusiness Ownersrsquo Marketing Brief(the BOMB) the must readmarketing publication for allbusiness owners andentrepreneurs

Tom is a serial entrepreneur andthe founder and director of 80-20Center and shows businessowners and business coacheshow to ldquoget more clients makemore money and have more funrdquo

www8020Centercom

Email Tom8020centercom

Smart Company Magazine | 9

maxiom14 | Smart Company Magazine

Imagine you are driving to animportant meeting and you are 5minutes early Then all of asudden out of the blue the carstarts to splutter and choke Youcoast to the side of the road asthe car loses all power

Confused you call the AA tocome and fix your car

lsquoGood news sirrsquo he says You arejust out of petrol ndash I can give youenough to get to a petrol pump

Now 10 minutes late for your bigmeeting you detour your journeyat speed towards a petrol stationwhen a police car pulls you over

lsquoDo you know how fast you weregoing The officer asks

lsquoNo idearsquo you respond

lsquoWell you were going 75 in a50kph zone that will be a $200fine and 100 demerit points onyour license and I see youalready have 200 demerit pointsso that will probably cost youyour license toorsquo

Now you are 30 minutes late forthe big meeting with a lighterwallet and heading to court

You drive off again extra slowly tofill the tank and the car starts tosplutter again

As call the AA guy again youknow petrol cannot be theproblem

Another 15 minutes later AA mantells you the car is overheatingbecause you donrsquot have enoughoil or water in the engine

lsquoDidnrsquot the indicators tell you thecar was getting hotrsquo He asks

Your Problem Has beenIdentified

You car does NOT have anyindicators No speedometer notemperature gauge no fuelgauge No feedback from thekey performance indicators ofyour car

No indicators means no warningsignals as you run out of petrolover heat or drive too fast Youhave now missed your bigmeeting and a potentially hugesale but that is just the tip of theice-berg The lack of indicatorsis starting to cost you timemoney and ultimately freedom

You decide to sell this stupid carwith no indicators to avoidsimilar disastersBut the first question theprospective buyers asks is lsquohowmany kilometers does the carhave on the clockrsquo

Because you have no indicatorsyou cannot tell him and he walksaway

Vital Feedback

Now letrsquos imagine you were ableto install a dashboard thatshowed you speed revs petrollevels engine temperature andmileage

Instantly you have a valuableuseful car with the feedback toolsto avoid danger and ensureperformance

Your marketing is like a car Todrive safely and with optimalperformance you MUST havefeedback from the keyperformance indicators

No feedback means no control

Herersquos the most important lesson known by the super rich hellipbut seldomused by anyone else

SHOW METHE MONEYBy Richard Petrie

Smart | MARKETING

Smart Company Magazine | 15maxiom

Where The Rubber Meets TheRoad

I personally hate anything to dowith mathematics other thancounting money

But in 8 years of working withclients I know that the ones whomake the most money and wealthknow their numbers inside out

I often get asked questions of methat cannot be answeredintelligently without the numbersFor example ldquoMy yellow pagesad works pretty good The Yellowpages rep is urging me toincrease from quarter page tohalf page Should Irdquo

My questions have to do withwhat lsquopretty goodrsquo really is

1 What is the cost per lead(CPL) from the ad (Totalcost divided by thenumber of lead your adgenerated)

This is the money spent to get theprospect to raise their hand So ifyou spend $1000 a month andget 10 people call you or go toyour website then your CPL is$100 from that media

2 What is the cost per sale(CPS) from the ad (Totalcost divided by the

number of clients yourmarketing exercisegenerated)

This is a truly critical number thattells you the cost of acquiringeach new customer

1 What us the lifetimecustomer value (LCV) fromthe ad

This allows you to measure thetotal value of each new clientThis number also helps you getreal about the cost of losing eachclient and helps you determinewhat you are will to invest toacquire and keep them

2 How do these valuescompare with other CPLCPS and LCV from theother means you use to getcustomers

Thatrsquos just he beginning but ifyou canrsquot at least tell me those Icannot tell you whether toincrease decrease of eliminateyour yellow pages ad all together

Once you know these numbersyou then have a MA-CPS amaximum allowable CPS andyou work at getting as many newways of bringing in customers aspossible to perform at or belowthat number

Hardly any business ownerknows these numbers althoughmany think they do Just as a carwith no indicators is troublewaiting to happen so too is abusiness

If you are buying ad media orinvesting in marketing withouttracking the numbers on adashboard then you arenrsquotmanaging your business

You are guessing your business

Richard PetrieRichard is author of the book thePersuasion Equation writes onhis web sitewwwspeedmarketingconz anddevelops research backed salesprocesses to increaseconversion

If you have a question commentor want to reach Richard he isavailable atRichardspeedmarketingconz

HOW TO RUN YOUROWN PUBLICITYCAMPAIGN - IN FIVEEASY LESSONS By Jules Brooke

LESSON 4

Pitching Your Story

Here is a great example

Hi Todd Check out theseawesome new video cameragoggles now available in NewZealand and Australia Skiers ampsnowboarders are seriouslygoing to love them Please letme know if yoursquod like tofeaturereview them and requirehi-res images or would like touse them somehow

You can see them in herehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=WqLGS9CeBt0

Then you embed your mediarelease into the email If itrsquos nottoo large a file you might alsolike to attach it Copying andpasting it into your email meansthere is one less hoop for thejourno or producer to jumpthrough Itrsquos important to makesure your contact details are onthe release We like to put aphoto of the item up the top to ofthe release so it is the next thingthey see

Before you actually send it to thefirst media person send it toyourself and a friend Make sureit comes through looking goodbut isnrsquot a huge file The imageson your release should be lowresolution Keep hi-res versionsof the images on hand in casethey are asked for Once you arehappy with how it looks andappears in your own inbox youcan start sending to everyone onyour list

A few things to remember If youare forwarding the email pitchremember to delete the ldquoFwdrdquofrom your subject line whensending to the next person

Also remember to change thename of the person you aresending to If you are sending toa general news desk just writeGood morning or Goodafternoon You may find you geta few of the media come back toyou immediately with requestsfor images or samples orinterviews

Others will take a few days to getto it so donrsquot despair if you donrsquothear anything straight away

Finally it is very important tokeep track of what you have sentout If yoursquove bought one of ourCSV files we recommendsaving it as an Excel file andadding a lsquocommentsrsquo columnWhenever you send someone anemail or get a response keep arecord of it in the relevant cell

So what are you waiting for Goand pitch your story today

16 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | MARKETING

Handle Your Own PRDIY PR for New ZealandBusiness

wwwhandleyourownprcomau(AuNZ)wwwhandleyourownprcom(USA)wwwhandleyourownprcouk(UK)

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 17

A great way to be seenHow else will your Potential Clients Find You

Group of Companiesmaxiom

Advertising Tailored To Your Requirements

18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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Smart Company Magazine | 7maxiom

So what does this have to dowith business

Business Owners get thetechnical aspects of what theylsquoshouldrsquo be doing but if they arenot taking action then it is usuallybecause they have a FEARabout what might happen if theydo

The voice of Fear kicks in sayingldquoif I put my prices up then all mycustomers will go if I ask mysupplier for a better deal theyrsquollcut the supplyrdquo Nine times out often the fear of what businessowners think might go wrongnever will

Herersquos what to do toovercome that voice of FEAR(False ExpectationsAppearing Real)

1 Get educated Often fearcomes about because of

a lack of knowledge inhow to do somethingRead up go to a seminartalk to those who havedone it before and getsome new perspective

2 Be BOLD- Step up Getuncomfortable turn downthat voice of fear and takeaction Once you makethe leap often theanswers appear

Many of the most fearfulpeople at the top of theabseil were also the mostexcited people at thebottom Taking action inthe face of fear is whatcourage is about

Four Areas for You To BeBold in Your Business

1 With Yourself - Writedown one thing that you

know if you took action onit would increase yourconfidence in yourselfEg Learn somethingnew develop a new skillmeet someone new

2 Your Customers - Writedown one thing if you tookon with dealing with yourcustomers that wouldmake you uncomfortablebut would be great forbusiness Eg Fire acustomer put your pricesup have a conversationabout how you can helpthem more

3 Your Team - Write downone thing yoursquove beenputting off in dealing withyour team Setting clearobjectives and holdingthem accountable firingsomeone Take on thatchallenge

4 Your Suppliers - Writedown one thing that wouldbe good for your businessand your bottom lineyoursquove been putting offwith your suppliers

Eg ask for a discountask for marketing supporthave a tough conversationabout changing ask forbetter service

Take on these 4 actions in thenext week and notice yourconfidence soar and Irsquoll so betyour bank balance

You have one shot at life andtherersquos no time for being timid inbusiness Now is your time

Step up and BE BOLD by takingon those actions that yoursquove beenputting off

You know that doing them willmake a huge difference for yourbusiness

maxiom8 | Smart Company Magazine

Hamish Conway

Hamish Conway is a former EYYoung Entrepreneur of the YearAward winner and BusinessPerformance Consultant at WHKBusiness Performance

WHK Business Performance is adivision of WHK (the fifth largestaccounting and advisory firm inAustralasia) where they helpAmbitious Business Owners and

Smart | BUSINESS

Entrepreneurs Get Clarity NewSkills Experts Guidance andResults

For more information visitwwwbusinessperformanceconz

or contact Hamish Conway on04 384-4161

email hamishconwaywhkconz

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 9

The Bait Trail

Many people travelling to Europefrom this part of the world are alittle taken aback by severe facesworn by middle aged and elderlyDutch and German men (Forsome reason this does not applyto the women - and no I amnot just saying that to cover mybehind in the unlikely event thatmy German wife reads this)

Whereas itrsquos easy to spot anAmerican in Europe (baseballcap camera and a smile)a Frenchman (beret garlicand ignores you) a Brit (plaidsports jacket shorts sandalsand socks) or even a Russian(always looking like they areplotting something) spotting thedifference between the Dutchand Germans was a mysteryto me until my most recentEuropean visit last monthHow do you tell the differencebetween the Dutch and theGerman men

With apologies to all my maleGerman friends itrsquos simple olderDutch men walk around looking

like someone just died whereasolder German men walk aroundlooking like someone is justabout to die I concede that thisdifference can be subtle but itrsquosdefinitely there

And furthermore some of theolder German men have ahappy knack of looking like theimpending death is their ownpersonal responsibility Talkabout grim

This is I have concluded howthe brothers Grimm cameup with their name From amarketing perspective the nameis stroke of pure genius in thatit must have created instantempathy with tens of millionsof Germans ldquoGrimm Wowamazing hellip thatrsquos how I feel allthe time I better listen uprdquoAnyhow get on to the point ofthe article Tom

Okay herersquos the Grimm brotherrsquosstory which illustrates the keymarketing strategy that Irsquomwriting about Hansel and Gretelgot to the wicked witches house

via a ldquoBait Trailrdquo They picked upa sweet and then saw anotherone and picked that up and soon until they were led to therather unlikely house made oflollies and owned by a witch witha big cauldron

The latter had presumably playedhost to many such young kidspreviously (The very fact that thebrothers Grimm reckoned thiswas a suitable tale to tell childrenmust have given Freud andothers years of material to workwith)

So how does that apply to copywriting and marketing I hear youAsk

By way of explanation at the80-20 Center we teach the needfor business owners to createfour levels of ldquovalue deliveryrdquoaka productservice And at abig picture level those four levelsillustrate the broad principle ofthe Bait Trail very well

Level One contains all the FreeAdded Value (FAV) productsservices special reports ezines

HOW TO GENTLY ANDNATURALLY ATTRACTPROSPECTS AND TURNTHEM INTO CLIENTSBy Tom Poland

maxiom10 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Smart Company Magazine | 11maxiom

samples initial meeting quizzestalks webinars trial periods testdrives check ups etc

Level Two consists of EasyEntry Products (EEP) these aredesigned to make it easy for aprospect to become a client iethey must now pay some moneyhoney Not a lot of moneycompared to our main productsservices but enough so they nowhave some ldquoskin in the gamerdquo

Getting someone to part withtheir hard earned regardless ofhow little is the only valid test ofwhether your value proposition isworking Until yoursquove got somemoney yoursquove got nothing

Level Three has all of your CoreOffering Products (COP) and itrsquoswhere you want your clients toend up

Level Four are ldquoSpin OffProductsrdquo (SOP) and at the startof a business you probably willnot know what they are going tolook like and therersquos no need toplan for them because they willmake themselves apparent in

the form of client requests Theyare often high priced and morecustomized versions of LevelThree but can also end up asadditional Level Three productsServices

So many people donrsquot have thefirst two levels and those twolevels are the start of the criticallyimportant Bait Trail

Itrsquos a game of patience andseduction Level One productsshould be thrown around yourmarketing universe like confetti ata wedding you aim at your targetmarketing (bride and groom) butother than that you chuck themout indiscriminately and in aslarge amounts as humanlypossible

So have a think about yourproductsservices Do you have aBait Trail or are you simply sittingin your lolly house buried deepin an enchanted forest forlornlyhoping that clients will stumbleupon your genius productsservices

Worth thinking about

Other uses of the Bait TrailPrinciple

We vastly overestimate theability of our clients to processdata The conscious mind canhold one thought at a time Thatmeans that anything more thanone thought at a time requiresus to actually think Thatrsquos whenthe frowns start Thatrsquos when wethink ldquoIrsquoll get to that laterrdquo

For example Irsquove discoveredthat the all-time (currently) bestway to get visitors to a websiteto give their contact details is tooffer them a quiz

But rather than say up frontldquohey give us your contactdetails take our quiz and wersquollalso sign you up for our greatezinerdquo it works better if we ldquoBaitTrailrdquo it

So the visitor clicks on the niceshiny ldquotake the quizrdquo button(without having to enter theircontact details at this stage)then they get taken to the quizpage and answer the questions

Then a screen pops up and saysldquoHey congratulations for takingthe challenge hellip wersquoll emailyour results to you right awayhellip simply pop your details in thenice box below and as a bonusyoursquoll also get our great monthlyezine full of great tips on how to[xyz]]rdquo

Note that the visitor was notconfronted up front with havingto give contact details inexchange for the quiz and theoffer of the ezine

It was laid out in a step by stepsequence that was carefullyconstructed to maximise thelikelihood of getting their contactdetails

Another example

This week I sent out an invite toa free online seminar Based onpast experience over 100 peoplewill register and 50 will actuallyshow up (a prerequisite forsuccess) At the event Irsquoll providea lot of valuable information andoffer attendees a ldquoDiscoveryCallrdquo if they are interested in theoffer that I will make at the end

A handful will request that calland when we conduct it Irsquoll findout if I can help them achievetheir business goals and mostwill become a client on my 4month program and one or twowill graduate from that programand become clients for yearsThe latter is what I really want

But notice how many steps therewere in the Bait Trail Emailinvite attend webinar haveDiscovery Call complete shortterm course become long termclient

So have a think about breakingdown each of your goals andeach marketing process intosmall Bait Trail steps It takepatience and a little persistencebut my oh my it pays offhandsomely

maxiom12 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Tom Poland

Tom Poland is the founder of theBusiness Ownersrsquo Marketing Brief(the BOMB) the must readmarketing publication for allbusiness owners andentrepreneurs

Tom is a serial entrepreneur andthe founder and director of 80-20Center and shows businessowners and business coacheshow to ldquoget more clients makemore money and have more funrdquo

www8020Centercom

Email Tom8020centercom

Smart Company Magazine | 9

maxiom14 | Smart Company Magazine

Imagine you are driving to animportant meeting and you are 5minutes early Then all of asudden out of the blue the carstarts to splutter and choke Youcoast to the side of the road asthe car loses all power

Confused you call the AA tocome and fix your car

lsquoGood news sirrsquo he says You arejust out of petrol ndash I can give youenough to get to a petrol pump

Now 10 minutes late for your bigmeeting you detour your journeyat speed towards a petrol stationwhen a police car pulls you over

lsquoDo you know how fast you weregoing The officer asks

lsquoNo idearsquo you respond

lsquoWell you were going 75 in a50kph zone that will be a $200fine and 100 demerit points onyour license and I see youalready have 200 demerit pointsso that will probably cost youyour license toorsquo

Now you are 30 minutes late forthe big meeting with a lighterwallet and heading to court

You drive off again extra slowly tofill the tank and the car starts tosplutter again

As call the AA guy again youknow petrol cannot be theproblem

Another 15 minutes later AA mantells you the car is overheatingbecause you donrsquot have enoughoil or water in the engine

lsquoDidnrsquot the indicators tell you thecar was getting hotrsquo He asks

Your Problem Has beenIdentified

You car does NOT have anyindicators No speedometer notemperature gauge no fuelgauge No feedback from thekey performance indicators ofyour car

No indicators means no warningsignals as you run out of petrolover heat or drive too fast Youhave now missed your bigmeeting and a potentially hugesale but that is just the tip of theice-berg The lack of indicatorsis starting to cost you timemoney and ultimately freedom

You decide to sell this stupid carwith no indicators to avoidsimilar disastersBut the first question theprospective buyers asks is lsquohowmany kilometers does the carhave on the clockrsquo

Because you have no indicatorsyou cannot tell him and he walksaway

Vital Feedback

Now letrsquos imagine you were ableto install a dashboard thatshowed you speed revs petrollevels engine temperature andmileage

Instantly you have a valuableuseful car with the feedback toolsto avoid danger and ensureperformance

Your marketing is like a car Todrive safely and with optimalperformance you MUST havefeedback from the keyperformance indicators

No feedback means no control

Herersquos the most important lesson known by the super rich hellipbut seldomused by anyone else

SHOW METHE MONEYBy Richard Petrie

Smart | MARKETING

Smart Company Magazine | 15maxiom

Where The Rubber Meets TheRoad

I personally hate anything to dowith mathematics other thancounting money

But in 8 years of working withclients I know that the ones whomake the most money and wealthknow their numbers inside out

I often get asked questions of methat cannot be answeredintelligently without the numbersFor example ldquoMy yellow pagesad works pretty good The Yellowpages rep is urging me toincrease from quarter page tohalf page Should Irdquo

My questions have to do withwhat lsquopretty goodrsquo really is

1 What is the cost per lead(CPL) from the ad (Totalcost divided by thenumber of lead your adgenerated)

This is the money spent to get theprospect to raise their hand So ifyou spend $1000 a month andget 10 people call you or go toyour website then your CPL is$100 from that media

2 What is the cost per sale(CPS) from the ad (Totalcost divided by the

number of clients yourmarketing exercisegenerated)

This is a truly critical number thattells you the cost of acquiringeach new customer

1 What us the lifetimecustomer value (LCV) fromthe ad

This allows you to measure thetotal value of each new clientThis number also helps you getreal about the cost of losing eachclient and helps you determinewhat you are will to invest toacquire and keep them

2 How do these valuescompare with other CPLCPS and LCV from theother means you use to getcustomers

Thatrsquos just he beginning but ifyou canrsquot at least tell me those Icannot tell you whether toincrease decrease of eliminateyour yellow pages ad all together

Once you know these numbersyou then have a MA-CPS amaximum allowable CPS andyou work at getting as many newways of bringing in customers aspossible to perform at or belowthat number

Hardly any business ownerknows these numbers althoughmany think they do Just as a carwith no indicators is troublewaiting to happen so too is abusiness

If you are buying ad media orinvesting in marketing withouttracking the numbers on adashboard then you arenrsquotmanaging your business

You are guessing your business

Richard PetrieRichard is author of the book thePersuasion Equation writes onhis web sitewwwspeedmarketingconz anddevelops research backed salesprocesses to increaseconversion

If you have a question commentor want to reach Richard he isavailable atRichardspeedmarketingconz

HOW TO RUN YOUROWN PUBLICITYCAMPAIGN - IN FIVEEASY LESSONS By Jules Brooke

LESSON 4

Pitching Your Story

Here is a great example

Hi Todd Check out theseawesome new video cameragoggles now available in NewZealand and Australia Skiers ampsnowboarders are seriouslygoing to love them Please letme know if yoursquod like tofeaturereview them and requirehi-res images or would like touse them somehow

You can see them in herehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=WqLGS9CeBt0

Then you embed your mediarelease into the email If itrsquos nottoo large a file you might alsolike to attach it Copying andpasting it into your email meansthere is one less hoop for thejourno or producer to jumpthrough Itrsquos important to makesure your contact details are onthe release We like to put aphoto of the item up the top to ofthe release so it is the next thingthey see

Before you actually send it to thefirst media person send it toyourself and a friend Make sureit comes through looking goodbut isnrsquot a huge file The imageson your release should be lowresolution Keep hi-res versionsof the images on hand in casethey are asked for Once you arehappy with how it looks andappears in your own inbox youcan start sending to everyone onyour list

A few things to remember If youare forwarding the email pitchremember to delete the ldquoFwdrdquofrom your subject line whensending to the next person

Also remember to change thename of the person you aresending to If you are sending toa general news desk just writeGood morning or Goodafternoon You may find you geta few of the media come back toyou immediately with requestsfor images or samples orinterviews

Others will take a few days to getto it so donrsquot despair if you donrsquothear anything straight away

Finally it is very important tokeep track of what you have sentout If yoursquove bought one of ourCSV files we recommendsaving it as an Excel file andadding a lsquocommentsrsquo columnWhenever you send someone anemail or get a response keep arecord of it in the relevant cell

So what are you waiting for Goand pitch your story today

16 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | MARKETING

Handle Your Own PRDIY PR for New ZealandBusiness

wwwhandleyourownprcomau(AuNZ)wwwhandleyourownprcom(USA)wwwhandleyourownprcouk(UK)

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 17

A great way to be seenHow else will your Potential Clients Find You

Group of Companiesmaxiom

Advertising Tailored To Your Requirements

18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

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4 Your Suppliers - Writedown one thing that wouldbe good for your businessand your bottom lineyoursquove been putting offwith your suppliers

Eg ask for a discountask for marketing supporthave a tough conversationabout changing ask forbetter service

Take on these 4 actions in thenext week and notice yourconfidence soar and Irsquoll so betyour bank balance

You have one shot at life andtherersquos no time for being timid inbusiness Now is your time

Step up and BE BOLD by takingon those actions that yoursquove beenputting off

You know that doing them willmake a huge difference for yourbusiness

maxiom8 | Smart Company Magazine

Hamish Conway

Hamish Conway is a former EYYoung Entrepreneur of the YearAward winner and BusinessPerformance Consultant at WHKBusiness Performance

WHK Business Performance is adivision of WHK (the fifth largestaccounting and advisory firm inAustralasia) where they helpAmbitious Business Owners and

Smart | BUSINESS

Entrepreneurs Get Clarity NewSkills Experts Guidance andResults

For more information visitwwwbusinessperformanceconz

or contact Hamish Conway on04 384-4161

email hamishconwaywhkconz

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 9

The Bait Trail

Many people travelling to Europefrom this part of the world are alittle taken aback by severe facesworn by middle aged and elderlyDutch and German men (Forsome reason this does not applyto the women - and no I amnot just saying that to cover mybehind in the unlikely event thatmy German wife reads this)

