Commerce Ballarat Weekly Bulletin 11 May - 17 May
Quote of the week
"Get your head in the cloud and your staff in the conversation" Pete Williams
Business Day Out 2013
Business came together from across the state on Wednesday to interact and develop their skills and even more importantly learn new ones. Our speakers were inspirational, the venue and service professional. A great day was missed by those that were not there!! Some images below, to see more click on the Photo Gallery
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Upcoming Events
Business Awards Workshops
Details: Quest Apartments
7 Dawson Street Nth Ballarat
These workshops will include assistance in addressing the criteria and information on what the judges are looking for. The workshops will focus on the following areas:
1. Planning and preparation - What to do before you start writing your application
2. Creating award winning answers - How to sell your business in a few words
3. Proofing, cutting, editing and adding value
4. 10 top tips
Past and first time entrants will benefit from these workshops.
Work shop 1 - 21 May at 10am REGISTER HERE:
Work shop 2 - 29 May at 2pm REGISTER HERE:
Work shop 3 - 3 June at 5.45pm REGISTER HERE:
New workshop - Manufacturers Specific
22 May at 10.30am REGISTER HERE:
Commerce Ballarat 505 Club
Date:13 Jun 2013
Non Members: $16.50
Members: Free
Details: Bank of Melbourne
Shop 27 Central Square Shopping Centre
5.30pm - 7.30pm
An evening of networking and fostering relationships to grow your business.
Drinks and Savouries provided
Members and Non-Members: REGISTER HERE
Members News
CB Member Feedback Survey
Commerce Ballarat is committed to supporting our members, we would appreciate your feedback on our performance over the past year. Please visit this
link to give us your input.
Articles
Understanding the rules for making employees redundant
Source: My Business Magazine May 13 2013
Terminating an employee for redundancy is just about unchallengeable, but there are a few simple steps that employers can take to avoid litigation following redundancies, explains workplace relations lawyer Sam Ingui.
As long as an employer can show that it no longer wants the job to be done, the decision to make an employee redundant is almost litigation proof. All the employer has to ensure is that the right severance payments are made and the worker is not replaced.
However, things are not always that straightforward. The Fair Work Act 2009 contains a few small traps for employers. The Act says that a genuine redundancy occurs if an employer no longer requires the person's job to be performed.
However, redundancy will be held not to be genuine if there is an award or enterprise agreement that says the employer has to consult about the redundancy and it would be reasonable for the employee to be redeployed within the employer's business
Employee challenges redundancy decision
Just how a business can fall foul of these obligations is illustrated in the decision of Fair Work Australia (FWA) in UES v Harvey. Due to financial pressures, hardware supplier UES made one of its three storepersons redundant and paid him his entitlements.
The storeperson, Mr Harvey, challenged the decision. His lawyer argued that the decision was announced without Mr Harvey's input and the business failed to consult him or show that it considered redeployment as it was obliged to do under the Act and the relevant award. The business responded by showing overwhelmingly that an operational and business case justified the redundancy.
FWA accepted that Mr Harvey's employment was genuinely being made redundant. However, the Commissioner said that legislative and award provisions are there for a reason and cannot simply be ignored.
FWA decided that the redundancy was genuine, but not fair. Mr Harvey should have been given an opportunity to have his say. Who knows - he may have been able to persuade the employer not to make him redundant. He was simply denied that opportunity. Mr Harvey was awarded a sum of $7,198.28 in lost wages and superannuation, based on an assumption that he would have continued working for a further period, albeit on reduced hours to cut costs. Read more
Using Instagram as a business tool
Source: www.businessday.com.au
The photo-sharing app Instagram, owned by Facebook, touts 100 million monthly active users in 2013 - spectacular reach. Yes, Instagram has its superficial side but the app for Android and iPhone still clearly possesses impressive marketing potential anchored in its mass popularity. Here's some intel on how to harness Instagram's visual might and make the app work like your virtual shop window; minimal tech know-how required.
1.Use your usual social media name
The Instagram name you choose should align with your Twitter handle and the one you use on other social media networks, says social media strategist Christopher Apaliski. That measured approach allows easier cross-posting and means your followers can find you on all platforms, Apaliski says. If you're mixing up names between social accounts, it's the equivalent of having a different business name for the same place. Consistency is key, he says.
2. Interact widely
Because Instagram is a social network, it's vital you use it gregariously, says Apaliski. This should go without saying but it's often overlooked, he says.>Tag and thank users for any comments they make. If they have something to tell you, don't just take it for granted. "Simple, friendly banter with the consumer goes a long way toward generating life-long customers," says Apaliski, adding that following other Instagram users is advisable, if they are legitimate. Shun spammers with names such as "getmorefollowers064798".
3. Show personality
Whether you display photos of staff, clients, products or general industry-slanted fodder, avoid generic, posed snaps lacking character.
If your business looks bland, nobody will follow it, says digital agency owner Michael Simonetti who describes Instagram as an edgy version of Pinterest. Both apps are like magazines that readers flip through to see the pictures, Simonetti says.
Success with Instagram hinges on arresting presentation, so he says ensure your photos are "very well styled, sexed-up or strange in some way to stand out". You might want to apply some of the app's atmospheric filters such as Sutro and Rise.
4. Splash the hashtags
Hashtags are keywords introduced by a hash (#) sign, which make you more findable. When using Instagram, think "hashtag, hashtag, hashtag", Simonetti says, and explains how to use them.
For starters, you need a hashtag of your company name. You also want to embed tags reflecting your line of trade. If you run a floristry, you could enlist "#floral", "#wedding", "#springtime", "#peonyroses", "#arrangement", "#seasonal", "#luckyinlove", even "#happybridezilla", Simonetti says.
Keep your Instagram hashtags specific because that means more chance of "engaging new loyalty".
5. Easy does it
Cut the hard sell. Avoid posting more than twice a day, or you run the risk of hogging your contacts' feeds, which will make you look self-centred.
Be subtle. Let your photos do the talking. Remember a picture is worth a thousand words. Read more
Australian Bureau of Statistics
8501.0 Retail Trade, Australia, Mar 2013
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8501.0?OpenDocument
5368.0 International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia, Mar 2013
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/5368.0?OpenDocument
6102.0.55.001 Labour Statistics: Concepts, Sources and Methods, 2013
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6102.0.55.001?OpenDocument
6416.0 House Price Indexes: Eight Capital Cities, Mar 2013
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6416.0?OpenDocument
Regional Industry Link
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