Business Essentials

It's hard to know all the rules around employing casuals, but to protect you from the courts it's important that you do.

Cheryl Disher says it’s easy to mistake a casual with a part-timer or a permanent employee, because the rules are complicated and confusing. But, if a casual worker suddenly decides to report you to the Fair Work Commission, don’t expect much forgiveness from the courts. It happens, she says. And you could be severely penalised.

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Lee Squire bought herself a business – and quickly discovered that running one is a much different beast to managing a team in a company she didn’t own.

The day-to-day stresses, including the constant worry about pay role, all played their part in her increasing reliance on alcohol. She was sinking fast. But she pulled herself up, quit drinking, and today is a much-admired business woman, with a cabinet full of business awards. She shares her ideas and experience on running a successful business.

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The millennial generation today makes up a large share of the Australian workforce and it's important to understand how to attract them for future business success.

Luke Faccini says they're more likely to put emphasis on social and environmental issues when choosing a place to work. To win the hearts and minds of the millennial generation, it's worth evaluating how your business is run and whether your brand reflects the values millennials hold dear.

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Business names can sometimes have a use-by date. If you’re thinking about a name change, there are important things to consider.

Brand strategist Luke Faccini says sometimes a name change is unavoidable, when you move into new markets, for example, and your current name won’t work. Luke takes us through some of the biggest mistakes businesses make when changing their names. If you’re going to embark on the process, he says, it’s a big step and you may as well get it right.

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The frontline of business is customer service. That's where we engage and – hopefully – persuade people to buy. But, why do some do some frontline staff fail? It comes down to a lack of empowerment, according to customer service expert, Michael Carrick. When people are empowered, they're much better at helping others. When we take care of our own people, Michael insists, our people will take care of business.

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With the summer holidays well and truly behind us, it's often now that key staff leave for another company. That's according to recruitment specialist Geoff Balmer of Richard Lloyd Recruitment, who explains why they might head out the door and what you can do to prevent that from happening.

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When Fiona Whatley and her husband James took over her parents' business, they hadn't fully planned for 10-fold growth in less than a decade.

Springhill Farm makes and sells delicious bite-size treats under its own brand as well as manufacturing food – especially health food – for other brands. Its reputation has grown from lucrative partnerships with well-known companies, including Virgin, Officeworks, Qantas, AccorHotels and Hudsons Coffee. Fiona shares the lessons and challenges of a family business handling fast growth.

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What's likely to drive customers away from your door, never to return? Research shows some underlying factors which will eventually mean survival or not for your business.

Neville Christie uncovers the reasons why customers become cynical about who they buy from, and he suggests ways to make sure that cynicism doesn’t apply to you. It's all about innovating and ensuring you're implementing ethical business practices that reflect the behaviour people expect from the businesses they deal with.

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You may not wish to taint a blossoming relationship by introducing lawyers at the courting stage, but a co-ownership agreement is worth its weight in gold.

Andrew Henshaw and Scott McKenzie of Velocity Legal explain what a business "pre-nup" looks like and why you should organise one. And if it’s too late for a pre-nup, it's still a good idea to get an agreement in place in case things go pear-shape.

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If you want your team to be fully committed to your idea, first it's worth spending time with them to connect and develop a level of trust.

That's according to Simon Dowling, business coach and author of a new book, Work With Me: How to get people to buy into your ideas. You’ll achieve the best results, he insists, if you have a team who’s as enthusiastic and willing as you are about your idea.

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