Whereas itrsquos easy to spot anAmerican in Europe (baseballcap camera and a smile)a Frenchman (beret garlicand ignores you) a Brit (plaidsports jacket shorts sandalsand socks) or even a Russian(always looking like they areplotting something) spotting thedifference between the Dutchand Germans was a mysteryto me until my most recentEuropean visit last monthHow do you tell the differencebetween the Dutch and theGerman men

With apologies to all my maleGerman friends itrsquos simple olderDutch men walk around looking

like someone just died whereasolder German men walk aroundlooking like someone is justabout to die I concede that thisdifference can be subtle but itrsquosdefinitely there

And furthermore some of theolder German men have ahappy knack of looking like theimpending death is their ownpersonal responsibility Talkabout grim

This is I have concluded howthe brothers Grimm cameup with their name From amarketing perspective the nameis stroke of pure genius in thatit must have created instantempathy with tens of millionsof Germans ldquoGrimm Wowamazing hellip thatrsquos how I feel allthe time I better listen uprdquoAnyhow get on to the point ofthe article Tom

Okay herersquos the Grimm brotherrsquosstory which illustrates the keymarketing strategy that Irsquomwriting about Hansel and Gretelgot to the wicked witches house

via a ldquoBait Trailrdquo They picked upa sweet and then saw anotherone and picked that up and soon until they were led to therather unlikely house made oflollies and owned by a witch witha big cauldron

The latter had presumably playedhost to many such young kidspreviously (The very fact that thebrothers Grimm reckoned thiswas a suitable tale to tell childrenmust have given Freud andothers years of material to workwith)

So how does that apply to copywriting and marketing I hear youAsk

By way of explanation at the80-20 Center we teach the needfor business owners to createfour levels of ldquovalue deliveryrdquoaka productservice And at abig picture level those four levelsillustrate the broad principle ofthe Bait Trail very well

Level One contains all the FreeAdded Value (FAV) productsservices special reports ezines

HOW TO GENTLY ANDNATURALLY ATTRACTPROSPECTS AND TURNTHEM INTO CLIENTSBy Tom Poland

maxiom10 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Smart Company Magazine | 11maxiom

samples initial meeting quizzestalks webinars trial periods testdrives check ups etc

Level Two consists of EasyEntry Products (EEP) these aredesigned to make it easy for aprospect to become a client iethey must now pay some moneyhoney Not a lot of moneycompared to our main productsservices but enough so they nowhave some ldquoskin in the gamerdquo

Getting someone to part withtheir hard earned regardless ofhow little is the only valid test ofwhether your value proposition isworking Until yoursquove got somemoney yoursquove got nothing

Level Three has all of your CoreOffering Products (COP) and itrsquoswhere you want your clients toend up

Level Four are ldquoSpin OffProductsrdquo (SOP) and at the startof a business you probably willnot know what they are going tolook like and therersquos no need toplan for them because they willmake themselves apparent in

the form of client requests Theyare often high priced and morecustomized versions of LevelThree but can also end up asadditional Level Three productsServices

So many people donrsquot have thefirst two levels and those twolevels are the start of the criticallyimportant Bait Trail

Itrsquos a game of patience andseduction Level One productsshould be thrown around yourmarketing universe like confetti ata wedding you aim at your targetmarketing (bride and groom) butother than that you chuck themout indiscriminately and in aslarge amounts as humanlypossible

So have a think about yourproductsservices Do you have aBait Trail or are you simply sittingin your lolly house buried deepin an enchanted forest forlornlyhoping that clients will stumbleupon your genius productsservices

Worth thinking about

Other uses of the Bait TrailPrinciple

We vastly overestimate theability of our clients to processdata The conscious mind canhold one thought at a time Thatmeans that anything more thanone thought at a time requiresus to actually think Thatrsquos whenthe frowns start Thatrsquos when wethink ldquoIrsquoll get to that laterrdquo

For example Irsquove discoveredthat the all-time (currently) bestway to get visitors to a websiteto give their contact details is tooffer them a quiz

But rather than say up frontldquohey give us your contactdetails take our quiz and wersquollalso sign you up for our greatezinerdquo it works better if we ldquoBaitTrailrdquo it

So the visitor clicks on the niceshiny ldquotake the quizrdquo button(without having to enter theircontact details at this stage)then they get taken to the quizpage and answer the questions

Then a screen pops up and saysldquoHey congratulations for takingthe challenge hellip wersquoll emailyour results to you right awayhellip simply pop your details in thenice box below and as a bonusyoursquoll also get our great monthlyezine full of great tips on how to[xyz]]rdquo

Note that the visitor was notconfronted up front with havingto give contact details inexchange for the quiz and theoffer of the ezine

It was laid out in a step by stepsequence that was carefullyconstructed to maximise thelikelihood of getting their contactdetails

Another example

This week I sent out an invite toa free online seminar Based onpast experience over 100 peoplewill register and 50 will actuallyshow up (a prerequisite forsuccess) At the event Irsquoll providea lot of valuable information andoffer attendees a ldquoDiscoveryCallrdquo if they are interested in theoffer that I will make at the end

A handful will request that calland when we conduct it Irsquoll findout if I can help them achievetheir business goals and mostwill become a client on my 4month program and one or twowill graduate from that programand become clients for yearsThe latter is what I really want

But notice how many steps therewere in the Bait Trail Emailinvite attend webinar haveDiscovery Call complete shortterm course become long termclient

So have a think about breakingdown each of your goals andeach marketing process intosmall Bait Trail steps It takepatience and a little persistencebut my oh my it pays offhandsomely

maxiom12 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Tom Poland

Tom Poland is the founder of theBusiness Ownersrsquo Marketing Brief(the BOMB) the must readmarketing publication for allbusiness owners andentrepreneurs

Tom is a serial entrepreneur andthe founder and director of 80-20Center and shows businessowners and business coacheshow to ldquoget more clients makemore money and have more funrdquo

www8020Centercom

Email Tom8020centercom

Smart Company Magazine | 9

maxiom14 | Smart Company Magazine

Imagine you are driving to animportant meeting and you are 5minutes early Then all of asudden out of the blue the carstarts to splutter and choke Youcoast to the side of the road asthe car loses all power

Confused you call the AA tocome and fix your car

lsquoGood news sirrsquo he says You arejust out of petrol ndash I can give youenough to get to a petrol pump

Now 10 minutes late for your bigmeeting you detour your journeyat speed towards a petrol stationwhen a police car pulls you over

lsquoDo you know how fast you weregoing The officer asks

lsquoNo idearsquo you respond

lsquoWell you were going 75 in a50kph zone that will be a $200fine and 100 demerit points onyour license and I see youalready have 200 demerit pointsso that will probably cost youyour license toorsquo

Now you are 30 minutes late forthe big meeting with a lighterwallet and heading to court

You drive off again extra slowly tofill the tank and the car starts tosplutter again

As call the AA guy again youknow petrol cannot be theproblem

Another 15 minutes later AA mantells you the car is overheatingbecause you donrsquot have enoughoil or water in the engine

lsquoDidnrsquot the indicators tell you thecar was getting hotrsquo He asks

Your Problem Has beenIdentified

You car does NOT have anyindicators No speedometer notemperature gauge no fuelgauge No feedback from thekey performance indicators ofyour car

No indicators means no warningsignals as you run out of petrolover heat or drive too fast Youhave now missed your bigmeeting and a potentially hugesale but that is just the tip of theice-berg The lack of indicatorsis starting to cost you timemoney and ultimately freedom

You decide to sell this stupid carwith no indicators to avoidsimilar disastersBut the first question theprospective buyers asks is lsquohowmany kilometers does the carhave on the clockrsquo

Because you have no indicatorsyou cannot tell him and he walksaway

Vital Feedback

Now letrsquos imagine you were ableto install a dashboard thatshowed you speed revs petrollevels engine temperature andmileage

Instantly you have a valuableuseful car with the feedback toolsto avoid danger and ensureperformance

Your marketing is like a car Todrive safely and with optimalperformance you MUST havefeedback from the keyperformance indicators

No feedback means no control

Herersquos the most important lesson known by the super rich hellipbut seldomused by anyone else

SHOW METHE MONEYBy Richard Petrie

Smart | MARKETING

Smart Company Magazine | 15maxiom

Where The Rubber Meets TheRoad

I personally hate anything to dowith mathematics other thancounting money

But in 8 years of working withclients I know that the ones whomake the most money and wealthknow their numbers inside out

I often get asked questions of methat cannot be answeredintelligently without the numbersFor example ldquoMy yellow pagesad works pretty good The Yellowpages rep is urging me toincrease from quarter page tohalf page Should Irdquo

My questions have to do withwhat lsquopretty goodrsquo really is

1 What is the cost per lead(CPL) from the ad (Totalcost divided by thenumber of lead your adgenerated)

This is the money spent to get theprospect to raise their hand So ifyou spend $1000 a month andget 10 people call you or go toyour website then your CPL is$100 from that media

2 What is the cost per sale(CPS) from the ad (Totalcost divided by the

number of clients yourmarketing exercisegenerated)

This is a truly critical number thattells you the cost of acquiringeach new customer

1 What us the lifetimecustomer value (LCV) fromthe ad

This allows you to measure thetotal value of each new clientThis number also helps you getreal about the cost of losing eachclient and helps you determinewhat you are will to invest toacquire and keep them

2 How do these valuescompare with other CPLCPS and LCV from theother means you use to getcustomers

Thatrsquos just he beginning but ifyou canrsquot at least tell me those Icannot tell you whether toincrease decrease of eliminateyour yellow pages ad all together

Once you know these numbersyou then have a MA-CPS amaximum allowable CPS andyou work at getting as many newways of bringing in customers aspossible to perform at or belowthat number

Hardly any business ownerknows these numbers althoughmany think they do Just as a carwith no indicators is troublewaiting to happen so too is abusiness

If you are buying ad media orinvesting in marketing withouttracking the numbers on adashboard then you arenrsquotmanaging your business

You are guessing your business

Richard PetrieRichard is author of the book thePersuasion Equation writes onhis web sitewwwspeedmarketingconz anddevelops research backed salesprocesses to increaseconversion

If you have a question commentor want to reach Richard he isavailable atRichardspeedmarketingconz

HOW TO RUN YOUROWN PUBLICITYCAMPAIGN - IN FIVEEASY LESSONS By Jules Brooke

LESSON 4

Pitching Your Story

Here is a great example

Hi Todd Check out theseawesome new video cameragoggles now available in NewZealand and Australia Skiers ampsnowboarders are seriouslygoing to love them Please letme know if yoursquod like tofeaturereview them and requirehi-res images or would like touse them somehow

You can see them in herehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=WqLGS9CeBt0

Then you embed your mediarelease into the email If itrsquos nottoo large a file you might alsolike to attach it Copying andpasting it into your email meansthere is one less hoop for thejourno or producer to jumpthrough Itrsquos important to makesure your contact details are onthe release We like to put aphoto of the item up the top to ofthe release so it is the next thingthey see

Before you actually send it to thefirst media person send it toyourself and a friend Make sureit comes through looking goodbut isnrsquot a huge file The imageson your release should be lowresolution Keep hi-res versionsof the images on hand in casethey are asked for Once you arehappy with how it looks andappears in your own inbox youcan start sending to everyone onyour list

A few things to remember If youare forwarding the email pitchremember to delete the ldquoFwdrdquofrom your subject line whensending to the next person

Also remember to change thename of the person you aresending to If you are sending toa general news desk just writeGood morning or Goodafternoon You may find you geta few of the media come back toyou immediately with requestsfor images or samples orinterviews

Others will take a few days to getto it so donrsquot despair if you donrsquothear anything straight away

Finally it is very important tokeep track of what you have sentout If yoursquove bought one of ourCSV files we recommendsaving it as an Excel file andadding a lsquocommentsrsquo columnWhenever you send someone anemail or get a response keep arecord of it in the relevant cell

So what are you waiting for Goand pitch your story today

16 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | MARKETING

Handle Your Own PRDIY PR for New ZealandBusiness

wwwhandleyourownprcomau(AuNZ)wwwhandleyourownprcom(USA)wwwhandleyourownprcouk(UK)

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 17

A great way to be seenHow else will your Potential Clients Find You

Group of Companiesmaxiom

Advertising Tailored To Your Requirements

18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

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Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

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maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 9

The Bait Trail

Many people travelling to Europefrom this part of the world are alittle taken aback by severe facesworn by middle aged and elderlyDutch and German men (Forsome reason this does not applyto the women - and no I amnot just saying that to cover mybehind in the unlikely event thatmy German wife reads this)

Whereas itrsquos easy to spot anAmerican in Europe (baseballcap camera and a smile)a Frenchman (beret garlicand ignores you) a Brit (plaidsports jacket shorts sandalsand socks) or even a Russian(always looking like they areplotting something) spotting thedifference between the Dutchand Germans was a mysteryto me until my most recentEuropean visit last monthHow do you tell the differencebetween the Dutch and theGerman men

With apologies to all my maleGerman friends itrsquos simple olderDutch men walk around looking

like someone just died whereasolder German men walk aroundlooking like someone is justabout to die I concede that thisdifference can be subtle but itrsquosdefinitely there

And furthermore some of theolder German men have ahappy knack of looking like theimpending death is their ownpersonal responsibility Talkabout grim

This is I have concluded howthe brothers Grimm cameup with their name From amarketing perspective the nameis stroke of pure genius in thatit must have created instantempathy with tens of millionsof Germans ldquoGrimm Wowamazing hellip thatrsquos how I feel allthe time I better listen uprdquoAnyhow get on to the point ofthe article Tom

Okay herersquos the Grimm brotherrsquosstory which illustrates the keymarketing strategy that Irsquomwriting about Hansel and Gretelgot to the wicked witches house

via a ldquoBait Trailrdquo They picked upa sweet and then saw anotherone and picked that up and soon until they were led to therather unlikely house made oflollies and owned by a witch witha big cauldron

The latter had presumably playedhost to many such young kidspreviously (The very fact that thebrothers Grimm reckoned thiswas a suitable tale to tell childrenmust have given Freud andothers years of material to workwith)

So how does that apply to copywriting and marketing I hear youAsk

By way of explanation at the80-20 Center we teach the needfor business owners to createfour levels of ldquovalue deliveryrdquoaka productservice And at abig picture level those four levelsillustrate the broad principle ofthe Bait Trail very well

Level One contains all the FreeAdded Value (FAV) productsservices special reports ezines

HOW TO GENTLY ANDNATURALLY ATTRACTPROSPECTS AND TURNTHEM INTO CLIENTSBy Tom Poland

maxiom10 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Smart Company Magazine | 11maxiom

samples initial meeting quizzestalks webinars trial periods testdrives check ups etc

Level Two consists of EasyEntry Products (EEP) these aredesigned to make it easy for aprospect to become a client iethey must now pay some moneyhoney Not a lot of moneycompared to our main productsservices but enough so they nowhave some ldquoskin in the gamerdquo

Getting someone to part withtheir hard earned regardless ofhow little is the only valid test ofwhether your value proposition isworking Until yoursquove got somemoney yoursquove got nothing

Level Three has all of your CoreOffering Products (COP) and itrsquoswhere you want your clients toend up

Level Four are ldquoSpin OffProductsrdquo (SOP) and at the startof a business you probably willnot know what they are going tolook like and therersquos no need toplan for them because they willmake themselves apparent in

the form of client requests Theyare often high priced and morecustomized versions of LevelThree but can also end up asadditional Level Three productsServices

So many people donrsquot have thefirst two levels and those twolevels are the start of the criticallyimportant Bait Trail

Itrsquos a game of patience andseduction Level One productsshould be thrown around yourmarketing universe like confetti ata wedding you aim at your targetmarketing (bride and groom) butother than that you chuck themout indiscriminately and in aslarge amounts as humanlypossible

So have a think about yourproductsservices Do you have aBait Trail or are you simply sittingin your lolly house buried deepin an enchanted forest forlornlyhoping that clients will stumbleupon your genius productsservices

Worth thinking about

Other uses of the Bait TrailPrinciple

We vastly overestimate theability of our clients to processdata The conscious mind canhold one thought at a time Thatmeans that anything more thanone thought at a time requiresus to actually think Thatrsquos whenthe frowns start Thatrsquos when wethink ldquoIrsquoll get to that laterrdquo

For example Irsquove discoveredthat the all-time (currently) bestway to get visitors to a websiteto give their contact details is tooffer them a quiz

But rather than say up frontldquohey give us your contactdetails take our quiz and wersquollalso sign you up for our greatezinerdquo it works better if we ldquoBaitTrailrdquo it

So the visitor clicks on the niceshiny ldquotake the quizrdquo button(without having to enter theircontact details at this stage)then they get taken to the quizpage and answer the questions

Then a screen pops up and saysldquoHey congratulations for takingthe challenge hellip wersquoll emailyour results to you right awayhellip simply pop your details in thenice box below and as a bonusyoursquoll also get our great monthlyezine full of great tips on how to[xyz]]rdquo

Note that the visitor was notconfronted up front with havingto give contact details inexchange for the quiz and theoffer of the ezine

It was laid out in a step by stepsequence that was carefullyconstructed to maximise thelikelihood of getting their contactdetails

Another example

This week I sent out an invite toa free online seminar Based onpast experience over 100 peoplewill register and 50 will actuallyshow up (a prerequisite forsuccess) At the event Irsquoll providea lot of valuable information andoffer attendees a ldquoDiscoveryCallrdquo if they are interested in theoffer that I will make at the end

A handful will request that calland when we conduct it Irsquoll findout if I can help them achievetheir business goals and mostwill become a client on my 4month program and one or twowill graduate from that programand become clients for yearsThe latter is what I really want

But notice how many steps therewere in the Bait Trail Emailinvite attend webinar haveDiscovery Call complete shortterm course become long termclient

So have a think about breakingdown each of your goals andeach marketing process intosmall Bait Trail steps It takepatience and a little persistencebut my oh my it pays offhandsomely

maxiom12 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Tom Poland

Tom Poland is the founder of theBusiness Ownersrsquo Marketing Brief(the BOMB) the must readmarketing publication for allbusiness owners andentrepreneurs

Tom is a serial entrepreneur andthe founder and director of 80-20Center and shows businessowners and business coacheshow to ldquoget more clients makemore money and have more funrdquo

www8020Centercom

Email Tom8020centercom

Smart Company Magazine | 9

maxiom14 | Smart Company Magazine

Imagine you are driving to animportant meeting and you are 5minutes early Then all of asudden out of the blue the carstarts to splutter and choke Youcoast to the side of the road asthe car loses all power

Confused you call the AA tocome and fix your car

lsquoGood news sirrsquo he says You arejust out of petrol ndash I can give youenough to get to a petrol pump

Now 10 minutes late for your bigmeeting you detour your journeyat speed towards a petrol stationwhen a police car pulls you over

lsquoDo you know how fast you weregoing The officer asks

lsquoNo idearsquo you respond

lsquoWell you were going 75 in a50kph zone that will be a $200fine and 100 demerit points onyour license and I see youalready have 200 demerit pointsso that will probably cost youyour license toorsquo

Now you are 30 minutes late forthe big meeting with a lighterwallet and heading to court

You drive off again extra slowly tofill the tank and the car starts tosplutter again

As call the AA guy again youknow petrol cannot be theproblem

Another 15 minutes later AA mantells you the car is overheatingbecause you donrsquot have enoughoil or water in the engine

lsquoDidnrsquot the indicators tell you thecar was getting hotrsquo He asks

Your Problem Has beenIdentified

You car does NOT have anyindicators No speedometer notemperature gauge no fuelgauge No feedback from thekey performance indicators ofyour car

No indicators means no warningsignals as you run out of petrolover heat or drive too fast Youhave now missed your bigmeeting and a potentially hugesale but that is just the tip of theice-berg The lack of indicatorsis starting to cost you timemoney and ultimately freedom

You decide to sell this stupid carwith no indicators to avoidsimilar disastersBut the first question theprospective buyers asks is lsquohowmany kilometers does the carhave on the clockrsquo

Because you have no indicatorsyou cannot tell him and he walksaway

Vital Feedback

Now letrsquos imagine you were ableto install a dashboard thatshowed you speed revs petrollevels engine temperature andmileage

Instantly you have a valuableuseful car with the feedback toolsto avoid danger and ensureperformance

Your marketing is like a car Todrive safely and with optimalperformance you MUST havefeedback from the keyperformance indicators

No feedback means no control

Herersquos the most important lesson known by the super rich hellipbut seldomused by anyone else

SHOW METHE MONEYBy Richard Petrie

Smart | MARKETING

Smart Company Magazine | 15maxiom

Where The Rubber Meets TheRoad

I personally hate anything to dowith mathematics other thancounting money

But in 8 years of working withclients I know that the ones whomake the most money and wealthknow their numbers inside out

I often get asked questions of methat cannot be answeredintelligently without the numbersFor example ldquoMy yellow pagesad works pretty good The Yellowpages rep is urging me toincrease from quarter page tohalf page Should Irdquo

My questions have to do withwhat lsquopretty goodrsquo really is

1 What is the cost per lead(CPL) from the ad (Totalcost divided by thenumber of lead your adgenerated)

This is the money spent to get theprospect to raise their hand So ifyou spend $1000 a month andget 10 people call you or go toyour website then your CPL is$100 from that media

2 What is the cost per sale(CPS) from the ad (Totalcost divided by the

number of clients yourmarketing exercisegenerated)

This is a truly critical number thattells you the cost of acquiringeach new customer

1 What us the lifetimecustomer value (LCV) fromthe ad

This allows you to measure thetotal value of each new clientThis number also helps you getreal about the cost of losing eachclient and helps you determinewhat you are will to invest toacquire and keep them

2 How do these valuescompare with other CPLCPS and LCV from theother means you use to getcustomers

Thatrsquos just he beginning but ifyou canrsquot at least tell me those Icannot tell you whether toincrease decrease of eliminateyour yellow pages ad all together

Once you know these numbersyou then have a MA-CPS amaximum allowable CPS andyou work at getting as many newways of bringing in customers aspossible to perform at or belowthat number

Hardly any business ownerknows these numbers althoughmany think they do Just as a carwith no indicators is troublewaiting to happen so too is abusiness

If you are buying ad media orinvesting in marketing withouttracking the numbers on adashboard then you arenrsquotmanaging your business

You are guessing your business

Richard PetrieRichard is author of the book thePersuasion Equation writes onhis web sitewwwspeedmarketingconz anddevelops research backed salesprocesses to increaseconversion

If you have a question commentor want to reach Richard he isavailable atRichardspeedmarketingconz

HOW TO RUN YOUROWN PUBLICITYCAMPAIGN - IN FIVEEASY LESSONS By Jules Brooke

LESSON 4

Pitching Your Story

Here is a great example

Hi Todd Check out theseawesome new video cameragoggles now available in NewZealand and Australia Skiers ampsnowboarders are seriouslygoing to love them Please letme know if yoursquod like tofeaturereview them and requirehi-res images or would like touse them somehow

You can see them in herehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=WqLGS9CeBt0

Then you embed your mediarelease into the email If itrsquos nottoo large a file you might alsolike to attach it Copying andpasting it into your email meansthere is one less hoop for thejourno or producer to jumpthrough Itrsquos important to makesure your contact details are onthe release We like to put aphoto of the item up the top to ofthe release so it is the next thingthey see

Before you actually send it to thefirst media person send it toyourself and a friend Make sureit comes through looking goodbut isnrsquot a huge file The imageson your release should be lowresolution Keep hi-res versionsof the images on hand in casethey are asked for Once you arehappy with how it looks andappears in your own inbox youcan start sending to everyone onyour list

A few things to remember If youare forwarding the email pitchremember to delete the ldquoFwdrdquofrom your subject line whensending to the next person

Also remember to change thename of the person you aresending to If you are sending toa general news desk just writeGood morning or Goodafternoon You may find you geta few of the media come back toyou immediately with requestsfor images or samples orinterviews

Others will take a few days to getto it so donrsquot despair if you donrsquothear anything straight away

Finally it is very important tokeep track of what you have sentout If yoursquove bought one of ourCSV files we recommendsaving it as an Excel file andadding a lsquocommentsrsquo columnWhenever you send someone anemail or get a response keep arecord of it in the relevant cell

So what are you waiting for Goand pitch your story today

16 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | MARKETING

Handle Your Own PRDIY PR for New ZealandBusiness

wwwhandleyourownprcomau(AuNZ)wwwhandleyourownprcom(USA)wwwhandleyourownprcouk(UK)

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 17

A great way to be seenHow else will your Potential Clients Find You

Group of Companiesmaxiom

Advertising Tailored To Your Requirements

18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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The Bait Trail

Many people travelling to Europefrom this part of the world are alittle taken aback by severe facesworn by middle aged and elderlyDutch and German men (Forsome reason this does not applyto the women - and no I amnot just saying that to cover mybehind in the unlikely event thatmy German wife reads this)

Whereas itrsquos easy to spot anAmerican in Europe (baseballcap camera and a smile)a Frenchman (beret garlicand ignores you) a Brit (plaidsports jacket shorts sandalsand socks) or even a Russian(always looking like they areplotting something) spotting thedifference between the Dutchand Germans was a mysteryto me until my most recentEuropean visit last monthHow do you tell the differencebetween the Dutch and theGerman men

With apologies to all my maleGerman friends itrsquos simple olderDutch men walk around looking

like someone just died whereasolder German men walk aroundlooking like someone is justabout to die I concede that thisdifference can be subtle but itrsquosdefinitely there

And furthermore some of theolder German men have ahappy knack of looking like theimpending death is their ownpersonal responsibility Talkabout grim

This is I have concluded howthe brothers Grimm cameup with their name From amarketing perspective the nameis stroke of pure genius in thatit must have created instantempathy with tens of millionsof Germans ldquoGrimm Wowamazing hellip thatrsquos how I feel allthe time I better listen uprdquoAnyhow get on to the point ofthe article Tom

Okay herersquos the Grimm brotherrsquosstory which illustrates the keymarketing strategy that Irsquomwriting about Hansel and Gretelgot to the wicked witches house

via a ldquoBait Trailrdquo They picked upa sweet and then saw anotherone and picked that up and soon until they were led to therather unlikely house made oflollies and owned by a witch witha big cauldron

The latter had presumably playedhost to many such young kidspreviously (The very fact that thebrothers Grimm reckoned thiswas a suitable tale to tell childrenmust have given Freud andothers years of material to workwith)

So how does that apply to copywriting and marketing I hear youAsk

By way of explanation at the80-20 Center we teach the needfor business owners to createfour levels of ldquovalue deliveryrdquoaka productservice And at abig picture level those four levelsillustrate the broad principle ofthe Bait Trail very well

Level One contains all the FreeAdded Value (FAV) productsservices special reports ezines

HOW TO GENTLY ANDNATURALLY ATTRACTPROSPECTS AND TURNTHEM INTO CLIENTSBy Tom Poland

maxiom10 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Smart Company Magazine | 11maxiom

samples initial meeting quizzestalks webinars trial periods testdrives check ups etc

Level Two consists of EasyEntry Products (EEP) these aredesigned to make it easy for aprospect to become a client iethey must now pay some moneyhoney Not a lot of moneycompared to our main productsservices but enough so they nowhave some ldquoskin in the gamerdquo

Getting someone to part withtheir hard earned regardless ofhow little is the only valid test ofwhether your value proposition isworking Until yoursquove got somemoney yoursquove got nothing

Level Three has all of your CoreOffering Products (COP) and itrsquoswhere you want your clients toend up

Level Four are ldquoSpin OffProductsrdquo (SOP) and at the startof a business you probably willnot know what they are going tolook like and therersquos no need toplan for them because they willmake themselves apparent in

the form of client requests Theyare often high priced and morecustomized versions of LevelThree but can also end up asadditional Level Three productsServices

So many people donrsquot have thefirst two levels and those twolevels are the start of the criticallyimportant Bait Trail

Itrsquos a game of patience andseduction Level One productsshould be thrown around yourmarketing universe like confetti ata wedding you aim at your targetmarketing (bride and groom) butother than that you chuck themout indiscriminately and in aslarge amounts as humanlypossible

So have a think about yourproductsservices Do you have aBait Trail or are you simply sittingin your lolly house buried deepin an enchanted forest forlornlyhoping that clients will stumbleupon your genius productsservices

Worth thinking about

Other uses of the Bait TrailPrinciple

We vastly overestimate theability of our clients to processdata The conscious mind canhold one thought at a time Thatmeans that anything more thanone thought at a time requiresus to actually think Thatrsquos whenthe frowns start Thatrsquos when wethink ldquoIrsquoll get to that laterrdquo

For example Irsquove discoveredthat the all-time (currently) bestway to get visitors to a websiteto give their contact details is tooffer them a quiz

But rather than say up frontldquohey give us your contactdetails take our quiz and wersquollalso sign you up for our greatezinerdquo it works better if we ldquoBaitTrailrdquo it

So the visitor clicks on the niceshiny ldquotake the quizrdquo button(without having to enter theircontact details at this stage)then they get taken to the quizpage and answer the questions

Then a screen pops up and saysldquoHey congratulations for takingthe challenge hellip wersquoll emailyour results to you right awayhellip simply pop your details in thenice box below and as a bonusyoursquoll also get our great monthlyezine full of great tips on how to[xyz]]rdquo

Note that the visitor was notconfronted up front with havingto give contact details inexchange for the quiz and theoffer of the ezine

It was laid out in a step by stepsequence that was carefullyconstructed to maximise thelikelihood of getting their contactdetails

Another example

This week I sent out an invite toa free online seminar Based onpast experience over 100 peoplewill register and 50 will actuallyshow up (a prerequisite forsuccess) At the event Irsquoll providea lot of valuable information andoffer attendees a ldquoDiscoveryCallrdquo if they are interested in theoffer that I will make at the end

A handful will request that calland when we conduct it Irsquoll findout if I can help them achievetheir business goals and mostwill become a client on my 4month program and one or twowill graduate from that programand become clients for yearsThe latter is what I really want

But notice how many steps therewere in the Bait Trail Emailinvite attend webinar haveDiscovery Call complete shortterm course become long termclient

So have a think about breakingdown each of your goals andeach marketing process intosmall Bait Trail steps It takepatience and a little persistencebut my oh my it pays offhandsomely

maxiom12 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Tom Poland

Tom Poland is the founder of theBusiness Ownersrsquo Marketing Brief(the BOMB) the must readmarketing publication for allbusiness owners andentrepreneurs

Tom is a serial entrepreneur andthe founder and director of 80-20Center and shows businessowners and business coacheshow to ldquoget more clients makemore money and have more funrdquo

www8020Centercom

Email Tom8020centercom

Smart Company Magazine | 9

maxiom14 | Smart Company Magazine

Imagine you are driving to animportant meeting and you are 5minutes early Then all of asudden out of the blue the carstarts to splutter and choke Youcoast to the side of the road asthe car loses all power

Confused you call the AA tocome and fix your car

lsquoGood news sirrsquo he says You arejust out of petrol ndash I can give youenough to get to a petrol pump

Now 10 minutes late for your bigmeeting you detour your journeyat speed towards a petrol stationwhen a police car pulls you over

lsquoDo you know how fast you weregoing The officer asks

lsquoNo idearsquo you respond

lsquoWell you were going 75 in a50kph zone that will be a $200fine and 100 demerit points onyour license and I see youalready have 200 demerit pointsso that will probably cost youyour license toorsquo

Now you are 30 minutes late forthe big meeting with a lighterwallet and heading to court

You drive off again extra slowly tofill the tank and the car starts tosplutter again

As call the AA guy again youknow petrol cannot be theproblem

Another 15 minutes later AA mantells you the car is overheatingbecause you donrsquot have enoughoil or water in the engine

lsquoDidnrsquot the indicators tell you thecar was getting hotrsquo He asks

Your Problem Has beenIdentified

You car does NOT have anyindicators No speedometer notemperature gauge no fuelgauge No feedback from thekey performance indicators ofyour car

No indicators means no warningsignals as you run out of petrolover heat or drive too fast Youhave now missed your bigmeeting and a potentially hugesale but that is just the tip of theice-berg The lack of indicatorsis starting to cost you timemoney and ultimately freedom

You decide to sell this stupid carwith no indicators to avoidsimilar disastersBut the first question theprospective buyers asks is lsquohowmany kilometers does the carhave on the clockrsquo

Because you have no indicatorsyou cannot tell him and he walksaway

Vital Feedback

Now letrsquos imagine you were ableto install a dashboard thatshowed you speed revs petrollevels engine temperature andmileage

Instantly you have a valuableuseful car with the feedback toolsto avoid danger and ensureperformance

Your marketing is like a car Todrive safely and with optimalperformance you MUST havefeedback from the keyperformance indicators

No feedback means no control

Herersquos the most important lesson known by the super rich hellipbut seldomused by anyone else

SHOW METHE MONEYBy Richard Petrie

Smart | MARKETING

Smart Company Magazine | 15maxiom

Where The Rubber Meets TheRoad

I personally hate anything to dowith mathematics other thancounting money

But in 8 years of working withclients I know that the ones whomake the most money and wealthknow their numbers inside out

I often get asked questions of methat cannot be answeredintelligently without the numbersFor example ldquoMy yellow pagesad works pretty good The Yellowpages rep is urging me toincrease from quarter page tohalf page Should Irdquo

My questions have to do withwhat lsquopretty goodrsquo really is

1 What is the cost per lead(CPL) from the ad (Totalcost divided by thenumber of lead your adgenerated)

This is the money spent to get theprospect to raise their hand So ifyou spend $1000 a month andget 10 people call you or go toyour website then your CPL is$100 from that media

2 What is the cost per sale(CPS) from the ad (Totalcost divided by the

number of clients yourmarketing exercisegenerated)

This is a truly critical number thattells you the cost of acquiringeach new customer

1 What us the lifetimecustomer value (LCV) fromthe ad

This allows you to measure thetotal value of each new clientThis number also helps you getreal about the cost of losing eachclient and helps you determinewhat you are will to invest toacquire and keep them

2 How do these valuescompare with other CPLCPS and LCV from theother means you use to getcustomers

Thatrsquos just he beginning but ifyou canrsquot at least tell me those Icannot tell you whether toincrease decrease of eliminateyour yellow pages ad all together

Once you know these numbersyou then have a MA-CPS amaximum allowable CPS andyou work at getting as many newways of bringing in customers aspossible to perform at or belowthat number

Hardly any business ownerknows these numbers althoughmany think they do Just as a carwith no indicators is troublewaiting to happen so too is abusiness

If you are buying ad media orinvesting in marketing withouttracking the numbers on adashboard then you arenrsquotmanaging your business

You are guessing your business

Richard PetrieRichard is author of the book thePersuasion Equation writes onhis web sitewwwspeedmarketingconz anddevelops research backed salesprocesses to increaseconversion

If you have a question commentor want to reach Richard he isavailable atRichardspeedmarketingconz

HOW TO RUN YOUROWN PUBLICITYCAMPAIGN - IN FIVEEASY LESSONS By Jules Brooke

LESSON 4

Pitching Your Story

Here is a great example

Hi Todd Check out theseawesome new video cameragoggles now available in NewZealand and Australia Skiers ampsnowboarders are seriouslygoing to love them Please letme know if yoursquod like tofeaturereview them and requirehi-res images or would like touse them somehow

You can see them in herehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=WqLGS9CeBt0

Then you embed your mediarelease into the email If itrsquos nottoo large a file you might alsolike to attach it Copying andpasting it into your email meansthere is one less hoop for thejourno or producer to jumpthrough Itrsquos important to makesure your contact details are onthe release We like to put aphoto of the item up the top to ofthe release so it is the next thingthey see

Before you actually send it to thefirst media person send it toyourself and a friend Make sureit comes through looking goodbut isnrsquot a huge file The imageson your release should be lowresolution Keep hi-res versionsof the images on hand in casethey are asked for Once you arehappy with how it looks andappears in your own inbox youcan start sending to everyone onyour list

A few things to remember If youare forwarding the email pitchremember to delete the ldquoFwdrdquofrom your subject line whensending to the next person

Also remember to change thename of the person you aresending to If you are sending toa general news desk just writeGood morning or Goodafternoon You may find you geta few of the media come back toyou immediately with requestsfor images or samples orinterviews

Others will take a few days to getto it so donrsquot despair if you donrsquothear anything straight away

Finally it is very important tokeep track of what you have sentout If yoursquove bought one of ourCSV files we recommendsaving it as an Excel file andadding a lsquocommentsrsquo columnWhenever you send someone anemail or get a response keep arecord of it in the relevant cell

So what are you waiting for Goand pitch your story today

16 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | MARKETING

Handle Your Own PRDIY PR for New ZealandBusiness

wwwhandleyourownprcomau(AuNZ)wwwhandleyourownprcom(USA)wwwhandleyourownprcouk(UK)

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 17

A great way to be seenHow else will your Potential Clients Find You

Group of Companiesmaxiom

Advertising Tailored To Your Requirements

18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

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Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

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wwwsmartcompanyconz

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  • Inside Back Cover
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Smart Company Magazine | 11maxiom

samples initial meeting quizzestalks webinars trial periods testdrives check ups etc

Level Two consists of EasyEntry Products (EEP) these aredesigned to make it easy for aprospect to become a client iethey must now pay some moneyhoney Not a lot of moneycompared to our main productsservices but enough so they nowhave some ldquoskin in the gamerdquo

Getting someone to part withtheir hard earned regardless ofhow little is the only valid test ofwhether your value proposition isworking Until yoursquove got somemoney yoursquove got nothing

Level Three has all of your CoreOffering Products (COP) and itrsquoswhere you want your clients toend up

Level Four are ldquoSpin OffProductsrdquo (SOP) and at the startof a business you probably willnot know what they are going tolook like and therersquos no need toplan for them because they willmake themselves apparent in

the form of client requests Theyare often high priced and morecustomized versions of LevelThree but can also end up asadditional Level Three productsServices

So many people donrsquot have thefirst two levels and those twolevels are the start of the criticallyimportant Bait Trail

Itrsquos a game of patience andseduction Level One productsshould be thrown around yourmarketing universe like confetti ata wedding you aim at your targetmarketing (bride and groom) butother than that you chuck themout indiscriminately and in aslarge amounts as humanlypossible

So have a think about yourproductsservices Do you have aBait Trail or are you simply sittingin your lolly house buried deepin an enchanted forest forlornlyhoping that clients will stumbleupon your genius productsservices

Worth thinking about

Other uses of the Bait TrailPrinciple

We vastly overestimate theability of our clients to processdata The conscious mind canhold one thought at a time Thatmeans that anything more thanone thought at a time requiresus to actually think Thatrsquos whenthe frowns start Thatrsquos when wethink ldquoIrsquoll get to that laterrdquo

For example Irsquove discoveredthat the all-time (currently) bestway to get visitors to a websiteto give their contact details is tooffer them a quiz

But rather than say up frontldquohey give us your contactdetails take our quiz and wersquollalso sign you up for our greatezinerdquo it works better if we ldquoBaitTrailrdquo it

So the visitor clicks on the niceshiny ldquotake the quizrdquo button(without having to enter theircontact details at this stage)then they get taken to the quizpage and answer the questions

Then a screen pops up and saysldquoHey congratulations for takingthe challenge hellip wersquoll emailyour results to you right awayhellip simply pop your details in thenice box below and as a bonusyoursquoll also get our great monthlyezine full of great tips on how to[xyz]]rdquo

Note that the visitor was notconfronted up front with havingto give contact details inexchange for the quiz and theoffer of the ezine

It was laid out in a step by stepsequence that was carefullyconstructed to maximise thelikelihood of getting their contactdetails

Another example

This week I sent out an invite toa free online seminar Based onpast experience over 100 peoplewill register and 50 will actuallyshow up (a prerequisite forsuccess) At the event Irsquoll providea lot of valuable information andoffer attendees a ldquoDiscoveryCallrdquo if they are interested in theoffer that I will make at the end

A handful will request that calland when we conduct it Irsquoll findout if I can help them achievetheir business goals and mostwill become a client on my 4month program and one or twowill graduate from that programand become clients for yearsThe latter is what I really want

But notice how many steps therewere in the Bait Trail Emailinvite attend webinar haveDiscovery Call complete shortterm course become long termclient

So have a think about breakingdown each of your goals andeach marketing process intosmall Bait Trail steps It takepatience and a little persistencebut my oh my it pays offhandsomely

maxiom12 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Tom Poland

Tom Poland is the founder of theBusiness Ownersrsquo Marketing Brief(the BOMB) the must readmarketing publication for allbusiness owners andentrepreneurs

Tom is a serial entrepreneur andthe founder and director of 80-20Center and shows businessowners and business coacheshow to ldquoget more clients makemore money and have more funrdquo

www8020Centercom

Email Tom8020centercom

Smart Company Magazine | 9

maxiom14 | Smart Company Magazine

Imagine you are driving to animportant meeting and you are 5minutes early Then all of asudden out of the blue the carstarts to splutter and choke Youcoast to the side of the road asthe car loses all power

Confused you call the AA tocome and fix your car

lsquoGood news sirrsquo he says You arejust out of petrol ndash I can give youenough to get to a petrol pump

Now 10 minutes late for your bigmeeting you detour your journeyat speed towards a petrol stationwhen a police car pulls you over

lsquoDo you know how fast you weregoing The officer asks

lsquoNo idearsquo you respond

lsquoWell you were going 75 in a50kph zone that will be a $200fine and 100 demerit points onyour license and I see youalready have 200 demerit pointsso that will probably cost youyour license toorsquo

Now you are 30 minutes late forthe big meeting with a lighterwallet and heading to court

You drive off again extra slowly tofill the tank and the car starts tosplutter again

As call the AA guy again youknow petrol cannot be theproblem

Another 15 minutes later AA mantells you the car is overheatingbecause you donrsquot have enoughoil or water in the engine

lsquoDidnrsquot the indicators tell you thecar was getting hotrsquo He asks

Your Problem Has beenIdentified

You car does NOT have anyindicators No speedometer notemperature gauge no fuelgauge No feedback from thekey performance indicators ofyour car

No indicators means no warningsignals as you run out of petrolover heat or drive too fast Youhave now missed your bigmeeting and a potentially hugesale but that is just the tip of theice-berg The lack of indicatorsis starting to cost you timemoney and ultimately freedom

You decide to sell this stupid carwith no indicators to avoidsimilar disastersBut the first question theprospective buyers asks is lsquohowmany kilometers does the carhave on the clockrsquo

Because you have no indicatorsyou cannot tell him and he walksaway

Vital Feedback

Now letrsquos imagine you were ableto install a dashboard thatshowed you speed revs petrollevels engine temperature andmileage

Instantly you have a valuableuseful car with the feedback toolsto avoid danger and ensureperformance

Your marketing is like a car Todrive safely and with optimalperformance you MUST havefeedback from the keyperformance indicators

No feedback means no control

Herersquos the most important lesson known by the super rich hellipbut seldomused by anyone else

SHOW METHE MONEYBy Richard Petrie

Smart | MARKETING

Smart Company Magazine | 15maxiom

Where The Rubber Meets TheRoad

I personally hate anything to dowith mathematics other thancounting money

But in 8 years of working withclients I know that the ones whomake the most money and wealthknow their numbers inside out

I often get asked questions of methat cannot be answeredintelligently without the numbersFor example ldquoMy yellow pagesad works pretty good The Yellowpages rep is urging me toincrease from quarter page tohalf page Should Irdquo

My questions have to do withwhat lsquopretty goodrsquo really is

1 What is the cost per lead(CPL) from the ad (Totalcost divided by thenumber of lead your adgenerated)

This is the money spent to get theprospect to raise their hand So ifyou spend $1000 a month andget 10 people call you or go toyour website then your CPL is$100 from that media

2 What is the cost per sale(CPS) from the ad (Totalcost divided by the

number of clients yourmarketing exercisegenerated)

This is a truly critical number thattells you the cost of acquiringeach new customer

1 What us the lifetimecustomer value (LCV) fromthe ad

This allows you to measure thetotal value of each new clientThis number also helps you getreal about the cost of losing eachclient and helps you determinewhat you are will to invest toacquire and keep them

2 How do these valuescompare with other CPLCPS and LCV from theother means you use to getcustomers

Thatrsquos just he beginning but ifyou canrsquot at least tell me those Icannot tell you whether toincrease decrease of eliminateyour yellow pages ad all together

Once you know these numbersyou then have a MA-CPS amaximum allowable CPS andyou work at getting as many newways of bringing in customers aspossible to perform at or belowthat number

Hardly any business ownerknows these numbers althoughmany think they do Just as a carwith no indicators is troublewaiting to happen so too is abusiness

If you are buying ad media orinvesting in marketing withouttracking the numbers on adashboard then you arenrsquotmanaging your business

You are guessing your business

Richard PetrieRichard is author of the book thePersuasion Equation writes onhis web sitewwwspeedmarketingconz anddevelops research backed salesprocesses to increaseconversion

If you have a question commentor want to reach Richard he isavailable atRichardspeedmarketingconz

HOW TO RUN YOUROWN PUBLICITYCAMPAIGN - IN FIVEEASY LESSONS By Jules Brooke

LESSON 4

Pitching Your Story

Here is a great example

Hi Todd Check out theseawesome new video cameragoggles now available in NewZealand and Australia Skiers ampsnowboarders are seriouslygoing to love them Please letme know if yoursquod like tofeaturereview them and requirehi-res images or would like touse them somehow

You can see them in herehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=WqLGS9CeBt0

Then you embed your mediarelease into the email If itrsquos nottoo large a file you might alsolike to attach it Copying andpasting it into your email meansthere is one less hoop for thejourno or producer to jumpthrough Itrsquos important to makesure your contact details are onthe release We like to put aphoto of the item up the top to ofthe release so it is the next thingthey see

Before you actually send it to thefirst media person send it toyourself and a friend Make sureit comes through looking goodbut isnrsquot a huge file The imageson your release should be lowresolution Keep hi-res versionsof the images on hand in casethey are asked for Once you arehappy with how it looks andappears in your own inbox youcan start sending to everyone onyour list

A few things to remember If youare forwarding the email pitchremember to delete the ldquoFwdrdquofrom your subject line whensending to the next person

Also remember to change thename of the person you aresending to If you are sending toa general news desk just writeGood morning or Goodafternoon You may find you geta few of the media come back toyou immediately with requestsfor images or samples orinterviews

Others will take a few days to getto it so donrsquot despair if you donrsquothear anything straight away

Finally it is very important tokeep track of what you have sentout If yoursquove bought one of ourCSV files we recommendsaving it as an Excel file andadding a lsquocommentsrsquo columnWhenever you send someone anemail or get a response keep arecord of it in the relevant cell

So what are you waiting for Goand pitch your story today

16 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | MARKETING

Handle Your Own PRDIY PR for New ZealandBusiness

wwwhandleyourownprcomau(AuNZ)wwwhandleyourownprcom(USA)wwwhandleyourownprcouk(UK)

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 17

A great way to be seenHow else will your Potential Clients Find You

Group of Companiesmaxiom

Advertising Tailored To Your Requirements

18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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Then a screen pops up and saysldquoHey congratulations for takingthe challenge hellip wersquoll emailyour results to you right awayhellip simply pop your details in thenice box below and as a bonusyoursquoll also get our great monthlyezine full of great tips on how to[xyz]]rdquo

Note that the visitor was notconfronted up front with havingto give contact details inexchange for the quiz and theoffer of the ezine

It was laid out in a step by stepsequence that was carefullyconstructed to maximise thelikelihood of getting their contactdetails

Another example

This week I sent out an invite toa free online seminar Based onpast experience over 100 peoplewill register and 50 will actuallyshow up (a prerequisite forsuccess) At the event Irsquoll providea lot of valuable information andoffer attendees a ldquoDiscoveryCallrdquo if they are interested in theoffer that I will make at the end

A handful will request that calland when we conduct it Irsquoll findout if I can help them achievetheir business goals and mostwill become a client on my 4month program and one or twowill graduate from that programand become clients for yearsThe latter is what I really want

But notice how many steps therewere in the Bait Trail Emailinvite attend webinar haveDiscovery Call complete shortterm course become long termclient

So have a think about breakingdown each of your goals andeach marketing process intosmall Bait Trail steps It takepatience and a little persistencebut my oh my it pays offhandsomely

maxiom12 | Smart Company Magazine

Smart | INVESTING

Tom Poland

Tom Poland is the founder of theBusiness Ownersrsquo Marketing Brief(the BOMB) the must readmarketing publication for allbusiness owners andentrepreneurs

Tom is a serial entrepreneur andthe founder and director of 80-20Center and shows businessowners and business coacheshow to ldquoget more clients makemore money and have more funrdquo

www8020Centercom

Email Tom8020centercom

Smart Company Magazine | 9

maxiom14 | Smart Company Magazine

Imagine you are driving to animportant meeting and you are 5minutes early Then all of asudden out of the blue the carstarts to splutter and choke Youcoast to the side of the road asthe car loses all power

Confused you call the AA tocome and fix your car

lsquoGood news sirrsquo he says You arejust out of petrol ndash I can give youenough to get to a petrol pump

Now 10 minutes late for your bigmeeting you detour your journeyat speed towards a petrol stationwhen a police car pulls you over

lsquoDo you know how fast you weregoing The officer asks

lsquoNo idearsquo you respond

lsquoWell you were going 75 in a50kph zone that will be a $200fine and 100 demerit points onyour license and I see youalready have 200 demerit pointsso that will probably cost youyour license toorsquo

Now you are 30 minutes late forthe big meeting with a lighterwallet and heading to court

You drive off again extra slowly tofill the tank and the car starts tosplutter again

As call the AA guy again youknow petrol cannot be theproblem

Another 15 minutes later AA mantells you the car is overheatingbecause you donrsquot have enoughoil or water in the engine

lsquoDidnrsquot the indicators tell you thecar was getting hotrsquo He asks

Your Problem Has beenIdentified

You car does NOT have anyindicators No speedometer notemperature gauge no fuelgauge No feedback from thekey performance indicators ofyour car

No indicators means no warningsignals as you run out of petrolover heat or drive too fast Youhave now missed your bigmeeting and a potentially hugesale but that is just the tip of theice-berg The lack of indicatorsis starting to cost you timemoney and ultimately freedom

You decide to sell this stupid carwith no indicators to avoidsimilar disastersBut the first question theprospective buyers asks is lsquohowmany kilometers does the carhave on the clockrsquo

Because you have no indicatorsyou cannot tell him and he walksaway

Vital Feedback

Now letrsquos imagine you were ableto install a dashboard thatshowed you speed revs petrollevels engine temperature andmileage

Instantly you have a valuableuseful car with the feedback toolsto avoid danger and ensureperformance

Your marketing is like a car Todrive safely and with optimalperformance you MUST havefeedback from the keyperformance indicators

No feedback means no control

Herersquos the most important lesson known by the super rich hellipbut seldomused by anyone else

SHOW METHE MONEYBy Richard Petrie

Smart | MARKETING

Smart Company Magazine | 15maxiom

Where The Rubber Meets TheRoad

I personally hate anything to dowith mathematics other thancounting money

But in 8 years of working withclients I know that the ones whomake the most money and wealthknow their numbers inside out

I often get asked questions of methat cannot be answeredintelligently without the numbersFor example ldquoMy yellow pagesad works pretty good The Yellowpages rep is urging me toincrease from quarter page tohalf page Should Irdquo

My questions have to do withwhat lsquopretty goodrsquo really is

1 What is the cost per lead(CPL) from the ad (Totalcost divided by thenumber of lead your adgenerated)

This is the money spent to get theprospect to raise their hand So ifyou spend $1000 a month andget 10 people call you or go toyour website then your CPL is$100 from that media

2 What is the cost per sale(CPS) from the ad (Totalcost divided by the

number of clients yourmarketing exercisegenerated)

This is a truly critical number thattells you the cost of acquiringeach new customer

1 What us the lifetimecustomer value (LCV) fromthe ad

This allows you to measure thetotal value of each new clientThis number also helps you getreal about the cost of losing eachclient and helps you determinewhat you are will to invest toacquire and keep them

2 How do these valuescompare with other CPLCPS and LCV from theother means you use to getcustomers

Thatrsquos just he beginning but ifyou canrsquot at least tell me those Icannot tell you whether toincrease decrease of eliminateyour yellow pages ad all together

Once you know these numbersyou then have a MA-CPS amaximum allowable CPS andyou work at getting as many newways of bringing in customers aspossible to perform at or belowthat number

Hardly any business ownerknows these numbers althoughmany think they do Just as a carwith no indicators is troublewaiting to happen so too is abusiness

If you are buying ad media orinvesting in marketing withouttracking the numbers on adashboard then you arenrsquotmanaging your business

You are guessing your business

Richard PetrieRichard is author of the book thePersuasion Equation writes onhis web sitewwwspeedmarketingconz anddevelops research backed salesprocesses to increaseconversion

If you have a question commentor want to reach Richard he isavailable atRichardspeedmarketingconz

HOW TO RUN YOUROWN PUBLICITYCAMPAIGN - IN FIVEEASY LESSONS By Jules Brooke

LESSON 4

Pitching Your Story

Here is a great example

Hi Todd Check out theseawesome new video cameragoggles now available in NewZealand and Australia Skiers ampsnowboarders are seriouslygoing to love them Please letme know if yoursquod like tofeaturereview them and requirehi-res images or would like touse them somehow

You can see them in herehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=WqLGS9CeBt0

Then you embed your mediarelease into the email If itrsquos nottoo large a file you might alsolike to attach it Copying andpasting it into your email meansthere is one less hoop for thejourno or producer to jumpthrough Itrsquos important to makesure your contact details are onthe release We like to put aphoto of the item up the top to ofthe release so it is the next thingthey see

Before you actually send it to thefirst media person send it toyourself and a friend Make sureit comes through looking goodbut isnrsquot a huge file The imageson your release should be lowresolution Keep hi-res versionsof the images on hand in casethey are asked for Once you arehappy with how it looks andappears in your own inbox youcan start sending to everyone onyour list

A few things to remember If youare forwarding the email pitchremember to delete the ldquoFwdrdquofrom your subject line whensending to the next person

Also remember to change thename of the person you aresending to If you are sending toa general news desk just writeGood morning or Goodafternoon You may find you geta few of the media come back toyou immediately with requestsfor images or samples orinterviews

Others will take a few days to getto it so donrsquot despair if you donrsquothear anything straight away

Finally it is very important tokeep track of what you have sentout If yoursquove bought one of ourCSV files we recommendsaving it as an Excel file andadding a lsquocommentsrsquo columnWhenever you send someone anemail or get a response keep arecord of it in the relevant cell

So what are you waiting for Goand pitch your story today

16 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | MARKETING

Handle Your Own PRDIY PR for New ZealandBusiness

wwwhandleyourownprcomau(AuNZ)wwwhandleyourownprcom(USA)wwwhandleyourownprcouk(UK)

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 17

A great way to be seenHow else will your Potential Clients Find You

Group of Companiesmaxiom

Advertising Tailored To Your Requirements

18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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Smart Company Magazine | 9

maxiom14 | Smart Company Magazine

Imagine you are driving to animportant meeting and you are 5minutes early Then all of asudden out of the blue the carstarts to splutter and choke Youcoast to the side of the road asthe car loses all power

Confused you call the AA tocome and fix your car

lsquoGood news sirrsquo he says You arejust out of petrol ndash I can give youenough to get to a petrol pump

Now 10 minutes late for your bigmeeting you detour your journeyat speed towards a petrol stationwhen a police car pulls you over

lsquoDo you know how fast you weregoing The officer asks

lsquoNo idearsquo you respond

lsquoWell you were going 75 in a50kph zone that will be a $200fine and 100 demerit points onyour license and I see youalready have 200 demerit pointsso that will probably cost youyour license toorsquo

Now you are 30 minutes late forthe big meeting with a lighterwallet and heading to court

You drive off again extra slowly tofill the tank and the car starts tosplutter again

As call the AA guy again youknow petrol cannot be theproblem

Another 15 minutes later AA mantells you the car is overheatingbecause you donrsquot have enoughoil or water in the engine

lsquoDidnrsquot the indicators tell you thecar was getting hotrsquo He asks

Your Problem Has beenIdentified

You car does NOT have anyindicators No speedometer notemperature gauge no fuelgauge No feedback from thekey performance indicators ofyour car

No indicators means no warningsignals as you run out of petrolover heat or drive too fast Youhave now missed your bigmeeting and a potentially hugesale but that is just the tip of theice-berg The lack of indicatorsis starting to cost you timemoney and ultimately freedom

You decide to sell this stupid carwith no indicators to avoidsimilar disastersBut the first question theprospective buyers asks is lsquohowmany kilometers does the carhave on the clockrsquo

Because you have no indicatorsyou cannot tell him and he walksaway

Vital Feedback

Now letrsquos imagine you were ableto install a dashboard thatshowed you speed revs petrollevels engine temperature andmileage

Instantly you have a valuableuseful car with the feedback toolsto avoid danger and ensureperformance

Your marketing is like a car Todrive safely and with optimalperformance you MUST havefeedback from the keyperformance indicators

No feedback means no control

Herersquos the most important lesson known by the super rich hellipbut seldomused by anyone else

SHOW METHE MONEYBy Richard Petrie

Smart | MARKETING

Smart Company Magazine | 15maxiom

Where The Rubber Meets TheRoad

I personally hate anything to dowith mathematics other thancounting money

But in 8 years of working withclients I know that the ones whomake the most money and wealthknow their numbers inside out

I often get asked questions of methat cannot be answeredintelligently without the numbersFor example ldquoMy yellow pagesad works pretty good The Yellowpages rep is urging me toincrease from quarter page tohalf page Should Irdquo

My questions have to do withwhat lsquopretty goodrsquo really is

1 What is the cost per lead(CPL) from the ad (Totalcost divided by thenumber of lead your adgenerated)

This is the money spent to get theprospect to raise their hand So ifyou spend $1000 a month andget 10 people call you or go toyour website then your CPL is$100 from that media

2 What is the cost per sale(CPS) from the ad (Totalcost divided by the

number of clients yourmarketing exercisegenerated)

This is a truly critical number thattells you the cost of acquiringeach new customer

1 What us the lifetimecustomer value (LCV) fromthe ad

This allows you to measure thetotal value of each new clientThis number also helps you getreal about the cost of losing eachclient and helps you determinewhat you are will to invest toacquire and keep them

2 How do these valuescompare with other CPLCPS and LCV from theother means you use to getcustomers

Thatrsquos just he beginning but ifyou canrsquot at least tell me those Icannot tell you whether toincrease decrease of eliminateyour yellow pages ad all together

Once you know these numbersyou then have a MA-CPS amaximum allowable CPS andyou work at getting as many newways of bringing in customers aspossible to perform at or belowthat number

Hardly any business ownerknows these numbers althoughmany think they do Just as a carwith no indicators is troublewaiting to happen so too is abusiness

If you are buying ad media orinvesting in marketing withouttracking the numbers on adashboard then you arenrsquotmanaging your business

You are guessing your business

Richard PetrieRichard is author of the book thePersuasion Equation writes onhis web sitewwwspeedmarketingconz anddevelops research backed salesprocesses to increaseconversion

If you have a question commentor want to reach Richard he isavailable atRichardspeedmarketingconz

HOW TO RUN YOUROWN PUBLICITYCAMPAIGN - IN FIVEEASY LESSONS By Jules Brooke

LESSON 4

Pitching Your Story

Here is a great example

Hi Todd Check out theseawesome new video cameragoggles now available in NewZealand and Australia Skiers ampsnowboarders are seriouslygoing to love them Please letme know if yoursquod like tofeaturereview them and requirehi-res images or would like touse them somehow

You can see them in herehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=WqLGS9CeBt0

Then you embed your mediarelease into the email If itrsquos nottoo large a file you might alsolike to attach it Copying andpasting it into your email meansthere is one less hoop for thejourno or producer to jumpthrough Itrsquos important to makesure your contact details are onthe release We like to put aphoto of the item up the top to ofthe release so it is the next thingthey see

Before you actually send it to thefirst media person send it toyourself and a friend Make sureit comes through looking goodbut isnrsquot a huge file The imageson your release should be lowresolution Keep hi-res versionsof the images on hand in casethey are asked for Once you arehappy with how it looks andappears in your own inbox youcan start sending to everyone onyour list

A few things to remember If youare forwarding the email pitchremember to delete the ldquoFwdrdquofrom your subject line whensending to the next person

Also remember to change thename of the person you aresending to If you are sending toa general news desk just writeGood morning or Goodafternoon You may find you geta few of the media come back toyou immediately with requestsfor images or samples orinterviews

Others will take a few days to getto it so donrsquot despair if you donrsquothear anything straight away

Finally it is very important tokeep track of what you have sentout If yoursquove bought one of ourCSV files we recommendsaving it as an Excel file andadding a lsquocommentsrsquo columnWhenever you send someone anemail or get a response keep arecord of it in the relevant cell

So what are you waiting for Goand pitch your story today

16 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | MARKETING

Handle Your Own PRDIY PR for New ZealandBusiness

wwwhandleyourownprcomau(AuNZ)wwwhandleyourownprcom(USA)wwwhandleyourownprcouk(UK)

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 17

A great way to be seenHow else will your Potential Clients Find You

Group of Companiesmaxiom

Advertising Tailored To Your Requirements

18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

Ebooks

Company Reports

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Brochures

Manuals

Training Material

Reports amp Accounts

Magazines

maxiomDIGITALDESIGN

PROFESSIONALS

Secure Cloud Hosted Solutions forDesktop amp Web iPad amp iPhone

and Android Platforms

About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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maxiom14 | Smart Company Magazine

Imagine you are driving to animportant meeting and you are 5minutes early Then all of asudden out of the blue the carstarts to splutter and choke Youcoast to the side of the road asthe car loses all power

Confused you call the AA tocome and fix your car

lsquoGood news sirrsquo he says You arejust out of petrol ndash I can give youenough to get to a petrol pump

Now 10 minutes late for your bigmeeting you detour your journeyat speed towards a petrol stationwhen a police car pulls you over

lsquoDo you know how fast you weregoing The officer asks

lsquoNo idearsquo you respond

lsquoWell you were going 75 in a50kph zone that will be a $200fine and 100 demerit points onyour license and I see youalready have 200 demerit pointsso that will probably cost youyour license toorsquo

Now you are 30 minutes late forthe big meeting with a lighterwallet and heading to court

You drive off again extra slowly tofill the tank and the car starts tosplutter again

As call the AA guy again youknow petrol cannot be theproblem

Another 15 minutes later AA mantells you the car is overheatingbecause you donrsquot have enoughoil or water in the engine

lsquoDidnrsquot the indicators tell you thecar was getting hotrsquo He asks

Your Problem Has beenIdentified

You car does NOT have anyindicators No speedometer notemperature gauge no fuelgauge No feedback from thekey performance indicators ofyour car

No indicators means no warningsignals as you run out of petrolover heat or drive too fast Youhave now missed your bigmeeting and a potentially hugesale but that is just the tip of theice-berg The lack of indicatorsis starting to cost you timemoney and ultimately freedom

You decide to sell this stupid carwith no indicators to avoidsimilar disastersBut the first question theprospective buyers asks is lsquohowmany kilometers does the carhave on the clockrsquo

Because you have no indicatorsyou cannot tell him and he walksaway

Vital Feedback

Now letrsquos imagine you were ableto install a dashboard thatshowed you speed revs petrollevels engine temperature andmileage

Instantly you have a valuableuseful car with the feedback toolsto avoid danger and ensureperformance

Your marketing is like a car Todrive safely and with optimalperformance you MUST havefeedback from the keyperformance indicators

No feedback means no control

Herersquos the most important lesson known by the super rich hellipbut seldomused by anyone else

SHOW METHE MONEYBy Richard Petrie

Smart | MARKETING

Smart Company Magazine | 15maxiom

Where The Rubber Meets TheRoad

I personally hate anything to dowith mathematics other thancounting money

But in 8 years of working withclients I know that the ones whomake the most money and wealthknow their numbers inside out

I often get asked questions of methat cannot be answeredintelligently without the numbersFor example ldquoMy yellow pagesad works pretty good The Yellowpages rep is urging me toincrease from quarter page tohalf page Should Irdquo

My questions have to do withwhat lsquopretty goodrsquo really is

1 What is the cost per lead(CPL) from the ad (Totalcost divided by thenumber of lead your adgenerated)

This is the money spent to get theprospect to raise their hand So ifyou spend $1000 a month andget 10 people call you or go toyour website then your CPL is$100 from that media

2 What is the cost per sale(CPS) from the ad (Totalcost divided by the

number of clients yourmarketing exercisegenerated)

This is a truly critical number thattells you the cost of acquiringeach new customer

1 What us the lifetimecustomer value (LCV) fromthe ad

This allows you to measure thetotal value of each new clientThis number also helps you getreal about the cost of losing eachclient and helps you determinewhat you are will to invest toacquire and keep them

2 How do these valuescompare with other CPLCPS and LCV from theother means you use to getcustomers

Thatrsquos just he beginning but ifyou canrsquot at least tell me those Icannot tell you whether toincrease decrease of eliminateyour yellow pages ad all together

Once you know these numbersyou then have a MA-CPS amaximum allowable CPS andyou work at getting as many newways of bringing in customers aspossible to perform at or belowthat number

Hardly any business ownerknows these numbers althoughmany think they do Just as a carwith no indicators is troublewaiting to happen so too is abusiness

If you are buying ad media orinvesting in marketing withouttracking the numbers on adashboard then you arenrsquotmanaging your business

You are guessing your business

Richard PetrieRichard is author of the book thePersuasion Equation writes onhis web sitewwwspeedmarketingconz anddevelops research backed salesprocesses to increaseconversion

If you have a question commentor want to reach Richard he isavailable atRichardspeedmarketingconz

HOW TO RUN YOUROWN PUBLICITYCAMPAIGN - IN FIVEEASY LESSONS By Jules Brooke

LESSON 4

Pitching Your Story

Here is a great example

Hi Todd Check out theseawesome new video cameragoggles now available in NewZealand and Australia Skiers ampsnowboarders are seriouslygoing to love them Please letme know if yoursquod like tofeaturereview them and requirehi-res images or would like touse them somehow

You can see them in herehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=WqLGS9CeBt0

Then you embed your mediarelease into the email If itrsquos nottoo large a file you might alsolike to attach it Copying andpasting it into your email meansthere is one less hoop for thejourno or producer to jumpthrough Itrsquos important to makesure your contact details are onthe release We like to put aphoto of the item up the top to ofthe release so it is the next thingthey see

Before you actually send it to thefirst media person send it toyourself and a friend Make sureit comes through looking goodbut isnrsquot a huge file The imageson your release should be lowresolution Keep hi-res versionsof the images on hand in casethey are asked for Once you arehappy with how it looks andappears in your own inbox youcan start sending to everyone onyour list

A few things to remember If youare forwarding the email pitchremember to delete the ldquoFwdrdquofrom your subject line whensending to the next person

Also remember to change thename of the person you aresending to If you are sending toa general news desk just writeGood morning or Goodafternoon You may find you geta few of the media come back toyou immediately with requestsfor images or samples orinterviews

Others will take a few days to getto it so donrsquot despair if you donrsquothear anything straight away

Finally it is very important tokeep track of what you have sentout If yoursquove bought one of ourCSV files we recommendsaving it as an Excel file andadding a lsquocommentsrsquo columnWhenever you send someone anemail or get a response keep arecord of it in the relevant cell

So what are you waiting for Goand pitch your story today

16 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | MARKETING

Handle Your Own PRDIY PR for New ZealandBusiness

wwwhandleyourownprcomau(AuNZ)wwwhandleyourownprcom(USA)wwwhandleyourownprcouk(UK)

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 17

A great way to be seenHow else will your Potential Clients Find You

Group of Companiesmaxiom

Advertising Tailored To Your Requirements

18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

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Smart Company Magazine | 15maxiom

Where The Rubber Meets TheRoad

I personally hate anything to dowith mathematics other thancounting money

But in 8 years of working withclients I know that the ones whomake the most money and wealthknow their numbers inside out

I often get asked questions of methat cannot be answeredintelligently without the numbersFor example ldquoMy yellow pagesad works pretty good The Yellowpages rep is urging me toincrease from quarter page tohalf page Should Irdquo

My questions have to do withwhat lsquopretty goodrsquo really is

1 What is the cost per lead(CPL) from the ad (Totalcost divided by thenumber of lead your adgenerated)

This is the money spent to get theprospect to raise their hand So ifyou spend $1000 a month andget 10 people call you or go toyour website then your CPL is$100 from that media

2 What is the cost per sale(CPS) from the ad (Totalcost divided by the

number of clients yourmarketing exercisegenerated)

This is a truly critical number thattells you the cost of acquiringeach new customer

1 What us the lifetimecustomer value (LCV) fromthe ad

This allows you to measure thetotal value of each new clientThis number also helps you getreal about the cost of losing eachclient and helps you determinewhat you are will to invest toacquire and keep them

2 How do these valuescompare with other CPLCPS and LCV from theother means you use to getcustomers

Thatrsquos just he beginning but ifyou canrsquot at least tell me those Icannot tell you whether toincrease decrease of eliminateyour yellow pages ad all together

Once you know these numbersyou then have a MA-CPS amaximum allowable CPS andyou work at getting as many newways of bringing in customers aspossible to perform at or belowthat number

Hardly any business ownerknows these numbers althoughmany think they do Just as a carwith no indicators is troublewaiting to happen so too is abusiness

If you are buying ad media orinvesting in marketing withouttracking the numbers on adashboard then you arenrsquotmanaging your business

You are guessing your business

Richard PetrieRichard is author of the book thePersuasion Equation writes onhis web sitewwwspeedmarketingconz anddevelops research backed salesprocesses to increaseconversion

If you have a question commentor want to reach Richard he isavailable atRichardspeedmarketingconz

HOW TO RUN YOUROWN PUBLICITYCAMPAIGN - IN FIVEEASY LESSONS By Jules Brooke

LESSON 4

Pitching Your Story

Here is a great example

Hi Todd Check out theseawesome new video cameragoggles now available in NewZealand and Australia Skiers ampsnowboarders are seriouslygoing to love them Please letme know if yoursquod like tofeaturereview them and requirehi-res images or would like touse them somehow

You can see them in herehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=WqLGS9CeBt0

Then you embed your mediarelease into the email If itrsquos nottoo large a file you might alsolike to attach it Copying andpasting it into your email meansthere is one less hoop for thejourno or producer to jumpthrough Itrsquos important to makesure your contact details are onthe release We like to put aphoto of the item up the top to ofthe release so it is the next thingthey see

Before you actually send it to thefirst media person send it toyourself and a friend Make sureit comes through looking goodbut isnrsquot a huge file The imageson your release should be lowresolution Keep hi-res versionsof the images on hand in casethey are asked for Once you arehappy with how it looks andappears in your own inbox youcan start sending to everyone onyour list

A few things to remember If youare forwarding the email pitchremember to delete the ldquoFwdrdquofrom your subject line whensending to the next person

Also remember to change thename of the person you aresending to If you are sending toa general news desk just writeGood morning or Goodafternoon You may find you geta few of the media come back toyou immediately with requestsfor images or samples orinterviews

Others will take a few days to getto it so donrsquot despair if you donrsquothear anything straight away

Finally it is very important tokeep track of what you have sentout If yoursquove bought one of ourCSV files we recommendsaving it as an Excel file andadding a lsquocommentsrsquo columnWhenever you send someone anemail or get a response keep arecord of it in the relevant cell

So what are you waiting for Goand pitch your story today

16 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | MARKETING

Handle Your Own PRDIY PR for New ZealandBusiness

wwwhandleyourownprcomau(AuNZ)wwwhandleyourownprcom(USA)wwwhandleyourownprcouk(UK)

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 17

A great way to be seenHow else will your Potential Clients Find You

Group of Companiesmaxiom

Advertising Tailored To Your Requirements

18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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HOW TO RUN YOUROWN PUBLICITYCAMPAIGN - IN FIVEEASY LESSONS By Jules Brooke

LESSON 4

Pitching Your Story

Here is a great example

Hi Todd Check out theseawesome new video cameragoggles now available in NewZealand and Australia Skiers ampsnowboarders are seriouslygoing to love them Please letme know if yoursquod like tofeaturereview them and requirehi-res images or would like touse them somehow

You can see them in herehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=WqLGS9CeBt0

Then you embed your mediarelease into the email If itrsquos nottoo large a file you might alsolike to attach it Copying andpasting it into your email meansthere is one less hoop for thejourno or producer to jumpthrough Itrsquos important to makesure your contact details are onthe release We like to put aphoto of the item up the top to ofthe release so it is the next thingthey see

Before you actually send it to thefirst media person send it toyourself and a friend Make sureit comes through looking goodbut isnrsquot a huge file The imageson your release should be lowresolution Keep hi-res versionsof the images on hand in casethey are asked for Once you arehappy with how it looks andappears in your own inbox youcan start sending to everyone onyour list

A few things to remember If youare forwarding the email pitchremember to delete the ldquoFwdrdquofrom your subject line whensending to the next person

Also remember to change thename of the person you aresending to If you are sending toa general news desk just writeGood morning or Goodafternoon You may find you geta few of the media come back toyou immediately with requestsfor images or samples orinterviews

Others will take a few days to getto it so donrsquot despair if you donrsquothear anything straight away

Finally it is very important tokeep track of what you have sentout If yoursquove bought one of ourCSV files we recommendsaving it as an Excel file andadding a lsquocommentsrsquo columnWhenever you send someone anemail or get a response keep arecord of it in the relevant cell

So what are you waiting for Goand pitch your story today

16 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | MARKETING

Handle Your Own PRDIY PR for New ZealandBusiness

wwwhandleyourownprcomau(AuNZ)wwwhandleyourownprcom(USA)wwwhandleyourownprcouk(UK)

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 17

A great way to be seenHow else will your Potential Clients Find You

Group of Companiesmaxiom

Advertising Tailored To Your Requirements

18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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Magazines

maxiomDIGITALDESIGN

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 17

A great way to be seenHow else will your Potential Clients Find You

Group of Companiesmaxiom

Advertising Tailored To Your Requirements

18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

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46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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18 | Smart Company Magazine

1 What inspired you to startthe 8020 Centre What areyour goals and values

Well firstly I really like to makemoney

I know that may not be a trendything to say but itrsquos true

And itrsquos also true that I love tosee the impact on a clientrsquosbusiness life and the significantimprovement in the quality oftheir family and personal lifestylewhen their marketing goes well

One of my core values is topublish marketing trainingtemplates and systems thatactually work and that areoutstanding value for money

I also like to keep things simple

Another core philosophy is that Idonrsquot want people to feel thatthey have to trust me whenhanding over money to me for aproduct or service I prefer forthem to gain outstanding valuebefore they pay me a cent Thatway we both sleep well at night

Once someone has receivedgreat value from me and Irsquove hadthat chance to prove that what I

offer actually works then Irsquomhappy to talk money But notbefore

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the smallbusiness marketing sector

In regard to my chosen targetmarket I dislike corporatebureaucracy with a passion andby contract I like fast decisionmakers and pragmatists Soalmost by default that means Iwant to work with businessowners but not necessarily justthe small ones Anyone who hasthe autonomy to make decisionsand the courage to backthemself rather than blamesomeone else that person is myideal client

Secondly in regard to why Ichose to specialize in marketingservices I like to go where thedemand is and in survey aftersurvey business owners citegetting more clients as theirnumber one need

Marketing is also a very honestprofession in that you either getnew clients or you donrsquot I like themeasurability and accountabilitythat goes with that as opposed

to some of the fuzzier touchyfeely business disciplines

3 What experience do youhave helping small businessclients

More than I care to rememberHow does 32 years over 2oooclients 197 different industrytypes spread over fourcontinents sound

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Irsquove been approached andcompleted marketing strategyconsultancy work for nationaland international organizationsincluding NFT corporate andeducational institutes But I donrsquotgo looking for that work If theenquiry looks interesting andthey are prepared to pay andthey are serious about cuttingthrough red tape and gettingeffective marketing in place thenIrsquom happy to talk

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would choosethe 8020 Centre to assist withdeveloping their business

First people can try before theybuy We have various

GETTING TO KNOW YOU8020 CENTERNot everything in business is marketing but marketing is everything TomPoland from the 8020 Center lets us in on why marketing is the mostimportant factor to business success

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

maxiom

opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

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Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

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  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
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  • Jules Brooke
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  • Gene Stark
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opportunities for a prospect toget great value from us withoutinvesting one cent

Second our stuff works

Third what we teach is simpleand can be implemented by anybusiness owner who had amodicum of determination andpersistence

6 What process services andsupport do your clientsreceive

A free marketing plan course(21 modules over 30 daysdelivered online)

Free daily marketing ideas fromworld renowned experts calledthe ldquoBusiness OwnersMarketing Briefrdquo (BOMB)

There are also various productsin our online store and otherprograms but itrsquos best for anyoneinterested to sign up for the freemarketing plan course and theBOMB

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a business

7 What challenges did youface in setting up yourbusiness

I guess the hardest thing wascoming up with a businessmodel that gave me both thelifestyle and free time I wantedtogether with making marketingand value delivery as easy aspossible

I had a big advantage thoughbecause my objective is settingup a business like that is prettymuch what I teach my clients so itwas really just a matter ofswallowing my own medicine

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

Thatrsquos a hard one to answerbecause I keep moving the goalposts Itrsquos like I get to the top ofone mountain and then see thepeak of a higher one and go forthat

So in short Irsquod have to say ldquonordquo tothe question I donrsquot think that Iwill ever be satisfied with mybusiness I simply donrsquot like theidea of not continually improvingwhat I offer

9 Who is the target market foryour business

Any English speaking businessowner who want to get moreclients make more money andhave more fun

10 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

I already service clientsInternationally - we are happy towork with any English speakingbusiness owner in any country inthe world I have clients in AfricaEurope North America Asiaand of course Australian andNew Zealand

11 What would you say tosomeone looking to grow anddevelop their business

Get your product or service sothat it works very well

Then focus your time and energyon becoming an expert marketeror your product or service

Thatrsquos where the money is andonce mastered many find thatmarketing is extraordinarilyfulfilling because the better youare at it the more people you areable to help

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 19maxiom

STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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STAFF SELECTIONBREAK ALL THE RULESAND SUCCEED By Leon Noone

Some Background

When this model was introduced inthe early 20th Century

Telephones were stilluncommon

Computers werent even aboffins dream

Email the mobile orcellphone the PC socialmedia and all the technologywe take for granted todaysimply didnt exist

Letters with a postagestamp on each envelopewere delivered twice dailyby a postman

Business was conductedwith great formality

Few people could use akeyboard and typing waspainfully slow

Few employees had collegedegrees

Handwritten job applicationswere usually demanded

Business owners andmanagers wielded greatpower

and in the 1950s and 60s therewere more jobs than peopleseeking them

The Flaws In The Old Model

1 The Resume

Would you believe that expertsestimate that today more than 70of all resumes and writtenapplications are prepared byprofessional writers And thatapplies for all jobs

Im not suggesting that thoseresumes and written applicationsare deliberately misleading I amsaying that they are designed withthe best interests of the applicantnot you as employer in mind Andremember its likely that allapplicants are complete strangers

2 Shortlisting

The shortlist is usually prepared onthe basis of the written resumeThats the same resume thatsprepared to serve the candidatesgoals not yours

3 The Interview

You conduct interviews of shortlistedcandidates still based on thewritten resume The processcreates a Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Their resume looks good Theinterview goes well Such acandidate becomes highlyfavoured whether or not they canactually do the vacant job

4 Reference Checking

You check out past performancewith previous employers Thenames are usually provided by thecandidate You probably dont knowthe nominated referees

You dont know whether the refereeis the candidates best friend orworst enemy This process is allabout the past And its so patentlyunreliable that Ill go no further

5 Ignorance

Except in rare circumstances theemployer has no absolute proof thatthe employee can actually do whatthey and perhaps their refereessay they can do

Business has been following the same rules for staff selection for about 100years The job description advert resume interview reference check modelhas outlived its usefulness Its about time to break all the rules

maxiom20 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

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Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

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About Smart Company Magazine

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Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
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6 The Offer

Everything works out Thecandidate submits a verypersuasive resume and goes tothe top of your shortlist He or sheinterviews well and is lauded byreferees

They seem to you to fit yourrequirements You offer anappointment based on

A resume or writtenapplication presented bya complete stranger

An interpretation of aninterview performancecreated by a self fulfillingprophecy

Comments of referees whoare also likely to becomplete strangers

Does This Make Sense

You simply cannot tell whatsomeone can do merely by talkingwith them Yet conventional staffselection places enormousemphasis on so called interviewperformance

Thats OK if youre appointingsomeone to perform well atinterviewing Its not OK for anyother reason Positive and

impressive interview behaviour isgiven much greater weight thanproven on job performance Is thatwise

Other Impediments

The purpose of staff selection is toget a job done not to choose aperson The person is a resource

In selecting new staff you tryto predict which of the short-listed resources will besuccessful for you in thefuture Yet this prediction isbased almost entirely onwhat theyve done for othersin the past

In some cases no job description isprepared The one we used lasttime is regarded as acceptableJobs change demands changepeople change

Even where a jobdescription of some sort isused it lacks specificmeasurable job results thatthe new staff member mustachieve to be regarded assuccessful and effective Itmay contain wordy waffleabout Key PerformanceIndicators or somethingsimilar But thats all Mostjob descriptions are simply

a wish list of perceiveddesirable skills andbehaviours Measuringsuccessful job performancerarely gets a mention

Employers design the jobad to try to attract as manyapplicants as possible Thispractice too is undesirable

You waste time readingsmall mountains of resumesfrom candidates all ofwhom are trying to impressyou And most of them arequite unsuitable anyway

The purpose of the job ad isto attract the perfectcandidate and detereveryone else Yet few jobads say only apply if ordo not apply unless

Managers believe theymust sell the company tothe most attractivecandidates This too isfoolhardy Selection is aretail transaction You arethe buyer Candidates arethe sellers Behave like abuyer

Smart Company Magazine | 21maxiom

Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
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  • Richard Petrie
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  • Jules Brooke
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  • Professional Services Franchises
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  • Gene Stark
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  • Negotiating
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Some Ground Rules

a) Never ask for resumes andwritten applications

b) Create your shortlist based in anin depth telephone screeninginterview

c) Offer a face to face interview onlyto candidates who prove to yoursatisfaction that they can do the job

d) Test test test if an applicantclaims he or she can do somethingget them to actually do it

e) Remember you cannot tell whata person can do merely by talkingwith them

f) Every time a vacancy occursprepare a new job analysis basedon on-job results and how theyll bemeasured

g) Always use a probation periodbefore confirming an appointment

Conclusion

Look around your workplace Whatare you still doing the way you did ita century ago

Dont make staff selection theexception

It simply makes no sense

maxiom22 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

YOUR TOPSECRET

MARKETINGWEAPON

THE MONTHLYMAGAZINE FROM THEBUSINESS OWNERSMARKETING BRIEF

SMARTBOMB

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

Leon Noone

Leon Noone helps managersin small-medium business toimprove on-job staff performancewithout training courses Hisideas are quite unconventional

Read his free Special Reportldquo49 Practical Tips for RemovingEmployee Apathy AggravationAnd Resistance In YourBusinessrdquo

Simply visithttpstaffperformancesecretscom

and download your free copynow

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

them efficiently across multiple channels

Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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GET YOUR MESSAGEOUT TO THE WORLD

Maxiom helps brands increase revenue by inspiring theircustomers to buy products engage and share content

It enables marketers to create beautiful content experiences in avariety of formats on the web on many different platforms

and across mobile devices

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How Maxiom Can

Provide a Solution to All Your Digital Contentand Creative Needs

This is particularly powerful for organisations that are looking tocreate commerce enabled content experiences and distribute

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Maxiom helps you create the ultimate digital lead generationcampaign

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 23

Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

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Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

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Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

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Gangnam style has beenparodied and has also featuredheavily in mainstream media

Opinions vary widely with TheSydney Morning Herald writing rdquoItmakes you wonder if you haveaccidentally taken someoneelsersquos medicationrdquo while RobertMyers of The VillageVoice called it ldquoan inspired pieceof sillinessrdquo

The Gangnam style video ischeesy has humorous dancemoves a catchy beat and is alarger than life successful pieceof global communication

Now not for a moment am Isuggesting your nextcommunication should feature aYouTube video with your CEOpresenting the strategy Gangnamstyle unless your CEO is an exrapper

But there are lessons to learnfrom the success of Gangnamstyle success that everycommunicator would kill for

The music video for theGangnam Style song has goneviral and is a meme which is aconcept an idea behaviour orstyle that spreads rapidly virallyfrom person to person

Our culture is replete withmemes from catchy advertisingjingles nursery rhymes popularproverbs like lsquoA stitch in timesaves ninersquo

You possible use memeseveryday without even beingaware that you are

One of my husbandrsquos favouritelines is lsquoYou just canrsquot handle thetruthrsquo from the film A Few GoodMen and is an example of ameme a popular catch phrase

that people repeat from TV or afilm

Imagine your next piece ofcommunication whether itrsquos apitch an idea newsletter anemail a presentation becominga meme WHOA

So how can you lsquoGangnam Stylersquoyour communication

You donrsquot need the Internet to dothat but you do need the powerof good idea or at least the rightturn of words (Tony Blairdescribing Princess Diana asthe lsquoPeoplersquos Princessrsquo) tocreate an instant meme

The example that immediatelycomes to mind is President JohnF Kennedy who famously saidlsquoWe want to put a man on themoon and bring him safely backto earth by the end of thisdecadersquo

Have your seen Gangnam Style onyoutube

Gangnam style a pop video by a SouthKorean rapper Psy has taken the worldby a storm and entered the Guinnessbook of world records as the most likedYouTube video

GANGNAM STYLE YOURCOMMUNICATIONBy Gabrielle Dolan

24 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | LEADERSHIP

An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

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About Smart Company Magazine

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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  • Gene Stark
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An instant meme the ideaspread through Americaand the world and inspired ageneration of diverse Americansfrom NASA engineers tocleaners to strive to make ithappen

A more recent examplelsquowardrobe malfunctionrsquo a memecreated to explain JanetJacksonrsquos Super Bowlcontroversy

In 2008 John Stewart the thenCEO of NAB described NAB asan offshore racing yacht that hadspent four years getting ready forthe winds to change

This yachting meme spreadinternally within the bank like wildfire and was embraced by themedia as a sound bite

Stories are classic memes asthey are easy to understandremember and repeat

Other examples have createdmemes like lsquoBrusselSproutsrsquo lsquoCopper headsnakesrsquo within theirorganisations using stories

To Gangnam style your nextcommunication steer clear ofcorporate jargon and cliches andstart by asking yourself lsquoWhat isa fresh way of thinking andtalking about thisrdquo

Hint lsquoOptimising synergiesrsquo willnot become a meme

Cast your net wide take risksand donrsquot afraid to be cheesyfunny lateralhellip use a story andbe rewarded with Gangnam styleresults

Smart Company Magazine | 25maxiom

Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan is a globalthought leader on organisationalstorytelling and an expertin making good presentersInspiring

For more informationand workshop details go to

Web Sitewwwonethousandandonecomau

Twitterhttptwittercomonethousandand1

26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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26 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In the early 1960s ThomasWatson former CEO of IBMmade the following observationI firmly believe that anyorganisation in order to surviveand achieve success musthave a sound set of beliefs onwhich it premises all its policiesand actions Next I believe thatthe most important single factorin corporate success is faithfuladherence to those beliefsbeliefs must always comebefore policies practices andgoals The latter must always bealtered if they are seen to violatefundamental beliefs

The role of core values inbuilding a business is wellrecognised today although whenyou look at the actions of manycompanies you can probablyassemble a very different list ofvalues to the ones they say theyhold What isnrsquot as wellunderstood or discussed is therole of values in building a Brand

(something Thomas Watson alsoknew a thing or two about)

Irsquom not talking about that gremlinhybrid touted by ad agenciescalled ldquoBrand valuesrdquo Irsquom talkingabout the role your genuineorganisation values play

Because when it comes down toit you donrsquot have a set of ldquoBrandvaluesrdquo and a different set ofldquocore valuesrdquo you just have yourvalues

When you look at the kind ofvalues Thomas Watson talksabout and building a Brand therelationship between them isreally quite straightforward

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisationmakes and keeps Thosepromises are shaped anddirected by the values so yourBrand is shaped by your valuesAnd like values Brand cant becreated They must both be

authentically held - if they arentthe cost is loss of credibility bothinside the organisation and out inthe marketplace

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees ofthe company (or not)

Got a perception issue Take alook at what you are promisingversus what is being providedthere will almost certainly be agap

One of the most common errors Isee organisations make isframing their values around theusual suspects

You know them well - integritytrust teamwork innovationhonesty quality and on and onAnd hot on the heels of the usualsuspects is the allure of theaspirational value - somethingyoursquod like to try to become andsounds great but donrsquot currentlyhold can be hard to resist

WHATrsquoS VALUES GOTTO DO WITH IT By Michel Hogan

Smart | MARKETING

Your Brand is a result of thepromises the organisation makesand keeps

Brand is shaped by your values

Brand and values are also bothdelivered by the employees of thecompany (or not)

Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

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Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

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Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

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wwwsmartcompanyconz

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Both approaches are almostguaranteed to generate a set ofvalues that have little relationshipto what the organisation actuallycares about and does

So next time values come up fordiscussion try this question -which of them would be non-negotiable Which are the thingsthat you wouldnrsquot trade on nomatter what that you wouldcontinue to hold even if they werea competitive disadvantage

Anything that doesnrsquot make thecut just isnrsquot a value A principleof the business maybe

Something useful for the stageand environment of the businessas it stands probably But not avalue

Unless they are non-negotiablethe business wonrsquot care enoughabout them to align around themand deliver them consistently

And without that there is no wayfor a strong brand to follow

Here are some value sets thatavoid the usual suspects andstructure

1 Atlassian - What we value

2 Zappos - Code of Conduct

3 Patagonia - Our Reason forBeing

4 Gore (makers of Gore Tex)- Our Culture

5 Google - The things weknow to be true

So when you think about yourBrand add your values to the mixbut keep in mind that your valuesare your values Their truth showsup in your actions and decisionsand the promises you keep moreclearly than in any writtenstatement

And yes your values and yourbrand have everything to do witheach other

Smart Company Magazine | 27maxiom

Michel Hogan

Michel Hogan is an IndependentBrand Advocate dedicated tohelping organisations makepromises they can keep and keepthe promises they make - with astrong resilient organisation asthe result She alsopublishes a blog at michelhogancom You can follow Michel onTwitter michelhogan

maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

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Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
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maxiom28 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Itrsquos the often overlooked socialmedia channel of LinkedIn Whilstit is Facebook and Twitter thatget all the media attention it isLinkedIn that leads with results

Hubspot research showsLinkedIn being the equalleading CustomerAcquisition Channel togetherwith Company Blogs and thedefinitive leader in theB2B segment

ldquoLinkedIn is the largestprofessional social networkonline today with an astounding135 million users and atargeted audience of businessprofessionals If you are abusiness professional and you donot have a powerful presence onLinkedIn you are

undoubtedly missing valuableopportunities to connect andgrow your businessrdquo- Rebecca Corliss is marketingmanager and leader of the socialmedia marketing team atHubspot

ldquoThere is no other socialnetworking site in which you havea greater chance of being able tointeract with an influentialdecision maker due tothe business- focused nature ofthe community LinkedIn remainsone of the best social networkingsites to market your business-to-business (B2B) products andservices because of this specialdemographic Even for business-to-consumer (B2C) companiesLinkedIn is important notonly because consumers are

members of LinkedIn but alsobecause the network offers agreat platform forfinding distributors agents andstrategic alliancesrdquo- Neal Schaffer author ofWindmill Networking

I used to refer to LinkedIn asldquoFacebook for Businessrdquo buthow wrong I was

The first 2 points provide a majordifference between LinkedIn andFacebook and hence givebusiness people an amazingopportunity not available in anyother media channel

1 LinkedIn provides a meetingplace where people expect to ldquodobusinessrdquo

LINKEDIN - THEGREATEST PERSONALBRANDING PUBLICITYAND SALES TOOL FORB2B MARKETS By Gene Stark

Smart | MARKETING

There are 3 types of people in businessEntrepreneurs IntrapreneursUn-enterprising and all of them can benefit from LinkedIn even the un-

enterprising

Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
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  • Competitive Advantage
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  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
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  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
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  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
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  • Professional Services Franchises
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  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
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  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
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  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
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  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
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  • Most Profitable Franchises
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  • Events
  • Inside Back Page
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Smart Company Magazine | 29maxiom

2 LinkedIn leveragesrelationships by makingconnections visible

3 LinkedIn helps maintainpersonal relationships and buildnew ones

4 LinkedIn provides a platformfor the most effective form ofMarketing - Word of Mouth

5 It can link all your OnlineMarketing Assets and essentialSocial Media Tools egWebsite Blog Slideshare (nowincorporating Video) Twitter andFacebook

With all of the newdevelopments in LinkedIntoday it can assist you with

Promoting your personalbrand

Proactive Networking

Checking References andBackgrounds

Look for a Job Seek andHire Candidates and be

better prepared forinterviews

Generate Leads andAccelerate Sales

Ask for Advice from yourown network as well asldquoCrowdsourcerdquo

Find Experts and Partners

Improve your PersonalProductivity with all of thedifferent LinkedIn toolsWidgets and Apps

Research trends and industriesgather opinions by running pollsas well as track company news

Finally and most importantlyLinkedIn can provide you with theperfect and simple platform for aReferral System Referrals arecritical to success in business

FACT- 98 of Businesses rely onreferrals to gain new business

FACT- 3 of businesses have astrategy for referrals

REFERENCEBNI ndash Business NetworkInternational

Benefits of a Referral System

Lower Marketing Costs

Higher Revenues

Prospects convert toCustomers

Better customerlsquobehaviourrsquo

You can concentrate onyour business

Please note that there is a largeand important differencebetween Word of MouthAdvertising and a ReferralSystem Word of Mouth or lsquogoingviralrsquo usually happens by chanceWe as marketers try as we mightdo not have control over a videoor a game going viral andmore fail than succeed

A Referral System on the otherhand is

Predictable

maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
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  • Competitive Advantage
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  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
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  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
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  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
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  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
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  • B2B Franchises
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  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
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  • Training Employees
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  • Holona Lui
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  • Kristin McNicol
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  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
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  • Maxiom Magazine Advertisment Blue
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  • Inside Back Page
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maxiom30 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Consistent and

Repeatable

LinkedIn can assist you inmost of the critical steps of atypical Referral Process

1 Identifying Referrers Influencers in your Networkby listening and studyingwhere opinions are beingshared

2 Providing them with aWOW experience(LinkedIn wonrsquot help youthere - you need to begreat at what you do ordeliver exceptionalvalue through yourproducts and services)

3 Stay Top of Mind

4 Help them Help You - youneed to educate yournetwork how to refer to you

5 You need to ask forReferrals and Introductions

6 And you need toRecognise and Reward

those that place their trustin you and refer to you

LinkedIn or any othertechnology or media channelfor that matter will not helpyou Stand Out and BeNoticed

You need to give people a reasonto talk about your productsand services and make it easierfor that conversation to takeplace Yoursquoll need to be creativeand wow prospects and not justwith your message Rememberthe old adage - ldquogreat advertisingkills bad products fasterrdquo

As with all social media ormarketing activities in generalthe more you put into them themore you will get back in return

The more you care and share themore likely you are to benefit

Get LinkedIn or be Locked Out

Smart | MARKETING

Gene Stark - is the co-founderof The Marketing Network anSME Branding amp MarketingAgency that brings togetherevery marketing disciplineproviding convenient andaffordable solutions for theirclients - professional servicesand B2B firms that need to findattract and retain customers

email genestarkthemarketingnetworkcomau

LinkedIn httpaulinkedincomIngenestark

Twitter starkreality4u

Website wwwthemarketingnetworkcomau

32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

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Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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  • Gene Stark
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  • Negotiating
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32 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

In fact many businessesexperience inconsistent resultsfrom companies they engage tooutsource a wide spectrum ofservices

Ideally a successful outsourcerelationship enables you tooutsource administrative oroperational activities that are notpart of your normal day-to-daybusiness or for which you requireadditional resources

This provides you with the peaceof mind that comes with beingcertain that the required serviceswill be professionally executed ina timely manner withoutadditional in-house hiring

Know what to outsource andthe results you want toachieve

Being clear on what services youdo not wish to undertake in houseand the scope of services youwant to outsource along with theresults expected from youroutsourced contractor is criticalto the success of the relationship

Organizations that outsourceshould be seeking to realizebenefits or address the followingissues

1 Cost savings - Thelowering of the overall costof the service to thebusiness This will involvereducing the scopedefining quality levels re-pricing re-negotiationand cost re-structuring Itmay include contractingproduction or servicesoffshore to lower costeconomies

2 Focus on Core Business -Resources (for exampleinvestment peopleinfrastructure) are focusedon developing the corebusiness For exampleoften organizationsoutsource their IT supportto specialised IT servicescompanies

3 Cost restructuring -Operating leverage is ameasure that comparesfixed costs to variablecosts Outsourcingchanges the balance ofthis ratio by offering amove from fixed to

variable cost and also bymaking variable costsmore predictable

4 Improve quality - Achievea steep change in qualitythrough contracting out theservice with a new servicelevel agreement

5 Knowledge - Access tointellectual property andwider experience andknowledge

6 Contract - Services will beprovided to a legallybinding contract withfinancial penalties andlegal redress This is notthe case with internalservices

7 Operational expertise -Access to operationalbest practice that wouldbe too difficult or timeconsuming to develop in-house

8 Access to talent - Accessto a larger talent pool anda sustainable source ofskills in particularprofessional servicesconsulting science andengineering

OUTSOURCING FORBEST RESULTS By Mark Matthews

Entrepreneurs and Business Managers are outsourcing more services thanever Yet many business outsource without any defined purpose nor are theymeasuring the effectiveness of their contracts

Smart | OUTSOURCING

Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

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Smart Company Magazine | 33maxiom

9 Capacity management -An improved method ofcapacity management ofservices and technologywhere the risk in providingthe excess capacity isborne by the supplier

10 Catalyst for change - Anorganization can use anoutsourcing agreement asa catalyst for major stepchange that can not beachieved alone Theoutsourcer becomes aChange Agent in theprocess

11 Enhance capacity forinnovation - Companiesincreasingly use externalknowledge serviceproviders to supplementlimited in-house capacityfor product innovation

12 Reduce time to market -The acceleration of thedevelopment orproduction of a productthrough the additionalcapability brought by thesupplier

13 Commodification - Thetrend of standardizingbusiness processes ITServices and applicationservices which enable youto buy at the right priceallows businesses access

to services which wereonly available to largecorporations

14 Risk management - Anapproach to riskmanagement for sometypes of risks is to partnerwith an outsourcer who isbetter able to provide themitigation

15 Venture Capital - Somecountries matchgovernment funds venturecapital with private venturecapital for start-ups thatstart businesses in theircountry

16 Tax Benefit - Countriesoffer tax incentives tomove manufacturingoperations to counter highcorporate taxes withinanother country

17 Scalability - Theoutsourced company willusually be prepared tomanage a temporary orpermanent increase ordecrease in production

18 Creating leisure time -Individuals may wish tooutsource their work inorder to optimise theirwork-life balance

Outsourcing can assist SMErsquoscompete on more favourable

terms with larger organisations ifit is used effectively

With the plethora of outsourcingoptions available to mostbusinesses cutting through thesales hype and delivery promisescan sometimes be a difficultproposition in itself

Knowing where to start what tooutsource why and to whom canbe daunting for many SMErsquos butit doesnrsquot have to be

Some businesses outsource justbecause it seems easier but ifthe contracted service scope isnrsquotclear and the deliveryexpectations not documentedthen the end result may not bewhat the business owners had inmind

It makes sense to partner with anoutsourcing specialist who canassist you develop anoutsourcing strategy that willenable you to achieve yourbusiness aims

No matter what you are looking tooutsource the first thing youshould check is if the person orcompany you are considering iscapable of managing a key areaof your business better than youcan do yourself so you donrsquothave to worry about it If you donrsquotthink they can or areunsurehellipthen move on to onewho can

34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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34 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTH

I do a lot of consulting forentrepreneurs building theircompanies

No matter what the industry I findthe same things lacking incompanies struggling to grow

So this week I thought it would behelpful if I put these commonchallenges into an easy to reviewchecklist

So take a few minutes to look ateach of these areas and askyourself whether you can scoreyourself at least a 7 out of 10 ineach vital department

Clear vision for companyover the next 3 years

Clear company values(No more than 5 ideallyjust 3)

A manual for running thebusiness (How you andyour staff do things day today)

90 day goals with exactfigures to aim for

A marketing plan that usesat least 3 different media(Most failing companiesare not experimentingenough with different typesof media)

Outsourcing or delegatingnon vital tasks (If you donrsquothave an assistant you areone)

A coach mentor or boardto bounce ideas off (Nomatter how smart you areit pays to have wise andobjective counsel)

A sales presentation withat least a 1 out of 3success rate (If yoursquorescoring lower than that youhave either structured thepresentation incorrectly oryoursquore selling to the wrongpeople)

A clear understanding ofwho your customer is(What they fear what theydesire)

A system for staying incontact with customersand potential customers(A companyrsquos biggestpotential asset is itrsquos emaillist)

There are more areasentrepreneurs should keep aneye on of course but get theseten right and you can be prettysure that yoursquore company willhave strong growth over the next3 years

Get them wrong however andyour entire companyrsquos future is atrisk

CHECKLIST FOR FASTCOMPANY GROWTHBy Siimon Reynolds

Smart | LEADERSHIP

Siimon started the Photon Groupand grew that company to beworth over $500 million whileemploying over 5000 people Hehas a passion for helpingentrepreneurs build and grow theirbusinesshttpthefortuneinstitutecom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
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  • Competitive Advantage
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  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
  • Richard Petrie
  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
  • Franchise Focus
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
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  • B2B Franchises
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  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
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  • Training Employees
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  • Holona Lui
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  • Most Profitable Franchises
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  • Inside Back Page
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maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 35

36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

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Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

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36 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Ask an Expert - FranchisingBusiness Development Alliance

1 What inspired you to startBDA What are your goalsand values

BDA has been servicing theFranchise and Business sectorssince 2002 and we have growninto one of Australiarsquos PremierManagement Consultancy Ourvalues enable us to expresswhat we do and what we believein which in turn enables us toput into practice what we arecommitted to which is ndashexcellence in everything we do

Our goals revolve aroundproviding the best adviceservice and education toFranchise Networks whilstassisting and educatingprospective franchises tobecome more profitable

2 What was the driving forcebehind your decision tospecialise in the franchisesector

Its all about passion Thissector demands a high level of

passion and determination Withour never ending search forexcellence coupled with ourexperience we believe that wehave a lot to offer anyone eitherentering or already immersed inthe sector

3 What experience do youhave helping franchise sectorclients

We have been involved in theFranchising sector for over 40years and have experienceacross all facets of franchisingWith this vast experience webelieve our clients can onlybenefit from what we havelearned along the way and thatbrings expertise to the tablewhen making those criticalbusiness decisions

Our Director is a CommitteeMember of the FranchiseCouncil of Australia WA Chapterand is intimately involved in anumber of well recognisedbrands within the sector

4 Do you service othersectors as well

Yes we have worked in manysectors assisting business growincluding manufacturing retailhospitality shipping andwholesale We have thecapabilities and experiences toassist any small business find itsgrowth path

5 What are the main reasonsthat someone would chooseBDA to assist withdeveloping their business

Businesses choose BDA as weassist in finding the right growthpath We will determine wetherLicensing Agency AgreementsDealerships Co-Operatives orFranchising is the best wayforward Most businessunderstand the need for controlwhen expanding however maynot be aware of the boundariesin which that control can beexercised

Franchising is a highly competitive sector with a unique set of challengesBut we discovered that successful franchises have one commoncharacteristic and that is extraordinary ldquopassionrdquo This is a key asset forany business owner particularly in franchising - along with getting greatadvice - as Mark Fernandez from Business Development Alliance explains

Strategise Systemise Commercialise

24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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24 | Modern Franchise Magazine Smart Company Magazine | 37maxiom

We have had many clients overthe years that just need goodsound business advice andthatrsquos where we come in Arsquosounding boardrsquo for seniormanagement and for thosefranchises that need assistancealong the journey

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsreceive

We provide a lsquoone stop shoprsquo forfranchising your business Weundertake all activities in settingup a franchise everything from

completing the Viability StudyFinancial Modelling ScriptingOperation Manuals to Trainingand Recruitment The real workstarts after the launch of afranchise we then take alsquocoaching lsquo role in theorganisation just to keep thingson track and to enable thepractical application of thesystem is actually in play

7 Who is the target market foryour business

Typically we find that businesslooking to grow and have heardabout franchising but not reallysure what Itrsquos all about Yes theyknow of the major brands but arelooking for a guiding hand totake their business to a newlevel

Business that have beenoperating successfully for atleast 12 months and areprofitable are now looking toexpand With this in mind settingthe structures and putting theinfrastructure in place for growthcan be a costly exercise andwithout sound advice can leaveyou exposed and put yourbusiness at risk hence we arefinding more and moreentrepreneurs seekingprofessional advice

8 Do you provide servicesnationally

Yes we do we have worked inall states and territories in andacross our beautiful country

9 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

We are looking to forminternational affiliates withcompanies that have the samevalues and principals as us

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to franchisetheir business

The key here is to get goodquality advice If you want to besuccessful in an industry thatemployees around 650000Australians and contributesmore that $140b to theAustralian Economy then youneed to have a relentless searchfor excellence

Surround yourself with the bestadvisors that you can afford andget out and chat to people in theindustry ndash these are my top tipsfor business that are looking togrow through franchising

Mark Fernandezmarkbda-onlinecomauwwwbda-onlinecomau

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in business developmentand franchising to your business

38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

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About Smart Company Magazine

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

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Published by

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38 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

This method is simple and quickbut almost nobody does itI call it the EAS The EffectiveAction System

STEP ONE ndash PREPAREBEFORE EVERY SIGNIFICANTEVENT

Most people do not spendenough time preparing beforethey begin something

They donrsquot research thebackgrounds of the people theyare seeing

They donrsquot look into the history ofthe company they are visiting

They donrsquot pre-write theirquestions Or work out their mostimportant points

Or check their presentationequipment is working

They donrsquot take the time toprepare any more deeply thanjust handling the basics

However elite performers behavedifferently They take the time toget fully immersed in theupcoming opportunity makingsure they are clear andknowledgeable about the peopleor company they are about tointeract with

Result Vastly higher levels ofsuccess

STEP TWO ndash HAVE BACK UPPLANS

Success doesnrsquot happen in astraight line

We always have setbacksobstacles and serious failuresalong the way (For more on thisbuy my recent book Why PeopleFail)

With this in mind it makesperfect sense to come up withalternative plans and options incase things donrsquot work out Asoften they wonrsquot

Successful people have fall backpositions and alternativestrategies ready so when

HOW TO IMPROVEYOUR PERFORMANCEIN LIFEBy Brian Sher

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

Success isnrsquot just anaccident People whoconsistently reach highlevels of achievement dothings differently from therest

Today Irsquod like to talk about a3 step process that willimmediately improve yourperformance in any area

Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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Smart Company Magazine | 39maxiom

misfortune strikes they can moveimmediately to a new game planfor success

Failures have only one plan ndashand if it doesnrsquot work oftentheyrsquore in trouble

Donrsquot make this mistake Takethe time to develop plans B Cand D

Yoursquoll not only be much moreeffective your confidence willdramatically rise as well

Because yoursquoll know deepinside that you are ready for anyscenario

STEP THREE ndash DEBRIEFEVERY PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most importantconcepts to use if you want alifetime of ultra achievement

When most people finish ameeting work session orimportant human interaction thatspend almost no time evaluatinghow they performed

Typically they give it a momentrsquosthought then get moving on thenext task or appointment

This is such a waste as insideevery event is the chance tosearch for ways we can improve

If you can just get into the habitof always debriefing every timeyou finish a task yoursquoll find youquickly become better at it

As Ray Dalio one of the worldrsquoswealthiest fund managersemphasises ldquoThe maindifference between thesuccessful and unsuccessful isthat successful people find andfix weaknessesrdquo

But if you donrsquot take a fewminutes to debrief after everyperformance you will rarelyidentify those weaknesses letalone work out a way to fixthemSo thatrsquos the EffectiveAction System one of the mostpowerful methods to increaseyour chances of success inexistence

Try it for a week and watch yourperformance levels soar

Brian Sher over 25 years hasestablished himself as arespected pioneer and businessgrowth specialist He has helpedcountless businesses grow overa 20 year period including startups as well as businesses doingtens of millions of dollars perannum

He has an outstanding reputationin the business world and is asuccessful best selling author onthe topic of business andmarketing

He has been involved in helpingmany businesses grow andexpand through his variouscompanies and is The FortuneInstitutes CEO

httpthefortuneinstitutecom

40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

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About Smart Company Magazine

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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40 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

2020 Foresight

In 2020 we will hold the 32nd

Olympic Games and it will be aleap year New Zealandrsquospopulation will be around 55million and Australiarsquos will bearound 255 million

Baby boomers will be 58 yearsold plus and one in five of us willbe over 60 years of age Themedian New Zealand ampAustralian age will be 40 with alife expectancy of 81 for a maleand 86 for a female

In our 2020 workplaces one inthree employees will be workingon a casual part time or projectbasis 40 of todayrsquos seniorleaders will have reachedretirement age Gen Y willaccount for 42 of theworkforce

The average job tenure will be24 years and one in four workerswill be working remotely orvirtually

Between now and 2020 we willalso move forward 100technological years as wecontinue to irrevocably enmeshour physical world with our onlinedigital world and render

ourselves virtually immortalleaving digital footprints that willecho throughout all time

Tomorrowsrsquo workplaces andthinking

The eternal core of an businessleader is underpinned by achildlike curiosity a ldquowhy notrdquo andldquowhat ifrdquo attitude to everypossibility they encounter in adaily fresh new world a strongintuitive belief in how the world isevolving all balanced by astrategic old-world whole ofbusiness pragmatism

This will remain fundamental butwhat is different is the speed ofchange and the breadth ofopportunities and technologiesthat we will have access to

As technology increasingly takesover the burden of our linear androutinised work activities andprovides us with syntheticthinking and analysis successfulbusiness leaders will evolve intothe realisation that humanknowledge coupled totechnological advancements awillingness and agility to readilyand appropriately recognise andrespond to the unusual andunpredictable will combine to

offer us our unique point ofdifference and profitablecompetitive edge

Where once we may havejealously guarded our intellectualproperty and unique know-howwe will instead choose to seekout ways to leverage and makebest use of these innovationpossibilities by forming allianceswith other business andproviders who service similarand complimentary marketsknowing that in this collaborativeoffering there is strength growthand profitability for all involved

2020rsquos workplaces will need tobe adept at uniting a physicallypresent tribe of employees with atribe of offsite and often transientstaffrsquos specifically chosen fortheir ability to add value to thetask or project regardless ofwhere they are on the globe

These tribe members may havehistory and longevity in workingtogether but just as likely mayonly come together to performone task or project and thendisband repeating this processover and over again respondingongoing to global marketplaceneeds for projects skill wisdomand insights

The Year 2020 is only eight years away and for many it holds the romantic promise of howdifferent technology life and business will be but will the reality live up to the expectation

ONLY EIGHT YEARSAWAYhellipBy Morris Miselowski

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

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About Smart Company Magazine

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Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

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wwwsmartcompanyconz

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Smart Company Magazine | 41maxiom

The old management paradigmof control will also slowly giveway to the new paradigm ofinfluence as we learn that ourworkplaces are extremely fluidmalleable and adaptive and thatto flourish in this new workcontext is to allow our people thefreedom to explore newpossibilities and methodologieswhilst remaining true and fixedon the compass pointingsteadfastly to the requiredoutcomes

As the boundary between ourphysical and digital worldsdisappears forever and webecome more immersed anddependant on an Omni worldwhere we are constantly-on andinformation rich in situtechnologies the ability tocompartmentalise our lives intothe historical dictum of eighthours work eight hours play andeight hours rest will no longerhave meaning or purpose

The willingness and ability toeffectively manage the personalneeds of the individual with thecommercial needs of anorganisation will be a skillsetmuscle we will all need toexercise and strengthen

Tomorrowrsquos technologies

65 of the tasks job titles andprofessions todayrsquos teenagerswill undertake in the six (6)careers and 14 jobs they willhave in their 120 years of lifeand 80 years of work have notyet been dreamed of

The first two decades of thiscentury will be seen by futuregenerations as one of hugedisruptive technologies theequivalent of an industrialrevolution one that irrevocablychanged the way we work liveand play and foreverrepositioned our sense of sellworth and entitlement and alsobrought with it an entirely newslew of technologies with whichto engage

The desire to see the worldthrough our own unique lens isleading us towards ahyperpersonalised world aworld in which bespoke is thenorm and just in time is the goalnot only in commercialmanufacturing but in everydaybusiness and consumerproducts

One of the technologies that willfeed this appetite is 3D printingwhich takes a full threedimensional scan of an existingobject and then like a combinedfacsimile and printer of oldsends the image complete withits specifications to a 3D printeranywhere else on the planet toprint out a usable workableclone of the original

This technology will be commonin our factories offices andhomes allowing us to print ondemand spare parts for our carsand machinery an obscure one-off fully working prototype for aclient send work tools to remotesites or print a complete set ofcrockery and cutlery for tonightrsquosdinner party

Additive manufacturing rapidprototyping and 3D printing arealso finding their way into ourmedicine with bio printing ofhuman arteries vital organs andbones each being an exactreplica of the personrsquos faultybody part or tissue re-engineered to remove the faultand ensure working complianceand compatibility (Watch thevideo on the opposite page)

42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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42 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Expect to see an evolution ofnew industries come to the foreand others disappear as weredefine manufacturing awayfrom production and distributiontowards design customisedproduct builds andenhancements delivered just intime to a device near youIn the past four years we haveshifted our lives onto portabledigital devices receiving emailssocial networking interactionsarranging appointments storingand playing music taking photosand generally finding their wayaround their physical and digitalworld with the flick of a wrist anda swipe of a finger

By 2020 these devices will havebecome ubiquitous and willcontain our wallets keys andcommunication tools

The standalone mobile phone oftoday will by 2020 turn into ourMC (Mobile Computer) anddisappear forever into the fibresof our clothing jewellery andwhatever else we may wearcarry and own

This MC technology will be ourpersonal virtual assistantoffering to assemble and makesense of the mass of disparateinformation we have with theoverwhelming information

available around us into ameaningful digital dialogue thatpurposefully guides our choicesand informs us about the worldwe want to know

These same technologies willsupport hot desking allowingemployees to do away withdesignated physical officeworkspaces and instead workanywhere on the planet in amyriad of places determined byconvenience and need

Your MC will connect you into thisneutral space engage with all itssurfaces laying out your digitalfiles and work exactly as you likeit complete with your familyphotos preferred lighting andworking music allowing you towork like a local in a communaland foreign space

Once yoursquove finished your workall of your files and preferenceswill be securely locked away inthe cloud ready for your nextdestination and the space yoursquovebeen using will once again bewiped clean of your digitalpresence rendered neutral andmade ready for the next personto inhabit and work in

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

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wwwsmartcompanyconz

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Smart Company Magazine | 43maxiom

Our mobile computers will alsoallow us to see beyond thephysical world into the digitalworld as augmented (where wesee the real world as well asoverlayed digital images) andvirtual reality (where we replacethe physical world with a digitalworld) become part of ournormal vision

As you walk down the street yourdevice will find the nearest trainstation for you guide you to it letyou know when the train isleaving which platform to get onand where to get off as well aspay for your ticket and let thosethat you are travelling to knowwhere you are and when toexpect you

These same technologies willallow us to blend our physicalhomes contents and happeningsinto our everyday decisionmaking digitally bringing thecontents of our wardrobeskitchens and homes to our MCscreens so that we canseamlessly blend what we havealready with what we want tobuy

It will also allow objects andproducts in our storeswarehouses and offices to

digitally speak to us comingalive to offer how-to instructionssafety messages share filesmake payments and catalogueusage

In 2020 the employee willprovide their own MC technologysubsidised by the corporation -BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)- leaving the companyrsquos primaryobligation to ensuring digitalsecurity and universal real timeemployee access

We will use the core of thesecollaborative technologies toconnect up our disparateworkforce throughteleconferencing and extend ourwork options with telematicengineering (using onlinetechnology to affect and controlremote objects) to provideremote robotic medicineremote site access andmaintenance remote use ofonsite machinery and to meetand confer in virtual onlinemeetings and events

In our workplaces we will blendtraditional face to face inductiontraining sales and customerengagement programs withGamification (using gameprinciples to aid learning or

teach behaviour) to digitally trainstaff offering them a virtual worldin which to practice and extendtheir real world skills and for ourcustomers to immersethemselves further in our brandand product

Single and dual robots will bemore prevalent in ourworkplaces and factoriesoffering assistance with care ofthe elderly and dementiapatients being first line intuitiveresponders to our phone anddigital customers autonomouslysifting through vast amounts ofreal time disparate data andoutputting relevant syntheticknowledge but the days of thescience fiction humanoid robotbeing readily available anddeployed are still not part of2020

By 2020 we will however seenano robots and nanotechnology in use

These new technologies willcontinue to allow us to changethe molecular structure ofmaterials to allow us to innovateadditional functionality andfeatures

44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

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Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

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If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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44 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

We will see clothing that doesmore than just cover our bodybut rather is purposeful atmonitoring our vital signs andcore body temperature andadjusting our garmentsaccordingly or informing medicalstaff of our condition We willhave self-cleaning surfaces andwindows

Rooms where the paintautomatically deodorises foreignsmells neutralises harmfulcontaminants and adjusts thethermostat to maintain steadytemperature and wear clothes

that stay clean and fresh formonths on end

We will ingest nano robots intoour body that will take internal x-rays and photos and then set outto internally fight off disease in atargeted orchestrated cellspecific campaign

Medicine will also move towardshyperpersonalistion withcompounded prescription drugsmaking a return and treatmentsbeing constructed specifically foreach patient and trialled onvirtual digital replicas of

ourselves before it ever entersour physical body

Much of these discoveries andknow-how will come from thedigital collaboration of themedical and non-medicalfraternity spread across theplanet not necessarily known toeach other before embarking onthese projects but onceconnected and informed eager tocollaboratively problem solveinvent and innovate

Crowdsourcing (the ability todigitally tap into and harness thecollective wisdom and skills of77 brilliant minds on the planet)will be a well-entrenchedbusiness paradigm in 2020

We will look for collaborativealliances people to take onproject and task work on ourbehalf and seek some of ourfunding online for our innovationsand projects as well as ways toextend our thinking andopportunities beyond ourphysical and geographicalboundaries

The world of 2020 is a world ofco-creation where to innovatesurvive and thrive we may needto rely on the kindness of

Smart | FUTURE

Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

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64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
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  • Gene Stark
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  • Store it Ad 2
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  • Negotiating
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Smart Company Magazine | 45maxiom

strangers as together we buildprojects take on new marketscollectively employ or manage atribe and seek local nationaland international opportunities ina united physical and digitalworld

Underpinning all of thiscapability and connectivity istechnology which will not onlycontinue to change the tools withwhich we work but the verynature and definition of whatwork is what we offer how weoffer it and to whom

Where to from here

As we journey towards the year2020 the companies that thriveand grow will be those that findopportunity in the changingtechnology

Technology will ongoing be thecatalyst for much of ourinnovation thinking anddirection

It will continue to evolve at aboundless pace and constantlyseek to challenge us butregardless of the advancementsthe selection and use oftechnology must always betempered with lashings of

traditional strategic wisdom anda huge does of humanity

To be able to readily answer thequestion of which technology isimportant and purposeful to ourbusiness we must always beclear about what our business iscapable of what we want toachieve and always be willing tohungrily reach out and grab whatlies ahead

Morris MiselowskiBusiness Futurist | KeynotePresenter | Strategic Advisor

The highly-regarded principaland founder of Success throughFocus since 1981 eachday he consults with businessleaders around the globe helpingto shape their businesses sothey can be first to take profitableadvantage of tomorrowrsquosbusiness opportunities

Morris foresees an unlimitedfuture for those companies whichtake the time to prepare andstrategize for the future NOW

Blog BusinessFuturistme

Website BusinessFuturistcom

FaceBookcomBusinessFuturist

46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

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Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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46 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

BUSINESS PLANNINGFOR SUCCESS By Mark Fernandez

Contrary to popular practice abusiness plan is not a means tosecuring financing Instead it is astep-by-step guide to runningyour business and creating theproduct or service that will makeit in the marketplace And likeany other map your plan willhave to be adjusted according toyour vision for the businessconditions and opportunities inthe marketplace and yourbusinessrsquos current condition

Whether itrsquos formal or informalevery business has a plan Thelocal hair salon may not haveformally written down the planbut before setting up shop asmart owner would haveassessed the need for a shop inthat area of city the ability toattract clients there theappropriate amount of chairswhether to hire someone to dothe shampooing and sweepingthe cost of utilities and even theparking availability for clients

The owner who waits to figurethese things out using trial andmostly error will be lucky to beleft with his hers wits much lessany customers

A business plan helps tominimise those pitfalls

Failing to plan is planning tofailhellip

For many people the concept ofwriting a business plan for theirown business is a daunting onePerhaps it would appear lessdaunting to view the process assimply writing the answer tothree questions namely

Where are you now

Where do you want to beat a future date

How will you get there

THE FIRST QUESTION

lsquoWhere are you nowrsquo ndash must beyour starting point This questionseeks to provide a planningbase It looks at your business toestablish such things as

Your business idea Your current level of sales

Your customer groups

Your products andservices

Your pricing policy

Your promotional activity

Your overall operation

Your employees

Your finances

Answering the question lsquoWhereare you nowrsquo is often a majorstumbling block because mostpeople donrsquot know where tostart However the answer issurprisingly simple if you divideyour business planning into fourkey areas OperationalMarketing Employees andFinance Such a division allowsyou to analyse your business tocreate a solid planning base

THE SECOND QUESTION

lsquoWhere do you want to be at afuture datersquo is simply askingyou to visualize your businessoperation at a set date in thefuture This visualization processis almost identical to theexercise of setting up personalobjectives The differencehowever is that the focus here ison business objectives

What a Business Plan can do for you and how to use ithellip

Running a business without a business plan is like rock climbing blindfoldedYour chances of making it successfully to the top are slim And the processwill surely be a death-defying one

Smart | FRANCHISING

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

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Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 47

THE THIRD QUESTION

ldquoHow will you get thererdquo asksabout the steps you need to takein order to achieve the businessobjectives you have set Thesesteps or strategies can beidentified written down andplanned for

Additional things a businessplan should consider

1 What is the need for what youare offering and what profitmargins can you expect

2 What is a reasonableexpectation of profitability andwhen

3 How will the business pay youand any team members

4 What are estimatedexpenses

5 What considerations tomarketing your productsservices are to be made

While much of this may haveoccurred to you informally it isvery important to write it down Ifyou ever need to approach abank or investors you will needit Writing it down will reinforceyour vision give you a referencepoint for checking your businessand will most likely bring upfactors you did not consider

when creating the plan in yourhead

Writing your business plan down

1 Helps you determine andcoordinate all aspects ofbusiness operations

2 Gives you a means to analyseand determine what might be thebest change to boost yourbusiness out of a stagnantsituation

3 Assists you in determining therisks and benefits associatedwith any changes

4 Decreases your chances tomaking a mistake or notconsidering important factors inyour business and mostimportantly

5 Dramatically increases yourchances of success

Business plans are not only forthose just setting out theirjourney in the marketplace Theyare useful when acquiring a newbusiness forecasting growthintroducing a new product orservice entering a new marketresponding to changes in themarket or changing a significantaspect of your business

Whilst many would acknowledgethe importance of doing one not

many actually do it and insteadfumble along doing what they doie they ldquoFail To Implementrdquo

This is often the crucialdifference between those whoachieve their goals and thosethat donrsquot

Mark Fernandez - brings over 20years of senior managementexperience in businessdevelopment and franchising toyour business If you would like todiscuss your competitive positionfurther or would like help withimplementing any of the ideas inthis article please Contact

Mark Fernandez - DirectorBusiness Development Alliance

wwwbda-onlinecomau

markbda-onlinecomau

48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

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54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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48 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society This is becoming moreevident with highly visible demographic changes in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centres around the country an increasingly mobileinternational workforce and Statistics New Zealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

MANAGING DIVERSITYIS GOOD FOR BUSINESSBy Holona amp Trish Lui

New Zealand is an increasinglymulticultural society This isbecoming more evident withhighly visible demographicchanges in Auckland WellingtonChristchurch and other centresaround the country anincreasingly mobile internationalworkforce and Statistics NewZealandrsquos projected populationgrowth figures for 2026

The shape and make up of NewZealandrsquos labour force ischanging Statistics NewZealandrsquos projections indicatethat by 2026 Maori Asian andPacific people will comprisesome 42 per cent of NewZealandrsquos population

Added to this will be migrantsfrom many different parts of theworld attracted to New Zealandto help address the shortage ofhighly qualified and skilledpeople in a variety of sectorssuch as the research IT andother high tech industries Ouralready diverse multiculturalworkforce will become evenmore diverse

For a number of New Zealand

industries having staff in projectteams from overseas marketswhere they are doing business isan obvious benefit culturaldiversity offers New Zealandcompanies

These include industries in theagriculture tourism andinternational student educationsectors to mention only threeIncreasingly New Zealandrsquosexport focus is on developingnew export markets in AsiaAfrica and Latin America

Having staff with an ability tooperate in New Zealand and thebusiness context of othercountries particularly if theyspeak the lsquohostrsquo countryrsquoslanguage or have strong lsquoin-countryrsquo connections will helpmake it easier for New Zealandcompanies to do business inoverseas markets It is apragmatic and smart businessdecision

But what are the benefits thatworkplace diversity offersbusinesses closer to homeHow do New Zealandbusinesses prepare draw-out

develop and leverage the talentof their staff particularly with amulticultural team

Is it a smart and pragmaticbusiness decision for them

These challenges are now takingon a sharper focus given ourpopulation projectionsincreasing diversity and globalcompetition for skilled labour

There is a growing body ofresearch which shows thatdiversity in the workplaceparticularly when it is wellmanaged benefits businessesand organisations

These benefits include reducedabsenteeism improved staffrecruitment and retentionimproved creativity innovationand problem solving andimproved marketingcommunications and businessoutcomes

It can also enhance a companyrsquosreputation as a lsquogood employerrsquo

Smart | LEADERSHIP

maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

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Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

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Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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maxiom IntelBuild Magazine | 3maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 49

How best to leverage stafftalent ndash feeling valued andunderstood

As with any organisationbusiness or team aiming tomaximise its potential a key partof being able to leverage thetalent in a diverse multiculturalteam is proactive forwardlooking leadership andmanagement commitmentIn simple terms leading byexample and ensuring that theappropriate support and staffdevelopment processes are inplace

Leadership sets the strategy thedirection and demonstrates thelevel of commitment

In our experience with teams andorganisations most people wantto feel valued and understood bytheir colleagues customers andmanagement irrespective ofwhere they come from

One of the keys for any businessto help make this happen is toput in place mechanisms thatfoster a positive workingenvironment and to develop theskills and knowledge of theirpeople

This is in turn contributes topositive outcomes for thebusiness

Other key contributing factorsinclude leadership commitmentworkplace culture diversitytraining and communication andmeasurement and accountability

Having reasonably highproportions of diversity ierepresentation and visibility at alllevels of an organisation alsocontributes to having successfuldiverse multicultural teamsDiversity training at all levels of abusiness helps to give peoplegreater cultural awareness tolearn cross-communicationsskills to help them to interact andbetter understand theirworkmates and clients It canhelp increase productivity byfocussing on recognising andvaluing difference and seekingcomplementarity of skills andaptitude within a culturallydiverse team

A good case study example ofthis approach involved aninsurance company which drewon the diversity of its workforceto better meet the needs of itsdiverse customer base They didthis by being aware ofcelebrating and leveraging theparticular experiences andstrengths of individualsimproving team dynamicschallenging people to thinkcreatively share information andbuilding a sense of communityamong their diverse workforce

Learning to manage andleverage the talent diversityoffers businesses is pragmaticsmart and good for business

Holona and Trish Lui

Holona has considerableexperience and expertise in hisspecialist areas of teamdevelopment especially highperformance teams projectmanagement for learning anddevelopment programmes andcommunications particularly forPacific communities

He regularly provides advice oncommunicating with PacificPeoples and co-conducted PacificAnalysis Framework policy trainingfor a wide range of public sectorand non-government organisations

T +64 4 938 8183M +64 274 439 345

E holonaluicatalystpacificconz

W wwwcatalystpacificconz

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

Ebooks

Company Reports

Sales amp MarketingPresentations

Brochures

Manuals

Training Material

Reports amp Accounts

Magazines

maxiomDIGITALDESIGN

PROFESSIONALS

Secure Cloud Hosted Solutions forDesktop amp Web iPad amp iPhone

and Android Platforms

About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
  • Richard Petrie
  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
  • Franchise Focus
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
  • Franchise Experts
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Training Employees
  • Training Employees
  • Holona Lui
  • Holona Lui
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Online Dilemma
  • MWA Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • TFI Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Maxiom Magazine Advertisment Blue
  • Safety Quip Modern Franchise Magazine Ad
  • Events
  • Inside Back Page
  • Inside Back Cover
  • OR Magazine Back Cover

45 | Smart Company Magazine

THE BEST JOBINTERVIEWQUESTIONS YOUSHOULD ASKBy Kristin McNicol

There are however questionsthat you can ask that shouldgive you a clearer picture asto the type of person you areinterviewing their strengthsweaknesses and attitude

Question 1

When you finish your workwhat do you like to do

This question is artfully vaguein that the applicant is not toldif the answer should focus onwork or personal activities

Work oriented applicants whopossess fantastic work ethic willgive an answer that is work-focused

For example they may talkabout how they ask their bossfor more work ask co-workersif they need help or find anotherproject to start Applicants whoare not work-oriented and have

a lousy work ethic will talk aboutpersonal non-work activitiesthey would do such as eatinggoing out or other entertainmentor playing with their kids familyor petrdquo

Question 2

Whatrsquos the nicest thingyoursquove done for someone

Nice is a personality traitthatrsquos important to companyculture Generally the bestleaders influencers and highestperformers are considered to beldquonicerdquo

It is an important trait thatemployees who will fit into a funhigh performing workplace willpossess

The question usuallycatches the person off guardand you usually get a prettyhonest answer

Question 3

Tell me about yourself

The ldquotell me about yourselfrdquoquestion is still one of the bestways for an interviewer toevaluate a candidate Since it isa question that is often asked itis also one that the interviewerwould expect a candidate tohave prepared and rehearsed

If the candidate is surprisedor unprepared it tells theinterviewer that the candidatedidnrsquot do their homework Theway the candidate presentsand organises the informationis also important

Well-prepared candidates willhave researched the companyanalysed the job description andorganised their presentation in away that reflects a good fitbetween the candidate and theposition or company

Interviewing prospective job candidates can be frustrating and timeconsuming and often leave you no closer to finding out anything usefulabout the people yoursquove met

Smart | HR amp RECRUITMENT

maxiom

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

Ebooks

Company Reports

Sales amp MarketingPresentations

Brochures

Manuals

Training Material

Reports amp Accounts

Magazines

maxiomDIGITALDESIGN

PROFESSIONALS

Secure Cloud Hosted Solutions forDesktop amp Web iPad amp iPhone

and Android Platforms

About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
  • Richard Petrie
  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
  • Franchise Focus
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
  • Franchise Experts
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Training Employees
  • Training Employees
  • Holona Lui
  • Holona Lui
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Online Dilemma
  • MWA Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • TFI Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Maxiom Magazine Advertisment Blue
  • Safety Quip Modern Franchise Magazine Ad
  • Events
  • Inside Back Page
  • Inside Back Cover
  • OR Magazine Back Cover

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 51

Although candidates usuallysay they hate this questionthey should embrace it Theemployer is giving them the timeand space to really talk aboutthemselves in a meaningful andconvincing way

Question 4

Irsquom interested in learning abouta time when you were at yourbest What was the situationthe actions that you took andthe end result

The candidatersquos responseshould highlight what theyconsider their best attributes Ifthese attributes arenrsquot a matchfor whatrsquos needed in the jobthen this isnrsquot the right person

Also note that some interviewcandidates are great employeesbut not interviewees These areseparate skills For examplesomeone who is impressive ona first date may not necessarilymake a good spouse If thecandidate struggles withproviding a complete responseto this question or others theinterviewer shouldnrsquot be afraidto follow up with questions likeldquoWere there any other actions

that you tookrdquo or ldquoWhat skillsdid you userdquo or ldquoWhat were youthinking at that momentrdquo

Question 5

What type of reference do youthink your former boss will giveyou when I call

This forces the applicant toanswer questions from theirformer bossrsquos perspective

They want to get their two centsin before they think you are goingto talk to their boss You getthem to reveal information youwould never get as candidly ifyou called their boss

Question 6

Ask the job candidate tocome up with an imaginaryco-worker and describe thatco-worker to you

Odds are it will reveal what theperson is really like

Kristin McNicol

Kristin is a consultant toenterprise on HR amp recruitmentbest practices having workedfor over 20 years in NorthAmerica and Europe

Kristin has worked with some ofthe biggest household namesfranchises and governmentorganisations helping seniormanagement improvecommunication with allstakeholders in order to achievebetter business outcomes

Her latest book ldquoNiceLeadershiprdquo is available fromNovember

For more information pleasevisithttpwwwsmartcompanyconzkristinmcnicol

52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

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About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

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52 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

THE FOURDISCIPLINES OFEXECUTIONBy Kip Marlow

Heres the problem Most smallbusiness owners andentrepreneurs spend most oftheir time developing strategybut little time executing it

Even business schools andMBA programs dont havecourses on execution

So how do we get things doneMost of the time we dont

Heres another problem In thewhirlwind of todays businessexecution gets lost to challengesof employee managementunderstanding financialstatements paying the rentdealing with problem customersand much more

We just dont take the time tofocus on our goals because wecant

Enter Chris McChesney SeanCovey and Jim Huling ofFranklinCovey

They co-authored the book The4 Disciplines of Execution andits a GAME CHANGER

Although the book was meant forlarger corporations it still hasmerit for our small businesses

Most entrepreneurs have greatideas but the real gamechanger is in our execution

Ruthless execution is needed tobring products to the marketand get more customers

Another words the jockey in thiscase is more important than thehorse

Execution is the key to successno matter what the strategy

Here are Chris 4 disciplines

1 Set your wildly importantgoals

One goal may be taking yourcompany from $250000 inrevenue per year to $400000

Or it could be personal and youwant to lose 10 lbs within thenext 90 days

2 Act on Lead Measures

Determine the steps you have totake to reach your wildlyimportant goal

Then focus your whole companyon these steps

For example If you want toincrease revenues your leadmeasure may be to place 10phone calls per day to clientscustomers or prospects

A coaching friend of ours did justthat

He doesnt always reach theprospects hes trying to call butafter he developed this leadmeasure his small businesscoaching calendar is 95 full

If you want to lose those 10 lbsyour lead measure may belimiting your calories to fewerthan 2500 and walking 5000steps every day

Heres the kicker Yourwhirlwind is around youwhether in business or in yourpersonal life

Smart | ENTREPRENEUR

The 4 Disciplines of Execution Innovation is rewarded but execution isworshipped We dont know who said this but its true

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

Ebooks

Company Reports

Sales amp MarketingPresentations

Brochures

Manuals

Training Material

Reports amp Accounts

Magazines

maxiomDIGITALDESIGN

PROFESSIONALS

Secure Cloud Hosted Solutions forDesktop amp Web iPad amp iPhone

and Android Platforms

About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
  • Richard Petrie
  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
  • Franchise Focus
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
  • Franchise Experts
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Training Employees
  • Training Employees
  • Holona Lui
  • Holona Lui
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Online Dilemma
  • MWA Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • TFI Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Maxiom Magazine Advertisment Blue
  • Safety Quip Modern Franchise Magazine Ad
  • Events
  • Inside Back Page
  • Inside Back Cover
  • OR Magazine Back Cover

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 53

It takes quite a degree of focusto act on those lead measures

3 Keep a score card

Sports teams play differentlywhether ahead or behind

The same rules apply to us

Keeping score of your dials toget more revenue or the amountof calories taken in or stepswalked daily are essential toyour success

4 Create a cadence ofaccountability

Have that accountability partnerfor your dials or your weightloss program

A mentor or good friend cankeep you on track if you meetwith her frequently

The 4 Disciplines of Executioncan change your life make youmuch more productive and helpyou succeed in both yourpersonal and business life

However the focus on yourgoals must be intense or the 4Ds wont work

Innovation is rewarded butexecution is worshipped

We live in a fog of businesscalled the whirlwind Its hard toimplement actions that get us toa goal

The 4 Disciplines of Executionby Chris McChesney may be theroadmap to success

THEldquoMUST READrdquo

MAGAZINEFOR ALL

BUSINESSLEADERS amp

ENTREPRENEURS

MODERNLEADERSHIPMAGAZINE

CLICK HERETO GET YOUR

FREE COPYDELIVERED

DIRECT TO YOURINBOX EVERY

MONTH

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

Ebooks

Company Reports

Sales amp MarketingPresentations

Brochures

Manuals

Training Material

Reports amp Accounts

Magazines

maxiomDIGITALDESIGN

PROFESSIONALS

Secure Cloud Hosted Solutions forDesktop amp Web iPad amp iPhone

and Android Platforms

About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
  • Richard Petrie
  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
  • Franchise Focus
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
  • Franchise Experts
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Training Employees
  • Training Employees
  • Holona Lui
  • Holona Lui
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Online Dilemma
  • MWA Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • TFI Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Maxiom Magazine Advertisment Blue
  • Safety Quip Modern Franchise Magazine Ad
  • Events
  • Inside Back Page
  • Inside Back Cover
  • OR Magazine Back Cover

54 | Smart Company Magazine

THE KEY MISTAKES THATENTREPRENEURS MAKEWHEN BUILDING A VIRTUALTEAM FOR THEIR BUSINESS

Hiring a virtual team takes a greatdeal of care to get it right but it canmake all the difference in theworld

Here are a few key components ofputting together that winning virtualTeam

1 Job Description

Just like you were employing anew staff member you will need tohave a job description prepared sothat both you and your new recruitknow exactly what they will bedoing when they come on board

Take the time to write down whattasks your new team member willbe taking on and what yourexpectations are for this new teammember and share this with themwhen they start working with youso they know what is expected ofthem

2 Delegating

There is no point in finding greatpeople and working hard to build ateam for your business if youre notgoing to delegate tasks to them Ifyou have taken the time to build asupportive successful team thenlet them do what you hired them todo

3 CommunicationIt is important to find talented teammembers and let them do whatthey do best However it isincredibly important tocommunicate with your team sothat you know what is going on atall times Are deadlines being met

Are customer service standardsbeing upheld Are they meetingyour expectations and their KPIrsquosManaging the projects that yououtsource to your team cansometimes be challenging

Adopting software solutions likeWrike can make this task mucheasier so that you always know theprogress of each task or projectyou outsource

4 Hiring Based on Skill SetOnly

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make Justlike hiring staff attitude and workethic are even more important thanexperience or expertise Whenoutsourcing to a virtual team youalso need to know if the teammember will be available when youwant them (are they working forothers who are a higher priority tothem) and how well do theycommunicate with you

5 Quick To Hire Slow To FireJust like employing staff take yourtime when you are looking for anew member for your virtual team

Business owners tend to put offthe decision to build a virtual teamor to outsource then rush out andhire the first person with the skillset they find Hiring the wrongperson is costly time consumingand incredibly frustrating Take thetime to hire the right person and ifyou dont have the time you canalways outsource that to aSpecialist

6 Have Systems In Place

This is one of the biggest mistakesthat business owners make whenthey are growing their team nothaving systems in place will costyou time and money You shouldhave templates for FAQs how youanswer emails anything repetitiveshould have a how to template orchecklist attached to it

Paying attention to these few itemscan make all the differencebetween success and failure whenhiring and working with a virtualteam

So take your time do it rightand reap the benefits

As business owners it is difficult to make the decision to hire help But everybusiness in order to reach that next level is going to have to build a supportsystem By Joel R Russell

maxiom

Smart | OUTSOURCING

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

Ebooks

Company Reports

Sales amp MarketingPresentations

Brochures

Manuals

Training Material

Reports amp Accounts

Magazines

maxiomDIGITALDESIGN

PROFESSIONALS

Secure Cloud Hosted Solutions forDesktop amp Web iPad amp iPhone

and Android Platforms

About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
  • Richard Petrie
  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
  • Franchise Focus
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
  • Franchise Experts
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Training Employees
  • Training Employees
  • Holona Lui
  • Holona Lui
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Online Dilemma
  • MWA Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • TFI Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Maxiom Magazine Advertisment Blue
  • Safety Quip Modern Franchise Magazine Ad
  • Events
  • Inside Back Page
  • Inside Back Cover
  • OR Magazine Back Cover

MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to yourtarget clients in the most effective way to boost your sales andyour profit We are not just interested in great design and thelatest technologies wersquore interested in your business yourcustomers and your commercial success too

Inspire them to buy

Inspire them to share

Inspire their loyalty

Increase brand recognition

Increase interaction with your brand

Create a consistent brand experience

Amaze Creative

Brand Design | Print amp Digital | Web Design | Web Development

wwwamazecreativestrategiescom

Keeping it clear and simple

Amaze Creative StrategiesCreating distributing and analysing engaging

recurring digital content experiencesacross multiple channels

Inspire Your Customers amp Franchisees

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 55

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

Ebooks

Company Reports

Sales amp MarketingPresentations

Brochures

Manuals

Training Material

Reports amp Accounts

Magazines

maxiomDIGITALDESIGN

PROFESSIONALS

Secure Cloud Hosted Solutions forDesktop amp Web iPad amp iPhone

and Android Platforms

About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
  • Richard Petrie
  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
  • Franchise Focus
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
  • Franchise Experts
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Training Employees
  • Training Employees
  • Holona Lui
  • Holona Lui
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Online Dilemma
  • MWA Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • TFI Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Maxiom Magazine Advertisment Blue
  • Safety Quip Modern Franchise Magazine Ad
  • Events
  • Inside Back Page
  • Inside Back Cover
  • OR Magazine Back Cover

56 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

SMART BUSINESSCATALYST PACIFIC

1 What inspired you to startCatalyst Pacific What areyour goals and values

We have always beenpassionateabout learning and supportingpeoplersquos efforts to achieve tothe best of their ability

This combined with a desire toset up our own business led mywife Trish and I to establishCatalyst Pacific Ltd

We saw that there were asignificant number of peoplewhose talents and potential werelargely untapped and that anoften unspoken part ofleveraging their potential wasa strong underlying need to raisecross-cultural awareness

While much of our work hasbeen in coaching andfacilitation and Pacificcommunications andengagement we are aiming toincrease our business in thearea of building cross-culturaleffectiveness It is a key aspectof all business The qualitieswe value in ourselves and ourclients are Trust CommitmentStrong relationships GenerosityIntegrity Openness Honestyand providing practicalevidence-based solutions

2 What was the drivingforce behind your decisionto specialise in the crosscultural awareness aspect ofBusiness

Itrsquos who we are as people Weare a cross-cultural couplefamily and business

For us it was a logical extensioninto the business arena our keypoint of difference and an areaof potential growth Equallyimportant for us is that it iswork with a lsquogoodrsquo societalPurpose

Cultural diversityis a feature of New Zealandand Australian society andan integral part of all workTeams Relating effectively withpeople is a key aspect of anyBusiness

We could see that withan increasingly multi-culturalworkforce for businesses toget best from their people andbenefit from a deeper level ofstaff engagement they neededto consciously develop effectivecross-cultural communicationsas an essential leadership andteam building skill We have theexperience and expertise to helpthem

3 What types of customersdo you help Whatexperiencedo you have helping smallbusiness customers

We help organisations andteams in the private public andNot- For-Profit sectors fromlarge and small organisationsWe work across all levels inorganisations but ouropportunities have tended to bewith influential groups particularlymiddle and senior leadershipteams We are aiming to domore with small businesses

4 Do you service othersectorsas well

Yes Effective cross-culturalcommunications is an essentialskill across all sectors We haveclients in the Health Essentialservices Energy Education ITand manufacturing sectors

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertise

Helping people be effective in cross-cultural environments

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

Ebooks

Company Reports

Sales amp MarketingPresentations

Brochures

Manuals

Training Material

Reports amp Accounts

Magazines

maxiomDIGITALDESIGN

PROFESSIONALS

Secure Cloud Hosted Solutions forDesktop amp Web iPad amp iPhone

and Android Platforms

About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
  • Richard Petrie
  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
  • Franchise Focus
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
  • Franchise Experts
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Training Employees
  • Training Employees
  • Holona Lui
  • Holona Lui
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Online Dilemma
  • MWA Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • TFI Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Maxiom Magazine Advertisment Blue
  • Safety Quip Modern Franchise Magazine Ad
  • Events
  • Inside Back Page
  • Inside Back Cover
  • OR Magazine Back Cover

maxiom Smart Company Magazine | 57

5 What are the mainreasons that someonewould choose the CatalystPacific to help improve crosscultural awareness and theiremployment brand

We are client focused and easyto work with We model what wedo and have specific expertisein the area

We use professionalresearch based tools and arecontinually refining our offeringand researching internationaltrends and best practise in thisArea

We work alongside ourclients to design develop anddeliver practical outcomes toaddress their specific needs

6 What process servicesand support do your clientsReceive

Our business has three mainstreams of work - coachingand facilitation for highperformance building cross-cultural effectiveness effectivecommunications andengagement

There is an increasing demandfor our One-on-One coachingservices We draw from a widerange of proven researchbased tools to up-skill andstrengthen leadership improvestaff engagement enhanceproductivity and strengthencross-cultural effectiveness

These tools include AppreciativeInquiry work-style profiling

Lominger Architect suite oftools ExcelL and CultureActive(two inter-cultural skills tools)and Culture-Connect which isa unique approach we havedeveloped through our work inthis area

7 What challenges didyou face in setting up yourBusiness

Being new to the marketestablishing ourselves anddeciding the best businessmodel for us were challenges

For the past six years we haveused an associate businessmodel However our biggestchallenge has been in gettingcompanies to recognise that ina growing global economy morethan ever before effective cross-cultural communications skillsare an essential leadership andstaff competency

Interestingly this challenge is initself a reflection of New Zealandand Australiarsquos egalitarianvalues ie that we all have thesame opportunities and shouldtreat all people the same

Often our services have beenengaged for other work wherewe can see that there aredeeper cultural influences also

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

Ebooks

Company Reports

Sales amp MarketingPresentations

Brochures

Manuals

Training Material

Reports amp Accounts

Magazines

maxiomDIGITALDESIGN

PROFESSIONALS

Secure Cloud Hosted Solutions forDesktop amp Web iPad amp iPhone

and Android Platforms

About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
  • Richard Petrie
  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
  • Franchise Focus
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
  • Franchise Experts
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Training Employees
  • Training Employees
  • Holona Lui
  • Holona Lui
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Online Dilemma
  • MWA Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • TFI Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Maxiom Magazine Advertisment Blue
  • Safety Quip Modern Franchise Magazine Ad
  • Events
  • Inside Back Page
  • Inside Back Cover
  • OR Magazine Back Cover

58 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

Smart | COMPANY FEATURE

play Part of our challenge isgetting our clients and potentialclients to recognise andacknowledge those culturalInfluences

8 Tell us about some of theexpectations that you hadHave they been met

This is very much a work inprogress We wanted to workwith lsquoPerfect Clientsrsquo ie clientswhere we shared a strongalignment of values had a mutualrespect and were willingto explore building a long-termrelationship This way we arereally able to gain an in-depthknowledge and understanding ofwhere we can add greater valuein addressing their needs This isfar more satisfying than a moretransactional relationship

We are committed to makinga positive difference and tohelping our clientrsquos achieve theirbusiness objectives particularlyin the areas we work For usone of the best ways to do thisis by working with influentialleadership groups

By and large we have managedto do that Much of our work hascome through and continues tobe on a referral basis

It is hard work but good work andit has always been enjoyable

9 What types of services doyou offer

We offer a range of diversitytraining cultural awareness andcross-cultural communicationsskills workshops These alsoinclude pre-posting and pre-travel briefings Inter-culturalmentoring and In-Countrytransition training We haveparticular expertise in strategicfacilitation executive coachingteam development to build highperformance teams and Pacificcommunications We are in theprocess of developing an onlinestream to our business

10 Do you provide servicesthroughout New Zealand

Yes We work in all the maincities and provincial centres asbest suits our clientrsquos needs

11 Do you have any plans foroverseas expansion

Yes definitely particularly forAustralia and the Asia-Pacificregion We have both travelledextensively and want to combinethis with our business well intothe future

As part of positioning CatalystPacific Ltd in the cross-culturalspace we wanted tobe part of a global network withother inter-cultural experts Wehave done this meeting ournow global inter-cultural expertcolleagues based in Finland theUK Singapore Hong Kong andAustralia We are able tocombine forces and share theirexpertise for specificinternational projects

We have worked in the Pacificand advised clients on workingas mentors in the Pacific Wewant to do more of this at homeand further afield through ourinternational networks and otherConnections

12 What would you say tosomeone looking to educatetheir workforce in cross-culturalawareness and whatadvice would you give them

It is great that they are beingproactive and forward-lookingNew Zealand and Australiahave an increasingly culturallydiverse workforce clientele andbusiness partners It is importantthat the provider they contractuses proven research-basedcross-cultural communicationslearning and development tools

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

Ebooks

Company Reports

Sales amp MarketingPresentations

Brochures

Manuals

Training Material

Reports amp Accounts

Magazines

maxiomDIGITALDESIGN

PROFESSIONALS

Secure Cloud Hosted Solutions forDesktop amp Web iPad amp iPhone

and Android Platforms

About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
  • Richard Petrie
  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
  • Franchise Focus
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
  • Franchise Experts
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Training Employees
  • Training Employees
  • Holona Lui
  • Holona Lui
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Online Dilemma
  • MWA Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • TFI Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Maxiom Magazine Advertisment Blue
  • Safety Quip Modern Franchise Magazine Ad
  • Events
  • Inside Back Page
  • Inside Back Cover
  • OR Magazine Back Cover

Smart Company Magazine | 59maxiom

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

Ebooks

Company Reports

Sales amp MarketingPresentations

Brochures

Manuals

Training Material

Reports amp Accounts

Magazines

maxiomDIGITALDESIGN

PROFESSIONALS

Secure Cloud Hosted Solutions forDesktop amp Web iPad amp iPhone

and Android Platforms

About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
  • Richard Petrie
  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
  • Franchise Focus
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
  • Franchise Experts
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Training Employees
  • Training Employees
  • Holona Lui
  • Holona Lui
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Online Dilemma
  • MWA Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • TFI Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Maxiom Magazine Advertisment Blue
  • Safety Quip Modern Franchise Magazine Ad
  • Events
  • Inside Back Page
  • Inside Back Cover
  • OR Magazine Back Cover

FITNESS IN THEWORKPLACE By Mish McCormack

Compare this with a massive1700 kilojoules (400 calories) anhour for a manual labourer hardat work Thatrsquos why thesedentary are constantly fighting(and sometimes losing) thebattle of the bulge

Instead of putting exercise offduring the week because thereis no time for it try introducingshort bursts of exercise into atypical working day Despitewhat you may believe evenexercising in short five minutebursts several times a day willgo a significant way towardsreducing the negative impact ofa sedentary job

To introduce activity into yourworking day

Set an alarm on yourwatch or cell phone to gooff every hour to remindyou to stand up walkaround and stretch for afew minutes

When possible deliverdocuments to co-workersin person

Use the toilets on the floorabove you and take thestairs

Use the stairs instead ofthe lift at every opportunity

Try organising walkingmeetings instead ofsitting in an office orconference room

Whenever yoursquore on thetelephone (and itrsquosconvenient) stand up andmove around

Spend half of each lunchhour going out for a briskwalk (before eating)

Get ruthless with yourdiary and scheduleexercise as a regular partof your daily routine

Consider every reason tomove an opportunity tobecome healthier not aninconvenience

If you travel regularly forbusiness

Walk around the airport(taking the stairs) whilewaiting for your flightinstead of blobbing out inthe cafe or bar

Stay at hotels with gymsor pools and start the daywith a half hour workout

Take a skipping rope orresistance bands in yoursuitcase (and use them)

Smart | HEALTH amp FITNESS

Sitting at a desk or behind a computerfor eight hours a day affects ourphysical and emotional healthSedentary workers burn around 560kilojoules (135 calories) an hour whileat work

60 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

For more information aboutMishfitness visit their web site

wwwmishfitnesscom

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

Ebooks

Company Reports

Sales amp MarketingPresentations

Brochures

Manuals

Training Material

Reports amp Accounts

Magazines

maxiomDIGITALDESIGN

PROFESSIONALS

Secure Cloud Hosted Solutions forDesktop amp Web iPad amp iPhone

and Android Platforms

About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
  • Richard Petrie
  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
  • Franchise Focus
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
  • Franchise Experts
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Training Employees
  • Training Employees
  • Holona Lui
  • Holona Lui
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Online Dilemma
  • MWA Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • TFI Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Maxiom Magazine Advertisment Blue
  • Safety Quip Modern Franchise Magazine Ad
  • Events
  • Inside Back Page
  • Inside Back Cover
  • OR Magazine Back Cover

Finding the right franchisees to help grow your businessdoesnrsquot need to be hit and misshellip

Get the franchisees that are going to make yourbusiness a success

Talk to the Experts in Franchising

CLICK HERETo Find Out More about How BDA Can Turn

Your Franchise Dreams into Realitymaxiom62 | Smart Company Magazine

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

Ebooks

Company Reports

Sales amp MarketingPresentations

Brochures

Manuals

Training Material

Reports amp Accounts

Magazines

maxiomDIGITALDESIGN

PROFESSIONALS

Secure Cloud Hosted Solutions forDesktop amp Web iPad amp iPhone

and Android Platforms

About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
  • Richard Petrie
  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
  • Franchise Focus
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
  • Franchise Experts
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Training Employees
  • Training Employees
  • Holona Lui
  • Holona Lui
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Online Dilemma
  • MWA Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • TFI Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Maxiom Magazine Advertisment Blue
  • Safety Quip Modern Franchise Magazine Ad
  • Events
  • Inside Back Page
  • Inside Back Cover
  • OR Magazine Back Cover

maxiom24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiomSmart Company Magazine | 63maxiom

For Professional Digital Solutionsfor All Your Publishing Needs

CLICK HERE

Ebooks

Company Reports

Sales amp MarketingPresentations

Brochures

Manuals

Training Material

Reports amp Accounts

Magazines

maxiomDIGITALDESIGN

PROFESSIONALS

Secure Cloud Hosted Solutions forDesktop amp Web iPad amp iPhone

and Android Platforms

About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
  • Richard Petrie
  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
  • Franchise Focus
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
  • Franchise Experts
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Training Employees
  • Training Employees
  • Holona Lui
  • Holona Lui
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Online Dilemma
  • MWA Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • TFI Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Maxiom Magazine Advertisment Blue
  • Safety Quip Modern Franchise Magazine Ad
  • Events
  • Inside Back Page
  • Inside Back Cover
  • OR Magazine Back Cover

About Smart Company Magazine

PublisherMaxiom Group Pty Ltd600 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne Vic 3000 Australiawwwmaxiomcomau

EditorMark Matthews

Digital Magazine Created bySmart Company Magazinewwwsmartcompanyconz

Advertising Enquiries1300 855 696 (within Australia)+ 613 8199 3586 (International)advertisingmaxiomcomau

Editorial Media Releases amp Article Submissionmagazinemaxiomcomau

64 | Smart Company Magazine maxiom

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
  • Richard Petrie
  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
  • Franchise Focus
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
  • Franchise Experts
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Training Employees
  • Training Employees
  • Holona Lui
  • Holona Lui
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Online Dilemma
  • MWA Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • TFI Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Maxiom Magazine Advertisment Blue
  • Safety Quip Modern Franchise Magazine Ad
  • Events
  • Inside Back Page
  • Inside Back Cover
  • OR Magazine Back Cover

PRIVACY POLICYSmart Company magazine is published as a service to subscribersWe adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers onour database and will not disclose your details to any third partieswithout your prior permission

If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazineplease contact our office on + 64 3 8199 3486 or email policiesmaxiomcomau

A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website atwwwmaxiomcomausubscribersprivacypolicy

In the meantime thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue ofSmart Company magazine

DISCLAIMERInformation published in this online magazine has been compiledwith due care and attention but it does not clam to be exhaustiveMaxiom Group andor Smart Company Magazine cannot be heldresponsible for the content of external sites reached via ahyperlink from this site We accept submissions from outsidecontributors and whilst great care is taken the author of thesubmitted article is responsible for what they write and SmartCompany Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurateinformation or any other omission or error by outside contributors

This online magazine is provided for information only It is notintended to replace a consultation with a qualified industryprofessional Smart Company Magazine or itrsquos publisher does notaccept responsibility for any loss damage or injury that arisesfrom the use of this online publication

Smart Company Magazine | 65maxiom

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
  • Richard Petrie
  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
  • Franchise Focus
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
  • Franchise Experts
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Training Employees
  • Training Employees
  • Holona Lui
  • Holona Lui
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Online Dilemma
  • MWA Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • TFI Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Maxiom Magazine Advertisment Blue
  • Safety Quip Modern Franchise Magazine Ad
  • Events
  • Inside Back Page
  • Inside Back Cover
  • OR Magazine Back Cover

maxiom

Published by

Maxiom Group Pty Ltd

Ph 1300 855 696Fax 1300 799 493

magazinemaxiomcomauwwwmaxiomcomau

wwwsmartcompanyconz

  • Modern Franchise Magazine Cover Page May 2011
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Modern Franchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P2
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Jelden Ad
  • Richard Petrie
  • Richard Petrie
  • Jules Brooke
  • Custom Publishing
  • Franchise Focus
  • Franchise Focus
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Professional Services Franchises
  • Modern Frnchise Magazine Inside Front Cover P1
  • OHS Noose
  • OHS Noose
  • B2B Franchises
  • OHS Noose
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Gene Stark
  • Store it Ad 2
  • Mark Matthews
  • Mark Matthews
  • Negotiating
  • Goodes amp Co Advertisement
  • Franchise Experts
  • Franchise Experts
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Morris
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • B2B Franchises
  • Training Employees
  • Training Employees
  • Holona Lui
  • Holona Lui
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Kristin McNicol
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Online Dilemma
  • MWA Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Nest
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • TFI Ad
  • Most Profitable Franchises
  • Maxiom Magazine Advertisment Blue
  • Safety Quip Modern Franchise Magazine Ad
  • Events
  • Inside Back Page
  • Inside Back Cover
  • OR Magazine Back Cover